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Archive for December, 2022

2022 Link Roundup

Posted in Editorials on December 31st, 2022
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Of course the biggest stories of the year in the USA have been the overturning of Roe vs Wade and Elon Musk’s absolute disaster takeover of Twitter. Here’s some stories you might have missed:

How the far-right is turning feminists into fascists by Jude Doyle
The “TERF to fascist pipeline” is real and dangerous. The far right is using transphobia to radicalize and recruit.

Watch the Air
Adam’s essay about how we can do more to prevent respiratory viruses. We don’t have to accept either total lockdown or hundreds of deaths per week

The Hidden Fees Making Your Bananas, and Everything Else, Cost More
Pro Publica investigation into the supply chain. Shipping containers matter more than you’d think.

Inside the Powerful Anti-Abortion Campaign to Convince You That Everything Is Just Fine
As we continue into an America without Roe, more and more women and pregnant people will die of miscarriage and other pregnancy complications.

Television

This year I had the delight of watching the first season of Strange New Worlds on Paramount Plus which I believe had the best first season of any Star Trek show. It was near perfect if not perfect. The show combines the best parts of the TOS aesthetic with an updated sensibility and while you don’t have to have seen Star Trek before to enjoy it, if you are a Trekkie there are a million Easter eggs. The framing is brilliant and Pike is quickly becoming my favorite Captain (I said it!)

The Hulu original Welcome to Chippendales starring Kumail Nanjiani is just fantastic television. There was a lot more sleaze going on behind the scenes of the 80’s male revue than I ever knew. The 80’s fashion and decor is a fun, and the acting is superb. Ultimately the show is about the idea of “The American Dream” and how it succeeds and fails to live up to expectations. (Technically the series finale is next week but even not having seen it I still strongly recommend it.)

Movies
Of course I loved Glass Onion and join the rest of the internet in being smitten with Benoit Blanc. It’s the kind of fun popcorn movie I wish they’d make more of, and now that it’s a franchise I may get my wish.

I am still thinking about Don’t Worry Darling as an updated version of The Stepford Wives and the movie has a lot to say about feminism and misogyny, suburban capitalism, the façade of gender and online radicalization. I’m still chuckling over the fact that when asked about how he felt about being the inspiration for the movie’s villain/cult leader, Jordan Peterson was like “Well Chris Pine is hot so…” Adam wrote a review here.

The Lost City was a cute comedy and I will watch anything where Daniel Radcliffe chews the scenery (Including the Weird Al Movie) but together with Don’t Worry Darling I think there’s a trend of “non remake remakes.” As The Lost City is so much like Romancing The Stone without being a remake in name. It’s an interesting way to revisit the magic of a past story without all the fan pressure that comes with an announced remake.

I had to watch Clerks 3 and I would recommend it to anyone who was a Kevin Smith fan in their youth. The trilogy wraps in a touching story about facing mortality in midlife. There were a few laughs that came with the many references to previous movies (and the Clerks cartoon show!)

Books
My whole list of books read this year is here, but three books I’d recommend that came out in 2022 are:

South to America: A Journey Below the Mason Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation by Imani Perry
My UU congregation read this one and there was a lot to discuss. Perry looks at the American South and its various meanings and definitions. Race and history are intertwined with geography and culture.

Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor by Kim Kelly
I grew up in a union household and this subject is near and dear to my heart. Organizers and workers who were women, queer or people of color have been in the United States since its founding. Although sometimes these groups allowed themselves to be pitted against each other – there are also inspiring stories of solidarity and courage. This is the stuff they didn’t teach you in school and its easy to see why.

Ways of Being: Beyond Human Intelligence. Animals, Plants, Machines: The Search for Planetary Intelligence by James Bridle
This book is trippy and I wouldn’t have picked it up if I’d never heard Contrapoints explain the gist of Ways of Seeing in order to understand the reference. And while I thought this was a scientific exploration of intelligence artificial and “natural” it’s more a book about philosophy and challenges the reader to think about these concepts in different ways. It reminds me a lot of How To Do Nothing and I will be rereading it again very soon to get more out of it.

Podcasts

Sold A Story This is a must listen to for parents and anyone who cares about children and education. About 20 years ago the way we started to teach reading in America changed for the worse. The deficits of the pandemic are nothing compared to the injustice we have done by ignoring everything we knew about reading.

Ghost Church I will listen to anything by Jamie Loftus and while I am not a believer in ghosts even after listing to this entire thing I think it’s worth a listen to understand the history of American spiritualism, a fascinating subject. If you only have time for one, listen to episode 8, which explains Ectoplasm. Trust me.

Feminist Coffee Hour If you missed it, check out our three part series about QAnon:
Part 1: How QAnon targets parents
Part 2: The truth about human trafficking
Part 3: How the 80’s “stranger danger” panic is still with us today.

Videos
The Weird World of Tucker Carlson Originals by Jose

Lee Zeldin supporters on election night

H.P. Lovecraft and the Reactionary Mind | Chill Goblin

Politics
This year I became involved with Comrades with Kids a group of NYC DSA parents and caregivers. We’d love for you to join us!

CHAT GPT
Everyone is posting their experiments with the chatbot that will change the world. And I need you to see this. I was literally screaming as I watch it type this. I’m impressed.

Most Brilliant comedy of the year

Not Knowing What Else To Do, Woman Bakes Try Guys Cake

IYKYK

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Previous Year End Posts

2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2011

Feminist Coffee Hour Episode 76: Paul Renfro and Stranger Danger

Posted in Podcast Episodes on December 22nd, 2022
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Subscribe to Feminist Coffee Hour in Apple Podcasts.

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Listen to episode in browser/Right click to download file

Elizabeth and Karen interview History Professor Paul Renfro about his book “Stranger Danger: Family Values, Childhood, and the American Carceral State.”

This episode continues our discussion into the panic over child trafficking stirred up by QAnon and how it relates to the Satanic Panic of the 80’s.

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