This video made my day! Watch it for some warm and fuzzy feelings.
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For your reading pleasure!
Hot people are mean and more than likely to steal your candy at get away with it, according to the observer. And they won’t say sorry either! No sir. They’ll probably bat their eyelashes and get you to hand over your phone. (Jezebel)
Source: fuckyeahmeangirls.tumblr.com
Where do women rate on the gender wage scale? As these handy infographics reveal, obtaining a higher education is gonna bring in the big bucks (or, bigger bucks). But for whom exactly? Not all students are created equal, it appears. (Ms. Magazine)
Move over Hollywood! Presenting to you…Kittywood! Oh the lulz! (Jezebel)
I’m guessing that if you read this blog, it’s no secret that I dig chicks. And not in entirely sexual way either! I just really love women. Which is why I’m torn over whether I love or hate this article over at Sex, Gender, Body. Alex starts off by arguing that women are hardwired to form relationships, our bodies the perfect factory for producing the love hormone oxytocin. She then goes on to say
That is why affairs affect lesbians very differently to heterosexuals and why there needs to be a different view point taken when understanding affairs between two women. This is not to say that straight people aren’t affected by affairs in their marriage, the impact of betrayal on any person regardless of sexual orientation can be devastating and painful.
Is she playing the devils advocate, down playing the validity of love between two women? Or is she saying that women are naturally inclined to form strong emotional ties thus we should just let them eat the damn cake? I’m not sure. What do you think? (Sex Gender Body)
Rachel Rabbit White writes about fashion and feminism. I see a lot of this relating to the issue of feminist guilt, which is basically feeling kind of shitty for enjoying things like make-up and high heels. (Rabbit Write)
It’s interesting though, that with the new rights women gained, fashion saw women trying on male-ness. Is it feminist, if women had to bend what they were wearing in order to fit into the “man’s world’? Whether it’s women bobbing their hair after they get the vote, or Chanel’s pantsuit, or the 1980?s power-suit with it’s pointed masculine edges, worn as women really took hold of the workplace it’s all women taking on male roles. (One of the things the third wave seems to have done is take back traditional feminine fashion, in it’s “ironic” retro silhouettes and crinoline.) And yet playing with gender in fashion can be liberating, and helpful to breaking down gender roles and the binary.
The National Library of Australia celebrates 50 years of Women’s Weekly with a retro exhibition! Too cool! (GWAS)
Stuff, glorious stuff. Erica Bartle writes in response to an article in Bloomberg Businessweek about materialism and consumer culture. Apparently, we live in a consumerist world. Well, I’d like to argue that we’re not materialistic enough. But bare with me before you start your witch hunt and hammer my door down – I have a point! It’s not the phone you want, it’s the iPhone. Perhaps it calls to you like sweet and seductive siren from the pretty and sleek packaging that Apple wraps their products up in and sends out of their shiny buildings. You don’t want those shoes. You want these shoes. Etc, etc, ad nauseum. Stuff, and the kind of stuff you buy, gives you more social/cultural capital. (Girl With A Satchel)
In the worst of cases, you wake one day to find that you are not a whole but, indeed, an assembly of lots of selves and cultural artefacts. Your attempts to emulate, to run with the pack, or even stay two steps ahead, have left you flat with nothing to give back. You feel like an iPhony. So the quest to find your true self begins… only beneath all the clutter, you’re not so sure you’re going to like what you find. Not to worry: more stuff will numb that straight away!
When the one you love breaks your heart by leaving you, you don’t fall into his arms when he says sorry, like Bella, you punch him, like Hermione. (Musings Of An Inappropriate Woman)
Oh, and Francis Bean Cobain grew up. These are from her photo shoot with Dior’s Hedi Slimane. Jaw=dropped. (Good Morning Midnight)
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….And thus concludes the end of my second week back at uni. Was I ready for this jelly? No, no I was not. Regardless, you’re more than likely to find me bouncing out of bed ready to LEARN IMPORTANT STUFF rather than clutching at my pillow, praying for JUST 5 MORE MINUTES PLZ. I love learning, and I’m so happy to be back at uni. It’s the ultimate indulgence to feed my mind, to bounce ideas off of other inspiring, positive and creative people.
Things might be a little more quiet now that I’m back at big school and writing essays and trying to remember how to use the APA referencing system (which I totally don’t remember existed, by the way). I wish I had more time to jump up and down on my computer keyboard excitedly and churn out more posts like the eager Gen Y smarty-pants I am, but my course requires a lot of attention and little time for…well, life. Having said that,I’m really determined to make time for the projects that matter to me these days. More writing! More photography! More reading! Like a grocery list chock block of awesome food for the soul! Time is trickier than Where’s Wally. You can’t find it, you have to make it, and you’re never too busy for the things you love. Never.
This week I definitely noticed a trend in articles on self-loathing and self-loving in the physical sense. Because Girls Are Made From Pepsi is all about lady love, coming to terms with and accepting our diverse physicality is a large part of appreciating and celebrating your foxy self. Females of all ages – whether young girls or middle aged women – have all gone through some sort of body image crisis. Some deal with their inner critics more effectively than others, whilst some of still unconsciously grab at imaginary love-handles when trying on new jeans. I personally don’t feel ready to write a body image post of my own, so below are some of the best I’ve read this week (or ever!).
How gay-friendly is Facebook? With the Google+ machine ploughing through the digital stratosphere aiming to catch as many band-wagon enthusiasts as possible (oh yeah, I saw it riding past and climbed on!), Lesbilicious takes a look at how the world’s most popular (and infamous!) social networking site helped (or hindered) queer visability. Can we expect the same from Google+? Do social networks force people out of the closet when they ask you disclose information? Or is it still possible to keep some of our life private? It did not escape me that Google+ does not ask for your sexual orientation…
By the way – it’s awfully lonely on Google+! If anyone wants an invite, holla at me! I’m willing to spread the love around!
Liz at Autostraddle does a fashioncap of the latest Pretty Little Liars, turns the majority of the cast/extras into homos, and consequently makes my week whilst doing so.
THIS IS NEW INFORMATION. Not all women like pink. If you are one of those women, I’m sorry for 
my blog’s colour scheme and it’s affect on your retinas. Not really, because I love pink! But don’t worry, I still like you. This study, published in the Harvard Business Review (and handily dissected for the sake of my poor attention span by Gawker), suggests that women don’t like pink because it reminds them of other women.
Despite the fact that a full 100% of lesbians are women, it appears that women do not actually love themselves? Because it’s not the color of pink that women hate, according to the study, so much as the fact that pink is “a gender cue” that triggers a “defensive response” among women. This sort of self-loathing behavior is really sad to see among a gender that has produced lots of really quality gymnasts.
The study was conducted in relation to breast cancer donations. Although it seems fairly obvious that sometimes, you know, women prefer blue, some parts of the study actually sounded like they might not be completed baseless.
We put breast cancer banner ads on a website we showed the subjects but never mentioned them. When the site was geared to women [with the colour pink], 33% of women recalled the ads. When it was gender-neutral, 65% remembered. It’s been three years, and we have duplicated the same basic finding 10 times. It keeps happening.
Check out this video for Vanessa Bruno’s SS 12 collection. It features a Lou Doillon and Jessica Joffe as beautifully dressed forest sprites of some sort. (I am still recovering from Stevie Dance’s departure. I feel the need to talk about this. Anyone?)
140 characters can say a lot about your gender. According to a sociolinguistic study, women use a lot more emoticons and exclamation points ( !! =] ). I think I may have been an unwitting subject for this study…
Girl With a Satchel (Erica Bartle, or GWAS as she is known) is talking about body image. It’s a regular topic on GWAS, but I always love her posts on body image because they’re not just empty, superficial rhetoric about how important it is for us to love ourselves. Erica’s past experiences inform her views on body image and the media, so it’s not like she comes across all gung-ho about fighting the evil advertising standards which allow women to look like pore-less faces of sparkling beauty. She just recognises that it really, really sucks to open up a magazine and not feel like you resemble the yummy young things that dominate the pages.
What can be done by publishers in light of the fact that the Voluntary Code of Conduct has not been widely accepted? Go easy on the Photoshop, embrace what’s real, and complement fashion and beauty with a greater proportion of content that gives credit to women and girls’ other attributes. Devote sections to cultivating their minds, creativity, social conscience, resilience and knowledge of the world, as well as playing on their capacity to empathise, laugh, have fun and contribute something positive.
Source: weheartit.com
Rachel Hills shares her personal experience of BDD (body dysmorphic disorder).
When you’re actually living through something, it feels like some dark, impossible shame you could never speak openly to anyone about. Then there’s the stage of recovery where the whole event seems far enough in the past that the stigma begins to evaporate and you can speak about it freely. And eventually, you get to the point where it seems so long ago that it no longer feels relevant, almost as if it happened to another person.
I think I feel a bit like Rachel in a way when she says she finds it hard to open up, and not because she’s ashamed or doesn’t want to relive past events she’d rather keep locked up in her 16-year-old diary, but because it’s had to relate to who we were in the past. How do you speak for someone who exists outside of your here and now? Just as it’s difficult to comprehend and interpret another person’s state of mind, so too is it problematic to try and justify the actions of your former self. I, like many other girls, feel so far removed from who we once were, and that’s why many things are left unsaid.
Conversely, Anna Sussman writes of the eating disorder cliche – ‘Me Too’ Syndrome. I would really love to hear everyone’s thoughts on this one! Do you think there’s an E.D cliche? Or are you more partial to an open book policy? Over sharing? Or over people not caring?
Look familiar?
Apple, Pear, or Eggplant? I never understood why people compare their bodies with the shapes of fruit. I get the need to associate the female form with a deliciously sweet snack, but I’ve never felt these so called guides to female body shapes ever achieve anything.
Not satisfied? You might have more luck with something like Trinny & Susannah’s body shape guide, which has 12 possible forms—but, if you’re like me, you’ll still be left untyped. This isn’t because of your crazy, freakish body type that is unfit to be clothed. It’s because your body is probably a combination of run-of-the-mill (I mean that with love!) without a particular feature that calls for attention, and certain features that you may want to highlight or conceal but that don’t land you in one of the classic types.
Photo: flickafame @ flickr.com
For your reading pleasure!
Should we tell little girls they’re pretty? I mean, of course we should! Right? Who doesn’t love the feeling of an adoring looker ogling at the outfit which took you like, FOREVER TO PUT TOGETHER OMG. Compliments are like big soul injections that pump you full of self esteem juice. That person actually noticed that I exfoliated – squee! But does a focus on a person’s outward beauty devalue their inner beauty?
Teaching girls that their appearance is the first thing you notice tells them that looks are more important than anything. It sets them up for dieting at age 5 and foundation at age 11 and boob jobs at 17 and Botox at 23. As our cultural imperative for girls to be hot 24/7 has become the new normal, American women have become increasingly unhappy. What’s missing? A life of meaning, a life of ideas and reading books and being valued for our thoughts and accomplishments.
Word.
Whilst we’re on the topic of self-image, Liz Jones has set off a firecracker with her criticism of a young girl’s choice to forego wearing makeup. She argues that an impeccable appearance is mandatory for front of house positions, and any deviation from any implicit and explicit uniform codes is an insult to the company you work for, and your customers.
Women who feel no compunction to improve what nature bestowed upon them are, in my experience, arrogant, lazy or deluded, and frequently all three.
This is especially true in the service industry, where a bare face is no more acceptable than a dentist with halitosis. It tells me that a woman doesn’t really care what others think of her.
Wearing even a little make-up shows respect to others, demonstrating on the outside that you are professional, a stickler for detail, someone who doesn’t cut corners.But there is one aspect of Ms Stark’s case that I do find puzzling: why does any intelligent women (whatever her workplace) need a manual to tell them what is or isn’t acceptable. Surely common sense should do?
This reminds me of something Gala Darling said in her podcast Love and Sequins. She says that keeping up appearances is just good manners. I work in retail. I wear makeup. I wear nice clothes. The world would be a perfect place if strangers could peer into our souls and tell that we have integrity, that we’re intelligent and caring individuals. Unfortunately, this isn’t how customer service works. You are judged upon your presentation, and this applies to other social situations too, if not most. I admire any girl who has the guts to walk past the mirror in the morning and be completely comfortable in her skin, head held high with a natural self confidence. However, I just haven’t reached that point yet (and I also really, really love wearing bright red lipstick!) What are your opinions? How much makeup do you wear to work?
Kristin Wigg as the hot but super awkward Annie with the cookie-cutter hair cut. Ugh.
Aaaaaannndd….yet another article on Bridesmaids, which I totally thought was over-hyped, but then I changed my mind about half-way through the movie and decided I loved its’ honest display of how complex, skrewy yet incredibly awesome and supportive female relationships can be. I saw a band-wagon travelling past and I have jumped straight on. I really appreciated how the token unattractive side-kicks were actually more realistic in the looks department, because honestly, it’s kind of an insult when Amanda Seyfried, Anne Hathaway and Emma Watson play that part. I really hope the success of Bridesmaids paves the success for more female comedians who don’t rely upon their Oscar-ready looks.
Why blogs for women don’t do shit for equality. I’m going to play the devil’s advocate here. I’d have to say this blog is exclusive – it’s written by a female, for other females, and doesn’t really take into account a male audience. Susannah Breslin, whom I don’t usually agree with but I consider an awesomely fierce superwoman regardless, argues that this withdrawal from the real world and into ‘girl world’ is actually counterproductive. I used to live near the beach in Sydney, and there was this amazing women’s pool that I used to frequent in the summer. It was a place where you could go and sit and relax in the company of other women and not have to worry about getting perved on by creepy guys and just be you. I really liked going there because most women dropped their judgmental egos at the door, so there was less pressure to have a bangin’ bikini body. You were at complete liberty to let those jiggly bits do their thang and not have to worry about an audience. So I do believe we need these spaces. I do believe they are havens. What do you think of blogs for women? Or of spaces for women in general?
Photo: Jezebel.com
Lady Ga-Ga: brazen opportunist or LGBT warrior? I will admit with my duck-taped nipples aimed high that I am a fan of the Ga-Ga. She has a talent for wearing outrageous get-ups, manipulating the media with imaginary penises and writing ridiculous songs that are just. So. Damned. Catchy! In her interview with The Advocate, Gaga says she’s bisexual. Personally, I feel bisexuals cop a lot of flack. They represent the ‘other’. They’re not gay, they’re not straight. How do you pigeon hole them? They are neither black nor white, bu encompass both sides of the sexuality spectrum. So why the lack of support for bisexuals? I mean, the LGBT symbol is a rainbow for diversity, right?
This up and coming documentary about body image in the media looks interesting, and I like that it targets women of all ages and not just young girls.
This is the show that is on every lesbian’s mind this week. The Candy Bar Girls appears to be a British carbon copy of The Real L Word, but don’t judge it until you see it. Candy Bar Girls is a lot more of a docu-style reality television show, with a Big Brother style voice over narrating with this slightly David Attenborough tone (Ah! And here you have the lesbian in her natural habitat!) and for those reasons seems a lot less forced than The Real L Word. Another well-scripted reality television show, or an actual chance to transgress the lesbian stereotype bla bla bla yadda yadda patriarchy prejudice hoojey-ma-flop. Check out the cringe-worthy promo below, but then go and watch the whole thing.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuGKuG3IUwo]
Oh and check this out – FIGHT CLUB FOR THE 20TH CENTURY LADY.
Photo: Powerhouse Museum
Happy Sunday ladies! x
Read MoreIt is a deliciously sunny Sunday in Perth. Today, I celebrated the most laziest day of the week by sleeping in till 11, eating dahl, going to the gym, and just generally dedicating myself to feeling awesome. I hope you’re enjoying your Sunday too! Here’s some digital food for thought.
Who/What/Wear? Do the clothes maketh the man or woman? Do we perform gender with polka dots? With frills? With certain colours? I like wearing pants, suspenders and big chunky men’s watches. But I have this long mop of hair which is this huge gender signifier which alerts people to the fact that I am a woman. Hear me roar I WHIP MY HAIR BACK AND FORTH. Furthermore, how do you perform sexual orientation? Dress as a girl, and it will be assumed that you’re attracted to the opposite sex. Will clothing or hair EVER be neutral? I honestly doubt it. What do you think? (This Aint’ Livin’)
Anna over at the Pursuit of Harpyness brings the forth the latest instalment of the Feminism Live Blogging series to talk about the meaning of feminism and the different branches of activism. Is there a place for all of them? Do they cross-over? What constitutes membership of either? Is professional feminism firmly rooted in white privilege (thus entrenched in inequality)? (Pursuit of Harpyness)
Photo: Alicia Canter for the Guardian
The Thought Catalogue has a few hilarious, a few poignant, and a few fairly WTF observations about girlhood. (The Thought Catalogue)
….And a few as equally LOL-worthy and tear-jerkingly endearing about boys. What is it with men and laundry?!?!? And yes, they mention peeing standing up! (The Thought Catalogue)
Gay marriage and why it should make the world do a happy dance! Jessica Irvine writes about how gay marriage actually benefits the whole of society and even the economy, whether you’re in a same-sex relationship or not. (Sydney Morning Herald)
Lesbians: We make the world a better place. Source: Weheartit.com
A delightful post in which The Frisky addresses the most annoying declaration of all time. Every time a straight girl says “I wish I were a lesbian! It’d be so much easier!”, I die a little inside. I then quickly recover and want to punch walls. These sorts of attitudes are the bane of any lesbian’s existence. It devalues the relationship between two women as frivolous, lacking in emotional depth, and imposes this sort of ‘play-date’ scenario. Is a lesbian relationship easier? I don’t think I’ve ever experienced so much drama! (The Frisky)
Guys can be selfish, crude, dirty, sneaky and even abusive at their worst. But women can be all of these things, too. Women lie. Women cheat. Women steal. Lesbians do all of the above. And the worst part is they will do it with your best friend, your ex-girlfriend or someone you probably hang out with on a regular basis, because the dating pool is exponentially smaller, especially if you live in a small town.
Fox fans unite! This post contributes yet another explanation as to why we can’t watch Megan lie about on motor cycles in tank tops and short shorts. (Early Bird Catches the Worm)
A few weeks ago I caught a snippet from a Shia LaBeouf interview in the back pages of Famous, claiming that “Megan [Fox] developed this Spice Girl strength, this woman-empowerment [stuff] that made her feel awkward about her involvement with Michael [Bay] who some people think is a very lascivious filmmaker, the way he films women,” but wasn’t able to locate it again til this week.
This once again feeds into that gendered school of thought, where it’s believed that chicks should be grateful for what they’re given, and offer up their empty bowls for some more sub-standard slop whilst pleading “Please sir, can I have some more?” Or perhaps that Megan should have known that she was going to be eye candy, because Hollywood is misogynistic and it’ll never change and bla bla bla yadda yadda. I can’t claim to actually know what shit went down between Bay and Fox, but I’m always interested in hearing what other girls think of Megan Fox! Girls seems to either hate her with the fire of a thousand thrush infections, or are forever spamming the Tumblrverse with images of her in a state of undress. Shoot me your thoughts!
Photo: Wenn.com
An interview with my favourite Hello Kitty human incarnation, Gala Darling! (About Face)
I would absolutely love to go see this photography exhibition in London about girls and their bedrooms. I really believe a person’s bedroom is a true indicator of their personality, and a very, very private place indeed. I love taking photos of mine! (The Guardian)
An interview with fashion blogger turned girl-culture guru Tavi, in which she talks about the global phenomenon of Slutwalks and dressing like a grandma. I wish I was this cool at 15 (heck, I wish I were as cool as Tavi now!) (Refinery 29)
And here’s a little booster shot so you can finish Sunday on a happy note! Psych Central dispels some nasty rumours surrounding happiness. (Psych Central)
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