Culture

A still from Nina Menkes's documentary "Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power" showing an up-close shot of a person's eyes, the entire face illuminated in purple light with the white outline of a hand over one eye.

“Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power” Is a Fresh Critique of the Male Gaze

by Michelle Krasovitski
April 1, 2022 at 12:05pm
Nina Menkes’s new documentary, “Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power,” provides a critical but shallow introduction to feminist film theory. Read more »
A headshot of Ira Madison with pink and blue light shining behind him.

Ira Madison III Keeps It Relevant, Funny, and Real

by Rosa Cartagena
April 1, 2022 at 11:58am
Ira Madison speaks on his pop-culture political podcast, Keep It, and his future projects. Read more »
Illustration of character healers on a pastel yellow background.

Magical Medicine : 6 Fictional Healers Who Eased Our Pain

by Marina Watanabe
April 1, 2022 at 10:53am
Whether their abilities are innate, learned, or thrust upon them, fictional healers have long been a staple of fantasy. These six healers use physical touch, chaos magic, and even their own saliva to mend wounds and restore health.   Read more »
Portrait of a short haired Latine woman with dangling earrings and a red shirt on. In front of her is the logo for La Brega, which shows a black and white illustration of a house on an island with the Puerto Rican flag and a palm tree.

Featured Podcast: “La Brega” Dissects the Colonial Diaspora

by Rosa Cartagena
April 1, 2022 at 10:42am
A Puerto Rican history podcast speaks to the unique experiences of an irrepressible and resilient community. Read more »
A classical Greek stone statue of a man and a woman looking at each other. The man has edited red hearts over his eyes, and they both sit in a red swirl of liquid.

Bloody Lies: The Never-Ending Cycle of Menstrual Mythmaking

by Gabrielle Merite
April 1, 2022 at 9:30am
Gabrielle Merite traces an illustrated history of stigmatizing myths about menstruation.  Read more »
Three circles feature three different album covers: A green bubble features Tinashe's 333, a pink bubble shows Fana Hues's flora + fana, and a blue bubble shows Latto's 777.

5 Feminist Albums That Got Us Through March

by DeAsia Paige
March 31, 2022 at 3:37pm
This month, we’re looking at releases by Kilo Kish, Fana Hues, Charli XCX, and more. Read more »

“Orlando” Is 30 Years Old, but It’s Still Groundbreaking in Its Transfemininity

by Natalie Marlin
March 31, 2022 at 12:19pm
While many films depicting the lives of trans folks do not stand the test of time, Sally Potter’s 1992 film does. Read more »
Rachel Brosnahan, a white woman with brown hair, in the titular role of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

From Mrs. Maisel to Rory, Amy Sherman-Palladino Relies on Flimsy Anti-Heroines

by Scarlett Harris
March 30, 2022 at 2:35pm
With “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” Amy Sherman-Palladino finally had the opportunity to lean into the anti-heroine—but she didn’t take it. Read more »
A still from the film "Call Jane" shows a white man with brown hair wearing a white lab coat pointing to a door and talking to a white woman with blond hair in a brown jacket. The two are standing in a hallway.

Abortion Is Under Attack. These 3 Films Illustrate the Resilience of the Reproductive Rights Movement.

by Michelle Krasovitski
March 30, 2022 at 1:13pm
Film has long been used as an intellectual battle ground over the legal state of abortion. These stories from the ’60s and ’70s are alive and sadly relevant today. Read more »
A scene from "West Side Story" (2021) shows the two warring sides at a dance mixer: the white Jets gang, wearing blue and green outfits, and the Puerto Rican Sharks gang, wearing red and orange outfits.

Who Does “West Side Story” Really Serve?

by Rosa Cartagena
March 25, 2022 at 7:53am
Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” resists a progressive update because its entire premise presents Puerto Ricans as innately, irreconcilably other. Read more »

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Best of Bitch

Where My Girls At: Meet Two of Ferguson's Black Queer Activists

by Erica Cardwell
April 27, 2015 at 3:26pm
Amid national discussions of police brutality and systemic racism, Black women have been the loudest and most consistent voices demanding change. Read more »

Why You Should Pay for Porn

by Casey Quinlan
April 29, 2015 at 7:27pm
If you’re a progressive middle-class individual, chances are you think about where your food comes from. Maybe you try to buy shoes that are... Read more »

It’s Time to End the Long History of Feminism Failing Transgender Women

A transgender woman in business attire in an office looking to the side
by Tina Vasquez
May 20, 2016 at 11:28am
To imply that trans women pose a threat to cisgender women in restrooms is misinformation that preys on unfounded fears. Read more »

Saying Goodbye to Maria and the End of a Sesame Street Era

by Angely Mercado
August 13, 2015 at 5:52pm
Growing up, Sesame Street's Maria was one of the best Latina role models I had. Read more »