The newest viral video making its way around my Facebook feed is, “How the Media Failed Women in 2013,” a sobering three-and-a-half-minute compilation of media moments that drive one point home: the representation of women in the media isn’t changing fast enough. [media url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NswJ4kO9uHc”] “How the Media Failed Women in 2013” recaps the highlights and… Continue Reading →
Pink is a refreshing antithesis to the sexualized pop star
Recently, I was fortunate enough to attend a concert on Pink’s “The Truth About Love” world tour. For a few years now, listening to Pink has been my “guilty pleasure.” I never really wanted to admit that I loved her, because my musical tastes are not usually so mainstream. But, I’ve come to really enjoy… Continue Reading →
New documentary profiles the first female surfer in Bangladesh
Recently, I saw a work-in-progress trailer for the new documentary film, The Most Fearless. This extraordinary film tells the true story of Nasima, a sixteen-year-old Bangladeshi girl who dreams of becoming a pro surfer. Nasima has fought against all odds, including being called a “whore” by Bangladeshi men for going in the water, to pursue… Continue Reading →
Wearing the same outfit every day for a year can be euphoric
Nadia Eghbal’s article, “Why I Wore The Same Outfit Every Day for a Year,” hits very close to home for me. Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about clothes. Not in an “I-must-own-the-latest-fashions” sense, but in a “Do-my-clothes-really-embody-who-I-am?” sense. Firstly, I get frustrated with finding clothes to fit and flatter my body. On top of… Continue Reading →
Thinking we are defined by our bodies is holding us back
It’s hardly news that we’re constantly surrounded by images of the “ideal body.” But evidence continues to point out how damaging this ideal is, and how it holds women back from achieving in many areas. And this really gets me riled up! My own experience of existing in this world, of walking down the street,… Continue Reading →
Retailers embrace body diversity like it’s NBD
Recently, there has been an interesting spate of retailers using a diverse range of body types to model their clothing. It’s not like we haven’t seen this in the past, but usually the advertiser or magazine editorial will make a point of it, like: “Look at us! We’re being soooo amazingly inclusive! Aren’t we cutting-edge?”… Continue Reading →
The BodyCon competition encourages advertisements that subvert the “ideal” body
The Butterfly Foundation in Sydney, Australia, a charity that supports people with eating disorders and negative body image, has created a new video competition that aims to expose the media’s representation of beauty. “The Body Con” is a competition encouraging entrants to “create a 30 second advertisement that confronts the belief that being in control… Continue Reading →
The advertising industry fails to step up to Australia’s body image diversity awards
Nearly two years on from their introduction, Australia’s Positive Body Image awards are failing to catch the attention of fashion, media and entertainment, and advertising industry organizations and individuals. About-Face has previously covered the Australian government’s National Advisory Group on Body Image, and their voluntary code of conduct and awards. In 2012, the inaugural awards… Continue Reading →
Stop hating on Anne Hathaway and start realizing that we’re all each other has got
Celebrity hate is nothing new. I mean, who can blame us? These are people that are thrust into our lives, our living rooms, our movie screens. Their publicists want us to be interested in their personal lives. They are commodities, only worth as much as their popularity. Interestingly, hating these people we hardly know seems… Continue Reading →