Recently, my newsfeed has been flooded with various videos all based on the idea of men and women trading places in routine situations. Most of these videos try to use humor and comedy to shed light on the reality of women’s lives and everyday sexism. And while a majority of these videos were funny and… Continue Reading →
Here’s what happens when women decide to love themselves
Taryn Brumfitt first made a broad impact online with her response to Maria Kang’s controversial “What’s your excuse?” image. Then she quit her day job to focus on her growing mission, the Body Image Movement. The Body Image Movement is “on a quest to redefine and rewrite the ideals of beauty.” It aims to do this… Continue Reading →
Mature models show the beauty of aging
Word of the day: “Gerascophobia.” It is commonly defined as the abnormal and persistent fear of growing old or aging. Also known as modern American culture. It’s no secret that the media idolizes youth. As women age, Botox, plastic surgery, and a generous dose of Photoshop are purported as the recipe for immortality. If you’re… Continue Reading →
“The world’s ugliest woman” teaches us how to be beautiful
Beautiful. Resilient. Inspirational. Lizzie Velasquez. Lizzie was born with a medical condition that only two other people in the world are known to have—she has no body fat. As a result, she has never weighed more than 64 pounds and has to consume small meals every hour. When Lizzie was in high school, someone posted… Continue Reading →
If they can see it, they can be it
Geena Davis is fed up with the way women and girls are portrayed in movies. Outraged at the lack of female characters in the kids’ movies she watched with her young daughter – and worried that her daughter would grow to have limited aspirations from a lack of on-screen role models – Davis founded the… Continue Reading →
Did the Media Fail Women in 2013? Ask The Representation Project
The newest viral video making its way around my Facebook feed is, “How the Media Failed Women in 2013,” a sobering three-and-a-half-minute compilation of media moments that drive one point home: the representation of women in the media isn’t changing fast enough. [media url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NswJ4kO9uHc”] “How the Media Failed Women in 2013” recaps the highlights and… Continue Reading →
Disney is brave, but frozen
I was convinced Brave was Disney’s reinvention. Merida was spunky, independent, and *gasp* looked like a normal girl. Yes, many of those qualities carry over to Princess Anna in Frozen, but Princess Elsa, her sister, is unfortunately a nod back to the quintessential dainty blondes such as Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. Her hair is too perfectly… Continue Reading →
Catching Fire: The odds are in women’s favor
Katy Perry will always be my number-one woman crush, but Jennifer Lawrence comes in a very close second, especially in her latest role as Katniss Everdeen in Catching Fire. Talk about girl power! Katniss is even fiercer this time, representing District 12 and fighting against the evil Capitol. This movie far exceeds the criteria needed… Continue Reading →
Smashing gender roles, one toy box at a time
When was the last time you were in a store that sells toys? You can always tell when you get to the “girls’ section,” because everything – everything – is pink, purple, frilly, and princessy. I don’t know about you, but I always found the narrowness of girls’ toys insulting. I’m not against playing princess… Continue Reading →