Clones. Religious cults. Corporate science. Oh, and feminism. As odd as it may sound, all of these elements can be found in the TV series Orphan Black. The show, which just began its third season in April, follows Sarah Manning (played by Tatiana Maslany) as she discovers she is one of many clones. The series… Continue Reading →
Why Danielle Brooks’ essay is so important to the body image conversation
Actress Danielle Brooks is making waves in Hollywood. Best known for her role as Tasha “Tastee” Jefferson on the Netflix series Orange is the New Black, Brooks is now enjoying a level of professional success that few actors get to experience. And she recently revealed that she’s enjoying another kind of success, one that is… Continue Reading →
Stop making movies about douchebags
Let me introduce The Douche Test! It is a gender portrayal test for movies, to use alongside The Bechdel Test. The steps are simple, just ask yourself: 1) Does the male lead character not threaten, objectify, make fun of, or in any other way mistreat a woman during the movie? 2) Does the lead character… Continue Reading →
Catching Fire: The odds are in women’s favor
Katy Perry will always be my number-one woman crush, but Jennifer Lawrence comes in a very close second, especially in her latest role as Katniss Everdeen in Catching Fire. Talk about girl power! Katniss is even fiercer this time, representing District 12 and fighting against the evil Capitol. This movie far exceeds the criteria needed… Continue Reading →
How to love TV and movies with a media industry that doesn’t love you
Watching movies and TV shows is my number-one hobby. I used to review movies for a newspaper, and even if it was in so many ways a dream job (having a movie theatre to yourself is pretty cool), I often headed back to the news desk with a racing heart and sentences pounding in my… Continue Reading →
Crash course in the Vito Russo Test
I was recently speaking to a friend of mine about the Bechdel Test and I asked whether or not there was a Bechdel equivalent for LGBTQ movie analysis. She said she thought that there must be, and after some research, I quickly came across the answer: the Vito Russo Test. Both the Bechdel Test and… Continue Reading →