Culture

Douchebag Decree: Belvedere Takes Lack of Consent to New Level

Remember the brief history of this Belvedere ad? The ad, reading “Unlike some people, Belvedere always goes down smooth,” and pictured a visibly upset woman being pulled down into the lap of a dude with the skeeviest smile ever, was posted last week on the vodka company’s Facebook page. Once... Read more »

Visi(bi)lity: Invisi(bi)lity in the Culture Wars

For better or worse, I tend to pay close attention to public figures who come out of the closet. I feel strange about doing so because ultimately, knowing someone’s sexual orientation shouldn’t change one’s perception of them. But instinctually, I find myself drawn to celebrities... Read more »

End of Gender: Urban Outfitters' Epic Fail

This week Urban Outfitters added yet another epic fail to the clothing company’s laundry list of misdeeds by selling a transphobic greeting card. Using our bodies to get a laugh is just mean. Since UO has previously used our bodies as clothing racks from which to swipe our paisley shirts and... Read more »

Fertile Ground: Intro to Ecofeminist Thought

Who am I, and why am I talking about this? For starters, I live and work as an organic farmer. I initially became interested in organic farming as I become interested in many things—wanting a tangible way to create some good in the world. I help plants grow and thrive, and I do it in the name of... Read more »

Adventures in Feministory: Harilyn Rousso, Disability Activist and Feminist

After what Rousso describes as a childhood full of ups and downs and other children asking why she was “crippled,” Rousso grew up to pursue higher education despite what some saw as barriers—her disability and her gender. She... Read more »

Visi(bi)lity: Performing Bisexuality

There are few songs I like less than Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl.” I dislike most of her music (that skit she did with Elmo, however, is adorable), but “I Kissed A Girl” bothers me most of all. You’d think such... Read more »

The End of Gender: The Beginning of the End

Last June, NPR reported that the “end of gender” was near, citing everything from gender-neutral prom courts to clothing ads to suggest that perhaps people aren’t so hung up on the male/female gender binary anymore. But despite the growing trend of gender neutrality, the response to... Read more »

Douchebag Decree: Forever 21 Hates Your Knees

Not content to just Photoshop its models to look thinner and younger, megaretailer Forever 21 is now airbrushing out their kneecaps. Kneecaps! Sooo gross right? Read more »

School's Out: Parting Thoughts

Today marks the end of my time as a guest blogger for Bitch. Eight weeks and 24 posts later, I’ve learned a lot from the editors (thank you, Kelsey!) and readers about writing and politics. And the politics of writing. Rather than end off by talking specifically about a particular topic at... Read more »

Pages

Hot Under the Bonnet: The Cooptation of Amish Culture in Mass-Market Fiction

Dubbed “Amish romance novels,” “Amish fiction,” or the more waggish “bonnet rippers,” these novels just one entry point into the varying images of Amish communities in U.S. popular culture. Read more »

Know & Tell: The Literary Renaissance of Trans Women Writers

For so long, the people who wrote about us were not us. Finally, that is beginning to change. Read more »

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

Welcome to Ms. Opinionated, our weekly advice column dealing with questions of life, love, feminism, and pop culture. This week, a reader... Read more »

Dear Bear: My Partner Makes No Money. Is That a Problem?

Our advice columnist offers a lesson in anticapitalist self-care. Read more »