LZ Sunday Paper Newsletter: The "Unraveling" Edition
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Readers,
This week saw a virtual avalanche of unwelcome new offenses against women in the workplace. And then some apologies for them. And some not-so-apologies. And some not-at-all apologies.
I can't decide whether or not, on balance, this is "progress."
I have to believe that it is. That giving air and light to the stories themselves spurs change, no matter what the ensuing dialogue.
But it's just bizarre --
First-- McEnroe decides to rank Williams. They're both professionals. Most people do not reach across the transom and proclaim what ranking they are versus anyone else. Let's say CEO's. They just don't do that, despite being "baited" as was the charge leveled against the interviewer who was talking to John McEnroe.
By the way, I think we should stop calling Serena "Serena." As in, maybe it is part of the issue that we call many women by their pretty first name rather than their powerful -- or just normal -- last name. Yeah maybe it was, at first, to distinguish her from her sister, Venus. But now it just feels unequal, if not belittling.
During the Presidential campaign I wondered from the start why Hillary Clinton branded her campaign with an H, for Hillary. It was complicated by the fact, I'm sure, that she was being told to "humanize" herself and soften her image, along with wanting to distance herself from Bill Clinton. But Jeb Bush didn't run as "Jeb," did he?
Powerful women have a history of becoming known by one-name-only-- Cleopatra, this means you! What about powerful men?
Lots of musicians! Prince, Bono, Drake, Moby, Jay-Z, Yanni, Usher, Iced-T, Raffi.
Some sports figures -- LeBron, Shaq, Tiger?
But in general I do find that women are referred to by their first name more than men, in business-- in a certain way that puts them in a different, measured place. Marissa, this might mean you.
Second -- Trump decides to tell a reporter she has a nice smile and that Mika Brzezinski had surgery to make hers nicer.
By the way, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzenzinski are known as Joe and Mika, so there is parity in their first-name-only usage.
-- Also this week, Silicon Valley is busy congratulating itself on some named harassers openly acknowledging their harassing ways. I wonder if people think this will actually "change the culture" or whether the truth is more like "shit, now we have to pretend to care."
That is a cynical take on the mea culpas and general discussions of the situation, but there you have it-- it's a distinct possibility.
I'd like to write a brilliant piece about the convergence and divergence of all these incidents. Instead, I've pulled some interesting pieces by actual writers who know what to say and how to say it. There's also lots of other news about and by women in business, media, digital, politics, and pop culture. Enjoy and share.
Send me comments, questions, or stuff you think should go in next week's edition here. I have a bajillion pieces that I just don't have room for in the weekly edition, so you can follow me on Twitter to get a daily fix.
I am technically on Insta @LZSundayPaper but have been almost completely dormant. It seems harder for me to translate the news about women of the minute/day/week purely visually. I'm all about the words, when it comes to women.
So check out my other Insta and get a glimpse of how I see the world at @LZFloors .
Hope you have a lovely day of Independence and also hoping that the fireworks are limited to the sky, wherever you are.
//LZ
THE PIC(K) OF THE WEEK:
I'm Glad The Dyke March Banned Jewish Stars via The New York Times
DIGITAL & TECH:
Women In Tech Speak Frankly On Culture Of Harassment via The New York Times
The Strange, Sad Case Of Laci Green: Feminist Hero Turned Anti-Feminist Defender via The Establishment
The Rise Of The Feminist-Adjacent StartUp via The Ringer
A New Study Sheds Light On Gender Bias In Venture Capital via Vox
POLITICS:
The Logic Of Trump's Sexist Attacks via The Atlantic
Why I'm Grateful Every Time Trump Insults A Woman via The Washington Post
Trump No Longer Seems Able To Hide His Raw Misogyny. Good. via Slate
Denied: Afghanistan's All-Girl Robotics Team Can't Get Visas To The U.S. via Forbes
CAMPUS CLIMATE:
When Professors Change Jobs, Sexual Assault Allegations Stay Under Wraps via BuzzFeed
MEDIA, ARTS & POP CULTURE:
The Importance Of Black Women In The Marvel Cinematic Universe via The Marvel Report
Horror Is The Only Film Genre Where Women Appear and Speak As Often As Men via Quartz
'A League Of Their Own' Is An All-Time Great Sports Film via The Ringer
The Stifled Desires Behind Acrush: The Chinese Boy Band Made Up Of Five Girls via The New Yorker
Jasmyn Lawson Is Doing It For Black Girls At Giphy via The Root
McEnroe vs. Serena: 44 Years After 'Battle Of The Sexes,' The Same Dumb Debate via The Washington Post
Steal Your Summer Reading List From Hillary Clinton via The Strategist
The Rise Of Women-Only Literary Spaces via Lit Hub
Black Girls Are Too Often Treated As Older Than They Are -- and Suffer For It via Slate
All The Things Women Are Doing Wrong via The Cut
AND WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE ABOUT:
An Ode To Rihanna's Nipples via Refinery29
The LZ Sunday Paperâ„¢ launched at the dawn of 2014. We expose and recirculate interesting content that is about, and frequently by, women in business, with a dose of ultra-relevant culture. We think that culture comes high and low, not much in between. Our audience is vast and not gender-driven. Every week we expect to deliver at least one good laugh. Send suggestions, clips, or names of people you think might enjoy this to LZSundayPaper@gmail.com.
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