Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Viva.
Top 10 Films for Every Feminist
Face it, women on the big screen aren’t always accurately represented, or more to the point, they’re simply the "eye candy." That’s offensive, to say the least. Women are as strong and fight just as hard as men for simple things, like the right to vote, wage gaps, and a whole bunch of other things that men will never understand what it’s like to be without. Even when a movie producer aims to have that strong female lead, it sometimes tanks anyway because that’s just not how women work in real life. There are some amazing movies, though, that every feminist should see in their lifetime. The following ten films shed real light on issues and show women in the best way possible.
By Allison K. Jones7 years ago in Viva
I Was Supposed to Feel Empowered, Right?
Eric, 21—Nice smile and has a cute dog, totally right swipe material, oh he’s in. Jersey—left swipe. Josh, 20—EW he’s drunk in every one of his pictures... left swipe. Chris, 22—oh hello, handsome, right swipe. Oh this is awkward it wasn’t a match; maybe he just hasn’t found my profile yet? That’s what I’m going to choose to believe. Lance, 21—he seems okay enough...right swipe. DING DING DING! It’s a match! Okay his profile is boring and I have nothing witty to say about him so, I’m just going to go with a classic. A little while later, I realized maybe that was a mistake.
By Emily Spence7 years ago in Viva
Why Were Women So Accused of Being Witches in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries?. Top Story - September 2017.
Opening Early modern Europe was the epicentre of many social, religious and economic changes. Against the backdrop of the Reformation and the Peasant Wars in the early sixteenth century, the belief in witches was rampant throughout mainland Europe. Women were the main targets of the European witch hunts. Regarding the thoughts and belief system of ordinary people between the fifteenth and eighteenth century, there are a number of reasons why women were targeted as witches. Church Doctrine along with some popular writers of the time incorporated a large amount of misogyny into their ideas. These ideas, that spread quickly with the aid of the printing press would have influenced much of the European population to believe that women were liabilities and often accessories to evil proceedings.
By K.R Coughlan 7 years ago in Viva
Transmisogynists Have Trans Women's Blood On Their Hands
Transmisogyny is growing like a cancer (and as someone who has had cancer, I’m allowed to say that). Everywhere on the internet and in the “real world,” I see transmisogynists undermining my trans sisters’ humanity and basic rights.
By Kimia Etemadi7 years ago in Viva
Gallantry and Gumption: Scarlett O’Hara
Gone with the Wind is a film many know of but few have seen. Its running time of just under four hours discourages many, as does the controversial setting of a pre-Emancipation Proclamation United States, and the fact that it is now over seven decades old. But if one overlooks these perceived flaws and sets aside 238 minutes of their time to watch Victor Fleming’s masterpiece, they will find an epic story of love, loss, passion, pride, and — above all else — resilience. This theme of resilience finds its home in the character of Scarlett O’Hara, the narrative’s protagonist and possibly one of the most iconic characters in American cinema.
By Fern Wigfield7 years ago in Viva
Androgyny Within the Media
Androgyny has always been a female-centred word. Despite its definition being a mixture of the two stereotypical gender norms, dressing in an androgynous fashion always seems to be centred around women donning a tuxedo, or cutting their hair in a style fashionable for men. It is not until now the dictionary definition of the word is being portrayed within society. Hegemonic masculinity is heralded as the epitome of the male, and it seems that until recently anyone that escapes this binary is shunned or outlawed. More so now than ever, these previous ‘outsiders’; the men embracing the fluidity of fashion and culture are rising. ‘Its boring to make clothes marketed to one group of people’ Patric DiCaprio of Vaquera New York believes, unusually, all his designs are unisex, placing him on a pedestal as one of the pioneers of the androgynous movement, saying no to the restricting stereotypes of societal norms when it comes to gender, that can often have traumatising effects on people struggling with their gender identity. Yet, things seem to be moving forward in the case of ‘androgyny’ or gender fluidity being a male and female inclusive word; the first male ‘CoverGirl’ (whose name seems ironic or contradictory given the circumstances, as ‘girl’ suggests this is a female-exclusive brand) James Charles is seventeen from New York and runs a youtube channel focussed on makeup and other typically ‘feminine’ habits, but this does not mean he identifies as anything other than male, as does Jaden Smith who regularly is snapped by the paparazzi wearing skirts, which is seen as ‘unusual’ by many mainstream press houses, despite them often placing women in suits or with pixie cuts as centre pieces in fashion articles.
By Daisy Gaunt7 years ago in Viva
PMDD: What to Tell Your Kids
Let me start off with a disclaimer. I am not a parent. I've said it before and I will say it again: I don't know how all you ladies with PMDD cope with motherhood. You are superwomen to be sure...and women of a class I will never comprehend. But I see every so often on message boards that some of you are having a hard time handling the responsibilities of motherhood when your symptoms are hot. And I often read that you just don't know how to explain your "craziness" to your kids and how worried you are that you are scarring them for life.
By Cheeky Minx7 years ago in Viva
Sororities: Cult or Culture?
It was something I had been dreaming of since I was little, especially since I only had brothers. I imagined having a close knit group of friends who were the underdogs who still came out on top in a climactic show of a well deserved victory like the Mighty Ducks, Space Jam, or any other 90s underdog story so as soon as I got the chance, I did it. I joined a sorority. No, those creepy door videos and rumors of hazing didn't faze me, oddly enough and surprisingly enough, hazing is seriously frowned upon in my organization, which gave me relief that I had one less hoop to jump through. I went through Spring recruitment which is more laid back and conversational and you get to skip the 60 dollar formal recruitment fee, which was a plus, and once the girl I spoke to talked about her dislike of children, I knew I found home.
By Sydney Moore7 years ago in Viva