It seems as if my critique of last night’s Superbowl ads struck a nerve with the most loyal fans of the Dodge Charger. These are their stories.

Read More “Sexist Comments of the Week: Emasculated Dodge Charger Driver Edition” »

Last year, we delved into the world of 7orbetter.com, an online dating network that caters to men with long penises—and the men and women who love them. Recently, a reader wrote in to ask if there exists any similar service for men with genitals on the opposite end of the ruler. He writes:

Hello Amanda, I recently read your article about this website and wondered if you found any others with the opposite slant.  I think the concept is great in that you do know up front.  As an alternative are there any sites that also advertise size but not focused on the larger variety of men.  I guess what I am getting at is getting the whole “size” question out of the way early so there is no disappointment when things are revealed.  A girl may not want a 7 incher but a 4 incher may also be unacceptable.

Read More “No Space For Men To Disclose Small Penis Size” »

Local anti-sexual harassment resource Holla Back D.C. has declared March “Public Transit Awareness Month” in order to “focus on public sexual harassment on our public transportation in the DC metro area.” I’m inclined to support this occasion for the following reasons:

Read More “March Is Public Transit Sexual Assault Awareness Month” »

Why is the Superbowl commercial line-up, hailed as an achievement in advertising industry creativity, often so casually sexist, racist, and homophobic? Credit the watchful eye of the CBS Standards and Practices department, which ensures that Superbowl ads bring in millions of viewers looking to be shocked—without offending the delicate sensibilities of the American people.

Read More “Why Superbowl Ads Are So Sexist, Racist, and Homophobic” »

Hard at work inventing the rape-preventing rocket boot.

Last week on the Sexist,we learned that since both climbing stairs and riding in elevators put women at a high risk of sexual assault, the only way for us women to ascend beyond the ground floor is to invent some sort of rocket boot. Think about it!

1. The Worst Sexual Assault Prevention Tips Ever, in which wearing rocket boots is truly the only reliable mechanism for avoiding rape. That is, until the rapists invent their own  rocket boots. Then we’re shit out of luck.

2. The Breast Massage Will Happen, in which your boss uses phrases like “bone-girl” in your work e-mails.

3. Why Do So Many Men Die as a Result of Domestic Violence?, in which murdering your wife can be deadly.

4. Victim Blaming and Transgender Rape Victims, in which transphobic commenters argue why a trans women simply can’t have been raped.

5. Style Tips From Men’s Rights Activists, in which men’s rights will never truly be achieved as long as dudes are still buying “stylish elevator shoes.”

Photo via the Library of Congress

Last week, Montgomery County high schoolers brought home an extra special science lesson with their report cards: A flier from Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX) informing parents that their gay kids don’t have to stay that way. Read More ““Ex-Gays” Search In Vain for “Gay Center of the Brain”” »

After it was reported this week that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel had used the phrase “fucking retarded” to refer to a group of Democrats, Sarah Palin took to Facebook to decry Emanuel’s word-choice as a “slur on all God’s children with cognitive and developmental disabilities”—and to demand that Obama give him the ax. Prepare to get totally fucking deep into the philosophical import of a Sarah Palin Facebook update, everybody.

In this edition of Sexist Beatdown, Sady Doyle of Tiger Beatdown and I parse the new Republican PC strategy, examine Palin’s record on disability (it ranges from condescending to damaging), and propose that Palin’s adoption of a far-left feminist talking point is a sign of the coming apocalypse.

Read More “Sexist Beatdown: Sarah Palin’s Slur on All God’s Children Edition” »

As some commenters have noted, Georgia’s Valdosta State University has apparently removed its Sexual Assault Prevention tips page that gave us such ludicrous pointers as “If you get on the elevator on the 25th floor, and the Boogie Man gets on the 22nd, get off when he gets on,” and “[gouging a dude's eyes out] sounds gross, but the alternative is your fault if you do not act.” We hardly knew ye.

Commenters have also noted that the Sexual Assault Prevention page lives “in infamy” (for now) in Google cache, so the curious can still get their heavy dose of victim-blaming scare tactics here. All kidding aside, though, I’d like to thank the folks at Valdosta State University for no longer endorsing these damaging “tips” on their Web site. I’ve already heard from several members of the campus community who are committed to making positive change in the school’s sexual assault policies, and I look forward to VSU’s future approach to these issues.

Last week, a 19-year-old female student was sexually assaulted on Montgomery College’s Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus. The hour-long assault occurred in a women’s restroom inside the campus performing arts center.

Following the assault, Montgomery College rolled out a comprehensive administrative response across its three campuses. The Takoma Park campus immediately went into a two-hour lock-down. Campus police reviewed video surveillance of the performing arts center, where they identified the man who was later charged in the attack—a former Montgomery College student and one-time student tutor. Administrators reached out to faculty and staff to help facilitate conversations with students. The school sent out multiple campus-wide messages alerting students to the university’s response, reminding them of campus counseling services, and inviting comments from students.

But let’s focus for a minute on one Montgomery College administrator’s public reaction to the attack. Two days after the assault, Dr. Clemmie Solomon, Takoma Park/ Silver Spring Dean of Student Development, sent a campus-wide e-mail reminding students of their responsibility to take charge of their own safety on campus.

Read More “Montgomery College Rape Sparks Concern Over Campus Safety Tips” »

As this is not Ted Bundy’s actual VW Beetle, it will be of no help to potential rape victims.

It’s officially Ludicrous Sexual Assault Prevention Tips day on the Sexist! Next up: How to avoid being raped and murdered by a notorious serial killer—by shelling out $19.95 to glean some valuable safety lessons from Ted Bundy’s meticulously preserved 1968 VW Beetle.

Read More “How Ted Bundy’s VW Beetle Will Help You Not Get Raped and Murdered” »