Here in New Zealand we are still *sigh* perpetuating the old, irritating double standard in advertising, and it’s tiring beyond belief. We continue to have a culture where we champion the “typical Kiwi Bloke”, who is “every man” and his mates, affectionately championed for his ordinariness and always welcomed into the brotherhood. Men in NZ… Continue Reading →
Gender neutrality needs some skirts
Ellen Degeneres has a new line of girls’ clothes at Gap Kids, and it looks pretty great, but “gender neutral” it’s not. The Gap Kids website says that they are “dedicated to supporting girls just as they are, whether they skateboard or dance, wear dresses or jeans.” The clothes feature slogans like “Be your own… Continue Reading →
The day I fell in love with Amy Schumer
The day I fell in love with Amy Schumer, I was preparing my Intro to Psychology lecture about gender. I was searching YouTube for clever clips that I could use, when I came across a video called “Inside Amy Schumer – Last F**kable Day”. The main character, Amy Schumer, comes across her “heroes” — Julia Louis-Dreyfus,… Continue Reading →
What the 67th Emmy awards revealed about women of color in TV
The 67th primetime Emmy awards happened this past Sunday, and while I opted out of watching it live in favor of the premier of the last season of Downton Abbey (many tears!), a tweet that night from CNN contributor Rachel Sklar was cause enough for me to drop my cup of tea back into its saucer and… Continue Reading →
Embrace your grey: Society’s double-standard for aging men and women
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 →
Living in an age of celebrity feminism
The Oscars are like prom for Hollywood: a time for glitz, glamour, and celebration of (debatably) the best films of the year. They’ve also steadily gained a reputation as a hub for sexism disguised as admiration, as women on the red carpet are inevitably asked, “Who are you wearing?” and consequently criticized or applauded all… 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 →
Just for laughs? The new meme of men and women switching roles
Recently, my newsfeed has been flooded with various videos all based on the idea of men and women trading places in routine situations. Most of these videos try to use humor and comedy to shed light on the reality of women’s lives and everyday sexism. And while a majority of these videos were funny and… Continue Reading →
Making a difference with “Make Your Move” campaign
With so many negative images and ads out there, it’s nice to see a few of the opposite once in a while. The Make Your Move campaign caught my eye a few months back and has been popping up across social media ever since. According to their Facebook page, “Make Your Move is an effort from Missoula’s Intervention… Continue Reading →