Five for feminism.

E tagged me to do this, so here goes. These are my "five things that are awesome thanks to feminism." I realize this issue is complex, but I offer these in the spirit in which the meme is intended, and not to engage in a discourse on the nature of structural inequalities and etc.

1. Birth control pills. A few decades ago women finally got themselves a real way to block unwanted pregnancies. (Of course it also meant there were fewer excuses women could give men for not wanting sex. Hmm.) Birth control pills also give women "regularity" (I hate that word). Perhaps more importantly, the pills can also be taken in such a way that they block menstruation altogether, for as long as the woman wants. A while back I read a really good article on this. No idea what it was, but see this site for more information.

And, more lighthearted . . . .

2. More comfortable clothing. Who wants to wear a corset and have a few ribs removed to fit into the latest fashions? Not me. Ouch!

3. That excellent analytical trio, race, class, and gender. Where would historians be without them? 'nuff said.

This list is making me uncomfortable. I don't like straight-forward, direct causal explanations. They just don't ring true: the world is complex. But whatever. I'll keep going. Bear with me.

4. The Indigo Girls! In fact, I'm listening to them now. I'm just assuming they were feminists (whatever that means). Good music for when you're in a certain kind of mood.

5. The poster in our bathroom. An Italian opera named "Femminismo" was advertised with a painting of a woman in heels, stockings, and structured undergarments putting on pants over her old-school ensemble. It's excellent.

Sorry I can't do any better than this. Let's have a serious discussion about it instead.

Unrelated P.S. Did anyone ever get a postcard from me from London? I sent a whole bunch.