1993 FEM (Draft 0.1) - Work in Progress

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.

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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.

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“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.

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“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

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“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

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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

28

pread 1)

29

female president?

Hillary Clinton (sp

30

pread 2)

31

mattress girl (sp

32

pread1)

33

mattress girl (sp

34

pread 2)

35

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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