The Aspie Women Photo Calendar

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I confess my frustration trying to get a point across about a more interesting possible options in more capable, interesting and effective writing. Gaining and holding attention. No one seems to even notice! You all seem Hell bent upon the most anal, eeriest and boring presentation. -the typically deluded narcissism of self definition rather than the candor of self expression. You utterly refuse to consider your reader, your market. A favor which you may be sure that they will return, as your product gathers dust.

I think if a calender was to be made, there should be information about Asperger's/autism in general instead of only pictures of our us or our interests.

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I think a product like that displayed in other peoples' homes could probably increase awareness on Asperger's and ASD's, which could be a good thing.

I'd like to nominate Anna and Hadapurpura to serve on the editorial committee.

Well, what about us aspie women who support the project? What's our say worth?

Australian Women in IT calendar..

http://www.itgoddess.info/

"Isn't it demeaning to treat women as sex objects?

The Screen Goddess IT Calendar has already stirred controversy even before the calendar was printed, with print and digital media stories as well as blogs springing up daily.

While it's purpose is to promote IT study and careers for girls and women, has it sabotaged its own aims by merely pandering to and encouraging a view that women are just sex objects, not talented people who should be judged on their achievements?

Categorically I, Sonja Bernhardt, the screen goddess innovator, say no, it has not.

Every woman in the calendar is an intelligent thinking person who is accomplished and has made their own decision to participate based on their confidence and comfort levels, combined with passion and pride for supporting ICT careers.

Remember, the bottom line of this initiative is to raise much needed funds to run more intervention projects and programs and to have a sustained impact on attracting, retaining and promoting women into technology careers.

The facts are that to be a commercial success the calendar has to be visible, attractive and popular. Otherwise it will raise neither awareness nor the money to invest in projects to encourage women into technology careers.

Movies and media are constantly focusing on actresses and models who are attractive and scantily dressed and magazines for teenage girls devote pages to makeup and attracting boys. The "beautiful people" are, like it or not, seen as role models and women to admire. And it is not the media setting public taste - it is the interests of the public driving the media. And if that is what people want, is it better that the role models they see are limited to actresses and models - or should they see that a career in technology does not mean being a frumpy geek who can't get a boyfriend, but can be interesting, challenging, exciting and glamorous?

Is there anything wrong with admiring beauty? It is people's minds that drive achievement, but we are not disembodied brains, we are integrated beings of mind and body. It is part of human nature to admire beauty in other people, it is human nature to be sexual beings, it is human nature to enjoy sensuality, it is human nature to seek and esteem the best people can be in all things. And we do not despise human nature, we celebrate it.

On one of the most famous Screen Goddesses of them all, female novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand wrote that Marilyn Monroe projected "the joyous self-flaunting of a child or a kitten who is happy to display its own attractiveness as the best gift it can offer the world and who expects to be admired for it, not hurt." Our Screen Goddesses project that and more. They are women who are accomplished in their careers, confident in themselves, proud of who they are and not afraid to expose themselves to controversy in order to achieve their values. They are living embodiments of the principle that nothing in their sex prevents women from achieving their goals in any chosen field: without sacrificing their femininity, sensuality or any other part of themselves.

Don't you think using images like that merely encourages stereotypes of women as sex objects?

Sex is a fact of reality that most people actually approve of! But sensual images can only encourage stereotypes if people think that women can be viewed as either thinking beings or sexual beings, not both - and that is exactly the kind of thinking that needs ending. It will be obvious to anyone who actually looks at the calendar that it portrays women as integrated people, who are justifiably proud of their minds, accomplishments and bodies - as they should be."