Spas are supposed to be relaxing, luxuriating experiences. I have personally never been to one, but from what I hear, you get pampered, massaged, relieve stress, and the like. You know what I didn’t know was a part of the spa experience here in New York, where I live? Being told you’re fat. And that… Continue Reading →
What we learned from the Olympics’ coverage of female athletes
This year’s Olympics in London provided some notable victories for women. It was the first Olympics where there were female athletes from all participating countries. And as always, the Olympics put strong, capable women in the spotlight. In a media landscape where female celebrities are often reported on for their fashion, hair style, or fluctuating… Continue Reading →
The Price Is Right: Equal opportunity objectifier?
TV’s longest-running game show is boldly breaking sexist barriers by announcing its plan to hire its first-ever male model. That’s it. Just one. The Price Is Right has announced its plans to hold a male model search as part of a five-episode web series where contestants are judged on their verbal skills, posing proficiency, and… Continue Reading →
Is cosmetic surgery a solution to bullying?
Nadia Ilse, a 14-year-old girl in Georgia, is attracting attention for getting cosmetic surgery to get bullies off her back. In an interview with ABC News, Nadia described the torment that school bullies put her through, calling her names like “Dumbo” or “elephant ears.” Unable to afford surgery, Nadia got it covered by the Little… Continue Reading →
Six Weeks to OMG You’re Totally Insane
As a New York City commuter, I am privy to a whole host of crappy advertisements that plaster the subways and buses of our public transportation system. Inevitably, this includes ads that try to entice me to buy all manner of junk food, watch a ton of terrible television, and buy the latest pop-health book…. Continue Reading →
According to Old Navy, new clothes make a “new you”
I’ve never been a big fan of Old Navy commercials. The music is cheesy, everyone’s way too happy, and the clothing quality just doesn’t seem to match the price. But this month, Old Navy released their newest commercial, “New Girl” — and this one takes the cake. Basically, the premise of this commercial is that… Continue Reading →
Not-so-breaking news: Women more likely to be dismembered in our minds
New research confirms that sexual objectification of females is closer to the camp of knee-jerk neural responses rather than feminist fabrication. A recent study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology revealed that both male and female brains are more likely to disassemble the bodies of women, processing them in pieces rather than wholes…. Continue Reading →
Mommy vs. media in sexualization of girls: Where are the dads?
An article on AlterNet about sexualization of young girls concluded “Mothers are a strong predictor — even more than the amount of media consumption alone — of whether a girl will regard herself as a sex object.” But I couldn’t help but wonder: What role do fathers play in their daughters’ sexualization? The article, titled “I Want… Continue Reading →
Does being in a male-dominated industry make women skittish about feminism?
There was a big headline in recent weeks, one that many women rejoiced over—Marissa Mayer, a long-time Google executive, was hired as Yahoo!’s new CEO. Big news, indeed, since a mere 4% of CEOs (a grand total of… 20) of Fortune 500 companies are women. Of course, I wasn’t the only one to be disappointed… Continue Reading →