tv: Underbelly Razor

Underbelly: Razor (Wikipedia blurb):-

Underbelly: Razor is a 13-part Australian television mini-series detailing real events that occurred in Sydney between 1927 and 1936. The series depicts the “razor gangs” who controlled the city’s underworld during the era and the violent war between the two “vice queen” powers, Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh.

It was pretty easy to get me into it, I mean, you’ve got a show about women, led by women, who actually existed, and I’m a shamelessly easy hook.

However, it’s as triggery as all get out and hard to watch most of the time.

Are the women as fierce and awesome? Yes. Very much so. Would I recommend it? Well that depends, how much are you willing to put up with for a show with awesome women who are smart, quick, and dangerous?

Things to hate right at the start of the series:

SPOILERS AHEAD!!

1) Introducing Tillie’s business, brothels, one of the prostitutes in the house gets pregnant (not for the first time according to her and she looks appropriately apprehensive about it). Turns out she’s not apprehensive because she’ll have to deal with not being able to work but because her boss takes her outside and has her repeatedly punched in the stomach to induce a miscarriage.

2) Tillie’s lover/boyfriend/lackey is a domestic abuser. He cheated on her in this episode, she called him on it and he beat her. The next day, she confronted the woman he cheated on her with, one of the girls in her house, and threatened her while making it clear that it wasn’t her lover’s fault. So there’s that psychological mindfuckery that comes with domestic abuse.

3) A bit unbelievably, there’s only one POC, a black man who apparently goes by the name of n****. Yeah.

4) Antisemitism; a local crime thug known as Phil the Jew, and his Jewishness is called up as a derogatory attribute pretty constantly.

5) There’s a thug called the midnight raper who’s apparently discovered a penchant for slicing up women in the middle of the night, just for kicks.

And all that’s just in the first two intro, get to know your players, episodes.

I’m hooked by the female characterization. There’s a woman who’s not penalized for having sex how and when she wants to, a woman who’s had to deal with rampant sexism to become a respected officer of the law, and two crime queens with major personalities. So I kept watching.

By the end of the show, I wasn’t as angry at myself for putting up with as I thought I would be. I need to examine whether that’s a matter of being deadened/slowly numbed to all that was wrong (this is the problem with marathoning through a show).

1) We finally had some more POC – I will forever blame the writers for waiting till the last episode to include more (even just token) characters.

2) Tilly and Kate seemed to have come to some odd little understanding at gunpoint. She also seemed to have gotten rid of her abusive husband down the road.

3) Forever annoyed at the side-eye constantly thrown to Lillian Armfield (the only female officer) for being single. I also highly doubt that she was just devoid of any life outside her work life, despite her dedication to her job. Would have loved to see more of how she navigated gender and straight relationships (she seems to feel very strongly about identifying as straight when confronted with a different possibility). However, her politics on rape were refreshing to see on tv: consent can be revoked even if consent has been given. Fuck yes! Now can we hammer this in again and again on more media, please?

4) There was a canon lesbian! I didn’t expect them to even bother (yes, I’m cynical) who tried to hit on Officer Armfield but was unfortunately rebuffed; she ended up marrying one of the male cops. That’s a matter of the time period though, so I won’t fault the writers too much.

5) Nellie. Oh, Nellie, this lady here is fascinating to watch. Like a train wreck is fascinating to watch. However, she owns it even as she fools other men into thinking that they can posses her. Her sexual politics were extremely fascinating to watch. There was a side of how problematic it was that she got involved with men who ultimately wanted to own her, but I appreciated the bits where she got to express who she was sexually. She wanted sex, as many times as she wanted it and she wanted it kinky.

In the end this show had some truly complex and VIBRANT female characters; from the crime queens to the ladies working the streets and houses and salons. The women had their own mind, the queens showed incredible agency, and they knew it and made sure everyone else knew it. Even with their less than great decisions I love that it didn’t vilify them for their weaknesses or their strengths.

The show was also flawed, very much so.

Take all compliments and criticisms with a grain of salt, and all that.

lock your car door, lock your legs and omg i hate this metaphor but let’s indulge (mostly copy/pasted off my tumblr)

anon asks:

we tell people to lock their cars so their cars don’t get stolen. why is this okay but not telling women to learn how to defend themselves?

becauseiamawoman responds:

Nobody is saying that women (and all people for that matter) shouldn’t be taught how to defend themselves. What people are saying that is people should be taught that rape is not acceptable and not to do it instead of preparing women who may be attacked.

A bit on rape culture:

If you leave your car unlocked, and your car gets stolen, the justice system will still acknowledge that as a crime.

If you drink/wear something considered ‘slutty’/know your rapist, and you are raped, the justice system will rip you apart.

The onus of “don’t get raped” has been placed on women (regardless of the fact that it’s more effective to teach “don’t rape”, regardless of the fact that it’s not only women who get raped).

That’s why I get annoyed at all these “tips” women are given on surviving. Even as I acknowledge that we live in the world of Schrodinger’s Rapist.

But really, this comparison of women getting raped because they didn’t prevent it and cars being left unlocked needs to stop.

Why I Am A Sex-Positive Feminist, Now In Bullet Point Form

In random bullet points because it’s late and I’m sleepy but I had to write:

• I hate the word prude. I hate it like fire.
• I hate the word slut. I hate it like fire.
• I am kinky. This is not a bad thing. I like knowing that.
• Being sex-positive involves acknowledging that the way this society, and more than that feminism, deals with sex and sexuality just doesn’t work.
• Sexuality =/= Sex
• There is no one way to be sexy.
• There is no one way to have (or not have) sex.
• Consent. Fuck yeah!

And more reasons in this gorgeous post here at The Pervocracy.

Also sex-positive feminism has a long way to go, especially with race politics.

Okay, back to bed.

via she hulk smash: Privilege doesn’t make you a bad person.

In my discussions with people, I’ve found that a lot are unwilling to accept their privilege (typically white or male, or at least those are the people that get the maddest). I understand why being told straight up that you have privilege can be upsetting. When you get called out on something that sounds negative that is supposed to be representative of the group you identify with, of course you’re going to get defensive. But, privilege is a reality and not a stereotype or a slur. Logically, nobody is living the same life, and some of us have it better or tougher than other people. That’s what privilege is. A lot of us are privileged in some respect, by being white or educated or heterosexual (or, at least passing for it like I know I am most of the time), or male or cisgendered or having a certain body type or being physically/mentally healthy or being wealthy… a lot of things. And, being privileged doesn’t make someone a bad person. It just means that they have an easier time than other people as a result of that privilege. Everyone is privileged in some way, and some people are a lot more oppressed than others. And, it’s really important that you acknowledge that.

Please go over and read more, pass it on, etc…