My body: a (developing) love story

The number of advertisements that make us want to strip out of our skin and into something more slimming and youthful are more numerous than I would like to discuss. I’ve become wrapped up in the diet craze time and time again, though I’ve tried to mask it with words like “lifestyle change” or “getting Continue reading

Have you ever looked at your body and wanted to cry?

Recently my 3-year-old son looked at me lovingly and said, “Mommy, you’re fat!” I’m an average-sized, curvy woman and I love my body the way it is. Fat is not a bad word, however, I have to admit, my self-esteem took a temporary hit with this one. He certainly didn’t learn that language from our Continue reading

Women’s talents: alas, shrugged

I was pleased to learn that the topic this week in my male-dominated political discussion group would be Ayn Rand. If you don’t know, Ayn Rand is a famed female philosopher and author of the novel, Atlas Shrugged. She was no feminist—some would say she was the opposite—but she was strong in her principles, a Continue reading

Dannon ad sells women, guilt, and, oh yeah—food

Woe to the woman who enjoys food and does not restrict: society just doesn’t seem to like her. Women, guilt, and food are constantly working together to sell products. But half the time, it’s hard to tell what those products are: the women, the guilt, or the food. The great news? Dannon’s latest Light & Continue reading

From the diary of the 6th grade “slut” — The UnSlut Project

“I can’t dump him now, because then people would think I am even more of a slut than they already do. How could one mistake cause my life to crumble like this?” Would you publish your diary from when you were a pre-teen on the Internet for the entire world to read? This is exactly Continue reading

Kia chalks up another ad as a sexist fail

Oh, Kia. Weren’t you listening when I praised you for your refreshing new take on the car ad? Or do you just not look to your partner companies in different countries for progressive advertising? I’m speaking, of course, about the latest ad for the 2014 Kia Forte. Carrying on from the theme of their “Hotbots” Continue reading

A damsel in progress: analyzing BioShock Infinite’s Elizabeth

From Peach to Zelda, the damsel in distress is a classic video game figure. Countless games have featured the helpless princess in need of rescuing, and despite its blatant sexism, the trope is still widely used. When Irrational Games’ BioShock: Infinite was released March 26th, female character Elizabeth seemed to be just another damsel in Continue reading

Science vs. Dove: Thanks, but we are NOT our own worst beauty critics

This blog re-published with permission from Kjerstin Gruys, originally from her blog Mirror, Mirror… Off the Wall. So there’s this new Dove “Real Beauty Sketches” ad campaign, and I’m finally ready to say my piece about it. I watched the three-minute version and felt emotions swelling in my chest. I liked this cathartic feeling, so I immediately Continue reading

Why Gabrielle Reece’s retro recipe for marital bliss is, uh, wrong

I’ve never really followed Gabrielle that closely, but she’s always been on my radar as a solid, inspirational role model for young women—someone strong, disciplined, and self-possessed. Someone who hasn’t been seduced by her own her fame and glamour. Given that the archetype of women that’s most often celebrated in the media is often complete Continue reading

Not asking for it: no matter what Rick Ross says

  All of this news about rape is making me sick. But what makes me even more sick is the fact that media also seem to promote rape. Take these two songs that have recently been on the Billboard Top 100 charts: Lil’ Wayne’s “Love Me” and Rick Ross’s “U.O.E.N.O”. It makes me sick to Continue reading