Femininity and sexism

Why are qualities that are considered stereotypically feminine so often dismissed with negativity? Why is it that crying is weak, and why is it that even now a woman is often the one responsible for affection and nurturing? The only answer I can come up with is that sexism still plays a big role in […]

What If You Were Friends with Ingrid Nilsen or Caitlyn Jenner?

This week I’m so inspired by Ingrid Nilsen. She shared a video about her coming out journey that is really sweet and beautiful. Nilsen courageously wore her heart on her sleeve talking about the inner struggle she experienced. When a friend or family member shares their inner being, let’s be there for them. How can […]

Caitlyn Jenner’s still Ideal Beauty Image

Before you tell me how to do it better, before you lay out your big plans for changing, fixing, and improving me, before you teach me how to pick myself up and dust myself off so that I can be shiny and successful—know this: I’ve heard it before. I’ve been graded, rated and ranked. Coached, […]

Interview with actress Julia Cho: I am forging my own path

Please tell us about yourself and what you do? I am an actor, an American-born child of Korean immigrant parents, and a native of Los Angeles. I am also a founding member of Artists at Play, a theatre-producing collective based in L.A. that presents work by Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) artists.   Can you […]

Low-Fat Love 101: Pop Culture as a Gendered Landscape

I haven’t posted a new blog for a couple of months because I have been finishing up a couple of book projects that have taken up my time. I hope to get back to monthly blog posts here but in the meantime I’d love to share what I have been working on, which in many […]

awww, you’re so cute!

46% of 9-11 year-olds are “sometimes” or “very often” on diets, and 82% of their families are “sometimes” or “very often” on diets 42% of 1st – 3rd grade girls want to be thinner 51% of 9-10 year old girls feel better about themselves when they are dieting 9% of 9 year olds have vomited […]

Paying It Forward

The Spring Lobby Day with the Eating Disorders Coalition (EDC) is coming up, and it’s got me reflecting on how I got involved as an activist, writer, and advocate. In 2007, a friend was trying to organize an event for Eating Disorder Awareness Week, and she was trying to get guest speakers to come and […]

You Are Probably Not a Good Enough Feminist

This Guest Post graciously submitted and re-posted by Kate Fridkis EatTheDamnCake. I’m beginning to have no idea what “feminism” means. Elizabeth Wurtzel wrote this predictably inflammatory essay in The Atlantic about why some fictional-sounding wealthy housewives are responsible for the “war on women.” In it she said, “Let’s please be serious grown-ups: real feminists don’t depend on men.” […]

Heavy Petting

Sons and daughters are different.  That seems like an obvious statement but as the mother of a son, who did my best to raise him in an environment as free from gender stereotypes as possible, whenever I come across evidence of what seems to be a universal difference between boys and girls (genitalia and hormones […]