Sarah Fraunfelder was about to embark on a college tour with a group of other high school students when it happened. According to the 15-year-old, a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer at the security checkpoint in LAX glared, mumbled, and then said, “You’re only fifteen, COVER YOURSELF!” after she inquired about his hostile behavior. Shaken up, Sarah texted her father, Boing Boing blog co-founder Mark ... Read More

They say that behind every great man, there's a great woman. And while that quote doesn't exactly sit well with me, it's definitely true in the case of the women profiled in the new documentary Twenty Feet From Stardom. The film chronicles some of the most frequently heard women in the music industry, though there's a solid chance you don't know their names or have ever seen their faces. Director Morgan Neville profiles the backup singers ... Read More

The girls of the 1920s who called themselves “flappers” weren’t just about bobbed hair and short skirts. Instead, they were more like female revolutionaries who changed the world for women—forever. In 1922, Ellen Welles Page sat down and penned a letter for the weekly New York magazine Outlook. “If one judges by appearances,” she wrote, “I suppose I am a flapper. I am within the age limit. I ... Read More

You know them. Dancing around while eating yogurt. Wearily trying to avoid dessert. Conducting board meetings in their bikinis. Okay, maybe not the last one so much, but still. A new ad for Irish-brand LowLow Cheese tackles these common clichés of diet-food ads, which, unshockingly, all happen to be women. (Serious food for thought: how often do we see diet food marketed towards men?) And while I wish that this wasn't being presented ... Read More

It's been a long road for the hip-hop dance queen, but M.I.A.'s finally blessed us with this badass track off her upcoming album Matangi. "Bring the Noize" is a version of a song from a mix she put together for the Kenzo fashion show in Paris earlier this year. This electronica track features M.I.A's signature speedy flow over complex, catchy beats, building into a softly sung finale. We can't sit still waiting for the music video, but the ... Read More

We can't get over this extremely upsetting attack on women's healthcare. Because conservatives just can't leave Roe Vs. Wade alone, Republican Arizona Congressman Trent Franks wrote this bill that bans abortions after 20 weeks except under very limited conditions. You can thank 23 dude Republicans who helped the bill make it out of the House Judiciary Committee. Franks' response to rape resulting in an unwanted pregnancy might as well have ... Read More

The latest campaign from Chicago’s public health department is really turning heads. With the magic of photo retouching, it features teen boys with pregnant bellies and the tagline: “Unexpected? Most teen pregnancies are. Avoid unplanned pregnancies and STIs. Use condoms. Or wait.” The ads direct viewers to BeYouBeHealthy.org, a site that helps teens find info on local clinics, teen healthcare rights, and sexuality ... Read More

  Meet Christina Hoffs Sommers, the writer who wants women to take back feminism. Wait wait - women need to take back feminism? Who else has it, if not women?  Oh right, radical leftist gender benders. Carry on. Christina says that contemporary feminism is too centred in the political left, with “a lot of man-bashing,” and women who are “at war with their own femininity.” I personally think the left is ... Read More

  That's right, y'all! We're excited to announce that hot-'n-heavy crooner Har Mar Superstar, as well as comedians Jessi Klein (Inside Amy Schumer, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me), Vanessa Bayer (SNL) and Broad City (upcoming Amy Poehler-produced Comedy Central series)  will also be performing at BUST's 20th Anniversary Extravaganza! They'll join Julie Klausner, Amber Tamblyn, DJ JD ... Read More

  Fantastic campaign alert! Stop what you're doing and look at these photos from the MADE UP Experiment. Makeup is a HUGE part of gender performance - it's tied to femininity like blonde on a Barbie. We're taught to follow certain customs in order to be read as feminine, while men are taught to perform masculinity.  These rigid gender roles limit self-expression and individuality, and lots of people are fed up with that. MADE ... Read More