Emma Watson Addresses Gender Equality During UN Speech

The 26-year-old British actress and influential women’s rights activist, Emma Watson, delivered an important speech at the UN General Assembly in support of her HeForShe campaign. As a UN Goodwill Ambassador, Watson has become nothing short of a powerful figure in advocating for gender equality by insisting that although we’ve come far in reducing many…

HeForShe: Emma Watson Launches UN Women’s Campaign

Some might deem it magical that a child star should grow up to be as socially conscious and determined to do as much good in the world as the character for which she became famous for portraying. That is apparently what happened to Emma Watson, the young actress whose name the world learned when she…

Game of thrones: war, dragons, sex, and feminism?

Game of Thrones: War, Dragons, Sex, and Feminism?

Game of Thrones has been widely popular series on HBO since the first season aired in 2011. Recently, there has been debate about the feminism (or lack thereof) present on the show. Diverse female characters offer an opportunity to look at the growth and change in these women’s lives. Comparing the fourth season to the…

Kill la kill and the male gaze: fanservice vs. Feminism

Kill la Kill and the Male Gaze: Fanservice vs. Feminism

Anime has long been criticized as being a tad misogynistic.  Most of it is aimed at the male otaku demographic and as such is full of scantily clad women flashing their underwear for a voyeuristic audience’s benefit.  Sexual humor is common even in anime meant for children with Brock in Pokémon and Master Roshi in…

Not a girl irl: how online gaming can level the sexist playing field

Not A Girl IRL: How Online Gaming Can Level the Sexist Playing Field

Women are represented pretty poorly in the media. Their roles are neglected in every genre of film from comedy to action, downgraded to sexual prizes won by the male lead, or the nagging “straight-man” foil to a charismatic Adam Sandler-alike. Screenplays either completely gloss over any attempts to create depth, or get praised for having…

On the rape of ms. Marvel

On the Rape of Ms. Marvel

Although we may be told otherwise, there are still many major issues regarding equality between men and women in the Western world; issues which many would argue stem from a male dominated, misogynistic, global mass media industry. The comic book industry in particular is under almost constant scrutiny for its lack of female artists and…