What to wear on the first day of school. Who doesn’t stress out over that decision? Novelist Laurie Frankel was stressed out plenty about her first-grader’s first day, but the child was calm and certain. This September 2016 New York Times article describes what happened. Read it here: Frankel, “’From he to she in first grade” Frankel’s …
Continue reading Clothes or costumes: Laurie Frankel on parenthood and gender choice
Do you remember the sex scandal a few years ago about the counterterrorism expert and her lover? No? How about the affair between the decorated general and his mistress? That one might ring a bell. In fact, in both cases, we’re talking about the same two people—Gen. David Petraeus and Paula Broadwell. New York Times …
Continue reading The ‘mistress’: Jessica Bennett on the persistence of a demeaning word
If you have seen Twitter, you know that tweets can be brilliant, hilarious, informative, helpful, entertaining, and also very vulgar, threatening, and abusive. Women sports journalists are among the targets of the most vile and violent harassment. Ms. Magazine and editorial intern Jumana Bambot call attention to the situation and suggest a strategy for improving …
Continue reading #MoreThanMean: Jumana Bambot on women journalists and online harassment
There is a bill right now in the US House of Representatives that would require women to register for the military draft upon reaching the age of 18, just as men are currently required to do. This proposal is sure to ignite a firestorm of debate, and DePaul University student Danielle Harris is among the …
Continue reading Draft on tap: Danielle Harris on women and the military draft
Calvin Klein underwear models, definitely eye candy. But what effect do underwear ads have on our own body image? Spencer Althouse and BuzzFeed set up a project with seven everyday guys, some Calvins, and a studio photographer. The participants’ comments on the experience (along with the photos!) are in this August 2015 post. Read it …
Continue reading Me in my Calvins: BuzzFeed on body image and underwear ads
They tell her Tinder sucks, all the while with eyes that never leave the screen, thumbs that never stop swiping. Vanity Fair writer and editor Nancy Jo Sales interviewed dozens of twentysomethings in several states as well as assorted academics and experts for this in-depth September 2015 report on dating apps and hookup culture. Read …
Continue reading “So easy”: Nancy Jo Sales on dating apps and hookup culture
Think fast: what does an engineer look like? Did you conjure up an image of a nerdy white guy with glasses and messy hair? Well, that is the stereotype, isn’t it? But software engineer Isis Anchalee reminds us that the real world is bigger than stereotypes in this August 2015 post on Medium. Read it …
Continue reading #ILookLikeAnEngineer: Isis Anchalee on women in tech
The first full-time woman referee in the NFL—what a huge story! Writer and photographer Anne Born is delighted at the news but highly critical of the way referee Sarah Thomas’ new job is being reported. This April 2015 essay was published on the blog The Broad Side. Read it here: Born, "’Mother of Three’ to Ref …
Continue reading Mother of three: Anne Born wonders why we always need to know
Here’s a simple question: are you a feminist? Before you answered, did you pause? Gulp? Gasp? Hem and haw? OK, maybe it’s not such a simple question, after all. In this piece, published in Slate magazine in January 2015, staff writer Amanda Hess presents a brief history of asking that question to celebrities. Read it …
Continue reading Popping the question: Amanda Hess on asking about feminism
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