I just read Jaime's post for the week and, believe it or not, I was thinking about the same issue. (Jaime, we are totally like, twins!!) It seems like every time I use a bathroom there is a new piece of info written in black Sharpie informing me of certain issues. Klearcut, don't waste paper towel, Turn the lights off, genderless bathrooms and the ever-popular graffiti on the ads. These crazy ads in the bathrooms. Sure, I go in there, read the ads, read the graffiti and laugh at how clever people can be. It has never really affected me much until I started taking this class and becoming more empowered as a feminist. I love to see action taken against big business, even if it is just writing on an ad in a bathroom. Taking up public space, Kipnis would be so proud. Is it as effective as writing RAPE under stop signs, probably not. The issue of birth control is far different than the issue of rape, yet the way that these people are choosing to fight the issue is the same. Refunction a sign, hail a different group. Ah yes the hail, Althusser would argue that the hail is purposeful, and can be very powerful.
Did the hail work for me? It sure did. I sat up, and paid attention. That is the purpose after all, isn't it?
Randi, if you felt strongly about the pro-life sign, I say do it. Take up some public space. We as WST 320 and feminists would be so proud of you.
Aside- I was discussing these signs with my best friends mom, she said when she went to U of A 30 years ago, groups of feminist (herself included) would go and "liberate" men's bathrooms. So ladies, the war in the bathroom goes back a long way on this campus.
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Erin,
I'm not surprised your best friend's mom used bathrooms thirty years ago in order to create her own space at the U of A (along with other feminists). What I think is pretty remarkable is that thirty years later we have the tools (given a little push from Taps) to put our politics and views into an even MORE public a space than the bathroom. Although it is still insanely common to see graffiti and political jargon on the bathroom walls, I think that it is pretty cool that in a class like ours we get a chance to distribute Zines and to make Blogs (far more public than the bathroom)which will be read by hopefully more than just the 23(?) of us in the class.
Its also funny that you should mention how "the hail" worked for you. Although I find it entertaining while I'm doing my business to read up on the latest entries, I rarely take them seriously. I personally haven't read anything like you and Jaime describe though - I'm sure I would feel differently if I had. Usually the entries on the walls are mindless scribble (A.H + J.B) or bitching about school (which I hear enough of anyways). However I agree with you in how Kipnis would be extremely proud of the students here at the U of A. We have taken over raw material, made a space "restricted" to females our own and overall made it political and opinionated.
My point being that I would love to see more political entries, more opinions (preferably humanist or feminist ones) out there to give me something to think about when I visit the lavatory. I want to hear your take on feminist issues, not a racy poem that rhymes poop/dick/cunt/(insert 'rotten' word here).
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