Category: Pop Culture
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How The Female Gaze was Celebrated and Censored in Cardcaptor Sakura
Originally published for Bitch Flicks as part of their ‘Female Gaze’ theme week, 26th August 2015. With their starry eyes, cutesy costumes, Barbie-esque features, and catchphrases overflowing with dreamy positivity, the magical girls of the shojo (girls) genre of anime might not seem like the most feminist of heroines upon cursory glance. Yet, the plucky…
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What Is The Real Feminist Message of “Mad Max: Fury Road”?
The primitivism of a world that has seemed to suffer a technological and biological man-made apocalypse in Mad Max is laid bare in the absence of plants, water, or urbanised environments. This planetary devolution has also seeped into human society as any scrap of hard-fought social changes have been stripped back to the patriarchal foundations…
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A Female Character’s Waistline Should be as Realistic as Her Job Description
If we want our heroines to look more positively ‘realistic’ then the parameters of their realism need to be defined by their individual lifestyles just as we real women are defined by ours.
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“You’d Better Become Aware That You’re Just a Woman”: Your New Favourite Feminist Manga.
Seinen stories are primarily characterised by soft-core sexual content and a female protagonist, but rather than rely solely on the usual fan service to satisfy male readers (panty shots, accidental nudity, nosebleeds, etc.) Sacred Blacksmith uses its genre trappings to instead highlight the causes and consequences of sexual violence with chilling realism, and handles it…
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Wicked Wiles – Cinderella (1950)
Upon receiving the invite to the ball, Cinderella’s stepmother agrees she can attend on the condition that Cinderella completes all of her chores and has a suitable dress. When Anastasia and Drusilla object she repeats her condition: ‘I said if.’ Obviously she has no intention of letting Cinderella attend, but clearly gets some sick pleasure…
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The Dark Gender Politics of ‘Black Butler’ Are The Secret To Its Success
Although there is something negative to be found in the twinning of androgyny with the monstrous, I think that what Toboso ultimately proves by playing on that connection in Black Butler is that we are perhaps more uncomfortable with androgyny then demonism, and this is the story’s unique appeal.
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WICKED WILES: Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Grumpy: ‘She’s a female! And all females is poison! They’re full of wicked wiles!’ Bashful: ‘What are wicked wiles?’ Grumpy: ‘I don’t know, but I’m against ’em.’
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Wicked Wiles – What Do Disney Princess Films Teach You About Being a Woman?
Nothing in this mission statement is purposefully negative or harmful, just as none of Disney’s films are. And yet, as open and expansive as it encourages young girls to be, there is also an inhibiting factor straight from the offset – this is a gender specific genre according to Disney, and as such, limiting to…
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6 Kids Cartoons Adventure Time Fans Should Be Watching
Originally posted on The Cosmic Anvil Blog: It’s a cartoon special this week! Thirsty for more adventure? More wackiness? More epicosity? This week we’re taking a break from the world of comics and manga recommendations to count down our top 6 (because 5 just wasn’t enough…) kids cartoons – other than Adventure Time – that…
iwantedwings 