The XX Factor

What's in a Wife?

Lucy Morrow Caldwell — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 23:09:00 GMT

In an op-ed in the Guardian this morning, Jessica Valenti , founder of the blog Feministing and author of the book Full Frontal Feminism , discusses what she believes has been the media's unfair treatment of Michelle Obama, wife of Barack. Valenti writes,...(read more)

Hillary Holdouts: Don't Come Running Home on My Account

Melinda Henneberger — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:12:00 GMT

Dahlia , when you're right, you're right; just walking around with a uterus is enough to get you committed in the court of public opinion, so why perpetuate the whole woman-scorned stereotype with self-destructive, Bat-lady behavior? Yes, rage is its...(read more)

Curves Ahead

Nayeli Rodriguez — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 18:29:00 GMT

Except for a bit of mostly innocuous fun-poking , the Beijing Olympics have pretty much steered clear of any sexist slip-ups. Until yesterday , when reports surfaced of the International Table Tennis Federation’s latest strategy for reversing low attendance...(read more)

... And She's So Hot!

E.J. Graff — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:59:00 GMT

Are we allowed to say that here? Watching Rachel Maddow sets my heart aflutter. And not just me, apparently! I hear that she attracts across almost all persuasions--straight and gay, women and men. Especially when she's allowed to appear, as in the photo...(read more)

Who Can Turn the World On With Her Smile?

Noreen Malone — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:00:00 GMT

And, Dana and Dahlia , even as a non-cable news-watching Luddite, I'm thrilled for Rachel Maddow's new gig. That Nation piece was the first time in months that I read a magazine profile on a major news commentator--and there has been a recent obsession,...(read more)

Gay for Rachel

Dana Stevens — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:25:00 GMT

Dahlia, I'm also psyched at Rachel Maddow's ascension to the sweet spot at MSNBC, right after Keith Olbermann's top-rated 8 p.m. show. I love that Maddow is not just a non-Barbie doll; she's a 35-year-old out lesbian, with short-cropped hair and a straightforwardly...(read more)

The End of the Snarly Barbie?

Dahlia Lithwick — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:23:00 GMT

Props to Rachel Maddow for scoring her own primetime show . And props to MSNBC for recognizing and rewarding monster talent . Maddow is whip-smart, funny, original, and living proof that women needn't spit and hiss to succeed on TV. May the road rise...(read more)

More on Sweaty T-Shirts

Amanda Schaffer — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:02:00 GMT

Meghan , I checked out that T-shirt sniffing study you flagged, and, well, it hardly implies a crisis for pill-users – or a pink slip for novelists. To recap: The researchers asked women to rate the smells of T-shirts worn by different men. For each woman,...(read more)

Six Cheers for Natalie Coughlin

Rachael Larimore — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:33:00 GMT

I admit, I was as enthralled as the next person with Michael Phelps' amazing run for eight golds at the Beijing Olympics, perhaps more so. I watched the races live, yelling at the TV; I rewatched them on the Internet (have you seen the 4 x 100 relay underwater...(read more)

Yes They Can

Emily Bazelon — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:19:00 GMT

For now, the whole discussion about Hillary supporters and which way they'll jump feels to me like a giant exercise in conjecture. There's Melinda's still-bitter friend , and PUMA ( John Dickerson translation : Party Unity My Ass). And then there's this...(read more)

Five Puppies and a Sex Slave

Amanda Schaffer — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 19:36:00 GMT

Meghan, I'm curious about that T-shirt sniffing , too, and am trying to get hold of the actual paper. In the meantime, I confess, I've been riveted by another tale that features some modicum of science but also five puppies, a Mormon sex slave, and (possibly)...(read more)

Are Birth Control Pills Ruining Your Love Life?

Meghan O'Rourke — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:47:00 GMT

Has anyone been reading about this new U.K. study examining how the birth control pill affects women's choice of sexual partners? As one CBS headline crudely puts it , women on the pill allegedly choose "the wrong partner." That's because, as the authors...(read more)

Sober Reflections on "Closure"

Dahlia Lithwick — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:14:00 GMT

I’m with Melinda on this one Emily . I’ve always believed that "closure" and "catharsis" are pretty much just empty words one generally uses to justify sleeping with ex-boyfriends after the fifth glass of wine. The mere fact that Clinton insists this...(read more)

When You Call My Name, It's Like a Little Prayer

Melinda Henneberger — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:29:00 GMT

Fiddle faddle, Emily ; placing Hillary's name in nomination at the Democratic National Convention will not lead to the "catharsis'' she keeps talking about, and I'm not positive that catharsis is the goal. Long ago and far away, I rode a bus to Tlacotalpan,...(read more)

Calling Clinton's Delegates

Emily Bazelon — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:51:00 GMT

When the idea of a roll call for Hillary's delegates at the Democratic convention was first raised last spring, I thought it sounded silly—all empty symbolism and no gain. But last weekend, when I read Michelle Cottle's op-ed arguing in favor, I found...(read more)

Born in the USA? Prove It.

Nayeli Rodriguez — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:51:00 GMT

Summer tourists complaining of passport troubles can gain some perspective by reading a recent article in the Wall Street Journal on the legal challenges currently facing thousands of Texans. Because they were issued by midwives, these people's birth...(read more)

Cover-Up Accounting

Bonnie Goldstein — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:36:00 GMT

I agree with Rachael and think that unequal hush installments were not only sexist, the distributions were too small. Don't you think $15,000 and $20,000 a month seems measley for the sacrifice Hunter and Young's family were making in their personal lives?...(read more)

Well, That's Sexist

Rachael Larimore — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:50:00 GMT

Rielle Hunter had to spend nine months pregnant and an unreported number of hours in labor before she could milk John Edwards' supporters for $15,000 a month (allegedly). If the New York Post is to be believed (and why not, at this point?), all Andrew...(read more)

How To Spot a Cheater With His Clothes On

Melinda Henneberger — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:36:00 GMT

Go, Ruth ! In her column in the Post this morning, she says there isn't a wife in the world who doesn't want to slap "99 percent'' Honest John Edwards silly right about now. And on account of the senator's perfidy, are husbands across the land enduring...(read more)

I Can't Turn Away Just Yet!

Emily Bazelon — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:02:00 GMT

Meghan, maybe you're right that we should turn away—but not quite yet! First we get to trounce him a bit. Here's Kerry Howell of Reason magazine and me agreeing with Mickey about covering the story. And now I agree with Hanna that Elizabeth doesn't get...(read more)