women.of.media

Brilliant.

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 13:32:20 -0400

Brilliant.

The Magical World of Fashion

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 19:47:22 -0400

Fashion is a powerful world. Yes it drives consumerism and gives us a distorted image of the female body, but it’s also a magical place where powerful women congregate.

Out of love for beautiful close and classic shoes, women’s drive and energy is in full throttle.

The industry depends on women. POWERFUL women.

I mean we all know the big name designers… Coco Chanel, Pheobe Philo, Diane von Ferstenberg, Stella McCartney (an active feminist to boot), Muiccia Prada… these are women that have single headedly shaped the way you and I dress over the decade. Talk about power… Talk about talent.

But the world of fashion doesn’t end at big designer names and the models who bring their visions to life. It opens up a vortex where female writers, photographers, pr reps, instagramers, bloggers etc can congregate. A place where they, themselves, can also build a name for themselves. Where they, themselves, can inspire other women.

Never underestimate the power of female collaboration…it may just make an industry

Some of my favourites are:

http://atlantic-pacific.blogspot.ca/

Blair puts the leopard and bold colours into business chic.

http://www.thedaybookblog.com/

Sydney makes motherhood look effortlessly chic.

http://7daysofchic.wordpress.com/

Steph makes chic a lifestyle for the everyday woman.

Facebook “links” to classroom learning; Are social networking sites targeting the female brain?

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 11:28:00 -0400

The developmental advantages that have given girls greater school success are in danger of being compromised by too much social networking.

The correlation between a girl’s superior academic skills noted in Michael Gurian and Kelly Stevens’ ethnographic study with the growing number of concerns analysts have with social networking supports the concern.

Associate Professor of Western University’s Journalism & Media Studies Romayne Smith-Fullerton has started to enforce a strict no laptop, no cell phone policy in her classes after noticing face-to-face learning was starting to become “a bit of a lost-art”.

Smith-Fullerton says, “I think technology affects students’

Interpersonal ability,
Their abilities to concentrate and
Their interest in and aptitude for deep analytical discussions and thinking”

The very three impacts Smith-Fullerton finds technology capable of, are the three superior skills Gurian and Stevens found girls to have. Their study of grade 6, 7 and 8 classes found girls to excel in literacy skills, social cognition and staying focused on the task-at-hand.

Through the past decade, various studies – in cohesion with Smith-Fullerton’s observations - have found social networking sites to be guilty of eroding each one.

1. Reading and Writing

An English Spelling Society study suggests Facebook is trudging all over students’ grammar; on social networking sites there is “no need to correct mistakes or conform to regular spelling rules”.

And the zest for a good read may just be following grammar accuracy out the door. A National Literacy Trust study suggests the next vampire-esque inspired series may be endangered because teens just don’t read.

After surveying 3,000 students aged nine to 16, they found 20 per cent of students never read books and 67 per cent surf instead of read.

Browsing over reading. Headlines over chapters. Snippets over novels.

2. Social Skills

According to a Stanford University Study, social networking sites do just that. It reported: “spending many hours […] using online communication was statistically associated with a series of negative experiences:

Feeling less social success
Not feeling normal,
Having more friends whom parents perceive as bad influences
Sleeping less

California State University Professor Larry D. Rosen supports the study. He told Time Magazine: “Teens who use Facebook more often show more narcissistic tendencies [and] more signs of […] antisocial behaviors, mania and aggressive tendencies”.

Further - girls are socially motivated; when they have better relationships, girls show better attitudes, effort, and performance.

Thus, to affect a girl’s superior social cognition is to disturb her overall success

3. Attention Span

Rosen’s study also shows negative impacts on a girl’s ability to concentrate

He says “We have created a world where [students] cannot focus”. The Pew Research Center suggests 90 per cent of teachers believe Rosen’s claim, describing their students as “an easily distracted generation with short attention spans” (The New York Times).

According to Smith-Fullerton, as parents and educators post-pone filtering a girl’s social media use, their advantages are dwindling. She says, “Manners are not innate; they’re learned. If we do not say and demonstrate we value politesse, then it will disappear”. Through repetition, the boost girls once got from social interaction is replaced.

The competitive edge girls once held over their male counterparts are in danger.

The Frenemy.: Dating In Your Twenties

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 23:39:12 -0400

The Frenemy.: Dating In Your Twenties:

I could not have said it better myself

thefrenemy:

First, you should let it go. If you can’t find a bridge to ceremoniously drop a box of mementos and ticket stubs from somebody you love(d) or hate(d) and used to kiss, imagine putting that person in a large burlap sack and throwing them off some high mountain. Because this is in your mind,…

Backlash Mounts Against Victoria's Secret's “Sexy” Teen Underwear Line

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:45:23 -0400

Backlash Mounts Against Victoria's Secret's “Sexy” Teen Underwear Line:

To the power of social media ladies and gents!

The Feministing Five: Zerlina Maxwell

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 14:03:38 -0400

The Feministing Five: Zerlina Maxwell:

Now here’s what a female journalist should act like.

This video enrages me. CNN’s Poppy Harlow goes against a...

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:54:00 -0400

This video enrages me. CNN’s Poppy Harlow goes against a journalist’s “fundamental purpose”, according to The Canadian Standard Broadcast Council:

“to disseminat[e] in a democracy; to enable people to know what is happening, and to understand events so that the [public] may form their own conclusions”.

Harlow suggests we should feel sympathy for these RAPISTS.

Reporters are there to describe what’s happening on scene. Not to make judgements, or commentary like “It was incredibly difficult to watch” (repeated twice) “This was an incredibly emotional day”.

Broadcast Journalist Training 101: You’re opinions are not for broadcast news.

Harlow is there to describe the scene - not her feelings of sympathy - for US to “form conclusions”.

CNN prides itself on being an unbiased news broadcast. CNN’s website dubs it broadcast as a “history-making coverage of news events” that “shape[s] the world”.

Meaning, they know their power. Their influence over the public’s opinion. Over our opinion. A powerful job not to be taken lightly!

But there is a bright side: Harlow has opened up dialogue between feminists. Between Human Rights Activists. Tweet’s have been roaring!

Her poor-professionalism and complete disregard of her ethical code has made the opportunity to remind the haters (such as herself) that female issues are not just female movements, they are human movements. A movement that still must be thriving, seeing as men are still being supported by the big-haunchos for a crime.

We need more equality. More dynamically powered business meetings. More fresh opinions in the board room. And more of a chance that everyone’s issues and opinions are being covered in such broadcasts. Humans benefit here - not just females.

Isn’t this worth fighting for? Together? As humans - not as a woman or a man?

“Be True, Be You and THINK about what you’re watching” - WOM

Fantastic Feminists!

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:42:25 -0500

I would have to agree sktagg23:

theloveinsideoflove

lacigreen

mumimafeminist

baby-femmes

lipstick-feminists

diaryofanarabfeminist

feministkoala

im-an-accident-waiting-to-happen

starsoverparis

separatepassions

Absolutely Unacceptable.

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:40:58 -0500

Absolutely Unacceptable.

I like it.

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:34:52 -0500

I like it.

Stronger Together.

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:05:17 -0500

I recently wrote an article on a University student who went out of her way to help a sister out.

Kierston Drier taped a letter to a bathroom stall that women had wrote their struggles across.

She decided to write back when she saw the “huge volume of responses” to the question, “What was the worst day of your life?” - dark answers of rape, eating disorders and loss.

(See my full conversation with Drier here: http://www.jnmjournal.com/from-bathroom-stall-to-the-world-wide-web/ )

During our conversation, one thing Drier said really stuck with me:

“We are stronger together than we are apart”.

And the examples of women inspiring women just kept adding up.

Like the Toronto’s Women’s Bookstore Inspiring a Female Musician and TV Reporter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZcSE6zvgLfY

or Refashionista inspiring my friends latest bobbie - refashioning, revamping & re-sewing clothes!

… or Amy Mckissock’s now 800+ fanbase inspiring me to keep up with my blog!

We really are stronger together than we are apart! And don’t you forget it!

Best Explanation of being 20-something. Ever.

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 20:26:54 -0500

Best Explanation of being 20-something. Ever.

BEYONCE BROKE SPORTS

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:50:19 -0500

rgr-pop:

ACTUALLY JUST DISMANTLED PATRIARCHY

hahaha

But I can’t resist… Have to play Devil’s...

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:29:11 -0500

But I can’t resist… Have to play Devil’s advocate… While Beyonce gave our representation a good boost last night… she doesn’t always. Here’s a fellow feminist’s hilarious response to “Run the World”. And dare I say - she kinda looks like Beyonce? Am I right?

These girls killed it last night. More people talking about...

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:23:32 -0500

These girls killed it last night. More people talking about their reunion than the Super Bowl? I think so! Now thats female empowerment.

7 Days of Chic

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:19:40 -0500

7 Days of Chic:

Love it when women turn their passion into a career.

rising star! ssarahndipity: Bringing you the latest on what...

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 19:15:30 -0500

rising star!

ssarahndipity:

Bringing you the latest on what hot topics are surfacing from the volcanoes of the Oakville region…

The Pursuit of Happiness is the newest “trend” out there. Dr....

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 13:19:00 -0500

The Pursuit of Happiness is the newest “trend” out there.

Dr. Oz says to eat Kale, The Secret says to think happy thoughts to get happy outcomes, The Dalai Lama says to help others, Oprah says to hang with friends…

The tips are everywhere!

But as I was ringing in grocery after grocery at my oh-so glamorous part-time job, I got to thinking… doesn’t all of these tips make the pursuit of happiness a never-ending journey, not a destination?

It’s almost like The Pursuit of Happiness is the new Vogue – a how to manual to look your best, feel your best, be your best.

But the thing is… with fashion, you always look the sexiest when you’re comfortable with what you’re wearing, when you’re rocking what you think looks great.

So the same goes with Happiness… who are these “experts” to say “how to be happy”; they’re mere suggestions which, in my mind, aren’t the all true.

I mean this whole Secret Thing… if I’m stressing about the future, I then start to get more stressed from the fact that my thoughts may lead to my own worst nightmare.

I mean I’m stressed just trying to turn this cycle into words…

I’m happy when…

I go to the bathroom on a freshly cleaned toilet

Or dress ridiculously to themed parties – not sexy ridiculous, plain ridiculous …

Or when I get to eat an entire box of KD because exam season is over

Or when I sing really loud in my car and try to catch the neighbouring drivers’ reaction

… And Dr. Oz didn’t suggest one of ‘em.

Aaron Swartz on misogyny in technology

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 14:36:34 -0500

Aaron Swartz on misogyny in technology

Even Anne Hathaway has to kick weak self-esteem!

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 23:55:29 -0500

Even Anne Hathaway has to kick weak self-esteem!