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!
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 →
Does #ThighReading help or hurt body-positivity?
Thanks to the advent of social media, we live in a culture where it’s easier than ever to share parts of our lives with others. That’s great news for the body-positive movement, which has started using the Twitter hashtag #ThighReading as a way to celebrate realistic, unaltered depictions of women’s bodies. This trend began after a Twitter user… Continue Reading →
Fitbits and weight-loss apps: Healthy or obsessive?
In my day-to-day life, I’ve noticed a peculiar bracelet cropping up (the latest in a never-ending steam of weight-loss gadgets). This bracelet has the strange effect of making the wearer walk around a room in circles for minutes on end. “What is this sorcery?” You ask? It is known as a “fitness tracker”, sold by leading… 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 Honest Body Project honestly portrays women’s experiences
From a young age, women are taught to associate important life milestones with how their bodies look. We’re told to suck in our stomachs at our first dance recitals, diet to fit into our high school prom dresses, and search our bodies for evidence of the “Freshman 15” after our first year of college. Not… Continue Reading →
“She’s so beautiful!”: The sexist comment that nobody else noticed
Recently, I was sitting in a room full of people, listening as recent graduates of a medical residency program were congratulated while their photos were shown on a screen in front of the room. When one woman’s photograph came up on the screen, the presenter read the following note from the woman’s family: “To our daughter,… Continue Reading →
5 ways you can take a vacation from getting “vacation-ready”
What have you done to get ready for your summer plans? Getting excited for my recent vacation to Lake Tahoe, I was using all of my spare time on Pinterest — of course. As usual, my “quick browsing” evolved into an hourlong surf session of anything having to do with summer. What started as innocent excitement turned into… Continue Reading →
Target “loves every body” — but not really
Summer is here. The season conjures images of sun, sand, and relaxation. Unfortunately, it also conjures up thoughts of poor body image in girls and women. We race to the mall, trying to find the most flattering swimsuits that will make us look “smaller.” We scroll through our Facebook newsfeeds and find posts and status updates… Continue Reading →