Disqualified Transsexual Beauty Contestent…

Okay, I am getting a little too much of my news from yahoo lately but I was wondering how many of you heard about Jenna Talackova, who was a transsexual contestant in the Miss Universe pageant in Canada before she was disqualified because she was born male.

Clearly, this is a social justice issue – and as far as I’m concerned this decision should be over turned but I am always torn when we’re talking beauty pageants – they are like giant homages to female objectification. I know – my consistent focus on the horrors of objectification feels old hat sometimes – but I am just horrified at the idea that we view objectification as a source of empowerment. Argh!

Israel bans super skinnies from modeling

In an attempt to discourage eating disorders Israel has banned women with a BMI less than 18.5 from modeling. Check it out on daily mail. The new law also requires disclaimers – similar to smoking warnings – about photo shopping images.

Interesting stuff, huh?

Dads against Huggies…

Okay this is of course a two-sided coin – First, this is active proof that gender stereotypes are genuinely breaking down, which is amazing and important. Second, why is there no one screaming about ads like this:

Doesn’t this ad make fools out of women – equating their bodies to a hamburger to be devoured –  Isn’t this as infuriating as the Huggies dads ads??