Want a leg up on being beautiful? It’s all about the thigh (gaps)

I’m sorry, but did you know that there are Tumblr pages dedicated to praising thigh gaps? That’s right, I’m taking about sites that catalog and pay homage to photos of women whose legs do not touch above the knees. And it doesn’t end there. On Twitter, “#ThighGap” is often listed with other problematic tags like “#soclosetoperfection” Continue reading

Kids want to see heroic female protagonists

This article was originally published by Margot Magowan on her blog, Reel Girl. Yesterday, I posted about A Mighty Girl’s news that kids’ underwear with female superheroes on it sold out. I also posted about a dad shopping with his 5-year-old daughter who complained about the lack of cool female characters on clothing. He bought his daughter boys’ Continue reading

Sports Illustrated’s failed attempt to be more “accessible” to women readers

We all know that the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition comes out every year, and with each year, we all groan at the images, growing more and more tired of the airbrushing and scantily clad models. It looks like Sports Illustrated has caught on to our feelings, has decided to switch things up a bit, and Continue reading

In praise of female celebrity role models

I think we’re due for a piece full of praise. A high school English teacher in Chicago, Ashley Lauren Samsa, shared on Bitch magazine’s website a list of positive female role models in pop culture, as drafted up by her students. She wrote, “The list is a good insight into what interests teen girls these Continue reading

Kia’s new ad gives a refreshing look at “The Woman and Man of Now”

As we’ve discussed here on About-Face.org, car companies are not known for their progressive, non-sexist advertising. But the new Australia Kia advertisement breaks the mold, presenting two separate ads (one starring a woman and one starring a man) that offer alternative perspectives on stereotypical gender roles. The “Woman of Now” ad features a woman in business Continue reading

Disney makes amends for fat-shaming exhibit, promotes healthy living

Well, here’s some good news we like to report! Last March, About-Face covered a horrific story about a fat-shaming exhibit Disney opened in Epcot, “Habit Heroes.” The exhibit was an interactive game in which children used virtual candy, cakes, and ice cream to combat overweight “villains,” spurred on by the physically superior “heroes,” Will Power Continue reading

Miss America contestants: the judgement’s never over

This might not come as a huge surprise, but I’m not a big fan of beauty pageants. (Weird, right?) I understand that some of these competitions have scholarships that are really helpful for some winners, that some contestants do have real talents that they can showcase, and that some use the platform to push good Continue reading

Supermodel Cameron Russell and the gene pool lottery

“Young girls shouldn’t aspire to be models.” Most people wouldn’t expect these words of advice to come from one of the most successful models of the year, but last week, Cameron Russell, a Columbia University grad and successful supermodel, appeared on CNN to discuss her TedX Talk that recently went viral, “Image is Powerful.” Claiming Continue reading

For the love of Girls

I love Lena Dunham and I love her show Girls. No, it isn’t perfect, but it does provide one of the most honest portrayals of young, twenty-something females that I have seen to date. Dunham, the 26-year-old rising star who recently bagged her first two Golden Globes, writes, directs, and stars in the HBO hit Continue reading

The Biggest Loser lures kids

No, they’re not contestants. They won’t participate in weigh-ins and aren’t eligible to win the cash prize for dropping the most weight. Relax, America! The kids to appear on this season’s The Biggest Loser are just being “mentored.” The 14th season that premiered on January 6th featured two 13-year-olds and one 16-year-old. During a Press Continue reading