For nerds (or listeners of Reply All), both of these concepts are possibly old news, but as I think about the persistent problems that enable really big problems, I keep finding myself thinking about two concepts: the Dunning-Kruger Effect and a mathematical equation by David Robert Grimes that illustrates how many people would have to … Continue reading
This week Miami is having a Women in Leadership Symposium, “Making Our Mark.” The keynote speaker is Geena Davis, so you can bet I jumped all over that registration. In my work on the representation of girls and women in literature and other media, the Geena Davis Institute on Gender and Media has been such … Continue reading
I, too, was called bossy growing up. I am still sometimes called bossy. Sometimes I call myself bossy. Sometimes I am bossy. Now that the seemingly required disclaimer about my own personal history with “bossy” is covered, I would like to say this: I think “Ban Bossy” is disempowering. This is not to say that … Continue reading
Last weekend, Julio and I had a movie marathon of the Scream Trilogy (technically it’s not a trilogy anymore, but old habits die hard). I watch these movies every October and usually at some other point during the year. I love them and it was really fun to share them with Julio because, having only … Continue reading
I’ve been waiting for this since Monday, actually. Jezebel has weighed in on the Bright Young Things backlash: “The Right Wing Disinformation Campaign Against Victoria’s Secret” All week, I’ve also grown increasingly antsy about how the discussion of the story got more and more hyperbolic and the age of the girls discussed dropped from teens … Continue reading
Please see my response to the backlash against the backlash here: Click! [Quick update/clarification: Victoria’s Secret is pointing out that the Bright Young Things line is not explicitly for teens, it’s just part of their PINK brand. Nonetheless, their CFO has stated that they are marketing toward 15 and 16 year old girls (see below) … Continue reading
When I saw the trailer for The Call starring Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin (embedded below), I was kind of horrified. It looked so violent and like it played upon very real fears about abduction and violence against girls. Yet, because I study the portrayal of girls in the media, I also felt that I … Continue reading
Happy Sunday! (Also, Happy St. Patrick’s Day) I’m still working through a ton of papers and things getting ready for my conference season starting soon. Posts will resume this week. In the meantime, watch this TED talk by Tavi Gevinson, editor of Rookie Mag. It’s wonderful! (found via Upworthy and my friend Nevada on Facebook) … Continue reading
A couple of days ago I was watching The Daily Show when getting ready to walk to campus and I saw a trailer for Janie Face to Face. As a 90’s kid I was hooked. I downloaded the book to my Kindle with embarrassing speed, as well as the 2012 short e-book What Janie Saw, and … Continue reading
Note to anyone reviewing Brave: the phrase “hits the target” has already been used. A lot. Don’t do it. Also unbearable puns. No. I don’t think I’ve ever left a movie feeling quite so confusingly neutral before. I spent the larger part of Brave playing a sort of mental ping pong, bouncing between disappointment or … Continue reading
Ph.D.s and Pigtails 