Last weekend during the Olympics Closing Ceremony performance, five taxicabs with the license plate “SPICE” pulled up, to turn me into a giddy child again… The Spice Girls were back! As a 90’s kid, the Spice Girls were the soundtrack to most of my favorite childhood memories. They were the five best friends and heroes [...]
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War is Not Entertainment: Protests of NBC’s New Reality Show “Stars Earn Stripes” Begin
Tonight in New York City, outside of NBC headquarters, there will be a protest calling for the cancellation of “Stars Earn Stripes.” What was NBC thinking when they green-lighted a reality show where celebrities try out military training for sport? If you watched the Olympics at all, you’ve seen the commercials of celebrities in army [...]
Where Are The Women On Women’s Issues?
“The first step to success for women and girls is to learn how to interrupt. In the classroom or workplace, a woman who is afraid to interrupt may never be heard, and only by being heard can we make a difference.” –Madeline Albright Last month the research group 4th Estate, which monitors campaign coverage, released [...]
Two New Domestic Violence PSAs Shed Light on an Often Hidden Epidemic
Fashion magazines often utilize sexualized images of violence to objectify, exploit and subjugate women. In the recent disgusting spread “Victim of Beauty,” Bulgarian fashion magazine 12 replicated domestic abuse survivors’ wounds. In Vogue Italia’s horrific BP oil-themed spread and Gucci’s appalling dead women in the desert, we witness the media’s continual pornification of women’s abused [...]
Surfing the Rape Wave: What Tosh Teaches About Humor, Power and Privilege
In a promo video hyping Comedy Central’s highest-rated show, host Daniel Tosh promised, “On season 3 of Tosh.0, we’re raping everybody.” The clip’s copy read, “It’s about to get pretty rapey up in here.” Apparently, that should have been printed as a buyer-beware on tickets for Tosh’s gig at the Laugh Factory last weekend. If [...]
“Brave” Still Teaching Girls The Wrong Lessons
I had high hopes for “Brave.” Megan Kearns, my go-to movie reviewer (and a new, official part of the Fem2.0 team!), raved about the strong female protagonist, the multi-dimensional bond between mother and daughter, and the lack of love interest, or even “male best friend” that we’ve become so accustomed to. Megan mentions a few [...]
#KeepItReal Victory! Seventeen Magazine Pledges Not to Digitally Alter Girls’ Images
In the magazine publishing world, it’s been said “airbrushing images is an industry standard.” But it doesn’t have to be. Seventeen Magazine has agreed not to digitally alter images of young female models and celebs. And its all thanks to the #KeepItReal Challenge and one passionate teen activist. SPARK Summit, LoveSocial, I Am That Girl, [...]
Will Brave’s Warrior Princess Merida Usher In a New Kind of Role Model for Girls?
I loved Brave. I literally did a happy dance the moment I heard Pixar would feature a female-centric film. Out of their 13 movies, Brave marks their first female protagonist. Pretty shameful. But hey, they finally got their act together and created a kick-ass heroine. But will Merida spark a new kind of role model? [...]
Young Girls’ Barrier to Higher Education
“I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” -The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald As a student ambassador at university, I was occasionally asked to run workshops for high school students in the surrounding areas. One school event, designed to encourage an interest [...]
A Survivor’s Reaction to 12 Magazine’s “Victim of Beauty” Photographs
The latest controversy in the world of beauty magazines involves a Bulgarian publication called 12. Their recent issue features a photo spread entitled “Victim of Beauty” that depicts models with severe cuts and bruises who are wearing H&M skirts and clothes by label Capasca. As the online uproar grows, the magazine’s editors stand by their work with [...]