Modern Primate

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  1. MARRIAGE EQUALITY HEADER

    Marriage Equality Avatar Efficacy

  2. cheerleader header

    Mail Bag Wednesday – “Cheerleader”

  3. what every man should know header

    What Every Man Should Know

  4. MAIL BAG SICK DAY HEADER

    Mail Bag Sick Day + Bonus Puppy Footage

  5. STEUBENVILLE VIDEO 2 header

    The “Gray Area” of Rape Culture

  6. R-WORD HEADER

    The R-Word

  7. health header

    Misogyny’s Impact On Health

Shane Billings

Shane Billings

Author

8 posts · 2 user awards · 7 comments

  1. Ladies, Please Stop Imposing Your Gender Norms on my Kid

    girlsmadeof

    We supposedly live in an era where gender norms are to be broken, or at least regularly questioned.  Young men are into My Little Pony, 7-year-old girls not only read superhero comics but criticize their portrayals of women, and it is a sign of being a decent parent not to force your kid to like whatever stereotypically boy- or girl-themed shows, toys, movies, or books happen to match his or her anatomy.

    So, as a father of a 5-year-old girl, I have tried to expose my daughter to a variety of possible interests, including things that are, according to some, “just for boys.”  While this has gone well at home and she has a diverse set of interests, the response when interacting with other kids remains the same as always: many boys her age don’t think she should be into Batman or Star Wars or whatever.  She should only be playing princesses and horsies and dollies according to them.  Frankly, I expected this response and can write it off as no big deal since they are other kids.  However, recently I’ve begun to notice the most annoying gendered assumptions and comments directed at my daughter aren’t those made by other kids . . . they are those made offhandedly by random adult women who have an occasion to talk to her.

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  2. An Honest Review of “The Dark Knight Rises”

    darkknightrises

    Editor’s Note: Out of sensitivity to those affected by the shooting in Aurora, we’ve delayed publication of this review until today. We hope that our readers are not offended by our endorsement of what we feel is a film that can and should be appreciated outside of the context of the actions of a mentally ill mass murderer. 

    The release of the final installment in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy has been overshadowed by a tragic spree shooting in Colorado. When I arrived at the theater for a matinee showing today, the place was less than a quarter full . . . and it remained that way. People were also clustered near the rear of the theater, and a somber and weird overall atmosphere pervaded the place. And, okay, I’ll admit it, I was feeling a bit irrationally paranoid sitting there as well. It was not a typical blockbuster opening day.

    As for the film itself, The Dark Knight Rises is a worthy final chapter in the series that should please both casual fans and comics readers like myself. While I would argue it is the least successful of the three films, and there are some weaknesses I’ll get to below the cut (where moderate spoilers lie), it is still extremely well-put together as we’ve come to expect from Nolan, and it ties up the trilogy neatly (but not too neatly). Read More »

  3. “Brave” is Not Exactly a Disney Princess Movie with a Strong Female Lead

    merida2

    Disney/Pixar’s newest offering, Brave, was one of the most highly-anticipated, non-sequel, childrens’ films I can remember.  While the avalanche of pre-release buzz may merely be the current status quo of web-based marketing (witness: The Hunger Games, Prometheus, The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, etc.), the anticipation hinged largely on this film being Pixar’s first release with a female protagonist AND a Disney Princess™ film that features a strong female lead.  Many film critics, along with parents like myself who would prefer our daughters not sit around crocheting doilies, practicing etiquette, and learning subservience until a suitable husband comes along, had hopes that this would finally be the movie that broke away from the narrowly envisioned, patriarchy-reinforcing, and traditionalism of past Disney princesses.

    So, does Brave‘s portrayal of Princess Merida really stand as a revolutionary, groundbreaking moment for Disney that will usher in a new era of strong female characters and empowering stories?  Not really.

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  4. “The Beat Was Telling Me to Come out the Closet”: Rappers Trolling Rappers is Complicated and Problematic

    lmoney

    I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this video.  It’s basically a rapper/comic trolling another aspiring rapper via a submitted guest verse, which is followed by a Skype back-and-forth.  The man in question (L-$ from Rap is a Joke, which has other, more offensive stuff) has a set-up and performance that are perfectly executed to get the best of his uncomfortable target.  And it is perhaps arguable that this is calling out the typical anti-gay, tough-guy attitude that plagues rap (that overt homosexuality is the “next level” of rap is something I hope is true), but still it re-inscribes and perpetuates the typical anti-gay message of the genre with overly stereotypical and aggressive homosexual “advances.”  Watch in its entirety if you are gonna watch it because the last minutes are important even if the middle lags a bit:

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  5. The Internet Hall of Fame Is Boring

    al-gore-thumbs-up

    Like nearly everyone else, I anxiously awaited last week’s announcement of the inaugural inductees into the Internet Hall of Fame.  Scanning through the biographies of the 33 pioneers who were enshrined and cast in virtual bronze, I was shocked to discover that they were nearly all older, white men who primarily worked behind the scenes to develop various things that make the internet work. In other words, the serious business people of the internet. Besides the weird, sort-of-lulzy inclusion of Al Gore, there weren’t many people the average guy would think of including in a list of internet stars.  While I’m all for recognizing the innovators in technology who have made, and continue to make, the infrastructure of the internet what it is, let’s be honest:  The Internet Hall of Fame is pretty boring.

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  6. Prepping for Regular People

    prepping

    So you’ve decided that, as insane as the folks on National Geographic’s Doomsday Preppers might be, having some basic survival supplies on hand in case of disaster might be a good idea. So where do you go from there?  You might pick up some tips from the show, but mostly it is about investigating the batshit extreme scenarios fringe preppers worry about.  Similarly, most prepping forums and websites can be overwhelming and intimidating for the new initiate looking for reasonable disaster prep advice.

    So, in what follows I’ll try to outline some basic, inexpensive, common sense considerations for disaster preparedness, going beyond the meager 3 days plans that bank on a quick return to normalcy and stopping well short of hording 25 years worth of MREs or building the kind full-on, money-is-no-object shelters that intimidate most people out of even bothering to prep.

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  7. Prepping Is for Sane, Rational, Non-racist People Too

    prepper

    Whitney’s recent post on the National Geographic show Doomsday Preppers rightly points out some of the main problems with the choice and presentation of the show’s subjects (and the subjects themselves).  Those problems are the same reasons why many people who do prep were right to either steer clear of the show entirely or have taken measures to distance themselves from its particular angle and presentation of preppers.  Having watched a few episodes now, my fears that the show would take the extreme fringe and sensationalize it for the audience’s “lol! look at these hillbilly whackjob gunnuts” factor were confirmed.

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  8. (dis-)Regarding the Twilightization of The Hunger Games

    hungergames

    With the film opening Friday, the internet hype machine surrounding The Hunger Games seems to be reaching its climax.  As with almost any other fan of the books, I’m excited for what looks to be a (mostly) faithful, well-casted, and worthy adaptation.  However, an annoying trend emerged really early on in the run-up to the release and has grown in intensity to the point it may well drive men unfamiliar with the story away from seeing the film, thinking it’s “for teenage girls.”  I’m talking of course about the “Team Peeta v. Team Gale” meme circulating pretty much everywhere that reframes the story as a love triangle a la Twilight revolving around a teen girl and her choice between two hunky tough guys.

    Read More »





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