Earlier this week, Margot Mogowan, founder of Reel Girls, a web site dedicated to media equity, wrote a post lambasting the movie Minions for its dullard sensibility and disappointingly routine sexism. Most families taking kids to the movies aren’t giving sexism a second thought, preferring instead to just get out of the summer heat and […]
No Need for Us to Flip the Script – ‘Spy’ Does it for Us
When I was recommending Spy to some friends, they were dubious. “Melissa McCarthy movies always just focus on her weight,” they grumbled. While that is not the focus of McCarthy’s movies – it is the cultural dialogue that they see. It is the conversation that is frequently happening from the outside. It’s not the conversation […]
ST. LOUIS POST DISPATCH OUTS POSSIBLE SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM SUBHEAD: “RAUCOUS JEFFERSON CITY NIGHTLIFE”
This is why we are afraid of reporting sexual assault. This is how we are shamed. This is how we are marginalized. This is how we are silenced. I am not going to link to the story but it is a loo-loo. Disgraced state legislator/sexter with 19-year old intern, John Diehl had an affair. GASP. […]
Pitch Perfect 2: Would-Be Feminist Film Fails to Strike Perfect Pitch, Continues Stereotypical Tones
I laughed more frequently than I breathed during Pitch Perfect 2. Director Elizabeth Bank’s sequel to the A Capella musical Pitch Perfect focused heavily on silliness with lines like, “I don’t want your armpit confidence” and insults like “your sweat smells like cinnamon.” In many ways this film was triumphant. It followed many female characters […]
Her Body, Her Choice: Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda”
Unsurprisingly the revelation of the cover artwork for Nicki Minaj’s upcoming single “Anaconda” was met with shock, debate, and criticism. The picture itself is relatively simple: it features Nicki Minaj crouched down looking over her shoulder. She just happens to be wearing a thong that shows her enviable cheeks. But it’s not as though our […]
Dissecting Masculinity in Hannibal
The second season of NBC’s Hannibal has received critical acclaim for the way it’s pushed boundaries on artistry, violence, and depth on television. But one of the most integral and perhaps overlooked aspects is the progressiveness of masculinity in this series. In what is an increasingly male-centric series we see a distinct comfort and openness […]
A Woman’s Photograph: the Music of Still-Life
How do you choose to be portrayed? If we are what we wear, what we say, and even what we eat, we are rightfully a little overwhelmed. What is the importance of a photograph, if any? What makes intention in photography of women so important? For me while doing a shoot this weekend in New […]
India: Board the Bus for Women’s safety this week!
In Delhi, India, this week the global human rights organization Breakthrough launched a Board the Bus campaign, which runs through March 8, International Women’s Day. They want women to know that they have the right to occupy public places and suggest that having more women in public places can help reduce harassment. “We’re calling on women who don’t […]