Movie Poster for ‘The Help.” Although just released on August 10, “The Help,” a film adapted from Kathryn Stockett’s novel, has already run aground of racism charges by the Association of Black Women Historians (ABWH).
In its formal statement to moviegoers, the Association of Black Women Historians (ABWH) admonishes the film for “widespread stereotyping” of African American [...]
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We can thank the British for many things: the colonization of much of the world, not passing on their dentistry or cooking skills, our accents, the postage stamp, Mr. Bean, the pay toilet and gravity, just to name a few. But one thing we have never given them credit for is creating the wedding industry. [...]
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Each generation has their heated issue when it comes to marriage. Once upon a time, it was imperative to maintain the virtue and innocence of a young woman (i.e.: the presence of her hymen) on her wedding night. In present times, the average age of sexually active women is 17. Therefore, contrary to the repressive [...]
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Today, March 3, is International Sex Worker’s Rights Day. Millions of women, men, and trans people around the world choose to sell sex, and the topic of sex work is one that sharply divides feminists and women’s rights activists. In this series of articles I will explore the links between globalization, migration, the ‘rescue industry’, [...]
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The world had been rocked over the past few months by the cataclysmic changes brought about by the Jasmine Revolution. Across the Middle East, seething, roiling masses of humanity are realizing their collective power, and as they spread their wings and test their strength, the earth trembles. Looking around and seeing corruption, oppression, and inequality, [...]
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Eco fashionistas, with party season upon us (why let New Year’s end with the ball drop?! Being stuck indoors means being stuck indoors with all your closest buds dressed to the nines, I like to say!), let the extravagance begin! I’ve put together a chic look that screams originality and style for ultra glam party [...]
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I read an obvious and overused clichéd critical reference that ended up telling me absolutely nothing about the new film Love and Other Drugs. I have yet to meet anyone who actually likes these types reviews or those quick phrases on movie posters and ads that say things like “You will laugh. You will cry. You’ll [...]
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“Made in Dagenham” is a British docudrama by Director Nigel Cole and is based on the true story of 187 female Ford Motor machinists in Dagenham, England, 1968. The female workers, led by Rita O’Grady (Sally Hawkins), unite in a strike after management reclassifies them as “unskilled workers” to justify a lower pay rate. The [...]
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October was National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and since that time, I’ve been thinking a lot about this widespread problem in our society. I noticed, as you likely did, that numerous methods for supporting patients and further research were promoted during the month. October saw a barrage of advertisements and events, both material and virtual, [...]
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Disney’s princess plots are more predictable than a woman’s period. Girl is oppressed (by magic, evil villain, or station in life), girl decides to challenge adversity, girl meets vagabond boy en route, cue adorable magical or animal sidekick, boy and girl conquer evil villain, boy and girl marry and the live happily ever after. The [...]
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The Social Network, the film that tells the tale of the founding and rise of Facebook, has taken a lot of flack from feminist critics since its release on October 1. The film and its screenwriter, Aaron Sorkin, have been accused of creating and promoting misogyny, of pigeon-holing women into hyper-stereotyped roles in which [...]
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Names like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Earl Hines come to mind when one reviews the list of great jazz musicians. The back streets of New Orleans French Quarter gave birth to jazz and seemingly bequeathed it to male musicians. From its inception, the jazz arena was a ‘man’s world’, but the tables are slowly [...]
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It was a typical afternoon in Los Angeles as cars rolled by in the streets and people were walking or riding their bicycles on the sidewalks. Suddenly, a taxicab stopped in front of a man riding his bicycle. The man broke immediately but was tossed onto the ground. This man wasn’t any ordinary rider, it happened to be Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
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This fall finds us in the middle of the sixth season of Showtime’s popular and award winning series Weeds. Since the Botwin family fled Agrestic, the fictional Los Angeles suburb where they lived during the first three seasons, the evolution of the show has been a hot topic among critics and audiences. What started as [...]
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But did you know that women in many of the Western states were voting long before the passage of the 19th Amendment? Films like Iron Jawed Angels have popularized the images of women picketing the White House and holding large suffrage parades, but we often forget about the contributions of women on the Western frontier.
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