Activism
Isn't He Lovely: The Myth of the Superior Penis
As feminists, I think it’s easy to forget that for all of the misrepresentations and misinformation delivered to us about what vulvas and vaginas “should” look like and how they “should” respond to sexual contact, equally tall tales about penile look and length abound.
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Preacher's Daughter: Are There Progressive and Feminist Voices in Country?
A couple of commenters have raised questions about progressiveness in country music. Today, I want to suggest that there are progressive voices, at least in Americana, roots, and alt country music, but those voices are limited. They are almost always white, and usually populist... Read more »
The H-Word: "Dancing Saved my Life"
“When I was a teenager, like 14, I took off from an abusive foster care situation (one of many) and I had to ‘make it’ on my own. I had no ID, and no money. I danced at Billy’s Topless and a place called The Baby Doll Lounge, until I was legal age to be on my own and to get a proper job. I... Read more »
Isn't He Lovely: Hollywood Adores a Handsome Blind Man
If Hollywood gravitates toward a “sexy” disability for male characters, it would have to be blindness. I was recently mulling over how the big screen portrays men of color and with disabilities and realized that blind male characters in... Read more »
The H-Word: Rachel Lloyd vs. The Fashion Police
Many people find it challenging to see sex workers as subjects, rather than as objects—as individuals capable of making choices and as actors in their own lives. Tragically, many of these same people purport to be our advocates.
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B-Sides: Extra Classic and the Vampire Weekend Theory of Appropriation
So it goes like this: “[your favorite music blogger]: Readers, please check out Band A. Band A hails from Culture A (represent!) but sounds exactly like underrepresented Culture B. Like, can you believe your ears, doesn’t it sound like Band A just sounds like all of these bands from Culture... Read more »
Isn
I wish that The Hangover had hit theaters in 2007 to get that roundtable’s perspective on Mr. Chow, because my immediate reaction to the role in the context of Asian American stereotyping was that it represented more of the same. Don’t get me wrong: Ken Jeong is a hilarious... Read more »
Preacher's Daughter: Women in Country and the Construction of Femininity
There’s a script for women in commercial country music that doesn’t necessarily coincide with more mainstream stereotypes and assumptions about women. If you’ve ever heard Carrie Underwood’s ubiquitous 2007 single, “... Read more »
The H-Word: What the H?
Welcome to the H-Word, a series dedicated to evaluating, challenging, and re-presenting sex worker portrayals in the media from a feminist, pro-sex worker (though not necessarily pro-sex work) stance. If that seems contradictory or impossible, keep tuning in. Besides my perspective, this column... Read more »
Isn't He Lovely: Fear and Loathing of Asian American Male Sexuality
This is the first of two related posts.
When I decided to write about the Western stereotype of the emasculated Asian American male, I understood going into the topic that this would be an exercise in... Read more »
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