Good Reads

Renee always delivers

I know I never stopped to think about the First Lady position being paid, but it makes complete sense.

There is always going to be someone one who is going to unsatisfied by the job that Michelle Obama is doing, but she is not a public official, nor has she taken any oath to serve the people and though she is leading a very public life, Mrs. Obama is still a private citizen. Even more importantly, advocacy is hard work and each person has a right to choose how they negotiate a marginalization that affects them, because it is the individual who will bear the brunt of the consequences

Until the work of First Lady is a paid position and is tasked with duties beyond the frivolous, no effort on the part of any woman is going to bring about significant change.  The position of First Lady is devalued because it is work performed by women, and because it is unpaid. By virtue of our patriarchal culture, the work of the First Lady is deemed to be nurturing work, which all women perform, though to a lesser extent which supports the public sphere

Because I'm nosy and love reading about other's experiences

Maybe they're all just names and stories and I'm just doing what I do, trying to fit the pieces together in a way that makes me feel better about things that make me feel impotent as a mother, wife, and yes, feminist. Maybe I'm just like any other person trying to justify our very patriarchal naming system.

YES.

Oh, Florida

The takeaway: Society isn’t interested in helping you buck traditional gender roles. The missus is going to be subordinate whether she and he want it or not. Florida is a screwy state, but also not the only screwy state or the screwiest state. The English language currently lacks a male equivalent for maiden name. And if you’re going to have to jump through those name-changing hoops anyway, you might as well change both of your names to Optimus Prime.)