A few nights ago, while scrolling my Twitter feed, I noticed a few mentions of a live-streaming play called “8.” Just in time I clicked on a link from one of the actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s tweets and tuned in. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard that this was happening before! A live-streamed event by [...]
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The Booty-Shaking Pleasures of a Big Freedia Hip Hop Show
Big Freedia’s (pronounced FREE-da) most well known song is called “Azz Everywhere!” It’s fitting, as a Big Freedia show features ass-popping just about everywhere. Video clips from her shows look like they could be part of a low budget rap video, or shot on a wild night out at the club. The dancers are face [...]
Top 14 Sexist Super Bowl Ads and the #NotBuyingIt Campaign
Super Bowl ads are big business. In 2011, the Super Bowl yielded the number 1 spot for ratings. With record-breaking numbers, an average of 111.3 million people watched this Sunday’s game. With so many people watching, “this means most women, children, LGBT” and people of color are watching too. Yet the advertising skews to white, [...]
Even Tough Girls Wear Tutus
Even Tough Girls Wear Tutus by Deborah Juang Stein is a must read memoir by a woman who was born in prison and spent the first year of her life behind bars. “Can you please alter Deborah’s birth certificate,” my mother asks in the letter to the family attorney, “from the Federal Women’s Prison in [...]
Why Feminists and LGBT Activists Should Care About the UFC
In November 2011 I joined the fight to get the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to enact a code of conduct, following a rape joke tweet by fighter Forrest Griffin. But since then, there’s been a spate of offensive tweets and public comments joking about rape and the sexual abuse scandal at Penn State. Meanwhile, they [...]
Reality Bites: Love and Marriage in TV Land
Whenever I’m sick I give myself license to watch whatever trashy TV I want. And since my toddler started daycare, well… I’ve had a lot of colds lately! And with all this bed rest has come a lot more time in the world of reality TV. It’s my guilty pleasure! While watching Kourtney & Kim [...]
Does Feminism Have a Future?
This week at Stanford University, the Clayman Institute for Gender Research celebrates the 40th anniversary of Ms. Magazine with a series of lectures and activities. Some of these include a screening of The Education of Shelby Knox, with a discussion with Shelby afterwards; a panel with Ms. editors about the role the magazine has played [...]
“Angry Brides” Facebook App Makes For an Angry Feminist
Ok, ok I’ll admit it — from time to time I have been known to peruse the Indian matrimonial website Shaadi.com. Ok maybe more than just “from time to time.” Ok fine I’ll confess, I’ve considered paying to become a registered, paying member. This week, I’m very glad I never took that step. Here’s why: [...]
The Fat Bitch Syndrome
In an attempt to give myself some me-time, I’ve been trying to read more lately. I used to be a voracious reader and have a degree in English Lit. But after years working as a journalist and professional writer, which makes reading a little like work sometimes, and now in my perma-exhausted state of motherhood, [...]
Dick Jokes, Sexual Harassment & Women’s Empowerment: Gender & Sexism at the 2012 Golden Globes
As a feminist blogger and self-proclaimed pop culture aficionado, I watch awards shows looking out for sexism and rooting for women to win awards. The Golden Globes, which aired Sunday night, is rowdy and unpredictable…due to copious amounts of alcohol the actors imbibe. With awards shows, movies, TV series – pretty much everything I watch [...]