Since I first heard her now-inescapable hit song “Royals,” I have been a fan of New Zealand-born musician Lorde. And now that I’ve seen her live and followed what she has to say, I’m even more impressed by how she’s shaping up as a young feminist role model. At a mere 17 years old, Lorde… Continue Reading →
Pharrell vs. Beyoncé: Have feminists let men off the hook?
Are feminists forcing women to achieve a higher standard than men? Pharrell Williams, wearer of Arby’s-shaped hats and the artist behind one of the biggest hits of the moment, Happy, has recently declared himself a feminist and received a fairly warm welcome compared to his fellow feminist, Beyoncé Knowles. Celebrity feminists like Williams and Knowles have… Continue Reading →
Packed with sexist blunders, Snickers really objectifies
Did you know that more than 80% of women worldwide will face gender-based street harassment at some point in their lives? They—or rather we—will be approached or accosted on the street, subjected to unwanted whistles, cat calls, sexual comments, and lewd gestures in which men “assert the right to intrude on women’s attention, defining her… Continue Reading →
Objectifying an Object: Barbie and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
The Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue is a friendly annual reminder that the media’s obsession with sexualizing and objectifying women is still very much alive. Despite the magazine’s focus on sports and athleticism, the swimsuit issue focuses on the bodies of conventionally attractive women—almost none of whom are actually athletes. This year is a bit different,… Continue Reading →
Just for laughs? The new meme of men and women switching roles
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 →
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 →
Down with the Victoria’s Secret “Fashion Show”
At About-Face, we are boycotting the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, which airs tonight on CBS. We’re joining in with the awesome women at Beauty Redefined, who are starting the boycott. Here’s something I still find kind of embarrassing: Victoria’s Secret was a key ingredient in the damaging of my body image as a teenager. I… Continue Reading →
Pink is a refreshing antithesis to the sexualized pop star
Recently, I was fortunate enough to attend a concert on Pink’s “The Truth About Love” world tour. For a few years now, listening to Pink has been my “guilty pleasure.” I never really wanted to admit that I loved her, because my musical tastes are not usually so mainstream. But, I’ve come to really enjoy… Continue Reading →
Why the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in the Media rules
Academy Award-winning actress Geena Davis (of Thelma and Louise and Beetlejuice fame) founded the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in the Media to advocate for diverse portrayals and equal representation of female characters in the media. The Institute and its program, See Jane, promote gender equality in media representation through research, education, and advocacy. The… Continue Reading →