However you feel about Amy Schumer’s comedy, it’s hard to deny that she is controversial. But, her ability to use comedy to bring feminism, as well as other current issues, to the forefront is provoking discussion. And that’s a win — not just for comedy, but for the feminist movement, as well. Women in comedy…
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There’s a very good chance that Harper Lee never meant for you to read this book. This is an important fact to bear in mind when considering cracking the spine of Go Set A Watchman, the “sequel” to Lee’s classic 55-year-old novel, To Kill A Mockingbird. It is a fact that I didn’t know when…
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The essence of feminism is clear and simple: equal political, economic and social rights among genders. A fight for equal rights across all fields, with a focus on the status of women. A fight against sexism and the objectification of women. Full stop. But alas, as with every issue open to the scrutiny of the…
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Disgraced wellness blogger Belle Gibson has promised to tell all in an exclusive interview with Tara Brown on 60 Minutes this Sunday night. Whether you believe that giving air-time to someone who has lied about having terminal cancer is right or wrong, it promises to be a talking point. Gibson admitted in April this…
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Anybody keeping up on pop culture news has most likely heard that NBC has cancelled Bryan Fuller’s operatic adaptation of Thomas Harris’ Hannibal series. The series’ third season returned to the aforementioned network on June fourth, to 2.57 million viewers, and saw just 1.6 million the next week’s episode, which aired during an NBA final….
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Everyone knows that complex and empowering female characters are difficult to find in mainstream films. But there are some who have stood out and become the changing faces of feminism in cinema. In this regular column, Jade Bate looks at her favourite film heroines who are strong, empowering and kickass. Chinese cinema has had a…
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While bingeing on Orange Is the New Black on Netflix I’ve fallen for the show and its “diverse” cast. I’ve relished seeing women of all ages, all sizes, all sexualities, women of colour and, of course, seeing trans advocate Laverne Cox killing it. I didn’t really think about what OINTB wasn’t doing well until I…
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Apparently the age-old adage of ‘sex sells’ is no longer quite right. Nowadays, gender sells, with feminism increasingly being used as a marketing tool. The merging of feminism and advertising has been called “femvertising”. Women as a consumer group are a $14 trillion market globally, and this number is expected to rise in the future….
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WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Avengers: Age of Ultron. Let’s talk about the Avengers. By now, you’ve probably read a dozen reviews, watched numerous clips, seen snippets of interviews, had the argument about which superpower you’d like to have all over again, and maybe even seen the actual film. Or maybe you’ve stopped paying attention…
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‘Here, let me hold it – my arm is longer than yours.’ Three grinning faces crowd together at the bottom of the screen, the angle tilted just enough so that the majestic Eiffel Tower looms above their floating heads in the background. Kccch goes the simulated sound of the shutter opening and closing. Kccch. Kccch….
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The current “golden age of television” has brought us a barrage of addictive series begging for a lengthy binge-watch. These shows are marked by their compelling plots and an increasing number of complex, flawed and brilliant female characters (hooray!). Here’s a snapshot of just a few. Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) – Mad Men Peggy Olson…
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On the rear of my car, there is a sticker declaring how much I love my box. I’m not just talking about the hatchback or the boxes of wine it is meant to denote (cheers, university Goonion.) This sticker also connotes the admiration I have for my vagina, my vulva and all the other intricate…
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Can feminists be funny? Of course. Feminism is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. That’s the dictionary definition. Here is a list of awesome people who are two of my favourite things: advocates of gender equality and who are fucking funny. Oh, and they’re not afraid to drop…
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In recent years, director Tim Burton has made some truly appalling remakes; films filled with over-the-top CGI and best characterised as nonsensical insanity. His tired muses, Johnny Depp and (now ex-partner) Helena Bonham Carter, recycled zany character after zany character in lacklustre films like Alice in Wonderland (2010) and The Dark Shadows (2012), although the…
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