The Pioneer Log, February 4, 2011

Opinion 5

My eyes are up here:

Feminists, pull out your wallets!
BY MAGGIE HENNESSEY Staff Writer This past week, I succumbed to pressure from my friends and finally sat down to watch IFCs highly anticipated Portlandia. I was excited to see that they were supporting one of my favorite feminist businesses, In Other Words, an independent bookstore started in 1993 which carries popular womens studies titles, hard-to-find feminist literature and zines. Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein seem to enjoy poking fun at the negative stereotypes of overly aggressive, man-hating feminists, which I generally have a hard time with. Yet, considering that they go out of their way to make sure that their dialogue is funny and over-the-top to the point of humor, I find it hilarious. While browsing the IFC website, I couldnt help but laugh at the ithyphallophobic (i.e. fear of penises) remarks and the grassroots anger that Brownstein and Armisens characters express when a female customer mentioned she was off to her pole dancing class. Ultimately, filming the sketch about a feminist bookstore in a feminist bookstore suggests that the management of In Other Words has a sense of humor and can take a little bit of joking around about popular conceptions of feminism. However, in more recent years, In Other Words and other specialty businesses have been under somewhat of a financial strain with customers cutting back their unnecessary purchases in a tough economy. What is especially saddening is that In Other Words isnt only a place that sells specialty books and magazines, but it is also a hub at which the feminist community can gather for fun events like book readings, yoga classes and a wide array of seminars. Even in an economic slump, it is important to support small businesses, not just because of the variety they offer, but because of what they add to the surrounding community. Another beloved feminist business is Its My Pleasure, an independently owned sex shop. Known within the Lewis & Clark community for their memorable on-campus sex toy workshops, this institution has been helping the feminist and greater Portland community understand their sexuality for over 20 years. Its My Pleasure may have had its financial ups and downs, but to this day they are a crucial pillar in the feminist community. While Portlandia may make jokes about feminists and their independent businesses, stores like In Other Words and Its My Pleasure are fostering a healthy feminist community in Portland, which will ultimately keep us away from a future of retail hegemony.

Dots on Antoine Dodson

BY JERRED BLANCHARD Staff Writer If you dont know who Antoine Dodson is by now, then you probably havent spent too much time on the Internet lately. Dodson is the star of a viral YouTube video called The Bed Intruder Song, which has been viewed over 69 million times and is now available on iTunes. The video is a rap remix of the passionate statement Dodson gave to newscasters as they were covering the story of an intruder who climbed through Dodsons sisters window in an alleged attempt at rape. His fame escalated thanks to the now-famous Gregory Brothers, the producers of the remix, and it has since stirred controversial questions involving race, class and sexuality. Although many see him as a courageous and powerful figure who spoke out against rape, I think his supposed valor was circumstantial. Even though I dont buy into this whole heroism charade, I have to give Dodson some credit and respect. He had the gonads to chase his sisters assailant off. During an interview with NBC, Dodson said, I had to deal with stuff like this all the time living in the ghetto. Dodson is the oldest of six children, a gay man, and lived in the slums of Huntsville, Alabama when the incident took place. His unexpected fame is a beautiful and wonderful thing, as he has used this fame to better his circumstances and move his family to a safer location and a more secure living situation. Since the matter at hand was a story of an attempted sexual assault, it is easy to see the widespread internet joke to be a desensitizing attack on human morality. The passionate ramblings of a gay, underprivileged black man should never be made into a joke, especially since his intent is not to make people laugh. One would say that our societys explosive nature has caused Dodson to be a victim of widespread internet mockery. Yet Dodson has propelled himself out of the ghetto and capitalized profusely on the situation. I say hell yeah and give him a generous amount of praise for his exploits, all the while resenting him for his undeserved affluence. Yes, it was just a great lottery number and maybe his fame isnt necessarily fair, but it happenedand we as a culture should be happy for him, especially because it was our culture that made it happen. Dodson is to be respected, and as a society, we should be ashamed that a joke has been made of the way a person naturally acts. You may watch the video or you may not. You may laugh or you may sit quietly, appalled. You may find the Gregory Brothers usage of the video an intuitive farce or you may find them bigoted or opportunistic. The videos propulsion to fame isnt their fault, thoughits everybodys. No fingers can be pointed because no grand orchestrator has truly given Antoine a chance, unless, of course, you believe in God. Regardless, no fingers should be pointed at God, either, and Antoines blessing in disguise has given him and his sisters a chance to escape misfortune.

A weekly feminist column for everybody

Obamas address abandons the climate rhetoric

BY RACHEL YOUNG Staff Writer President Obama made his annual State of the Union address last week, marking a shift in the political dialogue surrounding climate change and the environment. In his address during the previous year, Obama tried to initiate support for a climate bill focused on a cap on carbon dioxide emissions. To create more of these clean energy jobs, we need more production, more efficiency, more incentives. It means passing a comprehensive energy and climate bill, said the President. However, in the summer of 2010, cap and trade died, along with the last remaining hope of getting a climate bill through the Senate in the next ten years. Now, in 2011, Obama has initiated a different tactic. Instead of continuing to push for carbon dioxide pollution regulations, he is focused on technological innovation and staying ahead of our East Asian competitors. To do so, Obama requested that we increase federal investment in energy innovations. Our free enterprise system is what drives innovation. But because its not always profitable for companies to invest in basic research, throughout our history, our government has provided cutting-edge scientists and inventors with the support that they need, said Obama in his 2011 State of the Union address. In his address, he stated that he would eliminate oil subsidies to make room for investment in energy of the future, including wind, solar, nuclear, biofuels and natural gas. Obama also made a commitment that by 2035, 80 percent of Americas electricity will come from clean energy sources. The presidents efforts to do away with partisan buzzwords such as environment and climate change solidifies a new era of technological optimism that has been championed by many, including the founders of the Breakthrough Institute. Investing in a multifaceted clean energy technology package would help to bolster the future profitability of renewable energy and become part of a solution to both cli-

Sustainability is sexy: A weekly column dedicated to environmental dialogue

Activists march at the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

PHOTO COURTESY OF RACHEL YOUNG

mate change and air pollutant-related epidemics. What does this mean for environmental activists? Either we jump on the bandwagon and start making signs that say

energy independence and win the future, or we backlash against the new tactics and try to reanimate targets and time tables in the name of saving the planet.

Opinions from the hallway: Whats the best use of 8 dollars?

BY JULIA STEWART AND BEAU BROUGHTON

Abdullah Alradadi (AES)

Zein Hassanein (13)

Alex Nishida (12)

Julia Cosgrove (12)

Tomomi Iga (AES)

KrisTea (Trail Room Diva)

Id buy a supersized Big Mac value meal and a cookie.

Those nose strips that prevent snoring. My roommates and I cant decide who is the loudest.

Gas money so I can give it to someone and we can all go somewhere.

Id buy my roommate a snap shirt so I could unsnap it on the reg. (Get your mind out of the gutter, shed wear a t-shirt underneath).

I would get cookies.

800 packs of Ramen.