BROAD Issue 83 #feminisms/media

SEPTEMBER 2015 | ISSUE 83

BROAD

#FEMINISMS ON MEDIA

COVER ART: NICK GENTRY

BROAD 2015-2016 THEMES

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER

MEDIA A-SEXUALITY

NOVEMBER

FOOD

DECEMBER

CONSUMERISM

JANUARY

MENTAL HEALTH

FEBRUARY

LIVING IN COLOR

MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE

THE ISSUE ENVIRONMENT EDUCATION POLITICS

MISSION

MOVEMENT

BROAD media is an alternative media source founded on the principle that no experience or identity is illegitimate. We aim to embrace all identities, empower all stories, and engage people of all beliefs in constructive dialogue about the topics that really matter. Unlike mainstream media, BROAD does not censor or limit the kinds of expression it publishes. Instead, we seek to bring marginalized voices from the margins to the front and center of our media consumption.

BROAD is a place where people of all ages, races, genders, sexualities, citizenships, abilities, classes, and faiths can find their experience not only represented, but celebrated. Join our digital media movement erasing the margins and placing them inside a broadened spectrum of published expression.

OURSTORY

BROAD media is an alternative media source founded on the principle that no experience or identity is illegitimate. We aim to embrace all identities, empower all stories, and engage people of all beliefs in constructive dialogue about the topics that really matter. Unlike mainstream media, BROAD does not censor or limit the kinds of expression it publishes. Instead, we seek to bring marginalized voices from the margins to the front and center of our media consumption.

BROAD is a place where people of all ages, races, genders, sexualities, citizenships, abilities, classes, and faiths can find their experience not only represented, but celebrated. Join our digital media movement erasing the margins and placing them inside a broadened spectrum of published expression.

YOURSTORY

BROAD media is a community of readers and contributors who span a BROAD spectrum of identity and experience. We are proud to be a platform where YOU can empower yourself and others by sharing your stories, opinions, videos, art, and poetry on the topics that really matter to YOU. Create your content, send it to mybroadmedia@gmail.com, and get published.

Be BROAD. Be you. This is yourstory.

September 2015 Issue 83: #feminisms/media

COLUMNS Letter from BROAD

A Transformative Experience Awaits

Mandy Keelor

Archives in Action

What is an archive and why should I care?

Nancy Freeman

Bite-Sized BROAD Fear Fiminisms No More

Lauren DeLapa

Home/Schooling I Don’t Watch Television But I Do Watch Twilight

In the (k)now

The Posts Heard ‘Round the World

Jessica B. Burstrem

Sylvia Bennett

Punctuation Marks Social Media, #SocialDiscourse?

C.M.

Sincerely Yours Dismantling Stereotypes

Brittany Reyes

Status Quo Combustion The “Arranged=Marriage” Ramifications

Lubna Baig

Word Power

Real Experience Through Imagination

Lucrezia Gaion

ARTICLES Kanye for President?

Mallory Mroz

The Comment Section Wars The Issuely Issue

Stephen Stewart

The Trump Campaign Dear TSM, You Suck Free the Nipple

Sylvia Bennett

Ashley Mizuo

Samantha Saliba

Daisy Urbieta

JUST ONE MORE EPISODE PATRICK ANDREW ADAMS aptrick.etsy.com

Squandered Life

text mess age.

SECTIONS bookmark here

Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury

words are useless

Squandered Life Fahrudin Omerovic Social Filter Brent Schreiber Just One More Episode Patrick Andrew Adams iSon Of A Man Joelle Weiss text mess age. Hilary Walle-Jensen The Medium Is The Message Joel Monea The Misunderstood Feminist Regina Hawkins Brandan Robertson David Hayward Digital Montage Number 10 Nick Gentry

message me

quote corner

Noam Chomsky, Philosopher Activist Marissa Mayer, Yahoo CEO Janet Mock, Trans Activist

broadside

What Mr. Media Teaches Conor Kirwan The Beauty of Illiteracy Jackson Santy Facebook Trans-fixion Jared I’m The Thug Nick Courmon

(not) buying it

ANAR Foundation: “Only for Children” NYC Teen Pregnancy Prevention Ad

Are issues portrayed accurately in media?

Can James Bond be Black?

How does media empower you?

tell-a-vision

liberation leaders

screen/play

who to follow

WLA (re)Animated

Jon Stewart

People to follow

search this media

Always #LikeAGirl Carl’s Jr. Commercial Starring Kate Upton

Ageless, Documentary

ADAPT

BROAD ARMY

J. Curtis Main Founder, Adivsor

Brittany Reyes Magazine Editor-in-Chief

Hannah Speights Goheen Communications Director

Connor Tomaka Website Content Editor, Chicago Correspondant

Ali McAvoy Twitter Manager, Magazine Section Editor

Riley Vance Magazine Art & Poetry Curator, Spring Ireland Correspondant

Mandy Keelor Senior Editor-in-Chief, Creative Director

Neha Simon Graphic Designer, Layout Editor

Jessica Burstrem Wesbite Director, Magazine Assessment Editor

Lauren DeLapa Tumblr Manager, Wesbite Copy Editor

Ceili Erickson Magazine Copy Editor

Daisy Urbieta Campus Publicity and Outreach Coordinator

Jena DiMaggio Website Content Editor

WANT MORE?

myBROADmedia.com

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*** These are kids’ dolls... ***

SEXUALITY A

Letter from BROAD

A Tranformative Experience Awaits Mandy Keelor I’M IN DISBELIEF. This time last year I was in the midst of preparing my second issue with BROAD as magazine editor in chief - September 2014’s “#feminisms” issue. 160 pages of feminist media analysis later (a.k.a. my heart laid bare in the pages of a magazine) and I had one foot in the door.

when browsing our site or tuning into your daily media. Search by share the stories and opinions important to you.

Little did I know that one year later I would still be with BROAD, now as Senior Editor-in-Chief and Creative Director, but a person transformed from head to toe.

BROAD media is an alternative media movement founded on the principle that no experience or identity is illegitimate. We aim to embrace all identities, empower all stories, and engage people of all beliefs in constructive dialogue about the topics that really matter. Unlike mainstream media, BROAD does not censor or limit the kinds of expressions it publishes. Instead, we seek to bring marginalized voices to the front and center of our media engagement. BROAD media welcomes people of all ages, races, genders, sexualities, citizenships, abilities, classes, and faiths to find their experience not only represented, but validated and empowered.

Intersectionality is at the heart of BROAD media, where it is not shunned, split, nor squashed as in the mainstream. Join our BROAD digital media movement by celebrating all people through a broadened spectrum of published expressions.

In addition to my personal growth I’ve been fortunate enough to witness BROAD Magazine’s metamorphosis from a small university publication into BROAD media: an international digital media movement with engagement spanning 40+ countries around the globe in addition to our Chicagoland community roots.

On September 1st we launched mybroadmedia.com - BROAD’s first ever venture in the web sphere and our most exciting development yet. mybroadmedia.com was designed with you, our readers and BROAD media advocates, in mind. We hope you feel embraced, empowered, and engaged

Please take a moment to read our new mission statement:

Congratulations to BROAD media’s 2015-2016

magazine staff, Brittany, Ali, Ceili, and Neha, on their first publication of the year. You have stepped your foot into the door!

A transformative year awaits you.

To all of our readers and supporters who have been there from the start or are just joining us: a transformative experience awaits you as well.

All you need to do is go to mybroadmedia.com or turn this page.

Of course, no amount of thank you’s could ever be enough for BROAD media’s founder and advisor extraordinaire, Curtis Main.

5 years, 2000+ submissions, 500+ original artworks, and dozens of radically transformed lives later - you continue to change the world.

I can’t wait to see where our staff, readers, and contributors take BROAD media this year.

The world is our oyster?

Set the world on fire?

Be the change you want to see in the world?

Nah - Just be BROAD. Be you.

In BROAD solidarity.

Mandy Keelor Senior Editor in Chief

Little did I know that one year later I would still be with BROAD, now as Senior Editorin-Chief and Creative Director, but a person transformed from head to toe.

BROAD

HOW TO

READ

OUR COLORS red

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FONTS

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BROAD TITLES SECTIONS BODY TEXT CAPTIONS

Understanding Our Approach tell-a-vision

Message Me

SECTIONS

How accurately do you think issues like feminsim, racism, classism, religious tolerance, etc. are portrayed in the media?

Critiques, reviews, opinions, and information from your BROAD team in several mediums

Often enough for everyone to know there is something like that out there.

It exaggerates each one of these issues to spike viewer interest.

Journalists should show both sides of the issue and I think people know they empathize the side that will attract more viewers.

The minute I see more marginalized people like me in ads in magazines and on TV without their marginalization commented on, the media will be accurate and fair in my opinion. It needs to focus less on selling products and more on appreciating the people itís selling those products to.

I wish the media would have a more diverse outlook on certain issues, instead of taking the side they know will make them money.

Always #LikeAGirl A team of producers asks women to imitate various actions, but to do so ìlike a girlî.

Later, they bring in a set of younger girls and ask them the same questions. The advertisement highlights the contrast between how the older women respond to the questions, and how the young girls do.

• •

How do your emotions change while watching this commercial?

Even if you donít invest in the Always brand after watching this commercial, does this commercial still accomplish something that others don’t?

Columns

Bite-Sized BROAD

COLUMNS Our most passionate contributors share their stories, opinions, and experiences by intersecting each magazine theme with their lives

A Starter Before You Really Dig In

Fear Feminisms No More Lauren DeLapa So much has changed in the world of social media since my tween self was tucking a colored flip phone into my back pocket and I was baking in the glow of a mammoth Dell monitor while I secretly set up a MySpace account. (Don’t tell my parents, they still don’t know.) The explosion of the online world has been a breathtaking spectacle of flying blades chopping up this earth into byte-size pieces for the technology-hungry masses, and in the commotion of sizzle and flames we are transfixed.

While we have spent the past couple decades eating up social media, something equally delicious has been simmering for the past century or so: feminism.

The issue of women’s rights has been peppered with iconic scenes of stoic suffragettes gaining me the right to not vote for Trump, groovy gals waving their undergarments in defiant independence, and power-suited superwomen armed with shoulder pads and ambition able to break glass ceilings in a single bound! Right now, as you read this, social media and feminism are becoming a dynamic duo.

For some, the whole concept of feminism is a hard pill to swallow. They get choked up over stereotypes that make it difficult to see that feminism is a remedy

for a long list of social ills far beyond those that are labeled as women’s issues. Let’s mash up the bitter pill, stir it into some pudding, and put it this way: feminism = gender equality. See, that wasn’t so bad.

First, it has to be said; feminism is NOT about hating men. Really, it’s not. Feminism is not about burning bras (Unless that’s your thing, you do you!).

Feminism is not about women taking over the world, women destroying the fabric of society, or women tearing each other down through judgment and the arbitrary designation of positive and negative roles. Feminism is about rethinking the rules, releasing roles, and real respect that is represented authentically in the actions and attitudes of men, women and society as a whole. Feminism is about creating a lack of sexual discrimination and a lack of oppression.

For this reason, feminism is not just about empowering women, it is about empowering humanity. Equality is the main objective. Feminism is about seeing every person, regardless of gender, as an equally valued member of society, and making the voices of those silenced by gender, by class, or by orientation heard. Feminism fights for the child

Article | #Feminisms

Fun fact about me: my formal introduction to feminism was through social media.

Like most millennials, lots of my free time is spent diligently answering BuzzFeed quizzes and doubletapping my way through Instagram. Somewhere between the scrolling and swiping, I stumbled upon some serious social justice posts on my Tumblr dash. Tumblr, the love child of blogging and social networking, is known for witty text posts and GIFs galore, but it also stands as a platform for amazingly

Well-known performer Kanye West has a reputation for creating conflict, most commonly through his blatant rants, in which he fearlessly expresses his opinions. West does not hold back. And at this past VMAs, he did not disappoint.

Everyone remembers the infamous clash that took place between Kanye West and Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards: West stormed the stage, hijacking the country-pop star’s first VMA acceptance speech in order to state his opinion that another artist (Beyoncé) deserved the award. Kanye’s actions were not well received, resulting in anger from celebrities and fans alike.

ARTICLES Our BROAD communities contribute expression in many forms: stories, listacles, essays, cathartic 4 am epiphanies, and so on

brides of Ethiopia, male rape victims, and the people within the LGBT+ community. Feminism is broader and deeper than catchy pop girl power anthems or fighting to “allow” a feisty girl or two on the football team.

What does this all have to do with social media?

Everything! The debate, the fight, the anthem of feminism is on constant stream as a culture that revolves around its screens is sifting through the messages of the media, societal expectations, and the ability to be connected to both the mundane and the monumental moments of human history instantaneously and simultaneously. The cell phone is the new picket sign, and the world is affected and minds are changed by a simple hashtag.

Kanye for PRESIDENT? Mallory Mroz

KANYE WEST Photo by Rodrigo Ferrari

Since then, both artists were able to work it out and move past the incident. It all seemed to come full circle when Swift presented West with the Video Vanguard Award at the VMAs on August 31st, 2015.

insightful arguments for feminism and other social justice movements.

Yes, Twitter is the land of Kardashian feuds, Illuminati theorists, and incessant self-promotion and advertisement, and Tumblr is responsible for the misuse of the word “aesthetic” and a seemingly bottomless pit of teen angst. But, these apps, along with other forms of social media, are unparalleled in their ability to bring awareness to an issue. Never underestimate the power of awareness as a catalyst for significant change!

Social media and feminism are a force to reckoned with as they broaden people’s perspective on what it is to be a woman, what it is to be a man, and what it is to be a human. A hashtag has become a call to action and a trending topic can inform and unite communities for a cause. With a swipe and a tap, we can dissolve the fear of feminism, empower the powerless, and gain a true understanding of how gender inequalities are not shaped by external anatomy and internal chromosomes; they are shaped by the culture.

Kanye wraps up his rant with the announcement of his future plan for presidency.

Since delivering his speech, West seems to be getting positive feedback for his potential 2020 presidential bid. In an interview taken from Cosmo, Alec Baldwin states, “I think it’s fantastic. I think anybody participating in politics, running -- it’s too elitist now, too many elites.” Even Donald Trump, Republican presidential candidate, shows his support when he states, in an interview taken from Rolling Stone, “He’s a nice guy. I hope to run against him someday.” All in all, it seems as though people are responding well to this announcement.

Kanye certainly has the fan base for his campaign for president to be a success. The biggest issue moving forward would of course be convincing those in older generations.

Because he is a controversial musician, and is married into the even more controversial Kardashian clan, being taken seriously on a political level may prove a difficult feat for Kanye. Not only that, but he is inexperienced on a government level. His ideas on domestic/foreign policy as well as the economy are undeveloped, possibly making him a target for bribery and puppetry.

His ideas on domestic/ foreign policy as well as the economy are undeveloped, possibly making him a target for bribery and puppetry.

In true Kanye manner, his Vanguard acceptance speech proved to be anything but ordinary. Supplying the crowd with an 11-minute rant, West kicks off with a shout out to Taylor, then touches on the incident from the 2009 VMAs. He recognizes that the actions he took on that stage back in 2009 made his intentions unclear.

Explaining a few examples of backlash he received in Will he actually run for president? That we don’t his everyday life, Kanye states, “It crosses my mind a know. But knowing Kanye, it could very well be a little bit like when I go to a baseball game and 60,000 possibility. In the mean time, expect more rants and people boo me.” Eventually, Kanye proclaims that his more mic drops from this confident performer. outbreak on stage with Taylor was a protest for the voices of artists. West states, “I will die for the art! For Sources what I believe in. And the art ain’t always gonna be polite!” Throughout the speech it’s clear that West 1. Kaufman, Gil. “Here’s The Full Transcript Of Kanye’s Incredible VMA Vanguard Speech.” News. N.p., 31 Aug. Web. 06 Sept. 2015. has taken it upon himself to be a leader for this issue. 2.2015.

Fisher, Luchina. “Celebrities Sound Off About Kanye West For President.” ABC News. ABC News Network, 8 Sept. 2015. Web. 08 Sept. 2015.

West strongly believes that artists should have their own say and their own opinions when it comes to their craft, especially within award shows, where it seems as though the validation for their hard work comes in the form of votes. Ending with a bang,

Article | #feminisms

THE ISSUELY ISSUE Stephen Stewart

Hello everyone. I’m Stephen Stewart, professional professional. I’d like to talk about media- you know, those channels on the TV that convinces you that everything in the world is about to kill you. Since we’re not omnipotent beings who know what’s going on everywhere all the time, we rely on the media to give us news and information. Or at least, we rely on them to give us news alongside the latest rumblings of the One Direction break up (Babies, please don’t go~).

Ideally, the media gives us the news in an unbiased, neutral manner. When they report on a news story, they’ll give us nothing but the facts, and take no sides on whatever issue is being discussed. Basically, you want the media to be the mutual friend when a couple breaks up: ideally, they’ll be for both sides.

But just like that mutual friend, the media will, more than likely, take a side.

This could be very bad.

Without getting its facts straight, the media can stir a fervor that’ll take a long time to calm down. Certain sides of the story can be omitted, and before you know it, media has convinced you to spy on your ex, who’s making out with some girl in his stupid old pickup truck he never let you drive. Or, you know, invade a country.

their mother did Ice Bucket challenges and posted those to Facebook, all en route to raising millions of dollars for ALS research. Yeah, most people probably didn’t know about that whole “donate for research” part, and some would say that people who did the Ice Bucket Challenge are like those kids who got a “Best Sportsmanship” award from their junior league coach (it’s the thought that counts!), but they still did their part and helped raise awareness.

And if you’re thinking “Well Stevie, that’s all fine and good, but there’s still so much shit in the world,” let me tell you this: First, yes, I can read your mind, you should probably wear tin foil on your head; and Second: I’m not saying that the media is a problem solver. I’m saying that it’s a bullshit-detector. Just like how you can’t expect that mutual friend to take sides when Carl and Caty meet up in a year, accidentally, at a party and start acting like three year olds, you can’t expect the media to tell you how to fix what’s wrong with the world.

Granted, they’ll tell you how to avoid dying after waking up in the morning, but they don’t have the easy answer for world peace. But they shouldn’t have to, anyway: like I said, media is a bullshitdetector. Perhaps sometimes unwittingly, but overall there to do their job: show you what’s going on in the world. And from there, it’s your job to do something about it.

Media, in any form, can be counted on to be a force for good by illustrating what’s wrong with the world.

But the media can be such a good thing too. The media can open the eyes of the general public to an issue in an isolated setting, paving the way for conversations on larger injustices. Yes, they may be there for a different reason, but they still bring up the conversation at some point. And traditional media, aka those channels that want to convince you that everything is about to kill you, isn’t the only way media can show us, perhaps sometimes unintentionally, what’s wrong with the world. Just go online- I’m sure that at some point, you’ll scroll past an article on Facebook that one of your friends posted about how broken our prison system is. Just look at Twitter, where #gamergate helped bring the issues of creative freedom and the gender disparities in video gaming to mainstream media… for about five seconds. Look at Instagram, where everyone and

Think of it this way: Jonathan Swift didn’t give a serious answer in his modest proposal, but he did highlight a lot of his contemporary bullshit.

Buzzfeed, when not making lists for the umpteenth time, can do the same thing. Media, in any form, can be counted on to be a force for good by illustrating what’s wrong with the world. Just remember that, like that mutual friend, it also has the potential to be flawed. Look to media to detect bullshit- just don’t forget that the media can be bullshit too, sometimes.

quote corner The media are a corporate monopoly.

They have the same point of view. The two parties are two factions of the business party.

We should not underestimate the capacity of well-run propaganda systems to drive people to irrational, murderous, and suicidal behavior.

Hundreds of billions of dollars are spent every year to control the public mind.

The point of public relations slogans like “Support our troops” is that they don’t mean anything. That’s the whole point of good propaganda. You want to create a slogan that nobody’s going to be against, and everybody’s going to be for. Nobody knows what it means, because it doesn’t mean anything.

Pick the topic you like: the Middle East, international terrorism, Central America, whatever it is – the picture of the world that’s presented to the public has only the remotest relation to reality. The truth of the matter is buried under edifice after edifice of lies upon lies.

The media have two basic functions.

One is to indoctrinate the elites, to make sure they have the right ideas and know how to serve power. For them you have the New York Times, and the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, and so on. But there’s also a mass media, whose main function is just to get rid of the rest of the population – to marginalize and eliminate them, so they don’t interfere with decision-making. And the press that’s designed for that purpose isn’t the New York Times and the Washington Post, it’s sitcoms on television, and the National Enquirer, and sex and violence, and babies with three heads, and football, all that kind of stuff.

NOAM CHOMSKY

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FAHRENHEIT 415 RAY BRADBURY Released: 1953 Genre: Dystopian Fiction

“It was a pleasure to burn.”

Overview In a world where books are banned and censorship is the new fad, Guy Montag must decide whether he wants to blindly abide by the laws put in place by the powerful, or to see the world with his own two eyes. As his independent beliefs alienate him from his profession, his wife, and his government, Montag uses books to reclaim his humanity and rebel against the media, despite the pitfalls and mistakes he makes along the way. The media in Fahrenheit 451 is a force which desensitizes and destroys those who are caught in its trap, yet the willingness to defy it could draw the line between life, and death.

BROAD Tumbs Up? Fahrenheit 451 serves as a testament to standing up against fraught governing systems. Guy Montag proves that it is indeed possible to break from the media’s mold and think for oneself. Taking a man who was once so caught in society’s web of censorship and burning books and illustrating his transformation into an independent, free-thinking individual encourages readers that they, too, can

stand apart from manipulative governing bodies and survive. Fahrenheit 451 preaches a message of questioning the world instead of remaining silent, to not be afraid to ask the tough questions instead of settling for esoteric answers. Not only does Bradbury indict media manipulation and systematic oppression of the masses, but Fahrenheit 451 also condemns technology in the name of printed literature, an outdated ideology for the year 2015.

Technology of all sorts seems to be admonished at every turn in this novel, when readers from the 21st century know that its benefits equal, if not outweigh, its pitfalls. Advances in medicine, communication, etc. could not have happened without technology, and we owe some of our most beneficial advertisements to technology rather than literature.

As nonconformist and self-liberating as Fahrenheit 451 is, it also has its technophobic and obsolete moments as well.

liberation leaders

JON STEWART Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz was born on November 28, 1962 in New York City. As a child, he endured anti-Semitic bullying for his Jewish heritage which strengthened his appreciation for equality and justice. After growing up in the '60s and '70s, Stewart has cited the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal as also serving as inspirations for him to have a "healthy skepticism towards official reports."

He graduated from The College of William & Mary in 1984 and spent much of his time as a stand-up comic before landing his first talk show, The Jon Stewart Show, which aired on MTV. He mainly interviewed celebrities and pop culture icons, while also bringing awareness to news and cultural issues of the time. The show was MTV’s second highest rated, right behind Beavis and Butthead.

In 1999, a couple years after the Jon Stewart Show ended, Stewart launched his most renown television broadcast to date - The Daily Show. Taking a different direction from his talk show, Stewart focused mainly on discussing top news stories, mostly dealing with politics and the media, adding his trademark razor sharp humor unlike any other news show at the time. While typical news media like CNN and Fox used their shows to promote one-sided viewpoints, Stewart's main goal for his show was to make his

audience laugh. Typical segments of his broadcast poked fun at flimsy news sources and analyzed their prejudices. Stewart's other goal was to bring world news to the younger generations, in a way that could be funny and informative at the same time. The Daily Show ended in 2015.

Stewart has written several humorous and informative books, including Naked Pictures of Famous People, a collection of short stories; America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction, a fictional high school history book explaining America’s history through a satirical yet insightful lens; and Earth (The Book): A Visitor’s Guide to the Human Race. In 2014, he hired temporary hosts for The Daily Show to fill in for him while he traveled to Iran to direct his first film called Rosewater, based off the novel Then They Came for Me by Maziar Bahari and Aimee Molloy. Stewart was inspired by the Iranian media’s persecution of Maziar Bahari who reported on protestors of Iran’s presidential election.

Stewart is an advocate for veterans rights as well as 9/11 first responders. He has received many awards, including two Peabody Awards, one Grammy for voicework, and the George Orwell Awawrd for Distinguished Contribution to Honesty and Clarity in Public Language

tell-a-vision

Carl’s Junior Commercial Starring Kate Upton

As she pulls into the drive-in, Kate Upton pulls out a sandwich from Carlís Jr. and expresses her delight through various poses and body massages, attracting the attention of a nearby man on a date with his girlfriend.

• •

This advertisement received much attention after it aired. What do you think merited that publicity? Was it Kate Uptonís celebrity status? Her physique? The popularity of Carlís Jr.?

Does seeing this commercial make you want to go to Carlís Jr. restaurants? Why or why not?

Article | #Feminisms

Kanye for PRESIDENT? Mallory Mroz

KANYE WEST Photo by Rodrigo Ferrari

Well-known performer Kanye West has a reputation for creating conflict, most commonly through his blatant rants, in which he fearlessly expresses his opinions. West does not hold back. And at this past VMAs, he did not disappoint.

Everyone remembers the infamous clash that took place between Kanye West and Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards: West stormed the stage, hijacking the country-pop star’s first VMA acceptance speech in order to state his opinion that another artist (Beyoncé) deserved the award. Kanye’s actions were not well received, resulting in anger from celebrities and fans alike.

Kanye wraps up his rant with the announcement of his future plan for presidency.

Since delivering his speech, West seems to be getting positive feedback for his potential 2020 presidential bid. In an interview taken from Cosmo, Alec Baldwin states, “I think it’s fantastic. I think anybody participating in politics, running -- it’s too elitist now, too many elites.” Even Donald Trump, Republican presidential candidate, shows his support when he states, in an interview taken from Rolling Stone, “He’s a nice guy. I hope to run against him someday.” All in all, it seems as though people are responding well to this announcement.

Kanye certainly has the fan base for his campaign Since then, both artists were able to work it out for president to be a success. The biggest issue and move past moving forward the incident. It all would of course be seemed to come convincing those in full circle when older generations.

Swift presented Because he is West with the a controversial Video Vanguard musician, and Award at the VMAs is married into on August 31st, the even more 2015. controversial Kardashian clan, In true Kanye being taken manner, his seriously on a Vanguard political level may acceptance speech prove a difficult proved to be feat for Kanye. Not anything but ordinary. Supplying the crowd with an only that, but he is inexperienced on a government 11-minute rant, West kicks off with a shout out to level. His ideas on domestic/foreign policy as well as Taylor, then touches on the incident from the 2009 the economy are undeveloped, possibly making him VMAs. He recognizes that the actions he took on a target for bribery and puppetry. that stage back in 2009 made his intentions unclear.

Explaining a few examples of backlash he received in Will he actually run for president? That we don’t his everyday life, Kanye states, “It crosses my mind a know. But knowing Kanye, it could very well be a little bit like when I go to a baseball game and 60,000 possibility. In the mean time, expect more rants and people boo me.” Eventually, Kanye proclaims that his more mic drops from this confident performer. outbreak on stage with Taylor was a protest for the voices of artists. West states, “I will die for the art! For Sources what I believe in. And the art ain’t always gonna be polite!” Throughout the speech it’s clear that West 1. Kaufman, Gil. “Here’s The Full Transcript Of Kanye’s Incredible VMA Vanguard Speech.” News. N.p., 31 Aug. Web. 06 Sept. 2015. has taken it upon himself to be a leader for this issue. 2015.

2. Fisher, Luchina. “Celebrities Sound Off About Kanye West For President.” ABC News. ABC News Network, 8 Sept. 2015. Web. 08 Sept. 2015.

West strongly believes that artists should have their own say and their own opinions when it comes to their craft, especially within award shows, where it seems as though the validation for their hard work comes in the form of votes. Ending with a bang,

His ideas on domestic/ foreign policy as well as the economy are undeveloped, possibly making him a target for bribery and puppetry.

(not) buying it

NYC Human Resources Adimistation Ad: Teen Pregnancy Prevention

To reduce the rate of teen pregnancy in New York City, posters depicting a crying baby complaining of his ill-fated future due to the choices his mother made as a teenager are plastered across various NYC subway terminals.

• What impact does the baby’s face have on you as a viewer of this advertisement?

• What makes this baby’s face different from the little boy’s face in the ANAR advertisement?

• Does this advertisement change your opinion of teen pregnancy? Why or why not?

words are useless

THE MISUNDERSTOOD FEMINIST REGINA HAWKINS thelovelyugly.etsy.com

Article | #Feminisms

THE COMMENT SECTION WARS How to fend off the haters and trolls without becoming one

Sylvia Bennett Yesterday, I had the extreme displeasure of watching a truly disgusting video by a “comedian,” entitled, “Dear Fat People.” If you’ve seen it, what a nightmare, right? If you haven’t, I would not recommend it. I’m also noting that it contains MANY triggers related to body-shaming, so please be careful. Besides being deeply heinous in terms of fat-shaming, the four minute-long tantrum managed to squeeze in subtle homophobia, ingrained sexism, and patronizing racism, besides using so many tired stereotypes I nearly dislodged my eyeballs from rolling them so much. Like so much hate, so little time.

But the crux of this article lies in the wave of responding comments and videos. Some, like

those of Whitney Way Thore and Grace Helbig, were able to succinctly describe some of the many issues with the original video while still refraining from personal attacks against the “comedian.”

Unfortunately, more often that not, the response against the original body-shaming content were equally or nearly as cruel and demeaning. There were slurs thrown about, hateful exclamations of disgust and outrage that bordered on bullying, and a general mean-spiritedness that in its vitriolic outburst missed discussing the much deeper issues that lay within the topic of body-shaming and body politics in the U.S.

Now, I understand how unbelievably awful the video was. Believe me, I had to watch it like three

times. By the end, the hell-fire of social justice rage was very strong with this one. But in trying to cultivate an effective response to the offensive original content, I stumbled upon the fine line between expressing my anger and frustration and becoming just as much of a bully as the original “comedian.”

At the core of this edition of “How to Respond to Haters, 101,” is education. And oh, baby, if it isn’t so exhausting. I’m tired of having to educate ignorant peasants to CHECK THEIR PRIVILEGE, to look beyond their own realities, to utilize the skills they could have gained from watching a few episodes of Sesame Street or Mr. Rogers.

But while I’m sick to death of dealing with the utter ignorance some people seem to actively cultivate, waiting for them to spontaneously grow some extra-personal compassion isn’t really an option. So here’s my guide on how to politely inform someone of their butthead status whilst hopefully improving the chances of their recovery from said status of ignorance.

Step One

Step one: be chill. Be angry, be filled with righteous indignation, be assertive, but be the mountain from the Mulan analogy. Paraphrased, the petty winds will howl, but the mountain’s shit remains intact. So, we take deep breaths and we walk around our rooms, muttering and gesturing wildly until we reach prime

Article | #Feminisms Super-Saiyan level of power, and then we start putting pen to paper on our response.

Step Two

flawed exteriors society condemns us to be. We write that ableism includes disregarding that possibility of invisible disabilities. We write that the body politics of the U.S. involve much more than eating too much junk food and not going to the gym. That childhood obesity is a social, emotional, political, and economic issue.

People from lower socio-economic strata and populations with increased food-insecurity are more vulnerable to obesity. These factors are also affected by race, gender, and education. We talk about how psychological and emotional issues are related to bodily health, like the increased rates of obesity amongst victims of sexual abuse, those with a history of mental health diagnosis, and women from minority sexual orientations.

Step two: be informative. Nine times out of ten, whatever fool comment we’re addressing has come from a place of unrecognized privilege and ignorance. The white, conventionally attractive, and seemingly successful “comedian” of the original video has assumedly never dealt with the anguish of loathing an uncontrollable aspect of their body simply because society deemed it wrong. BUT WAIT, we’ve just assumed something based on superficial observations. Which is a big part of what was so terribly wrong with the original video.

Thus, sub-step A: ASSUME NOTHING. Like Whitney Thore states, one’s health, Step Three physical, mental, or Step three: be otherwise, cannot be constructive. Anger The veil of anonymity behind gleaned from one’s can be constructive, if a computer screen renders all appearance. This we harness it towards is even more so in a positive end. To disadvantages invisible. social media, when this point, we’ve the veil of anonymity been informative behind a computer using non-offensive screen renders all language; we’ve not disadvantages invisible. assumed unknown privileges. And to bring it home,

we need to contribute to maintaining this type of Additionally, sub-step B: WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE. communication. We need to listen to EVERYONECalling the “comedian” a “b**ch” or a “dumb wh*re”, people who use incorrect grammar, people who which happened alarmingly often in the comments, speak English as a second language, people who doesn’t resolve the problem, it compounds it. don’t know all the academic terminology but still Resorting to slurs and stereotypes negates your have valid opinions. We need to stand our ground as social justice/feminist argument. If you aren’t collected and not fall back on the pettiness of nametreating someone with the base respect allotted calling. While the “comedian” of the original video to all human beings, you are being unjust, 100%, was incredibly ignorant and demeaning, we don’t no buts or exceptions. The master’s tolls cannot have to be. So speak with poise, and speak with effectively dismantle the master’s house, so power. ignorance and hate needs to be combatted with inclusive education and the continual application of Sources justice.

Whitney Way Thore’s response: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2YYZBrPwwU When we address the original video, we write about body dysmorphia as a widespread disease fueled by harmful societal expectations. We write about body positivity as including ALL bodies, not just the ones we deem “attractive,” because we are more than the

Grace Helbig’s response: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1VUrOxRUsE Study on low-income/food-insecurity and obesity: http://frac.org/initiatives/hunger-and-obesity/why-arelow-income-and-food-insecure-people-vulnerable-to-obesity/ Study on obesity and sexual abuse and sexual orientation: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC2941402/

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Can James Bond be black?

Well, the producer call Idris Elba too “street.” But he’s British! And pretty suave. He could do it.

I read in an interview that the Spider-Man creator specified that the actor portraying Spider-Man must always be white and straight. Yes he can be black, but so many people associate him with being a pale, British actor, which they don’t associate with people of color.

Definitely. What’s ironic about this conversation is that so many black men in the US are idols for masculinity, whether in sports, suspense films, swag, or being a “ladies man.” So why would they not be an awesome James Bond?

That’s a good question. Could James Bond be a woman, or gay, or disabled? Is the world ready to celebrate idolizing someone who’s not the typical white, straight, able man?

HE BETTER BE SOON!

Columns

Bite-Sized BROAD

A Starter Before You Really Dig In

Fear Feminisms No More Lauren DeLapa So much has changed in the world of social media since my tween self was tucking a colored flip phone into my back pocket and I was baking in the glow of a mammoth Dell monitor while I secretly set up a MySpace account. (Don’t tell my parents, they still don’t know.) The explosion of the online world has been a breathtaking spectacle of flying blades chopping up this earth into byte-size pieces for the technology-hungry masses, and in the commotion of sizzle and flames we are transfixed.

While we have spent the past couple decades eating up social media, something equally delicious has been simmering for the past century or so: feminism.

The issue of women’s rights has been peppered with iconic scenes of stoic suffragettes gaining me the right to not vote for Trump, groovy gals waving their undergarments in defiant independence, and power-suited superwomen armed with shoulder pads and ambition able to break glass ceilings in a single bound! Right now, as you read this, social media and feminism are becoming a dynamic duo.

For some, the whole concept of feminism is a hard pill to swallow. They get choked up over stereotypes that make it difficult to see that feminism is a remedy

for a long list of social ills far beyond those that are labeled as women’s issues. Let’s mash up the bitter pill, stir it into some pudding, and put it this way: feminism = gender equality. See, that wasn’t so bad.

First, it has to be said; feminism is NOT about hating men. Really, it’s not. Feminism is not about burning bras (Unless that’s your thing, you do you!).

Feminism is not about women taking over the world, women destroying the fabric of society, or women tearing each other down through judgment and the arbitrary designation of positive and negative roles. Feminism is about rethinking the rules, releasing roles, and real respect that is represented authentically in the actions and attitudes of men, women and society as a whole. Feminism is about creating a lack of sexual discrimination and a lack of oppression.

For this reason, feminism is not just about empowering women, it is about empowering humanity. Equality is the main objective. Feminism is about seeing every person, regardless of gender, as an equally valued member of society, and making the voices of those silenced by gender, by class, or by orientation heard. Feminism fights for the child

brides of Ethiopia, male rape victims, and the people within the LGBT+ community. Feminism is broader and deeper than catchy pop girl power anthems or fighting to “allow” a feisty girl or two on the football team.

What does this all have to do with social media?

Everything! The debate, the fight, the anthem of feminism is on constant stream as a culture that revolves around its screens is sifting through the messages of the media, societal expectations, and the ability to be connected to both the mundane and the monumental moments of human history instantaneously and simultaneously. The cell phone is the new picket sign, and the world is affected and minds are changed by a simple hashtag.

Fun fact about me: my formal introduction to feminism was through social media.

Like most millennials, lots of my free time is spent diligently answering BuzzFeed quizzes and doubletapping my way through Instagram. Somewhere between the scrolling and swiping, I stumbled upon some serious social justice posts on my Tumblr dash. Tumblr, the love child of blogging and social networking, is known for witty text posts and GIFs galore, but it also stands as a platform for amazingly

insightful arguments for feminism and other social justice movements.

Yes, Twitter is the land of Kardashian feuds, Illuminati theorists, and incessant self-promotion and advertisement, and Tumblr is responsible for the misuse of the word “aesthetic” and a seemingly bottomless pit of teen angst. But, these apps, along with other forms of social media, are unparalleled in their ability to bring awareness to an issue. Never underestimate the power of awareness as a catalyst for significant change!

Social media and feminism are a force to reckoned with as they broaden people’s perspective on what it is to be a woman, what it is to be a man, and what it is to be a human. A hashtag has become a call to action and a trending topic can inform and unite communities for a cause. With a swipe and a tap, we can dissolve the fear of feminism, empower the powerless, and gain a true understanding of how gender inequalities are not shaped by external anatomy and internal chromosomes; they are shaped by the culture.

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How does media empower you?

Social media does not make me feel empowered at all. It makes me feel like new standards are being set that may not matter.

Media in general fosters dialogue; conversations that need to happen that make a positive difference can be had that may not happen otherwise.

When I get disappointed with people in real life, media provides a group of like-minded peers who I can teach that can in turn teach me. There can be less judgment.

When I get disappointed with people in real life, media provides a group of like-minded peers who I can teach that can in turn teach me. There can be less judgment.

Honestly, media is one way for me to relax and almost always find something entertaining and amusing. And, more and more, I find people like me or who have my interests!

Words are useless

SQUANDERED LIFE FAHRUDIN OMEROVIC fahrudin.etsy.com

WLA (Re) Animated Artifacts from the vaults of the Women’s & Leadership Archives

Adapt or Perish: This logo, created by Anna Stonum, was used by local and international organizations on t-shirts, newsletters, and more to promote the rights of people with disabilities.

Caroline Lynd Anna Marie Stonum was born on October 14, 1958, in Granite City, Illinois and moved to Chicago to attend Mundelein College, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Anna suffered from Friedreich’s Ataxia, a degenerative condition that affects coordination, and eventually caused her to use a wheelchair for much of her adult life. Her artwork evolved from watercolors to sculptures to work on the computer as her condition increasingly affected her coordination, but she never let her disability keep her from creating. In 1994, Anna

started her own graphic design company, Designs for All. Through the company, Anna used her talent to create designs for disability activism, including the “Adapt or Perish” logo used by local and national disability rights organizations.

In 1987, Anna married Mike Ervin, an accomplished playwright who was also disabled. The two were founding members of the Chicago chapter of Americans Disabled for Accessible Public Transit (ADAPT), a group that advocated for lifts to be

Painting of Anna and her husband: This is actually a postcard depicting a painting done by Riva Lehrer, a friend of Anna. The card advertised Riva Lehrer’s exhibit in 1998 where the original piece was displayed.

installed on Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) buses to meet the needs of those with disabilities. After years of protests and court battles, CTA committed to buying 700 buses with lifts, ordering over 400 of them in 1989. Anna also initiated protests against Jerry Lewis’s national telethons, which many felt painted a demeaning image of the disabled.

The dedication of ADAPT chapters across the nation led to the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, which removed barriers keeping people

with disabilities from participating in mainstream life. She and Mike participated in many other projects including demanding higher wages for home aides.

Anna passed away at 40 years old after a heart attack. During her short life, Anna saw many victories for people with disabilities thanks to her leadership and commitment to civil rights.

Article | #feminisms

Dear TSM, You Suck Samantha Saliba

Sororities have been around for over a century, with each chapter founded by women who intended to create group of like-minded people with strong morals, beliefs and a desire to serve. One would think that sororities are the quintessential supporters of feminism. It makes sense – a group of women grounded in these ideas who stick together as a community and show that women too can be successful and brilliant.

I think it’s quite obvious, though, that sororities have developed something of a negative connotation, especially over recent years. Better known nowadays for their partying, slut-shaming, alcohol consumption and crop tops, sororities need every kind of positive PR that they can get right now.

Unfortunately, new media is making it harder for sororities, and Greek Life in general, to keep up a good reputation. Total Sorority Move, better known as TSM, is a popular college website catered to campus Greek Life and specifically, sororities. They aim to please their readers by sharing crazy party and hook up stories, pictures of students clearly under the influence, and every negative image that sororities want to clear from people’s minds.

While some sorority women love TSM and take their content lightly, there are some of us out there who

find it demeaning, embarrassing and absolutely insulting.

The argument is this: TSM is anti-feminist in every definition of the word. Surprisingly, there are people that will spend hours and hours refuting this statement. These individuals pose questions such as: “How can TSM be anti-feminist when all the site does is post articles pertaining to women and sorority culture”?

“Isn’t the point of TSM to show that sorority women are much more than people think”?

“I’ve seen some articles that argue against the stereotypes of Greek Life, shouldn’t the other, negative posts they post be considered satire”?

While I can of course see where these questions are coming from, it’s also quite easy to see how they can be argued against. Yes, TSM does post articles every day pertaining to women and sorority culture.

But this type of culture isn’t realistic. Over the years, I have seen far too many articles that pertain to underage drinking, sex and drugs. I’m not saying that these things do not exist in the Greek Life community. Of course they do, I won’t lie about that. However, not everyone condones these things

– especially sororities. Posting these articles gives sorority culture an unrealistic persona that pins sorority women as girls that are more focused on giving blow jobs than getting an A, marrying rich instead of striving for a career, and getting drunk instead of studying for a test.

Concerning whether TSM’s entire purpose is to prove sorority women are more than what meets the eye – well, that’s just not true.

TSM pride themselves on what they write, no matter how bad it makes sorority women look. Nowhere in their website do they try disproving anything negative ever said about them.

They love the attention. It’s how websites stay afloat.

They couldn’t give a shit about whether or not what they write makes people look bad- even if they too are sorority women.

is fun and all and it’s always great to make fun of ourselves and how silly sororities can be sometimes.

But when is it going too far? Is it when an article is posted about how “I Had A Threesome With My Big, And These Are The Details” or “Unsung Hero Drinks Entire Bottle Of Cognac Because She Can’t Take It On Plane”? Ah yes, because these are sorority women. No matter the amount of positive articles, the negative ones will always shine through.

So thank you, TSM, for making us sorority women constantly have to defend ourselves.

And while the last question is the most common question of all and the one that makes the most sense, it’s also the one that’s easiest to debunk. Satire

So thank you, TSM, for making us sorority women constantly have to defend ourselves. It gets quite tiring, to be honest.

I, for one, am not what you say I am. I still like to have fun, go out with friends, hang out with a boy every now and then. But I am not defined by this embarrassing culture you are creating. We sorority women need to stick together and raise one another up. So please, stop tearing us down.

screen/play

“AGELESS” DOCUMENTARY Being used by educational institutions, mostly for high school & college classes.

Can download for $7.99 on www. agelessthemovie.com/purchase/

Overview Women are given so many messages by the media telling them what clothes to wear, which makeup to purchase, and what foods to avoid, but one expectation for women that isn’t given enough attention is that of age. Ageless discusses the pressures women are under to reduce their signs of age and reverse time in order to stay youthful.

Beauty and youth are often synonymous, as Ageless insists, and too often women hit their forties and feel “invisible” and no longer beautiful. Through inspirational commentary and hard-hitting examples of advertisements, Ageless rejects the limitations on older women established by the media and offers powerful advice for how they can see themselves as beautiful, as well as how the media can portray the beauty of old age.

BROAD THUMBS UP Ageless hits the very important and often forgotten issue of how society deals with women over the age

of 40. Interviews with Baby Boomer women reveal how the pressures to look young make them feel like pariahs in their society, but Ageless takes matters one step further when producers interview women in their 20s feeling the same way - that “feeling old” is almost a curse, while “feeling young” is a blessing.

With as powerful a message as Gwaltney portrays in this film, it is on the short side - 27 minutes, to be exact. Not to mention, to access the film is a trial as well; you can only access it on the film’s website (www.agelessthemovie.com), for $7.99. Regardless, Heather Gwaltney created this film not merely to highlight an often overlooked type of discrimination, but as an educating tool for classrooms and advocacy organizations. It wasn’t enough for Gwaltney to release the film on Netflix or Hulu, but to actually spread it across the country to places where large masses of people - kids, even - would watch it and attentively listen to what it has to say.

who to follow

The Anti-Media www.theantimedia.org Twitter:@theantimedia1 Facebook: The Anti-Media Instagram: @theantimedia Anonymous Global Awakening www.anonymousglobal.cf www.cyberguerrilla.org/blog/ Twitter: @youranonglobal Facebook: Anonymous Truthout www.truth-out.org Twitter: @truthout Facebook: Truthout The Awl www.theawl.com Twitter: @awl Facebook: The Awl The Baffler Magazine www.thebaffler.com Twitter: @thebafflermag Facebook: The Baffler Magazine

Article | #Feminisms

The Trump Campaign Ashley Mizuo If the 2016 Presidential Election was based on how many times a candidate was mentioned in the media, Donald Trump would be an easy winner. His name is inescapable. Anything and everything he says or tweets is swallowed by the media simply because it is entertaining.

However, Trump is not the only contender in the race. The Republican Party alone has 22 candidates fighting for the nomination. Including the Democratic Party there are 27 candidates in all. Each of them have their own ideas and policies.

Unfortunately, the media is so focused on Trump that most of the other candidates are overlooked.

Jeb Bush, a candidate for the Republican Party, published a 300-page book on immigration reform. According to The Washington Post, Bush “has written and said more about comprehensive immigration reform than any other presidential candidate of either party.” Trump, wrote a six-page paper on the subject and in an interview said that Mexican immigrants “are in many cases, criminals, drug dealers, rapists, etc.” The Washington Post then reported that the crime rate of Mexican immigrants, legal and illegal, are less than the native population of America. While Trump’s allegations and knowledge are inaccurate and on the border of

being xenophobic, the media continues to cover his ideas much more heavily than Bush simply because of Trump’s entertainment factor.

Bernie Sanders, a candidate for the Democratic Party, has an entire section of his website dedicated to woman’s rights. He advocates for pay equality, reproductive rights, childcare, and healthcare.

However, the media is not reporting about his detailed plan for equality. Instead, Trump’s sexist quotes flood the internet. While most media outlets are condemning his ideas, they are still taking the time to write and post about him. While this would appear to be negative and should reflect in the polls, this “negative” publicity seems to have the opposite effect on voters. According to The Huffington Post Pollster, Trump is in the lead with the support of 32.1 percent of Republicans. The next candidate below him, Ben Carson, is only approved by 13.8 percent of Republicans. Trump’s ridiculous ideas and entertainment value has pushed him to the top of the polls and may earn him the Republican nomination.

If a person googled “GOP debate highlights,” out of the top five articles, three of them are about Trump. The other two articles do not name any other candidate specifically. In this case, the general

TRUMP TOWER Photo by Jens Junge

assumption is that Trump must have said incredibly insightful ideas about how he will run the United States. However, most of the articles cover his sexist comments, his disloyalty to the Republican Party, or his unapologetic tone on bankruptcy. While other candidates gave specifics on their policy ideas, Trump was very vague. However, CNN says that the debate “was a substantive exchange over policy. But at this point in the Republican race it’s unclear how many voters will pay attention. As long as Trump is in the race, many may just be tuned in for the show.”

The presidential election should not be our newest source of entertainment. The election is turning into a reality television show that could be held to the same standards of Keeping up with the Kardashians.

However, compared to how much America loses if Kim Kardashian picks out the wrong shade of lipstick, a wrong choice in the 2016 Presidential Election will have unimaginable repercussions. The coverage of Trump’s uninformed ideas is giving him the publicity he needs to make people listen.

The media’s glorification of the Trump campaign has the power to put him in the White House. The

problem is not Trump himself, he can say what he wants and if the American people truly want what he is saying to be actual American policy then that is what we will get. However, the media is not doing enough to spread the policies of candidates who are more knowledgeable and have more background

The election is turning into a reality television show that could be held to the same standards of Keeping up with the Kardashians. experience in politics. The American people need to have the opportunity to make an informed decision on who they want as their next president, but with the media so fixated on Trump we will never be able to see past the noise and listen to real ideas and policy.

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How accurately do you think issues like feminsim, racism, classism, religious tolerance, etc. are portrayed in the media?

Often enough for everyone to know there is something like that out there.

It exaggerates each one of these issues to spike viewer interest.

Journalists should show both sides of the issue and I think people know they empathize the side that will attract more viewers.

The minute I see more marginalized people like me in ads in magazines and on TV without their marginalization commented on, the media will be accurate and fair in my opinion. It needs to focus less on selling products and more on appreciating the people itĂ­s selling those products to.

I wish the media would have a more diverse outlook on certain issues, instead of taking the side they know will make them money.

All over TV, it’s white people and men who get to be the start, heros, and norm. It’s annoying.

Have you seen everysinglewordspoken.tumblr.com?

Check it out. Now.

tell-a-vision

Always #LikeAGirl A team of producers asks women to imitate various actions, but to do so ìlike a girlî.

Later, they bring in a set of younger girls and ask them the same questions. The advertisement highlights the contrast between how the older women respond to the questions, and how the young girls do.

• •

How do your emotions change while watching this commercial?

Even if you donít invest in the Always brand after watching this commercial, does this commercial still accomplish something that others don’t?

Article | #Feminisms

Freeing the Nipple Daisy Urbieta I was eight-years-old when I was given my first bra.

My mother came home from a day of shopping with a pack of floral printed training bras and told me that I was starting to look like a little lady and because of that I had to make sure I always dressed like one. At only eight-years-old I didn’t really understand this or why bras were even a thing. I only knew that I felt like I had been initiated into some kind of “first steps to womanhood club” and in all honesty I was kind of excited. Soon, however, that excitement began to fade, as I realized how restricted I felt by this piece of clothing.

Flash forward to 2015. I am now twenty-years-old and my dislike for bras has grown immensely. This no longer has to do so much with the discomfort they cause but more so with how they are manipulating and masking one of the most beautiful parts of the female body. The censorship of female breasts isn’t limited to the use of bras; we see it everywhere in our culture, on television, in movies, on social media, and even in daily life. In thirty-five states around the US it is completely illegal for women to be topless in

public, even in cases where they are breast-feeding their child. In the other fifteen states where it is legal for women to be topless in public, women are still being arrested and unjustly punished. Even in the liberal giant that is New York City, women face scrutiny for expressing one of the most natural things about them.

A group of women who had enough censorship of the female nipple began to protest topless in New York, where I repeat, it is legal for women to be topless in public. These women were still being arrested for “public indecency,” although I’m not quite sure what is so indecent about a nipple.

Their protests caught the attention of many and soon it became an entire campaign: the Free the Nipple Movement.

Free the Nipple came to the public attention in 2014 when a documentary outlining the genesis of the group was released for public viewing. Lina Esco became one of the first pioneers for the Free the Nipple Movement as a director and actor in the

The hypersexualization of women’s breasts is a huge obstacle for the movement.

Sadly most of the images that are seen of breasts are depicted in pornography and in a highly graphic way.

film, as well as an icon that rallied support from big names in pop culture to help spread the word. After the launch of the film on December 12, 2014 the Free the Nipple campaign boomed and now has the support of major stars including pop star Miley Cyrus and English fashion model Cara Delevigne.

The Free the Nipple Movement is aiming to even out the censorship playing field for men and women.

It also seeks to make public breast-feeding legal across the United States. In order for Free the Nipple to achieve all its goals, the way that we as a nation think and feel about the female anatomy has to change. The hyper-sexualization of women’s breasts is a huge obstacle for the movement. Sadly most of the images that are seen of breasts are depicted in pornography and in a highly graphic way. Free the Nipple wants the breast and nipple to be seen for what it is: a nurturing and life giving part of the female body.

The campaign has taken to social media to spread the word, and has ben quite successful at it, boasting

172,000 followers on Twitter and 211,000 followers on Instagram. There have been several photo series for the campaign. Among their most popular was one that was launched this year where women took topless pictures of themselves and covered their own nipples with male nipples. This series made a statement of the censorship inequality that takes place on social media platforms like Instagram.

Free the Nipple goes beyond social media too.

It encourages women to embrace their body, especially their breasts, and to push aside the rigid expectations that society enforces on us. Thinking back on my introduction to bras and the world of female breasts, I would tell eight-year-old Daisy to embrace her body the way it is without trying to cover up because that’s a true representation of being an empowered woman.

Columns

Homeschooling I am a student and a feminist just like you, so I am concerned about many of the same social justice issues that you are, but I have even more on my mind because I am also a single mom. I write about what it is like to try to balance work and school and family, U.S. political issues, feminism and academia, American popular culture.

I Don’t Watch Television But I Do Watch ‘Twilight’ Jessica Burstrem

I did not have television service at home for more than three years, from 1 January 2011 through 24 January 2014. During this time period, I must have become, as I jokingly say, immune to television. The shows that I used to love, such as Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, seem ridiculously unrealistic to me now. Rarely do I watch a television show these days that draws me in. I don’t care whether I never see another episode. I don’t even care whether I finish that episode itself.

And the commercials! I am often stunned that anyone would expect them to be effective. Granted, I am an argument teacher, so it is my job to spot flawed arguments. But even more than that, I just feel that I am not the target audience. These commercials, I think, are not intended to appeal to me.

watch them over and over again. I’m also a viewer of the Twilight franchise.

The thing about Twilight is that, unlike Harry Potter, the morality subtly running through the story is incredibly problematic, especially when many young women are deeply engaged with it. And that is part of my interest in it as an academic. It is incredibly telling that this story is appealing to us – that these films, in which the protagonist is hurt, physically and emotionally, over and over again and literally has to give up her soul as well as her mother and friends to be with Edward, strike us as romantic. And yet she stubbornly, determinedly chooses this man. It is another sign, to me, of how far we, as feminists, have yet to go.

And just in case you haven’t already picked up on the problems with Twilight: Edward is, from the start, This puts me in an interesting position as a scholar overprotective, patronizing, and very jealous. He of American studies. only shows any interest Sometimes I feel in Bella in the first place as though I am an because he cannot hear Sometimes I feel as though I anthropologist her thoughts as he can am an athropologist studying with everyone else. “You studying a community of which I am not have to tell me what a community of which I am a member, or an you are thinking,” he not a member archaeologist studying says in the first film. He a historical people that is also old-fashioned no longer exists. Maybe and, conveniently due this makes me better to the circumstances of at observation because I am unbiased. Maybe it a vampire-human relationship, maintains full control makes me worse because I am unable to encounter over all physical interactions with Bella. It starts and television the way that its regular viewers do. I am stops – or doesn’t happen at all – on his command. generally of the camp that believes that completely He is manipulative, withholding information or impartial social research can be unethical, not to outright lying to Bella rather than allowing her to mention potentially inaccurate. That’s what I worry make informed decisions for herself. about. How can I be a contemporary Americanist if I don’t watch television?

Later, Bella refuses to allow an abortion of her fetus even though the pregnancy and childbirth will kill And yet I do respond to stories in a similar way her. In other words, Twilight suggests that even the to other viewers. I love movies. Even when I am health and life of the mother should not justify an criticizing some aspects of a film, I can’t help but get abortion. The third film’s depiction of childbirth is sucked into the characters, the story, the premise, or horrifying; I have always joked that that itself might at least the plot all the same. For instance, I started have a contraceptive effect for the teens viewing it. watching the Harry Potter films because they were Certainly they might be less eager to have children so popular that I felt that I had to see them, in light after watching Bella go through the terrible birthing of my field of study. Once I saw the first one, though, experience that she does.

I got into the story and the characters, watched all the films, read all the books, visited the theme park And yet, still, I can’t help but enjoy the films. (three times), and have the whole series on DVD and

Words are useless

TEXT MESS AGE. HILARY WALLE-JENSEN raincityprints.etsy.com

I’m a Thug Nick Courmon

I was unarmed when I was shot, Yet I’m the thug.

The media did everything they could To prove that I was on drugs.

The police killed me in the projects So I’m a thug.

With how my death is being covered The media is showing no love.

They found a picture on my Twitter Of me holding up a peace sign.

My hand was turned sideways So they called it a gang sign.

I was black and I was shot So that makes me a thug.

My hands were up when I was hit By that .45 slug He murdered 15 people, So he has a mental illness.

Almost immediately the media talks about Loving and forgiveness.

He shows no remorse So he must have problems with mental health.

Even though his attack was calculated And he planned it with stealth.

They showed his baby pictures And talked all about his knowledge.

How he was top of his class And graduated Cum Laude from college.

He was armed to teeth So he clearly must be “crazy” Even though he murdered a high school student, A mother, and her baby.

My death was chastised heavily And his murders just got a shrug, If I didn’t harm a soul Why do I have to be the thug?

Broadside

Columns

Archives in Action

Ourstory, Records, Feminism, and Social Justice

What is an archive and why should I care?

Nancy Freeman Nancy Freeman is the Director/Archivist at the Women and Leadership Archives, Loyola University Chicago. She regularly ponders all things archival, feminist, and social justice- that is, when she’s not spending time with her family or knitting.

What is an archive and why should I care?

Who saw the movie National Treasure? You know, the one with Nicolas Cage and Justin Bartha who go to the National Archives and steal the Declaration of Independence. And has anyone reading this watched the TV show “Who Do You Think You Are?” where celebrities trace their genealogy?

The National Archives is featured in National Treasure because that’s where the Declaration of Independence is. While the media doesn’t accurately portray how a real archivist or historian would touch, let alone steal, the Declaration of Independence (never, ever, ever touch a historic document the way Nick Cage does), I love that the National Archives is so prominently featured in the movie.

In “Who Do You Think You Are?” celebrities usually end up in an archives or library with an archivist who found historical records that detail previously unknown facts about their family. In fact, it is usually the climax of the show when the nice archivist (archivists are almost always nice) reveals something quite surprising or interesting about the celebrity’s family history.

The movie and the TV show portray archives, which are really just about everywhere when you know where to look. Archives can be part of a library, as in the Newberry Library in Chicago, and part of historical societies such as the Illinois State Historical Society. Loyola has a University Archives (keep reading and be patient to find out about the other archive at Loyola). Religious denominations such as the Episcopal Church of America have archives.

Corporations do too, with the Harley Davidson Corporation just one example. The previously mentioned National Archives, with a famous building in Washington, D.C., has branches all over the US, including the Chicago area.

Now that I’ve given all these examples, what actually is in an archive? An archive is a place that collects and preserves valuable records, and then makes the records available for people to use.

While not all archives are fortunate to have the Declaration of Independence (although we secretly wish we did), archives are places full of historical records in a myriad of formats. Think of paper; photographs, both paper and digital; VCR tapes (who not only remembers those but still has some?); blueprints; cassette tapes, reel to reel tapes; magnetic wire recordings; and many more formats, both obscure (click on the magnetic wire recordings link to blow your mind) and current.

So, why should you care about archives? Because, without archives, valuable historical records are lost,

Women and Leadership Archives

records that are vital to collective memory. Archives document the past, inform the present, and shape the future.

Without archives there may not be a wellpreserved and publically available Declaration of Independence. Without archives, genealogists couldn’t look up their family histories. Without archives, we wouldn’t know the very first design of a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Most importantly, without archives, the records of our collective past would be lost.

An archive is almost never dusty, which is a common misconception, nor is it a dark place hidden away in barely used basements or attics. The archive of today is clean, tidy (mostly) and a place where archival records are meant to be used and explored.

People use archives in many different ways either on-line or by coming on-site. Authors write books, scholarly and popular, by using archival materials.

Documentaries are made using archives. (Who’s seen a Ken Burns show?) I’ve already talked about genealogists, who typically love archives. Middle and high school students involved in History Fair use archival records. And these examples just scratch the surface of how people use archives.

Now that I’m sure you care about archives, let’s talk about the coolest one ever, the Women and Leadership Archives (WLA) at Loyola University Chicago. (Well done, patient reader, you have now discovered the other archive at Loyola.) I totally confess to bias because I’m the archivist at the WLA. When people ask me what I do or where I work and

I tell them “I work at the Women and Leadership Archives,” I almost always get a response along the lines of “wow” or “that sounds interesting.” Folks genuinely perk up a bit and become intrigued just because of the name. The phrase ‘women and leadership’ invokes a response, even though many people aren’t familiar with any archive or archival records, let alone know an archivist.

To explain further what I do, I like to say the WLA collects records about women that show how they live or lived, what they do or have done, and what that means to all of us. Each archive is focused on a subject(s) and everything collected in the archives fits that scope or interest area. The formal statement at the WLA is: To collect records of women and women’s organizations that document women’s lives, roles, and contributions to society.

I’ve worked in the archival field for 16 years and been at the WLA for 2 and a half years. There are three part-time Graduate Assistants who also work with me, taking care of the records and making sure folks can use them either on-line or by coming to the archive in person.

Because I believe who I am informs my work, I’ll also let you know I’m a white, middle aged (53 and proud of it) feminist who is married, with a 9 year old daughter. I also came to the archival profession after a career in social work.

I hope I’ve explained well what an archive is and why you should care. Come back to this monthly column to hear more about archives, social justice, feminism and how it all intersects because really, it does.

Words are useless

SOCIAL FILTER BRENT SCHREIBER brentschreiber.com

(not) buying it

ANAR Foundation: “Only for Children”

On the surface, this street advertisement looks like any other poster bringing awareness to child abuse. It takes one step further, however- the visage of the little boy changes when seen by an actual child. Anyone under the age of ten and of a certain height does not see an average-looking boy, but a boy with a cut lip and contusions on his face.

Then a secret message is delivered- “If somebody hurts you, phone us and we’ll help you,” giving ANAR’s number.

• Does this advertisement send a helpful message to people other than children?

• Would the impact of this advertisement make a difference to you if ANAR was for-profit rather than nonprofit?

• What effect does this little boy’s face have for this advertisement?

Columns

In The (K)now

Knowledge is power. Power is change. Change is good.

The Posts Heard ‘Round the World Sylvia Bennett When Facebook stepped in it big-time and released the original version of this image in celebration of the 19th Amendment’s ratification, there was a well-deserved response of finger-wags and history reminders. The blunder, besides reminding everyone to CHECK YOUR PRIVILEGE, reveals the imperfect and complex relationship between social justice and social media.

The fight for equality is a long-standing battle, but the realm of social media activism is very new and creates an unprecedented dimension to how causes are championed. When the simple click of a “like” button can impart a socio-political message, a tweet can be considered active participation in feminism, and online forums are primary sources of how information is communicated, there is a rising need to be aware and continually critical of what social media presence we put forth. As platforms for global discussion that theoretically provide control to the users, social media outlets are opening up the topic of feminism to non-academics and helping to

establish the necessity of intersectionality- see the Facebook example. Marginalized communities can utilize social media to address issues specific to their realities, which can allow those groups to achieve solidarity as well as educate other communities to once again check their privileges.

On the other hand, social media activism can become a pacifier that simultaneously lures participants into feeling they have positively contributed to a cause whilst silencing further discussion into deeper complexities. The rainbow filter over profile pictures and the red equal signs, while spreading visual messages related to LGBTQ rights and marriage equality, do not inherently resolve the many complications that still abound on these issues of sexual and gender orientation. It is worrisome to think that people could be seeing these images and thinking that the problems have been solved. Biphobia and misogyny are still significant issues within the LGBTQ community. Trans women of color are still being disproportionately

targeted and murdered. People are still struggling with understanding and maintaining their identities in toxic heteronormative environments. A Supreme Court ruling doesn’t solve these issues, let alone a rainbow filter. The greatest danger of social media activism is the complacency it provides. Inequality has been a dominant feature of human civilizations for thousands of year, so unfortunately, sharing a Facebook post isn’t going to cut it. One of the most notorious examples of this kind of mindless, though well-meaning relaying, was the widely seen “Kony 2012” video. In addition to being misleading, antiquated, and uninformative, the video also failed to promote any further activism beyond posting it on a profile.

Now, if you think yourself guilty of falling into this cycle, don’t overly fret, because we’ve all been there. Social media is an entirely new animal that our generation is having to face with only our wits to guide us. And we should absolutely be taking advantage of enormous benefits that social media

contributes to the realm of social justice and feminism. Social media makes it easier to be heard by a wider audience, but requires that we think even more carefully about what our words and actions communicate. If we allow ourselves to be placated by the ease of this information-sharing outlet, are we letting ourselves become lax in vetting the information being shared? Are we being sure that our online feminisms are matching the ones we carry with us in our other interactions? Are we being intersectional? Have we done any further research, investigated from any different perspectives? These are the questions that we have to think about when we act online. Social justice isn’t a fun hat we can wear about then take off at will when our heads get sweaty or we need a scratch. The whole system falls apart if we don’t commit ourselves to these principles that we claim. And we need to take these guidelines with us to the online realm. The basics of social justice via social media are fairly simple; if you wouldn’t want to read it to 500+ people, why would you post it?

Columns

Punctuation Marks

‘To finish a conversation, first you have to start one…”

#Discourse C.M. In recent years, the Internet has become a powerful tool for social justice, facilitating the rapid spread of information to huge numbers of people. Movements like Black Lives Matter have used social media sites such as Twitter and Tumblr to inform, empower, and organize, making the true face of police brutality readily visible to anyone with an Internet connection and starting important dialogues about race and racism that the mainstream news media will not touch. Curious, open-minded young people everywhere are using the Internet to form a worldwide discourse about any number of different social justice topics, from racism to feminism to LGBTQIA+ rights. Anyone can chime in, any insight can be analyzed by an untold number of people with different backgrounds and experiences, so that we can correct and educate and encourage one another in the fight to make a difference in whatever cause we choose. On the surface, it sounds wonderful.

On the inside, it is much less so.

I don’t quite know how to describe my experiences with online social justice discourse. In a way, there’s a real sense of communities forming. Hashtags on Twitter create a forum for people to chime in their feelings about everyday microaggressions, so that others might see and check their own behavior. Posts on the blogging website Tumblr offer information, news, discussion, companionship,

and even just a place to complain about something that’s bothering you. Educational articles and blogs and YouTube channels abound, offering resources on mental health, sex education, body positivity, intersectional feminism, anything you could want.

The world of social media can be an incredible source of information and encouragement, a place to make friends and to share experiences and feel like you’re being seen. But the toxic side of Internet culture makes me think twice about how much time we should really be spending there.

Especially on Tumblr, it has started to feel, to me, like too many angry voices are shouting at each other all at once. I can’t hear a thing, and far from empowered or educated, all I feel is overwhelmed. People are attacked for their opinions left and right. Those with legitimate complaints are spoken over, told they’re wrong, sometimes bombarded with nasty comments from anonymous users. Conversely, users who make honest mistakes, who maybe are not as fully informed on social justice topics or current events as they could be, who could benefit from a simple, civil “this is why you’re wrong”- instead, these people are blackballed, “called out”, put in very real danger by having their information posted publically or nasty messages filling their inboxes and wreaking havoc on their mental health. These often teenaged users, after an honest mistake, are branded terrible, “problematic” people forever, and never forgiven

even after they apologize.

It’s gotten so that many people are afraid to make even a single mistake. Lost in this sea of technology, we’re afraid to be human. I can’t help but think there must be a better means of discourse than intimidation and fear. If the privileged could only listen to Internet users who are vocal about their oppression, instead of speaking over them and denying their experiences; if the genuinely ignorant could be corrected on their mistakes without getting bullied or blackballed; if the spread of important information wasn’t so reliant on guilting people into a reblog or a retweet lest they be thought of as uncaring and heartless; if the voices of hateful “trolls” didn’t seem to shout loudest of all and derail all nuanced discussion- then maybe we could make the Internet, and Tumblr especially, a healthier place of social discourse again.

Of course, many of these problems happen in social justice discourse in the real world, as well. People will always get defensive or say the wrong thing, or purposely seek to hurt each other. But I’m beginning to think that the real issue with Internet discourse is overexposure. It is impossible to be completely informed on every world issue, or even on every social issue in your home country alone. It is impossible to reblog or retweet every heartbreaking news story or fundraiser. It is impossible to live without making mistakes, big and small, and doing so does not make you irredeemably “bad”.

Online, though, you almost feel obligated to try to keep up with every issue, and that’s not a bad thing.

It’s just a matter of knowing you don’t have to share every post or engage with every debate. It’s okay, healthy, and often necessary to just take a break.

Once you’ve recharged, you can log back in and resume the work of helping to spread information about the many social justice causes in the world. Or, you can just post images of cute fluffy animals for a while. We could all use some more happiness on these screens we’re squinting at, after all.

The Internet is still a powerful tool for social change.

We can use it to educate, to mobilize, to share ideas and make friends and change the world. But we can also strive to use the Internet more kindly.

We can use it thoughtfully, conscientiously. I’d like us to use it to come together and raise our voices as one to drown out hate and oppression. Social justice is about giving voice to the voiceless- not making more people fall silent out of fear. When we clear away the din of hatefulness and ignorance that clouds our news feeds and dashboards, the conversation can finally continue in full, and real differences can be made.

I for one can’t wait to see the discourse of social justice continue and hopefully keep pushing this generation to become more informed and respectful and committed to social change. For now, thoughfor my own health- it’s time for me to log off for a little while.

Words are useless

JUST ONE MORE EPISODE PATRICK ANDREW ADAMS aptrick.etsy.com

Broadside

The Beauty of Illiteracy Jackson Santy I, cannot read— Maybe a poor spot for a line break.

I, cannot read—magazines.

I cannot read magazines because as soon as I hit page one Individuals in offices on Madison Avenue whom I have never met hit me Names like Calvin Klein and Levi’s deconstruct my life Insisting on reminding me that sexiness—has a height requirement.

Constantly whispering in my ear that masculinity is not measured by the content of my character—but by the size of my penis.

I cannot read magazines because their thin pages, tear me They tear me The same way I was told in my own living room—that “girls won’t like me” because the way I look.

The same way my heart shutters when I stand naked, in front of the mirror.

The same way my subconscious instantly swats away any remote compliment on my appearance.

I cannot read magazines because poisonous pages rot away my self-esteem with perpetuations that not even the tallest of stepladders could let me reach.

Asserting that my only dreams should be chiseled abdominals & sexual dominance Whatever happened to self-worth—being sexy?

I cannot read magazines because if I really want to see beauty I can see it in the actions of my celiac sister who cares for cancer patients And not for the harsh stares she gets for being “too skinny” Through the eyes of my nephew still living in the paradise of childhood innocence— Whose idea of “perfection” is a game of catch I will not read magazines because if I want beautiful people, if I want to feel beautiful— I look up.

Columns

Sincerely Yours

When you give a girl a column

#Feminisms Brittany Reyes When most people hear the word “feminism”, their initial thought probably involves the image of a free-spirited, non-conforming, all man-hating, braburning, Free the Nipple campaign enthusiast. In other words: most people characterize feminists as radical females who essentially give no shits. While the notion seems heroic in theory, there are many individuals in this society who are turned off by the idea that women can ever be anything more than the “damsel in distress.”

Maybe it’s the science behind our small body frames or our natural inclination to be more emotional than the opposite sex, but either way, ladies, this negative connotation has yet to be shaken and with the way the media treats us, there’s no way of telling if it ever will be.

Though I genuinely believe that television and movies have the power to positively influence a generation, I think our society’s fascination with typecasting women as temptresses or sex symbols is doing us more harm than good. I know some people

may argue with me on this one and say that women are represented in the media just as often as men and I can agree with that to some extent... but to say that women and men are represented equally in the media would be an outright lie.

Call me cynical, but in this day and age, women are too often glorified for their beauty rather than their brains. They are too often judged for their sexuality rather than their individuality and they are too often painted as accessories to their male counterparts rather than as actual people, especially in the media.

For those of you who are huge Hunger Games or Divergent fans, you’re probably shaking your head at me and saying that the film industry is actually making huge strides when it comes to portraying women as heroines rather than just victims. And while I appreciate your optimism, have you ever stopped to consider that the storylines might not be the only reasons why these movies have been so successful?

Let’s take a moment to dissect the allure behind Katniss Everdeen. She is strong, fearless, compassionate, and a role model for younger girls everywhere. Beyond these facts, she’s involved in an epic love triangle that is so compelling, fans of the movie have pledged their loyalty to the series by identifying as either Team Gale or Team Peeta… and this, ladies and gentlemen, is where the real issue lies.

Though wishful thinking would lead us to believe that a good storyline with a strong female lead is all a movie really needs to capture people’s attention, the truth is, media dictates that without some type of twisted romance or scandal, women in media hardly even register on the radar.

Now more than ever, females have been put in between a rock and a hard place. If we allow ourselves to live out the labels that society has given us, we will be rewarded for sticking to the status quo but plagued by complacency. If we deviate from the mold, we will be free to express ourselves but our ambition will be mistaken for aggressiveness and our passion

will be construed as irrationality.

So if you had to choose, which would you be?

Complacent or irrational? It’s a tough call but it’s important to understand that it’s not our fault that these associations are so deeply laced in the fabric of our society. They’ve been here long before we were born and if a nuclear bomb were to spontaneously strike one day, these stereotypes would probably still exist… along with all the cockroaches.

But what counts now is that we have the choice to be better and the means to reach higher than ever before. We have the freedom to live our lives unapologetically, so in the words of the great Marilyn Monroe herself, I’d have to agree, “it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”

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Facebook Trans-fixion Jared (All Poetry)

Religion: fast food of philosophy.

Quick, egoistic gratification, As long as you’re in the community!

After all, it’s about validation, Surviving upon popularity.

God demands “likes”, competing with “Satan”, And as long as you post “activity”, God-willing, they’ll “share” your inspiration.

It’s the mental-home of modernity: Social-media’s the congregation, Facebook’s the toilet for sanctity, The Qur’an and Bible, decoration.

Everybody seeking relevance, Hungry egos begging for salvation.

Words are useless

THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE JOEL MONEA joelmonea.etsy.com

Columns

Status Quo Combustion

La masculus Versus La femina

The ”Arranged-Marriage“ Ramifications Lubna Baig Hello, everyone. So, I am back after some muchneeded R&R this summer. And boy, do I have a lot to say when it comes to feminism.

Firstly, by law, I am an American citizen, but I trace my roots back to the metropolitan city of Hyderabad somewhere between North and South India (You see, Hyderabad tapers towards the north, so hydros are deemed “northish”). Being the product of middle-class immigrant parents, naturally I spent many summer vacations in Hyderabad owing to my “homesick” parental units. So, I had the misfortune of experiencing firsthand the rampant anti-feminism and prejudice towards the female gender there.

I remember I was 18 when I made my first trip to India. Apparently, 18 year old “virgins” are in great demand in the bride market. Arranged marriage is a norm in India and so people hunt for brides for their “America-based,” “London-based,” “Saudibased,” sons; left right and center. So one fine day, a family had brought a proposal for their son to my grandparents. I was fresh out of high school and I

didn’t want anyone leaving me after getting a Green Card, so even considering this proposal was out of the question for me and my folks. So they talked about my 24 year old cousin for that guy (who was 28 and apparently “London-based”). Naturally the first thing they asked was how old my cousin was.

When they heard she was 24, all 3 of them (the mother of the boy, the father of the boy, and Mr. “Pervert” Boy himself ) promptly looked at me and asked me how old I was. And when I said I was 18, they were soooo happy, like Mary freaking Poppins.

It was like they struck a lottery. Like they struck a goose that laid golden eggs. Obviously, I said, “I wouldn’t consider your son even if he was the last guy on this planet, because he is 28 and way too old for me.” Can I stress upon this that they DIDN’T think that their son’s age mattered but thought that my cousin was an old lady with 30 cats- but she was only 24 and YOUNGER THAN HIM?!!

How does this even make sense? It doesn’t matter if the boy is older, but the girl shouldn’t be older.

The whole system of arranged marriage is a joke!

It’s seriously flawed. No wonder people are eloping these days.

stamps on history, like Mother Teresa, Eleanor Roosevelt, Sylvia Plath, Amelia Earhart, Helen Keller, Harriet Tubman, to name a few. As we enter fall 2015, we can see that women are still rising to the top.

Forbes recently published a list of about 100 women that are “powerful.” People like Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Michelle Obama, Angelina Jolie, and Ellen DeGeneres made the cut.

Marriage aside, there are seriously high and seriously flawed expectations that men have when it comes to women. Like it’s God’s high command, law of the country, and moral obligation of the women to make extra efforts when it comes to cooking, cleaning, taking care of kids, and dressing up for the men. I agree that us girls need to look nice and all for the I am a Muslim. My religion is Islam. Most people men. But how about the men making the same might not agree with me. But our prophet extra effort for us girls? How about they help with Mohammad (peace be upon him) was a great the household chores and the kids? How about they advocate of women’s rights. He was all about make extra effort to be nice to us whilst appreciating feminism. His wife, the esteemed Mother of how hard we work? How about they try to look nice Believers, Aisha (peace be upon her), was a great for us? And since when Islamic scholar and did God say it’s only enjoyed many rights the women that need that are otherwise Days of men wearing the to do those household restricted for women by pants in the family are over. chores? Most guys in some narrow-minded India seem to think fundamentalists in other it’s the men who wear nations today. the pants in the family and earn the bread and butter while women need to stay behind and tend My parents have also stood up for girl power and to them, their house, and their kids. Any women women’s rights when it comes to me and my sister, that expresses any desire to work is deemed as a due to which we are able to get a good education “Western Civ. brainwashed chick.” and stand tall, proud, and independent in this world.

I am not saying that all the men there are like this.

But most of them are. And so the system needs to change.

To my cousin who got rejected because she was 24 years old, I simply told her to apply to a university abroad, study and make something of herself and then she can marry whoever she wants. Days of men wearing the pants in the family are over. While we are nowhere near gender equality in some parts of the world, #girlpower sure seems to be trending in the USA. Hollywood has always been a boy’s club, but in 2014, women made a mark, a dent in the door.

We saw Jennifer Lawrence as the bow-wielding revolutionary Katniss Everdeen, fighting against the Capitol. We also saw Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl Strayed, grieving the loss of her mother and hiking for self-discovery. Hollywood did a bang-up job of promoting feminism.

In the real world, we have heroines who left their

So, I request that all the narrow-minded, prejudiced, racist, sexist guys and their parents seeking 18 year old virgins for marriage (more like seeking a cook, maid, butler, chauffeur, nanny), check their blatant misogyny and realize how poisonous their view of women is. No one cares about age, virginity, or your narrow-minded son even if he is London –based, Saudi-based. This is the 21st century. People marry for love. And people can work if they want to, no matter what their gender.

I have a proposal for closed-minded people like these. My sister, my 24 year old cousin, most girls belonging to the 21st century, and I will only marry someone we like- and that someone needs to understand the concept of feminism and gender equality and so should be trained in cooking, cleaning, serving, driving, and babysitting. And yes, we are going to be workaholic office people too. You folks take your arranged marriage thingy and the flawed concept of “wife material”, and kindly leave.

Broadside

What Mr. Media Teaches Conor Kirwan

Woman.

Foul mouthed.

She coughed up filthy words t hat festered at the pit of her stomach.

Erupting as a fit of temper, of fury.

She's volcanic - a vile thing.

Jagged and spiny, she commands with her yellow tongue.

Hair juts from her armpits as thorns.

She reeks of sweat and of alcohol.

Her locks, dyed a sinister red, as if with the blood of newborn lambs.

Cacophonous, parasitic and gross.

Speckled skin, scarred with tattoos.

The harlot prowls, nude, no thought or care for the disgust of onlookers.

Bog dweller. Bottom feeder. Mess.

Through clean eyes, she is beautiful.

She just isn't what he told us to expect.

Words are useless

iSON OF A MAN JOELLE WEISS etsy.com/shop/bornambiguous

Columns

Word Power

Real Experience through Imagination

Real Experience Through Imagination Lucrezia Gaion I remember when my plane first landed on the island off the Tanzanian coast; its inhabitants call it the kingdom of spices, but its real name is Zanzibar.

It was Christmas 2013, and my father decided we would go away for a week. I was fifteen.

One can just imagine my mindset, as a high school student from L.A. I was used to seeing how my ideal self should be everywhere I looked, from posters around the streets, to commercials interrupting my favorite shows on TV.

My dad and I had never traveled much; after my mother’s death when I was five years old, my father and I would always stay in California, so I did not really get to see anything else. L.A. was the only world I knew. I do not know to this day why my dad

decided to get away. Maybe because it was the tenth anniversary of my mother’s death, due to an aggressive skin cancer that spread throughout her whole body.

The plane that we took from Rome flew us directly to the small island, and the first thing I remember thinking while looking out of the plane window, was that there were no houses. I had seen what wilderness was in the movies, and read about it in books, but I never really paid much attention to it, since the mansions in Beverly Hills always surrounded me. I was mad at my father because I wanted to stay home and hang out with my friends, but when I tried to argue about it, my dad gave me the coldest look and whispered, “We are going, Amanda.” Just that. I did not complain anymore.

Once out of the plane, a dry heat hit my face, and I was astonished: the airport was a small grey building with a couple of windows, and no one was around.

We picked up our bags, after the local men physically carried them from the plane to the only waiting room. There was no gate.

A private taxi without A.C. drove us to a nice (actually very nice, according to local standards) hut, with nets dropping from the ceiling that covered the beds to protect us from bugs at night. The hut was in a small village run by the Masai, and these individuals where the strangest men I had ever seen. Very tall and wrapped in the most colorful robes, they always held a handmade spear, always smiled and walked very slowly. But they could jump as high as a gazelle.

and being 5’3’’ was a good thing, that my “thigh gap” made me attractive and having a flat stomach was normal. My father would try to make me eat some bread every once in a while, instead of salads and protein, but I had seen on TV that carbs were bad and that Selena Gomez was on a new diet that worked wonders. If the media said so, I thought, then it must be true. After all, famous singers and actresses were always so beautiful and smiling. If they were beautiful and smiling, they must be happy. And if they were happy and skinny, I would be happy if I was skinny.

This man, by saying this single phrase as soon as I got to the heavenly island, changed my beliefs on what beautiful means. I always thought beauty was on the outside, showing how little you eat and how a size 00 practically falls off your frame.

One night, my father and I were gathered around a bonfire with some local people, looking at the stars.

By that time, nearly the end of our vacation, I had long forgotten about my iPhone, locked in one of the drawers in the bedroom. The lack of Instagram or Facebook for five days had cleansed my mind, and speaking to the locals had become a pleasure.

One of them handed me a freshly picked coconut and I ate it with satisfaction, along with some fried plantains and roasted beans. I had forgotten what real, well cooked food was, and I could finally start to enjoy it again, without that shadowing guilt always clenching my stomach.

I will always cherish the days that I spent in the middle of nowhere. In a place that taught me that beauty does not come from how much you weigh and that I shouldn’t hold myself to standards based on social media. My eating disorder vanished, replaced by a healthy mindset that has made me more content than all those years spent in a senseless limbo. And I could not be happier.

Back in California, I was used to spending about forty minutes everyday in front of the mirror, putting on makeup and deciding which outfit would make me look the skinniest.

The culture shock that hit me was not for the difference between the Masai and myself; rather, it came from my inability to understand that having three maids and a couple of iPads did not make me better than anyone else.

Back in California, I was used to spending about forty minutes everyday in front of the mirror, putting on makeup and deciding which outfit would make me look the skinniest. I was fifteen, and this was what I would talk about with my friends; about how Emma Stone was so perfect and how Drew Barrymore had gained five pounds, and she should go on a diet, because she did not fit in the social picture that required all women of that height to weigh a specific amount.

But here in Zanzibar, the first thing I was asked was if I was feeling alright. When I said yes, the Masai told me: “You are very skinny. Too skinny. Not in good health, it’s no good.”

I had always thought that weighing ninety pounds

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