Dakota Fanning reclines in a tiny pink dress, innocent look on her face, large phallic bottle of Lola Marc Jacobs perfume between her outstretched legs. I’ll give you a moment to calm the titillation you might be experiencing. Would it help if I said that she looks no older than 14? No? Interestingly enough, you [...]
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The Handmaid’s Tale: A Feminist’s Must Read
Women have only certain roles: wife, breeder, or servant. These are the options, and the choice is not up to you to make. The government will make the choice for you. Last weekend I finally finished The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. I didn’t have a good understanding of what I was getting into and [...]
This week’s Taste of Feminism
Reading Materials Robert Massie has written another fascinating book, Catherine the Great. I bought it two days ago, and since then, I haven’t put it down. The story is about Sophia Augusta Fredrika von Anhalt Zerbst, a relatively unknown princess of minor German nobility, who traveled to Moscow to marry her second cousin, Peter, and [...]
Holiday Film Ratings – Are We Judging Sex or Sexuality?
The Holiday movie season is here! And, true to form, as revealed in USC’s Annenberg School’s most recent study of gender in the 100 top grossing films of 2009, we will blithely consume great movies that consistently marginalize and sexualize girls and women. The male to female ratio in film hasn’t changed since 1946. In [...]
The Ides of March and the Myth of Female Sex Objects in Politics
There she was – pretty and flirty and blonde and sexy and damn cute. Like all female political interns, of course. Because both I and the guy are former political staffers and current young professionals living in our nation’s capital, I wasn’t surprised at all when his idea for a first date was to go [...]
Warriors & Peacemakers: Innovative PBS Documentary Series ‘Women, War and Peace’ Explores Women’s Role in Conflict
As crystallized in the coverage of the North African revolutions, journalists, media pundits and the public often forget women’s participation in conflict and security. When people discuss war, they often don’t take women or gender into account. Women become the forgotten collateral. Yet they consistently play a pivotal role. Women govern and lead their communities, [...]
The Feminist / Sexist See-Saw Ride of the 2011 Emmys
Some assert women fare better on television than in films: more complex roles, feminist issues explored. With some feminist series receiving nominations – Parks & Rec, Mad Men, The Killing, Friday Night Lights, The Good Wife – I hoped the Emmys awards show might reflect its nominees. Well, it did…and didn’t. The night was a [...]
Always Read the Book Before You See the Movie
They are scared, looking at the back door every ten minutes, afraid they’ll get caught talking to me. Afraid they’ll be beaten like Louvenia’s grandson, or, hell, bludgeoned in their front yard like Medgar Evers. – Skeeter Phelan, The Help (the novel) I read The Help about a year ago. I loved it. It’s one [...]
The Feminist Mom and the Princess Party
“Mommy, I want to have a princess party this year for my birthday.” Suddenly the air was sucked out of the room and I waited for the oxygen masks to deploy from the ceiling as the living room nose-dived. “What?” I coughed out, wide-eyed to my 4-year-old daughter. “A princess party!” she smiled, cheekily. “And [...]
Talking With Kathryn Bolkovac About The Whistleblower
After seeing (and reviewing) The Whistleblower, I contacted Kathryn Bolkovac, whose story is the basis of the movie, and interviewed her. Her answers speak for themselves, but also give such a sense of her persona, grit and determination. FOSTER: You were faced with a situation where the people you worked with were engaged in something [...]