Let’s talk about it: Halloween 2021. A “post-mortem,” if you will. What did you see this year as far as costumes representing women and girls*, racially diverse characters, etc.? Good? Bad? Ugly? Is anything getting better for representation during Halloween? Please comment below, and let us know your city and state/province, what you saw, and… Continue Reading →
We can solve teen girls’ social media crisis. Here’s how.
Fifteen-year-old Halley started crying. Through her tears, she confessed to me, “I was so obsessed about if I looked good enough and how many Likes I had, that I made it my whole life. I would come out of my room after scrolling through Instagram and TikTok, angry at the world because I was depressed… Continue Reading →
Why teach media literacy to teen girls? (part 2)
Part 2: Myth versus reality In my last post, I laid out how girls* are still objectified, judged, and put in boxes by our toxic media culture. We looked at the reasons that social media encourages girls to judge themselves and each other harshly. All of this points to an urgent need for media education… Continue Reading →
Why teach media literacy to teen girls? (part 1)
The first time I saw “Killing Us Softly,” Dr. Jean Kilbourne’s take-down of the toxic, dehumanizing culture that surrounds women in advertising, it was 1996. I was a naïve sophomore at the University of Michigan who had been raised, above all, to be pretty – with Victoria’s Secret catalog pages and Self magazine workouts pinned… Continue Reading →
Black women: We are with you.
2020 marks the 5-year anniversary of the #SayHerName campaign, and 6 years since the first #BlackLivesMatter call to action that would soon provoke global outcries and ignite a massive movement against violence and systemic racism towards Black people. Both of these movements were dreamed up, shaped, and brought to life by Black women, and by… Continue Reading →
Listen to these girls talk about their About-Face program
Let the girls tell it for themselves! We asked eighth graders at Julia Morgan School for Girls in Oakland, CA what they thought of their About-Face Education Into Action Lab.
Now live! “Digging In with About-Face” episode 1 with Virgie Tovar
We’re pretty excited over here at About-Face to share a brand-new video, “Digging In with About-Face”, where badass women sit on a couch, eat, laugh, and rant and rave about current media and culture issues.
Why Shrill’s body positivity comes with a bite
Oh Shrill, how we love thee! This week, we watched all 6 episodes, and this show earned its spot in our Gallery of Winners for its awesome, real body positivity — with a funny, sharp attitude. Read more in our Gallery of Winners and contact the makers of Shrill to tell them you want more!
What’s Your Take On Serena Williams In The US Open?
So what do we think about this whole Serena Williams thing? Was she justified to be upset or was she being a sore loser? First, she wore a special “catsuit” created to prevent blood clots (which had almost killed her) in the French Open. This was rejected by French Open officials, who started “One must… Continue Reading →