Artist Mary Yeager creates female merit badges. She says
My female merit badges illustrate female "rites of passage" as well as the myriad physical manipulations women undergo to achieve cultural ideals of beauty, such as weight watching, whether or not to shave or wear makeup, etc. I've created tiny replicas of female products, such as a birth control pill pack and a pregnancy test. The miniature scale and meticulous, hand-embroidered surfaces convey my impressions of growing up female in our culture.
Found via Little Yellow Bird. Some of her badges feature female anatomy so don't click if you are sensitive to such things.
I need it too. try for me.
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haha good stuff
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I think these are great! There is a radical craft/contemporary art movement now that these fit right into the dialog with. (ie Lisa Anne Auerbach.)
to the previous commenter Marissa...yes for many people a pregnancy test is a right of passage and it isn't a negative thing! There are a lot of people trying to have babies who want them! Also! they are tongue and cheek...it is appropriation, they are supposed to be a little ridiculous.
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I do not find this to be at all helpful in changing the way women are viewed in our society. These so called female "merit" badges just reinforce negative stereotypes and gender roles that feminism strives to break free from. Really? A pregnancy test is a rite of passage???
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These are absolutely wonderful! What a powerful statement via such a small object....Love it!
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