Have you heard of Fifty Shades of Grey? Of course you have. It’s everywhere. By now we probably all know the basics: damaged millionaire falls for innocent undergrad and introduces her to a world of BDSM play that’s by turns sexy and disturbing. He tries to push her into a full-time dominant/submissive contract; she tries […]
“It Follows”: A Horror Film That Doesn’t Blame the Victim for Having Sex
It Follows has an uncanny eye for detail, using jump cuts, long takes and a heavy musical score to build a horror/arthouse film that suggests very ominous things about sexuality, sexual agency and sexual coercion/abuse. The second film from director David Robert Mitchell, It Follows draws upon ’70s and ’80s horrors flicks, filling the screen […]
Leslie Knope’s 7 Greatest Feminist Achievements
Last night, fans of Parks and Recreation bid a fond and tearful farewell to their favorite city employee, Leslie Knope, as the series aired its final episode. Here at Ms., we were especially sad to say goodbye to Amy Poehler’s endlessly upbeat, hyper-motivated and earnest Knope—a public servant in Pawnee, Indiana—because she offered up a consistently wonderful portrayal […]
Where Are All the Women in Ai Weiwei’s New Exhibition?
When I walked into the New Industries Building where the Ai Weiwei @Large exhibit is housed on Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay, I was greeted by a giant Chinese dragon. Suspended from the ceiling, it snaked through the prison’s old work space, where model prisoners were once allowed to sew uniforms or do […]
Pimpkillah: Feminist Comic Hero Is Not Your Girl Next Door
When one is looking for nuanced, relatable female characters, the comic book world can be a difficult one to traverse. Women are often props for male protagonists, prizes that need to rescued, adored or ogled. Even when they do get to be the main characters who vanquish villains, they are reduced to “fighting fuck toys,” […]
The Top 5 Most Feminist Oscars Moments
While we’re not quite ready to call last night the #FeministOscars—there were some majorly ugh-worthy moments (hey, Sean Penn)—there was certainly lots to cheer for. Join us on a journey through the Oscars most feminist moments: 1. The #AskHerMore campaign ruled the red carpet. Reese Witherspoon got on board with the #AskHerMore campaign before the […]
#AskHerMore and #OscarsSoWhite are Not Separate Issues
To every woman who gave birth. To every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else’s equal rights. It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all, and equal rights for women in the United States of America. So proclaimed Best Supporting Actress winner Patricia Arquette at this year’s […]
Alterna-Oscars 2015
As many of us get ready to attend Oscar viewing parties tomorrow and throw a few bucks into a betting pool—hoping to pick the most winners and take home the pot—we still have a nagging sense about those who were not nominated. So here are some suggestions of Oscars that should be given out tomorrow. Best Director […]
How Did Women in Film Fare in 2014?
Ellen DeGeneres may have hosted the Oscars last year, but that was one of the few ways Hollywood did right by women in 2014. According to a new report from Martha Lauzen, executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University, women comprised a meager 12 percent […]
Amber Rose and the Kardashians: Race, Privilege and Slut-Shaming
For those who don’t keep up with Twitter beefs between reality stars and hip-hop models, there was quite the social media brawl when the latter (Amber Rose) disparaged rapper Tyga for allegedly dating one of the former (underage Kylie Jenner). When asked on a radio show what she thought of the relationship, Rose said: She’s […]