As discussed in the audio lecture, after IA college student Zach Wahls testified about being raised by lesbian mothers before the IA judiciary about a proposed new law, the video of his testimony went viral. Here is his response to this event and a discussion of his upbringing.
Click here for Austin Yorski’s blog on the new crowd-funded documentary on portrayals of women in video games.
Click here for the feminist film making program for teens I referenced in the audio lecture.
Click here for an interesting article about activists challenging unhealthy norms of physical appearance for women and men through documentaries and social media. From the article:
Here’s the fantasy: A half-naked woman lies across a couch, lips pouty and cleavage prominent as her sultry gaze implores you to buy this bottle of perfume.
The reality: Women make up 51% of the United States yet only 17% of seats in the House of Representatives. They’re 3% of Fortune 500 CEOs and 7% of directors in the top 250 grossing films.
This is a great example of a girl who takes media back by creating her own short documentary about beauty norms as experienced by women of color.
This is a hilarious example of how social media can challenge unrealistic standards of beauty through its blending an ad for “Fotoshop” with common cosmetic marketing strategies. It went viral in 2012.
Click here to read how bloggers are redefining beauty and clothing style to move beyond a thin ideal to promote acceptance of a variety of sizes. From the article:
And it’s worth it to Dee to keep putting herself out there in such a public way, no matter the challenges. While it’s empowering to look beautiful on the outside, “Life is too short to be hung up on appearance,” she says.
“At the end of the day, its just your outer shell — there’s a whole personality underneath that’s just waiting to shine. And even if you don’t realize how beautiful you are, someone else is out there who thinks you are the most beautiful person in the world.”
This is a GREAT example of how students can effect change through social media. Check out this news report including a video that went viral about the role of drinking and informed consent (even though the words “informed consent” aren’t included,this is essentially what the video addresses).
Here’s the column that talks about the website created to educate others about rape by parodying the VS PINK line of clothing.