Culture

Douchebag Decree: What We Talk About When We Talk About Free Speech. (Spoiler Alert: Usually, Your Right to See Boobs)

Some weeks you just want to burn down the whole Internet, and—well, until yesterday’s torrent of hilarious post-debate memes, anyway—this has undoubtedly been one of those weeks. Last Friday afternoon, as you might have heard, or read, or absorbed via social-media osmosis, Gawker’s... Read more »

Enough about Saving the Boobs. What about Saving Women's Lives?

In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness month, the porn site Pornhub.com is promising to donate money for every 30 “boob videos” viewed on its website during October. Perhaps the most craven example of pinkwashing yet, a visit to Pornhub.com reveals that the site’s logo has been decked... Read more »

Ms. Opinionated: All the Advice You Asked For, and Some You Didn't

Welcome to “Ms. Opinionated,” Bitch’s new advice column, in which readers have questions about the pesky day-to-day choices we all face, and I give advice about how to makes ones that (hopefully) best reflect our shared commitment to feminist values—as well as advice on what to do when they... Read more »

Douchebag Decree: Andrew Goldman and the Tippi point for social-media jerkery

Here’s a brief test of étiquette. You’re a writer accused of asking an inappropriate question to a famous actor in a national magazine. Another writer takes you to task for what she sees as a history of this kind of inappropriateness. Your response? a.) Ignore the criticism—you can... Read more »

Tales From The Crip: Sex Surrogacy in "The Sessions"

Polio just got a whole lot sexier! That’s because later this month The Sessions, a new film starring the always incredible John Hawkes (and directed by Ben Lewin, who’s disabled) will be making the rounds... Read more »

Reconsider Columbus Day: Resource Roundup and Open Thread

If all you know for sure about Columbus Day is that some guy did something in 1492, consider spending part of your “holiday” today learning more. Then <a href=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il5hwpdJMcg”target=”_blank”>reconsider Columbus Day altogether, because it’s a truly shameful... Read more »

Tales From The Crip: This Is What Disability Looks Like

I have been told by some I am creating inspirational porn in a different form by showing images that are too queer, too sexuality provocative, and too fabulous—but I am sharing what people are sending me. Read more »

WTF Files: Katie Roiphe's "Mockery Feminists" are Sarcastic, Drunk, One-Dimensional, and White

There is a special face-shaped dent in many a feminist’s desk thanks to the writings of Katie Roiphe. She’s at it again today (“it” being a short-sighted, wrongheaded take on modern feminism) with her latest article, “... Read more »

Read This: The Myth of the Male Decline

“Contrary to the fears of some pundits, the ascent of women does not portend the end of men. It offers a new beginning for both.” So argues Stephanie Coontz in the New York Times most emailed article (as of this morning), “... Read more »

BitchTapes: Young at Heart (and Age)

Sometimes music sounds youthful and exuberant, and then sometimes you flip the record cover over and see the a picture of three smiling 16-year-olds and you think “damn, they are actually are young and exuberant!” This week's BitchTapes is dedicated to those who don't wait around to start... Read more »

Pages

Eat, Pray, Spend: Priv-Lit and the New, Enlightened American Dream

Even as reports on joblessness, economic recovery, and home foreclosures suggest that no one is immune to risk during this recession, the popularity of women’s wellness media has persisted and, indeed, grown stronger.  Read more »

What I Learned About Gender and Power from Sailor Moon

My life began in 1995 — the year I turned eight and became a divorced kid.    Read more »

In a Bizarre 1976 Comic Book, Spider-Man Fought the Villain of Misleading Sex Education

Last week, I came across a very strange comic book: in 1976, Planned Parenthood teamed up with Marvel to publish a one-off comic in which... Read more »

Black Girls Hunger for Heroes, Too: A Black Feminist Conversation on Fantasy Fiction for Teens

What happens when two great black women fiction writers get together to talk about race in young adult literature? That's exactly what happens... Read more »