Culture

three white Jewish people sit together at a pool in their swimsuits on My Unorthodox Life

The Conditional Feminism of “My Unorthodox Life”

by Viviana Freyer
August 13, 2021 at 11:53am
Growing as a feminist doesn’t mean shrinking as a Jew. Read more »

Gold Double Standard: The Tokyo Olympics Highlighted Casual Bias in Sports

by Addissyn House
August 11, 2021 at 11:30am
Sha’Carri Richardson’s suspension was just the tip of the injustice iceberg for American athletes. Read more »
Billie Eilish, a thin, white, teen with blond hair and blue eyes, looks up at the camera while posing against a brown background

Pains of Fame: Billie Eilish Comes Into Her Own

by Danielle Chelosky
August 10, 2021 at 12:07pm
In spite of everything, Billie Eilish has managed to retain her sense of self. Read more »
a black and white photo showcases a row of thin, white ballerinas in tutus on a stage, with their backs facing the camera

Dangerous Spin: Media Exposes Ballet’s Ugly Side

by Scarlett Harris
August 10, 2021 at 11:51am
There’s nothing endearing or gentle about the violence dancers endure. Read more »
Anthony Ramos plays Usnavi, a light-skinned Latinx man, dancing with Melissa Barrera as Vanessa, a light-skinned Latinx woman in In the Heights

Color Struck: Hollywood Can’t Scrub Its Colorism Problem

by Lorraine Avila
August 9, 2021 at 5:44pm
In the Heights is anxiously concerned about the white gaze. Read more »
Luz, a female cartoon character with short brown hair and brown skin, looks at Willow, a female cartoon character with short blue hair and white skin. In between them stands Entrapta, a female cartoon character with long purple hair and tan skin.

Brain Power: Cartoons Diversify the Face of Neurodivergence

by Michele Kirichanskaya
August 9, 2021 at 11:38am
Recent animated shows, including The Owl House and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power are beautifully doing this work. Read more »
Deborah Copaken, author of Ladyparts, is a white woman with long, brown hair

Written On the Body: For Deborah Copaken, Biology Is a Battlefield

by Andi Zeisler
August 6, 2021 at 10:43am
She is using her body as a megaphone. Read more »
Naomi Osaka, a Black and Japanese tennis player with curly black hair pulled into a ponytail, looks at her opponent during a tennis match

You Can’t Break Naomi Osaka Down

by Taylor Lhamon
August 5, 2021 at 12:22pm
Athletes are no longer letting their audiences off the hook. Read more »
Emilly Prado, a light-skinned Latinx woman with long, brown hair, poses in a black dress and doorknocker earrings against an orange background

Emilly Prado Closes the Coffin on Her Old Life

by Michelle Ruiz Keil
August 5, 2021 at 12:17pm
Everybody’s sense of memory changes over time. Read more »
Black and white photo of Lupita, a Tsostil Maya massacre survivor with long dark braids and illustrations of brightly colored flowers around her head like a crown.

This Woman’s Work: “Lupita” Gets Inside the Life of an Indigenous Resistance Leader

by Amanda Gokee
August 4, 2021 at 11:45am
“This is a woman [who] can tell the story of 500 years of repression of Indigenous peoples.” Read more »

Pages

Best of Bitch

The Dramatic History of American Sex-Ed Films

by Sarah Mirk
June 17, 2014 at 10:29am
In 1948, in a seventh grade classroom in Eugene, Oregon, a teacher dimmed the lights and flipped on 16mm projector. A film called Human... Read more »

Will Filming the Police Keep Us Safe?

by Victoria Law
February 5, 2015 at 10:31am
There’s a cultural idea that having someone looking over our shoulder makes us behave better. From fake security cameras to Elf... Read more »

Ms. Opinionated: I'm a Man. How Can I Help the Feminist Movement?

by Andi Zeisler
February 19, 2014 at 2:29pm
Welcome to Ms. Opinionated, our weekly advice column dealing with questions of life, love, feminism, and pop culture. This week, a reader... Read more »

The Feminist Power of Female Ghosts

The Ring
by Andi Zeisler
October 3, 2017 at 8:21am
The female ghost is an enduringly fascinating figure. Read more »