If the Clothes Fit: A Feminist Takes on Fashion

“My passion for fashion can sometimes seem a shameful secret life,” wrote Princeton University English professor Elaine Showalter in 1997. And indeed, after these words appeared in Vogue, ...Read More

Women vs. People

It’s time for a round-up of all the reader submissions illustrating the annoying habit of having products and products-for-women. The phenomenon illustrates the way we continue to think of men as ...Read More

Beauty and the New LEGO Line for Girls

A few years back we published this fantastic ad for LEGOs as an example of gender-neutral advertising. It appeared in 1981; during my childhood, I’m happy to say. The ad offers nice context for ...Read More

Marketing by Masculinizing the Feminine

Elliott J. sent in a comic by Kris Straub, who posts at chainsawsuit, making fun of the way that marketers often try to masculinize products that are associated with women, making them safe for men ...Read More

In 2012, Go Forth and Mentor!

By Donna Brazile My mom, Jean, was the strongest and the most amazing woman I’ve ever known. And I’ve known a lot of strong and amazing women: Bella Abzug, Coretta Scott King, Shirley Chisholm, ...Read More

Happy-To-Be-Nappy Barbie

This week, a group of black women in Columbus, Ga., started a campaign to donate 40 black Barbie dolls to young black girls. And here’s the twist: Before gifting the Barbies, the women used ...Read More

In Time for the Holidays, One Toy Store Nixes Pink and Blue

With the holidays fast approaching, many folks will find themselves standing in the aisles of a toy store faced with one big question: boy or girl? The majority of big-box toy stores–and even ...Read More

Does Feminism Need a James Bond?

When Daniel Craig referred to his Bond character as a “sexist pig“—and then dressed in drag for public service announcement about gender inequality (below)–it was pretty big news. And ...Read More

Predators Are Telling Children “You Are Special.” Why Aren’t Our Communities?

The most powerful three words of a child predator are: “You are special.” When a predator tells a child she is “special,” he is using the ultimate con, filling a huge void in a vulnerable ...Read More

Black Women, Tyrese Wants To Save You From Your Terrible Independence

For the past few weeks, as part of my project exploring black women, relationships and marriage, I’ve been immersing myself in books, films, blog posts and other media on the subject. Last week ...Read More

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