Pop-Culture | Posted by Julie Z on 10/16/2009
Ralph Lauren…WTF?
Ralph Lauren has created some seriously disturbingly photoshopped ads lately:
Ralph Lauren’s defense? They released this statement:
For over 42 years we have built a brand based on quality and integrity. After further investigation, we have learned that we are responsible for the poor imaging and retouching that resulted in a very distorted image of a woman’s body.
Oh, hey, maybe an apology for basically promoting an anatomically impossible aesthetic would be nice? Anybody else feel like essentially they’re saying “Sorry you have a problem with it” …?
And then there are the reports that the first photoshopped model above, who is a size 4, was fired for being “too fat.”
As one body image expert stated, “I think we need to get a grip and designers need to get …
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Feminism | Posted by Dara K on 10/15/2009
The Boy’s Club of Comedy
Last night, at a stand up open mike, a kid I’d met just before doing my set told me afterward, “Nice job! I didn’t think you’d be funny!” I didn’t take this offensively. It was a compliment – a “NEG” – but nonetheless, still a compliment.
I was one of two girls who performed last night and the other girl/woman wasn’t there until the second half. So I found myself in a joke-telling sausage fest (please note*: not the kind of sausage fest my parents annually host where they make a variety of worldly sausages for guests to indulge upon. And yes, they refuse to not call it a sausage fest despite me and my brothers’ multiple attempts to explain to them what the phrase sausage fest suggests among America’s youth …
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Pop-Culture | Posted by Julie Z on 10/14/2009
Girlz Play Too
So, how many of you have seen this commercial for the “Hannah Montana PSP Entertainment Pack” (including a lilac PSP!):
So. They finally admit girls play video games. Girlz play too! And we replace “s” with “z” all the time. That’s the cool thing to do, yknow. I wonder what misguided focus group resulted in that conclusion.
I think that’s the only positive aspect of this new attempt at marketing video games to girls. Because honestly, I’m insulted.
1) The PSP is lilac. Because lilac is a girl color. Also, it is a soothing color, so that if we are PMSing (as we are 95% of the time– it’s just a proven fact) it will calm us so that the menfolk will be able to control us. Seriously? Why …
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Pop-Culture | Posted by Amy CT on 10/13/2009
Feminism and the Fashion Industry
I’m a fashion journalist. This is not, I’m guessing, exactly a great opening statement for a blog on a feminist website… Sorry.
The good news, though, is that I’m a teenage feminist fashion journalist and blogger at a genuinely morally good publication – and that my biggest inspiration in life is a (“grown-up”!) feminist fashion journalist at an equally morally good publication.
So, why am I telling you this?
Because I think that the industry I work in deserves to be cut some slack. I’m guessing that most young feminists look on it as a bit of a moral nightmare, because of the sexual and physical exploitation of models, and because of its blatant size-ism, and because it’s generally considered to be “a bit shallow.”
And yes, all of that …
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Feminism, Pop-Culture | Posted by Julie Z on 10/10/2009
Gwen: The Homeless Doll
I’m not kidding. The same people who brought you Rebecca Rubin, Jewish doll by day, eco terrorist by night, are now introducing Gwen, the Homeless Doll.
Now, I’ve had my problems with the American Girl Dolls in the past. Mainly, I feel that in a lot of ways, though they may be trying to introduce young girls to the concept that, “hey, everybody is different” they are in many ways stereotyping diversity (“You’re Jewish? Do you come with candlesticks and your bubbie’s blanket, too?). But this new doll is just something else completely.
On the one hand, I think spreading awareness about homelessness is definitely a positive thing. We tend to think of the homeless as drug-addicted bums, but especially in this economy that’s not always the case (…
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Feminism | Posted by Julie Z on 10/9/2009
How do young feminists make relationships possible?
I want to try a new type of post today. Usually, your comments are invited simply by the implications of the blogging system (yes…I did just say that) but today, reader Tinnie has a question for the many readers of the fbomb. Now, it is my personal opinion that the fbomb has the most kick ass, brilliant and wonderful readers in the history of blogging, so I know you’ll all do a fabulous job of answering.
Tinnie asks:
I’m sure this has crossed many young feminists minds. When I say, “young feminists”, I mean younger then 25 (very young I guess). How are we supposed to date men (specifically), when in the back of our minds we have that caution tape? We are so aware of the crimes men have …
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Feminism | Posted by Julie Z on 10/8/2009
Why I Want to be Swedish
Lemondrop.com is reporting that Swedish-based consumer advocacy group Reklamombudsmannen (love the name…) made a claim against Toys ‘R’ Us for featuring “outdated gender roles” in their 2008 Christmas catalog.
It’s baller that somebody did something about the ridiculously gender segregated toys in that store (and in many toy stores). But that’s not even the best part.
Apparently, this claim originated from a Stockholm sixth-grade class’s school project. As Lemondrop reports:
The class examined the toy catalog, which showed boys playing in “action-filled environments” as superheroes, while girls are shown “sitting or standing in passive poses” dressed up in princess costumes. The kids felt that the scenes reinforced a subjective idea of normal play, and filed a complaint against Toys ‘R’ Us for gender discrimination.
They argued that gender discrimination is …
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Feminism | Posted by Steph on 10/7/2009
Giant, Pro-Choice Mountains
So, I was in Law class today, which is taught by an awesome teacher who I really like. And she notified everyone that she’d received mail info of a grant available only to Law 11 or 12 students in BC, the
info sheet for which she handed out.
Now, I’m pretty big on scholarships. They’re handy! That said, I read the information and rules page – fairly straightforward – good english, double-spaced, legible, don’t submit more than one essay. But then I turned the page: here’s what I saw (emphasis mine).
The competition is open to grade 11 or 12 BC secondary school students, and is designed to encourage students to recognize the dignity of every human life.
…
ESSAY TOPICS (600-700 WORDS): CHOOSE ONE.
Topic 1. In recent years student societies in a number of
…
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