Posts Tagged: representation
These are the Characters You’re Looking For
Warning: mild SPOILERS for the newest Star Wars film ahead When it was announced that Disney made a deal with George Lucas to buy out the Star Wars series, I was worried. I expected Disney to warp it into the common princess/damsel in distress trope, but Disney and J.J. Abrams came through and created a female character with more depth than many major film franchises are afraid to give to their female leads, including the original Star Wars trilogy. Not only that, but the cast chosen for Star Wars: The Force Awakens’s central trio is basically perfect and handle dumb questions like the one’s about BB-8’s gender (more correctly, lack thereof) with such grace. I also have high hopes for an open and repeatedly recognized gay relationship between a former… Read more »
The Impact of the “Badass” Women’s National Soccer Team
I’ve always found the saying “you play like a girl” one of the most ignorant “insults” someone could use. It’s pointless and the idea women cannot be just as athletic as men is outdated and I can’t believe it’s something we haven’t moved past already. But this summer, a phenomenal group of women showed the world what playing like a girl really means, and in doing so they became world champions. On Tuesday President Obama honored the U.S. Women’s National Team in the White House for winning the World Cup this summer. There is so much we can learn about inclusivity and athleticism from the example this team sets. I think it’s best summed up when the president said they showed the world playing like a girl means playing like… Read more »
Political Representation or the Lack Thereof
Hillary Clinton, Ben Carson, Bobby Jindal, and Carly Fiorina are the only people running for a presidential nomination who are not white men.* That’s 4 of 21. That’s 19%. There are 2 women running for president. That’s not even 10%. A recent photo series by British Elle awesomely illustrates the gender disparity in politics by taking pictures from different political happenings and taking all the men out. So often I hear people asking why it’s taking too long to make long term change in how our country deals with racism and sexism. I just want to show people these numbers. White men seem to continue benefit under the laws because they are the ones writing the laws. They wouldn’t even consider passing laws banning erectile dysfunction medication under the same… Read more »
What Banning Books in Schools Says About Who Matters in America
I got into a lot of trouble as a teenager. But this time was different. It was spring of 2008. I was sitting by our desktop, my father was getting a cup of water in the kitchen. I don’t remember exactly what we were talking about but I remember distinctly saying “I don’t like people, I’d rather read.” My father’s face after I made this statement was…distressing. My father will gladly tell anyone how I distress him with the things I say, but this proclamation, me preferring the company of books over people was beyond distressing to him. It’s not that I don’t like people, I just like books better. Any time I have to socialize, I agonise over the fact that I’m losing hours I could spend reading. Nine… Read more »
