Arn't I A Woman?

One woman should never feel the ent ire plight of a gender, race, or class, or any other social  distinction. We look to Beyonce for answers because she surpassed the expectations of a white patriarchy. And when anyone achieves this feat, no matter what station predominates their existence we automatically look at them like a superhero. If someone can so seamlessly transcend these social barriers and distinctions we simultaneously shame ourselves for not overcoming more and hero-fy those that do. The truth is those that defy our parochial opinions on how far they deserve to go in our society- those that surprise us- do so through a random set of variables. I love Beyonce and I think we can all agree how otherworldly she appears when she transfixes our eyes on a series of bodily movements that are so flawless and poetic, so visceral and gritty- should everyone’s body be able to do this? The truth is we have to stop asking ‘why doesn’t Beyonce wear her hair m...

An oppressive , patriarchal society eagerly feasts on the violent inequality of its citizens ; indeed , its sole sustenance and nourishment is derived from it. That being said it would logically follow that this inequality need be disguised , nuanced , and complex to elude enemies and ensure max imum survival . What seems to be lac k ing in much discourse on sexism is how a patriarchal society affects men . Just li k e racism and classism , the rec ipients of inequality are not exclusively impacted. Yes , men hold the dominant positions of power in America and are the apparent beneficiaries of a sexist system. In reality the system is the only part of the mechanism that truly benefits because it perpetuates its own existence. In this patriarchal society men overwhelmingly benefit economically and socially , but on an existential level they are deprived. When men are denied access and the right to express their own feelings we strip them of ownership to t...

Remember when you were 12 and were a Mallrat and you hung out at stores like Hot Topic and Spencers? Shockingly those stores don't just fade into obscurity when you grow up. They're still there selling blacklights, vampire teeth, and fake vomit to adolescents and goth kids.                                      (Me and my friend in high school.) I only bring it up because I was unfortunately reminded of such stores when Buzzfeed posted this article today:  20 Examples That Spencers Gifts Hates Women It has a bunch of images of different shirts the retail chain is currently selling. Here are a few gems being offered (Get yr credit cards ready!): If you didn't just come back from vomiting your breakfast up in the bathroom, congratulations, you are a misogynist! The subsequent e-mail is for you as much as it is for Spencer Gifts.  I wrote this e-mail not...

Wow. It has been a really crazy, emotional, tantrum-inducing hormonal mind fuck couple of months. A million things have changed: I moved out of a house that I lived in for five years, a house that became a physical manifestation of my mental illness. I got a better job, one that doesn’t cause panic attacks, so that’s good. I (tried?) to quit smoking, quit drinking for a month, and went off my medication. This was all within like a 30 day period or less. Most of these changes invariably have “positive” values attached to them. But I’ve never been one to adapt to change well. I cling on very tightly to things I know, even if they are bad for me, because I know them, I know what to expect from them even if it is misery. I’ve been on a lot of new medication, new doses. And I had really bad side effects from them. I started to have bursts of rage, like rage I couldn’t control. My skin broke out which was horrible for my self-esteem. I felt like I couldn’t control anything, and wit...

        In the past few days, tensions have erupted on the American Idol set between new judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj. Rumors had been swirling since before there was even an official announcement of Minaj becoming a judge that the two were feuding. I didn't want to buy into it, I thought it was just the media creating this. Unfortunately, Nicki Minaj just proved me wrong.                                      Great move for female to female relationships Nicki.   For those who don’t know, one judge is the greatest selling female artist of all time, the other is a shock artist. One relies almost exclusively on her talent, hard work, and perseverance, while the other relies on pop hooks that will probably be irrelevant in two years, and outlandishness, the performance of it all. Now, here’s my problem: I don’t have a problem...

It’s really hard to be a girl in this world. You are held to standards that are impossible to reach. You are judged on your physical appearance so much that your personality becomes secondary. You are relegated to having specific feelings and behaviors and if you step outside of that box, you will have stigmas attached to you. People will judge your body. If you are loud or have opinions you will be seen as bossy and controlling. If you get angry or upset you will be seen as sensitive or touchy. If you are dominant in any way you will be seen as a bitch. If you want for any type of attention you will be seen as needy. You are expected to nurture the world and receive no nurturing in return. You are expected to be selfless. Your sexuality will be scrutinized. You can’t be weak or strong. People will take advantage of you, because you are just a girl. You will be pitted against other women and will learn to pit yourself against them in return. And you will buy into all o...

Anxiety disorders are kind of misunderstood. Everyone has anxiety, so I think some people don’t get what the big deal is. Anxiety disorders became a manipulation tool for doctors and the pharmaceutical industry more readily than other disorders that could necessitate taking medicine because there is ostensibly an entire population of people who have symptoms. So it has become this sort of ‘where’s waldo?’ of people who actually suffer from anxiety in their day-to-day lives.                                                  What your anxiety looks like in human form, what a jerk  Living with an anxiety disorder basically means that every moment of your life has you on the edge of your seat, and not in a fun, roller coaster way. You are constantly in this mode where you try to prepare for an assumed disaster that ...