Note: This article contains spoilers for the film Ex Machina. This weekend has been all about Mad Max: Fury Road, and rightfully so, because it’s kind of amazing–not just as an action film, but specifically as a feminist narrative. I saw it the other day and it sent me reeling because I had just seen yet…
We Heart the Environment! Planeteers, the Power is Yours
Like any good ’90s kid, I vividly recall the Captain Planet animated series and Whoopi Goldberg’s role as the voice of omniscient Gaia, the spirit of Mother Earth. Goldberg was a part of my childhood, specifically her role in The Lion King as Shenzi the hyena. Those three hyenas were my favorite characters in my…
All I Want Are Chicks with Agency Blowing Shit Up!
The Internet has exploded post-Age of Ultron. Joss Whedon has fled Twitter. People are sending and receiving death threats over … a movie. We have critiqued the representation of Black Widow and celebrated it. Emily explored the religious themes in AoU, and Annie and Meredith really dug it. Also, Jamie did a sharp and thoughtful…
WWAC Warriors: No Adamantium Needed
I love getting dirty, I relish in the scent of my own particular shall we say … fragrance after a few hours, days, or more on a camping trip. I don’t mind the sun beating down on my shoulders or a sudden rainstorm forcing me to duck under a tree and quickly pull on my…
My Problem with the Sex in Sex Criminals
Sex Criminals is awesome, but I probably don’t need to tell you that. You’ve either heard about it, are currently reading it, or are already well and truly part of the Brimper fandom (even Margaret Atwood’s on board and if that doesn’t get you at least a bit interested, I don’t know what will). The…
Jem Trailer Proves A Hologram Can’t Disguise Pure Suck
In the 24 or so hours since the launch of the brand new global trailer for the upcoming Jem and the Holograms movie, I’ve seen more plays on the phrase “Truly Outrageous” than I can count. It seems like every write-up on the two and a half minute look at a much-anticipated movie has worked…
Birthing the Ninja Way: Motherhood, Sons, and War in Naruto
Thought Naruto ended last November when the long-running manga series concluded? Think again! Like some of its immortal characters, this series won’t die. Not only is the anime adaptation still airing, Kishimoto launched the Naruto Project, a multimedia extravaganza consisting of movies, novels, a stage play, and a sequel manga miniseries about the next generation…
Crying Freeman, Woman Slave to Desire! Sex, Sex, Sex [NSFW]
The first volume of Crying Freeman is entirely about sex, and that’s no mistake on the part of creative teammates Ikegami Ryoichi and Koike Kazuo (like another buff brunette with tears in his eyes—Kenshiro, son of Hara Tetsuo and Buronson—Freeman is the product of two men working together. Uncommon for manga production, it’s almost as…
Fail Better: (Am I) A Hypochondriac?
I read John Green’s The Fault In Our Stars after my friends and fellow book lovers were buzzing about it and demanded I experience what they were experiencing: “THE FEELS!” “I cried on the bus. Everyone was staring!” “Okay? Okay.” I wanted to quote and be quoted. I wanted to be able to contribute my…
This One Mother: Musings on Motherhood in Jillian and Mariko Tamaki’s This One Summer
Released late last May, Jillian and Mariko Tamaki’s This One Summer has since been garnering a ton of critical acclaim, mainly due to its brilliant depiction of female adolescence. Though a lot of the discussion surrounding this book has centered on its two eagle-eyed pre-teen heroines Rose and Windy, the Tamakis’ languid summer narrative also…
They Make Us Like Them: On Identity and Gentrification [SPOILERS]
I am a foreigner and an ethnic minority. I spent my entire childhood in the predominantly Asian-ethnic environment of Hawaii. My adulthood has played out so far in predominantly white regions and, within that, extremely white-dominated academic and professional fields; that’s what happens when you get into the humanities. Living among the white people of…
Who Swatches the Swatchmen: How I Swindled Myself Into Buying Makeup Because I Am A Sucker For #Brands
There’s something I find cathartic about putting on makeup every day. I almost never deviate from the ritual of moisturizer, primer, eyebrows, eye shadow, foundation, powder, and blush. It’s more about the routine than the cultivation of a look that I enjoy. It’s “I am going to look this way and this is how.” Aside…