#behind like girls supporting girls hashtag feminism

[honexjams]

tryna eat vicariously thru food snapchat stories cos we aint got good food in the house and its pissing me off so bad every other video is 'girlhood is unbottoning ur pants after dinner' 'this is how single girlies eat' 'my girlfriend when i take her to eat' 'girlies when they eat together' 'how girls eat alone' i think tiktok is a poison. what is the insane focus on how grown women eat why is it framed like hash tag girl life every time who are you people

[jazholding]

Tumblr as a Digital Community for feminists

#bodypositivity; a movement of self-acceptance or self-objectification?

#bodypositivity is a feminist movement that seeks to reconnect people with their personal body image (Reif et al. 2022). The movement emerged as a reaction to mainstream media's unattainable beauty standards, and its goal is to encourage body acceptance and self-love regardless of size, shape, or appearance. 

The hashtag is prominent on the social media platform Tumblr as it discourages adverse reactions and trolling, unlike other platforms like Instagram and Facebook (Reif et al. 2022). Tumblr stood out among these sites before its policy change in 2018 because of its tolerance for NSFW content. Prior to this transition, they had become a central focus for body-positive, gender-nonconforming, queer, and art-related platform subcultures (Pilipets and Paasonen, 2022). It was a platform where young feminists felt comfortable sharing their ideas with like-minded users (Keller 2019) and the beginning of hundreds of #bodypositivity posts. With the hashtag's central theme being positive self-presentation, it had the ability to assemble and unite a self-empowering community to fight for more diversity in femininity and female beauty (Reif et al. 2022).

This subculture of feminists on Tumblr allows women who do not fit the stereotype of being young, white, and slim, to find acceptance, empowerment, and a sense of belonging. While also holding discussions on political and social issues with people who don’t fit the stereotype (Reif et al. 2022). Users who use the hashtag #bodypositive and similar hashtags such as #effyourbeautystandards, #beautybeyondsize, and #curvygirl strive to combat the stigma by encouraging acceptance, normalisation, and reframing of the non-stereotypical body types (Reif et al. 2022).

However, although there is such a positive connotation behind the hashtag, some individuals may utilise it for self-objectification (Reif et al. 2022). Positive body image can be harmed as the hashtag can draw users' focus on their bodies and identify imperfections. These users who may participate in the #bodypositivity movement engage in a postfeminist culture by seeking validation and worth through their appearance. These girls may be subjected to increasing pressure to conform to these norms through self-sexualization and objectification. This could result in the negative consequences of increased body satisfaction, lowered self-esteem, and mental health problems (Reif et al. 2022).

Overall, the #bodypositivity movement on Tumblr focuses on encouraging self-acceptance and body positivity in an anonymous and safe environment with like-minded users. It has proven to be a great tool for encouraging self-love and body acceptance, as well as for creating a supportive community for people who have struggled with body image concerns.

References:

Keller, J. (2019) “‘oh, she’s a Tumblr feminist’: Exploring the platform vernacular of Girls’ Social Media Feminisms,” Social Media + Society, 5(3), p. 205630511986744. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305119867442. 

Reif, A., Miller, I. and Taddicken, M. (2022) “‘Love the skin you‘re in’: An analysis of women’s self-presentation and user reactions to selfies using the Tumblr hashtag #bodypositive,” Mass Communication and Society, pp. 1–24. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2022.2138442. 

Pilipets, E. and Paasonen, S. (2020) “Nipples, memes, and algorithmic failure: NSFW Critique of Tumblr censorship,” New Media & Society, 24(6), pp. 1459–1480. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444820979280. 

[female-malice]

Radblr constantly talks about how woman should raise boys right and teach them to respect women.

Radblr also talks constantly about how women should support and work with other women.

But I never see radblr talking about how women should uplift, encourage, and support girls 🤔

Girls are the most vulnerable group of people on earth, and also the most powerful force of social change.

Millenial girls grew up to embrace liberal choice feminism and spread it through pop culture. Where was radical feminism during 1995-2010 when millenial women were just girls? What were radical feminists doing when we were all playing with bratz dolls and watching totally spies? I’ll always have nostalgia about the 00s pop culture I grew up with. But, that culture was the breeding ground for the choice feminism self exploitation hell we live in now. Spice Girls, Cheetah Girls, Destiny’s Child, Pussycat Dolls and Britney Spears were all marketed to millennial girls age 6-10. How is there any doubt about why millenial women are teaching gen-z girls to exploit themselves? It’s tempting to think of libfems as malicious narcissists or shallow idiots, but they aren’t. They were girls groomed for ‘sex positivity’ through 00s pop culture. They were girls radical feminists failed. 

Radical feminism is always defined and organized around the root of subjugation women face–sex and reproduction.

Why not organize radical feminism around the root of female future, power, and success–girls?

Feminism is called a women’s movement. Occasionally, it’s referred to as a movement for women and girls. I think prioritizing women over girls in our concept of feminism is one of the greatest mistakes feminists ever made.

Feminism should be a movement for girls, supported by women. 

If you are 20+, you are no longer, by any stretch of the imagination, a girl. I know girlhood is hell. I know it leaves us scarred and wounded. I know we feel the universe cheated us out of a girlhood brimming with carefree adventure and exploration. But it wasn’t the universe cheating us. It was adult women failing us. Adult women who were too focused on the damage their own girlhood did to them. This cycle of girlhood trauma has left women’s movements chasing their own tails for a century.

Patriarchy is passed through generations by men socializing boys and women socializing girls. If men are initiating boys into the fraternity of sexual subjugators, women are initiating girls into the sorority of victimhood. Radical feminism was built within that sorority, and it shows. 

All feminist writing I’ve read delineates women’s historical trauma and ties it to the subjugation of women in contemporary society. Through feminism, we find other women and discuss our shared past traumas with each other. In the internet age, we do this on a personal level through blogs and forums, or on a societal level through hashtags like #metoo and #yesallwomen. Feminist discourse builds up to a model of women’s universal suffering. And through that we identify males as the bastards behind it all. Radical feminism calls class recognition through shared trauma ‘consciousness raising’. They cite consciousness raising and solidarity between women as the greatest sources of female power. In other words, radical feminism elevates the sorority of victimhood as the key to female liberation. 

But the more I piece this out, the more it looks like a damn crab trap. The shared trauma, the model of women’s universal suffering, it only leads us to perpetuate our subjugation. There’s comfort in thinking what happened to you happened because you’re a woman. There’s comfort in seeing traumatic events as predestined. But predestination is the oldest crab trap in the book. Through predestination, we see victimhood as a right of passage and a key to wisdom. We overlook naive girls until they’ve been victimized enough to trauma bond with women. 

I’m not saying we should throw out radical feminism and start from scratch. Women coming to terms with trauma is a step towards female liberation, but it’s a step that will take a lifetime. That, unfortunately, is the nature of trauma and PTSD. There is no way to resolve past trauma. You can read all the feminist discourse ever written, and you may find some comfort in it, but the trauma will not heal. 

I know a lot of us take comfort in that catchphrase about women not being responsible for our own oppression. We need to start recognizing this as a thought terminating cliche and blackpill feminist idea. Saying we have no hand in our own oppression means women’s liberation depends entirely on men. This, of course, renders women’s liberation impossible.

If we’re looking for more than comfort, we’re going to need more than radical feminism is currently offering. If we’re looking for liberation, we must do the most uncomfortable thing possible. We must dismantle the victimhood sorority. We need to stop saying our trauma happened because we are women. We need to stop being complicit in patriarchy by holding up victimhood as a right of passage to womanhood.

Women do not have to suffer. Women do not have to be victimized. Girlhood does not have to be characterized by neglect. If we use all the power of women’s class solidarity to protect and celebrate girls, we will escape the cycle we are in. We need to stop prioritizing the lives of women over the lives of girls. We need to make girls’ liberation the primary goal of feminism, even if we have to sacrifice personal freedoms to do so. That is the true right of passage. Being an adult doesn’t mean perpetuating the past into the present. It means passing up on your needs in the present to secure a better future for the next generation. 

Your inner girl will never heal until you become the woman that should’ve been there protecting you as a girl. So, become that women, and do everything in your power to lift up girls. Do everything in your power to give them the carefree adventurous girlhood you were denied. Don’t do it because they’re your daughters or surrogate daughters. Do it because they’re the future, and they are more important than we are.

[iridescentides]

spontaneity can be fun! and it's so sweet that you're starting traditions with your gf ❤️💚 this is probably warranting another Read More (which i love by the way and you shouldn't feel ashamed of) but i know how much lela from teen beach movie means to you and i wanted to hear why? 😊 - 🎅🎁🎄

hi again friend! sorry for responding so late but youre right this will be another read more! thanks for asking such good questions!

i think at the heart of it, lela is my favorite for the same reasons that i like a lot of my favorite characters: honesty, genuineness, and resilience. having the bravery to love openly, to explore, and to believe in yourself enough to keep going, even when other people may not support you. 

lela is unwaveringly kind, caring, and loving. in the first movie, we watch her dance around blissfully, spread compliments and positivity like confetti, and welcome mack and brady into her world like long lost friends. she is unafraid to show care and compassion, and she loves like its the most natural thing in the world for her to do. we watch her confront a fear and begin to learn how to prioritize herself, but shes a little hesitant. she is ready to grow, but she needs a little help. in the second movie we get to see her take agency over her own life and her own narrative, putting herself and her interests first, without sacrificing the loving aspect of her character. she continues to support and uplift others as shes learning to uplift herself. she wears her enthusiasm proudly, and she grabs every opportunity she can.

the thing that sets lela apart from every other character for me is the way that she truly exemplifies confidence. to me, confidence is the most important thing in the world, the most crucial trait for a person to have, and lela came to me at a particularly impactful and influential time in my relationship with myself.

i was 16 when teen beach 2 came out. i hadnt really cared much about the first teen beach movie; i liked it, but i wasnt obsessed. when the second movie came out, i was right in the middle of a very transformative 2 years of my life, where i had decided that i was going to learn to love myself at all costs. i made conscious efforts to step outside of my comfort zone, i read a ton of self-help articles, i wrote myself affirmations, and i just generally reworked my entire brain to become a more confident person. i started to lean more into media, music, and friendships that made me feel good, and to unapologetically enjoy things. i was also learning a lot of new things about feminism and about society as a whole. and for the person i was at the time (and the person i wanted to become), lela came at the exact right moment.

i understand that some people may see lela as an embodiment of surface-level, hashtag girl power disney channel feminism (esp with the “girls can do anything boys can do” line in the first movie). i know that she may seem cheesy and maybe unrealistic to some people. i get that. but as a role model for some of the important changes i was trying to put into place in my own life at the time, she was absolutely perfect.

society teaches women specifically not to like themselves. to never be “too much.” to never be too smart, too loud, or too into themselves. thats misogyny 101. we learn to conflate confidence with arrogance, and to worry that if we’re nice to ourselves, if we think well about ourselves, then it MUST be arrogance at that point, which is a bad trait to have. we learn that if we express ourselves, embrace our ideas, and push to be heard, that thats selfishness, and we’re taking from other people when we take up space. this is simply untrue; a confident person coexists on an equal plane with others, giving themselves the same time, attention, and care that they would give to other people. i was working to internalize this idea at 16 when lela became the perfect example. in growing her confidence and her power in tb2, she never gives up the person she was in tbm. she doesnt negate all of her wonderful qualities, like passion and care and genuineness, when she chooses to have new experiences. 

yes, she walked out of her movie and left the wet side story characters behind, but it wasnt for nothing. she left an environment that wasnt fulfilling for her anymore in pursuit of a fuller life. she still had lots of love to give, and she set out to find mack and transfer her love and energy into their relationship. (shes gay your honor!!! but the point is) she chose to live authentically and knew that she deserved to become her best self, and when she returned to the movie, she brought back the lessons that she had learned in the real world.

in the real world, she got to do calculus and chemistry, make new friends, wear new clothes, invent, create, and excel. she gained admiration for her skills and the content of her character, rather than for the role she played in other peoples lives. she can rebuild a motorcycle AND lead a musical number, and she learned those things could coexist. her femininity could be part of her strength, rather than being seen as a weak point or something that precludes her from going on the bigger adventures. i cannot stress how important it is to see her embrace all of these pieces of herself, unapologetically, in a positive light, and without losing the people close to her!!!

lela is a fictional character, but she has always been my role model for living an honest, passionate life full of love both for myself and for others. lela queen of the beach was a result of the positive impact she had on her world when she used her newfound power, skills, and self-assuredness to enact change. wet side story transformed from being an antiquated narrative that young people had never heard of and didnt enjoy, to being a movie (lela queen of the beach) that mobs of teenagers bought tickets to watch on the beach, passionately dancing along, unified, to the opening number. it became the movie that inspired girls like mack to surf, and girls like alyssa to talk to their crushes. it was subversive and progressive for its time period, making it a classic that remained prominent for 60 years. and all of that power and influence came from one young woman, who was inspired by another young woman. role modeling is a multilayered theme in the teen beach movies, and personally, lela provides motivation for me to give my all, unapologetically, in situations where i can exert a positive impact.

lela symbolizes beating your fears and doubts, stepping out of your comfort zone, creating your own power, and becoming independent, all while staying true to yourself and honest with others. for all those reasons, she will always be a source of warmth and comfort for me.

[taylorafergus]

Girls Just Wanna have Fun-damental Rights! - Week 9

Activism is broadly defined as a “process by which groups of people exert pressure on organizations or other institutions to change policies, practices, or conditions the activists find problematic”, and the digitisation of this process refers to digital, or internet activism (cited in Chon and Park 2020, pg. 73).

The proliferation of social media and its accompanying technological developments has fundamentally altered how individuals, groups and institutions advocate for social and political change (cited in Glenn 2015, pg. 81). The introduction of social networking sites, microblogging platforms, and content-sharing services institute for the opportunity of wide-scale online and virtual participation in utilising the platforms as a ‘public sphere’ (Rotman et al. 2011, pg. 819). Habermas "defines the public sphere as a place where 'private people come together as a public' for the purpose of using reason to further critical knowledge which, in turn, leads to political change" (Kruse et al. 2018, pg. 62/63). This technology-mediated exchange affords users with the ability to contribute to, and participate in, the visibility of "national and international priorities such as public health, political unrest, disaster relief and climate change" from their computer and mobile device without even leaving their living room (Rotman et al. 2011, pg, 819).

Figure 1. Marching Women’s March GIF. Source; Rosanne-esme c. 2020.

Recent decades have seen the shift towards the use of these commercial platforms of communication for the purpose of pursuing activist campaigns and movements. This change not only belies practical motives in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of their messages, "but also reflects a different world view than the one pervading radical politics in previous decades" (Gerbaudo 2014, pg. 1). Activists, much like organisations, use social media to foster relationships and accumulate followers (Swan 2014, pg. 227). Further, social media is a central component of the success of “contemporary social activism as advanced tools of communication and inform” (Chon and Park 2020, pg. 75). Additional research asserts that the use of social media within the activist and political agenda can influence collective action in several ways, such as providing for the mobilisation of information and news that are not readily available through traditional media, the facilitation, orchestration and coordination of demonstrations, allowing users to join civic and political causes, and ultimately creating an opportunity for the exchange of opinions and open debate (Valenzuela 2013, pg. 921). Social media also promotes "personal and group identity construction... by allowing multiple channels for interpersonal feedback, peer acceptance, and reinforcement of group norms" (cited in Valenzuela 2013, pg. 922).

On the 24th of May 2014, the hashtag #yesallwomen emerged on Twitter’s platform in response to a killing spree that had occurred in Isla Vista, California. The gunman had left behind a series of bathetic youtube videos and a hundred-and-thirty-seven-page autobiographical ‘manifesto’ which were quickly circulated by the public, in which he claimed that his hatred of women had spurred his murderous rampage. A day later, users took to Twitter to engage in what has come to be known as ‘hashtag activism’ - “the attempt to use Twitter’s hashtags to incite social change” (Dadas 2017, pg. 17). Through the hashtags rapid dissemination and adoption, the “resulting hashtag #yesallwomen sought to call attention to the misogynist roots of the Isla Vista tragedy, emphasizing that yes, all women suffer from a culture that rewards men’s aggressive behaviour toward them” (Dadas 2017, pg. 17). The #Yesallwomen hashtag illustrates one example within a broader political and social movement that uses hashtags and hashtag activism as a strategy for directing attention to social and political causes and bringing them to the forefront of everyone's mind (figure 2, and figure 3). Other examples of similar altitude include #FreeTheNipple, #MeToo, #BlackLivesmatter and #IllRideWithYou.

Figure 2. #YesAllWomen [image]. Source. Pantozzi 2014.

Figure 3. #YesAllWomen [image]. Source. Girl Talk HQ 2014.

Brooke Foucault Welles, the assistant professor of online activism, explains her perspective on the use of ‘hashtag activism’ describing it as a strategy wherein which people can “use hashtags in order to denote things or issues of political or personal meaning in order to gain traction in the mainstream” (Foucault Welles 2019). The use of social media in this process, however, is often criticised and denoted 'slacktivism'. The term ‘slacktivism’ conjoins the two terms of 'slacker' and 'activism' to describe the 'feel-good' measures taken by online users to illustrate "token support for social or political causes through online means" (Chandler and Munday 201).

Figure 4. Feminism Justice GIF. Source; Giphy c. 2020.

There is undoubtedly a significant and substantial “relationship between social media and social protest” (York 2014, p. 5). However, the lexicon relating to the digital activist sphere establishes a series of polarizing perspectives on the validity and efficacy of digital activism as a means of pursuing political and social action.

References:

Chandler, D, Munday, R 2016, A dictionary of social media, Oxford: Oxford University Press (Oxford Reference Premium Collection)

Chon, MG, Park, H 2020, 'Social Media Activism in the Digital Age: Testing an Integrative Model of Activism on Contentious Issues', Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, March 2020, vol. 97, no. 1, pp. 72-97

Dadas, C c. 2017, 'HASHTAG ACTIVISM: THE PROMISE AND RISK OF “ATTENTION”, in Vie, S, Walls, D (eds), Social Writing/Social Media: Pedagogy, Presentation, and Publics, WAC Clearinghouse: Perspectives on Writing

'Feminism Justice GIF' [GIF], in Giphy c. 2020, Protest, Giphy, viewed the 19th of May 2020, <https://giphy.com/gifs/feminism-feminist-girl-power-xUA7bjwn4QH5i0XbWw>

Foucault Welles, B 2019, Researching online activism using social network analysis, SAGE Publications Ltd, London, viewed the 19th of May 2020, <https://methods-sagepub-com.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/video/researching-online-activism-using-social-network-analysis>

Gerbaudo, P 2014, 'Populism 2.0: Social Media Activism, the Generic Internet User, and Interactive Direct Democracy', Social Media, Politics and the State: Protests, Revolutions, Riots, Crime and Policing in the Age of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, vol. 16, pp. 1-67

Glenn, C 2015, 'Activism or “Slacktivism?”: Digital Media and Organizing for Social Change', Communication Teacher, 03 April 2015, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 81-85

Kruse, L, Norris, D, Flinchum, J 2018, 'Social Media as a Public Sphere? Politics on Social Media', The Sociological Quarterly, 02 January 2018, vol. 59, no. 1, pp. 62-84

'Marching Women’s March GIF' [GIF], in Tumblr: roseanne-esme c. 2020, Tumblr, viewed the 19th of May 2020, <https://rosanne-esme.tumblr.com/post/158320356530/womens-march-amsterdam-11-march-2017>

Rotman, D, Vieweg, S, Yardi, S, Chi, E, Preece, J, Shneiderman, B, Pirolli, P, Glaisyer, T 2011, 'From slacktivism to activism: participatory culture in the age of social media', CHI '11 Extended Abstracts on human factors in computing systems, 07 May 2011, pp. 819-822

Swan, P 2015, Cases in Public Relations Management: The Rise of Social Media and Activism, 2nd edn, London: Routledge, 2014, Ebook Central (ProQuest)

Valenzuela, S 2013, 'Unpacking the Use of Social Media for Protest Behavior: The Roles of Information, Opinion Expression, and Activism', American Behavioral Scientist, July 2013, vol. 57, no. 7, pp. 920-942

York, J, 2014, ‘Social Media & Social Activism’, Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 3-5

'#YesAllWomen' [image], In Girls Talk HQ 2014, '#YesALLWomen Hashtag Sparking Gender Violence Conversations', Girls Talk HQ, May 28th, viewed the 19th of May 2020, <https://www.girltalkhq.com/yesallwomen-hashtag-sparking-gender-violence-conversations/>

'#YesAllWomen' [image], in Pantozzi, J 2014, 'Things We Saw Today: #YesAllWomen', The Mary Sue, May 26th, viewed the 19th of MY 2020, <https://www.themarysue.com/things-we-saw-today-556/>

[yourtoradorasextendedwarranty]

Orange Man Bad

Okay. This is gonna be a long one so buckle up.  First and foremost i need to say this in no uncertain terms. I have zero love for the current president. Do i think he’s doing some things right and some wrong? Yeah but that’s how presidents work. You’re not gonna like everything they do. Which leads me in to why i’m even typing this out.

To start out with, I live in the US. Meaning the news many of you hear from our media and yours is likely not fully accurate. So pay attention. 

In the early 2000′s things were slowly but surely getting better. Tech was advancing at a blinding pace, Social Media was just really starting to get it’s feet on the ground, Drama was all over TV and YouTube was still the wild west of the internet. Fast forward to Obama getting elected. The first Black president ever in the US. We were making progress in our own way. But fact is not all was well during this presidency. We will come back to that.

Fast forward to 2014, Hyper-progressivism is taking hold in certain circles and one event would happen that set about a chain reaction that would shake our culture for years to come. That event would be the Zoe Post. The spark that lit the fire that was what came to be known as GamerGate. Now let me inform the masses here for a moment. What you are told to believe, by most of the US and World media, is that GamerGate, was a harassment campaign made to drive women and minorities out of gaming. For those of you that don’t know what this was, this was a scapegoat. A well timed, “look over here, there’s nothing to see over there”.  Now for anyone with a brain stem, willing to look into the events that led up to GamerGate, you’d know a LOT of people did a lot of digging just to be certain of what was going on. And they found out that there was a LOT of shady things going on in games journalism. The Zoe Post was just the straw that broke the camel’s back for gamers and consumers in general to actually get their head in the game and start paying attention to the shady things games journalist had been doing. 

What happened however, was three people took advantage of this to make money. Zoe Quinn, whom had tested out nude modeling and did not feel like continuing, Anita Sarkeesian, an up and coming con artist (See Here), and Brianna Wu an Indie Game maker who saw potential gain for herself and her brand. Now this might seem bias but do your due diligence. Check the sources. Everything pretty much adds up. Now to continue; These three became the modern face of what would later be called 3rd Wave Feminism. Or as most of us know it. Radical Feminism. Reasons being as follows. (Side note: The FBI did a full investigation into threats and other things in regards to GG. What they found was a lot of nothing. Just a bunch of troll account hiding their assholery behind the anonymity of the internet. The entire rest of GG was good people trying to solve a now exposed and exploding problem in games journalism. A problem that was expanded when it was picked up incomplete by mainstream news. Mainstream news that misrepresented the 98% of what was GG. Just gamers that wanted their own journalists to be honest and ethical. That’s literally it. But sure if you don’t believe that, believe the well off journalists that were in front of the bus when this whole incident dropped. Or rather. The boy who cried wolf. Believe the liars if you want but that’s your choice to be or stay ignorant.)

1.It does not seek for equality. It seeks for power over men and other women.Nothing more.

3rd Wave feminism does not care about women around the world. Only empowerment and monetary gain of themselves. 

This version of feminism more or less gave rise to the what later became the Women’s March. The leaders of which, were confirmed antisemitic, Pro-Islamist’s whom were friends with the man who wrote the anti jew handbook, Louis Farrakhan.

Told women that wearing giant stuffed vagina’s are somehow empowering, and bleeding all over yourself is giving your finger to the man.

Also, This version of feminism was not about empowerment of all women. Only certain ones. This can clearly be seen due to the deletion of jobs that certain women wanted to be in but others deemed “not appropriate”.

Now explain to me. Where is the female empowerment of taking jobs away from women. Where is the empowerment in telling women what they can and can’t ware. Where is the empowerment in telling women what they HAVE to believe, and do with their lives. You can’t. Because their is no empowerment to anyone other than those whom are setting those standards. That’s NOT feminism. That’s control. 

Event’s that followed led to what is now known as #MeToo. This movement started from a good place. There were women whom were not in a good place at all, and whom were taken advantage of, ignored by police and friends, as well as suffering. The lifespan of this movement however outlived it’s stay as soon as the term “Believe all women” became a thing. The creation of this phrase per lack of a better word was sheer ignorance. Because since 2008 forward, the Mainstream media has reported on over 20 cases of false rape. The biggest of which was Duke La cross, where the girl admitted to lying so the guy she was crushing on would not find out she slept with 2 of the three boys indited in the claim. Now understand. I KNOW, there there are women out there that are not believed. I know there are evil men out there that have gotten away with rape. Here is the issue however with the entire MeToo Movement. Early on, it seek’d to wall men who had been raped out. More over it told men that they could NOT be raped. And it also ignored VERY HEAVILY woman on woman rape. The only care MeToo had for a long time was, “FUCK ALL MEN”. And i can likely still find that sentiment on twitter even now with someone who’s profile proudly waves the MeToo Hashtag. Plenty more than likely. (Side Note: This is not me saying don’t believe women. Not at all. Believe your friends and believe your family. But understand something very clearly. People lie. Anyone and everyone, lies. And the reasons they will do it can be next to anything. What i AM saying is do not crucify people until you know they are guilty. And word of mouth is NOT proof.)

Now lets go back a few years prior to this. Islam and blind acceptance of the religion and culture. Now i’m no xenophobe. Nor am i purely anti Islam. I’m just in support of those within the religion who are trying to mellow it out, and stamp out extremists. Here is the problem. When mass immigration started, there was little vetting. As such, many evil people came over with the good people. And they did it in mass often leaving women and children behind in war zones. And often young men between 14-40 whom only knew their culture. This led to several incidents that hyper progressive Europeans do their best to label, “fake news”. Examples: Link1 Link2 Link3

Now I will be the first to stop you RIGHT THERE, before you utter the phrase, “Not all migrants” or “Not all Muslims”. That’s true. It’s not by any stretch all or even most. But it’s enough that have come from a culture of women being subservient to men, more or less, that have come in with NO want to mesh with the culture. Rather, changed the culture of the land into their own. A culture that prides itself on patriarchy. That really evil thing that modern feminism can’t seem to stop griping about. But it’s largely ignored because, “they don’t know any better”. Ok let’s see you get raped by someone that “does not know any better”. I’m 100% positive you’d very much change your tunes then. And that’s not me wishing it on you. As i’d never wish that on anyone, ever. Fact is however this stuff has happened. And it has happened in bulk. With more than a few arrests being made due to CCTV footage. Though several were ultimately leg go because the government didn’t care to prosecute them. This was the same thing that happened a while back in the UK i believe. A sex trafficking ring that was known about for 41 years, but was left almost completely untouched, because the government thought it would be racist to prosecute them, as it happens many young teens tried to tell the police, only to be treated like prostitutes, and threatened with being locked up or charges filed on them. In what world is this ok? It’s not. But this is what happens when you just turn a blind eye because you want to “own” the other side of the political spectrum. 

Which brings me not to another event in the past, but something i need to say. I don’t care if you are left, right, center, up, down, slanted or otherwise. YOU, need to learn to make up your own mind, and learn how to do your research. Fact is everyone in the media around the world, Australia, Europe, the US and Canada all have a Main Stream Media bias problem. A hyper left progressive bias problem. And do you know why? Because the more angry and divided the people, the more you give into hate, the more you give into hate, the more you listen to them, mindlessly believing every single thing they say. Without question. Like for example, recently there has been a trend of movies doing poorly. Who does MSM blame? “Alt Right Trolls”. Alt Right being a group of radical racists and homophobes, some of whom are literal nazis. But the number of these individuals is small. Less than a percentage of the world populace. Here is the deal though. They make money from you being angry. They make money from US ALL being divided. That’s the thing though. They don’t actually give a damn about being right. They don’t care if they have the facts. They just want your eyes, on their product. And the more you fall into their trap headlines and clipped videos, false framing etc, the more power you actually give them. 

No matter what side you are on, most of us no matter left, right, center, liberal, progressive, conservative, etc, we just want to live our best lives. And trust me i have bones to pick with every side. Why? Because i’m not really on a side. If anything i’m just left of center but i don’t agree with most anyone on anything at this point. Why?

-Liberals are too soft spoken now a days and need to grow a spine, also realize that conservatives are NOT all the same. And neither are all republicans.

Progressives and Hyper progressives are too demanding, childish, irresponsible, hateful and vindictive. They don’t care about collateral damage at all. Nor if anyone gets hurt so long as they can have their way. Not to mention Antifa whom have injured SEVERAL innocent people, AND the fact you’re all actively promoting kids getting danced on by drag queens. Yeah.....you are responsible for that one. A grown man, who dresses like a woman as a career choice, dancing for a young girl. Oh and lest we forget the Drag kid stripping in gay bars for ACTUAL MONEY! IE: You’re fascists.

Conservatives need to stop taking it up the tail pipe and actually put up a fight against the left when they come swinging. Stop playing the “We can’t sink down to their level” game. Because not only are they not playing that game, they are actively participating in corruption and there is little FILED proof because you want to protect your moral high ground. Also also, Rape and Incest are BOTH valid reasons for an abortion. Why? Because the guilt and trauma of either could lead to thoughts of suicide or just as bad death of the baby by the hands of the mother after the birth. So if you are a conservative and believe in having an abortion if the mothers life is at risk? Consider how many rape victims commit suicide. 

Alt Right........Just......go play with alligators. Or Vipers. IE you’re all assholes and no matter your intent your all POS whom are not any better than the hyper progressives. 

Long story short? We stand divided. We stand divided because we let the news control how we see the world. And many of us can’t form opinions for ourselves so we latch on to others. Others that don’t actually care about you. They only care about using your voice as a megaphone to project their own. How does that benefit you? It doesn’t. Stop being so damn divided. Stop judging the other side of the argument before you even hear it purely because you think you already know what it is. OPEN YOUR DAMN EARS. Hate breeds hate. And you can never fight hate with hate because it becomes and endless cycle of only hate. And then it won’t ever stop. Also you need to realize....closing your ears and screaming “LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA” does not make you right. It makes you a dick. People are NOT the politicians that “represent them”, just like the Politicians are not the people they aim to supposedly represent. Conservatives are more chill now than they have been in years. But progressives actively chase them out of spaces, and then wonder why they are up in arms. Maybe it’s because you call them all buzzwords that are not true, you protect monsters just to “own the cons” and often turn a blind eye to your own sides wrong doings. (Side Note: An example of this is the huge Ellen controversy when she was seen with G. W. Bush. Everyone said he was a war criminal and should have been put in prison or worse. You know who makes plenty of public appearances and next to no one criticizes? Obama. The man who build your “Concentration camps”, the man who STARTED the parent child separation policy. The man who is responsible for MORE INNOCENT DEATHS in the middle east than most of the previous presidents combined. Do you have any idea how many innocent women and children died in his drone strikes?! If anything Bush was an idiot who was controlled by Chaney. And the VP is also in active control of the Military at any given time. And i hear constantly. “Oh i’m not excusing Obama but we are not talking about him”. Yeah you POS. No one EVER talks about him. No one EVER holds him to the standard they hold Bush to. Do you know why? Because he’s a Democrat. And if people criticized him, they have to admit THEY are the ones that put him in office. They’d have to admit THEIR side is not right. Fuck right off.)

Lets just to Trump as he is the title of this thing. The news will NOT leave him alone. It was Russia for 3.8 years and for the next little bit it’s been Ukraine. And they did the same thing to Tulsi Gabbard when she ran. “Russian Asset”. Sound familiar? Well if it doesn’t it’s the same BS they pull when they say, “This movie did poorly because of alt right white men” It’s the same sentence, different context. It’s an excuse to slap someone down because “Alt right” “white man” “Russia”, and other bullshit are all words and phrases that make people LOSE THEIR SHIT. They don’t even need proof. All they need is one finger to point at the target and blam. All hands on deck to destroy anyone and anything pointed at, no matter who or what it is. None of you actually care about a cause. You care about hurting others. You care about bullying. And before any of you get uppity and go, “well they bully, and they hurt”. When and where did it become ok to become your enemy. And if they really are doing that, do NOT, meet them head on as if doing the same thing as them is somehow ok. Malcom X Justified raping black women as practice for when they’d do it to white women. Are you going to justify rape now? Because if not then sit your ass down and realize who and WHAT you are becoming. That bully you bitch about. That bigot with hurtful opinions? You are becoming them. You are just trying to justify it by saying, “Oh well they deserve it”. So what if they do? When did YOU become judge, jury, and executioner?

And that’s my issue. Trump might be a loud, ignorant, obnoxious, troll. But a lot of the things we’ve been told by the media that he’s done...is blatant shit framing, and flat out lies. Trump is polarizing because no one can actually control him. He can’t keep secrets, and he won’t shut up. Which is still better than Obama AND Bush. Because we hear more or less everything. Or rather, we would if the media would stop talking about fake stories. Why not talk to conservatives about the lack of the wall they wanted. Or how Trump has put crap gun laws in motion. Or maybe, talk about how even though the economy was amazing, pre corona, Trump is still an idiot. You don’t bring anyone to your side by screaming at people. And you certainly don’t do it by berating them. Main stream Media and Social Media have not helped this division and have only made the problem worse. Listen. Love. Learn. You might not like what someone has to say, but let them say it. Listen to people and TRY to understand why they are saying what they say. Even if you don’t learn, and even if you still don’t agree, you will have walked away with a better understanding as to WHY. And the WHY, in everything is what’s most important. The world can’t grow from a what. Nor from a who. Only from a fundamental understanding of WHY. 

[griffinequestrian]

Heels Down Mag: Feminism Is Not A Brand

By Justine Griffin for Heels Down Mag

Don’t call me babe. Or boss babe. Or hustlin’ babe. Or any other #hashtag deviation. Why can’t I just be the boss without the babe?

Feminism in 2019 is murky and strange. More women than ever feel empowered – in sports, in their careers, and even in politics. More women are standing up for themselves and others thanks to movements like #MeToo, or changing tides in congressional districts, shifts in views from the executive suite, and even in equestrian sports.

It doesn’t matter which side of the political line you fall on – the stories behind sports icons from Serena Williams to Megan Rapinoe embody something bigger than all of us. They are the role models we need in this confusing, ever-changing, and sometimes hateful, world.

People are taking notice. But there’s a fine line to where an inspiring movement begins and where it blurs into something else. Usually when there are brands that are really stretching to capitalize on it – that’s a good sign you’re being led astray.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all about being proud of a #hustlin’ lifestyle, and support each and every woman out there who goes above and beyond to get it all done. But do I really need to wear a pink sweatshirt that says BOSS BABE across my boobs to feel good about myself?

Absolutely not.

While perusing social media, I’m always astounded by the amount of boarding barn ads that highlight “NO DRAMA” in all caps somewhere in their description. I feel like the barns that truly offer a “no drama atmosphere” don’t need to say it out loud in all caps. But I digress.

Maybe instead of wearing these #GirlPower T-shirts and spreading these #WorkItMomma messages on our Instagram feeds, we can embody these hashtags in real life and try paying it forward. Why don’t we work harder on creating a sense of community at our own barns – supportive ones that embrace diversity and different points of view, but are built on the shared experience of horse crazy girls who’ve grown up to be horse crazy women?

We should show up to support one another in the show ring, after a difficult lesson, or at the vet’s office when bad news is on the line. We shouldn’t jab at each other in passive aggressive text messages or on Facebook over who “paid more” for their show hunter or how they performed over the weekend.

Cut the crap. Stop hiding behind the fake filters of social media, and just be supportive and nice to one another. Stand up for each other. That’s what feminism should be about.

Then maybe I wouldn’t have to cringe at these “lady power” shirts. And then maybe the “NO DRAMA” ads would just go away on their own.

[wp-yahoo-style-1042-yahoopa-blog]

Yves Saint Laurent’s Newest Ads Denounced as Degrading

Yves Saint Laurent’s new ad campaign is under fire for sexist images of women. (Photo: Jacques DeMarthon/AFP/Getty Images)

There’s no denying that sex sells, and we can’t really blame fashion houses for taking advantage of that. However, there’s a fine line between sexy and degrading. Many people think Yves Saint Laurent just crossed that line with its new ad campaign.

The brand plastered images across Paris advertising designer Anthony Vaccarello’s debut collection for YSL, featuring models in submissive positions. Not to mention that they are scantily clad and extremely thin.

One image features a brunette model sitting and leaning back with her legs open and crotch to the camera, her face peeking out from behind her thigh. She’s wearing a fur coat, fishnet tights, and roller-skate stilettos. Another shows a girl bent over a stool, with her butt high up in the air and her head down on the stool. She’s wearing a polka-dot leotard and the same roller skates. A portion of her torso seems to be purposely erased, which doesn’t make the message being transmitted seem any better.

France’s advertising “watchdog” said it had asked the French fashion house to “modify two ads from its latest campaign, after receiving 50 complaints that they were ‘degrading’ to women,” according to Reuters.

“We asked the brand and the ad displayer to make changes to these visuals as soon as possible,” Stéphane Martin, head of France’s advertising authority, told Reuters. He said the ads were a “serious breach of rules set by the advertising industry to maintain ‘dignity and respect in the representation of the person.’” They were also concerned with how thin the models were, because of the “impact on fashion-conscious teenage girls.”

In 2015, France made a major move to combat this issue, when France’s health minister, Marisol Touraine, announced her support of the country’s efforts to make it illegal for advertising agencies to use models who have an underweight BMI.

Martin described the ads as “porno chic” to the Daily Mail.

The hashtag #YSLRetireTaPubDegradante — which translates to “YSL, Remove Your Degrading Ad” — has blown up with users across the globe, asking the label to revoke these promotional pictures.

Watch and learn @YSL: this is what a woman looks like #thisgirlcan#YSLRetireTaPubDegradante pic.twitter.com/p4YihUwbb1

— Dorothee Citerne (@DCiterne) March 6, 2017

I want to see the same shoot with the CEO of #ysl ,who's agree?!???? Faite la meme photo avec votre boss pour voir ????????????#YSLRetireTaPubDegradante pic.twitter.com/SDFVva5p7u

— titi marie (@tititimarie) March 6, 2017

Is that your way to celebrate women's day, YSL? Shame on you! #BeBoldForChange #YSLRetireTaPubDegradante pic.twitter.com/62DI9M5ohr

— Camille Bullot (@hello_camille) March 6, 2017

@YSL isn't the example that I want to my daughter,fortunately she is only 2 years old and she'll have moral values #YSLRetireTaPubDegradante

— Estación Urano (@Ur_Station) March 7, 2017

Roller skates with heels Women nothing but the hole between their legs#StopObjectification #YSLRetireTaPubDegradante pic.twitter.com/6OLoono4Ho

— Katy Storm (@KatyStorm_) March 7, 2017

@ysl is this how you see women?? #YSLRetireTaPubDegradante https://t.co/i599litgTj

— Serena Colombo (@serenacolombo) March 7, 2017

They say #fashion symbolizes the spirit of current times … #YSL campaign then states we're in deep sh#t … #YSLRetireTaPubDegradante pic.twitter.com/J00g6a94kQ

— Geraldine Mattens (@GMattens) March 6, 2017

  Wtf ! ???? Women are not objects ! #YSLRetireTaPubDegradante pic.twitter.com/89Lzm6jkuE

— almost perfect (@Frenchie_Karyn) March 4, 2017

One user, Merete Buljo, pointed out that YSL has taken a big step backwards from 50 years ago. She shared side-by-side images of the current controversial ad campaign and YSL’s 1967 smoking jacket ad, which became a poster for Paris’s second-wave feminism movement. The older image depicts a strong woman who DGAF, and the other, well … you get the point. In comparing the two, there’s reason to be concerned that this is how YSL views women these days.

50 ans séparent ces photos La femme selon @YSL 1967 – 2017 #ShameOnYou #YSLRetireTaPubDegradante @anthonyvacc cc @Min_FEDDF @MinistereCC pic.twitter.com/Ca9MsaNsRJ

— Merete Buljo (@MereteBuljo) March 4, 2017

Images from Reuters showed female protesters outside a YSL shop with signs reading, “Sexist.” France’s leading female empowerment group, Osez le Féminisme (Dare to be Feminist), is also joining in the fight against the ads. A spokeswoman for the organization, Raphaëlle Rémy-Leleu, described the ads as “extremely violent,” according to Reuters.

“It ticks all the sexist boxes,” Rémy-Leleu said. “The women are objectified, hypersexualised and put in submissive positions. How do they think they will sell anything today [to women] with that? But you have to ask if that wasn’t intentional, that this was all about creating a scandal so we would talk about them.”

An activist puts a sign that reads “sexist” on the window of an Yves Saint Laurent shop in Paris. (Photo: Jacques DeMarthon/AFP/Getty Images)

Martin wonders if it doesn’t have something to do with Vaccarello, stating that he may have “gone too far,” according to Daily Mail. “We have a rather young designer known for his rather ‘specific’ looks.” Martin speculates that maybe Vaccarello didn’t realize the effects these ads would have.

This isn’t the first time YSL has been in hot water for its ads. In 2015, England’s Advertising Standards Authority banned a YSL ad that appeared in Elle UK because the model looked too thin. Of course, this isn’t the only brand that has had its ads pulled. In 2016, campaign ads for Gucci’s latest cruise collection were banned because of the “unhealthily thin” models.

We’ll know whether or not these ads have gone too far on Friday, when the advertising ethics jury rules on the complaints and decides whether to ask YSL to withdraw the ads.

Read more from Yahoo Beauty + Style:

• 10 French Fashion Inventions That Changed the World

• Why ‘T-Shirt Activism’ Is Bigger — and More Impactful — Than Ever

• Brie Larson Wore a Low-Cut Jumpsuit and the Internet Couldn’t Handle It

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.

[morganbelarus]

Taylor Swift will never be the feminist we want her to be

Image: VCG via Getty Images

Every time a Taylor Swift album is released, critics ask the same exhausting question — will this be the album where Taylor Swift gets political?

The answer is always the same: Girl. No.

Swift's politics, best described as ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, have been the cause of an unending febrile pop culture battle ever since the artist first emerged a decade ago, reaching its apotheosis in 2017. If you're interested in getting into a fight with a friend, might I suggest bringing up the topic of Swift's feminism. Watch the unfollows commence. 

Her latest album, reputation, is no exception. And it's well past the time me and my fellow feminist friends face the facts. Swift will never, ever be the nasty woman of our left-to-neoliberal political dreams, and no amount of subtweeting will ever change that.

That doesn't mean we have to say goodbye.

SEE ALSO: Newscaster uses Taylor Swift lyrics to deliver her traffic report

While other mainstream pop artists have opened up about their political views, or at least composed an embarrassingly genuine/borderline political Instagram post over the past year, Swift chose to remain comfortably above the fray. The edgiest the artist got was when she tweeted out support for her friends at the Women's March, the political equivalent of a glass of warm milk. Microwaved.

For some, it was surprising to see pop culture's leading capitalist refuse to take advantage of the political moment, especially when the resistance has been so effectively commercialized. #NastyWoman is as much a hashtag as it is branding. It fits on a tote bag, an iPhone case, a pillow, an I'm too-depressed-to-finish this list. Jimmy Kimmel, the former ding-dong behind the Man Show, became the voice who saved health insurance for 26 million Americans (and along the way, his reputation). Katy Perry, the singer best known for shooting whipped cream out of her bazoongas, helped to almost-elect the first female president in history.

Politics is #trending. Politics is almost cool. And strangest of all, it's been profitable, a concept that 27-year-old Swift, whose net value hovers around $280 million, is intimately familiar with.

In this landscape, Swift's entirely apolitical reputation was something of a gamble. It's now one she expected to win. Reputation sold 700,000 copies on the first day of its release. It's predicted to sell a million by Nov. 16, putting Swift on track for the highest sales of her career and making me feel so goddamn bad about my graduate school choices.  

Let me be clear: politics aside, reputation is a genuinely good album. There's so much to enjoy here without entirely embarrassing yourself, including hooks that leave a scar and her famously soft righteous anger, honed sharper. If you're the type of person who enjoys celebrity feuds, might I suggest listening to the delightfully unsubtle “This Is Why...” and tweeting your angry heart out.

It's obviously so disappointing that one of the most successful pop stars of our time chooses to do so little with her 85.6 million person platform; especially at a time when life is, by every objective measure, bad. No one could be more effective at propagating a political message than Swift precisely because she's behaved so neutrally in the past. It's what made Jimmy Kimmel so potent and comedian-turned-liberal-savior John Oliver so limited in his reach. Swift touches supporters of political extremes (Nazis and snowflakes) and apolitical crowds like no one else can.

Alas, Swift isn't changing. She probably never will. We just have to absolve our fantasies and accept the truth we repressed all the way into 2017. Taylor Swift will never tell us who she voted for. She will never be an architect of the #Resistance. Her feminism will always be hazy and largely individualist. 

She can, however, be something smaller and still good. Swift can be the person we turn to when we want to run from a broken heart, or the artist we escape to when we're sick of hearing Donald Trump's name on loop. Swift has always been adept at capturing our relational anger, and she's only gotten better in reputation. All of that matters, just on a more intimate scale, and we shouldn't deny ourselves the pleasure of identification just because it lacks a political punch.

There's so much of our shitty corporate culture I've come to love for what it is, even as I douse it with irony. I don't come to Supermarket Sweep for the Elizabeth Warren takes, as much as I love the Massachusetts Democrat. I don't look to Chili's for a 2018 election strategy; I go to Chili's for their deliciously trash fajitas. I would obviously love it if Little Caesars finally dropped the act and embraced their true socialist selves, but alas. Maybe that's for another year.

Politics touches everything. It's healthy to crave private spaces where it doesn't. You're entitled to have feelings that are not about the president. Forgive yourself, fellow rose emoji of the world, if you download the reputation album and scream every risk-averse lyric out your car window. I'll be singing and speeding right past my shame all the way with you. 

WATCH: This inspiring 76-year-old lady defies her age in a deadlifting event

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[lucids]

#SayHerName

AAPF - African American Policy Forum

http://www.aapf.org/sayhername

AAPF launched the #SayHerName campaign for Black women and girls who were killed by police and other forms of violence.

Fill The Void. Lift Your Voice.

Say Her Name.

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#SayHerName: How Transgender Women Are Memorialized Online

Centered on feminism & women of the African Diaspora

https://www.blackfeminisms.com/transgender

The Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) was started by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998. The vigil commemorated all the transgender people lost to violence that year and began an important memorial that has become the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance

“Citizen participation in the media, or contribution of user generated content or ‘citizen journalism’ as it’s commonly known is a growing phenomenon in some ways. Its benefits are that audiences witnessing incidents can post eyewitness accounts on the Internet as soon as they happen or send a report and photos to the media. Citizen journalism also dwells a lot on analysis and debate of issues and stories appearing in mainstream media. Unlike journalists in the mainstream media, citizen journalists can be anonymous contributors with no journalism training.”

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Black Lives Matter | Say Her Name

http://sayhername.blacklivesmatter.com

Use #SayHerName to honor women and femmes who have been taken from us by state or intimate partner violence.

As part of the national #SayHerName day of action, we are asking folks to participate in lifting up women and femmes who are no longer with us, and/or those who inspire us in our everyday lives. Upload an image, graphic or photograph of someone you want to lift up, using either #SayHerName for those who have been taken from us and #InHerHonor for those who are still with us or passed from natural causes.

#SayHerName Use #SayHerName to honor women and femmes who have been taken from us by state or intimate partner violence

#InHerHonor Use #InHerHonor to lift up women and femmes in our everyday lives who are fighting and thriving in the face of adversity or who died from natural causes.

-

#SayHerName

AAPF - African American Policy Forum

It is for these Black women and girls that the African American Policy Forum launched the #SayHerName campaign. On May 20th, 2015, the African American Policy Forum, the Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies at Columbia Law School, and over twenty local sponsoring organizations hosted #SayHerName: A Vigil in Memory of Black Women and Girls Killed by the Police at Union Square in New York City. Family members of Black women killed by police from across the country came together for the first time in a powerful vigil designed to uplift their loved ones' stories. The family members of Alberta Spruill, Rekia Boyd, Shantel Davis, Shelley Frey, Kayla Moore, Kyam Livingston, Miriam Carey, Michelle Cusseaux, and Tanisha Anderson were present and supported by hundreds of attendees, activists, and stakeholders.

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The work of #SayHerName continues. Including Black women and girls in this discourse sends the powerful message that indeed all Black lives matter. If our collective outrage around cases of police violence is meant to serve as a warning to the state that its agents cannot kill without consequence, our silence around the cases of Black women and girls sends the message that certain deaths do not merit repercussions. Please join us in our efforts to advance a gender-inclusive narrative in the movement for Black lives.

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In an effort to continue to call attention to violence against Black women in the U.S., the African American Policy Forum, the Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies at Columbia Law School, and Andrea Ritchie, Soros Justice Fellow and expert on policing of women and LGBT people of color, issued in May 2015 a brief entitled “Say Her Name: Resisting Police Brutality Against Black Women.”

Say Her Name documents stories of Black women who have been killed by police, shining a spotlight on forms of police brutality often experienced disproportionately by women of color.  In addition to stories of Black women who have been killed by police and who have experienced gender-specific forms of police violence, Say Her Name provides some analytical frames for understanding their experiences and broadens dominant conceptions of who experiences state violence and what it looks like. The brief concludes with recommendations for engaging communities in conversation and advocacy around Black women’s experiences of police violence, considering race and gender in policy initiatives to combat state violence, and adopting policies to end sexual abuse and harassment by police officers.

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Black women are outnumbered by White women 5:1 in the United States, yet are killed by police in nearly the same numbers.

On August 1st, Korryn Gaines became one of those women. Shot and killed after an hours long standoff with Baltimore County police, Gaines became the ninth Black woman killed by police in just the first eight months of 2016. Jessica Williams, whose death garnered little media attention despite forcing SFPD chief, Greg Suhr, to resign, was shot while driving a presumed stolen car. She was unarmed and seems to have been fleeing from the officer when she was killed, yet she was still declared a threat to the officer’s safety, legally justifying her death. Similarly, police killed Kisha Michael, “a great mother” of three, even though she posed no obvious threat. Michael was found sitting in a car unconscious at an intersection in Inglewood CA. After allegedly failing to revive her and finding a gun, the LAPD retreated behind cover and fired several rounds into the car, killing Michael and a man who was with her.

Gynnya McMillen died alone in a Kentucky detention center cell. Formally, declared a tragic accident resulting from a rare, and undiscovered, heart condition, McMillen, only 16, was found dead after just one night at the Lincoln Village Juvenile Detention Center. However, in that one night she was tackled and pinned for over four minutes after she refused to take off her sweatshirt during a search. She was also placed in a cell alone and then largely forgotten about despite being notably unresponsive, a strong warning sign that something was not right. In the morning, Gynnya McMillen lay dead. It is frighteningly unclear whether anyone will face charges for the deaths of these women and the five others killed, but what is clear is that, particularly when compared to their male counterparts, little is known or said about stories and lives of these women.

This is nothing new. In 2015 alone, at least six Black women were killed by or after encounters with police.

Just before Freddie Gray’s case grabbed national attention, police killed unarmed Mya Hall—a Black transgender woman—on the outskirts of Baltimore. Alleged to be driving a stolen car, Hall took a wrong turn onto NSA property and was shot to death by officers after the car crashed into the security gate and a police cruiser. No action has been taken to date with respect to the officers responsible for her death. In April, police fatally shot Alexia Christian while she was being handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser. And in March in Ventura, California, police officers shot and killed Meagan Hockaday—a young mother of three—within 20 seconds of entering her home in response to a domestic disturbance.

Sandra Bland, the 28-year old Black woman from Naperville, Illinois who was arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer during a traffic stop in Waller County, Texas on July 10 and was found dead in a jail cell three days later, is yet another victim of police brutality against African American women. And the six officers who swarmed and tasered Natasha McKenna to death in a Fairfax County Jail will face no criminal charges for their actions.

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#SayHerName: How Transgender Women Are Memorialized Online

Transgender people, in particular transgender women of color, become targets of violence due to stigma about non-binary gender identities.

Mainstream media generally fails to bring attention to this violence. Social media, however, has been a significant platform for uplifting and memorializing transgender people who lose their lives.

For instance, when I looked at hashtags associated with #SayHerName between late January and October, I found that at least 21 transgender women named in corresponding hashtags. The majority of these women were victims of homicide. One had died in police custody and another was missing.

Yet, when I went to correspond the name of victims with news accounts, I most often found that independent media or bloggers were the only ones to report on this violence. This suggests to me that citizen journalism2 is particularly significant in highlighting violence against transgender women of color.

Most of these independent media and bloggers were platforms meant to uplift women of color, Black women in particular. For instance, BlackGirlTragic.Com consistently provided information not only about Black women who lost their lives to violence but also girls and non-Black women of color. Furthermore, they bring attention to violence that women face throughout the Diaspora, rather than the United States alone.

BlackGirlTragic.com exemplifies these platforms in that they are intentional about their mission to uplift Black women:

This site arose from a need to disrupt the traditional 24/7 news cycle, which focuses on one crisis and moves to another. Our goal at Black Girl Tragic is to highlight the discrimination, abuse, mistreatment, unfairness and tragedy inflicted upon women of color throughout the diaspora. 3

Black women use social media to act as citizen journalists, subverting the barriers of traditional institutions of media and journalism through the use of digital technology. Transgender Black women, then, are memorialized as a labor of love by Black women who see themselves as capable of making change by taking their message to the digital sphere.

[dtermini567-blog]

This blog post is a response to the sociologic concept of the Queer Theory, how it’s related to social media, and how the youth on social media plays a big role in this. The queer theory from an online definition is a reaction to a school of 1970s feminism that believed each sex comes with its own essential characteristics. The LGBTQ community started in the mid to late 1980’s, so it’s been around for a while. The LGBTQ community on social media is huge. Even after the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States in 2016, the LGBTQ community has been making a big name for themselves. Riki Wilchins, according to the textbook, describes the Queer Theory as “is at heart about politics- things like power and identity, language, and difference. A huge way that the LGBTQ community has used social media to their advantage, is starting the #ComingOutMatters hashtag across all major social media platforms. It is a way for people to share their coming out stories, and to have an audience that supported them. This was important because some people might not have friends or family that didn’t support their decision of coming out. #ComingOutMatters even has their own website where members can find safety and security in themselves, and others.

Being a part of LGBTQ back in the 1980’s and later was a tough time for a lot of individuals. Yeah, there were people that came out, but I feel like all they got was negative responses from whoever they told. Whether this was family, friends, or just peers. It really didn’t happen much. Social media plays a big role. Just imagine, if there was social media back in the day, wouldn’t you think it would change certain aspects in history? Everyone gets a voice through social media, and it has changed the way society works in today’s world, connecting everyone from across the globe through certain websites. There are now teenagers that are 16 and 17 that let people know on their social media, that they identify themselves as Gay, or transgender. And trust me, this is no easy task. It’s clear that back in the day most people would not be too happy about this. Like I mentioned earlier, social media gives people huge voices, being able to say what’s on their mind, and having an audience to back them up.

According to Kidd, another issue of concern that is frequently mentioned with regard to sexuality and social media is sexting. These are text images that are of sexual nature via phone. It lets women explore their own sense of pleasure, according to Kidd. This is a big thing now a day, since almost everyone has a phone, and can basically do what they want with no filter. Yeah, social media tries to filter out a lot of things and stop posts that are explicitly before they’re even posted. But when it’s communication through text or live video chat, there is literally no filter. Teens are willingly doing this, because they might not be able to see their “partner” in real life, so they communicate in a sexual way via text. According to Kidd, treating the creation of a sext is a positive form of media production allows for a recognition that abusively distributing a sext without the creator’s permission is a form of harassment and abuse.

Sexting has created many cases where just a nude photo of someone can be considered child pornography. This is a big deal for girls. We see this a lot today. People simply like socializing over a social media platform or via text, rather than actual human interactions. Is this a good or bad thing? I see it as a good and bad thing. We’ve somewhat lost a sense of practiced acts of interacting in person, through real communication. This was the go to for socializing before social media was even created. Now, we especially see millennials only having a sense of interaction through social media. There’s a term for this, which is “hiding behind a phone.” There might be that one kid in class that doesn’t ever talk much, but once you go to his social media page, he has thousands of posts. Why is this? In a way, it’s his way of giving himself a voice through a different audience, rather than getting shut down by his peers. I have seen this before. Social media is changing the way we interact with each other, but gives us a different way of interacting, which could be an advantage for most young people.

[djgblogger-blog]

3 strategies today's activist women share with their foremothers

http://bit.ly/2nf9JEp

Members of the Grand Rapids League of Women Voters organized a city get-out-the-vote parade in 1924. Grand Rapids Herald, Sept. 9, 1924. Image courtesy of the Grand Rapids Public Library.

The first year of Donald Trump’s presidency has inspired a fresh wave of women’s movements.

Both one day and one year after his inauguration, millions of people across the globe participated in the first and second women’s marches, demonstrating support for causes such as equal pay, safe workplaces and campuses, reproductive rights and a stronger social safety net.

It’s no wonder “feminism” became Merriam-Webster’s word of the year for 2017. After women and girls who had been sexually harassed and assaulted found their voices and proclaimed, #MeToo, dozens of powerful male abusers saw their careers collapse. Bill O'Reilly and Harvey Weinstein are ruined. Former sports doctor Larry Nassar will spend the rest of his life behind bars. An all-time high of 106 women are serving in Congress, and a record number are running to join them.

This surge in activism stands out, but it also echoes the efforts of women nearly a century ago after the 19th Amendment was ratified and women gained full suffrage rights. For today’s women’s marchers and online activists to succeed where their foremothers did not, they must translate public enthusiasm into smart electoral politics.

Communicate, run and vote

Today’s Twitter campaigns, bids for public office and voter turnout drives are modern-day counterparts to the strategies newly enfranchised female voters used in the 1920s to strengthen democracy and right social wrongs.

As I explained in my book, “The Big Vote,” the League of Women Voters invented the nonpartisan get-out-the-vote strategy in the early 1920s by organizing advertising and educational efforts to encourage citizens to become more active and informed voters.

The league, a nonpartisan organization of women concerned about government corruption, child labor and an array of social issues, attracted many former suffragists who were determined to see women use their new right to vote.

Today’s female activists have embraced a three-pronged strategy pioneered by their foremothers that stresses modern communications, office-seeking and voter turnout.

1. Harness modern media

Today’s organizers are savvy Twitter, Facebook and Instagram users. A century ago, female activists excelled at using the latest communications technologies of their day – radio broadcasts, telephones and glossy magazines.

In 1928, for example, the league partnered with the fledgling NBC radio network to bring its “Citizenship School of the Air” to 15 million listeners. At a time when callers couldn’t dial direct, telephone operators – an overwhelmingly female labor force – reminded election-day callers in 1924 to be sure to vote. Articles and ads in women’s magazines such as the Ladies’ Home Journal nudged millions of its female readers to take advantage of their newfound right to vote.

2. Run for office

In the 1920s, women began to run for school boards, local treasurer and clerk positions, state legislatures and even for Congress. Most lost but a few won, including Emma J. Harvat, Iowa City’s first female mayor, and Soledad Chacon, New Mexico’s first female secretary of state. Today, increasing numbers of women are interested in running for office. So far, nearly 400 have filed or are expected to soon seek House seats, and 50 are beginning or getting ready to launch Senate bids, according to Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics.

3. Get out the vote

The 2018 Women’s March launched a voter registration drive its organizers are calling #PowertothePolls. It echoes efforts of a century ago, when the league enlisted the aid of some 3,000 other civic, religious, business, media and community organizations in get-out-the-vote campaigns. Together, they worked to inform both women and men about the importance of casting their ballots.

Then, like now, female activists realized that voting matters.

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Hashtag activism vs organizing

In the 1920s, the league and its allies put all their efforts to activate voters and improve society into publicity campaigns and civic education. They reached out by publishing full-page magazine ads, distributing thousands of red-white-and-blue stickers for businesses to paste onto outgoing mail and airdropping fliers over big cities like Atlanta, all to remind citizens to get out and vote. They ran 1,400 workshops that taught thousands of men and women about the structures of government and current events.

But they fell short of achieving most of the reforms they sought because they failed to move the needle on voter turnout. In 1924, when the get-out-the-vote campaigns first got underway, overall voter turnout actually fell a fraction of a point below the 49.1 percent turnout of 1920.

Worst of all, women were only two-thirds as likely to vote as men that year. Eventually, that dynamic changed. Eligible female voters have been more apt to cast ballots in every general election in a presidential year since 1980. In 2016, for example, 63.3 percent of the American women who could vote did, compared to 59.3 percent of eligible men.

Based on two decades of research on U.S. history and women’s politics, I believe that today’s female activists can succeed where their foremothers failed.

That is because geography determines who gets to vote for a given candidate. Votes are tallied by precincts, making social media followers from far-flung locations less relevant than they may appear. To translate what looks like overwhelming public support for feminist causes into a winning streak in the 2018 midterm elections, activists must win what political professionals call the “ground game.”

That means organizers will have to identify their potential supporters, precinct by precinct, and register them to vote. They’ll need to communicate with identified supporters repeatedly about shared concerns through traditional and social media channels, direct mail and – above all – in person.

Once the polls open, they’ll need to monitor and constantly update their lists of who has voted and who has not. Before the polls close, they’ll have to contact known supporters who have not yet cast ballots and urge them to vote.

Sloganeering among Facebook friends is inspiring, but leveraging personal relationships with old-fashioned “shoe-leather” campaigns is still the best way to turn enthusiasts into voters. If today’s women’s marchers and online activists can master the ground game, they can build on the legacy of their foremothers and rewrite history again.

Liette Gidlow received research funding for this project from the Organization of American Historians; the Mary Ingraham Bunting Institute of Harvard University; the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan; the Hagley Museum and Library of Wilmington, Delaware; and the Herbert Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt Presidential Libraries.

[news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog]

Taylor Swift will never be the feminist of our dreams, but we can still listen

Every time a Taylor Swift album is released, critics ask the same exhausting question — will this be the album where Taylor Swift gets political?

The answer is always the same: Girl. No.

Swift's politics, best described as ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, have been the cause of an unending febrile pop culture battle ever since the artist first emerged a decade ago, reaching its apotheosis in 2017. If you're interested in getting into a fight with a friend, might I suggest bringing up the topic of Swift's feminism. Watch the unfollows commence. 

Her latest album, reputation, is no exception. And it's well past the time me and my fellow feminist friends face the facts. Swift will never, ever be the nasty woman of our left-to-neoliberal political dreams, and no amount of subtweeting will ever change that.

That doesn't mean we have to say goodbye.

SEE ALSO: Newscaster uses Taylor Swift lyrics to deliver her traffic report

While other mainstream pop artists have opened up about their political views, or at least composed an embarrassingly genuine/borderline political Instagram post over the past year, Swift chose to remain comfortably above the fray. The edgiest the artist got was when she tweeted out support for her friends at the Women's March, the political equivalent of a glass of warm milk. Microwaved.

For some, it was surprising to see pop culture's leading capitalist refuse to take advantage of the political moment, especially when the resistance has been so effectively commercialized. #NastyWoman is as much a hashtag as it is branding. It fits on a tote bag, an iPhone case, a pillow, an I'm too-depressed-to-finish this list. Jimmy Kimmel, the former ding-dong behind the Man Show, became the voice who saved health insurance for 26 million Americans (and along the way, his reputation). Katy Perry, the singer best known for shooting whipped cream out of her bazoongas, helped to almost-elect the first female president in history.

Politics is #trending. Politics is almost cool. And strangest of all, it's been profitable, a concept that 27-year-old Swift, whose net value hovers around $280 million, is intimately familiar with.

In this landscape, Swift's entirely apolitical reputation was something of a gamble. It's now one she expected to win. Reputation sold 700,000 copies on the first day of its release. It's predicted to sell a million by Nov. 16, putting Swift on track for the highest sales of her career and making me feel so goddamn bad about my graduate school choices.  

Let me be clear: politics aside, reputation is a genuinely good album. There's so much to enjoy here without entirely embarrassing yourself, including hooks that leave a scar and her famously soft righteous anger, honed sharper. If you're the type of person who enjoys celebrity feuds, might I suggest listening to the delightfully unsubtle “This Is Why...” and tweeting your angry heart out.

It's obviously so disappointing that one of the most successful pop stars of our time chooses to do so little with her 85.6 million person platform; especially at a time when life is, by every objective measure, bad. No one could be more effective at propagating a political message than Swift precisely because she's behaved so neutrally in the past. It's what made Jimmy Kimmel so potent and comedian-turned-liberal-savior John Oliver so limited in his reach. Swift touches supporters of political extremes (Nazis and snowflakes) and apolitical crowds like no one else can.

Alas, Swift isn't changing. She probably never will. We just have to absolve our fantasies and accept the truth we repressed all the way into 2017. Taylor Swift will never tell us who she voted for. She will never be an architect of the #Resistance. Her feminism will always be hazy and largely individualist. 

She can, however, be something smaller and still good. Swift can be the person we turn to when we want to run from a broken heart, or the artist we escape to when we're sick of hearing Donald Trump's name on loop. Swift has always been adept at capturing our relational anger, and she's only gotten better in reputation. All of that matters, just on a more intimate scale, and we shouldn't deny ourselves the pleasure of identification just because it lacks a political punch.

There's so much of our shitty corporate culture I've come to love for what it is, even as I douse it with irony. I don't come to Supermarket Sweep for the Elizabeth Warren takes, as much as I love the Massachusetts Democrat. I don't look to Chili's for a 2018 election strategy; I go to Chili's for their deliciously trash fajitas. I would obviously love it if Little Caesars finally dropped the act and embraced their true socialist selves, but alas. Maybe that's for another year.

Politics touches everything. It's healthy to crave private spaces where it doesn't. You're entitled to have feelings that are not about the president. Forgive yourself, fellow rose emoji of the world, if you download the reputation album and scream every risk-averse lyric out your car window. I'll be singing and speeding right past my shame all the way with you. 

WATCH: This inspiring 76-year-old lady defies her age in a deadlifting event

[mediaxplosion]

Sport Fans

I am going to look at the perceptions that are attached to a female fan as compared to a male fan who are into sport. Sport is something that is supposed to be supported by masculine males and when women support it, it is a problem. I will explain what is fandom and what do people in fandom communities do. There are several meanings that are attached to sport in general, but I am going to focus more on soccer and how it is something that needs one to be masculine to fit. The digital media have allowed for the fandom community to grow and share information with one another. Female and male sport fans portray different characteristics, but the online platforms allow them to be one.

People who are part of the fandom community often share the same interest and thus have their own culture. These fandom communities in sports may usually arise when people support the same team and they create their own communities (Stanfil, 2013) and building strong bonds amongst each other. In this community that they create of fans, they have common interest, and this become a platform where the members can share information amongst one another and discuss things that are related to them as fans (Stanfil, 2013). By engaging with one another they create a sense of belonging for all people who are supporters of that sports club, and at times a group of friends would sit together at home or at a bar watching a soccer match. At times people are shamed of letting people know that they are part of a certain community, hence they look for these fan pages where they know they are going to find people who have similar interests as them online (Sesek and Pusnik, 2014). The digital age has made things easier for fans because they know that they will find online communities for which they will be able to blend in very well. Thus, within the internet most things are accessible, such as a blog for that group. Others can also create secret groups online where they know that only them can be able to see their participation in that small community (Sesek and Pusnik, 2014). Sports fandoms are usually male-dominated and thus women who find themselves within this space may be subject to negative responses from males.

Sport is usually associated with males and it is very problematic on the way in which women who are into sport are being treated (Tanaka, 2004). Sports fandom is largely associated with masculine culture, and one can see sport as being gendered in that way. It has always been something ‘masculine men’ do. It should be noted that even soccer fans before were mostly males but now the narrative has changed because now women are interested in sport (Bover, 2009). Even when males may be discussing a soccer match, one is more likely to find a female not saying anything because once they try to talk more about soccer it is as if they know more about soccer which is something supposedly surprising for males. It seems they need to control their love for sport and not say it loudly because supposedly that is what men should be bragging about (Tanaka, 2004). You can even see females love for sport as they are always present when there is a soccer match, to come and support their teams (Tanaka, 2004). During half-time they usually discuss about their experiences or views of the game, and thus it should be noted that the ordinary practice of talking about soccer happens everywhere. Though one can see a slight distinction between male and female soccer fandom, for feminine it is less visualized. Men can be able to get together and play soccer together or creating supporters club whilst women prefer the private kind of involvement where they show their support as fans online (Tanaka, 2004). Female fans may be subjected to harassment from the male individuals when they are watching soccer match (Jones, 2008).

Jones (2008) conducted in-depth interviews between the years 2001 and 2006, with 38 white women and a few males, and he used a strategy called participant observation during soccer matches in England to have an understanding on female soccer fandom compared to males. He found out that there are several sexists acts that male fans portray when they are watching soccer games. The first is understood to be directed at players and telling them that they ‘play like girls’. This clearly connotes that women are seen to be less powerful than men and it implies that the players do not have the skill required or they do not have the strength to play soccer (Jones, 2008). At times they use homophobic words to refer to other players, meaning that they regard to them as being feminine, thus incorporating female traits. Most soccer fans are subject to sexist abuse on the stadium and even at the fan internet forums. There seems to be a conflict between one’s gender and the fan identities, with men being sexist fans. Many women did not want to involve themselves in soccer because most people regarded the sport to be for men (Jones, 2008). Sport is something done by male, as one can see how the masculine culture is celebrated through the aggressiveness and sexualising women cheerleaders for the male-gaze (Bover, 2009). Most women may be side-lined when they are into sport unless they incorporate the masculine characteristics and leaving behind their femininity if they want to be considered as part of the community (Bover, 2009).

 Sport is regarded as one of those activities that bring people from different regions together. Sports fans are highly active and are more likely to pay close attention to their team. Because of globalization, people can become fans of teams that are beyond their borders. This also explains how during the world cup, many people all around the world were watching it even when they could not come physically. This shows the power of the digital media to break geographical barriers. Thus, these new ways of communication create more connections amongst the team’s fans (Stanfil, 2013). Online streaming of games also allows those who cannot move from one place to the other to enjoy watching their teams play. Sport fans are no longer passive, but they engage in online conversation about their teams and the issues they want addressed (Tanaka, 2004). Social media platforms have allowed the fandom community to share their experiences, photos with others and having a voice to address issues that faces them. Platforms such as Twitter also allows people to follow a certain hashtag, when there is soccer match there will be hashtag that allows the fans to tweet about the game as they are watching. Sharing becomes easier and with television being one of the powerful media where fans can watch matches (Sesek and Pusnik, 2014).

It has been shown that male and female sport fans show different characteristics because one is perceived to have to show masculine characteristics if they want to be part of the community. Most women who are interested in soccer would preferably keep quiet when there are discussions on soccer because they are lacking knowledge in it. Digital media have allowed for the fans to be able to share information, images and feel like they belong with other people with whom they share the same goals with. Sport fans even follow their teams online fan clubs and their team’s blogs to always be updated with their favourite teams. Sport fans incorporate both males and females, but their characteristics differ.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Borer, I. M. (2009). Negotiating the symbols of gendered sports fandom. Social Psychology Quarterly, 72(1), 1-4.

Jones, K.W., 2008. Female fandom: Identity, sexism, and men’s professional football in England. Sociology of Sport Journal, 25(4), pp.516-537.

Sesek, L. & Pusnik, M. (2014). Reading popular literature and digital media: Reading experience, fandoms, and social networks. Anthropological Notebooks, 20(2), 103-126.

Stanfill, M. (2013). Fandom, public, commons. Transformative Works and Cultures, 14.Williams, J. (2007). Rethinking sports fandom: The case of European soccer. Leisure Studies, 26(2), 127-146

Tanaka, T., 2004. The positioning and practices of the ‘feminized fan ‘in Japanese soccer culture through the experience of the FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan 2002. Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, 5(1), pp.52-62.

[coolyourefierce-blog]

the feminist movement of social media

in a democratic society, the media plays a significant role in shaping society where women and women have enjoy equal rights however the mass media still continue to perpetuate  discriminatory gendered stereotypes about women and their portrayal of them in a sexualized manner ( Davtyan-Gevorgyan: 2016). it is identifiable in the media  that there is a narrow depiction of females which is aligned with them being domesticated or sex objects (Davtyan-Gevorgyan; 2016).The media allows for feminists activism as it opens participation for the individuals that are social media platforms and seek to fight against patriarchy that is still inherent in society (Chittal: 2015). this participation removes geographic barriers as sites such as Twitter have made activism quite easier as it makes public discussions possible and construct a platform that is aimed at change and awareness (Chittal: 2015).For example, a collective of women wanted to protest against the abortion bill in Texas in 2013 made means for those who cannot be physically to take a stand inline  with the #StandWithWendy which showed support to the state representative Wendy Davis in her 13 hour action against this legislative motion (Chittal: 2015). Feminism activism on social media wants to challenge and produce change in organisations in which the traditional understanding of feminism underlie their advertising (Chittal: 2015). This change occurs because of the 'loud' criticism created by women. The Victoria Secret's advertising campaign  with the slogan 'perfect body' was modified after the adverse reaction it received on Twitter as individuals were offended by the fact that  the campaign featured women of a slender stature and mostly consisted of white women which was basically promoting the western ideal of beauty and as such can result in women who are not in accordance to these standards to have a  negative image (Chittal: 2015). it should be acknowledged that online activism does not replace traditional activism such as protests, riots and rallies but it does provide  the voices of the voiceless to be heard and it allows  for the voices to be heightened regardless of geographic location, group affiliations or social economic status ranking (Chittal :2015). The role in which celebrities play in the feminist movement is significant as it works in the favour of the movement to have big stars like Beyoncé and Lady Gaga (Chou: 2016). These two celebrities use their social power to challenge social norms that exist in society. Lady Gaga challenges  the whole idea of how one should look and present themselves in the public realm while Beyoncé  is seen as a symbol of empowerment and confidence as teaching young women to be confident and comfortable in their own bodies (Chou:2016). Feminism can be understood as a social movement  that is constructed  for the empowerment and equal treatment of all the people (WALKIN: 2015). This basically advocates for the social, political and economic equality of all regardless of their gender (Walkin: 2015). this social movement is a quest t o eradicate of the sexist framework  that underlies society and such a movement will be faced a few hiccups along the way from those with oppositional stance in this matter, who would have ever thought that tweeting to become a political act ? Twitter is a social media platform that can be used political campaigns as it allows for the coming together of followers in the public engagement of case that they are fighting for and ultimately take action (Domagala: 2016). this platform uses hashtags that are the reason behind the widespread of media campaigns as it allow women to form community  and spread the word before heading to the streets (Domagala: 2016). the hashtag in this instance is used by feminists  to share their stories  and to build the momentum abut the change that will occur in the outside world (Kilili:  2016). The feminist movement uses social media  to challenge the ideologies about the subordination of women  and these are the following hashtags that were aimed at producing social, political and economic equality. The #BringBlackOurGirls was a significant hashtag that began on Twitter  and later achieved relevance  as it exploded to other social media platforms (Kilili: 2016). This campaign brought awareness into the issues of terrorism and the kidnapping of girls. The #FreeNipple campaign which displayed images of the bodies of women to fight against  the shaming and sexualisation of women's breasts (Kilili: 2016). The #YesAllWomen campaign constitute a safe space  where women can vocalize and make others aware of their issues and also point out the changes that need to occur in society (Kilili: 2016)

feminist activism uses Twitter to show the social flaws and the traditional misogynist perceptions of women that have been normalized in society. the digital sphere allows women and men against these patriarchal ideologies to construct a safe community  in which f allows for the voices which were traditionally categorized as subordinate to be heard and it also provides women with a space to express their issues and  frustrations  which will constitute global conversation which would be most likely to bring these topic into the mainstream,

 References

Chittal, N, (2015). How social media is changing the feminist movement?

Davtyan-Gevorgyan, A. (2016). Women and Mass Media

Chiu, A. (2016).Feminism growing because of the media.

Walkin, B.(2015). Feminism and Media: Reshaping our perceptions of women

Domagala, N. (2016). Social media women's movement go viral.

Kilili, P. (2016). Feminism in the Digital Age: How Hashtags are revitalizing the Feminist Movement Using Social Media.

[lastgenpodcast]

What Does a Millenial Princess Look Like?

We have come a long way with our princesses- they are no longer solely pining over their prince charmings and waiting for someone else to make their lives better.  They also are the heroines of the movies and are making strides to be more independent than the classic princesses.  But, in looking back at how far we have come, I began to wonder, what does a princess look like going forward? What does the millennial princess look like?

I understand that this question addresses a generation that is no longer young and seeking idols to look up to. But, as we all know, it’s the parents that take their children to the movies, thus appealing to the parents is essential.  So we first must define what a millennial is in this piece.  While we know there is a date range of people born within a certain time frame, I think it’s also important to figure out what makes this generation unique.  The people we are discussing here have been inundated with technology as it rapidly advanced from the time when they were young until the time they were ready to enter the workforce.  As a result, the simple things of taking a photograph to remember an occasion, which was once a simple point and click and wait until the film develops to hope it turned out ok, has now turned into taking the picture from the right angle, applying the right filter, adding the best caption, and, of course, choosing the perfect hashtag, all so the simple memory can be put up for the world to see.

So where in this world of fast moving technology and having the world look at your personal life would someone like Cinderella fit in, who mainly waited for someone else to show up to help make her dreams come true? Does Belle, even with her own sort of progressive feminism, find her place in this new atmosphere? How does a company built on the backs of these fairytale girls bring a new face to this somewhat cynical generation? Can this generation even fall in love with a naïve young lady anymore?  The classic princesses especially, though the more recent films are not innocent of this, are technically not even out of high school by today’s standards, yet they are either ready to settle down, start their own restaurant, or are too busy saving their world.

The next question I’ve thought about is: What does a millennial even fantasize about that would be relatable in a typical “princess” movie? The themes that once permeated the “classic” princesses seem trivial to an audience today. No longer are girls simply dreaming of meeting Mr. Right, getting married, and starting a family.  Nowadays, many people are just wishing to have enough money to get a place of their own, while others are hoping to land that perfect job that offers both security and fills their passion meter. The focus of relationships and families has fallen behind the importance of careers and independence. We have seen these themes in Princess and the Frog with Tiana who longed for a restaurant of her own, but she was held back due to a lack of means and societal restrictions.  In Tangled, Rapunzel also yearned for independence, though this was stepped on by Mother Gothel, along with a “healthy” dose of guilt sprinkled in whenever the idea of leaving her mother was brought up. We also saw the major break of stereotypes in Frozen with Elsa not needing a love interest at all, true love being between sisters and not a girl and boy, and even Anna’s love interest being turned on its head by both Hans and Kristoff, though the irony that the only “princess” in this film still does have a love interest is not lost on me. So, it seems the princesses are moving in a good direction here and seem to not only hold true to the old-fashioned dreaming, but also show some independence in the female leads.

It does seem that the one thing that has stuck with the princesses has been the love interest.  Is this, though, where things tend to get a bit mired in the classic ideology? I don’t think we need a princess who is caught up in a romance. Even so, how would you present this type of princess to an audience who has grown up fighting for equal pay, equal opportunity, and equal advancement for women? Does the idea of a love interest make the character seem weaker and, therefore, not as strong as these millennial women have grown up to become? One can look at the more recent Moana- though not technically a “princess” but the chief’s daughter (a la Pocahontas)- for a female lead with no love interest.  

However, the story of Moana has a few hiccups too.  Towards the middle/end of the film, Moana and Maui both have a crisis of whether or not they can actually be the “hero” they need to be- Maui needs to be convinced twice by Moana to take the trip with her and that he can get his powers up to snuff; Moana is at first taught to be a wayfinder and then needs to be convinced not to give up on her quest by her grandmother.  Due to the repetitiveness of each of these characters’ crises, though, it takes away from the moment when Moana realizes she can do it on her own anyway.  The struggle that Moana goes through is overshadowed by Maui’s struggle and she needs to then show him that he can be the demi-god he once was.  It’s a mess, and to top it all off, Moana still needs Maui’s help when fighting Te Ka.  So really, while Moana doesn’t have a love interest, she still has a male counterpart that sort of steals her spotlight.  Moana has some strong qualities- I mean she does save her people and helps them return to their wayfinding roots- but it still feels like there’s something missing. Why should the heroine need to have someone else share her spotlight? The male characters, such as Hercules, Aladdin, and Tarzan, all clearly dominate their films with the females being very distinctly segregated to their “supporting” roles. Meg still needs to be saved by Hercules before the film ends; Jasmine is the love interest and, while she challenges the idea of being “sold” into marriage, she still will get stuck being in the role of wife and mother; and even Jane, despite being the most modern of the women, decides to leave it all for a guy- albeit her father is also there so she can continue “research” with him. Yet, looking at these roles, the idea is that the woman is the supporting role and the male role can shine despite the female role is still pretty consistent. Is this because many of the stories are written by men? Even Moana has 8 writing credits, ONE of which is a woman...just let that sink in.    

Going back to my questions- if you were a mother, what values would you want to see reflected in these type of movies that your daughters watch? While I may not have children, I can understand that showing a young girl Snow White versus Princess and the Frog would present two totally different ideas of what “dreams” are meant to be.  Furthermore, I still feel that the images held up for young girls is still not completely up to par.  While the classic princesses had a totally unattainable beauty, including the tiniest waists, miniature feet, ivory skin, and the biggest of eyes, the current princesses still have some issues to contend with.  The idea of beauty is still mired in thinness and flawless complexion, and a majority of the princesses are still white. With the societal trend of every body is beautiful, this is still not reflected in the princesses. None of these characters have body types that are reflective of every woman, and even if a movie does portray a character as heavy set, typically they’re male, and usually there is some element of jokes being thrown about regarding this character’s weight/size. Even considering skin color- Middle Eastern girls only have Jasmine as being their go-to princess; Asian girls only have Mulan; and African American girls have Tiana.  While I’m not saying girls of color could not dress up as Elsa, please do because that white blonde hair would look amazing with dark skin tones, it’s still an issue of not having a princess, and all her merchandise, “look like me.”  The problem here, for me, is implanting the idea in young girls’ minds that princesses and beauty can only be a certain type of person, and this ideology is what many millennial women have been fighting against since the time when they realized they could never attain the same “beauty” shown to them by these princesses, from Snow White even up through Elsa. So many of us have struggled with eating disorders, body dysmorphia issues, or many other self-esteem issues that we have fought to ensure our daughters, and sons for that matter, don’t grow up with these same issues- though it has been a real challenge due to the way all sorts of media portray the “ideal form.”

This is just the start of the conversation. I pose these questions to you so that we can start to think a bit more critically about what we present to the next generation. I believe that the idea of the “princess” has changed and needs to continue to change. Don’t take away the beautiful dresses or accessories (goodness knows those are definitely the stuff of dreams), but, please, give us stronger characters who have their own stories to tell and that don’t need another person to make their tale complete. Let’s give women a stronger voice in the development of these characters since their perspective is unique. Offer a wider variety of role model than what was offered to us so that our children can see that all types can achieve greatness. That, I think, is a good place to begin.