Better Living Through Literature
Words + Projects + Stuff I Like
I didn’t watch any of the inauguration but you better believe I followed the women’s marches happening over the weekend:
…women’s marches that happened on seven continents, btw. This is Antarctica:
(Photos of some of the best signs via Buzzfeed; see pictures of marches all over the world at the NY Times.)
And in case anyone was wondering:
1. Perhaps you’d like to read about “How to Be a Stoic” today?
2. Or maybe you’d like to watch the first single from the new album from Gorillaz?
“Gorillaz returns after six years with the apocalyptic “Hallelujah Money” video, the first taste of their new record which is coming later this year. The band has issued this song on the eve of the Inauguration of President-Elect Donald Drumpf to serve as commentary on a politically-charged, historical moment.”
3. Or maybe you just want to join me in searching for this as an actual flag, to fly above our homes for the next four years:
1. The Sound of Music. Because we’re going to all have to be Christopher Plummer:
2. The Blues Brothers. Because we all hate Illinois Nazis.
3. Mad Max: Fury Road. Because we’re going to need to be as tough as Furiosa.
4. The Force Awakens. Because we don’t need our hands held.
5. Ghostbusters 2. Because we all need some good vibes.
6. Ghostbusters (2016). Because the future is still female.
“One of the most tragic things that happened yesterday, a beautiful day, was that I was talking to a woman who said that she wouldn’t want to be me for anything in the world. She wouldn’t want to live today and look ahead to what it is she sees because she’s afraid. Fear is always with us but we just don’t have time for it. Not now.”
-Hillary Clinton, writing not this year or 20 years ago but in 1969 in her commencement speech to Wellesley College, which you can read in its entirety here.
America, we don’t have time for fear. And Hillary, thank you for being brave.
I think there is no more accurate electoral map than this one, via Doc, from here:
I early voted over the weekend and I hope you do too–even if you’re “not excited” about the candidates, even if you think your vote won’t matter. Once upon a time women couldn’t vote, we didn’t have labor laws, and being gay was a crime. Things CAN change and they change with ballots.
Here’s your weekly read about campaign strategy, according to Vox.com: “Hillary Clinton’s 3 debate performances left the Drumpf campaign in ruins.”
I thought it was fascinating, especially this point (emphasis mine):
The dominant narrative of this election goes something like this. Hillary Clinton is a weak candidate who is winning because she is facing a yet weaker candidate. Her unfavorables are high, her vulnerabilities are obvious, and if she were running against a Marco Rubio or a Paul Ryan, she would be getting crushed. Lucky for her, she’s running against a hot orange mess with higher unfavorables, clearer vulnerabilities, and a tape where he brags about grabbing women “by the pussy.”
There’s truth to this narrative, but it also reflects our tendency to underestimate Clinton’s political effectiveness. Trump’s meltdown wasn’t an accident. The Clinton campaign coolly analyzed his weaknesses and then sprung trap after trap to take advantage of them.
“Mom, did he just call her a nasty woman?”
“Yes, Toby, he did. But nasty women are the ones who make history.”
The final debate is tonight, so get your drink in your paws and grit your teeth as we give a man’s ignorance the same attention and importance as a woman’s experience.
Until then, you may like this: Canada is tweeting nice things about America, just to cheer us up as we careen into November.
“The Garden, a Canadian creative agency that launched the campaign, said it was hoping to cheer up the U.S. during a particularly tough―and sometimes discouraging―election season… ‘As their closest friends and neighbors, we thought it was important for us to do something to cut through the negativity and help remind them that no matter how bad things might seem, there are a lot of reasons to believe that America is still pretty great,’ the agency said.”
Well done, Canada. Gosh, you guys are just so nice.
I think this just about sums up the last week: 
For a takedown of why we’re not reacting to the language, but to the sexual assault described by the leaked tapes, watch Trevor Noah.
For an examination of Trump’s really terrifying promise to jail his political opponent if he wins, watch Ezra Klein.
Early voting started this week in many states. Under four weeks to go–stay strong, everyone.
Like most of the country, I watched the debate (“Are you not entertained?“) but I’m living for the commentary after. This headline sums it up: “Clinton’s debate performance spoke to every woman who has had to humor an incompetent man.”
As the Belladonna editor quoted in the article puts it, “This election has reinforced that a guy’s ignorance will still be given the same weight as a woman’s experience. He can have emotional outbursts that she would be crucified for having.”
It makes my feminist killjoy heart so happy that people are picking up on this, while at the same time making me want to be more of a feminist killjoy because how is this still happening and she’s really being criticized for smiling too much? and The Economist ran a poll asking if her looking “smug” was worse than a racist lie perpetuated by a power-mad con artist?!”
Hillary’s used to the double standard, though. She’s not getting mad, she’s going to be president.
