Latest Articles

Race Card: Chris Brown, Charlie Sheen, Race and Domestic Violence

by Nadra Kareem Nittle
January 24, 2010 at 12:04pm

Which celebrity has earned more bad press for reported acts of domestic violence—Chris Brown or Charlie Sheen?

When gossip Web site TMZ.com criticized Brown Jan. 21 for appearing with designer Jean Paul Gaultier, in makeup that made him look bruised and bloodied for a "warrior-themed runway show," visitors to the site accused TMZ of vilifying Brown while giving Sheen a pass for...

BitchTapes: Funky Divas

by Kelsey Wallace
January 22, 2010 at 11:24am

As we’ve seen in past editions of BitchTapes, many Bitch Media staffers spent the 90s listening to super cool, street-cred building riot grrrl jams. Well, I’ve got a confession to make: Even though I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, I had no idea that riot grrrl was even happening until it was already over. No, I spent my formative feminist years listening mainly to top 40 radio....

Douchebag Decree: Senatorial Edition

by Sara Reihani
January 21, 2010 at 11:32pm

Oh boy! So many douchebags to choose from this week. YouTube clips and transcripts abound, so come on down and take a peek into our quartet of Douchey US Senators!

Screenshot: What to watch when you want to get physical

by Lisa Schmeiser
January 21, 2010 at 8:51pm

Alas, there is no "Check out the patrons at a water park" cable channel, but there are sports, glorious televised sports, and nothing is more rewarding than watching the NCAA softball finals (to give one example) or the NCAA swimming and diving finals (to give another). And coming up, there are the Olympics.

Pro Football, Anti-Choice

by Kelsey Wallace
January 21, 2010 at 11:21am

The Super Bowl, with its male posturing, scantily-clad cheerleaders, and rampant corporate sponsorships, has never been exactly a feminist’s dream come true. This year, however, there is one more reason to throw your remote at the screen and run for cover, and it comes in the form of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. And his mother. And the Focus on the Family anti-choice commercial they...

Let's all put $ in our name$ like Ke$ha!

by Shaamini Yogaretnam
January 21, 2010 at 10:21am

 

 

So, can I ask what the obsession with Ke$ha is? I only ask, because I too am completely enamored with her while simultaneously holding back the urge to be violently ill. The 'party girl' aesthetic and persona is certainly nothing new. From Paris to Lindsay to every other brand of this celebrity girl whose name is synonymous with blackouts and so-...

Race Card: Corinne Bailey Rae and Zadie Smith Navigate Race and Art

by Nadra Kareem Nittle
January 21, 2010 at 9:50am

Works by two mixed-race Brits—musician Corinne Bailey Rae and writer Zadie Smith—have recently been profiled in the New York Times. Both women navigate their collective white and Caribbean ancestry by embracing hybridity instead of relegating themselves to one group. Their doing so challenges entrenched American notions of race that say that multiracial people must choose one ethnicity...

Stop calling Joan Holloway fat!

by Kelsey Wallace
January 20, 2010 at 12:31pm

If I hear another blogger/author/interviewer comment on Christina Hendricks’ weight I might lose it. As if her body (omg BOOBS) wasn’t enough of a focus already, now she is being picked apart for her appearance at the Golden Globes the other night. As you may have seen by now, Cathy Horyn fromThe New York Times claimed that “You don’t put a big girl in a big dress” and ran this (...

A Trip Through the Blogosphere

by Kelsey Wallace
January 20, 2010 at 12:01pm

There’s a lot of fun/interesting stuff happening in the blogosphere today! A sampling:

• A great interview from The Guardian with Gabby Sidibe. Be prepared to get irritated when she talks about how everyone conflates her with the character of Precious.

• Interesting piece at The New York Times on expectations of motherhood in Germany

• Latoya Peterson’s...

Screenshot: Lose the Biggest Loser already

by Lisa Schmeiser
January 19, 2010 at 7:27pm

Not only does this show perpetuate the popular "fat equals unhealthy" with its unspoken corollary "therefore, thin equals healthy," it also overtly coaches its participants to engage in what Kate Harding so aptly called "the fantasy of being thin." And then there's the vomiting and dehydration. That's healthy, right?

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