Latest Articles

Funny Ladies Find Love in Tech Support

January 25, 2011 at 12:45pm

We were big fans of Jenny Hagel’s last video series Feminist Rapper, so you can imagine our delight when she tipped us off to her latest work, the short film Tech Support, directed by Erik Gernand. If you’ve got nine minutes to spare this afternoon, why not spend them watching a lesbian comedy about women finding love over a tech support hotline? (Warning: This video may be...

Iconography: Futures and Foibles

by Chally Kacelnik

January 25, 2011 at 10:03am

Any moment in time is the history others might look back on. I want to look to the writing happening, and the reputations being shaped, right now. Who do you think are going to be today's feminist literary icons in future eyes, and who ought to be? And what is the point of having icons?

I can't predict the future—no, really, it's true!—so I can't tell you who are going to be recognized...

Race Card: When Will Actresses of Color Break Out of Supporting Roles?

by Nadra Kareem Nittle

January 24, 2011 at 10:48am

Gabrielle Union. Wanda Sykes. Stacey Dash.

What do these three actresses have in common? They've all played roles that fit into the black best friend archetype, otherwise known as BBFs. These characters exist to comfort the white heroine when she's down, to egg her on when she needs motivating or to tell her off when she loses integrity. Sometimes, though, these characters aren'...

Iconography: Sookie Stackhouse

by Chally Kacelnik

January 24, 2011 at 10:23am

We've mostly talked about established icons of feminist interest, but now I want to look to a legacy that hasn't quite taken shape yet. Over the course of this week, we're going to talk about the how icons get to be icons, and Sookie, with her world of glitter, wisps of the unknown, and pushing boundaries, is the perfect character with which to start. The protagonist of the Southern...

The Long Goodbye: Oprah Showers Australia with Diamonds and Pearls

by Jennifer Tress

January 21, 2011 at 3:44pm

Oprah seems to seek constant validation—in Australia she surprises a pregnant mom super fan and says, "It's me! It's me! It's Oprah!" to the shocked woman—and creates frequent situations that allow her to have those validating moments, which she then broadcasts to millions of people. You know, the usual.

Docs to Watch: The Fat Body (In)Visible

by Kjerstin Johnson

January 21, 2011 at 3:06pm

Via What Tami Said, The Fat Body (In)Visible is a neat, new, 25-minute independent documentary about fat acceptance and fashion featuring Keena Bowden and Jessica Jarchow. Keena and Jessica share their experiences of people judging their mere existence just because they’re fat, becoming empowered through fashion, the intersection of race and fatness, and finding community. Oh yeah, and...

Race Card: Is Refusing to Date Across Ethnic Lines Racist?

by Nadra Kareem Nittle

January 21, 2011 at 10:31am

Last year a Latina friend of mine who's unhappily single outlined what she's looking for in a mate. She wants a man who's college-educated, socially conscious, speaks Spanish and is Latino. "It's not that I'm against interracial dating or anything," she explained self-consciously. You see, I'm in an interracial relationship, and she didn't want to offend me.

Douchebag Decree: Piers Morgan

by Katie Presley

January 20, 2011 at 2:12pm

No Piers, I'm not calling you out because you routinely dis audience favorites on America's Got Talent (although seriously, dude has built his career making people cry). No no, you are hereby declared an epic D-bag for interviewing one of the most intelligent, politically savvy women in the world and asking her why she's not married and what she'd cook you for dinner.

Beyond The Panel: An interview with RJ Edwards of Riot Nrrd

by Rachel McCarthy-James

January 20, 2011 at 1:56pm

If you care about oppression and social justice and you aren't reading Riot Nrrd yet, you are in for a delicious feminist treat. The relatively new webcomic by RJ Edwards chronicles the nerdy adventures of Wren, Maria, and Sam. The tone of the comic is light and humorous, and the strong character-driven plots make for an addictive archive experience, much like Jeph Jacques' Questionable...

The Long Goodbye: Oprah Reflects on Race

by Jennifer Tress

January 20, 2011 at 12:19pm

As Nadra put so well yesterday, it's likely few Americans actually spent the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday engaging in civil rights activism or even reflection. And like Nadra, I spent part of the day watching The Oprah Winfrey Show and her retrospective on the program's most memorable discussions on race. So much was discussed during the episode that we thought it deserved more...