As bummed (that’s putting it mildly) as I am about the cultural beauty ideals that women are pressured to achieve—and as much as I feel that the average male is sometimes complicit in the ideals’ prominence in our culture—I don’t think the solution is to foist the same restrictions and fantasies on men. Which is… Continue Reading →
Miss Representation is exposing American media
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/28066212[/vimeo]I have to be honest with you – I’m tired of seeing blog post after blog post depicting the fallacies of the media. I’m tired of reading about sexism, objectification, and disrespect. I’m tired of feeling hopeless about the state of gender representation in the media. Luckily, Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s new, edgy documentary Miss Representation… Continue Reading →
Perpetuate unrealistic ideals with Portrait Professional
Throughout our lives, we are constantly bombarded by false images that seek to compromise our self-esteem in order to make a profit. Imagine if this false image that you, your friends, family, or professional colleagues saw every day was of you? I recently came across software that would allow individuals to do just that. It’s… Continue Reading →
On banning ads, photo-retouching, and (shock!) personal responsibility
In the wake of the big news that the MP Jo Swinson and the British Advertising Standards Agency has fabulously banned two ads by L’Oreal (owner of Maybelline and Lancome) showing Julia Roberts and Christy Turlington, I’m starting to think about how we — everyday women and girls — can help ourselves out of this… Continue Reading →
Rosario Dawson speaks out against unrealistic beauty expectations
We love what Rosario Dawson had to say in this month’s issue of Shape–a magazine not exactly known for being body-positive. Dawson criticizes the cultural expectation for women to be thin, toned, and blemish-free, and calls the way we scrutinize women’s bodies “a form of violence.” We couldn’t agree more, especially with all the recently… Continue Reading →
Is a breast-implant voucher a good gift for a 7 year old?
Recently, there seems to have been a spate of moms encouraging their daughters to have cosmetic procedures. First, there was “Botox Mom” Kerry Campbell, who claimed to have injected her 8-year-old daughter Britney’s face with Botox. Then, “Human Barbie” Sarah Burge gave her 7-year-old daughter Poppy a voucher to get breast implants once she turns 16. The… Continue Reading →
GoDaddy.com — serves ’em right?
Here’s a typical, objectifying GoDaddy.com ad with a twist: Danica Patrick and the other GoDaddy girls (i.e. tight black tank tops, bustin’ out all over the place, short shorts), announce that the new GoDaddy.co girl is…. Joan Rivers. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J83EQ7LubwE[/youtube] “Ha ha ha,” we’re supposed to laugh, “Everyone thought she was hot, but she’s just that… Continue Reading →
E! stoops to a new low with “Bridalplasty”
In the words of a dear friend, “What. The. F%$#!?” Seriously, how else could anyone react to the upcoming train wreck/sign of the apocalypse that is Bridalplasty? Just as I was about to reluctantly praise the executives at E! for handling the subject matter of What’s Eating You? with some tact, they began running promos… Continue Reading →
“Make Me Young” makes us think about the world of anti-aging
I laughed, I cried, I contemplated Botox. It’s true – filmmaker Mitch McCabe’s awesome documentary, Make Me Young: Youth Knows No Pain, was a serious roller-coaster ride through the world of anti-aging, stirring up all kinds of emotions. The daughter of a plastic surgeon, Mitch explores her fascination with going under the knife by traveling… Continue Reading →