Posts by Stacey

Ballet critic takes on the Sugar Plum Fairy’s weight

Need an open forum to mock women’s bodies? Become a ballet critic! That’s what New York Times writer Alastair Macaulay did, and look how pleased he is with himself now. So pleased, in fact, that he felt entitled to defend his recent review of The New York City Ballet’s The Nutcracker. In the write-up, Macaulay Continue reading

PETA pushes shock value. Again.

Newsflash PETA: Nudity and shock value are only novel for so long. I guess I can give PETA points for creativity and timeliness, but how many points do I subtract for consistent sexism, misogyny and, um…hardly ever depicting a single animal? The latest controversy-causing PETA ads poke fun at the body scan machines used at Continue reading

Portia de Rossi and other celebrities play the numbers game

Numbers are evil. Here’s the perfect example. Yesterday morning, I gleefully parked myself in front of the TV to watch Regis & Kelly. I immediately regretted doing so as the lovely Ms. Ripa (who herself has been repeatedly criticized in the media for being too thin) rattled off the number of calories in an average Continue reading

“Psychology Today” pulls a “Maxim” move with its current cover

Your daily dose of grocery-checkout-line female objectification is brought to you by Psychology Today. Wait, what? While you’re probably used to magazines like Maxim visually assaulting you with half-naked models, you might not have expected the same breast-baring on the cover of PT. Avid About-Face reader Patricia Greenwell sent us the image above and voiced Continue reading

PBS censors Tina Fey’s Sarah Palin commentary

Tina Fey is my hero. And it’s not just because she’s brilliant, successful, and can send me into convulsive laughter with a single Liz Lemon-ism. Tina’s not one to keep quiet about her opinions, especially when it comes to women in the media. As Saturday Night Live‘s first female head writer, she knows a thing Continue reading

E! stoops to a new low with “Bridalplasty”

In the words of a dear friend, “What. The. F%$#!?” Seriously, how else could anyone react to the upcoming train wreck/sign of the apocalypse that is Bridalplasty? Just as I was about to reluctantly praise the executives at E! for handling the subject matter of What’s Eating You? with some tact, they began running promos Continue reading

“Make Me Young” makes us think about the world of anti-aging

I laughed, I cried, I contemplated Botox. It’s true – filmmaker Mitch McCabe’s awesome documentary, Make Me Young: Youth Knows No Pain, was a serious roller-coaster ride through the world of anti-aging, stirring up all kinds of emotions. The daughter of a plastic surgeon, Mitch explores her fascination with going under the knife by traveling Continue reading

About-Face honors the awesome Jennifer Siebel Newsom

    Some people just deserve to be celebrated. In case you haven’t heard, About-Face is beyond thrilled to honor the awesome Jennifer Siebel Newsom this Thursday, November 4. Though you may know her as the First Lady of San Francisco, Jennifer also fills plenty of other important roles. Besides working as an actress, spokesperson, Continue reading

Whip your hair to this awesome “Sesame Street” video

Okay, I’m a bit late to the game, but I just couldn’t let this Sesame Street treat slide. You may have already seen the awesome video below, starring a brown Muppet who really, really loves her hair. Whether it’s twisted, braided, cornrowed, in an afro, up, down, etc., this little girl seriously loves what she’s Continue reading

SPARK starts a movement but Snooki steals the media spotlight

Once you go Gloria, you never go back. Steinem, that is. I’ve always been aware that our culture seriously and routinely shortchanges females, but heading back to San Francisco from the first annual SPARK Summit (Sexualization Protest: Action, Resistance, Knowledge) in New York City drove the point home like never before. Just the previous night, Continue reading