19 93 fem.
THE FEMINIST ISSUE • Vol. 21 • Spring 2015
FEMI
NISM (noun) the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.
Pretty Dop
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READING WITH RACHEL: yES PLEASE quickly BECOMES NO THANKs Although our love for comedian Amy Poehler is still strong, the weak writing in ‘Yes Please’ is not. Rachel explains why.
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LOST IN LA WITH LEAH: The taylor swift experience We’ve never felt so lucky to work in Los Angeles. Join Leah in her adventure at the Grammy’s Museum where she sang her heart out to ‘We Are Never Ever Ever Ever Getting Back Together.’
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overcoming the gap between beauty & anorexia As if there weren’t a ton of things women are insecure about - here’s another one! The thigh gap is taking over the internet and our writers are not amused.
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IS Beyoncé a feminist? Queen Bey has been the center of many spotlights – but now most people are wondering wether or not she is a feminsit herself.
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Are YOU a Feminist? If you’re not sure if you’re a feminist or still do not know what feminism is, take our simple quiz to find out.
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cash talk: 5 myths about the gender pay gap proved wrong Are women really only getting paid 77 cents to every dollar a man earns? Is the nation really progressing toward equality? Myths are busted in this article.
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HILLARY CLINTON xxxx
mattress girl article xxx
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BADASS OF THE MONTH: NAADINE KOI From dabbling in all sorts of activities, to starting her own business, Naadine Koi has had many successes, but a ton of even better failures.
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STAFF CONTRIBUTION: 10 BEST CAREER ADVICE FOR YOUNG WOMEN If you’re not sure if you’re a feminist or still do not know what feminism is, take our simple quiz to find out.
R E A D I N G W I TH RACH EL
y l k c i u q ’ e s a e l p s ‘y e ” s k n a h t , o n “ s e b eco m The American comedian is so likable that she can be forgiven for this terrible ‘non-book.’ Article by Rachel Norman Comedian and actor Amy Poehler spends several pages of her new book
and Recreation, she embodies the possibility of a humour based not on
complaining about how difficult it is to write a book. “Authors pretend their
cruelty but on a rueful, shared acknowledgment of human folly. To judge
stories were always shiny and perfect and just waiting to be written,” she
by Yes Please, she’s a generous person who knows how to have a good time
writes. “The truth is, writing is hard and boring and occasionally great but
and never stops trying to be a better person. I kinda love her, too. Who
usually not.” Her latter point is true; the former, not so much. Grumbling
wouldn’t?
about writing is the main form of exercise engaged in by many authors
So perhaps it doesn’t make much sense to review Yes Please as if it were
(hey, it does get the pulse up). But, as gruelling as it is to write a book, it’s
a book like, say, a new Sarah Waters novel or Helen Macdonald’s H Is for
still not entirely clear that is what Poehler has done.
Hawk. It resembles a miscellany or scrapbook, some parts of which are
Yes Please arrives on printed pages sandwiched between cardboard
pointed and clever, such as Poehler’s chapter on divorce (she was formerly
covers and is currently lodged in the No 2 spot of the New York Times
married to the actor Will Arnett, with whom she has two sons). Much of
bestsellers list, so technically, yes: it is a book. However, it’s the type of title
it, however, is pleasant but banal. Only a Parks and Rec fan, for example,
the publishing business sometimes refers to as a “non-book”, meaning that
will gobble up such revelations as the fact that Nick Offerman (who plays
it has few of the qualities bookish people like to think of as exemplifying
Leslie’s boss, Ron Swanson), “is incredibly professional but also giggly. We
the form. It’s not a coherent, well-knit piece of writing organised around
both talk about how much we love our jobs at least five times a day. He
a central narrative or argument. It cannot stand on its own. It’s hard to
adores his wife and takes nothing for granted.”
imagine anyone making sense of parts of it, let alone wanting to read the
Yes Please also features mostly sweet vignettes from Poehler’s
whole thing, if they aren’t already familiar with Poehler’s work in film, TV
childhood and early career, testimonials from her parents about how
and improv comedy. Whatever you call Yes Please it’s meant for those
thrilled they were by her birth, a chapter titled “Things They Don’t Tell You
people who, upon hearing Poehler’s name, exclaim, “Oh, I love her!”
About the Biz” consisting of things you are likely to know already about
Not that there aren’t many reasons to love Poehler, who manages to be
the entertainment industry, and a refreshingly frank survey of Poehler’s
very funny and fundamentally decent at the same time, a vanishingly rare
modest history of recreational drug use. She’s got anecdotes about working
combination in her profession. As a cast member of Saturday Night Live
with such talented friends as Seth Meyers and Tina Fey, all of them infused
and playing the role of Leslie Knope – a chipper, ambitious civil servant
with a glow of nostalgia and cherished in‑jokes. Anyone who’s ever been
from the fictional small town of Pawnee, Iowa – in the terrific sitcom Parks
lucky enough to work in a climate of exceptional creative freedom and 8
camaraderie will know just what Poehler is talking about when she reels
An undigested melange of bits (a satirical chapter posing as a pregnant
off giddily happy reminiscences of her years at Saturday Night Live and
couple’s fussy list of demands for their obstetric team and so on), beefs,
the innovative improv group the Upright Citizens Brigade. But (unlike
advice and memoir, Yes Please has much in common with books such
poignancy or motherly love) esprit de corps is a feeling almost impossible
as Lena Dunham’s Not That Kind of Girl. To buy them, and even to
to convey in prose. In contrast to Fey’s Bossypants, whose humour derives
read them, is less a quest for a literary experience than it is a form of
in large part from Fey’s unapologetic prickliness and her willingness to
endorsement and affirmation.
be unlikable, Yes Please is unable to make a virtue out of its author’s
You like the parts you like, and you forgive the rest because what
lack of sharp edges. In person, Poehler can do this, and it’s a remarkable
you’re after is a piece of this public figure’s aura, an opportunity to
achievement, but on the page she tends to wax bland.
exercise and expand your allegiance to a persona that stands for a set
Does this matter, though? What does the intended reader of Yes
of appealing beliefs, ideas and attitudes. These are books in the same
Please really expect from it? There’s so much inspirational, you‑go-girl
way that concert T-shirts are clothing: less an end in themselves than a
pep talking (“It takes years as a woman to unlearn what you have been
membership card. In essence, they’re merch.
taught to be sorry for. It takes years to find your voice and seize your
This is not to say such books have no value; just owning them
real estate”) on these pages that at times the book veers into self‑help.
makes fans feel closer to the celebrities who write them. The theatre of
The ever‑conscientious Poehler recognises her responsibilities as
celebrity persona making is, in its own way, a kind of hypermediated art.
a role model, whether she’s advising her readers how to say no to
But come to a book like Yes Please with the desires and expectations of
unreasonable professional demands, how to treat your career or how to
a reader, and you’re almost certain to walk away disappointed, and sad
write an authentic apology note.
that your favorite comedian worte this weak “non-book” thing.
9
LOST IN LA WITH LEAH:
Article by Leah S. Williams
S
he’s a seven-time Grammy winner —
“She’s so relevant and so important and
possibly more come February — and
integral to the music industry and the way that
a recent recipient of the inaugural
it’s changing. You can’t deny her importance,”
Dick Clark Award for Excellence at the 2014
said Nwaka Onwusa, associate curator at the
American Music Awards.
museum during a preview of the exhibit.
She has an album on Rolling Stone’s list of
The exhibit encompasses the second floor of
The 50 Greatest Albums of All Time by women;
the downtown L.A. museum and includes nearly
Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most
100 items that celebrate the singer’s career,
Influential People and she was just named as
including family and concert photographs, home
Billboard’s youngest-ever Woman of the Year.
videos, outfits, musical instruments, handwritten
Now, pop superstar Taylor Swift can add one more thing to her long list of credits: a two-story museum exhibit in Los Angeles.
lyrics and awards. There are also interactive components like a mixing board where visitors can create their
The Grammy Museum will mark the singer’s
own versions of her songs and a song booth
25th birthday on Dec. 13 by opening “The Taylor
where they can sing along to her music with Swift
Swift Experience,” an exhibit that runs through
providing the backing vocals. Everything about
May 10 and focuses on her music and life.
the exhibit is interactive – just as Swift wanted it. 10
“We wanted to show the makings of a superstar and how that happened,” Onwusa said.
In the past, the Grammy Museum has held exhibitions dedicated to artists such as Bob
The exhibit begins at the museum’s entrance on the ground floor where the red piano she played
Marley, John Lennon, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson.
on her “Red” tour is on display. An escalator then
Swift, who will perform at the nearby Staples
takes visitors to the second floor where they will
Center in August as part of her “1989” world tour,
see her named written in bright pink neon above
is the youngest artist to be featured in a Grammy
a wall-sized jukebox. A video screen in the middle
Museum exhibit.
of the jukebox plays her music videos and there
Allyson Kaufman, 23, a fan passing by the
is a small dance floor in front where guests are
museum before the exhibit opened, said Swift’s
encouraged to ‘Shake it Off.’
music is relatable and that she deserved the exhibit,
To the right is the main portion of the exhibit which includes the flowing blue gown she wore
adding she would be checking it out once it opened. The
Reading,
Pennsylvania-born
singer
during the filming of her music video for “Our
began pursuing a singing career in country music
Song,” next to it is a pair of pom poms and a
before she was even in her teens and released her
megaphone she used in the “Shake it Off” video.
first self-titled album in 2006. The first single,
Other standout items include the bright red
“Tim McGraw,” stayed on the Billboard Hot
sparkling outfit she wore during the tour for her
100 for 20 weeks and reached No. 6 on the Hot
“Red” album. It’s displayed alongside a red guitar
Country Songs chart.
decorated in sparkles and hearts and the similarly
Since then she’s released five albums with
blinged-out microphone and stand. The blue dress
sales exceeding 30 million records and about 80
she wore at the 2009 Grammys and the award she
million song downloads, with her latest release, the
won that night for Best Female Country Vocal
pop-heavy “1989,” debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard
Performance are on display as well.
200 and selling 1.29 million copies its first week.
Some of the more personal items include
Her most recent award at the AMA’s was
family photographs of her as a baby and another as
earned through her album sales as the only artist
a little girl reading a book. There are pictures of her
in history to have three albums debut with more
on a horse and behind a drum set. There is also a
than 1 million sold in the first week — “Speak Now,”
newspaper clipping with a picture of a 12-year-old
“Red” and “1989.”
Swift singing the National Anthem at a 76ers game,
“Tonight I am honored, we all are honored to
and videos of her singing karaoke and as a baby
present this to a young woman who has taken the
pounding on the piano next to her grandma, who
music industry by storm and we’ve fallen in love
was an opera singer.
with her,” said music legend Diana Ross back in
There are handwritten lyrics to songs like “White Horse,” a song from her second album
November when she presented Swift with the Dick Clark Award at the AMAs.
“Fearless” that’s about accepting the end of a
The museum’s exhibit ends with a display
relationship. Swift wrote the song on a white piece
that’s meant to show the singer’s growing impact
of paper and on one side she drew a heart with angel
on music and pop culture with a wall that’s covered
wings and a halo above. She drew an arrow below it
with Swift’s various national and international
pointing to another drawing of a heart that’s broken
magazine covers, which include Billboard, Vogue,
in half. “The fact that she’s still writing handwritten
Time and Rolling Stone.
lyrics is a great point to her creativity and where
“This is our impact wall,” Onwusa said, “just
her mind is. It’s a lost art, people are writing their
to show what a global impact this girl has.” Just as
lyrics on computers and on cell phones but she’s
her success, the exhibit itself is mind-blowing. One’s
still hand writing,” Onwusa said.
love for Swift only blossoms even more after visiting. 12
“THIS IS OUR IMPACT WALL – JUST TO SHOW WHAT A GLOBAL IMPACT THIS GIRL HAS.” 13
14
Overcoming the (Thigh) Gap Between Beauty &Anorexia Article by Kendra Alvey A decade ago, I was a body double, a Hooters
Yet during my entire time in an industry
The expression we both wore was the same:
girl, a shot girl, and a comedy club waitress. I
known for its insane and often problematic
wide eyes, eyebrows up – confusion all over
worked jobs where I had to fit into Barbie-sized
body standards, I was never made to feel like
our faces. I call it the WTF face, but in this case
orange shorts, and gigs where I needed to be
I had to live up to the one crazy ideal that has
it was a “WTF kind of hell is a thigh gap?”
able to really strip down on set and resemble
been fetishized in recent years. You know the
kind of face.
whatever actress I was doubling. Basically, I
one I mean.
got paid to look a certain way, and if I didn’t, I heard about it that same night. All six of my agents sat me down every
The thigh gap as an object of fascination
I speak of the thigh gap. I hate typing
is not at all new — as model Robyn Lawley
that stupid phrase. I hate that I even know the
wrote in the Daily Beast, “The sad reality is
stupid expression.
that I’ve known about the ‘thigh gap’ since I
time I gained three or so pounds. One well-
I remember when I first heard the
was 12.” But it wasn’t long after that yoga class
meaning dude suggested I would enjoy a
term “thigh gap.” I was sitting outside a Los
before I started seeing the terrible phrase
“coffee diet.” If I drank coffee all day long,
Angeles yoga studio waiting to go into class.
everywhere.
not only would it keep my appetite in check,
A beautiful girl in Lululemon yoga pants told
“thigh gap” had become almost as mainstream
but I would also have so much extra energy
another beautiful girl in Lululemon yoga pants
as “selfie.” Dedicated Tumblr blogs popped
for working out! A costume person on a film
that her body looked “amazing.” The first girl
up: pages and pages of artfully posed sets of
once yelled at me because the jeans she pulled
responded, “Thanks, but I still can’t seem to
skinny legs.
were too tight the day of shooting. “Your
get a thigh gap. No matter what I do my legs
Skinny legs on a highway, skinny legs in
measurements are a lie!” she screamed. “You’re
still touch, and I am incredibly depressed and
an alley, skinny legs with the sunrise peeking
wearing these anyway. I don’t care if you can’t
upset about it.”
through the space between a pair of emaciated
sit down or breathe! And you better stay away
I averted my gaze from the girl’s perfect
from the Craft Services table. If you so much as
body and ended up catching eyes with another
eat an almond, I’ll kill you!”
puzzled woman.
By early 2013, the term
thighs.Skinny legs dominated social media. Girls began posting full-length selfies in front of mirrors with the hashtag #thighgap
15
“If you so much as to eat an almond, I’ll kill you!” sandwiched between their thin legs. It became
just to women in your college English class
an internet disease that never seemed to go
or your office building but to every other
away - not even for a second.
female on the Internet, making self-esteem
An extremely fit friend of mine recently
issues more equal opportunity than ever
put a “Thigh Gap Workout” on her Facebook
before. A secretary working in Detroit can be
profile page with the caption, “Can’t wait
made to feel badly about herself in just half a
for my legs to look like THIS!” I even saw a
second just by checking Instagram. A fitness
tweet that said, “Starving myself until I can
instructor in Dallas can instantly hate her
get a thigh gap LOL!” Oh, yeah, that is totally
amazing strong toned figure just by clicking
laugh-out-loud hilarious! How funny that
on a photo on Tumblr.
you’re possibly doing harm to your body and emotional being so you can look like a little boy from a Wes Anderson movie.
Thank you, technology! True, when you search for “thigh gap” or “thinspo” on Tumblr, you get a pop-up ad
Truly, I blame social media for the
for their eating disorder counseling page,
alarming new “trend.” Nowadays, you don’t
which is good. But, all you have to do is click
have to be a body double in Los Angelesn
“dismiss” to see the photos, many of them
or anywhere else to be constantly worried
very disturbing. (One particularly terrible
about how you look, and as images of super
quote I found said, “Feet together, thighs
skinny women spread, the expectations for
apart, this is called the starving art.” If I had
your average woman are becoming more and
a daughter, I’d rather her see a horror film
more extreme and unrealistic.
than this damaging crap.) This is yet another
And it’s not just affecting women, it is
reason the whole trend is so terrible. While
also affecting teenagers. A 2011 study from
the ban on pro-ana content on sites like
the University of Haifi looked at girls ages
Tumblr and Pinterest is a step in the right
12 to 19 and found that the more time they
direction, negative body image content still
spent on Facebook, the more likely they
slips through.
were to suffer negative body image and even
Having a thigh gap has become a status
develop eating disorders. A study out of
symbol. We want it because it’s hard to get,
Australia echoed these results: Researchers
but we see it everywhere so we think it must
interviewed more than 1,000 high school
be attainable. We want it despite the fact that
girls and found that the more time they spend
most of us aren’t built that way. We want it
on Facebook, the more likely they are to be
even though we’ll have to resort to unhealthy
unhappy with their bodies. Furthermore, 50
habits to get it. And we all need to stop it
percent of the girls said they were terrified of
already! Stop looking at those blogs. Stop
gaining weight.
relentlessly comparing ourselves to filtered-
Anyone who spends time online can
to-hell strangers we’ll never meet. Stop
understand how this could occur. In a world
bashing our bodies. Stop obsessing over an
of selfies, it is so easy to compare yourself not
inch of space between our legs. Why should we
16
waste our time on an inch of negative space? Just
it, don’t retweet it. Don’t give it any attention
don’t. I bet they’re too busy being cool, talented
the phrase “thigh gap” is nuts.
whatsoever. It doesn’t deserve any. Because if
and incredible. So, that’s what I’m suggesting. Ignore the lame and revere the intelligent.
What’s next, toe divide? Elbow point?
we’re going to obsess over other women’s body
Kidney sparkle? Bikini bridge was a hoax, but
parts, why not make it something like brains?
The “thigh gap” world is not only ridiculous,
people bought into it because it was exactly the
You want something to aspire to? How about
but also a complete waste of our valuable time.
type of unrealistic body standard that becomes
a big beautiful brain? There’s no shortage of
Stop searching the stupid phrase, and stop
the hot new thing.
smart witty women to look up to. Who cares
encouraging the damaging trend that doesn’t
Why don’t we just go back to foot-binding
what their thighs look like? Do you honestly
seem to stop on its own.
or neck-lengthening? “Get my dowry ready,
think women like Tina Fey or Hillary Clinton
Screw “thinspo.”
Pappa! I’mma gonna hook a hottie with my
care one single bit about a thigh gap? I bet they
Bring on, “smartspo.”
thigh gap!” Come on! The fact is we all have different body types. True, some healthy girls naturally have a space between their thighs. But most of us do not, and never will without drastic measures. I’m calling it, ladies. Thigh gaps are total bullshit. They’re just another stupid reason for us to feel pretty badly about ourselves. And it’s up to us to stop the cult of the thigh gap. So the next time you see a #thighgap post, keep scrolling. Do not “like” it, don’t “heart” it, do not reblog
If we are going to obsess over other women’s body parts, why not make it something like brains? 17
Is Beyonce a Feminist ? The bootilicious pop-star has been the center of stirring controversies and contradictions with her sexy lingerie and powerful lyrics in her new songs “***Flawless” and “Pretty Hurts” of her 2013 self-titled visual album.
Article by Allisen Fenerstock
A
t the highly anticipated MTV Video Music
Readers, it seems like it was only yesterday that
Awards on Sunday night (August 24, 2013),
we debated on whether Beyoncé was really a true
singer Beyoncé brought the house down with
feminist. We definitely did after she appeared
her performance of “***Flawless,” the new song
on the cover of Ms magazine in May 2013, just
from her December 2013 “visual album” that
before headlining that year’s Essence Festival.
includes samples of a TED Talk on feminism
The same issues discussed then seem to have
by the well-respected Nigerian author and
been the ones that flummoxed the tweeters
activist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. On stage
Fox news referenced: “Beyoncé wears revealing
behind her stood a glowing marquee, spelling
clothing when performing. How can that be
out the letters “FEMINIST.” She stood tall in
feminist?” Well, Is it? Are feminists allowed to
silhouette, backlit by it.
wear revealing clothes?
In a VMAs review headline posted Monday
Many outlets covering Beyoncé’s performance
(August 25, 2014) Fox News declared, “Beyoncé’s
simply cheered her willingness to publicly
feminist VMA message prompts some eye rolls.”
embrace the word which, as the prominent
Many on social media, the post noted, were
feminist author Jessica Valenti noted in The
confused by the word “feminism” juxtaposed
Guardian, is now “the realm of cool kids: Beyoncé,
with a performance that, the reporter wrote rather
Lena Dunham, Amy Poehler, Kerry Washington
salaciously, was “a smorgasbord of gyrations, leg
and Joseph Gordon-Levitt all call themselves
spreads, stripper poles, body rubbing and pelvic
feminists.” But is celebrity fandom all that the
rolls,” performed in one of Beyonce’s signature
word and the movement need to succeed? The
hig cut leg-flattering bodysuits, bleached wig,
question is sometimes asked, but is it just another
and extremely fake and glittery eyelashes.
public relations stunt?
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“And just this week, after years of equivocating, Taylor Swift came out as a feminist,” she wrote, in a piece that championed Beyonce’s direct references to feminism in the singer’s work, as well as efforts
“Even in the 21st century, only a fifth of Americans identify with the term feminist, even while they sign off on the belief that women should be equal to men.” – AMANDA MARCOTTE
like the essay on equal pay she contributed to the Shriver Report, in January 2014. Both Slate and the Washington Post also wrote approvingly of Beyonce’s performance, specifically
was a nice touch, too. Having dismantled the idea
As for her sexuality, it is clearly (have you listened
with regard to the blunt, towering, blazingly lit
that feminists are just ugly wannabes during her
to the visual album?) something that gives her a
display; it seemed like a defiant rejoinder to the
performance, she might as well clean house by
lot of healthy pleasure and joy, and she wants to tell
fact that often, it appears to be the F-word itself,
smashing the notion that feminists hate men or are
you about it. That’s okay with my feminism, too – I
and not the ideology some women have a problem
somehow not maternal.”
think that demystifying sex in general, and giving
with (Taylor Swift seems to have been one of these;
In a great understatement, Beyonce has an
in a separate piece, she told the Guardian she had
impressive, sexy body. The high-energy stage
women in particular the cultural permission to
mistakenly believed that the point of feminism
performances she puts it through are elite athletics.
So yeah, it’s manufactured stage-craft and she’s
was “that you hate men” but now knows that that
You could go the route of arguing that the skimpy
rich and they’re corporate, but in a business in which
statement is indeed very incorrect and faulty.)
enjoy and celebrate it, is a good thing.
bottoms she wears onstage are, like those worn by,
performance is the business, this one was broadcast
“Even in the 21st century, only a fifth of
say, Olympic runners, allow for greater freedom of
to twelve million adoring fans. And it showed a
Americans identify with the term feminist, even
movement, or just that because her body is such a
woman of color as a sexually confident, high-octane
while they sign off on the belief that women should
finely-tuned instrument, she takes pride in showing
talent and as a powerful business woman, as an
be equal to men,” Slate’s Amanda Marcotte noted.
it off. (I know I would!)
adoring mother and an equal partner (“don’t think
“Which is why Beyoncé’s statement—a political
But really, I would personally just go ahead and
I’m just his little wife”) to a man who called her “the
statement, really—is so meaningful,” Marcotte wrote.
say my feminism means being able to wear what you
greatest living entertainer” as he was handing her
“Having her husband and daughter up onstage
like. It looks like Beyoncé’s does too.
her little spaceman statuette and carrying their kid.
20
That this is what a woman looks like when she defines herself as a feminist in 2015 tells us that its steadily-published obituaries to the contrary, the women’s movement is not only thriving, but expanding. Bow down. “I’m so full, I have nothing to say,” the feminist singer said, all choked up. “I’m filled with so much gratitude, I just thank God for this moment. I love ya’ll so much. Blue I love you Blue, my beloved (Jay Z) I love you. My fans, I love you. MTV, I love you, goodnight.”
“This is what a woman looks like when she defines herself as a feminist in 2015. The Woman’s Movement is not only thriving, but it is expanding. Bow down.” – REBECCA TRAISTER
21
Are a feminist? Take out our “pull-out” quiz and find out for yourself! SHARE WITH your friends.
22
23
CASH TALK:
t o t o n n o o d d e s e s a ea Plle P 5 Myths about
y e y e n o n o M M
. . h c h c u o u tto
the Gender Pay Gap
. s . e s l e l a a m m r o r f o iiss f Proved Wrong 24
Article by Vivien Labaton
2. WOMEN EARN LESS BECAUSE THEY WORK IN INDUSTRIES THAT PAY LESS.
“There is a belief, which is just not true, that women are just in bad occupations and if we just put them in better occupations, we would solve the gender gap problem,” Dr. Goldin said. In other jobs, workers have made these changes themselves.
In April of 2014, when Democrats pushed the Paycheck Fairness
Conventional wisdom is that in jobs like surgery, employees cannot easily
Act, the Republican National Committee countered that “there’s a
substitute for one another and must be on call.
disparity not because female engineers are making less than male
“Somehow in obstetrics we have convinced people that it doesn’t
engineers at the same company with comparable experience. The
matter which one you’re going to get,” Dr. Goldin said. “It’s just the way
disparity exists because a female social worker makes less than a
that it has to be.”The fact of the matter is The Paycheck Fairness Act failed
male engineer.”
— for the third time — to get anywhere this spring. But with a summit on working families and President Obama’s lunch with a
There are, indeed, more women in low-paying occupations such as
n accountant
social work and education, and more men in high-paying fields such as
mom in Minneapolis , the White House has tried to make the frustrations
engineering. Yet that doesn’t go very far to explain the gender pay gap.
of working mothers and their families a hot topic this summer. One of the
As Harvard labor economist Claudia Goldin has said: “There is a belief,
biggest issues: the gender pay gap. Here are some lingering myths.
which is just not true, that women are just in bad occupations and if we just put them in better occupations, we would solve the gender gap
1. THE PAY GAP IS CLOSING RAPIDLY.
problem.” Goldin has found that the pay gap is widest in some of the highest-paying fields.
A Pew report released in December 2014 seemed to bring good news:
Female financial specialists make 66 percent of what their male
The pay gap is narrowing, and millennial women are nearly at parity with
counterparts make, female doctors earn 71 percent, and female lawyers
millennial men. Pew calculated that the median hourly wage for women was
and judges make 82 percent. That’s all controlling for age, race, hours
84 percent of that for men in 2012, compared with 64 percent in 1980. And
and education.
female workers aged 25 to 34 in 2012 were making 93 percent as much as
“There is a belief, which is just not true, that women are just in bad
their male peers. This in fact is great news, but there’s a long way to go.
occupations and if we just put them in better occupations, we would
Despite their report, in the past decade, the pay gap has hardly
solve the gender gap problem,” Dr. Goldin said.
narrowed at all; it actually widened between 2005 and 2008, and
In other jobs, workers have made these changes themselves.
again between 2011 and 2012.
Conventional wisdom is that in jobs like surgery, employees cannot
The Institute for Women’s Policy Research estimates that, based
easily substitute for one another and must be on call.
on the current trajectory, it could take until 2056 — when today’s young
“Somehow in obstetrics we have convinced people that it doesn’t
workers are ready for retirement — to reach parity. Even that estimate
matter which one you’re going to get,” Dr. Goldin said. “It’s just the way
may be optimistic.
that it has to be.”
The gap tends to fluctuate with the economy, narrowing in bad
Meanwhile, men, especially white men, tend to make more than
economic times and widening in good, when the bonuses and overtime
women in female-dominated jobs and advance relatively easily into
pay that go disproportionately to men kick back in. So if the U.S. economy
supervisory roles. This is seen in state-to-state cases, and nation wide.
continues to grow, we may well see progress reversed.
Men are often given pay raises, while women are often rejected.
26
$5,000 - $7,500
$7,500 - $9,500
$9,500 - $11,000
$11,000 - $13,500
$13,500 - $16,000
$16,000 +
Right: Average wage gender pay gap numbers per state
3. WOMEN EARN LESS BECAUSE THEY DON’T NEGOTIATE WELL.
attitude is widely held. It results in mothers being paid 7 to 14 percent less
Women are less likely than men to ask for a raise , and they don’t
moms who lose their jobs to land new positions.
The condemnation of Jones was swift, but studies show that his than women without children for equivalent work. And it makes it harder for
negotiate as aggressively. But that doesn’t mean they are less-capable
In fact, moms may be more productive employees than women without
negotiators. Rather, women don’t ask because they fear real repercussions.
children. For instance, one study of 10,000 academic economists found that,
When women advocate for themselves, they’re often perceived
on average, mothers published more research than childless women and
as pushy or unappreciative. Studies have shown that people are less
mothers of at least two children published more than did mothers of only
likely to want to work with women who initiate salary discussions,
one child. Researchers are also testing theories that motherhood makes
whereas men don’t see the same backlash. “Women are still expected to
women better at problem-solving, memory tasks and handling stress.
fulfill prescriptions of feminine niceness,” Harvard researcher Hannah Riley Bowles and her co-authors theorize.
5. TO CLOSE THE PAY GAP, WE SHOULD FOCUS ON DETERRING DISCRIMINATION.
Employers could help correct the gender pay gap with more transparent hiring, promotion and compensation decisions and by more consistently using merit- and performance-based criteria. “Ambiguity facilitates the potential for gender effects and for
Passing laws that make it harder for workplaces to discriminate based
stereotyping people. It leads people to preconceived notions,” Bowles
on sex is important and crucial. But gender discrimination accounts
says. “And transparency has the opposite effect.”
for only 25 to 40 percent of the pay gap, depending on which labor economists you consult. And since discrimination is already illegal, the ways in which it persists are subtle and may be challenging to address
4. WOMEN EARN LESS BECAUSE MOTHERS CHOOSE TO WORK LESS.
directly through our nation’s legislation. What could make a big difference would be if workplaces reconsidered how they compensate their employees — and were more
Men tend to earn more the more children they have, whereas women see
transparent about it so other companies could follow. Rather than
their pay go down with each additional child. Some of that reflects
disproportionately rewarding workers for putting in long hours and
mothers taking time off or reducing their hours, and sometimes that’s
making themselves available around the clock, they should reward high-
by choice — but often it’s because their jobs don’t compensate them
quality work and allow employees more of the flexibility they need to
enough to cover the exorbitant cost of child care or don’t allow flexibility in
balance work and family demands.
the hours they can work.
For example, when Google increased family leave from three months
There’s also a “motherhood penalty” that seems to stem from the
to five and made it fully paid, the company saw a 50 percent drop in the
perception that working moms are less dedicated, less competent and
number of moms who quit. Several states and companies are also moving
less efficient employees. Investor Paul Tudor Jones got himself in trouble
in the direction of offering paid family leave, recognizing that these
articulating this perception last year. “As soon as that baby’s lips touched
kinds of family-friendly policies not only boost morale, productivity and
that girl’s bosom, forget it,” he said of his experience with female traders.
loyalty, they also address the other factors that contribute to the pay gap.
27
female president? Hillary Clinton (sp
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pread 1)
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female president? Hillary Clinton (sp
30
pread 2)
31
mattress girl (sp
32
pread1)
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mattress girl (sp
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pread 2)
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badas s o f t h e mo n th
1. Please introduce yourself – who are you and what do
having people gather in our space; I get this overwhelming
you do? If you could describe your journey a bit, that’d be
feeling that everything is going to be all right.
great! How did you get to where you are? My name is Naadine Koi and I am the one owner and
3. What inspired you to start Great Over Good?
creative director of Great Over Good, a creative collective
I wanted a space where I could create, where I could
that specializes in workshops, events and studio space for
make a mess and my mom wouldn’t tell me to clean it up
artistic individuals. I grew up on the East Coast and dabbled
before I went to bed. When I was growing up I was heavy into
in different industries, including fashion design and visual
collages, I used to spend hours and hours cutting things out
merchandising. Then I moved to California to pursue a
of magazines to create these big fashion inspiration boards.
career in the arts, and ultimately settled on something that
I would make a huge mess when I was creating these boards,
combines my love of creativity and people: curating. And
and my mom would always get annoyed and tell me to clean
that’s how Great Over Good was born! I’ve been on the West
it up. I remember thinking to myself, “this is bullshit! I can’t
Coast for eight years now, and Great Over Good keeps me in
wait to get the hell out of here and have my own space.” Well,
tune with the arts and the fashion industry, which remains a
I did just that.
big love of mine.
It’s nice to have my own space to create and think outside the box, and yet at the same time be surrounded by so many
2. Can you tell us a little about Great Over Good? (Where
incredible people. Our residents keep me constantly inspired
is it? When did it originate? Who else works there? What’s
and push me to keep striving for greatness; it’s a motto that we
the meaning behind the name? What do you do there?)
all live by at Great Over Good.
Great Over Good, my baby. The name just came to me one day when I was laying in bed. I wanted to give the space
4. Did you have any struggles or obstacles when starting
a name that didn’t sound like anything people had heard
Great Over Good? Do you struggle with anything nowadays?
before. My thought was that when someone heard the name,
One of the biggest struggles I faced when getting started
they wouldn’t know what we do, to give it an air of mystery. It
with Great Over Good—and something I continue to struggle
feels great knowing that I can put a Great Over Good sticker
with to some extent today—is finding an audience who is
anywhere in the world and inspire someone. They don’t ever
receptive to and invested in our vision. It can be challenging to
have to know who we are or what we do, but they can be
reach people who are interested in what I do, especially since
inspired to reach for greatness.
there are so many people that do similar things and it can
If I were a physical space, I would be Great Over Good.
sometimes be hard to stand out from the crowd. I worked
Our different residents would be my diverse personality traits.
extremely hard to get people to notice me, to notice Great Over
Jr., our tattoo artist, would be my badass fun-loving thoughtful
Good, and to listen. But in the two years I’ve been doing this I’ve
side. Haleh, a photographer and painter, would be my maternal,
come to realize that it’s all about consistency, about not giving up.
nurturing and artistic side. Nate, a graphic designer, would be
Find what works for you and stick with it; don’t get distracted by
my down to earth, rustic, designer side. Each resident embodies
what others are doing. Just keep your eye on the prize and with
a different interest, the things that I love, and that inspire me.
time you’ll start to see yourself getting closer to your goal.
The events and workshops we organize embody my energy and passion for learning. There is nothing I love more than 36
We sat down with the CEO and creative director of Great Over Good to discuss her upcoming events, and the every day items that insprire her.
37
Top: Naadine’s studio and business ‘Great Over Good’ is decked out in her favorite color: primary blue.
Right: Great Over Good’s sticker can be found in many major cities in the Western states. Find it on Instagram using the hashtag: #GreatOverGood
38
5. What’s the future of Great Over Good? Can you tell us a little about the upcoming workshops you’ve got planned? We really want our workshops to grow, we want people to know that Great Over Good is a place where they can come
8. If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to follow in your footsteps, what would it be?
to develop their skills, to network and to get inspired. In the
Be a risk taker. Nothing in this business is guaranteed.
next few weeks we’ll be launching our much-anticipated
You have to work really hard and stand up for what you believe
Photoshop 101, a one-day training workshop that will help
in. Get shit done!
participants master the basics of visuals and graphics in order to crush their competition. In the long term, I plan to open up
9. Do you have any tips for people who want to develop their
several Great Over Good locations around the world in order
own sense of style?
to spread our message and continue growing our collective.
To me, it’s pretty simple: Find what you feel comfortable and confident in and own it!
6. You’re a total fashionista, what does fashion mean to you? How would you describe your personal style? Is hot mess a category?! Because I feel like that
Random Facts about Naadine:
sometimes, I’m all over the place. Half the time I don’t even
01. I like to speak in a British accent (I hope you read
know what the hell I’m doing. At least once a week I ask
that in a British accent!)
myself “is this still trendy?” I never know the answer. I work so
02. I like things clean. Very clean.
much it’s hard to keep up, but I just make do with what I have,
03. I love The Great Gatsby.
and I do what feels comfortable. Every day is different for me;
04. I dance like a palm tree. Right to left.
one day I’m meeting with clients and doing photo shoots, and
05. Japanese food is my favorite.
the next day I’m scrubbing floors and sorting the mail.
06. I’ve seen every episode of Seinfeld.
I love mixing and matching prints, patterns and textures.
07. I love to laugh.
If I had to narrow it down, I would have to say that I’m a
08. I love to travel. I always feel the need to go somewhere,
leather and lace type of girl. I like really sweet, sophisticated
to see something new.
girly looks mixed with sexy and edgier pieces. You’ll see me
09. I’m in love with love.
pairing comfy classics like a cotton maxi or jogger pants with
10. I secretly hate social media. I just do it because I
suede booties, a leather jacket and a touch of gold, like a bold
know it’s great for branding.
necklace or bracelet.
11. I hate weddings. But I like diamond rings. 12. I’m an early bird. I like to get the worm.
7. You’re also an incredible event planner and decorator --
13. I’ve learned it’s never just the tip.
where do you draw inspiration for the things you create?
14. I like to quote movies. “I love the fact that the captain
Everywhere! I’m the type of person that gets inspired by
of the morality team invites his chick to the same party
the simplest of things in my daily life, from a conversation with
as his wife, who let’s face it, isn’t the sharpest tool in the
a friend or client, to modern art and architecture, to a unique
shed anymore. And what’s more, none of their supposed
fashion style I see on the street. I find travel, people, and books
mutual friends protects her. None of them bats a fucking
especially inspiring.
eyelash at his hypocrisy. I love that, I really do. Embrace 39
The 10 Best Pieces of Career Advice 1. DON’T FALL PREY TO IMPOSTER SYNDROME. You were hired for
5. TREAT EVERY ASSIGNMENT AS THE BIGGEST OF YOUR CAREER.
your job because your boss thought you were smart and capable. You’re
My reporting professor told me this my sophomore year of college, and
not just fooling everyone. It’s not just a matter of time before you’re
ever since then, I’ve kept his words in mind — even when I was getting
found out. It’s normal to feel occasional self-doubts, but you have to also
coffee for editors and making copies until 11 at night. Anyone can nail
remind yourself that you do know what you’re doing, and if something
the major projects if she puts enough time and effort into them — but as
goes beyond what you’ve done in the past, that’s OK too. Be confident in
in most things, it’s the little things that set you apart from everyone else.
yourself. —Lori Fradkin, Executive Features Editor, Online
Besides, you never know who’s paying attention. Give everything your all, and you’ll get it all back. —Marissa Gainsburg, Copy Editor
2. The best career advice I ever got: ALWAYS BE THE ONE TO VOLUNTEER FOR ANYTHING ASKED! This will make you stand out in
6. If I could give any career advice (at the ripe old age of 22), it would be to
the team and you will be seen as the ultimate team player.
actually DO YOUR PRE-INTERVIEW RESEARCH. I’d had it drilled into
—Jenifer Geller, Executive Beauty Director
my head before graduating that this was one of the most important parts of interviewing and networking. Skimming a website or quickly Wiki-ing
3. My advice is to DRESS FOR THE JOB YOU WANT, NOT THE ONE
a company five minutes before an interview is not helpful. At four of the
YOU HAVE. Also, always send handwritten thank-you notes after each
eight interviews I had before getting this wonderful job, I was grilled by
interview and conclusion of an internship or job. That goes a long way.;
my potential employer on how I felt about very specific programs/aspects/
people tend to remember. —Sarah Conly, Senior Market Editor
histories of the company. Also, ALWAYS HAVE QUESTIONS! —Tess Koman, Editorial Assistant, Online
4. Whether you’re an assistant or an executive, YOUR PRIMARY JOB WILL ALWAYS BE TO MAKE YOUR BOSS’S LIFE EASIER. If you
7. DON’T ACT ENTITLED. Entitled people start at a job and think
make their life easier (whether that’s by innovating great things or
they’re above doing menial things that need to get done in order for
anticipating when they want their coffee or simply being on top of
an organization’s wheels to spin. You should never go into a job with
deadlines and not making them chase you down), they’ll fight to keep
this attitude, and you should never be above doing any task. Even when
you and help you succeed. You’re golden. If you make their life harder,
you’re running your own company and ruling the world, if you need to
you’re expendable (or worse, on the chopping block). And if you work
make copies or send faxes or balance a budget or do anything else that
for yourself, your main job is to make your clients’ or consumers’ lives
is technically ‘not part of your job,’ you should always be willing to do
easier. If you make their lives harder, they won’t be buying whatever it
it. Successful people roll up their sleeves and do the grunt work after
is you’re selling —Marina Khidekel, Deputy Editor
everyone else goes home. If you start at a job or an internship with the attitude that you’re too talented to do the grunt work and should 40
be doing what your bosses are doing, it will show and your superiors won’t like you. A good attitude and a desire to please and earn nextlevel opportunities goes a long way. And it almost always gets noticed by someone important. —Amy Odell, Editor, Online 8. “If you’re working at a place you don’t see yourself being for a long time, THINK ABOUT YOUR NEXT MOVE and how you can use where you are now to get you to your next job. Learn as much as you can from your current job for your next move.—Dara Adeeyo, Associate Editor 9. CONSIDER YOUR ‘PLAN’ A ‘FLEX PLAN.’ March of my senior year, I had been accepted into a master’s program in psychology (my major). But I saw a job posting for an assistant beauty/fashion editor at Health magazine, and something in my gut told me I should apply, even without an ounce of experience in the industry. I got the job and decided to test it (and NYC) out for one year. Fast forward 14 years: I have a career as a beauty editor—something I never would’ve been had I stuck to my original plan of being an organizational psychologist. Nothing should ever be written in stone. Give yourself six months to a year to try something different. You can always go back to some version of Plan A. —Leah Wyar, Beauty Director 10. BE INFORMED AND BE A FAN. In today’s world there is no reason not to have Googled the company and know a fair amount about it, with a few key facts you can have up your sleeve — recent positive press, new products, milestones, etc. And be admiring of something about the company, even if you have to stretch it a little. You will appear intelligent and very invested in the company you are interviewing for. —Nicole L. Mills, Associate Publisher, Marketing
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