Man Of The Week!
Each Monday we honor a great feminist man. If you want to know why, read about it here.
Week 10: Rob Delaney
ROB DELANEY is the Man of the Week, and thank GOD, because I love him and have been a fan since I read this female-loving, hilarious Vice article.
Rob is a comedian who writes regularly for Vice, performs stand-up around the country and has a very popular twitter-feed; his comedy is ripe with a feminist perspective. For instance, check out this amazing article on Katy Perry’s rape-apologist song “Last Friday Night”
In an interview with the “Good Man Project” he claims “I may sound like the world’s biggest asshole, but I do consider myself a feminist. Women and men are just savaged by ads and media and Hollywood to the point of actual insanity and I try to combat that in my little way.” Besides writing about body-image issues, Rob actively attempts to deconstruct sexual bullying tactics like the myth swallowing is better than spitting, or that men don’t necessarily feel the need to orally pleasure their female counterparts (aka the tweet: There should be a food truck where you can lick a nice lady’s pussy.) Other favorite tweets of mine are: “GOP House members have nightmares about lesbian veterans who double-majored in history & economics.” & “One reason I don’t like bald privates is that I’ve never really been sexually attracted to children.”
Check out his hilarious stand up here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HreIPLdmCkU&feature=player_embedded
Thanks for being an awesome feminist, Rob!
Week 9: Alan Alda
Alan Alda’s is a lifelong feminist. He’s been speaking out for women’s rights since the birth of Gloria Steinem’s Ms. Magazine, in which he published a 1975 article titled “What Every Woman Should Know about Men.” In this article he coined the phrase “testosterone poisoning,” writing:
“Everyone knows that testosterone, the so-called male hormone, is found in both men and women. What is not so well known, is that men have an overdose… Until recently it has been thought that the level of testosterone in men is normal simply because they have it. But if you consider how abnormal their behavior is, then you are led to the hypothesis thatalmost all men are suffering from testosterone poisoning.”
Alda’s other feminist works include co-chairing (with former First Lady Betty Ford) the ERA Countdown campaign. In 1976 The Boston Globe dubbed him “the quintessential Honorary Woman: A Feminist Icon” for his activism to support the Equal Rights Amendment.
We at Just The Tip dub him a quintessential feminist, and thank him for his efforts on behalf of women.
Week 8: Chuck D
Chuck D is the Man of the Week for supporting women through his music, interviews, life choices and for being a positive role model for men.
Chuck has spoken out against misogyny in hip hop, is married to a renowned professor in Black Studies at UCSB, and he actively mentors female MCs. Although Public Enemy was criticized for their offensive lyrics, he talks openly about these issues.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kcPV5_iuLCo
Week 7: Joss Whedon
While most applaud Joss for his awesome female characters, he may not be a perfect feminist. When you google “Joss Whedon feminism” over 50,000 articles come out, many of which argue about whether or not he truly does empower women through his shows (Are his female characters hyper-sexualized objects of the male viewer’s gaze? Does he revel in torturing and degrading women?) While analyzing these shows through a feminist lens today brings up necessary questions his show Buffy the Vampire Slayer was one of first shows to have a strong female protagonist kicking ass, and even having sex without being punished for it.
Joss identifies as a feminist, and credits his mother for inspiring his feminist perspective. When asked how he could write women so well he responded, “if you met my mom, you wouldn’t ask.” He considers it necessary to write strong, empowered female characters, and speaks of it frequently. Whedon was honored by Equality Now in 2006 and raised a significant amount of money for the organization. You can watch his “Why do you write these strong female characters?” speech here
We thank Joss for identifying as a feminist and making a conscious effort to create powerful female characters, for supporting organizations like Equality Now, and standing up for what’s right.
Week 6: Scott Fujita
This week’s Man of the Week is NFL player Scott Fujita, who totally kicks ass.
Fujita was adopted, and his biological mother was a teenager when he was born. This experience has affected the way he sees the world in many ways. Fujita has said, when speaking about his biological mother, “I’m just so thankful she had the courage and the support system to be able to carry out the pregnancy,” Fujita said. “I wouldn’t expect that of everybody.”
Fujita is additionally an avid supporter of gay rights. For one, he lent his name to the National Equality March. He supports an orphanage in New Orleans and speaks out against laws limiting gay adoption. “What [such laws] are really saying is that the concern with one’s sexual orientation or one’s sexual preference outweighs what’s really important, and that’s finding safe homes for children… It’s also saying that we’d rather have kids bounce around from foster home to foster home throughout the course of their childhood, than end up in a permanent home.” What he love about Scott is the way that he doesn’t see his progressive beliefs as surprising, impressive or courageous. He explained that “people tell me, hey, that’s pretty courageous. You come out in favor of gay rights. I don’t think it’s that courageous,” he told The Times. “I think I have an opinion, that I wish was shared by everybody, but I honestly believe that it’s shared by more [football players] than we know because a lot of people just won’t speak out about it.”
Scott additionaly holds a political science degree from Berkeley and a master’s in education. He has said he wants to be a public school teacher after retiring from football. We love his feminism and the support he shows for gay rights. Although we don’t hear about them enough, between Scott and Don McPherson, we’re happy that the NFL is full of some awesome feminist men.
Week 5: Zach Galifianakis
This week’s Man of the Week is Zach Galifianakis
Zack is one of the most beloved comics in Hollywood, from his web-series between two ferns, to his huge blockbusters like the Hangover. One of my favorite things he has done is the HBO series Bored To Death, a comedy that takes place in Brooklyn and features some great female characters (two of whom are lesbians that use Zach’s character as a surrogate father.)
Zach stands up for women through his twitter feed, his short-web-videos, and through his actions as a powerful Hollywood actor. Some of you probably remember Zach’s 2009 “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” video, in which he lip-synched Kanye West’s song. What you probably don’t know is that Kanye only got the idea from that video after Zach played a similar role in Fiona Apple’s 2008 video “Not About Love.” We love Zach in the video, and are happy he supports Fiona Apple, an important feminist icon who speaks openly about being raped and suffering from depression and an eating disorder as a result. Watch the hilarious video here.
While being in a Fiona Apple video doesn’t make Zach a feminist (although is there a feminist on the planet who doesn’t love Fiona Apple?) Zach has done similar comedic videos supporting women, such as this Men For Women Now video about breast cancer.
In 2009, Zach made another important action as a feminist when he spoke out against Mel Gibson’s role in the Hangover II. After Gibson’s abusive, racist, misogynistic rants came online a few months before the production of the film, Zach was frustrated and outraged to see him getting work and furthering his career. This ultimately led to Gibson being replaced by Liam Neeson.
Zach additionally runs a great twitterfeed, constantly posting about different ways to support international human rights issues, women’s issues, and important political and social change. And lastly, I loved Zach’s joke from his 2009 SNL monologue, in which he claimed: “My girlfriend looks a little bit like Charlize Theron, and a lot like Dog the Bounty Hunter. She’s writing a book about contemporary feminist theory. She let me read the manuscript and I got to say: It’s pretty good for a girl.”
Zach’s a hilarious guy who stands up for what is right. We’re happy to have a feminist like him in mainstream Hollywood comedy.
Week 4: Ad Rock (aka Adam Horowitz)
Who of you remember the glorious moment of the 1999 VMAs when the Beastie Boys won an award for Intergalactic, and Ad Rock (aka Adam Horowitz) took the microphone and told everybody that the rapes and sexual assaults that took place at Woodstock ’99 made him really angry and really sad, and that artists have a responsibility to do something to make sure their concerts are safe for women and girls? It was a pretty amazing moment. His feminist wife, Kathleen Hanna, describes it perfectly: “I remember sitting at the MTV awards while Adam made this speech and feeling so fucking proud of him. I mean, getting up at a totally superficial fake hugs bullshit event like this and being vulnerable and talking about something REAL is no fucking joke. We left 5 minutes after this because it was so far beyond the ‘who farted?’ feeling, it felt like people were gonna kill us.”
While the Beastie Boys’ first album was pretty misogynistic and homophobic, they have grown up. They no longer play these songs live. The trio sent a letter to Time Out New York apologizing for hating on women and gays in their previous music. They’ve additionally written lyrics that show how their own views have progressed; for example, in Sure Shot they announce: I wanna say a little something that’s long overdue, but disrespecting women has got to be through. To all the mothers and the sisters and the wives and the friends, I wanna offer my love and respect to the end.
While Ad Rock might be captured forever in the “Fight For Your Right To Party” music video (sexism if I’ve ever seen it), he was simply a young man in the 1980s who had a little growing up to do. We respect this. It’s okay to not be a perfect feminist; we all come from different environments and family values. The journey to becoming a feminist is just as important as the actions you take once you identify as one. As Ad Rock has grown up he has over and over stood up (publically) for the safety of women, made an effort to support women through his music, and he is Mr. Kathleen Hanna for Christ’s sake. We think he is amazing and so fucking cool. We wish everybody was a little more like Ad Rock.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JhqyZeUlE8U
http://www.philolzophy.com/2011/05/beastie-boys-are-more-authentic-feminists-than-you/
Week 3: Ryan Gosling
With the viral tumblr page feministryangosling blowing up, it seems that Ryan Gosling has become everybody’s favorite feminist. The thing is, the website presents a disclaimer noting that none of the quotes are actually from Ryan, and that she has no idea whether or not Ryan Gosling is actually a feminist. But we do. He is. Here’s why Ryan Gosling is actually a badass feminist, and why you should love him:
Ryan was born in London and raised in Ontario. His parents were divorced when he was a child. He was raised primarily by his mother, an experience that made him “think like a girl. I’m attracted to films that have strong female characters because there are strong female characters in my life.” Indeed, Ryan’s repertoire is full of films with complicated women, from the Notebook to Blue Valentine and Lars and the Real Girl.
Ryan openly and fervently rejects the sexist Hollywood patriarchy. After Blue Valentine was given an NC-17 rating for a scene where the female character receives oral sex, Ryan stated:
“You have to question a cinematic culture which preaches artistic expression, and yet would support a decision that is clearly a product of a patriarchy-dominant society, which tries to control how women are depicted on screen. The MPAA is okay supporting scenes that portray women in scenarios of sexual torture and violence for entertainment purposes, but they are trying to force us to look away from a scene that shows a woman in a sexual scenario which is both complicit and complex. It’s misogynistic in nature to try and control a woman’s sexual presentation of self. I consider this an issue that is bigger than this film.”
FUCK YEAH RYAN GOSLING!
Ryan is a rare talent. As a young actor on the top of Hollywood’s Most Wanted List, Ryan shows that powerful men can identify and proactively support feminist causes without sacrificing their masculinity. He is a terrific role model to other actors around him, who also have the power to speak out against the way women are depicted on screen, the sexist MPAA ratings and other forms of discrimination or patriarchy.
Even if he’s not quoted on FeministRyanGosling, we bet he would totally be down with the flashcards. Ryan, you are what a (really, really attractive) feminist looks like.
WEEK 2: JOSHUA BENNETT
We are thrilled to announce that this week’s Man of the Week is the very talented Joshua Bennett. Joshua is an up and coming spoken word poet. At only 22, Joshua has already had the rare honor of performing for President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the first-ever White House Poetry Jam. In 2007 he won HBO’s Brave New World teen poetry competition, and since then has performed with Saul Williams and Anis Mojgani, among others.
Joshua Bennett was born in Yonkers, New York and recently graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude from the University of Pennslyvania. He double majored in English and Africana Studies with minors in Spanish and History. He has been awarded a Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship as well as a Marshall Scholarship to receive an MA in Theater and Performance Studies from the University of Warwick.
Joshua’s poetry is interwoven with women-positive images; he often speaks about the love and respect he has for the women in his life (specifically his mother and sisters), and rejects oppressive gender roles. At the White House Poetry Jam, Joshua performed “Tamara’s Opus,” a poem about his struggles communicating with his deaf sister. We appreciate the sensitivity, honesty and passion apparent in Tamara’s Opus, as well as Joshua’s other work.
The poem we think best highlights Joshua’s feminism is “10 Things I Want To Say To A Black Woman” (video here & link below). In number eight Josh recites: “when we are married I will cook, do the dishes, and whatever else it will take to let you know that traditional gender roles have no place in the home we build. So my last name is an option. Babysitting the kid is a treat we split equally”
And in the ninth clause, Josh declares that: “My daughter, my daughter will know her fathers’ face from the day she is born. And I can only pray that this superman complex lasts long enough, for me to deflect the pain this world will aim at her from the moment she’s old enough to realize that the color brown is still not considered human most places.”
Joshua’s poems deconstruct traditional masculinity and femininity and show great respect for women and the role that the women around him play in his life. He addresses the intersectionality between about race and gender in a challenging and intelligent way. He is a terrific role model, feminist and a talented young poet. Thanks for all your work Joshua, and keep inspiring us with your words.
10 Things I Want To Say To A Black Woman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gU7ItOxr9g
Tamara’s Opus at the White House: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U5BwD8zOeM&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLA5A0A1283ECA730B
WEEK 1: DON McPHERSON
Don McPherson is a former NFL & Canadian Football league Quarterback who played for the Philadelphia Eagles, the Houston Oilers, Hamilton Tiger-Cars and Ottawa Rough-Riders. At Syracuse University, Don set 22 school records, led the NCAA in passings and won more than 18 national “player of the year” awards. Don won the Maxwell Award, the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award and finished second in the 1987 Heisman Trophy voting. In 2009 he was enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Don is one of the most inspiring social activists and male feminists of his generation. While speaking with him recently, Don told us that his favorite definition of feminism is one he saw on a bumper sticker once: “Feminism is the radical notion that women are people,” (credited to Cheris Kramarae and Paula Treichler). He believes that men should be involved in feminism and identify as feminists, not because women need men to protect them, but because all people should be treated with equal respect and given equal opportunities. In an attempt to end patriarchy, Don has founded several outreach and mentoring programs, and regularly speaks at college campuses about sexism and the problems that arise from sexism, like gendered violence and rape.
Upon retiring from pro-football in 1994, he joined Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society and became the Director of Sport in Society’s Mentors in Violence Prevention Program (MVP). Don has twice testified before the United States Congress and has worked closely with the U.S. Departments of Education and Defense and the Pentagon on issues of sexual violence in education and the military. Through this work Don has used his feminist beliefs to better our country in tangible ways.
We love Don’s commitment to feminism, and the way he approaches issues like rape; while we need to give support to victims, Don knows that we must also educate ourselves on how sexist culture and institutions perpetuate sexual violence. Don proves that feminism can be a critical part of a man’s life. In fact, Don’s feminist identity strengthens his masculinity and makes him a better man. He has shown incredible strength and wisdom by using sports to send positive messages, and has proactively reached out to young people around the country. Thanks for being such a terrific role model for men, for supporting women, and identifying as a feminist!
