It’s an unfortunate fact of our lives that women are often subjected to street harassment. Any woman can tell you that it’s hard to walk down the street without our appearance being commented on by absolute strangers. These unsolicited comments are at best annoying, and at worst, terrifying. But lately, I’ve been starting to hear… 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 →
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 →
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 →
Did the Media Fail Women in 2013? Ask The Representation Project
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 →