I am about 3/4 of the way through Susan Faludi's groundbreaking work, Backlash. It gives a riveting account of how the media, government, New Right, and other American institutions used sexist messaging, policy, medicine, and other means to roll back the gains of the women's movement. As a book, it is painstakingly researched, witty, frightening in places, and pertinent to feminists today. However, there was a moment yesterday where I almost tossed the book across the room.

On page 325, in the midst of an account of an antifeminist woman's rise, Faludi describes how Sylvia Ann Hewlett's book is poorly researched and full of dishonesty. She then writes, "Based on these informative encounters with the average woman on the street, Hewlett concludes that feminism has gypped her sex" (emphasis mine). The tone of the sentence is sarcastic, but the slur remains. To "gyp" someone means to steal or cheat them, and it comes from the word "gypsy", against whom there is still rampant discrimination. Though this book is dated (it was fish published in 1991, I am reading the 2006 edition), as an advocate of feminism, Faludi should have known better than to use an ethnic slur in a book that is otherwise brilliant in advocating the rights of all women in the United States. It should be noted that this book is not particularly focused on racism as a problem for women of color that certainly intersects with other aspects of the backlash. Nevertheless, to use a slur so casually casts a shadow on this book. Using a different word, such as "cheated", would have kept the same tone and meaning. In the next edition, perhaps Faludi should consider a few revisions.

Mel Gibson World's Biggest D-bag Blogaround

The first time I became aware of Mel Gibson's heinous attitudes towards Jews, I was 15 and the Passion of the Christ had just been released. Even before my feminist awakening, I was aware of the power of the dollar, and I resolved to never give any of mine to Mel Gibson. To this day, I have never seen a film with Mel Gibson in it, and I am 21. Since then, Mel reinforced my disdain and utter contempt with his anti-Semitic rant to a police officer in 2006, and now he has verbally and physically abused his girlfriend, the mother of his child. As Renee of Womanist Musings so succinctly puts it, Gibson is "cruel, abusive and drunk on privilege". I am even further resolved not to see his movies, and to encourage my friends to do the same.

Below is a summary of links to other blogs who have covered the story (warning: some of these links may be triggering):

Feministing: Mel Gibson: Bonafide Abusive Asshole
Womanist Musings: Now Mel Gibson Admits to Hitting Oksana, How Long Until We Forgive Him?
Shakesville: Mel Gibson Is A Vile Racist Douchebag Of Epic Proportions... But You Already Knew That
The Sexist: When the Threat of Stranger Rape Facilitates Acquaintance Rape
Slog: Stay Classy, Mel

Feel free to leave other links in the comments.