Name-calling has always been unfortunately common in elementary, middle, and high schools, but in recent years, people have begun to realize that it’s not just part of growing up, but a serious problem. The Backbone Zone, an anti-bullying project that “helps students find theirs,” has released a poster campaign that gives students tools to confront sexist and homophobic language when they hear and see it.   The ... Read More

  An awesome local news anchor from La Crosse, Wisconsin, Jennifer Livingston, fired back after receiving an email from a man criticizing her appearance.  The author admitted to not even being an avid viewer of the news program, but for some reason felt compelled to send her an email bashing her body.  In his email, very unfortunately and idiotically titled ‘Community responsibility’, he called her obese and even ... Read More

  Project Runway contestants are famously petulant – a montage of their eye rolls would probably be longer than a regular episode – but last week’s tantrum by contestant Ven Budhu sparked outrage when he brought his plus-size model to tears. For the “L'Oreal Paris Makeover My Friend Challenge,” contestants had to dress non-models, a challenge that always provokes groans from the designers, who are more accustomed to standard ... Read More

A few weeks back, pop culture critic Anita Sarkeesian launched a kickstarter campaign in an attempt to raise $6000 to fund a web-video series for her website Feminist Frequency. In the video series, Sarkeesian wanted to discuss the sexist and stereotypical representations of women in video games, to which I say, “well, duh,” as well as, “get it, girl!” Unfortunately, it would be an understatement to say that not ... Read More

If you've ever been a kid, or still are, you know that those who have not come of age yet can be real assholes. I'm sure you can think of a time when you saw someone bullied, were bullied, or worse, were the bully when you were younger. But can you think of a time when you saw an adult bullied by a kid? If you watch the below video, you unfortunately will always remember such an instance. You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view ... Read More

  Seventh grade isn't a great time for anyone, but it was my worst year in school. Why? Because I was constantly bullied and sexually harassed by some boys in school. I never talked to anyone about it (because it seemed to be par for the course), but those experiences affected how I felt about myself for years to come.  I overcame these experiences over time, but not everyone does. That's clear if you take a look at how many kids ... Read More

I actually had to take a deep breath and compose myself before sitting down to write this blog post. That’s how angry I am about this (and I’m a pretty level-headed, non-emotional sort of gal). What am I so angry about, you ask? I just read this article from Rolling Stone’s website. It’s an incredibly detailed history of certain recent events in former Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann’s home ... Read More

Most of us have been teased or bullied at one point, especially at school. And even if we haven’t experienced it firsthand, chances are we’ve seen it happen to someone else. I know that when I worked in a high school, I saw that kind of negativity almost every day. It’s cruel, it’s dragging kids down, and Lady Gaga knows it. Lots of her songs preach acceptance and the importance of being one's weird and wonderful ... Read More

In the past few weeks, there's been alot of attention paid to the subject of bullying in high school, and, in particular,  the bullying  of homosexuals. The current round of media attention to  his subject began with the tragic suicide of  Tyler Clementi, who jumped off the George Washington Bridge, to his death, after  having been secretly videotaped in his college dorm having sex with a man, and then having the ... Read More

Last night's episode of Glee spotlighted high-school bullying, in the form of Kurt, McKinley High's only openly gay student, who is physically and verbally abused for his sexuality, and Shannon Beiste, the new football coach who threatens Sue's budget exploitation, being made fun of behind her back for her lack of sexual appeal to teenage boys. As I watched the episode, it was impossible not to be reminded of the recent gay teen suicides, ... Read More