RUTHFULLY YOURS

A real resistance, a brave resistance against an oppressive government that has created real problems of poverty and repression among its citizens, continues in Iran.  Women are taking an active part despite significant dangers to their safety, their lives.  Indeed, two of the most iconic photos from Iran symbolizing the protests are of young women.

In one (click the link to see), engulfed in a tear gas cloud, a young student defiantly raises her fist while her other hand covers her mouth to avoid inhaling the dangerous fumes.

In the other photo, another brave young Iranian woman climbs on top of a concrete street structure, where, standing tall above the crowd, her uncovered hair visible to all, she waves a white scarf.

I repeat: her hair is not covered.  She is probably waving her scarf.  And that is brave resistance because:

For nearly 40 years, women in Iran have been forced [emphasis added] to cover their hair and wear long, loose garments.  Younger and more liberal-minded women have long pushed the boundaries of the official dress code, wearing loose headscarves that don’t fully cover their hair and painting their nails, drawing the ire of conservatives.

Iran’s morality police – similar to Saudi Arabia‘s religious police – typically detain violators and escort them to a police van.  Their families are then called to bring the detainee a change of clothes.  The violator is then required to sign a form that [she] will not commit the offense again.

Obviously, these are mere inconveniences compared to what liberal women in America have to endure in this Trumpian era.  Or so they think.  As Emily Zanotti noted:

American feminist groups are gearing up for a repeat of last year’s “Women’s March,” but as their sisters take to the streets to protest a truly oppressive, fundamentalist government, seeking true equal rights, American feminist organizations are – disgustingly – silent. …

[W]hile women in Iran are fighting for their freedom, the leaders of the women’s rights movement in America have…other priorities. …

[W]hat about those Women’s Marchers?  Those pussy-hatted progressives, determined to fight in the streets for equality, who said they stood for freedom across the globe, as catalog[u]ed in nearly a dozen Nelson Mandela quotes tweeted by their members this year alone?  Where are those great champions of women?

Nowhere to be found.  Their Twitter feed is one[] giant advertisement for an upcoming conference in Las Vegas.  They’re begging for pre-orders for their “Together We Rise” book as women beg in the streets of Iran to be treated as humans.

And oh, the troubles of the women in Hollywood!  Inappropriate sexual behavior, gender pay gaps, and more!  But how they’re bravely confronting them, resisting them!  For example, this Sunday night is the beginning of the entertainment public self-love season otherwise known as awards time, with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Golden Globes ceremonies.  This will be the first opportunity for women to publicly demonstrate their concern, their resistance.  And oh, yes, they are so up to it!  Instead of bedecking themselves in their usual lavish or modest outfits, they will defiantly and bravely sacrifice – resist, if you will – by wearing…all black!  Undoubtedly, the usual amount of skin usually not visible among most women will be visible.

“This movement is spreading rampantly and pretty much all the nominated women and others attending are participating,” according to an insider.  “All the stylists who already did fittings are now changing out their clients’ original picks for Globes (potentially shifting those dresses to the SAG Awards or other carpets).”  The heat is now on to pull black dresses or hustle to get new onyx frocks made!

Wow!  That will show those meany male sexual harassers and assaulters that these brave women mean business!  Why, some of the men, who usually don black tuxedos for these events, even plan on demonstrating how simpatico they are with the women by showing up in black tuxedos!

But wait!  There’s even more!

This isn’t the only Awards-show statement planned for early 2018 – the presenter list at the SAG Awards, which air on January 21, will be made up entirely of women and will be hosted by Kristen Bell.

Another wow – an all female presenter list!  That isn’t sexist or discriminatory; that is resistance.

Continue resistantly wowing, because these brave Hollywood women, who passionately and financially supported former sexual predator President Bill Clinton (D)’s enabler wife, Hillary R. Clinton (also D), have also set up an “anti-harassment action plan with a $13[-]million legal defense fund” called Time’s Up.

Hundreds of top Hollywood actresses and executives, directors, producers, writers, and agents have launched a sweeping initiative to combat sexual harassment in workplaces across the [U.S.], with a focus on blue-collar industries.

The initiative, Time’s Up, includes a legal defense fund backed by $13 million in donations to assist women in low-wage industries, a campaign to advocate gender parity among corporate leadership, and proposed legislation to push companies to adopt policies on harassment and discourage the use of nondisclosure agreements.

The movement addresses a common criticism that the national conversation around sexual misconduct in workplaces has frequently excluded women who typically have less public influence and fewer resources to take on systemic abuse than Hollywood stars.

“Harassment too often persists because perpetrators and employers never face any consequences,” said an open letter from 300 women in film, TV, and theater.  “This is often because survivors, particularly those working in low-wage industries, don’t have the resources to fight back.”

Meryl Streep and the other Hollywood stars who so gleefully whooped and cheered when admitted child rapist Roman Polanski won an Academy Award fifteen years ago had no comment.  Their houses must be squeaky-clean, Hollywood-style.

Juanita Broaddrick, Paula Jones, Monica Lewinsky, Kathleen Willey, and other brave female resisters who had some…um…problems with Democratic former president Bill Clinton over twenty years ago were not asked to comment.  Their times are so up that they didn’t even begin.