Posts by Stacey

Body-shaming hits Bollywood

Over the years, there have been some pretty glaring examples of other countries caving to western beauty standards. For example, in 1999, a Harvard study documented the outbreak of eating disorders in Fiji, a nation that favored fuller figures until the arrival of television (and U.S. programs like Melrose Place and Xena: Warrior Princess) in Continue reading

Yo magazines: It’s time YOU went on a diet!

Somebody needs to go on a diet and it’s not us. It’s the media. Their current regimen? High in digitally deceptive additives (ahem, photoshop), low in nutrient rich reality and diversity. The cure? We want real. Not retouched. That is why About-Face is honored to join the frontline of the three-day social media Keep It Continue reading

Wanted: Television role models for female academics

As I go into my third year of college this September, a recent article on The Guardian inspired me. I would consider myself an aspiring academic, and the article revealed the results from a report that stated only 12% of third-year female PhD students want a career in academia.This is not to say that a majority Continue reading

Kelly Clarkson succumbs to celebrity diet culture

Every shopper knows the unavoidable magazine display at the register, the check-out landmark that showcases popular women’s magazines and tawdry tabloids, covers awash in headlines that boast tone up tips and slim down secrets. Digitally doctored celebrities pose provocatively next to unhealthy promises of how to “Eat, Drink, and still Shrink.” A recent US Weekly Continue reading

Is it a good idea to insult one of the strongest athletes in the world?

I love the Olympics. I mean, LOVE. Every other year I sit poised eagerly on my couch, ready to watch downhill skiers plunge through the snow, gymnasts vault into the air, and swimmers and skaters speed through the water and across the ice, with such talent and skill that it’s literally an art form. I can Continue reading

Study confirms that TV makes all kids, except little white boys, feel bad

Color me surprised at yet another study evidencing TV consumption, specifically for young girls and black boys, as self-esteem squashing. The exception? Little white boys. Yes, this is yet another indication of the lack of diversity represented on television, but I think this is only a small slice of a much larger problem. Released last week Continue reading

Candles: Now available for men

Are you a man? Do you love candles? Are you deeply and appropriately ashamed of your love of candles because everyone knows candles are feminine (and there is nothing worse than being feminine)? Well today is your lucky day! Yankee Candles has released a line of candles that’s masculine enough to fit any manly man’s Continue reading

Sexualized Svedka fembot, go away!

Ok, so – I know that the last post I wrote was about an alcohol commercial promising to make you manly, and I can’t say that I was exactly expecting to be hit with another wave of sexist advertisements for an alcohol brand – but then again, given what we’ve seen thus far, we can’t Continue reading

JC Penney and Gap lead the way in gay/lesbian advertising – but have we reached true inclusivity?

My friends, there’s no denying it: the political and social landscape of 21st century America is changing rapidly. On May 9, President Barack Obama publicly endorsed gay marriage, becoming the first American President to do so. On Saturday the 19th, the NAACP followed suit. These drastic endorsements in the political realm are significant milestones for Continue reading

VisitPhilly city campaign sanctions street harassment

As a city girl and proud former Philadelphian, I was deeply disturbed to learn that the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation’s (GPTMC) latest campaign includes citywide billboards that outwardly encourage street harassment. Unsolicited commentary in public spaces has always sparked a special brand of rage in me. Long before I identified as a feminist, I Continue reading