Letters to the Editor
Published Letters: 8 Editor's Choice: 1
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First world / third world
[Read the article: The worst place on earth to be a woman]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I don't know to what extent this has affected other potential commenters, but my experience, particularly at college, has taught me to be careful about lobbing criticisms at developing countries. Maybe Liberia is the worst place on Earth to be a woman, but as a woman in a very privileged place who has never been there, I'm not sure what I can contribute to the conversation without risking sounding smug, pitying, or some horrible bourgeois combination of the two.
Although I didn't comment on the children-in-cafes thread, I understand why it's safer, and I don't think there's anything wrong with the fact that it is. The cafe issues are a lot closer to home. Most of Salon's readers can talk about their personal experiences being in kid-free spaces, but few of us can talk about Liberia's grinding poverty and gender inequity with the same familiarity.
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Mmmm, Jewish texture ...
[Read the article: "Invisible in Hollywood: Jewish women"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]This is tricky because sometimes I'm so aware that an actor is Jewish (Rachel Weisz, Alicia Silverstone, Winona Ryder, Natalie Portman) that I just assume their characters are. But for female characters who are explicitly Jewish but whose Jewishness is not the point, I nominate Natasha Lyonne from Slums of Beverly Hills and Cher's family from Mermaids.
Though on occasion I've been irritated by the portrayal of Jewish women (in Keeping The Faith, the "Jewish" woman Stiller dates is the same one from the "there are Jews at my table" scene in As Good As It Gets) I agree with the previous poster that the last thing we need is more Dr. Lowensteins.
For men, it's easier. Harry in When Harry Met Sally, Dustin Hoffman in everything, Josh and Toby on The West Wing, even Kyle on South Park. Seth on the O.C., Jon Stewart, Jerry Seinfeld. They're allowed to be cute & smart & funny. But I do believe we're working in right direction. How about the entire cast of Wet Hot American Summer? They were all Jewish, including the hot girls, and if you weren't paying attention, you probably didn't even notice. And hey! How about Sarah Silverman? SHE is progress.
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shout out for the Ring
[Read the article: Over the pill]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I know that the point of this discussion is to compare hormones vs. no hormones, but a couple people have dismissed the Ring as just another version of the pill or the patch. Although yes, it does rely on hormones, it's worth looking into as a serious alternative.
My first attempt to go on birth control was the patch. I got fiercely sick, couldn't eat, couldn't go to class, and even after I came to my senses and ripped the damn thing off, my body was in such bad shape I immediately spiked into a 103.5 degree fever and didn't recover for another week.
The college OB-GYN recommended the ring, as she said she did to anyone who experienced side-effects with other hormonal bcs, because it involves the lowest possible dosage. Also it's incredibly convenient (you just put it in and it stays up by your cervix for 3 weeks until you take it out) and easier to deal with than the pill. Despite what would appear to be my hyper-sensitivity to hormonal bc, I've had no side-effects whatsoever except occasional headaches.
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shout out for the Ring
[Read the article: Over the pill]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I know that the point of this discussion is to compare hormones vs. no hormones, but a couple people have dismissed the Ring as just another version of the pill or the patch. Although yes, it does rely on hormones, it's worth looking into as a serious alternative.
My first attempt to go on birth control was the patch. I got fiercely sick, couldn't eat, couldn't go to class, and even after I came to my senses and ripped the damn thing off, my body was in such bad shape I immediately spiked into a 103.5 degree fever and didn't recover for another week.
The college OB-GYN recommended the ring, as she said she did to anyone who experienced side-effects with other hormonal bcs, because it involves the lowest possible dosage. Also it's incredibly convenient (you just put it in and it stays up by your cervix for 3 weeks until you take it out) and easier to deal with than the pill. Despite what would appear to be my hyper-sensitivity to hormonal bc, I've had no side-effects whatsoever except occasional headaches.