“If I Were a Boy,” a post-breakup ballad, was Beyoncé’s follow-up single to 2008’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” the definitive girl power anthem of the late 00s (and, let’s face it, still one of the best). It bolstered the contrast between Beyoncé as herself and as Sasha Fierce, and displayed her range as an artist. Fans…
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Hey Let’s Go! Calvin, Hobbes, and Snow
Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes plays around with a lot of snow. Snowballs, snowmen, snow forts—snow, snow, snow. It is used as both a plot device and a background in many different ways—never sentimental or sappy. Let’s take a look at the main functions of snow for Calvin: Mischief, Artistry, Philosophizing, and Fantasy.
The Present (and Future) of Iris West
I had no plans to write about the depiction of Iris West on The Flash because I thought my grumbling tweets were enough and that other people who were more moved by it could take it on. I didn’t think I needed to be the person, because to be honest, the fun of the show…
Buying Flowers for Girls: The Importance of Romantic Friendships
Like most holidays in America, Valentine’s Day has come to stand in for the entire month of February. While romantic love is all good and well (as are cheap chocolates and roses), WWAC Lifestyle is celebrating love of the platonic variety (and the many variations therein) this month. We started with Catie Coleman’s tips on how…
Postcard Valentines: The Game Changer
Valentine’s Day cards have mysterious origins and have undergone hundreds of years of transformation. But I’m not going to get into all of that. Instead, we’re going to focus on the popularity of postcard Valentines in the United States in the early 20th century. During the Victorian Age, people went all out on their Valentines….
What is Playboy Without Naked Women? Or, What is Sex Positivity for Men?
This past October, Playboy declared it was going non-nude due to…too much competition. Quite the surprise from the magazine that helped make nude female bodies practically quotidian in the public eye. See, nude women in provocative poses is no longer “revolutionary” (or to quote company CEO, Scott Flanders, “that battle has been fought and won”),…
Dejah Thoris: Addressing The Princess of Mars
Dejah Thoris #1 Frank J. Barbiere (writer) , Francesco Manna (art), NEN (cover) Dynamite Comics February 2016 A review copy of this publication was provided by the publisher.
Tweek X Craig: A Message to Parents of LGBTQ Kids
This past season, South Park caused a stir, reaching out to their viewers in search of fanart—specifically fanart of the popular pairing of Tweek Tweak and Craig Tucker—to be featured in an upcoming episode. The result was “Tweek X Craig,” and in true South Park fashion, it combined an over-the-top scenario with thoughtful social commentary, parodying slash fandom and supporting…
My First Closet Cosplay: What Faith Means for Fat Girls
I don’t really cosplay. I qualify that “really,” because although I have made costumes and have dressed up like some of my favorite characters, being a fat girl, I understood that when I dressed up like a character, there was always that understanding that it wasn’t really cosplay, because that character wasn’t fat.
Ten Things I Have Learned About Mental Illness from Jenny Lawson
I have been in therapy for over a decade now. I have tried a variety of medications and experienced a variety of diagnoses—mostly with the same theme: depression, anxiety, obsessive-depressive, obsessive-compulsive like symptoms, and so on. The Bloggess Jenny Lawson has depression, severe anxiety, avoidant personality disorder, occasional depersonalization disorder, self-harm issues, OCD, and trichotillomania….
#WWACGalentines: Friendship Isn’t All About Listening
Like most holidays in America, Valentine’s Day has come to stand in for the entire month of February. While romantic love is all good and well (as are cheap chocolates and roses), WWAC Lifestyle is celebrating love of the platonic variety (and the many variations therein) this month.
Kurama: The Foxy Demon of My Dreams
There are movies, television shows, cartoons, and characters that appealed to you greatly as a child that lose their shine as an adult. Nostalgia can do a lot for making up for poor quality content, but it can’t make Cat and Dog as appealing to me as it was when I was eight. Yet there…