But as Kantrowitz writes in her article, sex drive isn’t purely physical for women. So will the drug be able to help women who don’t get aroused because of emotional issues? I’d also like to know is whether this will be backed by insurance companies – Viagra is, but many companies still don’t even cover birth control. Keep an eye on it – should be interesting to see develop.

“Made by a Danish advocacy group as a web campaign (www.hitthebitch.dk), the site allows you to use your computer’s mouse to move a gigantic hand so that it repeatedly strikes a female model in the face. The site then rates each hit on a scale beginning at “100% pussy” and ending at “100% gangsta.” As you hit the woman her face begins to show bruises, and once enough blows are struck and the user reaches “100% gangsta,” the woman falls down and the phrase “100% IDIOT!” appears on the screen. It then shows her sobbing and grabbing her neck in agony on the floor. The spot’s message about violence is then presented in Danish while mournful music plays in the background.”

So basically, you go to this site, swing your mouse, and beat the hell out of a Danish woman, just to see what happens at the end. And this is supposed to be an anti-violence campaign? Seriously?

But wait – there’s more! you can also use your webcam to beat her – so you can actually swing at her.

There’s no denying that she’s a powerful, intelligent business leader, or that she couldn’t share some valuable insight into relaunching and reinvigorating a brand. After all, she’s the one who made Playboy what it is today. She created a brand recognized everywhere and recreated on everything from furniture to jewelry to clothing. I’m sure she’ll have great advice on running a successful corporation, and especially on web influence.

Because of that, she should be allowed, and even asked, to speak here. But inevitably, along with hosting a speaker, comes a solicitation for money for the school. And then what? If she gives enough, she’ll have a booth or a room or even a wing named after her (not that we have many booths or rooms or wings remaining — maybe she’ll just get a chair in Food.com). The school will be associating itself with a woman who is shrewd and intelligent – and gained her notoriety by selling unrealistic images of women’s bodies. Is it okay for us to align ourselves with someone who, even in an inadvertent and brilliant way, exploits the thin ideal to further her business?

Web site: www.buildanest.com

Why it rocks: Nest provides microloans to women in exchange for goods, which they sell on their site. This eliminates debt/interest problems that commonly accompany loans, and helps the women find a market for their product. The founder, Rebecc aKousky, is only 23!

From the site: Nest is a nonprofit organization that empowers female artists and artisans around the world. Using a unique combination of interest-free microfinance loans, mentoring from established designers, as well as a market in which to sell their crafts, Nest helps its loan recipients create successful small businesses. Nest instills pride of ownership, preserves ancient artistic traditions and successfully moves women from poverty to self-sufficiency.

Confused? Me, too. Saudi Arabia, where the show was aired, is of course highly conservative, but the woman is getting 60 lashes for essentially doing her job. The talent, Mazen Abdul-Jawad, is getting 1,000 lashes and 5 years in jail for discussing sex in a public setting. The broadcasting network that aired the show, LBC, has been shut down. Overkill much?

In other media news, the White House is stepping up its war on Fox News by trying to exclude them as much as possible — see the Real Clear Politics article. We all know that Fox tends to get a little ridiculous with their right-wing rhetoric, but the administration has gone too far in this case. Attempting to stop a news agency from gaining the same access rights as other networks is infringement of freedom of press/speech…even if it is Fox news.

Check it out!

• November 18, 4 – 6pm in the Peter Graham Commons, Bird Library
Public Lecture by Distinguished Visiting Professor Patricia McFadden
“Crafting a Post-colonial State in Africa through feminist Engagement”

Web site: beadforlife.org

Why it rocks: The organization helps to develop businesses and jobs through entrepreneurial and skills development.

From the site: “BeadforLife eradicates extreme poverty by creating bridges of understanding between impoverished Africans and concerned world citizens. Ugandan women turn colorful recycled paper into beautiful beads, and people who care open their hearts,homes and communities to buy and sell the beads. The beads thus become income, food, medicine, school fees and hope. It is a small miracle that enriches us all.”

On to another story that recently popped up in the news: A company in Egypt is selling “artificial virginity devices,” according to this article by NPR. It works by fitting into the vagina and secreting a blood-like liquid upon penetration-gross, no? But the worst part of this is not the product itself, but the society which needs a product like this. In Egypt, virginity in women is highly valued, to the point where some men wouldn’t even consider marrying a woman who has had sex. This wouldn’t be terrible if the same standards applied to men, out of religious observance, but of course they don’t–it’s an extreme example of the very same stereotype we see in play in the U.S. (If she sleeps around, she’s a slut; if he sleeps around, he’s a stud.) Complicating this further is the fact that not all women bleed during their first time having sex–how does society address those women? The thing to really take away from this is that a society that needs this product is definitely doing something wrong in terms of gender equality.

Check it out!

•Tuesday, October 27 @ 1 p.m., The Herg

SU symposium to honor New York Times’ Robin Toner and examine political reporting in the digital age. She was the first woman to hold the position of national political correspondent for The New York Times!

Each week, I’ll be updating with one inspiring organization that helps women with a post called “Gives Me Hope.” With any luck, everyone reading will be able to find a cause they love, and we can all contribute to making this a better world for women. I’ll also be updating with different events on campus that are related to women’s issues or women’s actions, so check back often for those.

I know what you’re wondering: Who are you? (And even if you weren’t wondering, you’re about to find out anyway.) I’m a junior at Syracuse University, studying magazine journalism in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. I’m dual majoring in English with a minor in political science, and I’ll be graduating December 2010. I’m a sucker for any news relating to magazines, journalism, women’s issues, and education in developing countries, so I’d love to hear from you if you find any interesting stories related to those.

I’m the Development Director for She’s the First, a media campaign and network of schools launching this fall to promote girls’ education worldwide–it’s my passion. I’m also editor in chief for 360 Degrees magazine, an on-campus mag dealing with political, cultural, and diversity issues; managing editor for the Myeloma Beacon, an online site for patients and physicians dealing with multiple myeloma; and  executive editor for The Student Voice, a weekly campus magazine.

Enough about me, let’s skip to the issues at hand. I contacted Professor Michael Carey in an attempt to get an interview about his current sex study. You might remember the press he’s gotten recently due to the fact that his funding is from the economic stimulus plan–mostly complaints, unfortunately. I want to know the details of the actual study, rather than the source of the funding. So few sex studies have been done with women, I’d love to find out more about his. Alas, he isn’t giving any interviews until the study is finished, so as not to compromise the study itself. We’ll have to wait a while longer to hear about then, but no worries–ideas in the works for an article on women, sex, and campus.

Check it out!

Heal Africa: Health for a Country a War

October 8 @ 4 p.m., 220 Eggers, Public Events Room

• Lyn Lusi will be presenting half of this lecture.  She was born and educated in England and went in 1971 as a missionary teacher to Congo, where she married Dr. Jo Lusi in 1974. In 1999, she joined HEAL Africa in Goma as Program Manager. Currently, she is responsible for the community outreach programs of HEAL Africa, which focus on the social determinants of health and women’s empowerment.