By Caitlin Lansing John Legend’s “You & I (Nobody in the World)” John Legend’s new music video for his song “You & I (Nobody in the World)” continues a recent trend – which will hopefully become a norm – of featuring “real” women. Coming off the heels of the aerie Real campaign and coinciding with… Continue Reading →
The renaissance of female empowerment comes from an unlikely source: advertisers
Feminine hygiene products have a history of questionable advertising. Lately, however, we’re starting to see some truly groundbreaking, entertaining, and original ads. The newest maxi pad video doing the viral rounds is this one from Always: Now, I’m not sure I would really consider this an ad for tampons or pads. In fact, they’re not… Continue Reading →
A picture worth a thousand words for trans representation
This image of Laverne Cox and Janet Mock — both trans women of color — brought a smile to my face today. Cox is an actress and transgender advocate, perhaps best known for her portrayal of Sophia on the Netflix hit series Orange is the New Black. Mock is an advocate, author and the founder… Continue Reading →
Training video shows simplicity of photoshopping bodies
Altering images via Photoshop has become so commonplace that the simple, all-encompassing term “Photoshopping” is now understood by just about everyone. But what exactly is Photoshopping, and how easy is it to do? This video, from the well-respected software training website lynda.com, shows exactly how to achieve a Photoshopped body in just a few clicks… Continue Reading →
Tropes vs Women in Video Games examines women as background decoration
Video games are a multibillion dollar industry and a form of media in their own right. Which is precisely why it’s so important for people like Anita Sarkeesian — a media critic and the creator of Feminist Frequency — to speak out against sexism and misogyny in games. Her web series, Tropes vs. Women in… Continue Reading →
If Lorde is the future of girl-power pop music, I’m excited.
Since I first heard her now-inescapable hit song “Royals,” I have been a fan of New Zealand-born musician Lorde. And now that I’ve seen her live and followed what she has to say, I’m even more impressed by how she’s shaping up as a young feminist role model. At a mere 17 years old, Lorde… Continue Reading →
Fit Mom’s publicity undermines her message
If you haven’t heard about the body-shaming sensation that is “Fit Mom,” here’s a primer: Maria Kang, from Sacramento, California, is a self-employed mother of three boys. She owns two residential care homes for the elderly, and she founded a nonprofit called Fitness Without Borders. In September 2013, Kang posted a photo on her Facebook… Continue Reading →
Think only white women get eating disorders? Think again.
In popular culture, stories of eating disorders are dominated by white women. But what about the other sufferers? Women of color have been sidelined in eating disorder funding and research, and have therefore been underestimated in our perception of the affected demographic. In the new Slate article “Eating disorders do not discriminate“, Michelle Konstantinovsky explores… Continue Reading →
Here’s what happens when women decide to love themselves
Taryn Brumfitt first made a broad impact online with her response to Maria Kang’s controversial “What’s your excuse?” image. Then she quit her day job to focus on her growing mission, the Body Image Movement. The Body Image Movement is “on a quest to redefine and rewrite the ideals of beauty.” It aims to do this… Continue Reading →