Ellen Page on the new F-word

In this article, Ellen Page discusses the fear modern day women have in admitting that they are feminists, as if it is a bad word in the english language. Feminism does not mean misandry, feminism means equality among both genders, which is a common misconception among women today, particularly those in the celebrity spotlight such as Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and Beyonce.

Feminist Taylor Swift Twitter

If any of you guys have twitter, or even if you don't, you should check out this twitter page titled "Feminist Taylor Swift," which basically takes her song lyrics and slightly alters so they appear as feminist statement. Some of them are actually quite humorous! What a world it would be if Taylor Swift actually advocated for female independence from men, rather than portraying the idea that woman are reliant on men's love in order to find happiness in life. Also, her backstabbing lyrics towards ex-partners are beginning to get old.

The Issues of Ignorance and Stereotyping in American Society

So today, one of my close friends that I have known for about five years spontaneously sent me a text message asking me if I am a lesbian. The first conclusion I came to was that she assumes that because I am a female with a pixie cut, I must be a lesbian, which I find to be a quite false stereotype that many short haired woman fall into. The fact that woman have to prove their sexual orientation once they crop their hair is utterly ridiculous. If men with long hair do not have their sexuality questioned, then why should a woman with short hair have their sexuality constantly questioned. Furthermore, I find it highly offensive as a woman with short hair that people assume that cutting your hair short automatically means that the woman is trying to establish herself as a lesbian. One another note, I believe she also came to this presumption through knowledge of the fact that I am a proud feminist, and I find it quite ridiculous that in todays society, if a woman believes that there should be equality among genders, they MUST be a lesbian. This is more of a personal ranting post, but bottom line is that I was upset by my friends spontaneous questioning of my sexual orientation, considering her knowledge of my feminist views and my cropped hair cut. To conclude, I believe it is wrong to make an assumption about someone's sexually orientation based upon their appearance and their views on gender equality. Although this is a personal post, I am sure other woman can identify with this if they are a feminist and/or sport a pixie cut. We constantly have dealt with the issue of ignorant members of our society questioning our sexuality.

Portlandia's "Women & Women First" Skit

Women & Women First bookstore owners in action

If you are unfamiliar with the show Portlandia, it is a sketch comedy on IFC starring Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen, which satirizes the many hipsters of Portland, Oregon. There is one recurring skit which I find to be quite humorous: the feminist bookstore, Women & Women First. In this skit, there are two female owners of said bookstore, played by Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen, who are what I would describe as hardcore free-spirited feminists that condemn anyone that  even attempts to make a pejorative remark or action towards women, making for quite a ridiculous scenarios. This is one example of the rising presence of feminism in the entertainment industry. Although this is somewhat a mockery of feminists, the shows producers still manage to promote the idea of women's rights.

Here is one of my favorite skits of Women & Women First (starring one of my favorite angst filled actors, Aubrey Plaza, which only adds to its appeal):

Women Crush Wednesday: Grimes aka Claire Boucher

the beautiful Claire Boucher

Because today is "women crush wednesday," I thought it would only be fitting to make a post about my female crush, Claire Boucher. She is an indie pop musician who writes her own music, produces music videos, and creates artwork, while going by the stage name, Grimes. She should be noted for her strong, rising female presence in the entertainment industry. Unlike many other striving female pop musicians in the music scene, Grimes does not believe in exploiting her body or objectifying herself in order to broaden her audience or gain attention, which I find to be quite admirable. This is the tumblr post she  created recently titled "I don't want to have to compromise my morals in order to make a living." It is quite moving and inspirational, particularly as many woman today believe they must alter their morals in order to meet society's expectations or to reach stardom.

If you are unfamiliar with her music, here is in my opinion, her greatest song, and one of the best music videos of the year:

Lisa Simpson

Lisa Simpson reading The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Lisa Simpson is well known as a member of one of televisions favorite families, the Simpsons. At the young age of 8 year old, and with a well above average IQ of 159, Lisa Simpson is a proud feminist who is not afraid to share her ideas on the state of the world. As displayed in the image above, she is reading a novel in her school's cafeteria while other goof off, which is quite typical of her character as she highly admires reading novels in her free time. This is just one prime example one of the ways in which Lisa Simpson establishes herself as an individual amidst a conformist society in which girls are expected to play with dolls and talk about boys. Lisa proves this stereotype to be quite false as she marches to the beat of her own drum, or rather her saxophone, which she proudly plays as a member of her school band. While she does maintain feminine attributes, she still refuses to conform to those gender roles set by American society. Although Lisa is criticized by classmates for her radical political ideologies regarding women's rights, animals rights, and human rights she never neglects to stand up for what she believes in, even if it makes her unpopular by the fourth grader standards. She is also one of the only fictional cartoon characters on television to live a vegetarian lifestyle, which is quite admirable for a girl at such a young age. Although she is a fictional character, she should be celebrated by women all around the world while being viewed as a role model to those who are afraid to stand up for what they believe in as they try to establish themselves the "man's world" that we live in.

here is a short video in which Lisa Simpson presents pride in her mother's effort to become educated:

why I need feminism

Today I was inspired by this blog to develop my own conception of why I myself and the rest of the female population needs feminism. These ideas were also brought about by an event that occurred tonight in which a man (who appeared to be homeless) asked my sister and I for a ride to the next town over, which clearly I wish I could have done, but due to the ideas ingrained into the minds of every woman in America, women should not trust male strangers, so naturally we had to turn down his request.
This is why I need feminism:
1. I should be able to approach a male stranger without fear that they will physically harm me
2. I should not have to be fearful of my personal safety while walking alone at night time, particularly in urban areas or deserted areas, such as parking garages.
3. I should not have to carry objects that must be used to ward of dangerous men, such as pepper spray or a rape whistle.
4. I should be able to look any man in the eye without them giving them the idea that "i want it."
The bottom line is that I should be able to trust that men will not try to suppress me through use of physical force. I should be able to walk this earth just as any male does without fear of harm, whether physical or verbal.

who needs feminism?

We do!! That's why you should take a look at this blog composed of posts submitted by different women regarding their personal reasoning for we need feminism in our world. I highly suggest that everyone takes a look at this blog to give some insight into why gender equality is so important in our culture through the mins of a typical American girl.

Sylvia Plath

the beautiful Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath is, in my opinion, one of the greatest female writers to have walked this earth, but sadly her clinical depression ultimately led to her demise as she committed suicide at the young age of 30. She wrote the novel, The Bell Jar, which was a semi-autobiographical story about a woman's psychological decline as her depression worsens, bringing about multiple suicide attempts and as a result, admittance to a mental health institution. She also wrote a book of poems titled Ariel, which I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys poetry. Below is my favorite poem by Sylvia Plath (mostly because of the last stanza), which can be found in Ariel:

Lady Lazarus

I have done it again. 

One year in every ten

 I manage it--

A sort of walking miracle, my skin

 Bright as a Nazi lampshade,

 My right foot

 A paperweight,

 My face a featureless, fine

 Jew linen.

Peel off the napkin

 O my enemy.

 Do I terrify?-- 

The nose, the eye pits, the full set of teeth?

 The sour breath

 Will vanish in a day.

 Soon, soon the flesh

 The grave cave ate will be

 At home on me

 And I a smiling woman.

 I am only thirty.

 And like the cat I have nine times to die.

 This is Number Three.

 What a trash

 To annihilate each decade

 What a million filaments.

 The peanut-crunching crowd

 Shoves in to see

 Them unwrap me hand and foot--

 The big strip tease.

 Gentlemen, ladies

 These are my hands

 My knees.

 I may be skin and bone,

 Nevertheless, I am the same, identical woman.

 The first time it happened I was ten.

 It was an accident.

 The second time I meant

 To last it out and not come back at all.

 I rocked shut

 As a seashell.

 They had to call and call

 And pick the worms off me like sticky pearls.

 Dying

 Is an art, like everything else.

 I do it exceptionally well.

 I do it so it feels like hell.

 I do it so it feels real.

 I guess you could say I've a call.

 It's easy enough to do it in a cell.

 It's easy enough to do it and stay put.

 It's the theatrical

 Comeback in broad day

 To the same place, the same face, the same brute

 Amused shout:

 'A miracle!'

 That knocks me out.

 There is a charge

 For the eyeing of my scars, there is a charge

 For the hearing of my heart--

 It really goes.

 And there is a charge, a very large charge

 For a word or a touch

 Or a bit of blood

 Or a piece of my hair or my clothes.

 So, so, Herr Doktor.

So, Herr Enemy.

 I am your opus,

 I am your valuable,

 The pure gold baby

 That melts to a shriek.

 I turn and burn.

 Do not think I underestimate your great concern.

 Ash, ash--

 You poke and stir.

 Flesh, bone, there is nothing there--

 A cake of soap,

 A wedding ring,

 A gold filling.

Herr God, Herr Lucifer

 Beware

 Beware.

 Out of the ash

 I rise with my red hair

 And I eat men like air. 

why choose feminism

here is a short video about why you too should also be a feminist:

Feminist of the week: Rosie the Riveter

Since this is a feminist blog, I thought it would only be fitting to devote my first post to the iconic image that represents the feminist movement, Rosie the Riveter. This woman represented the American women that worked in factories producing war materials during the 1940's while their husbands were away fighting in World War II. This was the first time women were truly recognized for their efforts in the American workforce. The slogan that goes along with this iconic image of Rosie the Riveter, "We Can Do It!" is a reminder to woman both today and in past decades we as women are capable of completing any task, just as men are, and should not be deterred from any opportunity due to our gender and the supposition that we are weak and incapable of completing physically demanding tasks. 

necessary bcuz zombies r cool

more information on Rosie the Riveter