Book Review: The S&M Feminist

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A friend recently lent me The S&M Feminist, a collection of articles by sex-positive blogger and activist Clarisse Thorn.

I’m going to start off by saying, everyone should read this book. Seriously. Everyone. Read it if you are into S&M or identify as a feminist. Read it if you are sex-positive or polyamorous. Read it if you are a PUA or an activist. Read it if you are friends with anyone listed above.

Or, even if you don’t identify in any of those ways or know anyone who does, still read it. Because we don’t have enough frank and honest conversations about sex or feminism in our culture, and Thorn is incredibly articulate about both. You won’t be disappointed. (It’s also super easy to pick up and put down since the book is full of bite-size articles).

Sam Killermann: It’s Pronounced Metrosexual

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I was first introduced to Sam Killermann when his TED talk was played at a discussion about gender here in Austin. Killermann is the man behind “It’s Pronounced Metrosexual,” a touring comedy show about gender and sexuality. You might also know him from the Genderbread Person, an educational meme which frequently makes a circuit around […]

Review: Disney’s Maleficent

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**NOTE: This review contains SPOILERS** There’s been a lot of talk lately about whether Disney is turning a new leaf regarding its portrayals of female characters. Given the latest kerflufle with the #WeWantLeia Twitter hashtag, I remain skeptical. In fact, I refrained from seeing Disney’s Frozen because I saw mixed reviews on social media from […]

Book Review: Excluded

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I was excited to read Julia Serano’s Excluded: Making Feminist and Queer Movements More Inclusive. I touched on exclusion in my Master’s thesis on queer utopian communities, as well as experiencing it first-hand during all of my time participating in the LGBTQ community as a bisexual femme. It’s an important issue that I firmly believe […]

Book Review: The Vagina: A Literary and Cultural History

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The Vagina: A Literary and Cultural History, by Emma L. E. Rees explores how female genitalia is represented in popular culture, both throughout history and in the present day. Exploring Literature, Visual Art, Film, Television, and Performance Art, Rees argues that cultural representation of female genitalia follow two tropes: covert visibility (simultaneously seen and unseen) […]

In Defense of “Ladies”

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This article recently popped up in my newsfeed on Facebook. I’ve had mixed feelings about it ever since. Believe me, I know “ladies” is problematic. I know I’m not a “lady,’ strictly speaking. Technically, I think “ladies” are those people who play nice with the patriarchy – who don’t stir up too much trouble, who keep […]

Review: Zach Theatre’s In the Next Room

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ZACH Theatre’s In The Next Room (or the vibrator play) is directed by Sarah Rasmussen, head of UT Austin’s MFA Directing program and former Associate artistic director of ZACH Theatre. Originally produced on Broadway in 2009, In The Next Room is set in the late 19th century at the home of Dr. Givings, a doctor and scientist […]

Margaret Cho’s MOTHER (REVIEW)

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Austin’s Paramount, built in Baroque Revival style, was a beautiful location for the show. The walls and ceiling were filled with ornate and elaborate decorations, including a painting of an angel and gargoyles of what might have been Dionysus on either side by the gallery seating. The Paramount was also appropriate for this particular event as […]