Superhero films often exhibit assertive, outspoken female characters. Yet they often simultaneously objectify women’s bodies, reduce them to ancillary love interests or perpetuate gender stereotypes. So when I heard that Pepper Potts would have a more active role in Iron Man 3, I was excited yet remained cautiously skeptical.
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Our daughters, the superheros!
What did you want to be when you were a little kid? I wanted to be a ballerina until I saw Lynda Carter spin into Wonder Woman on my black-and-white TV. Sure, I had already seen Christopher Reeves as Superman. He was pretty great and all, but the only quasi-strong woman in that story is [...]
How are children supposed to know about boundaries and consent when there are mixed signals everywhere?
When I was a young the first I heard about sex and all that jazz was through friends. Most of what they ‘knew’ isn’t worth speaking of now but as far as I was aware at the time they were fountains of knowledge on the matter and not to be questioned. I went to a [...]
Missing the point of the Victoria’s Secret outrage
Any feminist worth their salt has no doubt seen at least one mention of the latest Victoria’s Secret dust-up. This time, the retailer has struck the ire of conservatives and feminists alike for the reported launch of a hyper-sexualized line of lingerie marketed to tweens. Or did they? It wouldn’t be surprising that a brand [...]
Power and Sex: Presumed Consent is Killing Equality.
IN Swaziland, teenage girls are taught about sexually transmitted diseases, condoms and HIV testing information handed out at will as they learn that sex is dangerous and mostly for men. In India, The Justice Verma Committee’s recommendation on recognizing marital rape as an offence under criminal law was hastily swept aside by the Standing Committee [...]
Could Catholic Women’s Ordination Shift Thinking on Human Rights?
The horrific and preventable death of Savita Halappanavar due to septicemia from a miscarriage at Galway University Hospital in Ireland made me once again shake my head in appalling astonishment. Why didn’t licensed health professionals provide Savita an emergency abortion as she requested? The tone deaf response continues to ring in my ears: “Ireland is [...]
Conflicting Numbers: College Enrollment Figures and Post-Grad Salaries Hardly Match Up
50 years ago, women attending college wasn’t nearly as commonplace as it is these days. And if they did, nine times out of ten it was only for them to get their “MRS” degree. For those of you unfamiliar with this degree plan, it’s when a woman goes to college not to pursue any educational [...]
5 Domestic Violence Myths I Learned Still Exist From Watching ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’
Even if you don’t watch trashy reality TV, you probably know socialite Taylor Armstrong, from Bravo’s Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (RHOBH), survived domestic violence. Within the past couple weeks, RHOBH aired episodes involving an intervention with Taylor about her abusive marriage.
“Sex and World Peace” or What Do Little Girls Have To Do With Our Wars
Last week a Taliban hit squad in Pakistan targeted and shot Malala Yousafzai, a 14-year-old who was fighting for the right of girls to be educated. I cried at the inhumanity on and off all day when I heard. Maybe she should have just dressed the part and saved her life. I’m not being flip. [...]
Let’s Hear it for the Girls!
The first International Day of the Girl has come and gone and I’m very excited that international agencies, non-governmental organizations, governments, and community leaders are yelling from the rooftops that girls can and are changing the world. As a former girl myself, I totally agree! There’s an old saying ‘when you educate a girl, you educate [...]