Autoblog

Slate argues Danica Patrick is putting the women's movement back [w/poll]

Seyth Miersma — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Celebrities, Read This

Danica Patrick has been a lightning rod for both praise and criticism throughout her objectively successful, decade-long career as a racing driver. Putting to the side for a moment that it is still very rare for a woman to get a drive in a top-tier series, something that Patrick first managed back in the 2005 IRL season, her successes are still impressive. Patrick is the only woman to ever win an IndyCar race, hold the best finish ever by a woman at the Indy 500 (third) as well as being the only woman to lead the storied race in Indianapolis.

It's all of that background that has Slate writer (and racing aficionado) Laura Helmuth up in arms. Helmuth's basic claim is that Patrick's questionable sponsorship deals, and resultant lowest-common-denominator commercials, have not only undermined her credibility as a role model for woman and girls, but have even served to set back woman's rights and the place of woman in the sport of racing.

The argument is nuanced and interesting, and we encourage you to click through and read it in full on Slate. When you're done, come back and tell us what you think about the Patrick/Go Daddy relationship in our poll below.

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Slate argues Danica Patrick is putting the women's movement back [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 09 Feb 2013 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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14 female U.S. senators call on Saudi Arabia to lift female driving ban

Noah Joseph — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 16:01:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Middle East

The relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia is a tenuous one. For better or worse, it usually involves the American government siding with the Saudi royal family - arguably at the expense of the people over which the latter rule. But this time, the roles have changed, with U.S. lawmakers taking up a cause championed by social activists on the street (quite literally) against the nation's historically conservative government and social mores.

The issue, as you may have been following recently, comes down to the right of Saudi women to drive in the Arabian kingdom. The fairer sex is banned from driving under the Wahhabi Islamic laws instituted in Saudi Arabia, prompting some women to call for change, risking imprisonment (or worse) for defying the edicts of the ruling family.

According to Bloomberg, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been gently pushing the Saudi government to lift the ban, and has now been joined by a group of fourteen female American senators in supporting Saudi Women for Driving and their cause. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-California) is leading the charge from her position on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, calling for women's rights to be honored in a U.S. ally that has proven nothing if not resistant to change.

14 female U.S. senators call on Saudi Arabia to lift female driving ban originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saudi woman's "right to drive" protest video circulates online despite gov't. efforts

Zach Bowman — Tue, 24 May 2011 19:57:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Videos, Middle East

Manal al-Sharif's campaign for women's right to drive - Click above to watch video after the jump

The Arab Spring has brought a wave of change and reform to the Middle East, but that tide has seemingly stopped at Saudi Arabia. According to The New York Times, the Saudi government has effectively squelched a movement championed by Manal al-Sharif. The woman wasn't campaigning for the overthrow of the government or the death of the country's leaders. Instead, she was simply demonstrating for women's right to drive in her country. Sharif posted videos of herself driving on YouTube and started Facebook and Twitter accounts that prompted other Saudi women to do the same.

That's when the Saudi government stepped in. Sharif was arrested for her transgressions and her videos were removed from YouTube. Later, a Facebook page she had set up to instruct other women about how to get involved was deleted and a duplicate of her Twitter account began posting messages indicating that she had stopped her efforts.

But this is the internet, and nothing is gone forever. Copies of Sharif's original message have reappeared on YouTube and an Al Jazeera report on her campaign is still available. You can check out the full report at The New York Times and watch the videos after the break.

Continue reading Saudi woman's "right to drive" protest video circulates online despite gov't. efforts

Saudi woman's "right to drive" protest video circulates online despite gov't. efforts originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 May 2011 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Girls Just Wanna Have Fun: Women, motorcycles and stunts throughout history [w/video]

Devon Brozek — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:29:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Videos, Motorcycle, Specialty

Jessica Maine, the modern stunt woman - Click above to watch the video after the break

Representing nearly ten percent of all motorcycle owners worldwide, female riders have remained the fastest growing segment in the two-wheeled marketplace for several years in a row. But being a chick on a bike has not always been quite so socially acceptable - especially when you don't like to play by the rules!

When Margaret Gast made her first attempt at conquering the Monodrome (a.k.a. 'The Wall of Death') back in the early 1900s, no one would have dreamed of sporting the pink leather chaps or high-healed riding boots found in modern motorbike dealerships. In fact, it would not be until the age of disco when a women named Kerry Kleid fought for her right to race that the AMA gave out its first professional license to a female rider. It probably didn't hurt that she had a reputation of being able to wheelie whatever she was riding...

Those pioneering women of motorcycle stunt might just say that girls like Tena "Stunt Blondie" Colbert, JoJo Farmer or Suzanne "Gixxie" Hamilton have it too easy these days. But the truth is, these girls are still raising their front wheels in a largely male dominated sport. And, at least judging by the photos, we don't think they will be taking a back seat anytime soon. For the full chronology of stunt crazy moto-women, head on over to spotmotorcycles.com, and be sure to check out the video of Jessica Maine after the break... apparently gravity has no gender barriers. Thanks for the tip Ken!

Gallery: The women of stunt motorcycles

[Source: Spotmotorcycles]

Continue reading Girls Just Wanna Have Fun: Women, motorcycles and stunts throughout history [w/video]

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun: Women, motorcycles and stunts throughout history [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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