Latest Articles

Sm{art}: Austin Unbound

November 18, 2010 at 10:53am

Wif-pdx (Women in Film-Portland, natch) is part activist organization, part information network, and part event sponsor. This very week, for example, they are joining up with NW Documentaries, another kick-ass grassroots film center in Portland, to screen an as-yet-unfinished documentary called Austin Unbound. And if you’re in town, I think you should go see it.

Bristol Palin and The Situation Bring Us the World's Most Awkward PSA

by Kelsey Wallace

November 17, 2010 at 3:39pm

In one of the weirder zeitgeist-y mashups we’ve seen in a while, Bristol Palin and The Situation have teamed up for a “Pause Before You Play” PSA for Candie’s. While well-intentioned I’m sure, the result is painfully awkward to behold:

Bechdel Test Canon: Frozen River

by Alyx Vesey

November 17, 2010 at 12:17pm

Given mainstream Hollywood's fondness for glamorous actors and happy endings, it is a wonder 2008's Frozen River's lead actress Melissa Leo got an Oscar nomination for Best Actress and first-time writer-director Courtney Hunt a nod for Best Original Screenplay. Surprising none of its fans, both women went home empty-handed.

Political InQueery: Covering Women Politicians

by Everett Maroon

November 17, 2010 at 11:10am

According to some political pundits, Barbara Boxer faced the most challenging opponent of her Senate career in Carly Fiorina. Any advantageous position she'd had in previous elections as a female Democrat was at least partly erased by the fact that this time around, the GOP candidate was also a woman. And Fiorina had deep personal pockets that she could use to bolster her campaigns financial...

Music Matters: Your Department of New Rock and Sweeping Declarations

by Sarah Jaffe

November 17, 2010 at 10:12am

(Wild Flag cover the Rolling Stones' Beast of Burden. Genderbent covers=some of my favorite things...)

The big exciting announcement in music this week was supposedly that iTunes now has the Beatles catalogue. Well, in news that may shock some of you—I was A. unaware that they didn't already, as I'd never looked for it, and B. unconcerned, as I don't actually like the Beatles.

I...

Mad World: Toy Ads and Learning Gender

by Anita Sarkeesian

November 16, 2010 at 2:36pm

I recently watched afternoon cartoons on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network and I was shocked to find a flood of highly gendered toy commercials. These ads not only market toys to children but they also promote and encourage gender-specific values that are very limiting to boys and girls in different ways. The values and skills promoted in these commercials can play a critical role in the...

B-Sides: Lykke Li/Adele/Bikini Kill Videostravaganza!

by Kelsey Wallace

November 16, 2010 at 12:00pm

It’s a good day to be a feminist music fan, but to quote the immortal words of Levar Burton, “You don’t have to take my word for it!” You can see/hear for yourself, because today’s B-Sides is bringing you not one, not two, but three awesome ladymusic-related videos to brighten up your workday Tuesday. Lykke Li! Adele! Bikini Kill! Let’s get to it!

Smells like teen spirit: A few thoughts on Sassy 2.0, or whatever we're calling it

by Andi Zeisler

November 15, 2010 at 12:20pm

Well, what do you know? I was just gearing up to write a post about the Bitch library's recent acquisition of a full set of Sassy magazines—the first issue! the Kurt 'n' Courtney issue! All the issues!—which were a gift from the fabulous Rita Hao, forever friend of Bitch and a member of our National Advisory Board. And then the news came down the Intertubes that tiny...

Bechdel Test Canon: Lady Vengeance

by Alyx Vesey

November 15, 2010 at 11:37am

Today's entry is one of two movies in the series that is part of a trilogy. It is particularly noteworthy for following an installment that gets more critical attention. Frankly, I think Park Chan-wook's Oldboy is massively overrated. It seems strange to me that Hollywood has attempted to remake it so many times since its 2003 release, though its densely choreographed action sequences...

Political InQueery: Spelling Bees as Elections

by Everett Maroon

November 15, 2010 at 10:53am

In the Republican primary for Alaska's Senate seat last summer, Joe Miller beat Lisa Murkowski by the razor-thin margin of 2,000 votes, or less than 1 percent of the total ballots cast. This would have signaled the end for the vast majority of losing candidates, but when Murkowski was asked, again and again, to launch a write-in campaign by residents who apologized for not voting on...