Category Archives: Feminism

My TED Talk on the Lie that Sexy = Empowering

Posted on January 21, 2013 by
Posted in Feminism, Media/Media Criticism, Sexism, Sexuality | Tagged , | 6 Comments

On “Having It All”

Posted on July 20, 2012 by

Marissa Mayer’s ascendency to the helm of Yahoo! while seven months pregnant has caused a media stir. Mayer’s comment, “my maternity leave will be a few weeks long and I’ll work throughout it,” has drawn criticism that she’s setting an unreasonable … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, Sexism | Tagged , , , ,

Sexual Objectification, Part 3: Daily Rituals to Stop

Posted on July 10, 2012 by

This is the third part in a series about how girls and women can navigate a culture that treats them like sex objects. (Part 1, Part 2). This post outlines four damaging daily rituals of objectification culture we can immediately … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, Media/Media Criticism, Sexism | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Sexual Objectification, Part 2: The Harm

Posted on July 6, 2012 by

This is the second part in a series about how girls and women can navigate a culture that treats them like sex objects. (Part 1). After nearly three decades, the feminist “sex wars” are back.  This fiery debate from the 1980s pitted radical … Continue reading →

Posted in Female Candidates, Feminism, Media/Media Criticism, Sexism, Sexuality | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Magic Mike: Old Sexism in a New Package

Posted on July 5, 2012 by

Magic Mike is “wildly overperforming” because women and gay men are going to see it in droves.  Thank you Hollywood executives for finally noticing that there’s plenty of money to be made off of heterosexual female and gay male sexuality.  Magic Mike purports to … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, Media/Media Criticism, Rape/ Sexual Assault, Sexism, Sexuality | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Sexual Objectification, Part 1: What is it?

Posted on July 2, 2012 by

This is the first part in a series about how girls and women can navigate a culture that treats them like sex objects. Around since the 1970s and associated with curmudgeonly second-wave feminists, the phrase “sexual objectification” can inspire eye-rolling. The phenomenon, however, … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, Media/Media Criticism, Sexism | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

“The Hunger Games,” Hollywood, and Fighting Fuck Toys

Posted on April 5, 2012 by

“The Hunger Games” is Hollywood’s wake-up call that female action hero movies can be successful if the protagonist is portrayed as a complex subject instead of a hyper-sexualized fighting fuck toy (FFT). In its first weekend, “The Hunger Games” grossed $155 million, making … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, Media/Media Criticism, Sexism | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Rush Limbaugh’s 20 Year War on Women

Posted on March 7, 2012 by

After Rush Limbaugh called Georgetown law school student Sandra Fluke a “slut” and a “prostitute” for believing that insurance should cover the cost of birth control, pundits on the right and left quickly pointed out that liberal media figures have … Continue reading →

Posted in Female Candidates, Feminism, Media/Media Criticism, Sexism, Sexuality | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

2012 Election Sexism Watch #9: Bachmann Pours Away Presidential Bid

Posted on February 13, 2012 by

How did we miss this one? Representative Michele Bachmann performed the comically gendered role of pouring water for all of the (male) Republican candidates and the (male) host at the start of the Republican Family Forum debate in Iowa this … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Female Candidates, Feminism, Media/Media Criticism | Tagged , , , , ,

Pennsylvania Public Service Announcement Blames Rape Victims

Posted on December 10, 2011 by

Rape reporting, prosecution, and conviction rates across the country are appallingly low, but it’s easier to get away with sexual assault in some places compared to others.  Pennsylvania is one of those places. In Pennsylvania, expert testimony isn’t allowed in the courtroom.  Instead, jurors frequently rely … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, Media/Media Criticism, Rape/ Sexual Assault, Sexism, The Courts | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments