Does anyone else feel exasperated with the whole “women must cover their grey hair” message? Daily, we are fed images of grey haired men, being told they are distinguished, successful, powerful and that they are even sexy, mature “silver foxes”, yet at the same time we women are taught to be horrified at the thought… Continue Reading →
Adventures in feminist wedding planning
I’m getting married, and I want to share with you just some of the ways that wedding planning has highlighted pesky gender expectations and body image pressures. We always said we’d never do it. “What would it add to our relationship?” we thought. Then one night, on a romantic whim (he was gone to Italy… Continue Reading →
You’re allowed to get married if you’re fat
Being in my late 20s, I’ve spent a lot of time in the last few years going to weddings, including the weddings of a lot of my closest friends. I’ve watched as they stressed out about their extended families and worried about what music to play; I’ve talked with them as they picked dresses and… Continue Reading →
The case of the working woman’s fashion crisis
Last month, I started my first paid, full-time job. At the beginning, I was anxiously guessing the expectation for women’s fashion at work: what I should wear, how my hair should look, if I needed to wear makeup. I started to feel like no matter what I did to primp and prepare, I never looked as… Continue Reading →
Four reasons you should be in love with Orphan Black
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 I love Amy Schumer’s new music video, “Girl, You Don’t Need Makeup”
The other morning, while eating my breakfast, I found this: comedienne Amy Schumer’s new music video, “Girl, You Don’t Need Makeup.” I watched it thinking it would be a silly remake of some song. I was wrong. It is so much more. I have since sent this to all of my best girl friends. I… Continue Reading →
Two reasons why the princess rap meme isn’t really that funny
Are they blowing up your newsfeeds these days, too? Those two-minute vignettes that string together hilarious rhymes while perpetuating horrible stereotypes of girls and women? Yeah, those. So far, there’s Snow White vs. Elsa (with 28 million+ views) and, more recently, Cinderella vs. Belle. [media url=”youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeZXQf77hhk/A&W=415″] Despite their sassy tone (and Sarah Michelle Gellar’s funny… Continue Reading →
The feminist value of Amal Clooney’s beauty and brains
“Some readers may wonder how a woman described by Elle magazine as having ‘stunning looks, flirty dresses, tailored pants, colorful heels, and gorgeous hair’ is involved in such a complex legal matter? … It may be astonishing to most people that Amal Alamuddin, now Mrs. Clooney, is much more than a pretty face! In fact,… Continue Reading →
Punching out sexism with Agent Carter
I think I’m in love. I’ve started watching Agent Carter, and so far it’s amazing. Agent Carter is a short television series about Secret Agent Peggy Carter, filling in the mid-season break in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC. We first met Peggy in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger when she played a supporting… Continue Reading →