Issue 71, September 2014
BROAD A Feminist & Social Justice Magazine
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#feminisms
BROAD A Feminist & Social Justice Magazine
What’s your
?
LGBTIQ? Submit your stories, art, opinions, poetry, and politics by 10/3:
broad.luc@gmail.com
BROAD 2014-15 ISSUES September
#feminism October part 1
What’s Your LGBT-IQ? October part 2
In g/God(s) We Trust November
Sentence: Criminal? December
BROAD Love January part 1
c(age)s January part 2
Dis(sed)-abilities February
Living In Color March spring break issue
Body Talk March issue
Broads & Babes O the Places You’ll Go May
In Labor
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April
adjective: 1 having an ample distance from side to side; wide | 2 covering a large number and wide scope of subjects or areas: a broad range of experience | 3 having or incorporating a wide range of meanings | 4 including or coming from many people of many kinds | 5 general without detail | 6 (of a regional accent) very noticeable and strong | 7 full, complete, clear, bright; she was attacked in broad daylight noun: (informal) woman. slang: a promiscuous woman phrases: broad in the beam: with wide hips or large buttocks | in broad daylight: during the day, when it is light, and surprising for this reason | have broad shoulders: ability to cope with unpleasant responsibilities or to accept criticism | City of broad shoulders: Chicago synonyms: see: wide, extensive, ample, vast, liberal, open, all-embracing antonyms: see: narrow, constricted, limited, subtle, slight, closed see also: broadside (n.) historical: a common form of printed material, especially for poetry
BRO Sylvia Bennett
Diversity & Assessment Editor
Meaghan Cook
Website & Archives Editor
Ellie Diaz
Content & Section Editor, Art Director
Patrick Fina
Layout & Design Editor
Mandy Keelor Editor-in-Chief
Kait M
Content & S
#feminism quotes:
~Mindy Kaling
“Don’t let people put you in a pageant you never wanted to be in.”
“We have looked for myths that include us in great novels, music, the latest comic book, or even some stupid advertising campaign. We’ll look anywhere for a mythology that embraces people like ourselves.” ~Kate Bornstein
Madsen
Section Editor
J. Curtis Main
Advisor, Consulting Editor
MISSION:
Mario Mason
Publicity & Social Media Coordinator
WSGS:
Broad’s mission is to connect the WSGS program with communities of students, faculty, and staff at Loyola and beyond, continuing and extending the program’s mission. We provide space and support for a variety of voices while bridging communities of scholars, artists, and activists. Our editorial mission is to provoke thought and debate in an open forum characterized by respect and civility. Founded in 1979, Loyola’s Women’s Studies Program is the first women’s studies program at a Jesuit institution and has served as a model for women’s studies programs at other Jesuit and Catholic universities. Our mission is to introduce students to feminist scholarship across the disciplines and the professional schools; to provide innovative, challenging, and thoughtful approaches to learning; and to promote social justice.
Gaby Ortiz Flores Consulting Editor
Maggie Sullivan Publicity & Social Media Coordinator
Elishah Virani
Diversity & Assessment Editor
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OAD
#FEMINISM:
#feminism explores the ins and outs of media, communication, music, advertising, publications. Contributors explore many forms of injustice and oppression as they relate to media, but also some liberations, too. This is BROAD’s second themed issue on media, with the the debut in the fall of 2013.
media/art
Over t
“Queer Design
Insid
we’ve got mail
bookmark here
“Digesting BRO
tech cellfie, Issue 70
Insight o
who to follow search this broadside
Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman’s Guide to Why Feminism Matters Tearing the Veil: Essays on femininity
words are useless
Guarded dear #you X. Cathexis Feminist Photography Project Stacia Scott Stolen Reflection Elishah Viirani Equality Stacey Brown Intersectional Rosie the Riveter Tyler Feder Vintage Social Media Posters Mustafa Khamis Laverne Cox, Actor Crowning Brie Duey Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Actor Priodas Papur Valériane Leblond George Lopez, Actor, Comedien Pixel Paintings Series Zachary Noles Vito Russo, LGBTQI Activist Shiueh Lih Andrea Gibson, Poet Disney Princess Series Rachel Schwebach Mindy Kaling, Actor The Patron Saint of... Series Lips... / Pop Culture... Liz Bajjalieh Superwoman Tony Rubino American Apparel Unisex Shirts Curvy Wonderwoman Valerie Doty Sexual violence and clothing Feminism Isn’t Dead II Stella Steel Pinkie Rights B. Schuman LGBTQI - Have It Your Way Dove Real Beauty Taylor Yocom
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quote corner
“#ferguson: Media C the Need for U
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“From the Stre This shouldn’t be th
Tra
“From Burning Bras to L and action to com
Angr
“The Fri
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“Changing S to take on te
madads
ad(vance)
message me
awareness of feminism media empowerment? digital news consequences identities and media rep.
tell-a-vision
Resident Evil 5, video game Saturday Night Live’s Racism How to Judge Michael Sam Gmails New Inbox Ad
screen/play
Guardians of the Galaxy Miss Representation Morvern Callar
BROAD Info + Editors
BROAD Info + Editors
What’s your LGBTIQ? Theme, Mission, & Team Navigating BROAD’s Design Annual Theme Schedule Letter from BROAD: Mandy Visiting Editor: Taylor Stuart Visiting Editor: X. Cathexis Introducing the 2014-2015 Team Contributor Guidelines
BROAD
artic
“(Prejudice): White Supremacy in India” Taylor Stuart
”Art History: For the People” Kelsey Henke ”This is what it feels like” Martyna Zebala ”Anti-feminist MUCH?” Lubna Baig ”A Year without Technology” Br. Maxwell Klug, OFM
”Online Misogyny 101” Mandy Keelor ”Gorgias & Sexism in Today’s Media” Natalie Madsen
CONTENTS
the Rainbow
ns: Straight Lines” Patrick Fina
World of Women
de R Out?
“Tech-scuse... for Oppression” Elishah Virani
OAD’s Theirstory” J. Curtis Main
Middle Eastern Musings
on In(Justice)
Coverage, Racial Dialogue, and Understanding” Kait Madsen
And Still I Rise
“That Brave Step Towards Vulnerability” Yolanda Barnes
“How Social Media Helped Spread the F-Word [feminism]” Abeer Allan
Kaleidescope
“Television Transformations” Sabrina Minhas
EaRt
In the k(Now)
eets to the Web: he circle of life” X. Cathexis
“The Squeakiest Wheel: Men’s Rights Movements via Social Media” Sylvia Bennett
aitor
Liberation for All: Using technology mbat ... oppression” Paige Gardner
ry Atheist
Sanity Optional
XX Marks the Spot
“Running Around Maniacally” Peach Stephan
Ex Bibliothecis
“A Cast of [Diverse] Characters: Sexist Stereotypes “Unlimited Access to NY Times Online” Jane Currie and Tropes in Television” Meaghan Cook
iendzone” Mario Mason
The Pink Paperbacks
Stories: Why I decided echnology” Gaby Ortiz Flores
&
“The Case Against Chick Lit.” Ellie Diaz
cles
”but First, let me take a selFie” Nathan Cook
”The Fault in Our Female Protagonists” Will Deters
”Why we don’t need feminism” Mario Mason ”Memoir of a Self-Proclaimed Feminist” Catherine Sullivan
”The Double-Edged Sword” Rashad Kulam ”Behind the Cape: A Feminist Analysis of Superheroes” Michelle Vittitoe
”Everyday Media Activism” Natalie Madsen
Liberation Leaders Awkwafina, Rapper Julie Burton, Women’s Media Center
Career Call Kristine Gerolaga, Film & Acting
WLA (Re)Animated SisterSerpents Stickers Lavender Woman Magazine
microaggresSHUNS Pt. 1: Sexism & Sexuality Pt. 2: Twitter Misogyny Pt. 3: Hating on feminists
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ing Above
BROAD Info + Editors
BROAD Info + Editors
Letter from BROAD State of the Magazine, September 2014 Mandy Keelor
#feminisms Dear Readers, We all have a type ‘M’ blood. It’s constantly pumped through our bodies: gushing into our heads, overwhelming our circuits, and at times clotting our ability to function. Just like types ‘A’ ‘B’ ‘AB’ and ‘O’, though, it is necessary for survival in today’s world. It allows us to connect with everyone from business partners to best friends, informs us of world tragedies and celebrations, and provides unparalleled access to human knowledge. ‘M’ of course stands for media. Just this week: I have been enraged by a reporter’s obvious bias on an issue ripping my campus apart, injected with warm and fuzzy feelings through ‘happy birthday’ posts on my Facebook wall, realized that I’m now 20 and perhaps cat pictures shouldn’t dominate said wall (please play devil’s advocate I beg you), and fully understood, for the first time, how much the proliferation of human rights abuse cases on the internet has fostered my identity as an activist. If you are friends with me on Facebook, you’ll know that I have recently decided to only use the platform for professional development. Weird for a 20 year old, huh? Well, in the midst of creating this issue, I finally admitted to myself how much I resent media. Maybe this resentment stems from all the times I thought I would get a ‘like’ on a post and didn’t (*cue pitying awws*) or all the times I stumbled across public diary posts with TMI. Maybe it started when I saw ‘likes’ turn into clicks of hate or when I noticed I was afraid
to scroll to the comments section of articles or Youtube videos. Maybe I’ve known all along, from the early feelings of inadequacy and dissatisfaction to my growing anger and frustration these days, that media and I shouldn’t be friends. So why is my Facebook only for professional development? Because the internet is just too freaking hostile. It’s a nuclear bomb of human insecurity, polarization, prejudice, hate, and opinion. I never admitted until now how silly it feels to share my life with the world – a world that can easily reject me. To be sure, there are uplifting and positive aspects of internet culture and maybe you think I care too much about being accepted. But that’s just it – I’ve come to the realization that I don’t care what others think, which is why I don’t need to put my story and my life out there to be liked. In today’s society, this decision is weird. That’s why you probably crinkled your nose when I said “professional development”. Because I should be sharing pictures of how awesome my life is and how beautiful I am, right? Wrong. The internet, in my opinion, desperately needs some positivity and authenticity. Why should we use the internet for trivial purposes, when we’ve seen what power this medium can have? That’s why the majority of posts I put on the web are now activist related. That’s why the cover of this issue is a picture from the Arab Spring protests. Just as there is a divide between a what a Western cosmopolitan, who lives in relative luxury and ease, thinks is a social problem and
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For myself, I hope to never lose sight of the opportunity for freedom and equality that the internet represents. I hope to keep the energy surrounding the events in Ferguson going on my Facebook... BROAD Info + Editors
BROAD Info + Editors
the globe understand media. For some, the internet is a place to get tips on how to lose weight or find a hot date while for others, the internet is a place to cry for humanitarian aid and freedom from oppressive politics. It’s funny how, until the Human Rights Watch declared Ferguson, MO a sight of human rights violations, those two spheres of internet understanding were almost completely separate in the United States. For myself, I hope to never lose sight of the opportunity for freedom and equality that the internet represents. I hope to keep the energy surrounding the events in Ferguson going on my Facebook as, from now on, I devote that platform to activism about social justice topics that are close to me. Just imagine for a second that the internet wasn’t a place where inequality and systematic oppression were sustained, but where they were annihilated. That the internet wasn’t a place where we lost sight of personal relationships and integrity, but where we went to express who we are in the deepest part of ourselves – or the place we avoided in favor of face to face communication. What would change throughout our globalized world?
So while discussion of media and some of these im[com]plications is not new, they have by no means been exhaustive either. In these pages we hope to continue important conversations about media’s impact on our personal relationships, political behavior, cultural awareness, and discrimination practices to name just a few. As you flip through this issue, I hope you will also consider your relationship to media. Ask yourself, “Who would I be without media today?” and “How has it influenced who I hope to become and who I see myself as now?” The answers just might surprise you. And because of my newly proclaimed relationship with media, I am especially excited to feature two visiting editors who are intimately familiar with their own type ‘M’ blood and relationship with media. X. Cathexis, a beginning columnist for the magazine, brings her street experience to the fore and provides a scathing analysis of media and why the so-far invisible triangular trade between cat calling, internet harassment, and violence against women is of the utmost importance. Taylor Stuart, college advocate and media major, gives us the scoop on her reputation as “that girl,” what a trip to India has taught her about media, racism, and her relationship to the two, in addition to an exclusive peek at her first feature length film. Of course, by now you’ve noticed that BROAD has considered its own role as a type ‘M’ medium and boasts a brand new layout! Beyond our awesome new voice graph motif (which we created by saying “BROAD” into a microphone by the way), we’ve added three new sections native to the type ‘M’ concept: “We’ve Got Mail,” “Search This,” and “Who to Follow”. We hope you enjoy this in-depth look at media and how it invades our bloodstream, for better and for worse, changing the way we function and relate to each other along the way. Content warning: some material might be triggering or offensive. As always, we want to hear what you think of the issue! Comment at facebook.com/broadmagazine or send us an email at broad.luc@gmail.com for a chance to be featured in our next issue. BROADly, Mandy Keelor Editor-in-Chief
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BROAD Info + Editors
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what a Middle Eastern citizen, who lives with limited rights and inequality, thinks is a social problem – so too is there a divide between how different parts of
over the rainbow LGBTQI Stories and Mishaps Patrick Fina
Queer Designs: Straight Lines
Welcome to the new look of BROAD! Several years ago, while being snotty and catty about the design of something, a friend challenged me to try to do something better, which brings us here today. As a wannabe artist and very visual person, I pieced together youtube tutorials and trials and errors to eventually become somewhat proficient in graphic design. While far from perfect and probably not to industry standards, I wanted to take some time to share a lot of the behind-the-scenes thought process that led us to this new look! Colors: BROAD Gold - As a first rate publication, we deserve a first rate metal. No sterling silver for us. BROAD Steel - Tough enough to stop a bullet (like Zoolander’s Blue Steel/Perfect Turn Combo). BROAD Grey - We wanted to have a color that wasn’t quite white, but also not quite black. Gray goes with everything.
BROAD Plum - A color that reflects the plum color prevalent in nature, as well as somewhat of an illusion to the blood of the patriarchy when we smash it (with our words of course). BROAD Pumpkin - We had to name a color pumpkin in honor of fall arriving and how great fall is, especially Pumpkin Spice Lattes. KIDDING. We just really liked this orange. Except that Mandy calls it Tomato. And Curtis calls it burnt orange. What do you call it? Icons: Each area in the magazine has icons, which serve as quick previews to what the piece is about think of snapchat and instagram icons. One is obviously showing a ghost (because you see it, then you don’t) and another a vintage analog camera (because analog is much warmer). BROAD Spectrum We needed a cool background, and got our adviser to say the word ‘broad’ over and over again in a recording program until it looked cool enough to print.
Headings: Since we hate putting people in boxes, I figured we could at least put their name, title, and words in boxes. The format allows for a lot of information in a small space, and if you look really, really, really closely, it looks like the map for the Chicago L.
While a lot of this is sarcastic-tongue-in-cheek graphic design satire, in all seriousness this issue is something we’re really proud to debut. We hoped to create a magazine that had better readability, used bold and inviting colors, and could put any of the designs from the 2003-2007 seasons of Trading Spaces to shame. That last part was a bit of an oversteeped joke, I know.
As a first rate publication, we deserve a first rate metal. No sterling silver for us.
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BROAD Info + Editors
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BROAD Info + Editors
BROAD Info + Editors
BROAD Info + Editors
BROAD Info + Editors
[This is an icon, a simple image that v represents the column/section/issue
[Column/Section Title]
[Tagline for section/column description] [Author/Origin]
BROAD Navigation:
The key to understanding our Approach
BROAD 2014-2015 Colors:
• Each year, the new team chooses 4 colors • These 4 are used along with white, gray, and black • We hope they are pleasing and work together!
plum
steel
BROAD 2014-2015 Fonts: •
• We have three main fonts • Alido, our “BROAD” font, never changes Alido is used in the BROAD logo and in headings • Heuristica is this year’s body/text font • Titles have a graffiti font approacheach is different and is tied to the topic
Alido: Logo, Headings tomato
gold
graphite
black/white
Pull Quotes:
•
• The text is in graphite • The frames and highlighted word(s) are from that section/column’s color motif We do our best to choose wisely from the text
Heuristica: Text
Various/Artistic: Titles
[This is a pull quote from the text with positive words/ phrases in color.]
visually e theme]
Sections:
• Media: Black background • Non-media: White background • 2 BROAD colors as motif • Mostly generated by BROAD team • Elaborates issue them in various ways
• Columns:
•
• Steel background • Tomato accents • All BROAD colors • Tied to issue’s theme Be a columnist via BROAD team’s blessing
Articles:
• Steel background • Tomato accents • All BROAD colors • Tied to issue’s theme • Anyone can contribute
• BROAD Spectrum:
A sound spectrograph of saying “BROAD” • Represents diversity working together • Celebrates spectrums of people • All BROAD colors
BROAD Info + Editors
BROAD Info + Editors
• Interactive PDF:
• Each issue is like a website • From the BROAD contents page, you can click any titlle to jump right to it! • Thus, we removed page numbers • And, click the bottom right corner of any page, then “click for contents” to jump back to the contents page [This marks the end of an article, section, or column that has text]
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•
Eleanor Diaz Content & Section Editor, Art Director
BROAD Info + Editors
As a creative writing and journalism major, I enjoy the company of books, art and foreign places. I’m a bibliophilic feminist with an unhealthy obsession for Atticus Finch. As art director for BROAD, my mission is to link readers from different backgrounds, countries and religions with a transcending BROAD Info + Editors and boundless language: art. My philosophy in life is to not only have a fierce passion for life, but to also impact the people that surround me with untouched ideas that contribute to the evolution of humanity and equality. I aspire to continue my philosophy within BROAD’s pages that are dedicated to sparking debate, provoking conversation and forcing readers to look at a subject from a different perspective.
2014-15
BROAD Info + Editors
Hello everyone! My name is Kait Madsen and I’m one of the Content and Section Editors for the 20142015 BROAD team. I’ll be a senior this year at Loyola majoring in Anthropology with minors in Women’s Studies and Gender Studies, International Studies, and Communication. I’m originally from Council Bluffs, Iowa. I have a wide range of interests that include my two dogs, drinking too much coffee, spending time with my family and friends, listening to music and concert-going, reading, art, excessive smiling, and eating great food. I’m a feminist and social justice advocate, with special interest in race, reproductive rights, conflict and conflict resolution, women in the workforce, and migration. I am so happy to be part of this fantastic magazine and look forward to a great year!
BRO
Content & Section Editor
Kait Madsen
BROAD Info + Editors
Mario Mason Publicity & Social Media Coordinator
BROAD Info + Editors
Hi! My name is Mario and I am currently a junior at Loyola University Chicago am BROAD Info + and Editors pursuing a degree in Health Systems Management as well as my Masters in Business Administration. I’m heavily involved in leadership development on campus and I look forward to being your Social Media and Outreach Coordinator!
5 TEAM
OAD
Publicity & Social Media Coordinator
Maggie Sullivan
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BROAD Info + Editors
Sometimes I get down but then I remember that I live in Chicago. I have always wanted to live in the city as a journalist and now, here I am. This makes my largest remaining goals traveling, seeing Modest Mouse in concert, and paying off my student loans before I’m dead.
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Elishah Virani Diversity & Assessment Editor
BROAD Info + Editors
Just another Sophomore at Loyola University Chicago, roaming the buildings with big dreams and even bigger aspirations. Majoring in Criminal Justice, with a minor in English, BROAD Magazine is my first step to pursuing my passion for writing and social justice. However, when I’m not talking about changing BROAD Info + Editors the world, I’m usually over dosing on CSI: NY and Gossip Girl on Netflix or roaming Millennium Park with my best friends. I’ve been in Chicago most of my life, but I also spent a couple years in Pakistan, which exposed me to a lot of poverty and suffering, but the whole experience served as a lesson on life. I’m super excited to be a part of the BROAD Team and I can’t wait to start the school year!
2014-15
BROAD Info + Editors
There was a sense of foreboding in the air, that cold, dark noon I joined the world, infant jazz hands at the ready. It’s been nonsense every since. When I’m not being a college senior, crying over my Anthropology major and wondering what to do with my life, I enjoy Pinterest and crushing the patriarchy. I’m originally from the northern suburbs, so basically Wisconsin, in a wee village called Spring Grove. So twee. So corn. I survived by watching Studio Ghibli movies, reading a lot of David Sedaris and YA fiction, and causing general mayhem with my two younger siblings. Being of Assyrian descent, culture and tradition are an assortment of diverse, complicated, and sometimes contradictory components. Two crucial points developed from my AssyrianAmerican circumstances: an interest in understanding and discussing the way culture and society shape our understandings of self, and a big nose. Cheers.
BRO
Content & Section Editor
Sylvia Bennett
BROAD Info + Editors
Patrick Fina Layout & Design Editor
BROAD Info + Editors
Patrick Fina is a second year graduate student, barista, terrible musician, idealist, and cross country moving extraordinaire. An AmeriCorps alumni and a life long learner, this BROAD Info + Editors probably won’t be his last foray into education. He likes to think he can write, and is a self taught graphic designer because someone challenged him to ‘well if you’re so critical than do it yourself.’ Check out his column for rants and anecdotes from his awkwardly entertaining (in his opinion) queer existence.
5 TEAM
OAD
Website & Archives Coordinator
Meagan Cook
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BROAD Info + Editors
I am currently a Junior at Loyola. My areas of study include Social Work, Women and Gender Studies, and Spanish. I moved six times growing up, but I’ve finally found my home in the city of Chicago. My interests include biking, reading, and spending time with family. Along with a passion for feminism and social justice, I have a strong compassion for animals. My interest in all things related to feminism is ever evolving, and I am excited to expand and explore new areas and topics for discussion.
BROAD Info + Editors
J. Curtis Main Advisor, Consulting Editor
BROAD Info + Editors
Curtis could not be more proud of how much effort and love the hundreds of people involved, especially BROAD teams, have contributed to BROAD efforts. Curtis loves being the BROAD advisor, and looks forward to the best year yet! Outside of BROAD, Curtis is the Website Manager in the Office of BROAD Info +inEditors the Vice President the Division of Student Development. Curtis moved from their home state of NC in January of 2010 to pursue a M.A. in WSGS at Loyola and to continue a new relationship. One of these was successful! Upon completion of this degree, Curtis began working for Loyola, and absolutely adores their colleagues, our students, and Loyola’s philosophies. Curtis’ heart lies in NC where many of their friends and family still reside. But they love Chitown too!
2014-15
BRO BROAD Info + Editors
Gaby Ortiz Flores is a story composer. She believes in the power stories have to transform the world. She is getting her Masters in Digital Media & Storytelling. She loves dark chocolate. Please give her dark chocolate.
Consulting Editor
BROAD Info + Editors
Gaby Ortiz Flores
Mandy Keelor
5 TEAM
OAD In four years, BROAD Magazine has published hundreds of your stories, your hopes, your heartaches, your art, and your expressions. BROAD is not BROAD without you! Thanks for your ongoing support, encouragement, and contributions.
BROAD People, BROAD Communities
YOU...
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BROAD Info + Editors
Editor-in-Chief
Hi BROAD lovers! My name is Mandy Keelor and I am a Political Science major with minors in Sociology and Spanish. My passion is educating and inspiring others to care about human rights abuses and related gaps in public policy. I am particularly interested in exploring the relationship between victim psychologies and effective advocacy. In addition to my position at BROAD, I am a BROAD Info + Editors senator on the USGA Justice Committee, youth tutor, and ardent cat/EDM/travel lover. It is my belief that every human has a story and that story deserves to be told‌which I why I am so excited to be a part of the BROAD team this year. As Editor-in-Chief I hope to expand BROAD’s sphere of influence, recommit to its mission of Jesuit social justice education, and continue to represent a diversity of experience and opinion on various social justice and feminist topics. Please continue to share your stories and celebrate the voices of others with us! I look forward to sharing this year with you. BROADly, Mandy.
BROAD Info + Editors
Inside R Out?
o Digesting
White? Male? Feminist? YES. J. Curtis Main
’s Theirstory
BROAD
Four years ago, Digest Magazine released it’s very first issue. I will never forget where BROAD began. On September 2, 2010, with a one-person team, using Microsoft Word for design and publication (!!!), and no sections, columns, or articles, Digest Magazine was born. Yes, it was called Digest Magazine. No, it was not a food magazine. Nor was it a guide to gastroenterology. Digest did, however, have the intent of sharing expression that might be hard to swallow: feminism, social justice, and related anti-oppression movements and issues. Needless to say, if you glance at the very first cover on the right page, Digest has come a long way. Two years ago, Jenn, Ali, Karolyne, Natalie, and Julia, the 2012-2013 team, came to me nervous for an early morning training... “Curtis, we discussed many things and have come to a decision we are worried you will not like.” I sat back in my Centennial Forum office chair and thought, “How bad could it be?” “We want to rename the magazine; we don’t like the name, ‘Digest,’ it’s weird.” I popped forward enthusiastially from my chair, with a huge grin and lots of energy, and replied “YES!” That moment was a turning point for Digest. I was so happy to give it a better name! But there were many turning points before that big moment of a great name change. When Brandie
Rae Madrid, then a junior undergraduate, walked into my Women’s Studies & Gender Studies Graduate Assistant office and simply declared, “I want to get involved with something on campus,” I took the risk of bringing up Digest just two months into the lauch. At that point, there were three columnists and a handful of sections. To my surprise, Brandie loved the idea of joining my one person team. And, her and I got along very well. We decided to build the magazine more and more, eventually relaunching it in December of 2010 with a new look utilizing InDesign and having an issue theme. Brandie and I were so proud of that first themed issue, “The BODY.” I even learned InDesign on my own to take Digest to the next level. At that point, we released Digest weekly. It was part WSGS newsletter, and part magazine. But as the magazine grew, the WSGS resource newsletter became less and less central to Digest. In Digest’s second year, Brandie became editor. I nicknamed her Brandie B. Whitespace. In my earlier years of graphic design, self taught, I was a rabid, loose animal. Take a look at Digest! It certainly had a zine look to it. Brandie, though, a lover of whitespace, blackspace, just space in general, gave Digest more and more sophistication. She also recognized the benefits of moving Digest away from a weekly
srotidE + ofnI DAORB
srotidE + ofnI DAORB
On a side note, in April of 2011, I received an email from a middle school teacher in Oklahoma. She wanted to thank Digest Magazine for our Feminist Fires section. She utilized Feminist Fires for Women’s History Month by having her 7th graders find women activists. Brandie and I felt so moved by this! Several big BROAD moments happened in BROAD’s thid year under Editor-in-Chief Jenn Miller. Jenn had InDesign and Photoshop skills I still admire to this day. She took the magazine to yet another level, cleaning it up more, explaining a BROADer name and context, moving it to monthly releases, starting a Letter from the Editor, and choosing new colors. But that is not all. Jenn also better incorporated imagery throughout BROAD, making sure every two pages had at least one image. She also tamed my overzealous use of fonts, colors, and logos by limiting BROAD to three fonts, four colors, and just one BROAD logo. She continued the tradition set by Brandie of focusing on consistent but beautiful aesthetic.
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Of course, there were trailblazing columnists in the beginning, too, like Loyola alumnae Kyla Barranco with “The Bonfire,” a column so good her parents, family, and friends read it weekly, and Aanmona Priyadarshini with “Beyond the Words,” a column read by many folks in Bangladesh. Our first anonymous column, “Z Body,” by Z, took on sexuality, poly relationships, and bondage. I am proud of myself for starting my column’s fifth year by looking back! One of my favorite aspects of having a column is that it also serves as a journal/diary.
srotidE + ofnI DAORB
Indeed, many sections from the beginning are now the most popular. Quote Corner, my favorite, was the second section I made as editor. MadAds, with Betsy Hemenway’s input, was the third. Screen/ play, Faculty Feed, Feminist Fires, tell-a-vision, bookmark here, and words are useless came in that order. To date, there have been almost 200 quotes corners, almost 75 madads, and almost 100 words are useless. It feels like amazing accomplishment.
...what makes me the happiest is the contentment, satisfaction, pride, knowledge, and education BROAD provides readers, contributors, and team members, through digital mediums that are more and more accessible. srotidE + ofnI DAORB
release to themed issues. Brandie made important improvements to Digest, and her column, Screen/ Play, has now become a section!
and Gaby. They held regular meetings, some that lasted hours, many that involved food, laughter, therapy, bonding, and of course, hard work. This team also released three (!) issues over the summer while training, which were impressive for summer issues. Katie’s team also created their annual theme schedule when the year started, and had a running ad showing the entire annual schedule. For the first time, there was a “green” issue, a sex positivity issue, a health and wellness issue, and a disability issue. Katie, Emma, and Gaby got along better than any prior team. Being in their presence was uplifting and empowering. They were like old friends getting together for old time’s sake. Gaby pushed for increased media presence, and their team delivered. Emma was awesome in generating consistent content, and more than any BROAD team member before her, she had her contributions in on time or before!
The 2012-2013 team also started visiting editors, giving people a chance to join the BROAD team for one issue. Also, this team released the first annual BROAD Love issue, which, partially due to its incredible cover, garnered thousands of readers. This issue is still one of the most read in BROAD’s theirstory,
Which leads us to yet another turning point for BROAD. This past application cycle in May 2014, BROAD had more applicants than ever before, three times as many! This allowed us, the 20132014 team, to create new roles in the BROAD 20142015 team, such as website and archives coordinator, art director, and diversity and assessment editor.
Of course, everyone from the third year remembers Ali’s legacy. Ali Weinberg wowed the team for several issues by getting 10-30 contributors each time. Ali was amazing in helping others publish their expression. Ali was a trailblazer in having BROAD reach 20, 30, and even 40 contributions per issue.
Now, with a team of 11 people, and more sections and columnists than ever, BROAD is growing in both size and quality. BROAD’s new Editor-in-Chief, Mandy Keelor, is certainly on track to create many more firsts for BROAD, in addition to already strengthening the many hard-won efforts of previous BROAD team members. Mandy is fearless, articulate, has boundless energy, and as Patrick and I lke to think, a Ph.D. student stuck in a sophomore’s body.
Then enter Katie Klingel, Emma Steiber, and Gaby Ortiz, BROAD’s fourth year from 2013-2014. With a smaller team, I honestly wondered if BROAD would go beyond four years. But this team, this incredible trio of strentgh and wisdom, also left BROAD legacies. Katie has excellent management and leadership skills. She kept BROAD big in publication, small in team, and well-organized. There were also many firsts with Katie, Emma,
Other new BROAD members, of which there are nine total, are also making waves in terms of the number of contributors they are inviting to publish, the diversity of these contributors, and their efforts in spreading the word about BROAD. Mario has big plans for Twitter, and Maggie is ready to take on Facebook and BROAD’s first listserv. Kait and Ellie have been very reliable and remarkable in creating excellent section content, in addition to
finding new contributors and locating artists and great artwork. Sylvia and Elishah, as Diversity and Assessments Editors, are working hard to provide feedback to the team for every issue, specifically on the quality of that issue. This is a first time quality reports are generated per issue. Patrick has already spent countless hours in InDesign to bring you BROAD’s newest revision, relaunch, and aesthetic, which I am personally excited about. Finally, we cannot leave out Meagan, who is on board to redesign and relaunch BROAD’s web presence and website, so that every section and column has its very own web page: searchable, readable, and separated from BROAD. Our new website will be launching soon! Other new initiatives that this year’s team are introducing to BROAD are as exciting as those of years past. For the first time, BROAD has a tabling presence on Loyola’s campus at least five times per month, with visitors able to contribute on the spot. In a few weeks, BROAD will also start it’s first monthly open meetings, a new counterpart to the closed team meetings. At open meetings, BROAD team members will make a short presentation followed by an open forum to learn more about BROAD and how to be published. Guests will also be able to enjoy refreshments and learn more about how to get more involved on a BROADer level. These will take place in the new Den in Damen extension.
As always, look for new sections (generated mostly by the BROAD team, sometimes by contributors), new columnists (which requires submitting at least eight columns per annual cycle), and, of course, new articles, art, poetry, and visiting editors/organizations.
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Although this was a concept introduced last year along with visiting editors, we are looking forward to launching visiting organizations. Like visiting editors, visiting organizations contribute at least eight articles and sections, and in turn are highlighted to BROAD folks. We are thrilled to already have visiting organizations for upcoming issues, such as Dis(sed)-abilities in January.
For an over view of ALL sections, see below. As the years pass and BROAD develops more BROADly, what makes me the happiest is the contentment, satisfaction, pride, knowledge, and education BROAD provides readers, contributors, and team members, through digital mediums that
are more and more accessible, and always, free. Beyond the simple but powerful act of documenting people’s experiences with oppressions and liberations, BROAD also works to empower people through expression, connection, and awareness.
BROAD Sections 1. Glimpses Interviews
15. Volunteer Voices
2. quote corner
16. broadside
3. madads
17. Visiting Editor/Organization
4. screen/play
18. BROADer Perspective
5. Faculty Feed
19. message me
6. Feminist Fires / Liberation Leaders
20. microagresSHUNS
7. tell-a-vision
21. BROADS behind the scenes
8. bookmark here
22. Snapshot
9. words are useless
23. ad(vance)
10. Alum Alert
24. We’ve got Mail
11. WLA (Re)Animated
25. who to follow
12. Instant Replay / BROAD Recap
26. search this
13. Career Call
27. Aren’t We Opinionated (new in October)
14. Letter from the Editor / Letter from BROAD
28. Out & Proud (new in October)
Interview with someone involved with BROAD. A collection of 4+ quotes with a similar theme, origin. Advertising that stereotypes, harms, oppresses. Film review with social justice & feminist concerns. Contribution from a faculty member. Spotlight on an influential social justice leader. Video clip that depicts cultural issues or progress. Book recommendation related to social justice. Artwork relaating to social justice. Interview with Loyola Women’s Studies alumni. Highlight from the Women & Leadership Archives. Overview, review of social justice event.
Hear from the workforce through a social justice lens. Hear from BROAD’s team about the entire issue.
Hear from volunteers relating to social justice. Poetry relating to oppression and/or liberation. Join BROAD’s team to publish your favorite issue. Article unrelated to that issue’s them. A question posed in social media with answers. A collection of smaller, harmful jabs that add up. See how the team operates behind the scenes. Recent world news event through a social justice lens. Advertising that tries to be inclusive and fair. Reader responses from previous BROAD issues. Social media personali Social media personali Social media personali
Sharing of shamed identities and expressions
who to follow social media social justice social life BROAD people
Blogs endonlinemisogyny.org fightmisogynisticmusic.wordpress.com endrevengeporn.org adrespect.org
Twitter @MisogynyWatch @street_level @TransMediaWatch @mmfa @EverydaySexism @CCriadoPerez @OccupySexism @BitchMedia @StopStHarassmnt @Hollaback
/EndMediaSexism /WindCityMediaGroup /Anti-Racism-Media
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BROAD Info + Editors
BROAD Info + Editors
Visiting Editor Join BROAD’s team for Your Issue Taylor Stuart
In early 2014 in the midst of a devastating influx of Sexual Assaults on the University of Iowa’s campus, their President made a statement that terminating sexual assault was not a realistic goal “just given human nature.” With this as a catalyst, Taylor and many other students and community members set out to change the culture of rape on the campus and local society. They have since gotten The University to take a zero tolerance stance pertaining to sexual assault, and have certainly brought the issue to the forefront of the community. They have made great progress but changing a culture is a valiant effort. We are all fighting together. (To read more on the project visit: www.notinmynature.com)
Taylor Edelle Stuart is a 19 year old rising sophomore at The University of Iowa studying Film, Theatre and Hindi. She first identified as an advocate for social change after hearing Jamie Utt, sexual violence educator and diversity and inclusion consultant, speak at a Leadership seminar she was volunteering at as a young teen. From then on, Taylor was always seen as the resident non-conformist at her midwest high school. Making statements such as “Excuse me, but telling students to abstain from sex does not condone a healthy sex life.” and “I’m sorry that you don’t like my tank top, but maybe school officials should stop oversexualizing non sexual parts of my body.” and “Are you sure you’re not sending him to the office because he’s a person of color?” Taylor had achieved a reputation as “that girl” by the time she was 16… She has always been proud of that reputation.
Taylor is presently wrapping up her first round of research and preproduction based out of Jaipur, India for a feature length film. The film pertains to the dangerous stereotypes that Americans abroad hold true for the people of India and how living in fear of other humans based off of isolated incidences and preconceived notions is both dangerous for the quality and experience of a person’s time abroad, but more importantly dangerous for the quality of lives of those accused. The film predominantly targets the unfortunate and complex topic of white supremacy. Taylor has taken a life dedicated to social change and making art. As she knows that the life of an question asker, dreamer, doer, and changer is a difficult one she also knows that it reaps the sweetest rewards. She would like to thank her family, friends, and boyfriend for their endless and selfless support of her dreams and she would also like to thank the whole darn world for constantly challenging and constructing how she thinks.
BROAD Info + Editors
BROAD Info + Editors
BROAD Info + Editors
BROAD Info + Editors
Visiting Editor
I am a doll, slut, whore, ass, bitch, breasts, baby, c*nt, legs, and pocket of meat to fuck. I am every woman who has been catcalled on her way to work, school, and home. I am every woman who has been the target of rape and death threats online because of her anatomy. I am every woman who has been verbally, physically, and emotionally abused by her partner. I
am every woman who wishes her gender wasn’t a liability, who yearns for the safety and privacy that is a privilege, and who craves a freedom in her life that men don’t even realize is missing. I am here to tell you the story of every girl who is mocked by the world. I am here to promise the world that it hasn’t seen the last of us.
BROAD Info + Editors
BROAD Info + Editors
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Join BROAD’s team for Your Issue X. Cathexis
we’ve got mail BROAD issue reviews BROAD People
broadside poetry in street lit style X. Cathexis
dear #you
Dear #sue, ng It kills me to see you haunting them so you Stop the railroad tracks, stop the noose lung I try to tell them, to scream hope from my what they’ll lose But they just can’t, just can’t understand
Dear #ana, It hollows out my stomach to see what you do So subtle, so deadly, you waste away youth I try to tell them, scream that they’re beautiful too But you skew their vision, alter the truth
Dear #deb It clouds my day when I see you walk by I know your hooded eyes, slow step, ghost of a smile I try to tell them, show them a clear sky But you suffocate, keep them from seeing more than a mile
Dear #you Please Please Please Know #itgetsbetter and #iloveyou
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Dear #cat It cuts my heart to pieces to see your mark They think you’re self-defense, the hero they’ve been waiting for I try to tell them, beg them not to listen to the dark But it’s too much, the past, and you let their blood pour
words are useless sometimes words aren’t enough Stacey Brown
Artist:
Michele Brown
Equality
words are useless
Artist:
Tyler Feder
Intersectional Rosie the Riveter
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sometimes words aren’t enough Tyler Feder
Insight on (In)Justice Because sometimes justice starts with a conversation... Kait Madsen
#ferguson:
Media Coverage, Racial Dialogue, and the Need for Understanding
My stomach is in knots as I write this after reading article after article and watching news coverage after news coverage of the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, along with the protests and massive police response that followed. I’ve been trying to figure out how to most meaningfully participate in this conversation as a white woman, to share my thoughts and worries without shutting out the experiences of people whose voices are desperately needed right now. When I heard about the incident, I immediately thought about my boyfriend, Brady, a 23-year-old, 6’ 3” African-American male living in the Midwestern United States, a trading-card description of a young man that is not very different than the news descriptions of Michael Brown. When I first told Brady about the shooting, he became silent, sighed, and said quietly, “I hate that so much.” For him, the story is not surprising or confusing, like it is for many white Americans; instead, it’s a disturbing reality that feels all-too-familiar and present. And, like many other Americans and people around the world, I want to know: What happened? Why is an 18-year-old dead? Where is the justice? Growing up as a white, middle-class Midwesterner, I viewed the Police (as an institution and individually) as protectors and justice-upholders, heroic
figures who saved me from “bad guys” and wore their uniforms like a superhero cape. I have relatives and friends who are wonderful, ethical people and policemen. Policemen let me off with a “warning” when I was driving too quickly; they investigated and supported my grandparents when an arsonist set their home on fire; they sought justice when my best friend was hit by a jet ski driver. When my younger sister accidentally dialed 9-1-1, the police promptly showed up at our house to check up on us. For me, it was a simple formula: follow laws, trust the police and the justice system, and I would be safe. This formula holds true for many other white Americans, and it makes it difficult to understand why and how the Police, as an institution, can be a terrifying force of racial violence for many people of color in the United States. For many white Americans, the protests and discussions about race issues that have surrounded Michael Brown’s death sound like an unfounded accusation or utter disrespect for police officers who work every day to ensure safety and uphold law and order. I’ve seen that reaction from several people I know, especially from my hometown, where the population is over 90% white and under 2% African American. It is too easy, as white Americans, to become defensive instead of compassionate, to let our self-preservation
Again and again, our laws, the Police, the justice system, and our cultural prejudices commit acts of racial violence that are both visible and invisible. BROAD Info + Editors
BROAD Info + Editors
BROAD Info + Editors
thing like drug possession or public intoxication, it would be viewed as a random occurrence. If Brady were arrested, it would be seen as confirmation of his racial predisposition for lawlessness or violence. Like most black males in the United States, Brady grew up educated on how his race is sometimes perceived by others: as threatening or violent, as “gang-related,” lazy, or insubordinate. He is aware of how, unlike for white males, his actions are seen as a symbol of “African American-ness,” an example of “all black men ____.” We grew up in the same hometown, hung out at the same local shopping mall, but he was stopped multiple times by mall security as a kid for suspicion of stealing and I never experienced that type of encounter. It’s within the context of these personal experiences and cultural misconceptions of black Americans, along with our country’s history of racial discrimination, police violence, control over black American bodies, and uncensored hatred, that the Ferguson shooting occurred and is being perceived. I believe it’s difficult for white Americans to understand that perspective, especially when they have no family or close friends who are black and share these experi-
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Because we have to look at the reality: racism and violence against people of color exist throughout the justice system. Again and again, our laws, the Police, the justice system, and our cultural prejudices commit acts of racial violence that are both visible and invisible. Trayvon Martin’s death showed the racial bias of certain laws like Stand Your Ground. The recent NYPD police officers who choked to death Erik Garner, a black man selling illegal cigarettes in New York City, shows the excessive force used, in particular, against African American males. My boyfriend is followed or viewed with suspicion when walking in shopping malls; his color and size make people
cross the street when he’s walking past, despite his friendly demeanor and affinity for bright band t-shirts. He is viewed as reliable and safe only when walking with me, his white girlfriend, or a group of his white friends. If I were to be arrested for some-
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take over our open hearts. It is easy to let our participation in the Ferguson conversations be limited to, “My uncle is a great man and outstanding police officer. Therefore, the Police are not racist or violent.” Because, let’s face it, policemen, as individuals, are human; they are as complex and multi-faceted as any other professional. And when I refer to the Police with a capital “P,” I’m not talking about any one individual. While there are individual policemen who are racist, sexist, homophobic, or cruel, there are countless other individuals who are compassionate, brave, honest, and good. The capital “P” Police I refer to is the institution, the laws, policies, attitudes, and cultural norms that work together to shape unjust practices.
ences with them. A study conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute in 2013 shows how racially homogenous social networks tend to be in the United States. According to the study, the average white person has 91 white friends for every one black friend. Likewise, the average black American has 83 black friends for every eight white friends (“Race and Americans’ Social Networks,” Public Religion Research Institute). Think of it this way: the average black American has ten times as many black friends as she does white friends, while the average white American has ninety times as many white friends as she does black friends. While the fact that there are simply more white people than black people in the U.S. accounts for some of this, the ratio of white Americans to black Americans is about six to one; if white Americans’ social networks were to actually reflect this number, Americans would have around sixteen black friends out of every 100. So when white Americans lack close ties with black Americans, where does most of their information come from regarding race discussions? The media. For many white Americans - like those from my hometown - the media serves as one of the only gateways into racial issues and identities for white Americans. Therefore, the issue with Ferguson is not just the event itself; it is the media coverage of the shooting, the protests, and the police response that informs opinions and creates the limited understanding many Americans have of race. If the coverage is not done with careful attention to how race is addressed, it can perpetuate stereotypes and prevent any sort of mutual understanding between those who fall in the “pro-Brown” camp and those that fall in the “pro-police” camp. Through showing African American residents of Ferguson as violent protesters, looters, and reckless law-breakers without addressing the broader racial context of the situation, the media performs a racial injustice. The case of Ferguson did not occur in a bubble; rather, it occurred as part of a complicated and disturbing history of race relations in the United States. Mainstream media coverage of events like the Ferguson shooting is often short-sighted and, frankly, white-washed, if it fails to address this broader context, especially for the sake of media consumers who are not educated on issues of race. In failing to adequately address racial biases, the media further divides the American public. In the case of Ferguson, the “pro-Brown” side and “pro-police” side may realize that advocacy for one side may not be necessarily exclude the other if media cover-
age focused on explaining a broader racial context. The response from black Americans and other allies to media coverage of the Ferguson incident is telling of both racial bias in media and perceived racial bias in the media. This perception of bias is perhaps most important in this discussion, because recognizing those perceptions and the context of injustice that forms them is absolutely crucial in order for others, especially white Americans, to understand why the Ferguson discussion centers on race. One of the most powerful and informative responses to the media coverage is the #IfTheyGunnedMeDown hashtag on Twitter and other forms of social media. The hashtag is an example of black Americans re-claiming their portrayal in the media, peacefully but assertively challenging media stereotypes and biases. The hashtag features side-by-side photos posted by users who are asking the question, “If police gunned me down, how would the media choose to show me?” The photo on the left is a picture of the individual in some sort of rebellious pose or situation that fits into racial stereotypes, while the photo on the right is a picture of the same individual in a pose that more ac-
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The New York Times, or venturing into underground news sources like Colorlines or The Root will encourage white Americans to broaden their perspectives, especially when they lack diversity in their social networks. Paying attention to social media trends like #IfTheyGunnedMeDown and listening to music like the song “Don’t Shoot,” which was created by a group of popular hip-hop artists, can provide insight into how black American youth are perceiving and working through racial violence. We have to be able to have honest, difficult conversations about race in order to begin to address injustices.
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Because I’ve been in an interracial relationship with Brady for about six years, I often feel that I am in a unique position to see multiple perspectives of issues. My heart and passion for social justice are with the people of Ferguson, the black mothers who fear that their sons will be victims of Police violence, and black men, like Brady, who know that their identity comes with some dangerous assumptions. Yet because I grew up in a mostly conservative, white, Iowa town, I also understand the simple lack of understanding, or even ignorance, toward racial issues that a lot of white Americans have. Let me clarify: I understand where it comes from, and I understand why it’s difficult to see beyond it, but I do not sympathize with it, agree with it, or believe that it should not and can not - change. I believe that dialogue across racial lines is absolutely key to addressing injustices
It is much easier for white Americans to accept racial violence or police violence if the victim looks like a “thug.” But if the victim looks like our neighbor, brother, son, or friend - if he looks human - it fills us with guilt and understanding of the reality of the situation. BROAD Info + Editors
BROAD Info + Editors
The photos the media chooses to show of black American victims have a huge influence on public perception of the incident. It is much easier for white Americans to accept racial violence or police violence if the victim looks like a “thug.” But if the victim looks like our neighbor, brother, son, or friend - if he looks human - it fills us with guilt and understanding of the reality of the situation. Similarly, after details of Michael Brown’s death were released, the media focused heavily on allegations that Brown was involved in a burglary right before his death. I was baffled at how the media implied that a theft meant Brown was a “bad egg,” and “bad eggs” do not deserve the same sympathy and justice “good eggs” do. It was as if media personalities were trying to justify Brown’s death by demonstrating that, like every single other human on earth, Brown was imperfect. Since when is execution the proper punishment for stealing cigarillos in the United States? Answer: it never, ever is. And by choosing to focus so heavily on one incidence of law-breaking, rather than eighteen years of real, loving, playing, human life, the media de-humanized Brown, making it easier to justify his shooting and making it easier for white Americans to remain baffled at the cries of racial injustice surrounding the incident.
and reaching mutual understanding. As white Americans, we must become conscious media consumers and make an intentional effort to diversify our media selection. Regularly looking at the “Race and Ethnicity” news sections in mainstream media like
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curately describes them and also defies stereotypes, in photos taken with family, graduating, playing musical instruments, or in the military. Brady and I created our own #IfTheyGunnedMeDown photo, which I’m attaching to this column. (For a powerful take on the hashtag, watch Daniel J. Watts’ “If They Gunned Me Down” spoken word poem.)
broadside poetry in street lit style Elishah Virani
sretfleolen ct io n
her skin, She stood before the mirror, in nothing but Her hair wet, her body thin. she said, She pulled out her phone, “I trust him”, instead. She hesitated for a moment, but hit “send”
, one began to beep h p er h r, te la s te p. Just a few minu , the caption chea n ree sc e th n o lf se She saw her bare , s, feeling ashamed ee n k er h to ll fe e Sh n proclaimed. ee b ad h e ak ist m That her foolish
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“Sylvia Rivera…as a trans person, a street queen, a hustler, warned us about becoming a movement that was only for white, middleclass people. And 45 years later, the most marginalized of our communities are still struggling.”
quote corner
just words? just speeches? Laverne Cox, Actor
“When a trans woman is called a man, that is an act of violence.”
“It is my dream that by highlighting the deep humanity of trans people’s lives in the media, elevating actual trans voices to speak the truth of our lived experiences in ways that don’t sensationalize and objectify us, those human voices and stories can be a part of the disruption needed to end the disproportionate injustices that threaten so many trans people’s lives, particularly the lives of trans women of colour. ”
“The preoccupation with transition and surgery objectifies trans people. And then we don’t get to really deal with the real lived experiences. The reality of trans people’s lives is that so often we are targets of violence. We experience discrimination disproportionately to the rest of the community...If we focus on transition, we don’t actually get to talk about those things.”
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“It is revolutionary for any trans person to choose to be seen and visible in a world that tells us we should not exist.”
“As an out transgender woman of color, I don’t take the enormity of me being able to live my dreams lightly. This is not the case for so many of my transgender brothers and sisters. Everyone should have the same chance to get ahead, to support themselves and their families and to live their dreams.”
#feminisms BROAD Voice, BROAD Communities Taylor Stuart
(Prejudice):
White Supremacy in India
In the summer of my 19th year I embarked on a transformative journey to the country of my constant infatuation, India. I went with many questions and left with even more. Seeing the way that other white travelers handled their time abroad was baffling to me. I saw racism seep into the everyday interactions with the people of India. I found this interesting and it raised a lot of questions about the nature of people of privilege entering a society with a sense of superiority. I am setting out to make a
feature length film to answer these questions. Below is my Director’s Note. Synopsis: This film follows the adventure and discoveries of a young female filmmaker, Taylor Edelle Stuart, as she travels throughout India. The film focuses on the deep-seated racism and sexism that white travelers in the country inadvertently perpetuate based upon underdeveloped stereotypes. This challenging film deals with the highly complex topics of gender equality, what it means to be a woman in a developing nation, and most importantly and perhaps the most difficult to swallow: white superiority. Director’s Note: This film should be made promptly to ensure that the problems therein do not become more prevalent as this pressing issue becomes more abundantly clear with each international plane that lands in India. This film highlights the romantic parts of India in a visual
sense, but predominantly deals with the prejudices that Americans or “white-bred” travelers bring with them to the country. I am a nineteen year old female, having just finished my freshman year of undergraduate study at the University of Iowa. I told my people that I was planning on traveling to study in India. They couldn’t have been more distraught. When I made my decision public I was faced with comments such as, “Don’t you know that people get raped there?” “Don’t get sex-trafficked,” “Boys are going to touch you.” All of which were concerns that I took with a gracious smile and delivered a reassurance that I would be fine in return. When I arrived in India I discovered that all of the other American women I had met were given these same warnings. They were told to cover their bodies, walk in groups, and to protect themselves from the men here. Some women I have seen have been absolutely disgusted and seem so terribly violated by a simple “hello.”
I don’t believe that myself and other visitors of India are fully aware of the implications of our actions, but I will contend to assert that we all have been taught from childhood to fear other races- to hate them. As a woman living in a college town I have certainly gotten more street harassment, cat calling, and in some cases actual physical groping in one night walking home from a bar than I did in all of my time in India. The culture around the objectification of women is so severe in America because there are people therein who say it does not exist. It does exist. But the problem is we don’t talk about it enough! When we let the conversations around the culture of rape fall to the wayside, we dismiss the possibility for change. Change cannot be made if we ignore the problem. We need to make these injustices abundantly clear before we perpetuate them even further. We should stop pointing fingers at other countries. This topic is highly complex, and does not set out to belittle the injustices that do exist in India. Because they most certainly DO exist. They do everywhere. But it raises many questions about womanhood, assimilation, race, the problems of cultural appro-
priation and the consumption of culture, and the perpetualization of stereotypes. All of which have been incredibly prevalent and (seemingly benevolent) forces in modern American society. What kind of discussion can we induce if we take popular debates such as “Does this skirt mean I’m asking for it?” and place them in a different culture? American’s demonization of the men of India based upon isolated and particular happenings inhibits the experience of traveling abroad and from truly appreciating the country for its most beautiful part— it’s people. If it is so popular to fear this country, then why aren’t people fearing their own? I say, don’t live in fear. Fight to end the problem. If we bring this grey area to the masses we have a better chance of eradicating this hate and creating a community of acceptance and this change within ourselves and moreover a safe world for humans to live in.
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Mindful safety is one thing, and dressing conservatively as to respect the culture is another, but stereotyping an entire society based off of isolated incidences within it is a form of prejudice. Changing your lifestyle as a guest in a country is bigotry. Living in fear is racism. Racism is hate.
HEaRt The beating, beating, beating, of this cerebral female heart. X. Cathexis
From the Streets to the Web: This shouldn’t be the circle of life
I don’t feel safe. It’s not because I live in Chicago. It’s not because I’m lacking in common sense. It’s not because I’m on my own. It’s because I am a woman. Before you stop reading this because you think I’m some weak, manipulative girl trying to get attention – know the opposite couldn’t be truer. And that I’m tired of people, who know nothing about what I go through on a daily basis, tell me I’m making my pain into a bigger deal than it is. Pain is never under exaggerated or over exaggerated, and if you think so, you’ve clearly never felt it before. So I’m finally going to say what I’ve been too scared to admit until now, what I’ve been too brainwashed to realize until now: I’m a human being and you better treat me that way. When I started getting cat calls in ninth grade, I was shocked and flattered. That men would follow me down the aisles of the grocery store? …well, what an honor. That men would stare at my beat up Honda accord in the fast food drive like they were trying to rip off the doors with their gaze? …well, sure I had to lock those doors, but damn they could only see my head…I
It was just over a week ago that I was on my way to pick up my boyfriend from the airport. As it was the first time I had seen him in months, I wore a dress I felt sexy in and headed happily (ecstatically) out the door. I should have known that wearing this particular dress was a bad idea, but something inside me that day was so positive and unwilling to consider sadness, that I
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excited with every step, a group of men noticed that I was behind them. Dayuuum. What the-. *whistle* Within seconds, the entire hallway was looking at me because of the ruckus these individuals were making. My jaw clenched and my spine stiffened. I kept calm. I was used to this. But then they did something no harasser had ever done before. They started to imitate the way I was walking – cupping their hands in front of their chest to resemble breasts – and swaggering down the hallway, laughing and talking about what it must be like to be me. At the stairs they slowed down so they could watch my ass as I walked up – providing a commentary like I was a rare breed of animal on a Nature episode. Should I even mention that they tried to talk to me? It’s almost surprising given the fact that they were treating me like an animal. If you’re at all shocked, know that this is not the only time my day has been ruined by street harassment – just one of the more recent, and painful, memories. I was surrounded by many commuters that day, so I mostly felt mortified, angry, frustrated, and embar-
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More than I decade later and all grown up I feel, however, like women and men are still living in kindergarten – except the stakes are much higher and the insults much dirtier. When women are harassed on the street, I had never heard until very recently of any of them fighting back. The general consensus when it comes to street harassment has been the same since I can remember – head down, don’t make eye contact, walk away quickly. You have no power. Fighting is futile. It’s your fault if anything happens. Certainly, there are some scenarios where a woman should not engage with the harasser for her own safety (that her safety is threatened is another matter altogether), but I don’t think society should perpetuate the voice of my elementary school teachers – blaming me for provoking or somehow allowing a man to bully me. Instead, I think we should talk about the way men, the ones who won’t pull a gun on you or even physically touch you, still find a way to belittle, embarrass, and terrify women every single day and why it is so significant that this behavior is moving to the streets of online – social media.
On a day when I was so excited to be physically close with someone again – I was suddenly disgusted by thoughts of physical intimacy or sexuality because of this street harassment. BROAD Info + Editors
It was only several months ago that I realized the toll this harassment had been taking on me for years and that it was in fact harassment. As children, we are conditioned to avoid conversations with strangers and to never get into an unknown person’s car. Girls are specifically conditioned, among other things, to recognize that ‘boys will be boys’ and do stupid things, and that our only good defense is to ignore them. Say something back? By kindergarten, we girls learned that this response would open the floodgate of insults from a boy. Take the matter to a figure of authority? Mature, but that too would only lead to an exhausted reprimand from our (usually) female teachers, who seemed to believe that we girls were at fault for not being able to hold back our tongue. Hyprocritical? I think so.
didn’t think twice about it. I was going to be reunited with my boyfriend. I was going to be happy. That’s all I should have had to care about. Halfway through my public transit journey, I switched trains. As I walked to the next platform, growing more
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must be pretty! That men would try to entertain me at red lights with conversation? …wonderful, I must have looked bored, not uncomfortable or anxious, right?
rassed. But the fear was still there. The post-adrenaline exhaustion was still there. It was still in the back of my mind that they might do something to me – because I wasn’t human to them – their behavior made it clear I was a piece of meat, an ornament, a sex toy. On a day when I was so excited to be physically close with someone again – I was suddenly disgusted by thoughts of physical intimacy or sexuality because of this street harassment. No, I was certainly and thank-
fully not a victim of rape, who is reminded of that trauma every time they trust someone with intimacy. But five minutes of harassment was enough to make me bitter about human sexuality and society’s fascination with sex – enough to make me not want to be physical with the man I love after months of separation. I was sick. Sick not of being a victim, but of being an object. Every time it happens, I am reminded of the important question – how can I make this stop? -----------The reality is that street harassment is the unacceptable gateway drug, if you will, to greater forms of violence against women (and people of color and LGBTQI
identity). The next stop on that not-yet-criminal train is online harassment and it is no less real, no less terrifying, no more ‘virtual’ than street harassment. In fact, online harassment, by following the victim wherever they are connected to a device (including into their home), has the potential to wear down the psychological will of a person much faster than street harassment. Imagine being bombarded with threats of rape and death from anonymous posters every time
you check your email, Twitter feed, Facebook wall, or any other social media platform. How exhausting would the constant anxiety be? I know from experience that an encounter with a street harasser leaves me feeling drained and distracted. How destructive would the constant fear of your notification ringtone be? What if you had no choice but to be online for school, work, or personal connections with friends and family? It has come to the attention of women (and other targets of street and online harassment), that the same kindergarten lessons apply to battling online harassment. Say something? It’s your voice against the many voices of cruel individuals who have nothing to do but criticize and threaten you. Better ignore it. Take the
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matter to the authorities? From accounts of women who have tried this, the reaction from local police is the belittling question, “Well, why are you on social media anyway? Just close your account” – as if it is yet again the woman’s fault for somehow being accessible to this violence, for somehow provoking this attacker, and her responsibility for ensuring it doesn’t happen in the future. The reaction from social media sites is just an unhelpful – “Sorry, it’s not in our policy to meddle with users’ accounts. There’s a report button (I think it works? Though attackers can always create another one.) So yeah sorry…but not sorry. Women are still our biggest demographic of users so we’re making money off you pathetic, wanton idiots. Ha.” It truly hurts me when men yell at me on the street, and it took me a long time to admit it. I thought something was wrong with me. I thought I was too sensitive. How could I possibly not want the attention of men? Isn’t this what every girl dreams of? But my questioning and sensitivity is actually what was right with me. The depth of my feelings, my reactions to the street harassment I face on a daily basis, has helped me come to the realization that my pain and anyone else’s pain due to harassment is not just unnecessary – it’s unacceptable. I’m a human being with a brain, and dreams, and aspirations – and I should be known for
You are a human being too and people better treat you that way. So if you are harassed on a daily basis or at all, know that you can fight back, and it’s what you should do. You shouldn’t have to live your life in fear. The cycle of violence against women shouldn’t be perpetuated by the passive lessons we teach our children, by the way we condone street harassment every time we don’t say something back, by the way the harassment strengthens and gains a community of followers on the internet when we don’t unite to tell our social media companies, our local governments, our federal government - that misogyny and hate speech - from the streets to the internet and back again will not be tolerated. If you care about your daughters, sisters, wives, straight friends, gay friends, black friends, interracial friends, anyone and everyone who can be and is a target of hate speech – you have an obligation to take action. Look at the new “who to follow” section in this issue. Donate to organizations like Hollaback who take this activism to city streets around the world. Educate your friends about the instances of online misogyny that occur every day with the help of End Online Misogyny’s weekly blog roundup. Participate in the HuffPost Women’s “#That’WhatHeSaid” harassment awareness campaign. Learn more about how street harassment is not a compliment and print out cards to educate your harassers at “cardsagainstharassment. com”. Do your own research. Realize that the chances are you, or someone you care about, will be a target of harassment and/or one of its ugly relatives someday. And why wouldn’t you stop that, if you had the chance? The oppression of women and other historically marginalized groups hasn’t gone away. Street and internet harassment are upheld by society as forms of oppression inherent to the circle of life – but it isn’t inherent and it doesn’t have to be this way. It really doesn’t.
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If you care about your daughters, sisters, wives, straight friends, gay friends, black friends, interracial friends, anyone and everyone who can be and is a target of hate speech – you have an obligation to take action.
my strength of character and mind, not this temporary flesh I inhabit. When I walk out the door: I never want your opinion, I never care what you think, I’m never asking for it. So I’m finally going to say what I’ve been too cowardly to proclaim until now, what I’ve been too brainwashed to realize until now:
words are useless sometimes words aren’t enough Taylor Yocom
Artist:
Taylor is a senior from the University of Iowa who is pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography.
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Guarded
Traitor I can go both ways Paige Gardner
From Burning Bras to Liberation for All:
Using technology and action to combat all forms of oppression
The first image of feminism that comes to my mind is white women burning bras. As a young girl I thought, “hmmm, why are these white women so angry”? My attitude as a child growing up in a predominately white town was that I had bigger things to deal with for example, fighting misconceptions of being black, fighting to be seen as an intelligent black leader, fighting against being seen as deviant child, fighting against being seen as dangerous. I had to focus on overcoming these obstacles as a black individual I never took time to think about my life as a woman, let alone the intersections of being a black woman. The use of feminist imagery through social media has played a significant role in how I’ve come to understand the true meaning of feminism which ideally embodies liberation for all women and includes all intersecting identities that form each women’s experience. With the development of social media and how it’s used in present day, I would say that we have the opportunity to visualize and learn the “herstory” of feminism and educate all communities of privilege and oppressed
identities. Overtime social media has evolved into a pervasive force, using instant gratification and narcissism to leech onto the desires of youth and adults. Growing up as a child in the 1990s, technology was nowhere as evolved as it’s become now. Text books, television, and magazines were the spheres of influence for learning about history and current events. Reflecting on my education, the avenues of learning and understanding feminism were very narrow. I remember in history class when we would get to few pages that focused on the Women’s Suffrage, Women’s Rights, Slavery, and Civil Rights. Feminism was never a word in my vocabulary, I wasn’t hearing it at home or in the classroom. The messages I received or lack thereof, shaped my own opinions and thoughts about my particular identities. Fast forwarding to the present we now see how easy it is to use social media as a tool to resist the pull of mainstream, one-dimensional portrayals of
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current events. As easy as I can list off the harmful ways media infiltrates our world, there is a loop hole that we as activists, allies, and communities can come together and represent our experiences. As seeds of Social Justice begin to grow and branch out, the more our youth and adults become educated. The more we use technology to tell our stories and uplift our voices, the quicker we can keep our communities connected and informed! As I use the term communities I begin to envision horizontal lines of Venn diagrams, where communities of marginalized communities overlap in strength, support, love, and action. The action component is key because when technology is just used to spread information, it can quickly die out. The action is what takes movements forward. For example, in the Ferguson case, if there had been no move to action, moments after the posting this issue would have been looked over. We can use technology to capture the ugly truth of our country and use it as fuel to move into action mode. The video, “Why We Might Be the Most Overrated Generation�, accurately names everything we have to lose if we as a community choose to hide behind technology (https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Kqvd12mEEK4). #Feminism is about creating a seamless balance of technology and action; essentially a 1-2 knock out combination! #Feminism is about finding the intersectionalities and sharing the responsibility of creating change! As educators, activists, and all other professions, we must find ways to interrupt the cycle of socialization and plant seeds of hope, love, passion, and most importantly action!
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Overtime social media has evolved into a pervasive force, using instant gratification and narcissism to leech onto the desires of youth and adults.
QUOTE C ORNER
tell-a-vision
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visions & revisions of our culture(s) Resident Evil 5
TELL-AVISION
SCREEN/ PLAY
BOOKMA RK HERE
TELL-AVISION
QUOTE C ORNER
BROAD FACULTY FEED
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Consider:
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LIBERATIO N LEADERS
WLA REANIMA TED
CAREER CALL
VISITING EDITOR
VOLUNTEE R VOICES
ME
SSAGE M E 1. Capcom, the creator of Resident Evil, received criticism when the video game was released because of its depiction of Africans in the game. What kinds of racial stereotypes are portrayed in this commercial? MICRO(video games)? 2. Who is the intended audience? Who uses this form of media AGRES 3. Who commits the acts of violence in this video game? Who appears toAbe DVAsent to stop the violence? SHU NCE
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Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpIWhAAiNRc&feature=related
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WE’VE GO T MAIL
bookmark here find your next social justice text here BROAD Readers
Released:
, First edition 2007 12 20 second edition
Genre:
al Science
Nonfiction, Soci
Cost: $5.50
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Limitations:
Although FFF succeeds in contributing stories and real-world examples, as a second edition published five years after the original, it fails to update its statistics. The figures are stuck in 2007 but are still dramatic enough to make jaws drop.
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Overview:
First Sentence:
“One of the most incr edible things about the last few years is the increa se of young women pu blicly identifying as femin ists.”
Angry Atheist Angry. Godless. Opinionated. Mario Mason
The Friendzone In many romantic sitcoms, it’s a staple to have an episode highlighting the friendzone between a male and his seemingly oblivious female friend. I hate episodes like these, they make me angry. They lend to the stereotype that just because a guy is being nice (what he is suppose to be doing anyway) the female owes him some reparation. What? What is the friendzone you ask? The friendzone is equivalent to the shadow realm. It is a metaphorical place occupied by heterosexual men who describe themselves as “nice, down to earth, gentlemen,” who feel they have been inappropriately labeled as a “friend” or “brother.” You will often hear them say things like “I’m tired of being taken for granted” or “I’m tired of being used” or life isn’t fair because they are truly honestly nice guys. I’m not sure how the friend zone came into existence. Did someone just decide one day that if they are nice enough to someone they deserve a sexual reward? The idea of the friend zone removes a woman’s free agency to decide whom she sleeps with and whom she dates. If we promote the idea of the friend zone what we are essentially doing is blaming the woman for wanting to keep things platonic. Is it that hard to accept that there is no attraction on her part? That she might be seeing someone else? Or that she’s just not into them?
I like to look at things from an objective point of view and in my research I think the friend zone stems from the different dynamic of male and female friendships. In relationships among females it is commonplace to share feelings and use each other as a support system. Many men confuse this emotional connection as a form of attraction. Once men are able to separate emotional intimacy and attraction, then I believe we will be able to get rid of this silly notion of the friendzone. “Friend-zoning is a terrible thing. The idea of a friend zone is like a terrible, male… have you ever heard a girl say she’s in the friend zone? It’s a thing I think men need to be really careful about using… I definitely think the idea of friend zone is just men going, ‘This woman won’t have sex with me.’” -Daniel Radcliffe
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Consider: 1. What kind of audience consumes clothing magazines as a form of media? 2. What tactics is American Apparel using to sell the flannel shirt? 3. What does each of the images demonstrate about the way gender is used in advertising? 4. Who is missing from these ads?
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busted advertising, bustling economy American Apparel Unisex Shirts
#feminisms BROAD Voice, BROAD Communities Kelsey Henke
Art History: For the People
The blue, black, and white homepage of the English Wikipedia reads, “Welcome to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.” While the site’s epithet conjures visions of a cyberfeminist utopia, a neutral platform free of the barriers of age, gender,
race, socioeconomic status, geography, and credentials that constrain our earthly knowledge production systems, Wikipedia is no Haraway-ian fantasy. Even with the project’s open authorship policies, the democratic vision of a crowdsourced sum of all knowledge
As digital humanities scholar Mia Ridge explains, “If it’s behind a paywall, it only exists for a privileged few. BROAD Info + Editors
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New York Times points to a few entries of generally female interest that suffer from relative inattention: friendship bracelets, fashion designers, “Sex and the City” episodes, and Mexican feminist writers. In an effort to add more female voices to the site, groups such as tooFEW (Feminist Engage Wikipedia), FemTechNet, and WikiWomen’s Collaborative staged events wherein participants could create and expand Wikipedia’s current holdings on women’s history. Adopting the edit-a-thon model, a group called Art+Feminism organized a series of collective editing efforts starting on February 1st of this year specifically to address Wikipedia’s underrepresentation of notable women artists. Art+Feminism’s website reports that about 101 new articles on women artists such as Monika Bravo, Audrey L. Flack, and Zarina Hashmi were created and at least an additional 90 articles were improved as a result of its inaugural daylong event. The edit-a-thons have been repeated across the globe in Australia, Canada, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, and more are scheduled for later in 2014.
Beyond the observed gendered knowledge disparity within the open source encyclopedia, the Art+Feminism interventionist project makes evident another unsettling characteristic of art-historical knowledge: its stratified accessibility. The paucity of information on women artists in Wikipedia is even more troubling when it is contrasted with the growing body of work dedicated to female artists in art historical scholarship. For instance, a search of scholarly articles turns up 61 texts (in English alone) dedicated to the Chilean-born visual artist Catalina Parra, appearing in publications such as the Journal of Latin American Cultural Studies, Oxford Art Journal, and Artlink. Eight of these articles were written in 2014 so far. Parra’s Wikipedia presence is far less impressive. The page “Catalina Parra” does not yet exist, and Parra’s name appears as a bullet point in only three articles of the Wikipedia universe, which catalogue the members of the Parra family, the artists appearing in the 2007 WACK! feminist retrospective exhibition catalogue, and the recipients of Guggenheim Fellowships in the 1980s. This disjunction between the universally available digital history of Wikipedia and the academic research sealed behind journal subscription fees and coded in technical language underscores an inequity in how women’s history is allowed to meet its audiences. Access to virtual academic spaces is inherently unequal, granted only to those of ample economic means or an institutional affiliation. As digital humanities scholar Mia Ridge explains, “If it’s behind a paywall, it only exists for a privileged few.” Art+Feminism’s events are a truly excellent first step in combating both the disparities created by contributor interest and the disconnect between scholarly and public knowledge, but the work need not fall on their shoulders alone. Making the art history of women and other traditionally underrepresented groups available for public consumption is project that could be demanded of all scholars who currently disseminate their work within the gated channels of academia. Further, the liberal feminist project of Wikipedia editing is not sufficient in combating the power structures that extend into virtual worlds. The next step is to address the systemic causes of our knowledge gaps, both within our digital mediums and their material context.
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does not yet transcend the real-world gendered inequalities of information collection and consumption. In 2011, university researchers (Lam et. al) reported that not only are there fewer females contributing to the site (only 16% of Wikipedia’s editors specified female as their gender), but the retention rate for female editors is markedly lower than males editors. A second study, conducted in 2013 by United Nations University backs up these numbers. Their research report estimates the percentage of female editors worldwide to be 16.1%. The contributor gender gap manifests in the website’s content. An article in the
words are useless sometimes words aren’t enough Mustafa Khamis
Artist:
Mustafa Khamis
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Vintage Social Media Posters
message me we asked. you answered. BROAD people
September 2014
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WLA (Re)Animated Reimagine and Relive our Pasts SisterSerpents Stickers
The SisterSerpents, founded in 1989 in Chicago, is a radical feminist art collective. Members campaigned for women’s rights through art and spread their political message by passing out stickers (like the ones above), holding art exhibits and touching on controversial subjects such as reproductive rights, misogyny and sexism. Mary Ellen Croteau, founding member of SisterSerpents, donated these pieces that are now displayed in “WLA Chicago Women Artists” collection.
WLA Mission Statement:
Established in 1994, the Women and Leadership Archives (WLA) collects, preserves, and makes available materials of enduring value to researchers studying women’s contributions to society.
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Consider:
Rising Above An act you do for yourself is an act of Love. Gaby Flores Ortiz
Changing Stories: Why I decided to take on technology
The youth were making fun of me again. Well, they were making fun of my phone. Usually, it was my broken down car but this time it was my antiquated phone. The kind of phone that isn’t even a fancy flip phone but one of those cell phones that really only serves to make calls or to help you wake up in the morning because of its alarm clock feature. I don’t even need to text. It’s too expensive and it just seems kind of silly. My youth think that I don’t know or simply don’t like technology. I try to explain to them that I really just need and want the basics in a phone: the ability to make calls and the handy alarm clock feature which ensures that I wake up in the morning to go to work. They look at me skeptically, smile and shrug their shoulders. They have gotten used to my eccentricities. It’s not that I don’t like technology, I just don’t fully understand it or the hype around the latest technology. They’re mostly boys and at first I think it’s just a guy thing but no even the girls are gamers. That was in 2008. The time is now and I am in my final year of Loyola’s Digital Media & Storytelling Masters program. I have a smartphone now and a tablet. I have an unlimited
data and texting plan. I still use my phone to make calls and to wake up in the morning but I use it now mostly to text or to read articles or watch videos. How on earth did I get here? It all started with those youth that I used to work with. I didn’t understand technology but they did. They used it every day in a multitude of ways. What was most striking for me, was just how invested they were in their media--whether it was video games, movies, or videos on Youtube--they were constantly being bombarded by all kinds of messages, the majority of which were not being created by people like them--folks from similar socio and economic backgrounds. Cultural, racial, and gender stereotypes were very much prevalent in their media and I kept wondering how much of an impact it was having on them. It was a question I kept returning to years after I moved on from that role. I would think of my youth and how they were frequently told who they were by society. The messages that men of color are dangerous, that women are commodities, and that you must have money to have worth were all messages that I often saw in the media that they ingested.
The stories we tell literally make the world. If you want to change the world, you need to change your story. — Michael Margolis I kept returning to this question because it bothered me, that unless we had the resources and abilities, we were all being told stories about ourselves that were difficult to refute. A research study about the Latino Media Gap reveals how despite Latinos’ consumer power in media, we are still consistently asked to portray stereotypes and despite our growth in numbers there are fewer lead roles for us in the entertainment industry. It is clear then that we have a challenge on our hands, a challenge to change the stories we hear about who we are and what we represent.
So here I am stumbling through my program because technology is not my forte but I believe in the power of stories and I believe that if we don’t like what we are seeing or hearing, that we have a responsibility to step up and change it. It is not enough to analyze and tear apart advertisements or films that portray various identities in negative or stereotypical ways or to demand that the entertainment and other media industries change. Like the basis of Augusto Boal’s Theater of the Oppressed, we have to actually step into the arena to change the story.
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It is not enough then to merely consume media but it becomes important to become a content creator. How can we change the stories we see about ourselves if we do not step forward to change them?
madads busted advertising, bustling economy Sexual violence & clothing
Consider: 1. What statements are made by the positions of the models in the ads? 2. Who are these ads directed at? 3. What is the cultural impact of these kinds of advertisements? 4. Consider the following quote: “I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat.” - Rebecca West What role can feminism play in creating advertisements that no longer portray women as “doormats”?
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#feminisms BROAD Voice, BROAD Communities Martyna Zebala
This is what it feels like
I’ve been living in the North side of Chicago since last August and I haven’t had a thought of ever going back to live in the Chicago suburbs where I grew up.
My parents raised me in a safe environment where I also became naïve and blinded from the real world. I have never seen a homeless person before or never have I been so sexually harassed
Now I am emotionally fucked up from my negative experiences. Shivers run down my spine as I replay these horrible memories of not being respected as a woman. srotidE + ofnI DAORB
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be the most confident, strongest woman but can be shattered into pieces in a matter of seconds being catcalled by a stranger burning the ego you built into ashes that defines you as an individual, not an object. It’s time for us ladies to be heard who struggle to walk somewhere whether that’s home or to work. It’s time for people to hear what a victim of catcalling really thinks and feels when such an incident like mine happens or worse.
to a degree that I speed-walked home from an ‘El’ stop. At first, I just shook it off when a man approached me, whistled and proceeded to say “Hey doll, give me your number” or even when a man followed me throughout a convenience store demanding me to go on a date with him and continued to yell at me when I simply said “No, thank you”, when all I wanted was to buy a few things in peace.
Ignoring multiple situations, I learned on my own, accrues many side effects overtime. Now I am emotionally fucked up from my negative experiences. Shivers run down my spine as I replay these horrible memories of not being respected as a woman. The rude comments are words that accumulate in the back of my head that resurface and I ask myself, what did I do wrong? And I sit and I think… what did I do? But it isn’t me. It’s our culture that I am ashamed to be a part of. I am lady who cares for herself, respects herself and others but this is how I am treated instead? To be slut-shamed, threatened and violated. You can
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In one night, I witnessed my coworker getting harassed at work, next I was followed and angrily talked to by a man and a few blocks later, another man stared me down. All those occurrences happened in a couple of hours and I ran home crying because I couldn’t take it anymore. But if I just look away and ignore it, it’s all okay right? Not exactly.
words are useless sometimes words aren’t enough Brie Duey
Artist:
Brie Duey
Crowning
words are useless
Artist:
Valériane Leblond
Priodas Papur
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sometimes words aren’t enough Valériane Leblond
World of Women Measuring the Strength of Women in Pounds & Kilos Elishah Virani
Tech-Scuse
...for Oppression
Technology (n.) is defined as the use of science in industry, engineering, etc., to invent useful things or to solve problems, as per the Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s definition. Let’s think about that. Invent useful things, okay, sounds pretty simple. Anyone can invent anything, use it, and boom! Useful! What about the second part? To solve problems. Seems logical. Technology should be used to solve problems and make things easier, right? But is that always the case? Or are we just so accustomed to always hearing about the latest gadgets that make communication easier, or the latest vehicle designs that make driving safer? Ironically, what the media (another form of technology) doesn’t tell us is how these scientific advancements are being used to oppress certain groups of people, thus creating more problems as opposed to solving them. One such example of this is what is, and has been, going on in Saudi Arabia for about two years now. Every culture is different, yes, and each country has a different set of laws and morals that they enforce. Saudi Arabia is an Islamic country, and although in Islam, women are not oppressed, they do have restrictions. However, with the use of technology, Saudi Arabia has drawn a fine line between oppression and restriction. Of course I do not intend to be ethnocentric, claiming that my culture or beliefs are better than anyone else’s. I am of Islamic faith myself, so my intention is not to bash on the religion. I am here to simply point out the facts.
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Whatever the case may be, every woman seeks to be free and have the same rights as any male that walks beside her. Yet in so many countries, such female oppression is tolerated, and in fact, encouraged.
A woman is required to cover herself from head to toe, sure. She is not allowed to drive, fine. But her every movement literally be tracked? Is that not oppression? Are we not stripping a woman of her most basic form of freedom? Due to their cultural and religious upbringing, those women are somewhat accustomed to such things, but what if women in the U.S. were tracked? I can almost guarantee that would not last long. Why is that? Women are women right, no matter what part of the world they’re in? Maybe the women in Saudi Arabia are too afraid to stand up for themselves, maybe the women in the U.S. value their freedom and individuality more than others. Whatever the case may be, every woman seeks to be free and
have the same rights as any male that walks beside her. Yet in so many countries, such female oppression is tolerated, and in fact, encouraged. Technology may have its benefits in most parts of the world. Think of this magazine, itself: An electronic publication aiming to educate readers on various social justice issues and feminist perspectives. It not only gives feminists a voice, but also addresses issues that may be considered taboo otherwise. But maybe technology isn’t as progressive in other parts of the world. Saudi Arabia is only one example of how technology can be more destructive, out of millions of cases that we may not even hear about.
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In Saudi Arabia, every woman has a “guardian,” who is usually her father, brother, or husband. These women are not allowed to travel or cross borders without the consent of their guardians. As part of an electronic passport system, launched by the Saudi government in 2012, male guardians were sent text alerts whenever a woman of their household stepped out of the house, even if she were accompanied by her guardian. The system has now temporarily been suspended, in order to make “improvements.”
Career Call Learn about the Workplace Kristine Gerolaga
Actress, Filmmaker, Producer, Director 1. How did you get into the film industry? I fell in love with acting my senior year of high school but because of my fear of it being such an impractical career, I didn’t fully commit to being an actor until my fourth year of college when I realized that I just couldn’t stop dreaming about it. I started taking acting classes at UC Davis while I was getting my bachelors degree in sociology and attended a weekly film actors club in Sacramento. After I graduated, I decided that I really needed to hit the ground running with a strong training program and that’s when I found the Beverly Hills Playhouse in San Francisco. I’ve been with them since and they’ve helped me land my agent and meet a lot of the great actors and filmmakers that I collaborate with to this day. I’m very fortunate to say that I’ve been a working actor for the last nearly five years. 2. Why do you feel the need to create and write films with strong and diverse characters? Because there is still an overwhelming need for strong, diverse, complex characters for women and especially women of color. Being a woman of color, you just can’t help but tally up every film you watch that revolves around a caucasian male, which is nearly all of the big budget movies that get a wide release. Then you start to analyze the female characters, if there are any, and their importance to the story and it just blows my mind how underdeveloped and boring they are. We haven’t even started talking about characters of other sexual orientations and gender identities yet. Hands down, the best films feature three-dimensional characters and you just can’t argue with that. 3. What kind of training or education did you undergo to become an actress and director? My sociology degree definitely comes in handy when it comes to developing characters and understanding where they fit in the society, time, and place that they exist in. I’ve also been studying at the Beverly Hills Playhouse in San Francisco since September 2009, which comes out to just over four years of mainly hardcore scene study from films and plays. We also focus a lot on the business of acting, and just as important if not most important, the actor’s attitude on set and in life. Acting class is a lot about learning how to be human and not act. And it also helps me to better communicate with actors that I’m directing. I was also in color guard and taught it for a huge chunk of my life and there are just so many parallels to film directing in terms of using the art form paired with music to craft a story that, hopefully, moves the audience. I’m still so new to directing and I haven’t taken any formal training, but watching films, reading plays, and discussing them with other artists is real-
ly helpful for me. The training will never end, though, and there will always be an infinite amount of stuff left to learn. And I love that! 4. In your opinion, is the film industry changing in regards to female representation, gender norms and diversity? I definitely think that the film industry is changing for the better! Very slowly, but surely. I think we are right in the beginnings of equal representation on film and the big decision makers in the industry can speed up the progress by realizing that the audience does want to see more original stories told from other perspectives. 5. Do you face any struggles as a female director and actress? Well, the given struggle that I already face is that I am a woman of color. That fact alone reduces the amount of opportunities that I’ll be given to do what I love. Second, I’m a woman of color trying to be an actor and Theatrical Headshot by Kirsten Lara Getchell a filmmaker. An industry that is extremely competitive and difficult to get into no matter who you are. Because at the end of the day, it is a business, and the people who are making decisions are more concerned about the money than the art. But I choose to have a different attitude about it and create my own opportunities. And I have also been very fortunate to work with other progressive artists who want to change the way the industry works. 6. When did you start producing your own films? I started producing my own films in 2012. My acting teacher, Robert Zimmerman, challenged my entire class to create our own content and not wait around for the phone to ring. So we each had to write a treatment or a full blown script to turn into class and I’ve been hooked on writing since. That same year, my boyfriend and I decided to make a short film based on our long distance relationship and we shot it 400 miles apart over webcam. It has won a few awards and even aired on national television earlier this year! I’ve co-written other short films with him, directed a parody music video of Frozen’s “Let It Go”, and just wrapped a short film that I wrote, acted in, and directed.
8. What are pros and cons of working in the film industry? Pros: The job is never the same! You’ll never get bored. You get to play all kinds of different characters and tell all kinds of different stories. You meet really interesting people. If you book the right
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7. What’s one piece of advice you would give future actors or filmmakers? The only person that can stop you from doing anything is you. That realization continues to give me the courage and drive to stay on this unpredictable yet rewarding and exciting journey.
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I’ll never forget what it was like to perform as the Little Coochi Snorcher That Could from The Vagina Monologues alongside my Asian Pacific Islander sisters. BROAD
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gigs, getting residual checks in the mail are always a nice surprise. The medium is beautiful and continues to evolve. For me, personally, this job is always shaping me into a better, more empathetic person. The list goes on and on. Cons: Besides the difficulties for minorities and the competitiveness overall, you work long hours, sometimes for little to no pay depending on the project and where you are in your career. It could mean less time with family and friends. And sometimes, you don’t know when your next job is going to come. But here’s the thing. The solutions to the “cons”, especially if you love what you do, and I LOVE what I do, are to continue creating opportunities for yourself and make time for your loved ones. The long hours and little to no pay will be of less concern if you love this work. Eventually all the jobs turn into paying ones with persistence, the right attitude, and, of course, having talent couldn’t hurt! 9. Can you share one memorable experience from your theater or film career? There are really too many to name just one. I’ll never forget what it was like to perform as the Little Coochi Snorcher That Could from The Vagina Monologues alongside my Asian Pacific Islander sisters for an audience of around 1,200 people. It’s a solo monologue (and a pretty long one, at that) and I loved it so much because I got to play the same character at five, seven, nine, ten, thirteen, and sixteen years old as well as two other characters within the same monologue. It was extremely challenging because of the range I had to portray without changing anything about my appearance. This monologue was such a gift to me as an actor. I remember stepping forward to begin my performance and feeling like I was going to faint. I was blanking out right before I opened my mouth but as soon as the words started flowing, there was this incredible exchange of energy with the audience throughout the entire performance. It’s an experience I have yet to relive. 10. What projects are you working on currently? Like I mentioned in a previous answer, I just wrapped a short film that means the world to me, which I wrote, acted in, and directed called “A Period Drama.” It’s a comedy about the rough relationship between a woman and her personified period. It started out as just a project about what it’s like to be on your period and has evolved into this mission to fight the stigma surrounding menstruation that we all need to take responsibility for perpetuating, especially in the media. I still can’t believe we actually (finally) did it and now we’re heading into post production. I’ve also been working on some industrials and commercials in the Bay Area and will be moving to Los Angeles in October with plans of working in both markets.
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stupid cunt | Shut up, bitch | A REAL Woman | Feminazie
Slut | She asked for it | ‘Blurred lines’ | Rape slothe You said you were thirsty...e
Ideal to fuck and chuck | Slag for salee Man-hating dyke | Little lady boner | Girls cry rapee
#facerape | Show me your tits | Bitching about somethinge
You can exploit my cock | Ranting hysterical bansheese She put herself in the posiiton | Special treatment | Paid for ite
Attention seeking skank | Rape apologism | Uptight and bittere Ungrateful whore | Poor Elliot Rodgers | #thinspo | #suee
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Don’t lead me on unless you want to get rapede
#feminisms BROAD Voice, BROAD Communities Lubna Baig
Anti-feminist MUCH? Feminism. When you look it up on google, you can see that it is defined as “the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.” It started in the 19th century with the goal of promoting equal contract, marriage, parenting, and property rights for women. By the end of 19th century the Feminist movement became bolder and extended to the political arena where it focused primarily on the right of women’s suffrage which is the right to vote gained through the democratic process. We are now at the 21st century. In today’s day and age where Smartphones and IPads rule the roost, where Facebook is used for starting up violent rebellions in the Gulf, where we have an app for something as frivolous as a one – night stand, feminism seems to be a thing of the past. Ask anyone about feminism, even our contemporaries, and they’ll tell you just this – Feminism is overrated. Feminism started as a revolution, as an advocacy for women’s rights, and the term “Feminism” coined by the Utopian Socialist and French Philosopher Charles Fourier became famous thanks to the media. However, the media itself tends to have double standards. Of late, we can see that the world of journalism has bordered on anti-feminism when it comes to writing about us women. Think about Miley Cyrus’ performance last August at the MTV Video Music Awards a.k.a the VMAs held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York and
all you can think about is the hue and cry that was raised over her excessive twerking against a much older singer- songwriter Robin Thicke (At 37, he is a little over 16 years older than her). Indeed, the media had a field-day thanks to her hypersexual performance. Not only that E! Entertainment even called the fashion police to attack Miley and push for her to be arrested due to the revealing koala bear embedded one – piece that she wore. The nation that had no problem with the over-thetop sex education in the American Pie movie series centered on 4 “MALE” protagonists now went “eww eww” over what Miley did at the 2013 VMAs. With each sequel of the American pie, the applause of the American public only grew louder what with the first movie raking in a whopping $235.5 million worldwide. And this was not even 2013. It was the 90’s. It is okay if there are 4 sex- crazed youngsters running around treating female as sex objects but it is not okay if a 20 year old female is doing a little bit of dancing in skimpy clothes. I mean haven’t we all witnessed this at high-school proms around the nation? Following the VMA 2013, bigoted tongues started wagging. #PoppedAMollyAndTwerked trended on twitter for weeks. Reality Television Star and entrepreneur Bethenny Frankel said that Miley Cyrus’ tongue was wagging because “it is National Dog’s Day.” Comedian Josh Malina said that Cyrus is “disgusting.” Mike Brzezinski, co-host of Morning Joe
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ban the public use of not only face covering veils but also headscarves and full-body loose – fitting Muslim gowns known as Burqas. Belgium and Italy followed suit with the government of Italy even putting up huge billboards depicting the ban on hijabs and niqabs. Islamophobia which is the hatred/prejudice/fear towards Muslims rose to greater heights. The ban on Muslim female clothing choices spread like an epidemic.
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This sparked a huge debate with some countries even going so far as to outlaw hijab and Niqab in public. France became the first European nation to
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On another note; a few years back in Canada, there was a very famous case about a Muslim female who had complained about being sexually assaulted repeatedly by her cousin and uncle. The girl, identified only as N.S., was a very religious and god-fearing person. She dressed like orthodox Muslim women covering her hair with hijab which is a headscarf and her face with Niqab which is a veil which covers the entire face except eyes. Ontario court Judge Norris Weisman ordered that she remove her Niqab just because he did not believe her religious belief was sincere.
This sparked a huge debate with some countries even going so far as to outlaw hijab and Niqab in public.
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declared that Cyrus needed an intervention and “it was disgusting/embarrassing on MTV’s part for facilitating such a ridiculous performance.” Even the much-loved woman in a thriving media career such as Oprah Winfrey went so far as to call Robin Thicke on her show and expressed her distaste and exasperation over their performance. “She was twerking up against your kahoonas! How can you think the performance was anything but sexual?!” said Oprah.
Ofcourse, once again the media had a field day. The blatant disregard for womens’ individual rights did not stop at debates, governmental bans, and “google” jokes on Muslim women. In 2010, Michael Patrick King released the movie Sex and the City 2. The whole movie was filmed in Abu Dhabi where the protagonist “Carrie Bradshaw” didn’t go a second without making fun of Muslim women and her “gal - pal” Samantha Jones cared more about her hormone pills than local UAE religious laws. In one scene, Carrie looks at an Arab women eating fries, lifting her veil one at a time and popping them in. She goes, “A lift for every fry, that’s a real commitment to fried food.” In another instance, her snide remark is, “it’s like they don’t want them to have a voice.” Seeing all this, I don’t understand how the United Arab Emirates even let them shoot a movie in the country. As the movie neared climax, we see that Carrie and her girls are approached by a group of Arab women who lead them into hiding from religious Arab men who are angry with them thanks to Samantha’s Prada full of condoms. The Arab women tell Carrie and the girls how ob-
sessed they are with New York and its fashionable apparels that they bid for them and even have them shipped all the way to the Persian Gulf. My question was answered. Director Patrick King had succeeded in not only making a complete mockery of women who want to cover themselves according to religious norms but had also attempted in making a veiled taunt that women who like to cover themselves are actually American-puppets/Prada-whores! Also, he is trying to point out that the Arab countries who flaunt their hijabs/niqabs and Islam can do nothing but keep their mouth shut when it comes to superpowers such as the Americans or the British. In a way he is right. While Sarah Jessica Parker kept on mouthing of racist/anti – feminist dialogues and Kim Cattrall had no qualms in portraying a women with a hypersexual appetite, the UAE had no balls to defend the mockery of their women/religion. And who is to blame for all this? The media which is supposed to be a network of people trying to unite humanity under a banner of truthfulness and brotherhood has reached a new low. Either we see the media attacking women for revealing too much or for covering themselves too much. It is like either way us women are screwed. This is the thing we have no voice whether we wear Niqab or not. Feminism is supposed to be all about protecting and promoting women’s rights. Why not start with letting us women wear what we want to? The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States rooted in the idea that all men are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The United States has prided itself in granting citizenship or permanent residence to people irrespective of their religious/ethnic backgrounds. So, I believe that everyone has a right to choose what they want, who they want to be or what they want to wear. They are at a liberty to pursue a life in a manner that they wish to. However they are not at liberty to judge how others choose to live. We have no right to judge anyone based on their looks or clothing. So I think instead of attacking, we need to respect the choices that Miley Cyrus or a religious Arab women makes. In today’s world where science and technology has advanced to a great extent, it does not make sense that chivalry is dead and anti-feminism/ racism is on the rise. Before my cousin sisters were born, I was the only
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became the first female President of the country in 2007, she had to suffer a lot of criticism thanks to the high amount of corruption. By 2012, India had a male President again. India did NOT VOTE for a women leader twice. But for a male president such as APJ Abdul Kalam, India VOTED twice for him to remain as the President. The double – standards when it comes to dealing with women can be seen quite clearly. There is more to a woman than being a hidden voice behind a man’s success. A woman is not limited to doing the dishes or dressing up the way the world wants her to. In the words of my favorite author Jane Austen, “I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives.” And she is right.
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The media should stop getting all hyper and bigoted when it comes to women and start portraying them in a more positive light. After all how many stories do we see about feminine heroism that are talked about or debated upon for weeks? None. Even in a superpower such as the United States, the highest a woman has gone to when it comes to administration of the nation is as “Secretary of State” which is more like the President’s personal assistant or “First Lady” which is more like the President’s arm candy. Even if she does become the leader of a nation she has to undergo a lot of criticism or have no role in the administration of the country. A very fine example is Queen Elizabeth of England. She basically just sits there and looks pretty while the Prime Minister David Cameron does all the work/ pulls all the strings. In India, when Pratibha Patil
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girl in a joint South Asian family. With over 10 boys before me, I was pampered and spoiled rotten and so was used to doing things my way. When I turned 20, I visited India. One morning, I was singing really loudly. One of my cousin brothers came and yelled at me stating that women are supposed to be “hidden things” and he does not want to hear me sing anymore. Hearing this, I was shocked and hastily returned to the United States on the next flight home. The year was 2010, MacBooks and I-phones had already been invented and my brother had the gall to tell me women are “hidden things” while holding his I-phone! It is 2014 now and it is high time that us women are treated as “individuals who are entitled to their opinions” and not as “sex – objects” in our “Versace” or “freaks” in our “Niqabs.”
words are useless sometimes words aren’t enough Zachary Noles
Artist:
Zachary Noles
the mercurian
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playful pixels
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Middle Eastern Musings A Dive Into The Dead Sea Abeer Allan
How Social Media Helped Spread the F Word [feminism]]
With this huge use of social media, it has become an active platform for adopting the issues of women in the Middle East. On Facebook alone many campaigns have been initiated, many groups are being created, and many real-life stories are being shared. “The uprising of women in the Arab world” is one of the pages with the largest numbers of likes, hitting over 120,000 likes. It has played a vital role by displaying pictures of women who are victims of sexual harassment and also a lot of pictures of people from all around the world who support the uprising of the Arabs Feminism. It has also been sending out advice on what to do in case of being raped, and what is the next thing to do afterwards.
Even Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has its share on the media. FGM has been a very big problem which arose in Egypt and Sudan the most. Social media platforms started spreading awareness and campaigns to stop this inhumane act of FGM, and even TV channels showed commercials for stopping this criminal activity. Has this been affective? Yes, as I mentioned in an earlier article on FGM, Egypt has stated a new law which prevents the act of FGM under any circumstances. But, did the old media portrayed women in the Middle East in the wrong form? Yes, women in the Middle East were portrayed as weak, helpless, and waiting to be saved from their submission to men’s authority.
But with this new widespread use of social media, women have taken advantage of it to lead different campaigns to empower women, ask for their rights, stand up for themselves, and to lead people to the truth which says women in the Middle East are not submissive, and not hiding behind the veil waiting to be saved. +
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Another big step which was taken is the call to stop sexual harassment. This was definitely a big step towards spreading awareness regarding sexual harassment by all means: verbally or physically. There were maps created to show the most targeted places where harassers are, and also to report any incident instantly. Has this been effective? Yes, with this, some harassers now fear to show up because in the past women did not dare to talk about it due to the social terms and society’s judgments that wouldn’t defend them or take their side. Now, however, they can talk about it openly, report it and share the details of the harassers, when known.
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But with this new widespread use of social media, women have taken advantage of it to lead different campaigns to empower women, ask for their rights, stand up for themselves, and to lead people to the truth which says women in the Middle East are not submissive, and not hiding behind the veil waiting to be saved. They are women of leadership whose voices call for equality. Social media has made it easier to share reality: no politics controlling the media and no societal chains wrapped around the real life stories shared by our women.
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#feminisms BROAD Voice, BROAD Communities Br. Maxwell Klug, OFM
A Year without Technology “ I had a man tell me once ‘My online life is much better than my real life.’ …now isn’t that sad?” -Sr. Lynn Levo What if somebody told you that you could not use technology, specifically a computer or a phone, for one week? Would you be able to survive or would you think they were crazy for suggesting such an idea. Perhaps some of you have already “survived” a week without technology while on some sort of
trip in the woods or something along those lines. I am willing to bet all the money in my pocket that as soon as you reached cell reception or internet access you connected right away! I ask those questions above because I had the opportunity to spend just under a year (August 14, 2013 – August 2, 2014) disconnected from the world. Let me first tell you about who I am and why I did such a crazy thing. My name is Br. Maxwell Klug, OFM. I am a Franciscan Friar in my first year of vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. I am also currently an undergrad studying at Loyola University. Before I professed those three vows I went through 2 years of initial formation. My first year was called the postulancy. That was in Cedar Lake, IN. and was a time to live with the friars learn more about their way of life and allow them to get to know me in a deeper way. My second year I was a novice. Our novitiate house is in Burlington, WI. My year in the novitiate was the year we were “cut off from the
But before I end I feel that this next section is truly a root problem of technology in our world. Perhaps we are attached to social media and technology; such as video games, TV shows, or movies because we are trying to hide. I know I was guilty of turning on the TV or going on Facebook to hide from things that were going on inside of me. I found it such an easy escape to turn off my mind and push aside my problems by distracting myself with something. My year in the no-
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vitiate did not allow me to do that. I was forced by my environment to deal with things that have been building up inside of me. This ranged from my relationships, sexuality, spirituality, and physical appearance. I could no longer make myself the “perfect Maxwell” that I could using social media. I was forced to look at myself for who Maxwell truly is. It was a process, but I can say that I truly love myself for who I AM right now and not who I should be, or who I perceive Maxwell should be because of outside influences. I am thankful I had the opportunity to step away from everything, especially technology, to focus on my relationship with others, myself, and God. I wish everybody had the opportunity to step away from everything for one year and find themselves and come to love who they are. I now feel that I am living life through my human eyes rather than through some sort of screen. I feel that I am in right relationship with everything around me because I am now able to recognize everything without a filter, but rather in its pure beauty. Before I end, I do want to say that I am in no way against technology. I myself now have a cell phone and laptop and believe that social media and technology has a great power to bring people together. The challenge is not allowing that power to be the driving force in our lives. I challenge you to spend at the very least one weekend without using a phone, TV, or computer. It is possible, believe me!
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Not only does it distract us from our relationships, technology prevents us from living in the now. It seems to me that we have become incapable of enjoying the beauty of nature that surrounds us. Have you gone on a walk or just sat near the lake without any music or taking a picture? What is nature telling you now? What are you feeling? Can you even remember, without the help of a picture, what was the color of the last flower you saw? We have become blind to what is actually around us. We, as a society, need to stop and take in what is around us. I could go on and on about how I feel technology separates us from having true, meaningful, and personal relationships with people and nature, but we would be here all day.
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For the first few weeks it was a struggle getting used to having limited access to the outside world, but then I began to see the positive side of not having a phone attached to me or a computer demanding my attention. I became aware of just how much power I allowed technology to have over my life. Because of Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler, etc., we never actually have to ask somebody what is going on in their life, everything is online, and so there really was no need to talk to anybody. We probably already know what they are going to say before they tell us. Instead of allowing the Holy Spirit or the energy between two people to be the third person in each relationship we have substituted it for some sort of website. Have you ever asked yourself how many of your followers are your actual friends or if they are somebody you have talked to in the past 3 months? Are you living with real relationships or living off of technological relationships? By putting technology aside when we are with friends and family we are able to give our full attention to that person. We are able to actually hear what they are saying to us with not just our ears, but hopefully with our heart as well. We are forced to be there with them in the present.
Not only does it distract us from our relationships, technology prevents us from living in the now ... incapable of enjoying the beauty of nature that surrounds us. srotidE + ofnI DAORB
world.” Many have called it “Spiritual Boot Camp,” I would agree with that statement whole heartedly! We had very limited access to the phone (house phone only, cell phone forbidden) and internet (no social media, only email when applying to school or when given permission). The best form of communication to those outside of the novitiate was hand written letters. What was the point of all this?
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just words? just speeches? Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Actor
“I do call myself a feminist, absolutely. It’s worth paying attention to the roles that are dictated to us and that we don’t have to fit into those roles. We can be anybody we want to be.”
“What [feminism] means to me is that you don’t let your gender define who you are— you can be who you want to be, whether you’re a man, a woman, a boy, a girl, whatever.”
“There’s a long, long history of women suffering abuse, injustice and not having the same opportunities as men, and I think that’s very detrimental to the human race as a whole. I’m a believer that if everyone has a fair chance to be what they want to be and do what they want to do, it’s better for everyone.”
“…we see these images on TV and movies and magazines all the time and we don’t stop and think about it. It just sort of seeps into your brain and that becomes the way you perceive reality.”
“That was something my mom would also point out to my brother and me, that our culture does often sort of portray women especially… like objects.”
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VISI 1. Lena Dunham hosts this SNL episode. Dunham is self-proclaimed feminist and icon for many feminists, alOR EDIT though she’s been criticized for ignoring issuesIDof E race and class in her work. How does her involvement in this DS ROA particular skit fit in with her identity as aBfeminist? GOT E’VE W 2. What stereotypes are portrayed in this skit? MAIL 3. What role does humor play in this skit? How does it hide orVAilluminate issues of racism and sexism? NCE
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XX Marks the Spot Remapping Our Destinies Meagan Cook
A Cast of [ Diverse Characters Sexist Stereotypes and Tropes in Television
In 1991, Katha Pollitt wrote an article for The New York Times Magazine in which she critiqued the sexism in preschool culture. Pollitt paid close attention to the messages her young daughter was receiving from the books, movies, and television shows geared toward children her age, and noticed that gender roles was a consistent theme. Many popular children’s shows, such as Winnie the Pooh and The Muppets, feature groups of male friends accompanied by one single, stereotypical female character, a phenomenon which Pollitt named “the Smurfette principle.” This lone female is defined in contrast to, not in relation with, the male characters. Each of the boys has a unique personality and seek excitement or adventure, while the girl’s only defining quality is her gender. She is relegated to the “little-sister type,” there to follow along as the boys lead the way. The Smurfette principle calls out the unequivocal valuation of males over females both in television and in the real world. Growing up with two brothers, I was highly sensitive to the concepts of the Smurfette principle. I was starved for representation of myself and my identities in our Saturday morning cartoons. Power Rangers was among the hardest shows for me to sit through. My brothers could compare notes on which Power Ranger had the best powers and which one they wanted to be most, while I had only one character that I could relate to, and I couldn’t tell you what power she had or even what her name was. To me she
was just Pink Ranger or simply ‘the girl’. Pink Ranger was a rather forgettable character, she never saved the day or had any good one-liners. As I got older, I grew accustomed to being defined as the ‘other’ by my favorite shows. Fast forward to this past summer, when I found an exception to the rule in Orange is the New Black. Even though I’d heard great things about OITNB, I was extremely hesitant to watch it. I’d heard that it was feminist and inclusive, but I’d also heard that it took place in a women’s prison, which threw me for some reason. I just couldn’t wrap my head around the idea of watching a show that overwhelmingly featured women, unless it was a remake of Sex and the City. But finally I broke down, logged onto Netflix, and was immediately hooked. For the first time ever I can see myself in the main character, Piper Chapman, a woman who’s just trying to make it in a strange, unfamiliar world. When she first self-reports to Litchfield Penitentiary, she is extremely naive and rather dependent, qualities we can assume are a result of her WASP upbringing. But as time goes on Piper’s character develops into one that is conscientious and mature. Piper is both book smart and street savvy; she creates a homemade pain relief from the limited resources available to her, and it ends up saving her life. She can fix a lamp and repair a dryer, she can hold her own in a fistfight and has plenty of good one-liners.
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The thing that I love most about the character of Piper Chapman and OITNB as a whole is the way in which sexuality is treated as a part of an individual’s overarching identity. When Piper enters Litchfield she is in a committed heterosexual relationship with her fiancé Larry, convinced that her days of lesbianism are over. Things get complicated when Piper becomes sexually involved with her former partner, Alex Vause, who is the cause of her incarceration. She discovers that her feelings for Larry and Alex, both past and present, are genuine and legitimate; she gets joy and pleasure from being with each of them. Piper’s sexuality is key to the plot, but it’s not the only thing that defines her. She isn’t portrayed as ‘the bisexual girl’ or the token lesbian, it’s just one aspect of her multifaceted personality. Piper’s sexuality is not an archetype or a stereotype, it is complicated and distinct. The primary characters of Orange is the New Black are well rounded in terms of sexual orientation, race, and gender, among other aspects of identity. There are Latinos, Asians, and Blacks, old women and young women, women who are pregnant and women who’ve had
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I just couldn’t wrap my head around the idea of watching a show that overwhelmingly featured women, unless it was a remake of Sex and the City.
abortions. These women are strong and opinionated, and are defined by their experiences instead of their otherness. OITNB definitely doesn’t shy away from addressing intersectionality, as it does so eloquently with the character of Sophia Burset, a trans woman of color played by transgender actress Laverne Cox. Sophia’s character is fully defined and believable; we see her transition from a male-identified to a female-identified individual. We meet her wife and her young son, and see her struggle to conform her new life to her old community, and vice versa. Among the other inmates, Sophia is accepted for the woman she is and respected as an individual, and becomes close friends with an elderly white nun. Orange is the New Black provides the representation of myself and my identities that was missing from my childhood. It treats women as the diverse humans that they are, even if it is only within the walls of a female detention center. The next step would be to take these fully formed characters and place them into the context of the larger society. In order for truly equal representation of gender to exist, male and female characters must be able to act autonomously among themselves and with each other. Until that happens, I’ll be binge watching the newest season of OITNB. Just like Piper Chapman, I’m ready for round 2.
#feminisms BROAD Voice, BROAD Communities Mandy Keelor
Online Misogyny
101 Online Misogyny In 2007, 14 female law students were the subject of brutal harassment by anonymous posters online. As often happens, a discussion of these women’s attractiveness spiraled into comments judging their “f---ability” and threats of rape and death. One online poster said, “She deserves to be raped so her little fantasy world can be shattered by real life.” An “Official RAPE thread” was made for Jill Filipovic, an NYU law student. On it posters commented, “I’m 98% sure she should be raped,” “She’s a normal-sized girl I’d bang violently, maybe you’d have to kill her afterwards,” “what a useless guttertrash whore, I hope someone uses my pink, fleshy-textured cylindrical body to violate her” etc. The hate crime was not confined to Internet websites and comments, however. Posters followed the women around in their daily lives to take pictures, criticize, and frighten them. The shocking reality was that these misogynists did not just want to degrade the women, but ruin their lives. When Jill Filipovic did not get a summer job because emails with false accusations were sent to her family and university administration, the poster who was responsible wrote: “I’m doing cartwheels knowing this stupid Jew bitch is getting her self-esteem raped.” Each day, posters like this not only meddle in the educational and professional lives of women directly, but through their threats, force women to retreat from online spaces necessary for their careers. With this example in mind, I will further explain the facts
of online misogyny, its significance as it relates to
Statistics Online misogyny is a veritable phenomenon. The advocacy website “End Online Misogyny” provides information and resources to victims and does the important work of archiving weekly roundups of misogynistic tweets, websites, and comments sent by users. The archives are by no means extensive, but give a good representation of the various platforms used and the kinds of misogyny that occurs every day. Online abuse is by no means an exclusively female problem. However, according to the database website “Working to Halt Online Abuse (WHO@),” 70 percent of the victims reporting online abuse from 2000 to 2013 were women. 32 percent of that population reported offline threats, as well. A 2006 study
Of the fake online accounts the study created, femininely named accounts received 100 threats per day, compared to masculinely named accounts which received 3.7 threats. srotidE + ofnI DAORB
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by the University of Maryland further highlights the gender disparity that exists on the Internet. Of the fake online accounts the study created, femininely named accounts received 100 threats per day, compared to masculinely named accounts which received 3.7 threats. The effects of this chilling observational experiment are supported by Pew Research Center. In a 2005 report, the center attributed the decline in chat room attendance from 25 percent to17 percent from 2002 to 2005 to the exodus of women escaping abuse on these sites. Other studies quantify the proliferation of online misogyny, but public figures and activists remain the most important testifiers to the reality of online abuse. Misogyny has only recently aroused the attention of media because of brave victims like Caroline Criado-Perez, Chvrch’s Lauren Mayberry and British singer Sky Ferreira speaking up about the injustices done against them. Countless others, however, like technology blogger Kathy Sierra, have quietly faded into the background in a desperate attempt to regain control of their life. But “I will never feel the same. I will never be the same” she says. Problems The issue at hand is not whether online misogyny exists, nor even why it exists. That answer is certainly a complicated one and entrenched in society’s
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the educational and professional lives of women, and why the federal government is obligated to provide a solution.
In reading recent comments after this post, it is clear that users do not think Facebook has followed through on its promise for thoughtful and scalable policies. The most recent commenter, Anukare Tsikata, on April 2, 2013 wrote: “FACEBOOK DIDN”T CHANGE A GODDAM THING…All the discontent in the comment section yet Facebook has the nerve to act like they give a shit. Please!!” Though Facebook revisited this policy in response to pressure from a large population of its feminine activist users, it still fails to adequately interpret misogyny in the context of issues like “safety” “hate speech” and “free speech.” Not to mention the fact that the actions social media sites like Twitter and Facebook occasionally do take have their own consequences. Sometimes abusive material is deleted before victims have the chance to show local authorities, and if a perpetrator’s account is deleted, he is always free to make another one. Additionally, organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which champion first amendment rights and protection of ISP addresses in court consequently hinder law enforcement’s ability to track down the perpetrators of the offense. Social media sites have shown that upholding first amendment
...neither local law enforcement nor larger law enforcement agencies have the will or funds to investigate online crimes against women. BROAD Info + Editors
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We work hard to remove hate speech quickly, however there are instances of offensive content, including distasteful humor, that are not hate speech according to our definition. In these cases, we work to apply fair, thoughtful, and scalable policies.
rights takes precedence over protecting the well-being of its users, an issue which will continue to be hotly debated. And unlike their abusers who operate under pseudonyms, most female victims are professional women operating under their given names who do not have the luxury of anonymity. Due to all of these problems, victims of abuse usually report the offense to local authorities next. It seems logical to put hope in the fact that law officials might accomplish what social media companies do not; however, this is not the case. In some instances, local police officers have been quoted asking what exactly “Twitter” was. In addition to local officers’ ignorance, Dr. Sameer Hinduja argues that neither local law enforcement nor larger law enforcement agencies have the will or funds to investigate online crimes against women. Even the federal government has a poor track record of responding to appeals for investigation of these
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long-standing normalization and acceptance of misogynistic language and behavior. However, there are other issues which perpetuate online misogyny and prevent effective responses to their incidences. Most women who receive abuse online first report the offense to the home site. Although there is a “report abuse” button on Twitter, and Facebook has recently come out with a statement indicating a revamping of their policy to come (there is still no report abuse button), other issues abound within social media’s policies. For example, Twitter’s “Abusive Behavior Policy” states that Twitter does not interfere with user interaction, and that safety concerns should be directed to local law enforcement. The Communications Decency Act of 1996 enables platforms like Twitter to evade legal responsibility for information posted by third party users on their sites. Even Facebook’s VP of Global Public Policy, Marne Levine, fails in a 2013 statement release to admit that misogyny is not humor. He says:
crimes. The case of Paula Broadwell, mistress to David Petraeus, is the only known case in which the FBI produced a result, and the only reason that occurred was because of the high-status profile of its subjects. It is highly unlikely the average woman would receive a similar, if equal, response. Perhaps the challenges women face in reporting online abuse also have to do with gender disparity. According to U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, only 6.5 percent of local law enforcement and 19 percent of federal law enforcement officers were women in 2008. Among the founders of Internet companies
Significance Online misogyny is significant not only because it harms the physical and psychological health of women, but because is adversely affects their educational and employment opportunities, as well. The fact of the matter is that women are almost powerless when it comes to defending and/or protecting themselves from online misogyny. A woman, regardless of her race, ethnicity, social class, fame or beliefs, is vulnerable to attack from misogynists online. Certainly some women can take preventative measures to only use unrelated or anonymous usernames when accessing websites; however, misogynistic hackers will violate identity theft and stalking laws to abuse women online. Furthermore, not all women can afford to live with a limited online presence. Increasingly it is necessary for professional women to be proficient and publicly visible across many social and technological platforms. Social media companies have proven that the well-being of their female users is not a top priority and that all responsibility lies with local law enforcement. When social media companies refuse to take action, they augment the number of men who will inherit misogynistic thinking as a result of long-term exposure to violence against women. Moreover, local law enforcement’s only viable help is the advice to leave the Internet, power down electronics, and wait for the storm to pass – or basically the impossible. Society’s acceptance of misogynist hate speech as nothing but “…frivolous frat boy rants” also makes everyday life yet another hostile and unhelpful environment. As journalist and victim Amanda Hess explains in her influential article concerning online misogyny, women “are expected to either get over ourselves or feel flattered in response to the threats made against us. We have the choice to keep quiet or respond ‘gleefully.’” In the meantime, women are losing money to legal
fees, missed wages, and online protection services in addition to fees for seeking psychological support. Through both direct action as evinced in the opening law student example and/or indirect action whose consequences were just listed, perpetrators of online misogyny are slowly devastating the feasibility of women working in public professions. Women who are potential law students or political office seekers like myself are now expressing fear and caution throughout the career-decision process. “When [activist Laurie Penny] describes how young women tell her they dream of going into journalism or politics but are put off by the abuse they might suffer, it makes you sad and angry,” says Anne Baddeley in The Guardian. The Federal Government’s Responsibility Many believe the time has come for the federal government to claim responsibility for and a clear response to online misogyny. According to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it is unlawful for “employers,” “businesses,” and “enterprises” (of which social media would fall under): …to limit, segregate, or classify his employees or applicants for employment in any way which would deprive or tend to deprive any individual of employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect his status as an employee, because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Some contend that the federal government is in violation of Title VII of this act through the absence of active policy regarding the curtailment of online misogyny. By “adversely affect[ing]” the opportunity for women to make and earn a living online, online misogyny is unconstitutional. There are other precedents for the defense of women’s rights and opportunities. Title IX of the Educational Amendment of 1972, for instance, requires action against gender discrimination in the workplace. It is also the job of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to take action against unfair practices because of gender among other qualifications. It follows then that there should be policy that requires action against gender discrimination online in order to uphold the integrity and applicability of our constitution to modern times. Essentially, social media companies have demon-
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in 2010, 92 percent were male and 86 percent of their founding teams were exclusively male according to CB Insights. The imbalance of men and women in positions of power within the technology industry certainly affects its response to issues such as online misogyny. This is why I will now explain why online misogyny and developing a response is so important.
strated that they are not actually afraid of losing their significant female constituency, which is the myth. Rather, there is much evidence that the Internet can survive on exclusively male viewership. If corporations and law enforcement will not step up to the task of addressing the gross transgression of online misogyny in both social and legal realms, it is the duty of the federal government to protect the ability of its citizens to live and work freely. I think a future piece of legislation that would uphold the provisions of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972, specifically that the educational and employment opportunities of women shall not be adversely affected or subject to discrimination on the basis of gender is in order. Further, this potential legislation should not be viewed according to its impact: what guardians of 1st amendment rights might say. It is the basic human right of women to have the freedom to live and work in whatever age they are born into-even the digital age with its complex online implications.
Conclusion Still other voices will argue that the issue of misogyny is a societal one and should be solved on the streets before the endeavor is attempted in court. Though I agree that more steps need to be taken as a society to instill in our children a belief in the despicable nature of misogyny, I believe that solution is too idealistic and untimely. Every moment, women are the subjects of new attacks on personal character, physical attributes and professional identities, all because of their gender. No one should be told, “I hope someone slits your throat and cums down your gob” or “Be a pity if you turned up in the gutter where you belong, with a machete shoved in that self-righteous little c--- of yours.” I am passionate about this issue because I see its effects playing out in real time within my own life and the lives of the women around me. I do not want my future and fulfillment, in the year 2014, to be jeopardized because I am afraid of the consequences of being a woman online. Online misogyny is an urgent issue that deserves our attention and deliberation right now.
microaggreSHUNS it’s the little things that count BROAD People
@JimNorton I like that you capitalize the H in His. That’s the type of strength I respect in a woman.
@BobLaFleur1 your site is promoting hatred against men and I hope the bimbo cunt running it gets raped in the ass with a javelin @MONKx7000 I would berry my dick so far up you’re ass whoever could pull it out would be crowned king Arthur
@BasedSandusky feminism: because not all women can be beautiful @NoLoveee_Lost I Hate False Advertising Ass Bitch. Tweet They Want Dick But When They Get It They Wanna Scream Rape. Hoe Die
@HoeFact If she friend-zones for fun she a hoe @fooooter51x insults from an inferior gender don’t bother me. Go lay on your back and get those legs up. That’s all you are good for.
@TheTrichomeMan1 Ooh, yessss, you’re really ‘CHALLENGING MISOGYNY’. Go bake a cake and gag on my cock.
@SqueezeGreat Why rape a bitch… Get a fat bitch, ugly bitch, hoe bitch, dumb bitch, or weird bitch anything would work.. You don’t have to rape women..
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@MensCodes Relationship: a legal form of prostitution
@letskillthem You’ll never forgot the blood stains I leve on your wedding dress after I fuck you with a ball pen hammer.
The Pink Paperbacks Novel reflections from a bibliophilic feminist Ellie Diaz
The Case Against
Chick Lit. You enter the bookstore, hopeful that you’ll find your next literary obsession. The salesclerk attempts to sell you on the latest electronic reader and you politely decline, the books being your only priority. Carefully perusing through the shelves, you stumble right into it. Its pink gleaming letters staring you blankly in the face. “Chick Lit.” You cringe. So what exactly is this genre and why do I have a problem with it? Read on, bookworms. Read on. According to Dictionary.com, “chick lit” is defined as “literature that appeals especially to women, usually having a romantic or sentimental theme.” ChickLitBooks.com expands the definition and adds that novels in this genre are usually fiction, written by women in a first-person narrative and captures women’s experiences. I argue that the “chick lit” title barely skims the surface of women’s experiences and instead promotes stereotypes and generalizations. If you were to peruse a bookstore or even Amazon. com, you would probably have no difficulty in picking out a typical chick lit novel. It’s hard to miss the bright pink covers with the large stiletto, lipstick, abnormally
skinny woman, colorful Vespa or kissing couple. To be clear, I’m no stranger to the genre. I cried over Gerry in P.S. I Love You and traveled with Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat, Pray, Love. These novels can be soulful, inspiring, humorous and deep, steering away from the misconception that all chick lit is full of fluff. They shouldn’t hide behind a simple and artificial cover. “Chick lit” as a title is harmful to society because it evokes generalizations regarding women and ro-
The broad genre avoids the thought that women, like all humans, are complex. I enjoy shopping, can barely tolerate children, have no desire to lose weight, hate comedy and detest chocolate. What genre do I fall in? Humans are an array of extraordinary complexities but the “chick lit” label and novel covers reinforce stereotypes about women’s hobbies, emotions and value. I disagree with ChickLitBooks.com when it declares the genre attempts to capture women’s experiences. Most chick lit only offers a straight, white, Western, female viewpoint. In my life, I read literature to expand ideas and perspectives. The lack of diversity in chick lit demonstrates that it doesn’t expose sentiments expressed by females and doesn’t skim the surface of women’s lifestyle and development. If a genre claims to encompass all women’s experiences, then shouldn’t it cover topics like birth, loss, work, homelessness and education? These are modern-day issues that have a profound effect on life. More female authors are beneficial for the literary community, but their successes are limited if they only offer a sliver of diversity. Chick lit also rarely offers a feminist perspective. According to an AAUW article, most chick lit protagonists are not feminists. If feminists are featured at all they are portrayed as older, radical feminists that “become stereotypes that contrast with the more modern protagonists.” Although there are countless blogs that comment on the definition of chick lit, the topic is a slippery slope. For example, Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love isn’t fiction and The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffengger is written by a woman but isn’t lighthearted. Nicholas Sparks’ A Walk to Remember and The Notebook aren’t written from a woman’s perspective and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice isn’t a modern tale. Are these chick lit novels? The answer is murky. Goodreads has almost 70,000 novels in its chick lit
category but displays no concrete qualifications or consistent themes in the list.
If a genre claims to encompass all women’s experiences, then shouldn’t it cover topics like birth, loss, work, homelessness and education? srotidE + ofnI DAORB
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The offensive and generalized label implies that all women are straight, white, Western, looking for romance and love dressing up. In my literary dream world, novels about love would go in the romance section and humorous novels in the comedy section. There would be no “chick lit” label that tries to encompass the characteristics of every woman. I’ll never use the word “chick lit” to accurately describe a genre, but I also don’t ban books from my library that fall into the category. Like every book I read, I attempt to uncover deep and insightful thoughts, challenge the narrative and explore themes, even if they’re camouflaged behind a martini-painted cover.
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mance. Most chick lit plots thrive off finding Mr. Right, losing Mr. Right or dating Mr. Wrong. Relationships are important in life, but this genre assumes that all women are devoted to finding a connection with a man. The American Association of University Women reports that in chick lit, “love remains central in the quest narrative” and “most novels do end either in marriage or in some romantic union hinting at marriage.”
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Consider: In June, Burger King in San Francisco introduced the “Proud Whopper,” a Whopper burger wrapped in rainbow paper with the inscription, “We are all the same inside.” 1. What do you think of this ad campaign? 2. Watch this Burger King video showing reactions to the Proud Whopper: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=qBkAAortU_g What is the cultural impact of this use of media and advertising? 3. What was the intended purpose of the Proud Whopper? Is this use of advertising an effective form of activism, or a commercialization of the LGBTQIA community?
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#feminisms BROAD Voice, BROAD Communities Natalie Madsen
Gorgias & Sexism in Today’s Media Rhetoric is a tool that uses language to connect a speaker to an audience, and an idea to action. Throughout history, impressive speeches and charismatic speakers persuaded groups of individuals to take action, from Adolf Hitler’s anti-Semitist proclamations in the German Third Reich to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s call for racial justice during the American Civil Rights movement. In Plato’s Gorgias, three main characters - Gorgias, Polus, and Callicles - claim that rhetoric is powerful – it has the ability to influence an audience, to persuade the audience to believe a particular idea or act in a certain way. Socrates attempts to debunk their ideas of rhetoric’s power by invoking ideas of “goodness” that express that true power comes in seeking truth and justice. In today’s media culture, the theme of rhetoric and power is of great importance; the perpetuation of sexism through media rhetoric reflects Plato’s ideas and demonstrates a complicated relationship between power, rhetoric, and justice. When Socrates questions Gorgias about the power of rhetoric, Gorgias first replies, “It holds all powers, if I may put it so, rounded up in subjection to itself.” For Gorgias, Polus, and Callicles, power through rhetoric comes in the ability to influence others and the endless ability to satisfy ones own desires. Rhetoric is powerful because it allows the rhetor to convince
anyone of anything, providing pleasure for the rhetor. Socrates responds by claiming that rhetoric disguises truth and goodness by appealing to the desires of an audience instead of justice. This theme of justice and injustice underlies Plato’s message in Gorgias. Socrates plainly tells Polus, “It seems to me the rhetoricians have the least amount of power in the city.” According to Callicles, because rhetoric is powerful, it is good and pleasurable, and it is better to commit injustice using power through rhetoric than to suffer injustice. Socrates reverses that argument. He claims that if having power is good, and using rhetoric to pander and gain pleasure is not good, then rhetoric must not be powerful. For Socrates, it is always better to suffer injustice than to commit injustice. This raises an important question: when speaking in terms of justice, is rhetoric and the ability to persuade most powerful? Or is justice found in seeking a greater good, and therefore more powerful? Rhetoric saturates today’s media, raising questions about justice and the power of rhetors. One area in which language influences perception is in gender issues and sexism. In May 2013, Fox News contributor Erick Erickson used rhetoric to maintain sexist assumptions in commentary he gave about women’s
When you look at biology, look at the natural world, the roles of a male and female in society, and the other animals, the male typically is the dominant role. The female, it’s not antithesis, or it’s not competing, it’s a complementary role. We as people in a smart society have lost the ability to have complimentary relationships in nuclear families, and it’s tearing us apart. As an influential media personality and commentator, Erickson used rhetoric to persuade viewers of a particular view of gender and nature: that men are naturally dominant, and women are naturally sub-
missive. According to the view of power supported by Callicles, Polus, and Gorgias, Erickson showed a display of power in his use of rhetoric to persuade an audience. Yet Socrates would see Erickson’s commentary as an act of injustice, in that he sought personal pleasure – a feeling of superiority over women, or justification for a perceived societal flaw – instead of goodness and truth. Recently, Erickson again used rhetoric to unjustly subordinate women. He called Texas senator Wendy Davis, a pro-choice advocate, the “abortion Barbie.” Davis filibustered a bill that attempted to restrict abortion rights in Texas. In response to Davis’s admission to not knowing all of the details in a case where doctor Kermit Gosnell was convicted of mur-
der for running an illegal and dangerous abortion clinic, Erickson tweeted, “It is a bit embarrassing that Abortion Barbie doesn’t even have her facts straight on Kermit Gosnell considering abortion is her issue.” By using the title “Barbie,” Erickson creates an image of Wendy Davis that fits with female stereotypes. Journalist Amy Davidson writes, “‘Barbie’ is an insult when it is used as a stand-in for ‘stupid’—for an unserious mannequin, a professional impostor.” Erickson uses language to associate a female politician with stupidity and a traditional female doll. Again, Polus, Callicles, and Gorgias would view Erickson’s rhetoric as powerful – he has influence over his audience and shapes perceptions of female politicians. Socrates, on the other hand, would see the pandering involved in Erickson’s comments, as he sells to an audience that is predominantly very conservative and
anti-abortion. Erickson unjustly uses his position as a rhetor to shape sexist views on female politicians; he chooses “pleasure” over “goodness” by pandering to ideas of female subordination that his audience accepts as explanation for flaws in the “pro-choice” debate. A further example of the use of rhetoric can be seen in The Rush Limbaugh Show. Rush Limbaugh is infamous for sexist comments on his radio show, from calling Sandra Fluke a “slut” to claiming that feminism has ruined women. But most recently, on his August 27, 2013 radio show Limbaugh employed rhetoric to equate the feminist movement with sexual perversion. Limbaugh stated, “This feminism stuff, folks, it hasn’t gone away…it is based on what
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position in the workforce on Fox Businesses’s Lou Dobbs Tonight. Erickson cited science and nature as his source for his claim when he stated:
most people would classify as sexual perversion. It’s rooted in that.” He then proceeds to say that feminist leaders are unhappy, perpetuating stereotypes of “angry feminists.” For his audience – predominantly conservative Americans, many of who have traditional views of women’s roles and female sexuality – Limbaugh’s rhetoric is persuasive. He uses rhetoric and specific language to associate women – feminists in particular – with perversion. He implies that female sexuality is perverted, continuing the centuries-old stereotype of women as inherently sinful or temptresses. Gorgias, Polus, and Callicles would see Limbaugh’s power in his huge following and influence over an audience. But again, Socrates would point to the injustice in Limbaugh’s rhetoric, and therefore dismiss him as unpowerful. The influence of media on sexism is a common rhetorical theme. In the given examples, rhetoric is used to pander to a specific audience – in this case, right-wing conservatives who perceive a decline in nuclear families and look for someone to blame for that shift. The given rhetors – Erickson and Limbaugh – have “power” in the traditional view of power held by Gorgias, Polus, and Callicles. Their rhetorical power exists in the influence their language has on viewers and American society. In using language that equates feminism with perversity, dismisses powerful women as “Barbies,” or naturalizes women’s submission, their rhetoric holds power in its ability to persuade an audience of women’s inferior position. Yet Socrates would point to the injustice in the rhetoric used by both media personalities: both use language and rhetoric that unjustly subordinates women and panders to an audience by playing on their pre-existing political and societal beliefs. Socrates would claim that Erickson and Limbaugh seek pleasure and self-satisfaction over goodness and truth. Their use of rhetoric, while persuasive, is unjust, and it therefore is not powerful. While the examples cited are of rhetoric that perpetuates sexism, it is important to note that rhetoric can work the other way as well: to promote gender equality, end gender discrimination and stereotyping, and dismantle sexist language. One example of this particular use of rhetoric in the media was by female news anchor Megyn Kelly in response to Erick Erickson’s previously stated comment that women are biologically submissive to men. Kelly and Erickson are colleagues on Fox News, and Kelly used her position as a well-known media personality to dismantle Erickson’s argument using rhetoric on Fox News. Kelly began her questioning of Erickson with, “What makes you dominant and me submis-
sive, and who died and made you scientist-in-chief?” The language in her rhetoric is persuasive, but with a different effect that the rhetoric of Erickson and Limbaugh: she criticizes sexist attitudes by calling into question the scientific validity and social implications of Erickson’s comments. Gorgias, Callicles, and Polus would see the power in Kelly’s rhetoric, as she reached a large audience drew huge national attention. Socrates, however, would perhaps see her as pandering to the audience that was offended by
In using language that equates feminism with perversity, dismisses powerful women as “Barbies,” or naturalizes women’s submission, their rhetoric holds power... srotidE + ofnI DAORB
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Erickson’s claims. Yet Socrates may also see justice, and therefore power, in Kelly’s rhetoric – perhaps her effort to challenge sexism aligned with “goodness” and “truth.” Whether used to propagate sexism or abolish it, rhetoric can persuade an audience of a particular viewpoint or convince them to take a desired action. As the examples of sexism in the media demonstrate, rhetoric can be used for both justice and injustice. Socrates convinces his audience that unjust rhetoric is not powerful. While Gorgias, Callicles, and Polus presented an idea of rhetoric as powerful in its ability to persuade a large group of people, Socrates focuses on justice and truth. In today’s society, overloaded with media rhetoric, Plato’s message in Gorgias has an important lesson: one should look beyond persuasive influence in determining the power of rhetoric and instead focus on its intention, impact on an audience, and the justice of its message.
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just words? just speeches? George Lopez
It’s not even about black and white anymore, because so many people are from mixed backgrounds and mixed ethnicities, and it’s just a great time to be able to pull all that together. Finally there is someone that you can invest in that looks like you, speaks like you, relates to things you relate to, and make our culture okay to talk about.
Imagine going in knowing that no Mexican American before you had ever succeeded in a lead role.
I didn’t come from a background where I saw a lot of loving couples. All my aunts and uncles were either split up or fighting all the time. The only healthy relationships I saw were on TV.
I think it’s easier for African American and white comics to be praised than it is Latinos because they think our culture or our humor is substandard, ... I mean, I just don’t think they want to give us credit.
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Just watch because you think the shows are funny. Don’t watch because we’re a couple of Latino guys.
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And Still I Rise Find yourself. Lose yourself. Repeat again. Yolanda Barnes
e v a s r d B r a t w a to Th y t i l i b a r e n l u V
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Time is a funny thing. When you’re young all you want to do is speed up the hours on the clock. I can’t wait to be a teenager. I can’t wait to get my drivers license. What will life look like when I turn 18? At age 21 I can legally drink alcohol. I can rent a car without paying exorbitant fees at 25. Now, when you get older, let’s say late twenties, all you want in life is to slow down that ticking clock. I have a theory that once you turn 25, time completely disappears. Think about it, when you’re older you have a greater sense of what time truly means. I remember being a child and thinking one hour spent at the park was a lifetime. I get 60 full minutes to run around the field, hang from the jungle gym and pretend I’m a storm chaser? Maybe you didn’t think you were chasing tornadoes, but you get what I mean. Now that I’m 27, I view the concept of time so
differently. Everyday I look up and think, “Damn, its 11:30pm already?” Once you hit your late 20’s things begin to shift in your life. Priorities look differently. Relationships are tested. Family members began to ask about children and marriage if that’s something you haven’t experienced yet. Your job wants to know if you’ll be a valued employee. You question who you are and your purpose in life. Now, these are all natural things we more than likely experience during our lifetime. Some might call it the quarter life crisis, I call it my “Oh Shit” moments. It’s during these moments I start to second-guess choices I’ve made about my professional and personal life. The questioning starts forming in my brain after someone makes a quick remark about the next steps I should be taking in my career, or when a cousin mentions an old friend of mine has gotten married. There’s this constant pressure I feel from both external and internal forces to be this perfect well rounded individual. I believe the external forces mean well and truly
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do have my best interests in mind. Internally I self sabotage because I’m scared of failing others and myself. The external and internal forces will always exist and I’ve acknowledged these feelings to be true, and now I’m ready to take that brave step towards vulnerability. I hate to say I feel lost or that I’m terrified of the unknown, because that’s not true for me. I mostly feel I’m on a spiritual journey towards self-discovery. I’m trying to understand what it all means. I’m attempting to discover the woman I want to be. I’m trying to figure out what my role is in the feminist movement and how I will continue the fight for justice. I recognize this will take time and I won’t wake up in morning with life figured out perfectly. To be honest, none of us really know the purpose of our existence and I think that’s what is most beautiful about this thing we call life. A great feminist by the name Audre Lourde once said, “When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” I will remember this quote when I’m faced with challenges in our world. I will remember this quote when I experience oppression because of my gender, race, ethnicity, age, sex, family structure, or religious identity. I will remember this quote while I’m lying in bed crying tears of joy. I will remember this quote in order for me to continue to roam around in the world with an open hand, head, and heart. I chose to call my column, “And Still I Rise,” after
This column will allow me to explore my passions, hopes, dreams, and fears. I will push myself to be vulnerable in order to better understand my place in this world. I hope to share authentic experiences with the readers so we can all grow to love and appreciate this chaotic world we call home.
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There’s this constant pressure I feel from both external and internal forces to be this perfect well rounded individual.
the late Maya Angelou’s poem of the same name. I resonate most with this poem, because it speaks to a place I’m at on my journey through life. I’ve experienced heartbreak, disappointment, depression, shame, and loneliness. However, at the end of the day I’ve learned to rise above the dark cloud that has followed me most of my life. I’m ready to move towards the light at the end of the tunnel and rediscover who I truly am.
screen/play film review, justice take Guardians of the Galaxy
Released: 2014
Director:
James Gunn
Major Cast:
Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan
Where to Find: Theaters
Quick Description (no spoilers!):
The story begins with a young Peter Quill being kidnapped and raised by gritty Ravagers following his mother’s death. As an adult, he continues their traditions, stealing and selling various artifacts. He stumbles upon one item in particular, a small orb, that gets him nearly killed by the cronies of a zealous Kree, Ronan, whose beef with a widely accepted peace treaty leads him to make a pact with Thanos, another evil warlord. Thanos has loaned his mutated weapons/adopted daughters, Gamora and Nebula, to Ronan to procure the Infinity Stone (source of mind-blowing, universe-melting power) held within the orb Quill found. Gamora volunteers, intent on double-crossing Thanos and Ronan, and gets caught up in the efforts of Rocket, a scrappy mutated raccoon, and his tree-muscle Groot, to capture Quill for a bounty set by his adopted family. The four get carted off to galactic prison, where Gamora is violently hazed by the inmates for the atrocities committed by Ronan. One inmate, Drax the Destroyer, stops her death and allies with the group solely out of his desire to avenge his dead wife and daughter, victims of Ronan. The group escapes prison and head to meet the buyer Gamora is trying to get the stone to. After learning the full power of the Infinity stone, the group is attacked by Nebula and Ronan, lose the Infinity Stone, and meet up with Quill’s violent Ravagers clan. After finally accepting and trusting each other, the group comes together with the Ravagers and the galactic police force to take down Ronan, who has gained the Infinity Stone and is in the midst of destroying the planet. Fighting ensues, with Ronan’s ship eventually crashing into the planet. Working together, Drax is able to fire off a weapon created by Rocket, which knocks loose the Infinity stone from Ronan’s staff. Peter grabs the stone, which begins to destroy him. Gamora and the rest of the group grab his hand, allowing the power to disperse equally and prevent their deaths. The stone is contained and Ronan is destroyed, although Groot has sacrificed itself in the process. The newly-named “Guardians of the Galaxy” have their criminal records expunged, and set off to protect the galaxy, a baby sapling of Groot in tow.
See it. It has enough action and dialogue to keep the plot moving smoothly without seeming incredibly disjointed, although there are quite a bit of technical details so that I would advise taking very calculated bathroom breaks. The characters have a depth that defies the typical action movies with lots of manly violence and little emotions. Humor is injected continuously to add levity without being silly. The visuals are so intense and sci-fi cool, it is amazing even in 2-D. Especially with all the talk recently about the Spider-Woman cover, (see http://mic. com/articles/96874/new-spider-woman-cover-puts-the-comic-industry-s-women-problem-right-in-our-faces)
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BROAD thumbs up?
“Guardians” is a solid step in the right direction between balancing a fast-paced movie with enough humanism and solid dialogue to maintain good interest throughout the film. I cried at the beginning, laughed in the middle, and cried a little more at the end. We are Groot *sob*
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Bechdel test: 2.5 out of 3 points* Nebula and Gamora are the two main female characters of the film. As the adopted daughters of Thanos, there is a depth and strength to both characters beyond pure romantic interest, and they engage in witty dialogue and combative butt kicking. However, the discussions between Nebula and Gamora are also rooted in their shared contempt for their “father” and Ronan, the main bad guy. The two are also posed as enemies in a fairly clichéd manner. Overall, good, but not great. *1- At least 2 named women 2- The two women talk to each other 3- The two women talk about anything besides a man
#feminisms BROAD Voice, BROAD Communities Nathan Cook
but First let me take a selFie
Here’s where my criticism comes to a screeching halt. Let’s take the #selfie out of its “typical” context and put it in the #feminstselfie, #queerselfie, or any other non- mainstream context and see what you get. Here’s where your self validated, motivated, idealists are nestled. They come with a message that is not one that is mirrored or mimicked. This is who we really are, and this is what the #selfie movement is about. Not plastic faces and low cut shirts in the mirror, but the single 40 year old mother of two that has three jobs. It’s the African American women with natural hair, the homosexual men and women that aren’t the underwear models. This is the movement we need to pay attention to, because these are the people who are actually fighting for something.
For once social media has the ability to showcase what real image is about. You can relate to everyday people sharing your same struggle, or glance upon someone else’s life you know nothing about, but can only wonder how they manage to get by. It really is an amazing thing. One single picture of a persons face and the connection surges through you, electrifying the senses, and tickling the imagination. The future of the selfie has the potential to be a wonderful movement. The right people just need to take it over.
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Today I get to indulge in the culturally hated, yet socially acceptable, act of the selfie. Narcissism is the first thing that comes to mind. It fires through the neurons and vanishes with the same ferocity and hatred in which it came. I dismiss the person, usually female, in a scoff at their inability to communicate the importance of the situation they were trying to capture. A poorly framed attempt of a duck face at the Eiffel Tower, a face blocking the beautiful sunset on the beach, or some cleavage and a face against the steamed mirror of a bathroom. These are your typical selfies, lame attempts at conveying self importance.
words are useless sometimes words aren’t enough Shiueh Lih
Target, Disney Princess #4, Cinderella Artist:
Shiueh Lih
Harvest, Disney Princess #2, Snow White
Maze, Disney Princess #1, Alice
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Watcher, Disney Princess #3, Rapunzel
Kaleidescope Shifting Perspectives on Our Modern World Sabrina Minhas
Television Transforms It’s two in the morning. The only light in my darkened room comes from a computer screen, where images and stories whisk by and carry me with them. I am curled up in bed, nestled in blankets and floating in the limbo that is the early morning hours. The previous day has ended and the next one still feels far away. Time loses meaning and the pressures of life fade away. I am free to escape in experiences other than my own that allow me to connect with characters, laugh or contemplate, and feel unburdened by my emotions. During a tumultuous time in my life, I found solace in watching shows on Netflix while swathed in blankets, pillows and the darkness that held me close but could never penetrate the glow of my computer screen. Netflix has become a prominent part of American culture and common medium through which we consume media, especially in terms of television and film. Television, however, is not always an escape. The programs we watch reflect our world back in literal and symbolic ways, often with the biases of those who produce and fund the content. Whether we are watching the news from organizations as
divided as our partisan politics, sitcoms that reinforce stereotypes or dramas that perpetuate societal gender norms, television plays a significant role in informing our citizens and creating the culture through which we perceive others. My mind often wandered during those late nights and I wondered how my experiences would have differed during another time period. Imagine being a young person watching the Kennedy-Nixon debates at a time when television claimed unprecedented importance in the lives of Americans. TV shows were turning away from their theatrical heritage and transformed under the influence of Hollywood. Television became more accessible in the 1960’s than in any previous generation. There was a television set in 88 percent of American households, signifying a 77 percent increase within a decade. And perhaps most significantly, the 1960’s included the first presidential election with a televised debate. It was a time when television became increasingly ingrained in our cultures and lifestyles to the extent that it transcended pop culture and infiltrated politics. The story that follows is an American classic. It was
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am beautiful and belong in America, because I am an Indian woman. I am not the heroine of the story, nor am I a person developed beyond stereotypes of my culture. My feelings are confirmed each time I scroll through the popular shows offered by Netflix. In fifteen of the most watched shows, 55 out of 216 cast members and/or characters are people of color, which is roughly 25 percent. The majority of these characters come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, while shows focused on communities with greater wealth and education have fewer characters of color. This information is the result of basic counting and observations, and is by no means the result of an official study I conducted. It is what we see each day, however, that becomes ingrained in our culture. The ethnicities, body types and behaviors most represented by the media become what is normalized by society. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 39.4 percent of Americans are people of color, but the disproportionate representation of these communities restricts them from becoming integrated in society. We begin to otherize and exclude groups when we do not see their individuals depicted as fully devel-
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We cannot know if citizens made the better choice, but there is little doubt that both candidates were admirable and flawed in their own ways. We can be sure, however, that television has remarkable power. It can change minds, alter perceptions, decide an election and determine the course of a country’s future. This power is not reserved for electoral de-
I know that television has rarely made me feel like I
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The result had profound implications for the country and world. Those who listened to the debates on the radio assumed Nixon had won because of his strong arguments. Television viewers, however, had a different angle on the debate. Nixon looked untrustworthy on camera, with his disheveled appearance and shifting eyes, while Kennedy captured the audience with a personal connection. He looked directly at the cameras, making the audience feel as though he were looking into their eyes, speaking to their hearts and radiating a youthful charm.
bates. The influence of the characters we see daily, connect with deeply and speak about seeps into the psyche of individuals and our collective society.
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September 26th, 1960. John F. Kennedy, a “relatively unknown senator from Massachusetts” (Webley 2010), appeared on a televised debate against Richard Nixon, the influential vice president of the country. Nixon emphasized his experience and accomplishments in the White House, believing that the power of a substantive argument overcame superficial concerns of appearances. Nixon was not aware, however, that the strategies had changed. The stage upon which those arguments occurred had become a screen. Kennedy exuded youthful vibrancy, valid arguments and acute awareness of the cameras that followed him.
oped people in the media, especially in communities that are not often exposed to people of color. When we do not represent minorities in diverse lights and stray from stereotypes, common perceptions of these communities suffer. The biases that form limit the opportunities provided to people of color and force them into stereotypes. If we rarely see people of color in intelligent, powerful roles on television, we portray an image of incompetency.
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The normalization of an identity determines what communities have power in society, resulting in our systems of privilege.
The normalization of an identity determines what communities have power in society, resulting in our systems of privilege. Television has the ability to normalize an identity, and it currently supports perceptions that leave people of color subordinate. The 50.8 percent of Americans who are women do not fare much better. White women are amply represented on television and are even depicted in high powered positions, but their stories are dominated by the need for romance, lust and love. Relationships of any kind are a valuable part of life, but they are only one aspect of a woman’s experience. Television shows often dismiss or diminish the importance of a woman’s aspirations and passions to predominately focus on romantic entanglements, creating a culture that places the value of a woman in her relationships instead of the combination of traits that form her identity as an individual. Television shows create expectations around romance that become societal norms instead of encouraging women to define their relationships and sexuality according to their needs, and exclude women who are single or do not want to be partnered.
microaggreSHUNS it’s the little things that count BROAD People
Cow can’t take a joke | You know you want ite You would beg for a guy like me | #KnowsYourPlacee
“Virtual harassment” | He’s whipped | Male feministe A REAL Man | She deserved it | Choke on a dicke
#wasteofair | Power tripping cuntse You should just jump in front of horses, go diee
Lighten up, you got your voting rights alreadye Stop getting hairy women to abuse mee
You’ll be whining for days ...e ...and not about people on the internet when I’m done with you.e
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Just admit you’re a lesbian, you feministe
#feminisms BROAD Voice, BROAD Communities Will Deters
The Fault in Our Female Protagonists In 1972, Atari was introduced to the public by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. Though the creators of Ati were influential to the industry, they created a trend that would be forever imprinted in our gaming society. Every mainstream platform you can think of was created and run by men during their inception. What followed was a mass stereotype that only teenage boys were supposed to like video games. During this “golden age” of gaming, it was frowned upon for women to play video games. It was seen as “unladylike” until the turn of the century when women started becoming more and more involved with the gaming community and cosplaying. However, it has been for all of the wrong reasons. For one thing, a lot of the cosplay at Comic Con and other fan expos is very revealing. This is partially due to fan-made costume alterations, and mostly due to some characters in games having extremely revealing costumes. In a lot of video games, you see male characters wearing armor, protective gear, or some sort of outfit that can make the character look fairly badass. On the off chance that one game stars a woman, the outfit is usually revealing and extremely unrealistic for fighting. This is due to the fact that a little more than half of the gaming community is comprised of teenage boys. Though women have been more apparent and make up a little over 40% of the gaming com-
munity, we see that female protagonists are still marketed to teenage boys. The demographic has changed dramatically since the beginning of the 21st century, yet companies still feel the need to market to the same crowd. If we look at the popular Tomb Raider franchise, it is arguably the most successful gaming franchise with a female lead (like it had much competition). But the reason it probably did so well is that it stars Lara Croft, an archaeologist with rather shapely breasts and a tight tank top.
The fact that companies would rather recreate worn out masculine and hardass characters rather that invest in decent female leads shows a lack of creativity
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with a dash of perpetuating sexism in an already sexist community. It shouldn’t be this hard to have equal representation in games without having to alter one party to be more aesthetically pleasing. Even if it is 50-50 in regards to male and female game protagonists (which it isn’t), the gross and unrealistic depiction of the female protagonists rescinds all previous efforts made toward the production of the game. But through all of this nonsense, we should take a moment to applaud the more civilized minds of the developers Quantic Dream and Naughty Dog that made games like Beyond: Two Souls and The Last of Us, respectively. They took the time and investment to make these games popular and successful without having their strong female protagonists lose clothing in the process. Hopefully, these games will commence the beginning of a new era in which developers will follow suit and create proper representation of women in female leads.
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What Ubisoft is avoiding completely is the sad truth: they are simply afraid of sales. It has nothing to do with skeletal structures. They are afraid of investing more time into a character that won’t use the same body structure that all of their other assassin’s had. They literally crank out a new game every year with the same character with the same build, only with a different accent and setting. It’s just laziness. It’s also a double-edged sword if you think about it. Based on sales history, if they want to make sales, they would probably have to make the female lead more revealing than the previous assassins. Which is horrid, and may pose as their real reason for not investing in this idea. On the other hand, they are probably afraid it would plummet their sales if they were to cover her in the assassin garb and reveal no cleavage or hardly any skin at all. So to possibly avoid those two possible downfalls, they scrapped the idea altogether.
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People can argue all they want about the progression of women in games and how we are doing “better”. But in all honesty, it’s more of a retrogression than anything. A woman in a video game is either a damsel in distress (see the Mario or The Legend of Zelda franchises) or she is the main protagonist with obnoxiously visible cleavage (Final Fantasy, Soul Calibur, Skyrim, etc.). When approached about creating a female lead in a mainline entry of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Ubisoft said that it would be “double the work”. They observed the Gears of War franchise and noticed their sales didn’t do so hot when they added female leads. To make a female lead for the Assassin’s Creed franchise would involve recreating skeletal structures completely just for the female lead.
A woman in a video game is either a damsel in distress (see the Mario or The Legend of Zelda franchises) or she is the main protagonist with obnoxiously visible cleavage (Final Fantasy, Soul Calibur, Skyrim, etc.). BROAD Info + Editors
Though it is objectifying, Tomb Raider truly is a magnificent gaming experience. The developers of the game probably knew it would be great, but they felt that they had to make their female protagonist aesthetically pleasing. Why? Because they were probably afraid the game quality wouldn’t stand on its own. So they marketed this demeaning character to teenage boys who, let’s face it, love boobs. Regardless of the time period it was initially released, it is still gross. And they continued to release sequels with the same shapely women in it. I will give them the benefit of the doubt in their newest release of Tomb Raider, which appears to be a prequel or a possible series reboot, where the developers switched out her unreasonably short shorts for actual cargo pants. I would assume those would be more comfortable for someone who chills out in caves all the time.
ad(vance) a picture is worth 1,000 words Dove Real Beauty
Consider: In a recent ad campaign, Dove addressed the concept of ageism. 1. What do you think about this media campaign? 2. What does it do well? 3. Where do you see need for improvement? 4. What message does it send? 2. What does it do well?
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#feminisms BROAD Voice, BROAD Communities Mario Mason
’ Why we dont need feminism From a strictly biological point of view, advanced mammals are often violent creatures. African chimpanzees violently defeat rival gangs in territorial wars. This is his natural instinct; it’s in his biology. The violence in male mammals stems not from misogyny but rather men hating other men. Studies show that in the US, over half all homicides involving a male offender had a male victim. The percentage of male offender/female victim cases were only 22.7%. Historically, male on male rape has been more prevalent. Most people think this only applies to wars hundreds of years ago when men raped other men to show dominance but many studies have shown that male on male is not only extremely underrepresented but it is a regular occurrence. Don’t get me wrong, while the view that misogyny is a source of rape is a valid and important one, it’s vision is narrow because misogyny is simply a byproduct of man’s biological tendency towards violence and aggression.
ronments which are less stressful and work in industries that pay less such as education. Simply put, the pay gap can be attributed to individual choices made by individual people.
We have often heard about the injustice of the pay gap between men and women. People love to bring this one out when they discuss why feminism is important but the wag gap is just a propaganda for feminists. A couple years ago the “White House Council on Women and Girls” was created to make sure that lawmakers paid attention to the needs of females when drafting legislation. This council concluded that the reason for the “gap” is that women often choose to work in envi-
We are individuals. We should not be putting ourselves into boxes based on our gender. Feminism is outdated and we need a new shift if we are going to survive in the future. We need a movement that respects all genders and works to integrate them. Although this piece is intended to be satire I felt it important to highlight that there are people who think this way. This piece was written based on statistics and research I have done. Stay woke
At this point a feminist will argue that the woman is coerced into these positions by prejudice and sexism. Evolutionary psychology and biology prove that males and females are different from one another. Men produces testosterone and women do not. This lack of testosterone often makes women more kind and social than men. So most women often are inclined to work in an environment where being cutthroat and cold is shunned while men, who are more combative and aggressive tend to seek these jobs out more often. Simply put, men are insecure and feel the need to prove their manliness by making copious amounts of money while women tend to naturally care about more than just money which leads to different vocational choices.
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tell-a-vision visions & revisions of our culture(s) The Representation Project, 2012, 2013
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R NTEE VOLU CES VOI The Representation Project is a movement that uses film Eand ER media content to expose injustices created by gender R A C change. stereotypes and to shift people’s consciousness towards Interactive campaigns, strategic partnerships and L CAL D education initiatives inspire individualsBRand communities to challenge the status quo and ultimately transform culA O P A C E ture so everyone, regardless of gender, Rrace, class, age, sexual orientation orAcircumstance can fulfill their potential. E ME S G MES ING VISIT R O Consider: T EDI E 1. What sorts of media do you think the 2014 will include? ID DSvideo T ROA 2. What progress has been made in the Bpast year? E GO WE’V IL MA
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O Links: MICR S E R G A 2012 ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py5X_biBOYk#t=25 NS SHU 2013 ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NswJ4kO9uHc
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3. What work still needs to be done? Which identities is The Representation Project underrepresenting?
words are useless sometimes words aren’t enough Rachel Schwebach
Artist:
Rachel Schwebach
The Patron Saint of Smokers
The Patron Saint of Selfies
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The Patron Saint of Film
In the (k)now Knowledge is power. Power is change. Change is good. Sylvia Bennett
The Squeakiest Wheel Men’s Rights Movements via Social Media
We’ve all seen them, lurking about the dark corners of reddit and Twitter, waiting for any opportunity to step atop their soapboxes and vent their frustrations and hardships, impugning the cold, cruel world for its vicious treatment of men. Now, from this point, I could either be referencing the many feminists who point out the unfair gender roles doled out by heteronormative society, who critique the transphobic media and generally push for a world where anyone can be anyone with anyone (with consent) and the sky will be filled with love and the glorious glow of label-less existence. But that is not the group I was discussing. As almost a complete contrast to the goals feminists try to achieve by supporting “men,” men’s rights activists (MRA) take a more “dog chasing its tail” approach on social media when discussing the issues related to men in society. The mantra of the MRA on social media seems to be, “It’s not fair that blank gets this!” And by blank, they are referring to anyone not white, cisgender, heterosexual, or male in the strictest sense, as they themselves are. And this is the crux of why the MRA are so toxic: they support no one but themselves. When they condemn society for its detrimental actions, it is not with the intention of actually creating constructive dialogue
around actual issues, but in an effort to condemn or derail the efforts of others. MRA do not discuss the social stigma around African-American fatherhood. They do not lobby for increased education and employment opportunities and pay equality for men of color. They do not work to include trans men in their dialogue. They do not support male victims of domestic violence or rape unless it is to minimize or detract from female victims. They actively argue that men are generalized as animals, yet use analogies of setting meat before a wild animal to explain why rape is biologically acceptable. They do not actually discuss or advocate for ending prison rape; instead they use it as yet another platform to show how rape is the [female] victim’s fault. Who benefits from this? Whose privilege is being supported? How are social limitations being negated? These are the same questions that can and should be posed at feminism. When asked of the men’s rights movement, the answers are inherently reflexive. It is a privileged minority promoting their privilege at the expense of others’. It is creating #notallmen instead of actually listening and understanding what #yesallwomen is trying to express. It is flooding the already broken system for reporting sexual violence at colleges with false rape
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There is absolutely a need for further discussion about men, people of color, and binary gender stereotypes. Social media provides such a unique context because it allows for non-academics to engage so openly in these discussions, and the ideas generated are from so many diverse perspectives. Yet, to follow the cliché of the double-edged sword, it is also a platform that allows any idea, even one as detrimental as those proposed by men’s rights activists, to be expressed. And in many cases, it’s the loudest voice that gets the most attention.
When they condemn society for its detrimental actions, it is not with the intention of actually creating constructive dialogue around actual issues, but in an effort to condemn or derail the efforts of others. BROAD Info + Editors
stories (see Occidental College), thus perpetuating the rape culture MRAs so vehemently deny exists. And, indirectly, it is not allowing for proper dialogues about feminism to occur. Instead of having a place to constructively express and critique, the constant barrage of threats and ridiculous outbursts from men’s rights activists not only makes many feel unsafe and uncomfortable at expressing their opinions via social media, but destroys the opportunity for positive change, which feminism is constantly in need for.
message me we asked. you answered. BROAD people
BROAD September 2014
Being censored.
Biased perspectives.
Information is watered down and pop-culture-fied.
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Are there consequences for receiving news via digital communication?
Scary “norms” that aren’t actually representative.
Depth of information is limited (ex Twitter)
Advertising! I just want to find real news and updates about the world, not hear about Kimye or be forced to listen to Starbucks newest overpriced crap.
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Who gets to choose which facts are important. (And important to whom?)
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tell-a-vision visions & revisions of our culture(s) NFL Draft Stories: How you should judge Michael Sam
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1. Who is the intended audience for this commercial? E 2. What is the cultural impact of having an openly gay African-American NFL player in mainstream TV commercials? ANC ADV 3. Would you add or change anything about this O ICRcommercial?
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C75q_7TVmCk
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words are useless sometimes words aren’t enough Stacia Scott
Artist:
Stacia is a social worker in Iowa City and spends most of her time organizing with fellow feminist activists on a variety of social justice issues. She loves photography, burritos and passionate people.
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Feminist Photography Project
Liberation Leaders Illuminating Then & Now, Inspiring Forever Awkwafina, Rapper
Inspires:
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to Social Just In the past, m ice: ost genres of American mu sic had strict, racially guided rules about who could be considered au thentic and who could no t. With the inte rn et making it increasingly easy to make and distribute art online, more people from all walks of life have th e opportunity to express themselves th rough variou s forms of music and vid eo. This doesn ’t mean that there will no longer be con troversy over who is accep ted as a rapp er, but the stri boundaries in ct hip-hop are ra pidly disintegrating. As her alter ego Awkw afina, Nora Lum is a pion eer of the new m usical age, pushing the b oundaries an d overstepping expecta tions.
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just words? just speeches? Mindy Kaling, Actor
“I always get asked, ‘Where do you get your confidence?’ I think people are well meaning, but it’s pretty insulting. Because what it means to me is, ‘You, Mindy Kaling, have all the trappings of a very marginalized person. You’re not skinny, you’re not white, you’re a woman. Why on earth would you feel like you’re worth anything?”
“If you like lipstick or watch Keeping Up With the Kardashians while you do the elliptical machine, and you’re willing to admit to any of that, there are people who think you’re letting down women or something, which is just a bunch of bulls***, and can make me kind of angry.”
“I do think there’s a reaction to me because of the character I play on the show or the fact that I sound like an 11-year-old girl, that people think I’m an 11-year-old girl, or that I’m somehow not a feminist, or I’m selling out women. I’m really impatient with that; I think it’s crap.”
“When you are the only Indian-American female lead in a television show, you seem to be making sweeping statements about that person simply because you are that person and the only one.”
“The guys on my staff identify as feminist.”
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“Personally, I, Mindy Kaling want to spend like 80 percent of my life hanging out with women.”
#feminisms BROAD Voice, BROAD Communities Catherine Sullivan
Memoir of a SelfProclaimed Feminist
I received negative reactions. Kids teased me; girls rolled their eyes at me and boys deliberately made sexist comments in order to see me get angry. BROAD Info + Editors
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that’s usually about it. However, there was one day when a guy who I had met at school posted a feminist article on my Facebook wall with the message, “I really liked this article and I thought you might too.” I read the article and thanked him for sharing it with me. His response was touching. “No, thank you for opening my eyes to gender inequality.” This was a guy I had only met a handful of times in person and I had no idea that he ever read any of the feminist articles I posted, but apparently he had. Usually sharing my ideas with people who aren’t already self-proclaimed feminists gets me spit on, but to be thanked simply for sharing my opinions and thoughts was an incredibly touching moment. I realized that if I could hang on to that moment, I could hang on to my radical belief in equality for the rest of my life.
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“It’s like racism, except with gender.” “Sexism,” my friend answers me. She’s extremely clever and well informed on social issues, especially for her age. This is the only snippet I remember from our conversation in the elementary school cafeteria, but it stuck with me. Another word I learned shortly after is “feminist.” I liked that one. Someone who believes that women and men should have equal rights? I immediately adopted the label. I said it loud and proud, “I’m a feminist.” I received negative reactions. Kids teased me; girls rolled their eyes at me and boys deliberately made sexist comments in order to see me get angry. And I did get angry. But getting angry just confirmed the kids’ suspicions about the “f” word. Feminists were bad people. Look at me, half yelling at them, half crying. I was a bad person. So I tried not to be angry. I tried to be calm and factual. But then people saw me as cold and I was still a cold-hearted feminist, a bad person. I saw sexism on TV shows, in school, and at our family Christmas parties where my male cousin (who is a full 2 months younger than me) was welcomed in the basement to play pool and pingpong with our uncles and other (male) cousins while I had to sit upstairs and listen to the ladies’ boring talk. If I complained, I felt that I would be perceived as an oversensitive, whiny girl, but by not complaining, I didn’t get to enjoy myself and I built resentment towards my family members. This is the battle that most women – not just those of us who strongly identify as feminists – have to face every day: when to speak up and when to stay silent. We all have to pick our battles, but to view life as a series of battles is rather morbid. When things look bad, I challenge myself to think of positive things, times when I didn’t have to go into battle. After I did some reflection, I found that there were many more of those moments than I thought. I have one favorite moment I like to think about. I link my articles that I like about feminism, racism, and other things that I feel are important to my Facebook wall. My feminist friends like them and
words are useless sometimes words aren’t enough Liz Bajjalieh
Artist:
Liz Bajjalieh
Lips Wo rth A Th o u sa n d Wo rds
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Po p Cu ltu re Referen ce
Liberation Leaders Illuminating Then & Now, Inspiring Forever Julie Burton, President, Women’s Media Center
Julie Bu Insp socia rton has l awa devo ires: ted h renes for w er o s right men’s righ . She has c life to ac s, tiv a t Acco education s, but also mpaigned ism and rding a a not o dvoc nd cl to n a i incre ased Women’s mate cha tes for vo ly nge a ter’s oppo Medi zatio w rt a n Wom s includin unities fo Center, B areness. ur r e g ican W n’s Law Ce Project K women at ton has n i orga d a t y. A er a Sm inspi res co s a leade nd Peopl art, Natio nir in e Fo nal nsu in the medi mers to r media crit r the Am e e a, rep ic ort se evaluate r ism, Burt ro e x n p ism a calize nd to resentati their on stron conc gly vo erns. -
Bio: cacy and The Salt Lake City native has a long history of advo CEO gest social justice. Burton not only served as the youn ce USA, of Voters for Choice, but she also co-founded Choi ion duct repro and r an organization that focuses on vote . work e rights. Her contributions are not confined to offic teamed Burton has helped produce music events and even ,” a Amp Little a up with Sony Music to produce “Mary Had ation. CD whose proceeds go towards preschool educ from her Burton’s most impressive accomplishments stem rofit orgainvolvement in Women’s Media Center. The nonp as film, nization focuses on entertainment mediums such Burton, ia. theater, the Internet, newspapers and print med ng a recipient of Women’s Information Network’s “You g layin disp to ted Woman of Achievement Award,” is devo ia. fair representation of genders and race in med
Major Acc omplishe
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: As preside nt of Wom en’s Media cates for a Center, Bu fair repres rton advoe ntati through ca mpaigns, m on of women in the media onitoring women on m how to be come lead edia and training ers an perts in th e digital re d advocacy exalm. Burton fou nded Wom American en’s Counc Way and is il of People th Fo e executive Media Cen producer o r the ter Live wit f Women’s h Robin M organ on C BS. The wome n’s right ad v o c a te was the serve on a youngest national p CEO to ro-choice committee .
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warning: results with assumptions Chicago tv anchors and reporters
screen/play film review, justice take Miss Representation
Released: 2011
Director:
Jennifer Siebel Newsom
Major People Involved:
Condoleezza Rice, Lisa Ling, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric, Rachel Maddow, Rosario Dawson, Dr. Jackson Katz, Dr. Jean Kilbourne, and Gloria Steinem
Where to Find:
Streaming on Netflix
Quick Description: Miss Representation, produced in 2011, presents a dazzling compilation of statistics, movie clips, interviews and news segments. It brings digital issues that seem distant to the frontlines of the mainstream media battlefield. The message is quiet clear: media dictates everything. The 10 hour and 45 minute daily consumption of media determines how we feel, what we say and how we act. This 84-minute documentary will make viewers angry, it will make them upset, but most importantly, it will make them understand. Jennifer Siebel Newsom, an actress, Stanford graduate, producer and mother who fears for the future, narrates the documentary. Her fears are exemplified through the heartbreaking confessions of high school students that suffer from bullying, anorexia and gender expectations. One young girl confesses she feels pressure to straighten her hair while other girls burst into tears over the expectations of having a perfect body and their fear for their younger sibling’s future. “Everyone needs to learn what the media is really about,” states Maria, a high school student. “It’s really like how (advertisers) want you to be something that you’re not.”
In a particularly dramatic segment, a dozen clips of athletic and rough male characters are contrasted with clips of attractive female characters with protruding breasts and sly smiles. This reinforces the fact that stereotypical characters in the media extend expectations to the modern and real world. “Nobody wins in this model, but the women particularly lose in this model where they’re expected to look like Miss USA, have sex like Samantha in Sex and the City and think like June Cleaver,” explains Jennifer Pozner, author of Reality Bites Back.
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The documentary combines startling graphic statistics with America’s favorite pastime: media consumption. Instead of mindlessly watching the news, movies or television, the film offers viewers the opportunity to criticize and question media. Miss Representation bends media norms to see if they break under pressure.
Although the word “media” might conjure images of Facebook messages, Twitter hashtags or movie clips, Miss Representation also critiques the way one single word in a newspaper headline can demean females. In news stories, when men say something, they “state” it. When women are quoted, they “complain.” The same effect takes place when female politicians make the news and are labeled as “Mrs. Fill-in-the-blank” instead of their politically correct title. Miss Representation covers beauty products, advertisements, movie characters, politics, clothing and the history of conglomeration. The amount of resources the documentary compiles is astounding. Perspectives from politicians, authors, actresses, filmmakers, news anchors, men, women and children add depth and intensity to the documentary. The film not only delves into women’s issues but also explores the expectations placed on men. The narrator specifically explains that she doesn’t want to undervalue the gains women have made; she wants to explore how history is written. Katie Couric also shares her critiques and experiences of mainstream media. After being mocked and criticized for her appearance rather than her insight in her career, Couric adds her thoughts and conclusion on the power of media. “The media can be an instrument of change, it can maintain the status quo and reflect the views of the society or it can hopefully awaken people and change minds,” states the television journalist. “I think it depends on who’s driving the plane.”
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The effects of the documentary will not only shock viewers while watching, it will also reverberate into daily critiques of digital formats. No longer will viewers unquestionably accept media norms as unchangeable facts. Media’s control is limited by the defiance and dissent of the consumer’s mind.
WLA (Re)Animated Reimagine and Relive our Pasts The Feminist Voice Magazine
This is an advertisement for The Feminist Voice, one of the first feminist magazines in Chicago in the 1970s. The magazine was known for engaging in issues deemed relevant to women at that time and for taking a stance on controversial issues like the Vietnam war and gay rights. It is part of WLA’s digital collection “Feminism in Chicago: The Connie Kiosse Papers.”
WLA Mission Statement:
Established in 1994, the Women and Leadership Archives (WLA) collects, preserves, and makes available materials of enduring value to researchers studying women’s contributions to society.
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#feminisms BROAD Voice, BROAD Communities Rashad Kulam
The Double-Edged Sword Despite all of the valuable accomplishments of modern technology, it has acted as a double-edged sword in the battle of rape culture. People have used social networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, to spread what some call jokes, others harassment. On the other hand, using the very same social networking sites, people have started campaigns against sexual violence and have raised awareness. Technology has aided to perpetuate rape culture while vocalizing against it simultaneously. That’s not to say that rape culture has been created by technology. It has always existed; from the days of “men being the hunter while women are gatherers” to the 1950s idea of the ideal women and even now, where women are seen as the “weaker sex,” rape culture is not a new concept. But opposed to the 50s, for example, where the domestic violence stays within the home, technology has exposed such sexual violence by telling stories or posting pictures online, where everyone can see. Rape culture has become more transparent than ever. Then why has it not ceased to exist yet?
People are more in-touch with each other more than ever before in history. In our technologically saturated culture, information can be spread and found in an instant. Hate can be spread too. What some may call “jokes” and “just for laughs” can be seen as the end of the world to others. Literally. A research by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has found that suicide rates have risen from 41.5% to 62.6% since 2000, and the rise of technology between these years is not a coincidence. Facebook was created in 2004, Twitter in 2006; the creation of the two biggest sources of social media have created strong mediums for cyber bullying. This includes not just direct harassment from messaging, but posting of rumors, “jokes” and “memes,” which are pictures with text meant to convey humor, can carry just as heavy as a blow as a malicious message. The Internet not only spreads but also promotes rape culture and what one sees online doesn’t usually stay online: it can turn into verbal assaults face-to-face, or even physical at times. This power to spread information is so instantaneous, it’s unlike anything our society has ever seen before.
This power is not restricted to the haters; advocates against rape culture, people like us, can wield this sword as well. Just as rumors can spread through the Internet like wildfire, so can advocacy for anti-rape culture. Rape culture isn’t just rape or physical abuse, it’s the sexual assault of another human being physically and/or mentally as well. Mental torture can be worse, as we know from cyber bullying. We must take steps to stop the abuse. So the disturbing stories must be posted, the haters must be called out. We must create awareness.
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We must not just expose the stories of the already abused, but impose the knowledge that can stop the abuse in the first place.
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All of this can be spread with one easy medium that most of us have access to: the Internet. It’s in the palm of our hands with our smartphone; it’s on the table while we’re looking at videos on our computer. We must not just expose the stories of
the already abused, but impose the knowledge that can stop the abuse in the first place. Technology is the epitome of the metaphorical double-edged sword. The Internet is a crucible for the advocates of anti-rape culture, as it serves as a strong medium for spreading knowledge to stop the abuse, mental and physical, but is plagued with insensitive humor and malicious postings. This kind of abuse is not just bullying anymore, but is a crime to human rights, because this crime has taken countless lives away. It is our duty as morally-just humans to take a step forward and wield the sword to stop the hate.
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Much of the advocacy is run through campaigns where the abuse is exposed, but this is just the first step. We must not just expose, but impose as well. We must take the next step in ending this abuse before another life is hurt. If we are to start anywhere, we must start at addressing the key features of rape culture which are, but not limited to: 1. Gender Roles in Society: Men must define their own ideologies of what is it to be a man instead of following prehistoric patriarchal thoughts and must also recognize that women are just as capable and let go of misogynistic misconceptions. 2. Education System: Why are women taught to defend themselves from rape but men are not taught an anti-rape curriculum? What seems like common knowledge happens too much in our society; men must be shown the horrors of it at an early age. 3. Accessibility: Advocacy campaigns gain followers that already support the cause easily, but do not find it so easy to convert the perpetuators of rape culture. We cannot stop at just preaching to the choir, but must take the next step and teach not only the sexist, but the misinformed, the ones who think it’s ok to make that one sexual joke about him/her, the ones that spread that one rumor, because that “one” joke can cause harm they might not even realize.
words are useless sometimes words aren’t enough Tony Rubino
SUPERWOMAN
Artist:
Tony Rubino
words are useless
Artist:
Valreie Doty
curvy wonderwoman
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sometimes words aren’t enough Valerie Doty
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tell-a-vision
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What sexist elements do you see in this commercial? Who is the intended audience for this commercial? What is the purpose of creating a commercial like this? MICRO AGRES How does this perpetuate stereotypes about women using forms of media? ADVA SHU NS
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Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFf7dlewJus
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Weak and vulnerable and terrorist (female, middle eastern) Poor and war torn (Africa)
Not enough queer couples or independent queer characters
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Describe a way media folks negatively portray one or more of your identities...
Classless and “Ghetto” (female, African American)
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People believe that all feminists are radical and crazy when in reality they’re fighting against thousands of years of inequality.
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As a Latina, the connection with immigration issues.
screen/play film review, justice take Morvern Callar
Released: 2002
Director:
Lynne Ramsay
Major Actors:
Samantha Morton
Where to Find: Amazon.com
Quick Description: Morvern Callar has no overt feminist message. In fact, nothing about this film is overt at all. In short, the camera follows quiet and passive title character, Morvern Callar, as she simply exists in and reacts to the world after her boyfriend’s suicide. Morvern takes her boyfriend’s novel and sells it under her own name, which is arguably one of the only concise driving plot points in the piece. The film is loosely narrated by her deceased boyfriend as the story is constructed by a mix tape he left for her titled “For YOU.” No where in this film are women shaking their fists demanding equal rights, the word feminism is never even uttered. But in terms of film theory, movies like Morvern Callar speak to our subconscious. Morvern Callar is one of the most important films to feminist cinema and the movement of feminism as a whole.
If you take any average “Classical Hollywood structured” or “Blockbuster” film, there is more than likely a romantic subplot to the story, regardless of genre. This usually consists of a heteronormative couple and a scene where the active male character “checks out” the passive female character. In this way, the filmmaker turns the subject (the female) into an object, often by the concise framing of fetishized parts of her body or a pan, or camera movement, up her figure. In this way the male character is presented as a scopophiliac (derived from Freud, meaning
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Before I try to prove why Morvern Callar can be considered a work of Feminist Cinema, it is important to explain, in brief, what Feminist Film Theory entails. Media in all of its forms conditions humankind to believe certain things. Media presents myths contrived about both men and women that turn into social codes. “Men are unfaithful,” “women belong in the kitchen,” etc. Cinema reveals these codes, in some cases for the first time… perhaps these codes are created by cinema. In this way, media tells us how to think.
one who looks for pleasure.) This voyeurism puts the male character in a position of power, passivising the woman as he enjoys the objectified woman on the screen with a subjective, curious and controlling gaze. (For more of this watch Rear Window, Hitchcock, 1954) The act of watching film as a spectator is in and of itself voyeuristic. Sitting in a darkened theatre staring at a screen gives us license to look at things we usually wouldn’t. Generally speaking, it is a socially deviant act to simply ogle at a woman as she walks down the street. But film allows us to do so. The camera shows the parts of her body people “want to see” and the viewers simply watch. They’re subject to be voyeurs. Morvern Callar as a character is a bit of a conundrum. She doesn’t speak often, or with any substance usually, so it is important to understand the movie through her body. She often hangs her head in shame (which is certainly not an unfamiliar representation of women in film). She understands the world around her through her sense of touch. There are many, and slightly uncomfortably intimate, scenes of Morvern simply carressing branches, or sticking her fingers in things. In this way Morvern’s body is a topic of importance in the film but it is not a sexualized spectacle per se. The caress of a camera upon a body is inherently sensual, however. We see Morvern in extreme close-ups and in intimate conditions. She is often represented as being kissed with a red light that becomes a recurring theme throughout the film. This light gives her body soft and blurry edges and an enigmatic, “out of reach” feel, but nonetheless erotic. However, her face is almost always in perfect light.
BROAD thumbs up? We see Morvern Callar represented at a sensual level at this vantage point but she is never objectified. Her body cannot be fully understood. It is never the subject of the shot. Director Lynne Ramsay does a fantastic job at taking the objectification aspect out of showing the naked female body on screen, without actually taking the naked female body off of the screen. In terms of plot, Morvern Callar can be considered a Feminist Film as well, “Morvern Callar is ultimately about the grieving process, though some viewers are understandably frustrated by a central character who gives off so little emotion and invites so little sympathy. Why should we care?” A.V. Club’s Scott Tobias asked in an article about the film, before adding: “Well, maybe because Morvern is right to feel burned by the bloody mess her boyfriend has left behind. And maybe because characters don’t have to be sympathetic to be compelling.” Especially women. This is an essential film for feminist film theory conversation.
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just words? just speeches? Vito Russo, LGBTQI Activist
Finally there is someone that you can invest in that looks like you, speaks like you, relates to things you relate to, and make our culture okay to talk about.
It is an old stereotype, that homosexuality has to do only with sex while heterosexuality is multifaceted and embraces love and romance.
Twice, three times, four times -- The New York Times has published editorials saying, don’t panic yet, over AIDS -- it still hasn’t entered the general population, and until it does, we don’t have to give a shit.”
Don’t believe the lie that the gay community has done its job and done it well and educated its people. The gay community and IV drug users are not all politicized people living in New York and San Francisco.
The media tells them that they don’t have to care, because the people who really matter are not in danger.
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Can somebody tell me why the only television movie ever produced by a major network in this country, about the impact of this disease, is not about the impact of this disease on the man who has AIDS, but of the impact of AIDS on his white, straight, nuclear family?
#feminisms BROAD Voice, BROAD Communities Michelle Vittitoe
B e hin d th e Ca p e: A Feminist A na ly sis of S u p erh ero es
These costumes make women seem like a sex symbol who fights crime instead of a strong hero.
popular super hero who empowers women is Wonder Woman. She has been fighting crime for over seventy years and still continues to save the world from evildoers. She was one of the origi-
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roes. In comics and in the film, Black Widow is an assassin who saves the world with her amazing fighting skills and intellect. When we are first introduced to her character, we watch her single handedly takes on a group of gangsters with her stealthy moves and strategy, demonstrating that women are capable of doing anything. Another
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Some of us have read the comics and most of us have watched the movies, but superhero companies Marvel and DC Comics have certainly used feminism even if it is indirectly placed within the pages of a comic issue or filmed for the big screen. Looking passed the overly sexualized costumes theses superheroes been given, we can still see the crime fighting strong females that save the world from evil villains. Lately, comics turned into films have become more popular and with the box offices announcing the amount of money that is made from viewers watching, it’s obvious to say that millions of people are watching. The Avengers, that grossed over 600 million dollars at the box office, has a strong leading woman, The Black Widow, who demonstrates strength and empowerment among women and she can be considered as a feminist. A feminist in comics can be seen as character who is a strong, powerful person or hero who works as an equal fighting crime to save the world. This can be a strong female superhero who demonstrates leadership and fights as equal alongside other heroes. It can also be a male superhero who pushes for equality and fights as an equal among other female superhe-
Another female who was recently introduced in the movies was Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy, which was released in theaters on August 1. She can be seen as a feminist by the way she uses her strong will to save the galaxy from destruction. Her character’s costume is not overly sexualized and she embodies the strong, smart, and beautiful woman that others can be inspired by. While these superheroes fight crime and save the world on a regular basis, viewers can see that there is a difference between male and female costume choices. While most males have tight superhero costumes, they are still modest in taste. Female superheroes’ costumes are much more sexualized by using tight costumes that reveal cleavage and costumes that are only a leotard
such as superheroes like Wonder Woman and the Scarlet Witch. These costumes make women seem like a sex symbol who fights crime instead of a strong hero. Hopefully in the future, we can see a change to these overly revealing costumes to more appropriate crime fighting attire. In the near future, hopefully we will continue to see the rising number of feminist superheroes who fight crime. These characters can continue to influence society and raise awareness for equality among males and females showing women that they can easily be just as strong, smart, and skillful as males can be.
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nal founders of the Justice League fighting as an equal alongside other famous superheroes like Superman.
Sanity Optional Beyond this point Peach Stephan
g n i n n Ru ound y l l ar aniaca M Last year I was walking around Macy’s when a pretty pile of watches caught my eye. I had always thought watches were pretentious. Or perhaps I was just allergic to the idea of being on time. But at that moment everything changed. I wanted a watch. But it would have been very hypocritical of me to purchase a watch. Only people who had their life together wore watches and I just was not at that point. Have you ever seen a hot mess stop to put her watch on? However, a summer back at home in the suburbs forced me to normal up because, well, it’s the suburbs and you get looked at funny if your grass is uncut much less if you walk around like the weird son-of-a-bitch you are. It’s a very soul-crushing place, the suburbs, despite it being a great privilege to grow up in. So upon returning to Chicago I set out to be the type of person who wore a watch—the type of person who people meet and think, “Wow, what a
gal and what a watch she has on. That is a person who really has all of their screws in nice and tight.” I am doing very well, really, having collected most of my bad habits and swatted them away like a swarm of red ants. But occasionally, I still can’t help getting lost in a swirl of ideas that must all be put into action immediately. Not an hour goes by when I don’t think of a new business plan, way to change the world, recipe for dinner, or destination to travel to. I love weekends that start on Thursday night and end Sunday morning. I despise downtime and boredom and lethargy. I get much too caught up in excitement and emerge from predicaments with lost items, enemies, and physical injuries. I cannot always be wearing a watch because running around manically is just part of who I am. It is my strange self, it is something I can tone down but not rid myself of completely. There is room for both the reliable and rambunctious self in matters of personhood and beyond.
But it would have been very hypocritical of me to purchase a watch. Only people who had their life together wore watches and I just was not at that point. BROAD
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Both sides of the spectrum achieve something unique and are necessary for success. It is in the in-between of these two extremes where perfect communication exists.
books and academic reports about feminism. How wonderful it is for the average person to be capable of influencing an infinite number of people without censorship because of Facebook, Twitter, and the #feminism movement. There are some things that just can’t be said through academic writing or news articles. Take this recent twitter post for example. WHERE ARE ALL THE MALE CELEBRITY NUDES #feminsim #equality Through this method of communication, it is possible to see feminism as more than just a wave, or a time in history, or old women wearing Birkenstocks but rather a personal issue afflicting all sorts of women on a global scale. With the watch off, #feminism is made possible and allows many more people to relate and understand the movement towards gender equality.
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Social media offers an opportunity for feminists to take off their watches and allow their true perspectives to show. Such a platform eliminates the need for the formality that stifles true feelings in
#feminisms BROAD Voice, BROAD Communities Natalie Madsen
Everyday Media Activism I am so fortunate to have grown up in a household with 6 females in it. My dad was the only male in our home with my mom, my two sisters, me, and our two female dogs. It wasn’t until I took a Women’s Studies course that I realized the many gender-related issues that exist in our society. By only growing up with girls, I only saw how girls were typically brought up, what they were taught, and what expectations they were held to. I am now 19 years old and realize the varying differences between men and women in society’s standards. A large difference exists in how gender is portrayed, especially in the media. The topic of body image and women’s portrayal in the media really hit home to me with all of the women I have in my life. I realize how many of my friends and family are susceptible to the media’s images on a daily basis. I decided to do a personal project to promote the positive imagery of women in the media. This topic means a lot to me because I care about so many people in my life, both men and women, who are affected by the media in a negative way. A quote that I love and really fits this theme comes from the film Miss Representation that states, “You can’t be what you can’t see.” This quote can go deeper than solely referring to im-
posed gender ideas and roles. When women look at other advertisements in magazines, they only see women with the same body type. They look at images that have had large amounts of money put into them to be photo-shopped until the point of “perfection.” Women who look at these magazines will unconsciously compare themselves to the only thing see. By not seeing women like themselves being featured, they will constantly want to strive to look like the very un-real image that exist in nearly all magazines. I have witnessed first-hand what the media can do to women by the comments my friends make about themselves. It is extremely rare to ever hear one of them talk about themselves in a positive way. I hear them talk negatively about the size of their legs, their facial features, their skin tone, etc. I now know how terrible it is for them to think that. This idea is affecting the men in my life just as much as the women. I know my heterosexual male friends judge women more tightly based on what they see in the media. It doesn’t allow them much room to decide what they would want to look for in a woman when they are constantly being told something different by the media. I really need to encourage the idea that we need to take away the media’s power on our lives. By do-
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ing that, I believe every person’s self esteem will significantly increase. There are many people who do not have adequate knowledge on media literacy. Before I took that Women’s Studies course, I was one of those people. There is much to still be learned on the topic, but I feel I am well informed enough to spread the knowledge. Although it made a difference telling my friends and family about what I had learned, it was not enough to reach people that I did not know. I needed to do something more. There are various media sources that women are being objectified through, but I decided to focus solely on magazines. A large part of my project that I wanted to be sure I maintained throughout the process was to keep all ideas positive. I began by gathering several index cards. On each index card I wrote a hand written message that would be placed inside different magazines on pages and advertisements that were either offensive, objectified women, or were clearly photo-shopped. I wanted to be sure to include messages in both men’s and women’s magazines. To begin my project I went to Walgreens and bought one popular woman’s magazine and one popular men’s magazine to get a general idea of the types of advertisements that each one consisted of.
After getting the magazines it was time to begin writing the messages on the index cards. I was sure to make them handwritten so they were not easily mistaken for an advertisement. I felt people would be more likely to read a handwritten note. I wrote positive messages for both men’s and women’s magazines. Examples of messages I wrote in women’s magazines include, “You are worth more than a made-up face. You are more powerful than the media’s images” and, “These photos have been photo-shopped. Love yourself as you are. You are more powerful than the media’s images.” Photo #1 shows and example of a card I put into a woman’s magazine. An example of a message I put into men’s magazines is, “Don’t diminish us into an object used for advertisements. Re-think the media.” I signed every message put into the men’s magazines as, “Sincerely, the women in your life.” Although people shouldn’t have to relate certain scenarios to their own loved ones
While I was at Target there was a girl, probably around 13 years old, who was looking for a magazine next to me. I saw her flip through them as she looked for which one she wanted to buy. I hope my messages can reach to another girl like
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If nothing else came about from my doings, I just really wanted awareness to be raised by who ever came across the messages. Many people don’t understand the influence the media has on our subconscious minds. Women’s magazines rarely promote the idea of empowering women, where multiple men’s magazines are focus solely on that empowering men. I hope by really emphasizing the importance of each woman’s power through my messages, the reader will realize that there really is more than just appearance.
Women’s magazines rarely promote the idea of empowering women, where multiple men’s magazines are focus solely on that empowering men. srotidE + ofnI DAORB
I tried to put messages in a wide variety of men’s magazines as well. It was so interesting to see the differences in the magazines once I was there flipping through them. No matter what type of men’s magazine it was, I had no trouble at all finding pages where women were being sexualized or objectified. Photo #3 was taken out of a men’s health magazine where somehow sexualizing women fit into it the theme. I was not able to place any messages in magazines that were sealed, like Playboy, but I would have if I was allowed.
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Once the messages were complete, I took them to two different stores to be put in magazines. I first went to Walgreens. I was able to subtly put a few messages in various magazines. However, they were only placed right by the checkout so it was harder than I anticipated. I then went to target where it was much easier to place cards in the magazines and take pictures doing it. Photo #2 shows an example of a magazine I placed a card into. I tried to choose various types of magazines to put the messages in so a wide range of readers would see them. I wanted to get the point across to women and girls of all ages. I tried to keep the messages friendly by drawing hearts and smiley faces on a few of them. On the bottom of a few of the index cards I wrote, “If you are looking for more information on the topic, watch the film Miss Representation.”
her. They will hopefully be there for people to realize that someone cares, and both men and women don’t have to follow those ideals set up by the media. Something great that would come from doing this would be if whoever came across a message decided to pass it on and write his or her own messages to place in other magazines. I have high hopes that it will impact people in a positive way. I want my dad and mom, my sisters, my friends, and every other men and women in the world to be aware of the media. By doing so, people will be happier.
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to care about an issue, I still decided to sign the cards that way in hope it would help this case.
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just words? just speeches? Andrea Gibson, Poet
I don’t believe we’re hateful. I think mostly we’re just asleep, but the math adds up the same.
So before you point the blame, make a list of everything on this earth that you want to change and at the top, print your own beautiful name and start from there. Build revolutions inside here,
See: I could spend my whole life pointing at the poison of the conservative, republican, Christian right. Or I could look at myself and see the most homophobic person I’ve ever known was me at 19 years old.
inside your own pounding heart and that alone could start the evolution of the entire human race.”
I could write books about the way I have sold my soul. Fill whole libraries with just my crimes
And then there are the times I wanna be with you forever. And follow you forever wherever you go. If only for that freckle in the middle of your belly that’s just like mine or the time you corrected me for saying man instead of human kind. I can’t believe I did that.
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But on your bad days couldn’t you just say “hey I’m having a bad day,” instead of telling me I’m stupid or poor, or telling me I dress like a boy ‘cause maybe I am a boy and a girl maybe my name is Andrea Andrew. So what?
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just words? just speeches? Mindy Kaling, Actor
“Here’s my feeling: For everyone, men and women, it’s important to be a feminist. It’s important to have female characters. It’s wonderful for women to mentor other women, but it’s just as important for women to mentor men and vice-versa.”
“Like most women, I dress for other women.”
“I am slightly offended by the way busy working women my age are presented in film…Having a challenging job in movies means the compassionate, warm, or sexy side of your brain has fallen out.”
“Don’t let people put you in a pageant you never wanted to be in.”
“I fall into that nebulous, quoteunquote, normal American woman size that legions of fashion stylists detest. For the record, I’m a size 8 -this week, anyway. Many stylists hate that size because I think to them, it shows that I lack the discipline to be an ascetic; or the confident, sassy abandon to be a total fatty hedonist.”
bookmark here find your next social justice text here BROAD Readers
First Sentence:
Released: 1978
Genre:
, Essays
Feminism, Myth
“VOILE, WELUM used in the distinction between femaile clothing and the male toga.”
otes: Notable Qu of as witch-
be thought ate “Women can power to cre e th g in v a be h like in ity that could c a p a c a s, g ystery.” living bein art of their m p e b to t h g thou s ill and being seen a r e h f o d a e nction”Inst er body, or fu h f o se u a c e weak b f the pain tic because o is h c so a m y regall meaning of p is th s, re u d e she en transforms th th ir b d il h c ” nancy and of femininity. g in n a e m le possib Tearing the Veil is a compilation of essays about women, by women, which audit the construction of femininity as it exists in a patriarchal culture. The essays within display that human attributes commonly accepted as ‘feminine’ are simply sociological constructs within a male dominated society. We take this patriarchal order as an organization of truth, as well as affecting our concept of power and dominance relations, which penetrates our attitude towards women at a clear conscious level and pervades into perhaps an even more dangerous subconscious level. The typology of the customs, stereotypes, and arguments explored in these essays pertain to the manner in which women are constructed and limited by the pervasive and powerful patriarchy. The essays divide women into five socially constructed types- The Mother, the Witch, the Whore, the Pure Woman, the Amazon and the Free Woman, which are widely considered as the types of women that reclaim their power. These women challenge the not-so-inherent, stereotypical feminine identity of weakness and passivity.
dation: Recommenresenting the possibilities
at p rtunately es a fine job d, but is unfo ement rl o w The book do r u o in r a woman minist mov that exist fo use in the fe c ti a m se studyg ra p for urce for tho so re t a a little dated re g a ent. However, is inist movem m fe e th f o nowadays. ry ss and histo ing the proce
Acclaim:
addressed mininity … e F n o s y a ss l society Veil: E a patriarcha in y “Tearing the it in in m vided a tion of fe scriptive, pro re p t the construc a h w e analythough som art in a more t is in m … which alt fe ly g shifts are rare r approachin fo m ig rk o d w ra e a p m , a ty fr ali exciting, cal way. In re ve text to be o b a ical and criti e th d n ich] other ile I fou ideas, [to wh g smooth; wh in g n e ll a h ew and c ile.” presenting n initially host re e urnal, w rs e d a re irts Online Jo k ts u O s, m a -Jude Ad stralia f Western Au University o
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Overview:
Ex Bibliothecis From Loyola’s Libraries to you Jane P. Currie
Unlimited Access to
Online Edition Loyola students, faculty, and staff now have the ability to access unlimited articles and features at The New York Times website through its Group Pass program. Today’s content is available, as are articles dating back to 1980. Rather than purchase your own subscription, enable your e-mail address in Group Pass. Content will be available to you from any location, on campus or off, on a computer or a smartphone. Simply create your account using a computer on the campus network and then begin reading from anywhere. To get started, visit our instructions page. Your questions are always welcome. Contact me at jcurrie@luc.edu or visit our Ask a Librarian page for more options. URLs for the links above: http://libraries.luc.edu/nytimes-instructions http://libraries.luc.edu/ask
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BROAD September 2014
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I was 18 and living in a situation that I had been subliminally taught (through music, tv, and the adults that surrounded be) that skinny is beautiful and makes men want you and that’s what you’re supposed to want for yourself. And then I looked into feminism more because the way it was first introduced to me was a reversal of power. I heard concepts of it throughout high school. At first I thought it was crazy girls who hate guys. Then freshmen year I took a course and learned it’s not just women’s rights- it’s everyone’s rights.
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words are useless sometimes words aren’t enough Stella Steel
Feminism Isn't Dead II
Artist:
Stella Steel
words are useless sometimes words aren’t enough B. Schuman, No Rush Imagery
Pinkie Rights
As I watched the news broadcast of the 2012 presidential election, I was outraged by all the male-centered reporting on controlling the rights of the female body. All I could think of was why the coverage was so focused on what a woman could and could not do with her body. Every station on the TV ran the exact same disturbing message and it moved me to express myself on canvas. Minutes later, “Pinkie Rights” was birthed! I chose this name because my painting wasn’t just about the presidential election; I wanted to bring awareness to the rights of women in general. I created a visually stimulating expressionist painting that shines light on femininity and the essence of She.
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Description:
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Contributor Guidelines How to be BROAD BROAD Team
principles: i) Feminist Consciousness:
(a) recognizes all voices and experiences as important, and not in a hierarchical form. (b) takes responsibility for the self and does not assume false objectivity. (c) is not absolutist or detached, but rather, is more inclusive and sensitive to others.
ii) Accessibility:
(a) means utilizing accessible language, theory, knowledge, and structure in your writing. (b) maintains a connection with your diverse audience by not using unfamiliar/obscure words, overly long sentences, or abstraction. (c) does not assume a specific audience, for example, white 20-year-old college students.
iii) Jesuit Social Justice Education & Effort:
(a) promotes justice in openhanded and generous ways to ensure freedom of inquiry, the pursuit of truth and care for others. (b) is made possible through value-based leadership that ensures a consistent focus on personal integrity, ethical behavior, and the appropriate balance between justice and fairness. (c) focuses on global awareness by demonstrating an understanding that the world’s people and societies are interrelated and interdependent.
expectations & specifics: • You may request to identify yourself by name, alias, or as “anonymous” for publication in the digest. For reasons of accountability, the staff must know who you are, first and last name plus email address. • We promote accountability of our contributors, and prefer your real name and your preferred title (i.e., Maruka Hernandez, CTA Operations Director, 34 years old, mother of 4; or J. Curtis Main, Loyola graduate student in WSGS, white, 27 years old), but understand, in terms of safety, privacy, and controversy, if you desire limitations. We are happy to publish imagery of you along with your submission, at our discretion. • We gladly accept submission of varying length- from a quick comment to several pages. Comments may be reserved for a special “feedback” section. In order to process and include a submission for a particular issue, please send your submission at least two days prior to the desired publication date. • Please include a short statement of context when submitting imagery, audio, and video. • We appreciate various styles of scholarship; the best work reveals thoughtfulness, insight, and fresh perspectives. • Such submissions should be clear, concise, and impactful. We aim to be socially conscious and inclusive of various cultures, identities, opinions, and lifestyles. • As a product of the support and resources of Loyola University and its Women Studies and Gender Studies department, all contributors must be respectful of the origin of the magazine; this can be accomplished in part by ensuring that each article is part of an open discourse rather than an exclusive manifesto. • All articles must have some clear connection to the mission of the magazine. It may be helpful to provide a sentence or two describing how your article fits into the magazine as a whole. • The writing must be the original work of the author and may be personal, theoretical, or a combination of the two. When quoting or using the ideas of others, it must be properly quoted and annotated. Please fact-check your work and double-check any quotes, allusions and references. When referencing members of Loyola and the surrounding community, an effort should be made to allow each person to review the section of the article that involves them to allow for fairness and accuracy. • Gratuitous use of expletives and other inflammatory or degrading words and imagery may be censored if it does not fit with the overall message of the article or magazine. We do not wish to edit content, but if we feel we must insist on changes other than fixing typos and grammar, we will do so with the intent that it does not compromise the author’s original message. If no compromise can be made, the editor reserves the right not to publish an article. • All articles are assumed to be the opinion of the contributor and not necessarily a reflection of the views of Loyola University Chicago.
We very much look forward to your submissions and your contribution to our overall mission. Please send your submissions with a title and short bio to Broad People through broad.luc@gmail.com.