Culture

I Love (an Idealized, Hypermasculine Version of) College: An Update

A few weeks back, Kelsey blogged about Asher Roth's heteronormative, hypermasculinized, fratboy-centric conception of college. Though Kelsey deemed Roth to be singing in a serious as opposed to satirical tone, I couldn't... Read more »

Conditions: Five

A few years ago, I found a book-length literary magazine, Conditions:Five, amongst the discarded and donated books on the shelves in a local coffeehouse.  I skimmed through it that day, just long enough to finish my cup of chai, before placing it back on the shelf.  At the time, I had no idea that... Read more »

Selena Roberts, Part One

So, Selena Roberts' Alex Rodriguez book, A-rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez, hit the shelves yesterday—earlier than its original release date, due to the jib-jab ratcheted up by the... Read more »

Bollywood Barbie

Barbie was all over the Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai this year. The doll celebrated its 50th Anniversary by sponsoring the event. At first I thought it was the company's obliviousness to irony that prompted the fashion... Read more »

Adventures in Feministory: Mary Anning, Fossil Hunter

Lots of twelve-year olds are crazy about dinosaurs, and who can blame them? Dinosaurs are awesome. Rarely, however, does a twelve-year old come along who supports her entire family with her knowledge of dinosaurs, and then goes on to become one of the world's most influential fossil hunters.... Read more »

Help a Mother Out!

Mother's Day is this Sunday, and while we're sure your mom can't wait to spend some quality time with you, one organization is hoping you'll do a little more than shell out for brunch and a movie with your own maternal unit. Bay Area microcharity Help a Mother Out was formed when two local mothers... Read more »

Senior Moment : an Interview with Ariel Schrag

During the 1990s, while still in high school, Ariel Schrag produced a number of autobiographical comics — Awkward, about her freshman year, Definition, about her sophomore year, and Potential, about her junior year. The series started off as a... Read more »

Jock Talk

You know what kills me? As a woman writing about sports to other women, I often feel like I need to explain things. Read more »

No Hateration: House Approves Hate Crimes Bill

Hooray! It's Friday, the sun is shining (somewhere), and the US House of Representatives has passed the Hate Crimes bill! Says Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D) of Missouri: "This bill is a powerful statement that hate has no place in America. It brings existing Federal hate crimes law into the 21st... Read more »

For Realz?: Supermodel Self-Delusion

I'm a little ashamed to admit that I completely mindlessly accepted that, on Bravo's Make Me A Supermodel, the modeling industry would require size 2 female model Salome... Read more »

Pages

Oh Joy Sex Toy: How I Realized I'm Asexual

Artist Kiku H shares her personal experiences learning what it means to be asexual. Read more »

Why You Should Pay for Porn

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 »

The Dramatic History of American Sex-Ed Films

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?

There’s a cultural idea that having someone looking over our shoulder makes us behave better. From fake security cameras to Elf... Read more »