Author: helvegr

Gender socialization, resocialization & multiplicity

Sex and gender seem inextricably married for most people. Many do not even know the difference between the two. This paper will explore those differences, the problems that arise when one comes into conflict with the other and possible solutions for those who face such problems. First there is a brief overview of some of […]

Oppositional narrative, myth-shaping and ideological idiopathy

Definitions Idiopathy is generally a medical term, but its usage here harkens back to its Greek roots. “Idio-” is from the Greek ídios (ἴδιος), meaning something private or entirely one’s own. “-Pathy” is from the Greek pátheia (πάθεια) meaning “feeling” or “suffering” which in turn derives from pathos (πάθος), meaning a condition or state (generally of suffering).

The semiotics of abortion

Abortion has been a bitterly contentious subject for decades if not millennia. The recently concocted controversy re Planned Parenthood’s practice of selling harvested fetal tissue to medical researchers has brought the subject front and center once more. And, while I’m not particularly interested in the current hokum, I would like to share my thoughts on why this […]

Real world events that NCIS predicted

Anybody who’s been reading this blog for a while knows that I like the the CBS TV series NCIS. And, while the show may be a bit corny, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t occasionally hit the nail right on the head. Here are some examples of NCIS episodes predicting real world events. Let me know […]

Thelephobia & the problem of the nipple

While watching old episodes of NCIS recently, I was surprised by how fake one of the cadavers appeared. Usually, props and makeup on the show look pretty realistic considering it’s an older program. Then I realized what made this body look so artificial: The woman had no nipples. That’s right: no nipples, no areolae–just pale, bulbous blobs […]

Love, sex, hate, murder

Ever wonder how common/acceptable certain words have been in English writing over the past couple centuries? Google Ngram Viewer can give you a rough idea. For this first installment, I look at two correlative concepts–love and hate–and their epitomic activities–sex and murder–since 1800. Whether the below chart represents their relative popularity over the past couple centuries or […]

Tania Bruguera: discomfort artist

Tania Bruguera is a controversial performance artist of international acclaim. Born in Havana, Cuba in 1968, Bruguera grew up in a time when Cuba’s relations with the global community, and the United States in particular, were strained. Receiving degrees from the Cuban Instituto Superior de Arte and the American School of the Art Institute of […]

Beauty that inheres

Hair is political “Hair is political” has become a commonplace statement in black feminist circles. I don’t know that Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is responsible for popularizing the phrase, but she certainly seems to be the person saying it most often these days. The first time I can recall hearing someone discuss the racial-cum-gender politics of hair was […]