Feminism in News and Popular Media

[Femmadian]

Originally Posted by Allison W

< snip>

Second is something I didn't actually want to post here at all, particularly given recent topics in this thread, due to the controversial political content involved. But if I don't, there's a chance that someone else here might hear about it from entirely the wrong source first and bring a lot of misinformation here, which I definitely don't want. So the only reason I'm posting about this is because if you hear of it at all, it should probably be from me first. Forgive me.


< snip >


For those who are still freaked out about this (I wouldn't blame you; those were some pretty scary words and hot political tomatoes), the developer finally felt the need to make a rather lengthy post, containing some plot spoilers, about the nature of what is actually happening in this game and the nature of the violence in it and whom that violence can be done against (short version: not civilians).

< snip >

I just felt a need to get all of that out there before someone here heard about this from the wrong source.

I've seen this floating around online for the past few days. While the information available about the game is still somewhat limited, there are a few things one could touch on with this...

• Yes, it's true the game developer is not a trans woman. Only the game's protagonist is. The game developer is a man and is writing a game about a fascist woman-only dystopian society.
• The society is described by the developer ("dev") as "post-feminist."
• The protagonist, a hired assassin, uses female bodies as human shields:
  
  Link
  
  Link
  
• There's this gif from the game found on the dev's Tumblr:
  
  with the caption: "she doesn’t like having her butt slapped"
  Link
  
  ---> Note: another game developer [username: sokuzah] then jokingly comments on the original developer's page: "she should stop dressing so provocatively then"; zero response or reaction from the game developer or other supporters of the game
• And then there's this:
  
  Link
  - are these meant to be civilians... the overweight, ugly, and perpetually dour feminists?
• Oh, wait, yep, our thin, perky protagonist is going to use the large, mohawk-sporting, cigarette-holding lady in blue as a human shield now:
  
  Link
• And then there's this lovely gif from the game:
  
  Link
  

In case you didn't catch it at the end, the vaguely dive bar-looking grey building in this feminist dystopia is called Dworkin's. Here's a still for those who may have missed it:



From the Kickstarter page:
"While carrying out some routine assassinations, Ceyda becomes aware of something: these assassinations are anything but routine. All of these missions involve an organized revolt against the government and foundations of society. As she becomes aware of the force behind it, an ancient organization of otherworldly beings who've guided humanity's advances (and downfalls) since the dawn of time, there's one question lingering in the back of her mind: in a society where being a woman is a prerequisite for being human, does someone who's often not considered a 'whole woman' have any duty to save those who hate her? And would they even believe her if she told them?"

Also from the same source under "Gameplay" offerings:

MEAT SHIELDS: Sometimes running in guns ablaze isn't a good idea. In these situations you can grab civilians or unaware enemies and use them as a human shield. Note that this doesn't work on enemies that lack human empathy! Hostages are also beneficial for gaining access to restricted areas. Just find the right person and make them open the door.

Charming.

The game pits the protagonist against cis/AFAB/bio women and asks "in a society where being a woman is a prerequisite for being human, does someone who's often not considered a 'whole woman' have any duty to save those who hate her?"

Notice, no distinction or implication that any of the women in this "post-feminist" society acknowledge her humanity. Nope, apparently the women in this society are all trans-hating bigots (by virtue of their being born female? By living in a woman-only society?) and it follows that their own humanity is perhaps not a thing worth saving... or is at least a concept needing some armchair philosophizing first.

Spoiler: this dystopian feminist society is actually controlled by "demons," a sort of "illuminati" who have controlled "every major society and empire", even, according to the developer's page, Nazis. I'm assuming the developer is referring specifically to Nazi Germany circa roughly WWII but he never quite makes that clear...

"The fate of Plovdiv [the fictional society the game is set in] hangs in the balance as Ceyda [the protagonist] navigates the layers of a conspiracy: Every major society and empire–from the Akkadians to the Shang, from the Romans to the Nazis–has been guided by one immortal force. Plovdiv is now another link in the chain. But how?"

Alrighty then...

I think people can have deep, valid objections to and concerns about this game and they should not be dismissively glossed over as illegitimate or misplaced fears as a result of reading some "scary words" or getting their information from what someone else proclaims to be the "wrong source." I have some pretty serious reservations about what this game purports to be and represent and it has nothing to do with my delicate sensibilities being exposed to scary words or being too stupid or unaware to be able to discern the difference between the credible commentary and the inflammatory (and to be able to decide for myself which is which).

[Allison W]

Originally Posted by Femmadian

I've seen this floating around online for the past few days. While the information available about the game is still somewhat limited, there are a few things one could touch on with this...

• Yes, it's true the game developer is not a trans woman. Only the game's protagonist is. The game developer is a man and is writing a game about a fascist woman-only dystopian society.
• The society is described by the developer ("dev") as "post-feminist."

• I suspect you did not read my post. The developer actually weighed in on this: it is "post-feminist" in the sense that the leadership claims that feminist ideals are no longer necessary, when they still are. Take it from the developer:
  
  "I’m using “post-feminist” to mean that the government within this universe claims that feminism’s end goals have been attained and everybody is equal and happy and so there’s no more need for feminism. That is, of course, not true..." (emphasis mine)
  
  Like I said. If you've ever heard the saying "I'll be post-feminist in the post-patriarchy," that is exactly what is being referred to here: the government claims feminism's goals have been reached when they have not, and that is straight from the developer.
  
  

  Originally Posted by Femmadian

  The protagonist, a hired assassin, uses female bodies as human shields:
  
  Link
  
  Link

  This is one of the parts I dislike, but "human shields" is an extremely common mechanic. I've seen it in several games, including non-stealth games--it's a staple of the genre.
  
  

  Originally Posted by Femmadian

  There's this gif from the game found on the dev's Tumblr:
  
  with the caption: "she doesn’t like having her butt slapped"
  Link
  

  ---> Note: another game developer [username: sokuzah] then jokingly comments on the original developer's page: "she should stop dressing so provocatively then"; zero response or reaction from the game developer or other supporters of the game

  Which was inappropriate of that commentator, but I'm actually not seeing where she's dressed provocatively. I also never saw the comment to begin with, because I didn't go digging through that post's mentions; I don't imagine many people did. It's fairly probable that the developer himself did not see the comment. Would you feel better if I asked the developer to publicly inform sokuzah that this is inappropriate? I don't know him, but there are ways to get ahold of people over Kickstarter or Tumblr.
  
  

  Originally Posted by Femmadian

  And then there's this:
  
  Link
  - are these meant to be civilians... the overweight, ugly, and perpetually dour feminists?

  Uh, yes, there are fat women in the game, just like there are thin and ordinary-weight women.
  
  

  Originally Posted by Femmadian

  Oh, wait, yep, our thin, perky protagonist is going to use the large, mohawk-sporting, cigarette-holding lady in blue as a human shield now:
  
  Link

  That's the developer testing the mechanics in the downtown area, where there are no enemies around.
  
  

  Originally Posted by Femmadian

  And then there's this lovely gif from the game:
  
  Link

Originally Posted by Femmadian

In case you didn't catch it at the end, the vaguely dive bar-looking grey building in this feminist dystopia is called Dworkin's. Here's a still for those who may have missed it:

I'm actually not seeing how just naming a bar after a feminist figure is offensive. Was Dworkin an anti-alcohol activist? If so, I could let the developer know; the game is still in development, so he might edit it.

Originally Posted by Femmadian

From the Kickstarter page:
"While carrying out some routine assassinations, Ceyda becomes aware of something: these assassinations are anything but routine. All of these missions involve an organized revolt against the government and foundations of society. As she becomes aware of the force behind it, an ancient organization of otherworldly beings who've guided humanity's advances (and downfalls) since the dawn of time, there's one question lingering in the back of her mind: in a society where being a woman is a prerequisite for being human, does someone who's often not considered a 'whole woman' have any duty to save those who hate her? And would they even believe her if she told them?"

Also from the same source under "Gameplay" offerings:

MEAT SHIELDS: Sometimes running in guns ablaze isn't a good idea. In these situations you can grab civilians or unaware enemies and use them as a human shield. Note that this doesn't work on enemies that lack human empathy! Hostages are also beneficial for gaining access to restricted areas. Just find the right person and make them open the door.

Charming.

Not especially charming, no, but it is a staple of the genre and not unique to this game in any way. Probably the first game I recall playing where human shields are a mechanic is Saints Row 2, and I'm pretty sure that wasn't even the first game to do it--and unlike games like Saints Row 2, you can't kill the civilians afterwards in this one. I myself would have used a different genre for something so politically sensitive.

Originally Posted by Femmadian

The game pits the protagonist against cis/AFAB/bio women and asks "in a society where being a woman is a prerequisite for being human, does someone who's often not considered a 'whole woman' have any duty to save those who hate her?"

Notice, no distinction or implication that any of the women in this "post-feminist" society acknowledge her humanity. Nope, apparently the women in this society are all trans-hating bigots (by virtue of their being born female? By living in a woman-only society?) and it follows that their own humanity is perhaps not a thing worth saving... or is at least a concept needing some armchair philosophizing first.

I'm going to quote the developer directly. You can read for yourself here.

(begin quote)

"One note I’d like to make: you can’t kill civilians in the game. You can only kill robots, monsters, and other assassins/people who’ve killed. Some civilians are nice, some are mean; you can’t kill any of them, no matter how they treat you. Some people have said “she’s angry and killing people who don’t see her as a real woman!” That literally never happens in the game."

"Another note: some people are claiming it’s a game about a trans woman “getting revenge and killing (their words) ‘real’ women.’” No. You’re taking down the government that’s oppressing and killing its own people of any and all types."

[ . . . ]

"The game is not about portraying cis women as enemies. It’s about a trans woman who realizes that both cis and trans women are being manipulated and controlled by gooey monsters who can change form at will and have been controlling every society since the dawn of time..."

(end quote)

So, uh, it's a game about a government conspiracy vs. the people, with a protagonist who, while there are people who treat her as human, is still a second-class citizen in her society and has internal conflicts about defending a society where she's a second-class citizen along the way to making the choice to defend that society, which is about the most normal thing to feel ever. I am also pretty sure the "second-class citizen defending their society while having internal conflicts about defending a society in which they are a second-class citizen" is kind of an established trope and the only thing new here is the exact category to which it is being applied.

Originally Posted by Femmadian

Spoiler: this dystopian feminist society is actually controlled by "demons," a sort of "illuminati" who have controlled "every major society and empire", even, according to the developer's page, Nazis. I'm assuming the developer is referring specifically to Nazi Germany circa roughly WWII but he never quite makes that clear...

Given the developer's previous game was about a closeted gay Nazi submarine captain and his crew fighting demons in the lightless depths of the ocean, I'm going to guess it's referring to Nazi Germany. That's the only Nazi society we've had: neo-Nazis exist, but a "society" they are not.

Originally Posted by Femmadian

"The fate of Plovdiv [the fictional society the game is set in] hangs in the balance as Ceyda [the protagonist] navigates the layers of a conspiracy: Every major society and empire–from the Akkadians to the Shang, from the Romans to the Nazis–has been guided by one immortal force. Plovdiv is now another link in the chain. But how?"

Alrighty then...

I think people can have deep, valid objections to and concerns about this game and they should not be dismissively glossed over as illegitimate or misplaced fears as a result of reading some "scary words" or getting their information from what someone else proclaims to be the "wrong source." I have some pretty serious reservations about what this game purports to be and represent and it has nothing to do with my delicate sensibilities being exposed to scary words or being too stupid or unaware to be able to discern the difference between the credible commentary and the inflammatory (and to be able to decide for myself which is which).

You can, but I do nonetheless expect you to actually investigate the material before passing judgment. My initial reaction was very similar to yours until the developer actually posted about the concerns others were raising about the game (things that should have been clarified from the start, honestly; the developer did not handle the topics as delicately as he should have, and that is on him) and I read them, rather than sticking to previous assumptions based upon limited information.

Can I please get you to read what I am saying? I'm not telling you to have no problems with it--I still do, like the decision to use one of the more disturbingly violent genres in this kind of proximity to such sensitive political issues, as well as the fact that the developer seemed to be caught unaware by just how politically sensitive this entire thing is when he ought to have been prepared for that from the start--but will you read what I am saying?

(Also, thank you for not threatening to come to my house to do a murder over this discussion. Basic civility is in short supply on the Internet these days.)

[Femmadian]

Allison, what makes you think I haven't read your post or "investigated" the issue? Because I don't agree with you?

I actually linked to the same developer explanation in my post that you are now telling me to read. For the record, I've read all five pages on his Tumblr, his Kickstarter, the site for his game development portfolio and presskit, Ektomarch, this interview with Blue Bird Plays, and have researched on my own his relatively short history as a game developer to familiarize myself with his work (such as his work on Subbania). The implication that the only reason I (or anyone) could possibly disagree with you is either through intellectual laziness or ignorance is incredibly insulting and patronizing.

I am well aware of how he he said he was using the term "post-feminist" as it appears we've read the same page. I have a different take on it. That doesn't mean I did not understand it or that I haven't read it.

I don't think the developer is a feminist from what I've read in interviews and on his pages and I don't think that the game captures any of the nuances of the subject matters he is attempting to tackle.

I've actually been mulling the matter over for a few days now and (not that it should matter) the response to your post was composed over the span of roughly two hours wherein I read and re-read your post several times. I would ask that you not insinuate knowledge about my level of comprehension or activity that you know nothing about.

I am well aware that the developer purports that the game is to be one dealing with government conspiracy vs the people but I have serious concerns with its execution and whether that message is evident in the game without the benefit of the developer having to explain himself ad nauseam.

I am also quite aware of the use of "meat shields" in the gaming industry. I still find them distasteful and given the highly sensitive nature of this specific game, I think it's a poor choice.

I find it disingenuous that you seem to not want to comment on the history of Andrea Dworkin being demonized by anti-feminists and hailed as some sort of "angry," catch-all mouthpiece for the entire movement by those who look to discredit it. I don't know if the developer is intending for that building to be a bar, a warehouse, a store, whatever, and I don't think it really matters. The point is that I find the inclusion of the name as background noise in this game to be, given the context, highly suspect and it raises feminist red flags for me.

Similarly, you can't just explain away overweight characters as simply being neutrally overweight or "fat" without talking about the context of stereotypes and the shaming of feminists as fat, ugly, and/or angry, which it is implied that these characters are. Do I think it's a coincidence that a game which depicts a woman-only post-feminist dystopia has its citizens alternately being portrayed as overweight or angry women? Absolutely not. You're supposed to sympathize with the protagonist who is thin and attractive (by game animation standards) and the civilians and/or fascist feminists are fat and ugly and shout things at the protagonist such as "get outta my face" as she walks by. It's about one step away from putting the good guys (gal) in a white hat and the bad ones in black hats and not subtle at all.

By the way, what exactly is a "normal-sized" woman? Are fat women and thin women by definition considered abnormal? Sounds like body shaming to me.

Moving on to the comment about slapping a female character's posterior:

Originally Posted by Allison W

Which was inappropriate of that commentator, but I'm actually not seeing where she's dressed provocatively. I also never saw the comment to begin with, because I didn't go digging through that post's mentions; I don't imagine many people did. It's fairly probable that the developer himself did not see the comment. Would you feel better if I asked the developer to publicly inform sokuzah that this is inappropriate? I don't know him, but there are ways to get ahold of people over Kickstarter or Tumblr.

So, if the developer had put her skirt/lab coat a few pixelated inches higher, that comment would have been okay to you...? Saying that you don't see her as dressing provocatively is completely missing the point. And I didn't go "digging" through the post to find something to be offended about. It's fairly close to the top of the post's notes and the developer would have been notified on Tumblr that someone commented on it. It's both indicative of and a larger part of an overall air of subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) feminist- and woman-shaming that I see with this game. Do you think a feminist would create the option or even the gif from one of their games with the main character non-consensually slapping the ass of a woman (which is assault...) with the simple caption "she doesn't like having her butt slapped"?

Would I "feel better" if you contacted the gamer on my behalf...? No. I'd "feel better" if the developer actually showed any feminist behaviour without first having to be prompted or called out on it. This isn't about someone's delicate little feelings being hurt (and it's really minimizing and condescending to suggest that my objections on that point amount to little more). It's about thinking critically about a subject which proclaims to be feminist and around which there is a fair amount of debate and conflicting opinion.

People are allowed to disagree with us and we don't get to decide for other people what is and isn't a significant enough level of research into a topic before they get to form an opinion about it and have it be one which we'll accept as valid and worthy of respect. I have to say that your post came off as incredibly patronizing, disrespectful, and insulting and assumes a lot about what I've personally read or think about this topic.

Furthermore, the idea that other members should be given news about this game by you first... why? Why do you place yourself as having intellectual or explanatory authority over anyone else? And what are "wrong sources" and who are you to decide for someone else what those might be?

Frankly, I'm not sure why you felt the need to edit your post to add that little parenthetical aside about thanking me for not threatening bodily harm to you...? I have never done anything of the sort to anyone and I don't know why you felt the need to include it. It feels unnecessary and gross and honestly, it goes a way towards painting those who disagree with you on this issue as raging, irrational "harpies" who cannot have a logical debate. That sounds pretty sexist to me and I'm not okay with being praised (even backhandedly) by virtue of insulting other women in the process. That's not something I ever agreed to.

Ultimately, I hope that people are able to make up their own minds about this and really, anything else which may be in this thread. We are not and do not have to be of a hive mind here and we are allowed to form our own opinions without the sanction of someone else. The diversity of thought and expression is one of the incredibly positive aspects of this community and one of the main reasons I continue to come here. I think that if that is to continue (and there's no reason to think it won't) then there is a need for respect for the difference in opinions as well as the people holding them by all members and for all members, even if you don't understand or particularly care for either it or them.

[Allison W]

Femmadian: Indeed we are allowed to disagree, and for all that there are concerns that we actually do share, I'm going to invoke exactly that right here. We don't agree and aren't going to.

Originally Posted by Kobi

Even tho I have been unable to track down the sex of the developer(s), what I see in their "explanation" is a lot of man speak i.e. believe our intent as opposed to what we actually developed.

He's a man, though he's not the only person on the writing team, and it does include a trans woman. (Had she been given more control over the publicity, this might have gone better.)

Originally Posted by Kobi

I also see a gross misunderstanding of what feminism is, thus the portrayal of a feminist society gone bad looks just like the patriarchy i.e. same power dynamics, same oppression, same violence, same isms.

I'm still pretty sure that the conspiracy at the top is a metaphor for patriarchy, but obviously I can't make anyone agree with me on that.

Originally Posted by Kobi

And, the developers stated goal is about the struggle for gender identity and empowerment....which apparently can only be achieved thru violence.

To me, this is just the same crap, different game.

I'm resisting the urge to get into a dissertation about how the fact that men have been permitted almost sole ownership of violence is what's enabled patriarchy to run rampant throughout virtually every society and that nothing short of women's violence will change that, but pacifism is fashionable and so I don't really expect a lot of agreement.

[Kobi]

Originally Posted by Allison W

I'm resisting the urge to get into a dissertation about how the fact that men have been permitted almost sole ownership of violence is what's enabled patriarchy to run rampant throughout virtually every society and that nothing short of women's violence will change that, but pacifism is fashionable and so I don't really expect a lot of agreement.

Can you explain this , minus the dissertation? Not sure what this actually says.

[Allison W]

Originally Posted by Kobi

Can you explain this , minus the dissertation? Not sure what this actually says.

I get this warm and fuzzy feeling in my chest whenever I hear of a woman who beat the shit out of a man who thought he could victimise her because he thought violence belonged to him and not her and learned otherwise.

I suppose if I wanted to put it in more academic terms, I could say that I think a lot of the fundamental power imbalance between men and women in our society is that women are taught that they don't own violence (whereas men are taught that they do own it), and that nothing else will fix that fundamental power imbalance until women get that same tacit message that they own their share of the use of force, because at the end of the day, whether it's an "acceptable" form of power or not, it is absolutely a form of power. Peace, on the other hand, is pleasant, and non-threatening, and exactly what the patriarchy expects of women. It might be a controversial opinion, but I've stated it more than once on these fora.

[Kobi]

Originally Posted by Allison W

I get this warm and fuzzy feeling in my chest whenever I hear of a woman who beat the shit out of a man who thought he could victimise her because he thought violence belonged to him and not her and learned otherwise.

I suppose if I wanted to put it in more academic terms, I could say that I think a lot of the fundamental power imbalance between men and women in our society is that women are taught that they don't own violence (whereas men are taught that they do own it), and that nothing else will fix that fundamental power imbalance until women get that same tacit message that they own their share of the use of force, because at the end of the day, whether it's an "acceptable" form of power or not, it is absolutely a form of power. Peace, on the other hand, is pleasant, and non-threatening, and exactly what the patriarchy expects of women. It might be a controversial opinion, but I've stated it more than once on these fora.

Ahhh ok, now I am following your train of thought. This explains why we disagree on the methodology and message of this game. It also explains why this was topic was put in the feminism thread as opposed to the misogyny and sexism thread.

As a point of reference, feminism is about the eradication of power, control, and violence which are the hallmarks of a patriarchal framework and mindset.

And, feminists tend to get warm and fuzzy feelings from justice, not violence.

[Kobi]

I am not a gamer but I, too, have seen the concerns raised about this "game" for several weeks.

From the developer:

In 2XXX, women from around the world migrated to central Bulgaria to escape centuries of oppression. In an attempt to halt its rapid decline, Plovdiv was restructured as a bastion of feminist ideals. Twelve years later, Plovdiv became the last remaining city on Earth. The city flourished into a haven for women and its pride became its stability, proof of the success of its founding females' principles.

And yet, society became apathetic to its fellow citizens' discontent.

Government and private individuals soon hired assassins to resolve their “problems”, and this underground system became the replacement for due process. It was a necessary reality in a system that came to shut out the concerns of its women. It was well accepted that the state's alleged political ideals were sufficient for guaranteeing absolute peace and security. The only solution was to resort to "alternative methods", which increasingly became common practice in a society who praised a good image as being next to godliness.

Our heroine is Ceyda Farhi, a twenty-something Bulgarian Turk, trans woman, and assassin. Her willingness to put a job ahead of her own life gives her steady employment. While the bulk of her jobs entail grudges or handling problematic no-names, she starts to notice traces of interconnectedness in each of her jobs, having far grander repercussions than she could've ever imagined. The fate of Plovdiv hangs in the balance as Ceyda navigates the layers of a conspiracy: Every major society and empire–from the Akkadians to the Shang, from the Romans to the Nazis–has been guided by one immortal force. Plovdiv is now another link in the chain. But how?

While fearing the rapid decline of her mental state and feeling the world of unbelievable conspiracies spiraling around her, she knows that she must tell the world the truth before it's too late for her and womankind. Two problems stand between her and alerting everyone of the truth: who could ever believe her? And in a society where being a woman is being human, does Ceyda--a trans woman who's often not regarded as being a "whole" woman--have any responsibility to save those who look down on her?

Aerannis hopes to give players an insight into the struggles of gender identity and empowerment in an oppressive world without in any way sacrificing the intensity of 2D action games.



Even tho I have been unable to track down the sex of the developer(s), what I see in their "explanation" is a lot of man speak i.e. believe our intent as opposed to what we actually developed.

I also see a gross misunderstanding of what feminism is, thus the portrayal of a feminist society gone bad looks just like the patriarchy i.e. same power dynamics, same oppression, same violence, same isms.

And, the developers stated goal is about the struggle for gender identity and empowerment....which apparently can only be achieved thru violence.

To me, this is just the same crap, different game.

[Kobi]

Gina Marie Raimondo (born May 17, 1971) is an American politician, businesswoman, and venture capitalist, and the Governor-elect of the State of Rhode Island. Raimondo, a member of the Democratic Party, will become the first woman to serve as Governor of Rhode Island. [1]

She has served as the General Treasurer for the State of Rhode Island since 2011. She is the second Rhode Island woman to serve as Treasurer. She was selected as the Democratic Party candidate for Rhode Island Governor in the 2014 election. Raimondo won the election with 40% of the vote on November 4, 2014.[2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gina_Raimondo

[Kelt]

German cabinet approves gender quota law

"After years of debate about its effectiveness, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet has now approved legislation for more female representation in top boardrooms. If it's passed by parliament the new law will come into effect in 2016. Currently less than one in five members of supervisory boards in Germany is held by a woman."

The new law will require large corporations to have a 30% representation of women in top positions. Follow the link to see the video as it aired today on DW news.

[Kobi]

[Kobi]

VATICAN CITY (AP) — A sweeping Vatican investigation into Roman Catholic nuns in the U.S. that began amid fears they had become too feminist and secular ended up praising the sisters for their selfless work caring for the poor — a major shift in tone that reflected the social justice mindset of Pope Francis.

The overwhelmingly positive report Tuesday also promised to value their "feminine genius" more, while gently suggesting ways to serve the church faithfully and survive amid a steep drop in their numbers. It was cheered by the American sisters themselves, dozens of whom swarmed the Vatican news conference announcing the results in a rare occasion of women outnumbering men at the Vatican.

"There is an encouraging and realistic tone in this report," Sister Sharon Holland told reporters. "Challenges are understood, but it is not a document of blame, or of simplistic solutions. One can read the text and feel appreciated and trusted to carry on."

The report was most remarkable for what it didn't say, given the criticism of American religious life that prompted the Vatican under Pope Benedict XVI to launch the investigation in 2009.

There was no critique of the nuns, no demands that they shift their focus from social justice to emphasize Catholic teaching on abortion, no condemnation that a feminist, secular mentality had taken hold in their ranks.

Rather, while offering a sobering assessment of the difficult state of American congregations, the report praised the sisters' dedication and reaffirmed their calling in a reflection of the pastoral tone characteristic of history's first Jesuit pope.

It was a radically different message than that of another Vatican office that investigated an umbrella group of the sisters' leaders.

That investigation, conducted by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, resulted in a Vatican takeover of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in 2012. The doctrine office determined that the LCWR, which represents the leaders of 80 percent of U.S. nuns, took positions that undermined church teaching and promoted "radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith."

The Vatican's congregation for religious orders has long sought to distinguish its broad investigation into the quality of life of American sisters from the more narrow doctrinal assessment carried out by the orthodoxy office.

But both investigations began within months of one another and resulted in tremendous feelings of betrayal and insult from the sisters.

The probes also prompted an outpouring of support from rank-and-file American Catholics who viewed the investigations as a crackdown by a misogynistic, all-male Vatican hierarchy against the underpaid, underappreciated women who do the lion's share of work running Catholic hospitals, schools and services for the poor.

Theological conservatives have long complained that after the reforms of the 1960s Second Vatican Council, women's congregations in the U.S. became secular and political while abandoning traditional prayer life and faith. The nuns insisted that prayer and Christ were central to their work.

Holland, who heads the Leadership Conference, acknowledged that the investigation was initially met with apprehension and distrust, particularly among elderly sisters who "felt that their whole lives had been judged and found wanting."

But she said the results showed that the Vatican had listened and heard what the sisters had to say.

Asked if the change in tone reflected Francis' new leadership, Holland said "I'm willing to give him all sorts of credit."

"He's been a great encouragement and hope to a lot of us," she said.

The report outlined the bleak reality facing American women's congregations now: The current number of 50,000 U.S. sisters represents a fraction of the 125,000 in the mid-1960s, although that was an atypical spike in U.S. church history.

The average age of U.S. nuns today is mid-to-late 70s. They are facing dwindling finances to care for their sisters as they age and haven't had much success in finding new vocations. The report asked the sisters to make sure their training programs reflect church teaching and ensure their members pray and focus on Christ.

It stressed an appreciation for their work and expressed hope that they take "this present moment as an opportunity to transform uncertainty and hesitancy into collaborative trust" with the church hierarchy.

The report noted many sisters have complained that their work often went unrecognized by priests and requested improved dialogue with bishops to clarify their role in the church and give them greater voice in decisions.

The report noted that Francis, who has pledged to bring more women into decision-making positions in the church, has recently asked the Vatican to update a key document outlining the relationship between bishops and religious orders.

Given that the report didn't find any major problems or recommend any major changes in the way U.S. religious live out their vocations, the question arose about whether the tensions the investigation produced — not to mention the time, cost and effort involved — were worth it.

"I would say it was worth it," Holland said. "We benefited in ways we didn't know we would benefit."

Signaling that the change in the Vatican's tone might also extend to the LCWR crackdown, Holland said she was "working hard and working well" with Vatican-appointed delegates who took over the Leadership Conference and that the process might end sooner than originally expected.

"We're moving toward resolution of that," she said.

http://news.yahoo.com/vatican-praise...112527933.html

[Kobi]

Last Saturday, about 600 volunteers in 31 venues around the globe engaged in a collective effort to change the world, one Wikipedia entry at a time.

In the United States, Canada, Australia, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, in nonprofits and art schools, in museums and universities, these people—mostly women—set out to write entries, uncredited and unpaid, for the fast-growing crowd-sourced online encyclopedia.
Editors working around the resource table, Wikipedia Art+Feminism Edit-a-thon, at Eyebeam in New York City.

They had answered a call for the Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon, a massive multinational effort to correct a persistent bias in Wikipedia, which is disproportionally written by and about men.

The event, whose epicenter was the New York art and technology center Eyebeam, is part of a larger movement, only now reaching the art world, to upload content to Wikipedia in a proactive manner.

At a time when Wikipedia is becoming increasingly influential, “it’s really tangible to be able to fix something that is visibly wrong,” says Jacqueline Mabey, a co-organizer of Saturday’s Edit-a-Thon with Siân Evans of the Art Libraries Society of North America’s Women and Art Special Interest Group, Michael Mandiberg, an artist and associate professor at CUNY who teaches with Wikipedia, and current Eyebeam Fellow Laurel Ptak.

More than 150 people crowded into Eyebeam’s Chelsea headquarters during Saturday’s event, while satellite venues reported turnouts ranging from 6 to 60.

Volunteers versed in the process, protocol, and ethic of Wikipedia gave tutorials to the newcomers, who were mostly artists, activists, students, and scholars. They learned what constitutes a proper reference, how to create external links, and when and where to put footnotes. They learned that people can’t write about themselves, and what kind of sources are acceptable.

By the end of the day, around 100 new entries were up (around 80 more were enhanced). The new pages, devoted to figures ranging from Australian modernists Ethel Spowers and Dorrit Black to Catalan painter Josefa Texidor i Torres to contemporary artists including Mary Miss, Xaviera Simmons, Audrey Flack, and Monika Bravo, vary widely in scope, grammar, and quality of content. But the Wikipedia team expects that blips will vanish as the hive mind has its work on the entries.

“You have someone you know a lot about? It takes ten minutes,” says Ximena Gallardo C., a gender and film scholar at LaGuardia Community College. “This is the world brain. It’s just starting.”

Nicole Casamento, a former ARTnews intern who runs the website Culture Grinder, attended the Brooklyn Museum meetup, where she created the first Wikipedia page for the artist Senga Nengudi.

“The event seemed like a new kind of consciousness raising that was very goal-oriented,” says Casamento, a masters student in American literature at Brooklyn College. “It was aimed at writing women into history in a new way for the digital age—by giving more women the awareness and tools to take matters in their own hands.”

The National Museum of Women in the Arts, Wikimedia DC and the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art have scheduled the next Women in the Arts edit-a-thon for March 30.

- See more at: http://www.artnews.com/2014/02/06/ar....bwXfHsL6.dpuf