Back in 2011, the Ms. Blog interviewed Jessica Lawson, the mind behind the popular Feminist Hulk account on Twitter. By abusing the caps-lock button with The Hulk’s clunky diction, Lawson used this superhero identity to tweet about smashing stigmas and patriarchy, gaining nearly 70,000 followers as a result. In 2012, we wrote about the Feminist Ryan […]
Author: Marinda Valenti
Sorry, Not Sorry: Still Unimpressed With Abercrombie and Candie’s
This month, accusations of shaming hit two major clothing brands: Abercrombie & Fitch for deeming women over a size 10 “uncool,” and Candie’s for reducing young mothers to fear-based abject lessons. This week, both companies have responded to criticism, but it still isn’t enough. Abercrombie & Fitch When exclusionary comments made by A&F CEO Mike […]
First Anti-Domestic Violence Campaigns From Saudi Arabia
“Treat her like a queen, not a punching bag.” “He who hits a woman is a coward.” These are some of the tweets featured in a recent social media campaign from Saudi Arabia. In an effort to call attention to the country’s alarming rates of domestic violence, young people of Saudi Arabia have been asked to […]
CreepShots: Are You Being Creeped On?
If you’re a woman who has recently taken the bus, gone to the gym or attended class, there’s a chance you’ve unknowingly entertained a number of creeps on CreepShots. Voyeurism has reached a whole new level of creepy thanks to an online community of peeping toms who post, collect and exchange what they call “CreepShots.” The […]
NEWSFLASH: Plan B Available To All Without Restriction
Late on Monday, the Obama administration said it will comply with a federal district court order to allow over-the-counter sales of emergency contraceptives. Although the Department of Justice initially appealed the court’s ruling, it has since withdrawn its challenge. This means that Plan B One-Step, which previously had an age restriction of 17 and older, […]
X-Women and the Power of Geek Girls
In a groundbreaking step for the comic book world, X-Men has finally released its first all-women superhero team. Marvel‘s latest issue of X-Men #1, Vol. 4, brings together six female mutants—Storm, Rogue, Jubilee, Kitty Pryde, Rachel Grey and Psylocke—at the woman-named Jean Grey School for Higher Learning to form a mold-breaking ensemble, both for the 50-year-old X-Universe as […]
Candie’s #NoTeenPreg Campaign Shames Young Moms
Dear teens: Don’t have sex—or else. This is the doom-tinged “advice” implied by a teen pregnancy prevention campaign put out by The Candie’s Foundation. In conjunction with National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, the foundation recently released a series of celebrity-endorsed PSAs for its #NoTeenPreg campaign, the shaming attitude of which is captured in its latest tagline: […]
Abercrombie and Fitch: Cool Kids and Corporate Bullies
Remember that guy in high school who took gym class a little too seriously? The one who picked on anybody not wearing a letterman jacket and taped Larry Lester’s buns together? Okay, for many of us this guy might only exist in countless teen movies, but his less-than-kind treatment of people who aren’t like him […]
What Do Dress Codes Say About Girls’ Bodies?
“You’re not going out dressed like that!” “What mother would let her child wear such a short skirt?” Think about it: How often do we police girls’ bodies? Recent talk of school dress codes reveals that it happens an awful lot, and for some confused reasons. After a New Jersey middle school banned strapless dresses from a […]
The Fight to Keep Merida Brave Is Not Over
Earlier this week, Disney fans became outraged by the company’s decision to include Merida, of the animated feature Brave, in its new line of sleeker, sexier princesses. Admired for her tomboyish spunk and dudeless story arc, Merida stands out from princesses before her in ways that can be considered revolutionary for women in animated film. For this reason, […]