So two quick things tonight. First of all, Happy Friday!! It was not until I went down to working four days a week that I realized how much everyone does not like their job.

So, first the bad news. I attended a film screening of Miss Representation at the Paley Center for Media last week which was mostly fascinating, but after 24 hours realized I’m not sure what I really took away from the film other than more shocking statistics and a realization of how extreme the airbrush industry is. Christiane Amanpour, anchor of ABC News’s This Week was one of the women on the panel and vented for the first 10 minutes about how pissed she was at sexism in the media after watching the film. That’s good, I guess, but then she said something that has been bothering me ever since and I finally left this comment on her news website:

Hi,

This is regarding an event Christiane Amanpour attended last week—a screening of Miss Representation at The Paley Center for Media. I greatly respect Amanpour’s career and admire her being a strong mother as well as a respected figure in the media. She made insightful comments that evening about feeling furious after watching Miss Representation reveal the extent of sexism in the media. However, later she made a remark to the effect of: that in this society one would get punished for insulting black people but it’s still OK to insult women. I am a feminist as well. And by that comment she is implying that sexism at present is worse than racism. I am a woman of color and do not have the luxury of comparing racism to sexism and saying one is in a better state than the other. I have to deal with both sexism and racism in my daily life and do not appreciate white women stating their anger at sexism by comparing that racism is a lesser issue. Since Amanpour is someone I truly respect I wanted to point this out to her and help her be aware of.

Thank you for reading.

Best,
Shiuan

I sent this comment to This Week with Christiane Amanpour. Since sending the comment I have learned that Amanpour is half Iranian. Oops. Though it doesn’t change my point not to compare oppressions. And even worse coming from her—a woman of color! Not sure I’ll receive any response, but will let you know if I do.

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In better news, my colleague, Joe Samalin at Men Can Stop Rape was on Pix 11 Morning News (it’s OK, I never heard of it either) and had a great little two minute spotlight. The woman was a bit fluffy and what was up with her “[people of color] have cultural issues” i.e. more sexism comment?? But Joe did great. We need more male allies like you Joe!

Yesterday I spent my entire Saturday indoors in Hunter College at a conference. It was titled: Sex, Power, and Speaking Truth: Anita Hill, Twenty Years Later. I tweeted more in those 8 hours than I have in 8 months combined. So I thought that would be a perfect way to describe the day:

A day in tweets:

[I arrived just in time to catch my long-time idol--Catharine MacKinnon, University of Michigan Law School--think Anne of Green Gables with the sweeping silver up-bun with a genius feminist mind]

Sometimes it’s important to stand up and do the right thing, even if you lose. –MacKinnon on DSK Diallo case

People don’t seem to have a grip on what it means to be [a woman] in a disempowered position looks like. –MacKinnon on DSK case

Men do not take well to sexual humiliation in public. Women are used to it. —Catharine Mackinnon

Alot of evidence at the time wasn’t brought forward. — Catharine MacKinnon #anitahill

[Then was my beloved Jamia Wilson, brilliant organizer, storyteller, networker.]

I thought, I’m not Anita Hill. But I could be. And that scared the crap out of me. — @jamiaw

RT: MsNicoleClark Ai-Jen Poo: Even if the media doesn’t believe women [who are harassed], there will be other women who will stand with them. #AnitaHill

I already understood it [sexual harassment] was not my fault, or something like that. –Melissa Harris-Perry from Tulane

The water is still contaminated. And we still drinking it. –Rha Goddess
[A common theme at the conference. See later: It's not over til it's over]

Young women don’t have enough spaces to safely evolve a sexual identity that supports a healthy wholeness in their being.-Goddess

There is nothing empowering about being called a slut. –Rha Goddess

[Young people] don’t call it sexting. Oral sex is first base. Sometimes in elementary school. [we need to listen]–Harris-Perry

Melissa Harris-Perry: There is an enormous nostalgia for a moment of inequality that felt simpler for the dominant class. [But of course it wasn't simpler.]

[Need to read:] Salamishah Tillet on Slutwalk in The Nation : http://www.thenation.com/article/163679/what-wear-slutwalk

It is just an event. It is not me. –AH
[I felt the same way with my abusive ex in Hawai`i. From resentment to overcoming. Not denying but healing through it and rising above.]

AH: My grandfather went from being property, being a slave, to owning property. He lost that farm

AH: The significance of home, how it shapes our definition of equality and then the housing market hit.

AH: For so many women space inside the home is not a safe place.

AH: My grandmother had to imagine what freedom will be like for her children. We need to do that as well.

AH: Home is an ideal state of being, as well as a place.

AH: That thing that caused me fear, the testimony, that was the right thing to do.
[in response to question on fear]

AH: We’re all supposed o be strong and tough. But I had to let go of some of that.

AH: [I ask young people] What do you think of as your strength? And build on that.

AH: It was an affront to them. –On the testimonies of female witnesses denied at the trial 20 yrs ago

Over 90% of harassers of women are men. And 40% of harassers of men are men. –Virginia Valian

Gloria Steinemmakes metaphor of this country like a woman in abusive situation. We are starting to get out of [abuser's] control

Don’t throw things at me when I evoke this man — Devon Carbado [Professor of Law UCLA]

Carbado: There are many articles defending Thomas as a racial victim, but none written about Anita Hill being a racial victim.