Culture

The H-Word: Jessie Talks "Retirement"

The H-Word presents first person stories from current and former sex workers across the U.S. Jessie Nicole describes herself as a queer, stubborn, and committed anarcha-feminist. A former prostitute and dedicated activist, she lives in West Hollywood with her longterm partner. I asked Jessie... Read more »

Mom & Pop Culture: Princess Week!

As Disney continues to sell their princesses (and make no mistake, they’re selling a brand, not just characters), they continue to show us that people will eat up these negative messages as long as they’re packaged in an appealing way—in this case, in pinks and purples and lots of... Read more »

In The Frame: Ingrid Berthon-Moine: Lipstick and Looking Twice

I know I’ve spent a lot of time on this blog looking at subtle forms of feminist art, but it’s only fair to consider the more direct approaches, especially when they’re as thought-provoking as Red Is The Colour. Be prepared to embrace menarchy, or menstrual anarchy… Read more »

BitchTapes: Who's Hungry? (Parts I and II)

Happy Thanksgiving Leftovers Day! If you, like me, spent the morning deciding between pie and mashed potatoes for breakfast, you might need some songs about food to provide a soundtrack to your day. Here are two past BitchTapes, republished with your gustatory needs in mind. Betcha can't eat... Read more »

The H-Word: Relationship Violence and the Racist Implications of the Mythical Pimp

Earlier this month the Village Voice made public the findings of a study conducted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, which looked to define the most vulnerable population of sex workers: underage prostitutes.... Read more »

Mom & Pop Culture: The Grocery Game

Let’s use Disney as an example (since they’re one of the biggest offenders when it comes to branding). Sure, you might expect familiar Disney faces to pop up in places like mylar balloons in the florist department, on band-aids, shampoo, toothpaste, and tooth brushes in the health aisle... Read more »

The H-Word: Maria Talks About the "Real World."

The H-Word presents first-person stories from current and former sex workers across the U.S. Maria is a 48-year-old hairdresser and artist who supplements her income selling sexual services to clients that she meets online. She talks about how... Read more »

Adventures in Feministory: Supersisters

Reggie Jackson. Wilt Chamberlain. Frank Gifford. Pete Rose. What do these guys have in common? Besides their dexterity with various kinds of balls, they were, in 1978, among the familiar faces bought and swapped on trading cards. They also weren't women, a fact duly noted by 8-year-old Melissa... Read more »

Mom & Pop Culture: Comics & Superheroes: Who Will Save Us?

Now, maybe there’s a bigger subtext that I’m missing. I’m coming at this as a mom and a feminist, not necessarily as a comic book reader, so perhaps I don’t understand all the nuances of this world—I’ll own up to that. But when my son is starting to find himself... Read more »

Bitch Radio: Jaclyn Friedman Wants to Help You Find <em>What You Really Really Want</em>

Given all the conflicting messages young women get about their sexuality from all sides—media, church, family, friends, and more—how do we figure out what we want to say “yes” to in the first place? So begins Jaclyn... Read more »

Pages

No Disrespect: Black Women and the Burden of Respectability

Hollywood still filters (and distorts) the lives and histories of minorities through the eyes of the majority. Read more »

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 »

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

To imply that trans women pose a threat to cisgender women in restrooms is misinformation that preys on unfounded fears. 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 »