As we’ve watched the podcast “Serial” continue to top charts in its second season, we were interested to find out which feminist podcasts are making waves. We discovered some that have established audiences over the years, while others have just come on the scene—but all are guaranteed to educate and entertain! Check out our picks for nine […]
Tag: Lena Dunham
Hollywood, the Sexual Violence Factory
“The statement that the primary function of movies is entertainment is clearly not the end of the question. All entertainment is education in some way, many times more effective than schools because of the appeal to the emotions rather than to the intellect.” — Hortense Powdermaker, Hollywood, the Dream Factory As of this writing, more […]
Our Favorite Funny Women Call Out Sexism in Hollywood
Lena Dunham, Amy Schumer, Gina Rodriguez, Tracee Ellis Ross, Ellie Kemper and Kate McKinnon. Imagine all these incredibly talented women comedians in the same room together. Talking about battling misogyny in Hollywood, how to be funny and still be feminist, and why women need to stop starting so many sentences with “sorry.” Now stop imagining because The […]
To Lena Dunham, the Personal is Political
It’s easier to explain Lena Dunham’s new book, Not That Kind of Girl, by explaining what it’s not: It’s not a self-help book, nor an attempt to quell Dunham’s critics. It’s not drowning in narcissism, nor the author’s affinity for nudity. Rather, the reader is introduced to Lena: a self-aware, unashamed and extremely funny woman. […]
We Heart: Taylor Swift’s Overdue Feminist Awakening
The growing club of feminist celebrities welcomed its latest member over the weekend when Taylor Swift, after years of side-stepping the label, came out as a feminist. In an interview with The Guardian, the country-pop singer put all doubts about her feminism to rest: As a teenager, I didn’t understand that saying you’re a feminist […]
We Spleen: Joan Rivers for Body-Shaming Lena Dunham
Lena Dunham, writer, producer and star of HBO’s hit show, Girls, pushes back against conventional beauty standards by frequently appearing nude on her show and embracing her physique. We applaud her for her boldness. But Joan Rivers has a different take on Dunham’s boundary-crossing ways. The Fashion Police host recently made some way-out-of-line remarks about Dunham on Howard Stern’s radio […]
Girls Will Be “Girls” — A Feminist Lens on Season 3
The third season of HBO’s Girls premiered Sunday night with two new episodes and a whole lot of millennial self-absorption. Hannah (Lena Dunham), now back with Adam (Adam Driver), is getting her life back on track, while her best friend Marnie (Allison Williams) is single again after being ceremonially dumped by Charlie (Christopher Abbott). Shoshanna […]
13 Favorite Feminist Quotes of 2013
Here are quotes from celebrated women in 2013 that made us glow with feminist pride! It’s been a year of both triumphs and defeats for women worldwide, but one thing for certain is that there are lots of inspiring women who will never give up the fight. I have a daughter and I have granddaughters […]
Did “Girls” Romanticize a Rapist?
Like many of us who have been following the show, I’ve had lukewarm feelings about Girls’ contribution to feminism. Though many commentators have raised valid criticisms about the show’s handling of race and class, it’s been refreshing to see a female lead with an “imperfect” body, and I’ve praised the show for focusing on young […]
Feminism and Flawed Women in Lena Dunham’s “Girls”
As a mid-to-late-20-something woman, I have grown up with a wide range of pop-culture representations of women, from the Wakefield twins of Sweet Valley High to Cher from Clueless to any part Winona Ryder played to blandly interchangeable rom-com leading ladies to the women of Sex and the City. I have loved and hated these […]