What would the United States be like if we had Harriet Tubman on our $20 bills? Depicted on current and former US dollar banknotes are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Hamilton, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, Benjamin Franklin, William McKinley, and Grover Cleveland. Yes, they are all men. And yes, all white men…. Continue Reading →
Living in a manic pixie dream world
She wears floral skater dresses. She rocks oxfords and grandad socks. She’s unbelievably quirky, ebullient, and has a tendency towards petty theft. She is a manic pixie dream girl. First coined by Nathan Rabin in his review of Elizabethtown to describe the bubbly flight attendant portrayed by Kirsten Dunst, the manic pixie dream girl (MPDG)… Continue Reading →
Tina Fey and the bare truth (about shapewear)
The other night, actress/comedian Tina Fey stripped down to her underwear on The Late Show with David Letterman. Ostensibly, it was to “honor” the talk show host ahead of his imminent retirement. But what Fey really did was show the whole world just what it takes for some women to wear a form-fitting dress and… Continue Reading →
My wish for Mother’s Day: A break from the sexism aimed at my kids
I’m raising two boys, and it is exhausting — but not for the reasons you might expect. It’s not because they’re “gross” or “loud” or “stinky” or “roughhousing” all the time. All kids can be those things at any given moment. What is truly exhausting is always running into sexism and violence in toys, TV… Continue Reading →
“You look too young to be a 51-year-old!”: Unhealthy beauty standards at the White House
Recently, the unquestionably accomplished First Lady Michelle Obama spoke to a group of children in the East Room of the White House for Take-Our-Daughters-And-Sons-To-Work Day. Few people are better representatives of hard work than Ms. Obama, and, as one could reasonably expect, she was direct about the effort she put into achieving success. Ms. Obama… Continue Reading →
Why I love Amy Schumer’s new music video, “Girl, You Don’t Need Makeup”
The other morning, while eating my breakfast, I found this: comedienne Amy Schumer’s new music video, “Girl, You Don’t Need Makeup.” I watched it thinking it would be a silly remake of some song. I was wrong. It is so much more. I have since sent this to all of my best girl friends. I… Continue Reading →
Two reasons why the princess rap meme isn’t really that funny
Are they blowing up your newsfeeds these days, too? Those two-minute vignettes that string together hilarious rhymes while perpetuating horrible stereotypes of girls and women? Yeah, those. So far, there’s Snow White vs. Elsa (with 28 million+ views) and, more recently, Cinderella vs. Belle. [media url=”youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeZXQf77hhk/A&W=415″] Despite their sassy tone (and Sarah Michelle Gellar’s funny… Continue Reading →
9 easy ways you can support women and girls right now
1. Pledge to only read books written by women this year. Check out this list of books by transgender authors. 2. Blog. See something sexist? Have something you want to get off your chest? Write about it! I started a feminist Tumblr that focuses on sharing media and stories that support feminism, empower women, and… Continue Reading →
Living in an age of celebrity feminism
The Oscars are like prom for Hollywood: a time for glitz, glamour, and celebration of (debatably) the best films of the year. They’ve also steadily gained a reputation as a hub for sexism disguised as admiration, as women on the red carpet are inevitably asked, “Who are you wearing?” and consequently criticized or applauded all… Continue Reading →