"Man Up, Albany."

I was driving to practice the other day, and all of a sudden, I almost got into a car accident.  Not because of anything other than the fact that I was so shocked by a billboard I saw, I almost slammed on my brakes on the highway.  And the great thing is, in my 7 minute round trip drive to the roller rink, there are 3 of the same billboards.

What gets me all shocked and bothered?  The new Miller Light advertisements.  If you haven't seen it, it is a picture of the beer and the Miller Light logo, with the phrase "Man Up Albany."  Because nothing says being a man more like drinking Miller Light, or so the advertisement wants you to think.

Let's look at just the purpose of the reasoning behind the advertisement.  You can argue with me on this one, because I am just assuming.  But in the past, it generally has not been socially acceptable for men to drink "light" beer.  It typically is a "woman's" drink, because women are the ones that are calorie conscious and watch their figure.  So by Miller saying to "Man Up," it means, be the ultimate man and drink the light beer.  Because real men drink light beer.  That's the main point of this advertisement, correct?

So..... I'm confused.  Why is it only women that drink light beer?  The fact that this is a social norm is amazing to me.  Only women diet?  Only women watch their weight?  Only women like light tasting beer?  Nay, my friends, nay.  This way of thinking perpetuates the myth that all women have are their looks, and men have the brains and muscles.  Seriously, this is one small example of how something so tiny like advertising gets into people's heads and mindsets and creates this terrible objectification and inequality.  It's terrible, and it's really frustrating to me.

And let's not mention the phrase "man up."  Seriously?  Who in the hell created this phrase, or thought it would be a positive thing to start saying?  I want to go and hip check them.  Hard.  Repeatedly.  What does it even mean to "man up?" Does it mean to act like a real man?  What does a real man act like?  I guess my point in this is that there shouldn't be actual characteristics on what a real man is like.  A real man should be whatever they want to be.  Again, this perpetuates the stereotypes that are so present in society, and it just makes me angry.

I guess my whole point and issue is that gender stereotypes are so ingrained in society, they fit into the smallest of things, and people don't realize it.  People don't understand the implications of gender stereotypes and this type of language.

What if someone doesn't fit a gender stereotype?  What if there is someone that is biologically male, but likes show tunes?  What if this biological male wants to drink pina coladas and not beer, light or otherwise?  Society is telling him this is "wrong," that this is not what a man is.  But he is a man.  Think of the damage, the brainwashing, the trouble that could happen because even the most subtle of messages is drowning in gender stereotypes.  It's terrifying to me.

I refuse to buy Miller products.  In fact, in doing a bit of research, I have realized that Miller is bottled by the Coors Brewing Company.  Because of that, I will not be purchasing Miller or Coors beer products in the future.  I encourage you to do the same if you are not happy with the advertisements.

Additionally, this is interesting.  On the MillerCoors website, they have a code of conduct and also a message on how they would love to work with women and minority suppliers.... interesting.  I think it's a good thing that the company says they are striving for equality in business.  Yet their advertising says something completely and totally different. 

Maybe people don't understand or realize the scope of their impact.  But as my friend Spiderman says, "with great power comes great responsibility."  It's huge to be powerful enough to buy billboards and advertise your product.  But with that comes the responsibility of being held accountable for your actions and working to make this world a better place.  I feel that the MillerCoors company is not doing that, and for that, I refuse to do business with them.

And as always, the ones who will always boycott beer in general because it is terrible for their health:

Feminism and Roller Derby

One thing that you all should know about me is that I play roller derby.  I love roller derby.  I strive for roller derby.  On nights that I don't have practice, I sort of cry a little inside.  Roller derby is awesome.

I started getting interested in roller derby when it was thrust into the mainstream a few years ago with the movie "Whip It."  While I had heard of roller derby before, I always assumed derby was something for the strongest people in the world.  However, the movie "Whip It" showed Ellen Page being a timid, not knowing her place in the world individual who was basically transformed by the sport.  And I was looking for something like that.

I started playing roller derby to be empowered.  Be empowered in my femininity, and also to be empowered as an individual.  I had never considered myself strong.  I have never considered myself someone that was sporty.  I have never considered myself to be someone that could hit people and be strategic about moves, all while being on 8 wheels.

I am.  I will be the first to admit that I suck at roller derby.  I have been playing now for a bit over a year, and although I love it and will make every practice I can, I know I am not a natural athlete, and I know that I will never be a good player.  But I appreciate my team for putting up with me, and I appreciate everyone who helps me at least not look like a fool out on the track.

When I joined derby, I had these grand thoughts of how it was going to be a lot of fun and change my life forever.  And... I was right.  Derby has done more than make my thigh muscles strong.  Derby has really made me feel good about myself.  Every day I put on my skates and pads, I am proud of how I have stepped outside of my comfort zone and done something that I couldn't ever think I could.

I do think however, there are some common misconceptions about derby.  Especially women's derby.  One of those things is that it is not a feminist thing, and instead, is a way to flaunt sexuality.  Here's the thing.  I am NOT speaking for every derby girl out there.  I am only speaking for me.  For me, roller derby is not sexy, it's not a way to show off your body, it's not anything like that.  Roller derby is hard work, sweat, and power.  It has nothing to do with flaunting sexuality.  Yes, sometimes the outfits (or "bout-fits") we wear can be revealing.  Yes, some people choose to show a lot more skin playing derby than they do in their real lives.  But it is sort of a necessity.  You sweat.  A lot.  You move.  A lot.  You need tighter fitting clothes because it makes it a sport.  You need clothing that you can move in, and you need light-weight, breathable clothing because otherwise you may sweat to death. 

In addition, I think it's really empowering how judgment free derby can be.  The community at large is just there for a good time.  It doesn't matter what size you are and it doesn't matter how old you are, or how much cellulite you have on your thighs.  Derby is about embracing yourself and your differences.  Derby is about a community of people who may not fit into the mainstream, or maybe they do fit into the mainstream, but we all belong in the derby community, regardless of where we fit in our social group.  It's where you can wear basically anything you want without judgment, because nobody truly cares.  You are who you are, and you do what you do.  It's a great feeling to finally belong to a place where you can be yourself without fearing judgment or harsh words.

There may be some individuals out there who watch derby for the "hot girls in tiny outfits" sensation.  There may be some players who play into that concept.  But seriously, they don't really know or understand derby then.  Because that is not why we dress the way we do, and that is not what derby is about.  If you want to really know what derby is all about, come to a bout.  Come watch, and you'll see just how unfair that statement really is.

There is another misconception that derby is showing the wrong idea, like violence against women.  Yes, we do hit into one another in derby, hip check each other, and occasionally do more than that (although it probably will be a penalty then!).  Yes, it is a violent sport.  But no more violent than wrestling or football or rugby, but I don't hear the same complaints about those sports.  I honestly think the reason some people are upset about derby is because the people on the track are female.  I don't hear any complaints about that in men's derby.  Because in society, men are the ones that are supposed to be "violent."  Men are the ones that are supposed to be "tough."  But because women are violent and tough on the track, it goes against those social roles and causes people to be upset about it.  That's not right.  That is a complete double standard, and buys into the social gender roles, which perpetuates the degradation of women.  Why can't women be strong and powerful too?

Feminism, to me, is the concept that women are full individuals and humans.  Feminism means not looking at women as objects, and valuing women as actual people, capable of doing anything anyone else can.  I consider myself a "humanist," based on what my beliefs on sex and gender are, but feminism is still the buzz word that gets people's attention.  I think roller derby is the epitome of feminism and humanism.  It equalizes people, allows women to fully show their capabilities, and that is powerful. Maybe the way women's derby is portrayed or publicized needs to be changed, maybe it's not that apparent in just viewing the sport.  Maybe we need to think about not sensationalizing the sport so much.  But I honestly feel the sensationalization is solely in the media content, which again, is a problem, but it's not the actual point of derby.  Playing it, I am the most alive that I have ever been.  I feel free to be myself in every aspect of who I am.  I feel strong, I feel empowered, and I feel like there are no constraints to who I am.  I feel like I can do anything I want to do, and I am my own hero.  I feel like a fully functioning human being, and to me, that is what feminism is about.  I leave derby practice ready to take over the world, with the confidence to do anything I want and to be anything I want to be.  If that is not a feminist concept, then please tell me what is.

Roller derby has changed my life.  It has made me more confident, stronger, more comfortable with myself.  I have done things I never believed I could.  I have met some of the most amazing people I have ever known, and I feel like I belong.  I have found my niche in life.  I am not sure about many things in life, but I am sure of one thing: that I will forever be involved in derby for as long as I live.  I want to be the 95 year old woman, still dragging my lawn chair to a derby bout.  Because once I got into the community, I never want to leave.  And if you don't believe me about how roller derby is a feminist sport, let's talk.  Let's go skate around, and see how you feel after our rolling conversation.

Another great thing about derby is that there are a lot of cat people in the community. So here's a picture of my other great love in life, my cat: