The Running of The Brides

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Saturday March 01, 2008 18:02

by Feminist Polemix

Annual Pamplona -type run of Nubile Brides in Boston and NYC

This being a leap year, anyone who wants to jump the broom and get the Alpha
male should have proposed last night... Today, was the annual (instituted in
1947) Filene's 'Running of the Brides' .

Thousands of young brides go haywire trying to buy a wedding gown in the bargain
basement of a huge Department store. It's a blood sport where the winners are
those that can squeeze their figures into a knock-down Vera Wang or some such
label.

Pamplona style

Women in America want to go to the altar, now if you read the sites where they
congregate to discuss 'Marriage and duty', its an eye-opener. It is so anti-feminist
and utterly insular that one would imagine that the results of US Foriegn Policy
throughout this planet have absolutely no bearing whatever on the life choices
of the young female.

She will willingly chatter away on ensuring modesty when attending church.:

i) it is important to cover the upper arms.
ii) The bosom/breast/decolletage should not be on show.
iii) Veils are making a huge comeback

I suppose the service women do not openly discuss the fact that their fiance's
and putative husbands have to go to clinics to have their sperm frozen, cos the
tools of war (which the average service man does not know much about)
lead to war trauma (erectile disfunction/emotional trauma/infertility/varieties
of cancer/post-trauma et al)

They do not speak of the woman's reproductive 'role' in the marriage but it's
hinted at in the responses to abortion queries- yes! you are going to hell if
you abort and to hell if you vote a pro-abortion candidate. This causes
problems:

1. Many Republicans support planned parenthood, including it seems
Senior Bush.

2. Obama has probs with Late pregnancy terminations and Clinton hedges
the issues whilst Mc cain insists that he will illegaise through the
appointment of conservative judges.

There appear to be little in the way of candidates who discuss feminism in a
way that relates to the reality of the poverty and precarity created by an electoral
system that has marginalised the poor.

All images of Filene' - Running of the Brides- had images of white women
in varied stages of undress, tearing the hair and clawing the gowns.

Do only white women get married?

A Vera wang- unobtainable in Dharfur

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Comments (7 of 7)

Prince Harry and the bloblings

by polemix

Sat Mar 01, 2008 20:41

Depleted uranium and modern weaponry does take a toll on the male and female
reproductive systems- and I do wonder if Harry (HRH) was advised to bank his sperm before
embarking on the mission (protecting the bloodline etcetera):

Of course the Royals did choose Ted Hughes as Laureate, who ,though a poet of apocalypse
did not investigate the nitty-gritty of War.

A Cold Coming, Tony Harrison.

"Excuse a skull half roast, half bone for using such a scornful tone.
It may seem all out of proportion but I wish I'd taken their
precaution.

They seemed the masters of their fate with wisely jarred
ejaculate
Was it a propaganda coup to make us think they'd cracked
death too,

Disinformation to defeat us with no post-mortem millitres?
Symbolic billions in reserve made me, for one, lose heart
and nerve.

On Saddam's pay we can't afford to go and get our semen
stored.
Sad to say such high-tech is uncommon here. We're stuck
with sex".

[for the rest of one of the best anti-war poems of all time, check out Harrison].

The cost of war on birth-rate, on the US dream of wedded bliss, on people's wishes
for peace should not be under-estimated, but these are things that go untalked about
amongst those who want to give us perpetual war for perpetual peace.

by C Murray

Sat Mar 01, 2008 21:08

http://www.refusingtokill.net

Service couples are asked to bank sperms for future family planning due to the nature of the
shots they must take before a tour of duty.

The site above at link goes a little into the modern complications of war-fare on service families
and their survivors.

The Sunday Papers talk of Prince Harry's return

by 1955 Housekeeping Monthly

Sun Mar 02, 2008 11:16

Mostly they have shown images of the prince looking sheepish, but smiling.
He's not married yet, so the issue of the sperm in nitrogen isn't really an issue, yet.

http://www.refusingtokill.net is one site dedicated to the support of deserters and
the issue of revealing the truth of war in modern times, I am sure there are others.

The images of the mainly white US women clawing for the dresses and the wish to be a bride
should give many hope- at least they still have romance in their little hearts. i asked someone
who was making babies and washing bottles/nappies during the cuban missile crisis
about how it felt: "It felt like shit, we were always scared, but we decided that we must just get
on with our world and try to resist the endless fear that surrounded us".

[of course the modernist items on view in the image are currently unavailable to
large sections of the Gaza population, where US forces sit on the coast watching
the unfolding of another war]

1955 House-keeping Monthly

The good old 50s

by Volly

Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:26

I found that annotated Housekeeping Monthly article fascinating. Family life in America was just fine until the arrival of hippies, drugs, sex and rock 'n roll. Bring back those wholesome 1950s.

Mothering Sunday

Sun Mar 02, 2008 14:36

@ least the London Independent has a sense of style for the day t'was init and gave
out Vatican suppressed Luis Bunel DVD's of 'Viridana'- Its Mothering Sunday!

How many mothers feel valued in their vulnerable and wonderful role of bringing up the
next generation?

In Ireland:- Breast Cancer misdiagnosis and amalgamation.
In Gaza:- Murder of their Children.
In EU:- Anti-modernist Popes and War- Mongers putting money into armies not
Healthcare and education.
In Eco:- Poisoned water-tables and GM food.

*For Profit*.

(cos thats what its all about- we mothers provide the economic stability of the globe
and are abused by the structures of power that disallow women's voices to be heard
in this constant push for war and attrition).

http://www.refusingtokill.net

(add in anti-war hyperlinks volly)

polemix

by tomeile

Sun Mar 02, 2008 15:40

"There appear to be little in the way of candidates who discuss feminism in a
way that relates to the reality of the poverty and precarity created by an electoral
system that has marginalised the poor."

Cynthia McKinney does . She was also one of only two members of Congress to oppose the Iraqi war ,as a result of which she was stitched up by her own Democratic Party in conjunction with the Republicans , and lost her seat at the subsequent election .McKinney is now standing for the Green Party for President with support from the post-Katrina reconstruction movement on a programme that includes troops out of Iraq and the sort of policies on poverty that are ,as you say , being ignored by other candidates. She may not be perfect ,but her candidacy could do a lot to galvanize and mobilize those who see no hope in the present two party system . Here’s what she says about women’s rights for instance .

“We believe in full reproductive rights for women — for legal rights and safe access to comprehensive prenatal and postnatal/infant care; family planning services and contraception, including “morning after” medication; and abortion.”

Read Cynthia McKinney’s draft manifesto here:
http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2008/02/17/cynthia-...esto/

do you see any more in the great wash of suits?

by Pole-em-(ix)

Sun Mar 02, 2008 20:58

I see uniforms. badges, tailored suits, sports jackets and shiny shoes...

The GEA (gender reform architecture at the UN) is getting insistent that National Governments
translate women's need and rights into measurable and quantifiable change...

In Ireland we have a handful of air-brushed 'Marys' who have inherited their seats from
daddies and brothers; and a liking for presidents (who run largely
unopposed and seem to have the name Mary) .

Yay for Cynthia and would there were more of her Ilk, I would like to see the women of
New Orleans say to themselves that presidential races are utter crap and fight
for representational politics- maybe Cynthia will encourage more women to take
on change in the US (which is largely male-dominated and thus not really a
representative democracy- has anyone told Mc Guiness and Paisley yet??????????)

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The Running of The Brides

Comments (7 of 7)