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Chiconomics 101: The Fun, Fabulous Girls’ Guide to Making Smart Money Moves

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:15:00 +0000

Chiconomics 101 is a pink-themed, Cosmo-drinking ladies-geared blog about basic money management seemingly written by and for the twenty-something set of singles with less money to burn now that they have “real world” bills to pay. The blog bubbles with ideas perhaps not so novel or inventive for folks remotely experienced in the pinching of pennies—brown bagging lunch instead of eating out, visiting the local library instead of the local Barnes & Noble, making coffee instead of dropping dollars on store-bought lattes—but ultimately, from this feminist’s perspective, fizzles and falls flat.

Alongside standard tips for everyday things a “fun, fabulous girl” can do to save a few bucks, the blog also offers more substantial advice The tips are mostly geared toward someone thinking about these things for the first time; she could find some good starting pointers and helpful links to get started towards a financial goal. These posts were genuinely interesting, informative, and pertinent to some aspect of my current financial life. I learned what FICO stands for, what I could do to improve my credit score, and some solid alternatives to a basic savings account. I read comments from other women in my age group who also do their own taxes, along with some straightforward and helpful tips for how to be successful in, what most of us agree, is an overwhelming process.

It wasn’t the information I objected to—the information was great, if basic or limited at times—it was the delivery that was hard to stomach. There are dozens of other “Finance for Women” blogs out there, even of the “101” Introductory variety, that do it better—more sound advice, tips for saving, investment strategies—without the cloyingly fabulous “chiconomic” lingo exclusively employed on this blog.

Money-talk doesn’t have to sound like a Cosmo article to become magically appealing to women. Each concept need not be accompanied by a grating metaphor meant to bring it down to “our” level—(hetero)sex, high school cliques, cocktails, pop music, dieting, more sex. Here’s a fabulous thought: A women’s finance blog with straightforward advice, no gimmicks, no “girl talk,” no gratuitous comparisons, acknowledging the fact that many women do not get the financial education they need and deserve to make the most of what they earn. Chiconomics doesn’t stack up.

Written by: Kelly Moritz, June 19th 2009

I Am Not Afraid of Winter

admin — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 10:30:00 +0000

By Carrot Quinn

I Am Not Afraid of Winter is blog writing at its best: excellently written, thoughtful and thought provoking. I was captivated by this window into Carrot Quinn’s world enough to log in every day, to see what Quinn was up to or thinking about.

Quinn writes about everything from traveling hobo-style by freight train and critical cultural analysis, to having scabies and the compulsion to write, to memories of formative experience and intimate moments of sickness or sex. I was struck with how sensual the writing is; it has the ability to invoke all five senses and psychically transport me to the world of each entry. This is especially true for me because the backdrop of the majority of the entries is Portland, Oregon, a city I know like the back of my hand.

Carrot Quinn has an active presence on her blog and a good-sized following. On Sundays she posts guest entries on sexism in the queer community. While she may be “homeless in the way that we are all homeless, in that we’re all colonizers without a sense of place,” the sense of place Quinn creates is right on.

Her descriptions of experiences are singularly intense, and had the ability to draw me into a sense of familiarity. The imagery hit me with a spark of recognition. For instance when Quinn describes the miserable experience of insomnia, which sneaks in to destroy her creative magic when her life is out of balance, “like a sort of rooster that lived in their central nervous systems. Waking up at dawn with a head full of bright, buzzing anxiety.” I’ve never thought of it that way, but yes, that’s exactly how it feels!

As I followed the blog from her freight trip from Asheville, NC back to the Pacific Northwest, I could hear the racket of riding on a boxcar, the hot wind rushing past, the grime and grease caking skin. The freedom! Then the train climbs into the Cascade Mountains and into “the forest so secret and vast.” There I was then in the cool dense green-blue shadows of this part of the country, awestruck at the beauty of nature. And as a “sort of nature writer” she remembers her nature even in the heart of an electric city: “Above me the stars would glint, perfect and clear and cold, and I would feel like an animal, a present, breathing animal, wild and strong and free.”

I never have done it, but I am very intrigued by freight hopping. This was the main reason I wanted to review this blog. I also enjoy stories that follow the lifestyle and inner world of the writer. There exists in these stories a sort of voyeuristic pleasure, and the icing on the cake is that Quinn is an excellent writer. I Am Not Afraid of Winter is rhythmic and filled with symbolism and fantastic imagery, a modern day Odyssey. I hope events conspire to see a book or collection of essays by Carrot Quinn soon.

Written by: Matsya Siosal, March 12th 2009

It’s a Jungle Out There: The Feminist Survival Guide to Politically Inhospitable Environments

admin — Thu, 29 May 2008 13:33:00 +0000

By Amanda Marcotte

Seal Press

If you keep up with the purported leaders of feminist blogging, or if you heard any of the controversy about the John Edwards campaign bloggers last year, the name Amanda Marcotte may ring a bell. Perhaps in recent weeks, you’ve heard rumblings about the racist imagery within Marcotte’s first book, It's a Jungle Out There, which depicts white women conquering a jungle of dark-skinned "savages."

The controversy that erupted over Marcotte’s book is not without warrant, nor is it a foreign topic among white feminist bloggers turned book writers. Authors’ lack of control over their books and the subsequent excuses and apologies (or lack thereof) are an [interesting story](http://feministing.com/archives/005898.html#comment-54766," p="'155) all on their own, and Marcotte and her publisher, the well-known and pro-woman Seal Press, have respectively apologized. But while the issues raised do warrant the attention this book has received, the content does not.Future printings, even sans racist imagery, will contain roughly the same text, save a new introduction or two, and sadly, despite Marcotte’s good intentions to pen a tongue-in-cheek book about the perils of being a politically-minded feminist, her effort falls painfully short.

It's a Jungle Out There reads like a series of blog posts that are haphazardly placed under witty headings, and in my view, it speaks down to its audience. Being a feminist in any environment is tricky territory, and instead of drawing on the wealth of knowledge from our collective feminisms, past and present—or even Marcotte's own practical experience—a lot of the handbook’s advice centers around being snarky and annoyed with your adversaries instead of bridge-building and cooperating in the name of a larger good. I don’t make pals with the anti-abortion protestors either, but I don’t go looking for a fight and would not advise that of anyone, especially allies in a movement of change. This was not meant to be a scholarly feminist tome about our history and our future, but I also expect more from a “feminist survival guide” than chapters about shoe shopping woes and advice on how to handle a Girls Gone Wild camera crew.

Marcotte doesn’t give the subjects she’s claiming to tackle anything more than buzz-word treatment and a few (sometimes offensive) jokes. Women’s legitimate choices – not having a child, for example – are not broken down into logical arguments that support our case, which would be the normal route for “surviving a politically inhospitable environment.” Explaining yourself and making concise, thoughtful arguments to back up your choices may feel like you’re defensively explaining your entire political and personal life, but at least you’ll be dignified doing it. For Marcotte, most issues should be answered with a version of “It’s my right, damnit!” And, be that as it may, it doesn’t exactly give a young feminist an advantage in a conversation or debate with the ideological opponents she will surely encounter. In fact, it makes her look silly, privileged, and naïve instead of reasoned and informed about her legitimate life choices and political ideals.

To be fair, some of Marcotte’s assessments are in a vein that makes sense for a large contingency of young women who self-identify as feminists. There were moments in the book that made me laugh. I understand that, mostly, this is Marcotte’s intention. Young women who are new to the concepts of equal rights or the feminist label face cultural resistance at every turn with very little validation from the mainstream media of their empowered decisions. Allies in their corner can mean a great deal, and as someone who once read more lighthearted texts instead of the volumes that now line my shelves, I resonate with the intentions of reaching out to those coming a few years behind me.

But there were many comments in the book that made me cringe and wonder where the diverse community-building was, the impetus for transformation behind slamming Christian fundamentalists. Where are the messages of feminist unity and community outreach? By negating whole groups of people with flippant commentary and stereotypes, how does a movement become more inclusive? We need to teach our young sisters a message of hope and solidarity, and I didn’t find them in the midst of confusing blogosphere name-dropping, PETA bashing, generalizations about red states, and a ridiculously insular reference section. I felt a bit worried for younger feminists, and alienated from a label and movement that I support and love.

If I did not say how I truly feel about this book, I’d be doing every self-labeled feminist I know a disservice. Writers don’t have integrity when they let potential audience repercussions silence them, and women certainly shouldn’t back down from their truths. Marcotte doesn’t shy away from being controversial, and her book advances a narrow idea of feminism that, coupled with the idea that rolling your eyes is revolutionary, comes off as entitled and without a greater understanding of the wide variety of feminisms that many of us try to navigate.

Young feminists will not learn survival from this “guide.” They will learn how to make blanket judgments of their supposed adversaries instead of learning that sisterhood and cooperation can advance the well-being of us all. This kind of contempt cloaked as humor perpetuates an already unfortunate stereotype that feminists are angry and hateful, and it speaks poorly of anyone still claiming the f-word label. Maybe it’s just that I think love is more powerful than hate, but I prefer to believe that a message of unity, hope, and community revitalization is more important than choosing sides and acting like you already have it all figured out.

Written by: Brittany Shoot, May 29th 2008

Bitch (Issue #35: Super)

admin — Sat, 19 May 2007 21:45:00 +0000

B-Word Publishing

Bitch, as depicted on their website, is “a print magazine devoted to incisive commentary on our media-driven world." Reading Bitch was my first experience with a magazine that showcases feminist commentary about the media towards women in an eye-opening, upbeat conversation with the consumer. Issue 35 is considered to be the "Super Issue."

In the "Love It/Shove It" section, a few articles are written in a hardcore feministic opinion about women's role in society depicted via television and advertising. In the article, "This is What a Feminist Should Look Like," the author grapples with blogging and the argument about feminists getting Brazilian bikini waxes and loving high heels as “going along with the patriarchy” and being a crappy feminist. Authors, Samhita M. and Jessica Valenti from Feministing wrote, “Isn’t the whole point that women should be able to decide for ourselves what our appearance means to our feminism-and if it means anything at all?” This speaks volume to the kind of rhetoric that is being displayed in this magazine. It showcases the views of varying feminist sisters who define the term in their own ideological manner.

I found the article "More Than a Woman" to be an excellent composite of women making feminist strides in our society. It started with Aphra Behn (1640-1689), who achieved success as an author of plays, poems and novels: “She is believed to have witnessed a slave rebellion during a stay in Surinam, traveled to the Netherlands as a spy for King Charles II, and wound up in debtor’s prison all before she turned 30.” It concluded with Lois Weber, an auteur of early Hollywood. According to the article, “Weber was one of Hollywood’s highest-paid directors, heading Universal Studio's production department and pioneering technical innovations such as split screens and camera angles.” This section alone is reason enough to pick up the magazine to find out our history and add it to our repertoire of women making history in America.

Overall the magazine was stimulating, and is an excellent precursor to women-orientated discussions on how we are depicted in popular culture. The articles provide an opinionated, in-depth backdrop to those conversations.

Written by: LaToya Rogers, May 19th 2007

I Will Have an Army of Clones. We Will Be So Charming.

admin — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 18:17:00 +0000

By Tina Seamonster

Tina Seamonster’s new book, I Will Have an Army of Clones. We Will Be So Charming., a collection of blog entries from her website, is an exploration of change. It maps with sweet intensity the shifts between weight gain and loss, pregnancy and childbirth. This is not, however, an online journal that is interesting only to the immediate family and friends of the blogger. Tina takes us through her struggles with tinted, punk rock, DIY glasses, determined to be seen (both through her blog site, as well as through the parading rainbow shades of her hair) while cherishing those who are not (by adopting a local panhandling woman as a surrogate grandmother).

Many books, magazines, television shows and the like deal with the trials of weight loss from a comfortable distance, recording the after-effects of a successful weight management plan through the eyes of a person happily transformed, or strategizing from the viewpoint of a nutritionist or a personal trainer, who are blissfully unaware of the real effort behind what Seamonster terms “The Great Smallening.” Seamonster’s entries take the reader into the struggle of the everyday, through a narrative vision that is anything but typical. However thrilled she is at unearthing the bones hidden underneath her previous weight, she is equally as fearful of losing it. “I worry that I won’t be pretty if I lose too much weight,” she says. “I will always be a big girl and I love that.”

Her biggest transformation manifests itself in the creation of new life. Catapulted into the world of duplicate motherhood, she champions her double pregnancy with cheerful determination. Rallying against a sometimes ambivalent doctor and the typical money trials of the majority of new young parents, Tina catalogues her experiences with a youthful confidence. Shape shifting Tina does not only alter her physical self, but also her imaginative self – transforming from archaeologist to sea captain, panda bear to geographer with ease between blog entries. Although the reader of Seamonster’s journey book form may feel immediate pangs of loss when faced with the end of its pages, Tina Seamonster’s personas (both physical and imaginative) continue playfully online; her punk rock stroll through motherhood still evolving with each entry.

Written by: Emily Dunster, February 18th 2007