Culture

Fifty years ago, on February 13, 1963, the publication of US writer and activist Betty Friedan’s book The Feminine Mystique sparked a new awakening in the thinking of women across North America. Friedan denounced the repression women suffered in the aftermath of World War II, when they were forced out of wartime jobs and convinced to accept the role of keepers of the home. Profiteers of the market launched an unrelenting but subtle propaganda campaign to venerate women as wife and mother. This role, Friedan said, was the “feminine mystique”.

Eureka: An Unfinished Revolution Peter FitzSimons William Heinsmann Press, 2012 “And so I call you, all my fellow diggers, irrespective of nationality, religion, and colour, to salute the ‘Southern Cross’ as the refuge of all the oppressed from all countries on Earth.” So said Raffaello Carboni at the Eureka Stockade, Bakery Hill, on November 29 in 1854. With these words, Carboni and the diggers on the Victorian goldfields raised the Eureka flag and launched their rebellion against the unjust licence fees imposed on miners by the Victorian government.

A selection of this week's celebrity news... Beyoncé's Super Bowl Halftime Show: How She's Prepping and What She's Getting Paid http://eonli.ne/14t3Xj0 Justin Bieber Boob-Gate: He Didn't Grab a Female Fan's Breast, Says Rep http://eonli.ne/14sYqc7 Prince Harry Talks Naked Vegas Scandal, Army Life in Just-Aired Frontline Afghanistan Documentary http://eonli.ne/XercrE Lady Gaga Stripped of 156 Million YouTube Views http://eonli.ne/Xeo5jg Sarah Palin on Fox News Exit: I'm "Broadening Our Audience" http://eonli.ne/XefCg2

French grindcore band Blockheads have hammered out a solid reputation in the European extreme music scene over the past two decades. Their lyrics spit bile against corruption, colonialism, the corporate media, inequality, pollution, pro-lifers and much more. Mat Ward spoke to bassist and vocalist Erik about their new album, This World Is Dead, and the political situation in France.

Unhitched: The Trial of Christopher Hitchens By Richard Seymour Verso Books, 2012 134 pages Read an excerpt First impressions do matter. In the case of Christopher Hitchens, my first impression of him was that of a witty tool for the George W Bush administration’s wars.

Sydney When rapper Dizzy Doolan is asked whether her song "Women's Business" is inspired by the Aboriginal concept of secret women's business, she replies simply: "I was inspired to write 'Women's Business' purely because I was sick of seeing men disrespect women. I wanted to inspire women to be strong and to have a voice and be heard."

A selection of this week's celebrity news... Elton John Welcomes Second Child With David Furnish—Check Out Their Baby Boy's Name http://eonli.ne/13BvH4k Edward Furlong Charged With Misdemeanor Battery for Allegedly Shoving Girlfriend http://eonli.ne/13Bbw6O Prince Harry beats George Clooney as Most Eligible Bachelor. http://eonli.ne/W4qoFn Victor Garber Confirms He's Gay, Living With Longtime Partner Rainer Andreesen http://eonli.ne/W8WhfI Rihanna Goes Topless for Complex Cover, Defends Chris Brown Collaboration http://eonli.ne/13zNuJt

Left-wing singer-songwriter Rory McLeod is on a tour of Australia. As usual, the veteran English-born folk singer’s performances are not to be missed.

Sydney-based Kinetic Energy Theatre Company's team of six actors performed their show about the Australian 1965 “freedom ride” at Sydney University on December 14. The performance was part of a conference organised by the Aboriginal Studies Association and attended by teachers and Aboriginal counsellors from all over NSW.

A selection of this week's celebrity news... Kyle XY's Matt Dallas comes out and announces he's engaged. http://eonli.ne/XfcVeU NBC Bosses Admit to Talking Donald Trump Out of Presidential Race. http://eonli.ne/Ux6Z3U Charlie Sheen Kisses Porn Star Gal-Pal Georgia Jones in Mexico. http://eonli.ne/UpPdiV Princess Diana Picture Decreed "Not to Be Published" Surfaces, Isn't Very Scandalous At All. http://eonli.ne/WsNCUj Gérard Depardieu Granted Russian Citizenship by Vladimir Putin Following French Tax Row. http://eonli.ne/UgyWwN

Is there any reason for a revolutionary to watch a fantasy movie like The Hobbit? Activists and radicals, perhaps more than anyone, must live in the real world. Uninterested in escaping from the struggles of life, a radical mind sees real social situations brimming with injustice to be fought and wants to do something about it. Perhaps this is why there are not too many fantasy writers among the literary heroes of the radical left. We tend to favour poignant and sensual descriptions of real world conditions.

Leila Khaled: Icon of Palestinian Liberation Sarah Irving Pluto Press, 2012 As one of the first of the Revolutionary Lives series of critical biographies published by Pluto Press, Leila Khaled: Icon of Palestinian Liberation could not have been a better subject.