**NO Spoiler Alert**

Since I reviewed the first theatrical installment of this series in 2009, it is now only fair to give it one last look as the new Breaking Dawn - Part 2 filters its way through movie theaters, into the hearts and minds of...

Oh, how natural it seems when women and girls are so damn mean to each other. Seemingly more mean, underhanded and brutal than men are to one another. More deliberate. Yet often more unconsciously, horribly, mean.

Of course this is a sweeping generalization. There are a lot of good people...

The last time I compiled a small list of women-empowering or even ostensibly feminist movies was in 2009. Since it's been a while, it might be prudent and even fun to remind ourselves that movies and our corresponding culture are becoming more woman-friendly in ways that inspire us...

*SPOILER ALERT: Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James

**Disclaimer: This piece is not intended to criticize the various kinky-but-consensual sex acts of women and men. Instead, I aim to dissect the power relations implicit in this novel -- inside and outside the bedroom -- and what it communicates about...

With the revitalization of Titanic 3D in theaters recently, we re-inscribe visions of romantic yesteryears -- when women were pretty pets of rich men or otherwise living property. But hey, at least they received preferential treatment in life or death ship disasters!

Yay.

Yet, this is not exactly...

As a certified (if not unorthodox) feminist with a women's studies degree, I could not help but gobble up Elizabeth "Lily" Hills recent book called 'The Body Love Manual' -- a work of monumental importance to modern women everywhere. A veritable instruction...

Marriage is a complicated institution, one that used to unite lovers, forge alliances, and create family loyalties. Throughout history, it has been both sacred and purely secular in purpose. A lifelong partnership that evolved through various manifestations, marriage has meandered in and out of love, business, betrothals, and politics, finding...

Remember the days when female celebrities were curvy and beautiful and nobody cared? Or rather, when they were curvy and beautiful, and people appreciated their unique appeal rather than critically dissecting it?

Many of us cannot recall such a time. That Utopian vision of Hollywood glamor occurred many decades ago,...

Words are never just words. Subtle distinctions can make all the difference when conceptualizing important meanings, especially in the personal and the political realm.

The abortion debate, for one, is a perfect example of how labels carry considerable weight in terms of identifying beliefs or even credibility. Most of us...

Is there such a thing as a 'stay-at-home feminist'? In the day and age where women's empowerment seems to equate to climbing corporate ladders and breaking through glass ceilings, being an exclusive housewife has become a new taboo. Yet women who do the 'double day' or otherwise work and perform...

Breasts are old news. Breast feeding is also old news, as women have been performing the sacred task since time immemorial. Yet sometimes we find that we need to remind ourselves of what breasts are really for: babies. Which makes one wonder why men have nipples, provoking the question of...

How can we measure social equality and feminist progress? Does one calculate forward thinking by measuring the average salary of one gender versus the other? Can we take a poll on how men perceive women and how women perceive women? Or should we just count the women leaders, or those...

America is obsessed with numbers. As such, numbers have loaded meanings, and on a larger scale, imply image. In terms of body image, most of us want to be thin, and so our definition of thinness rests in the form of the number that we may read on a scale...

In light of the recent international commotion including current events and major upheavals spanning the last few thousand years (a rather short interval in the history of humanity), many of us have wondered how we're going to get ourselves out of this mess. How indeed will we resolve the wars,...

In the first and second wave feminist movements, social progress and women's empowerment appeared to be cut and dry: give us equal rights and opportunities, give us the vote, give us the choice, and treat us with respect. In these terms, we seem to have come quite a long way...

A subtle phenomenon is emerging in America today. So subtle that it may practically fly under the radar: creeping up on us like the most normal of practices. Indeed, almost anything can seem *normal* if it occurs with increasing frequency to the point of general unquestioned acceptance.

You must be...

"One must suffer for beauty!" My mother habitually quotes as she yanks at my tortured scalp during some routine 'maintenance.' A hairstylist for many years, her remark has always been joyfully sarcastic... and rather true. Without a doubt, women are well versed in contemporary grooming mythology and know firsthand how...

As semi-inspiring as it may seem, the idea that women almost dominate is not actually a slogan to lead the new generation of powerful women. Instead, it is a simple description of our current stature in the United States workforce. According to an article by Karen Kornbluh and Rachel Homer...