With the news that the government is monitoring our phone calls, emails, and other private information through a program called PRISM, Americans (both citizens and lawmakers) are engaged in a debate over the merits of giving up individual freedom to protect against a greater threat: terrorism. Throughout our country's history, and especially in the last six months since the shootings at Sandy Hook, similar debates have emerged ... Read More

There’s been a lot of talk lately about how movies influence our daughters. The ever-heated Disney Princess debate rages on, with solid arguments on both sides, while new additions to the princess cannon like Brave and Tangled are nitpicked, attacked, and defended, depending on the day of the week. But why aren’t we talking about the movies that little boys are watching?  Colin Stokes posits in his TED talk, “How ... Read More

As we usher in the new year, let’s look back and reflect upon the most meaningful moments of 2012. And, because I’m a millennial and apparently it’s all I’m good for, let’s define “most meaningful moments” as “awesome Youtube clips”. More specifically, Youtube clips featuring adorable children covering pop songs.  The Youtube cover song is a tricky landing to stick, but this year ... Read More

I've heard it said that "ask and you shall receive", but I guess in this case it's more like petition and you shall get heard. After starting a petition asking Hasbro to make their Easy-Bake Oven a more gender-neutral toy, McKenna Pope got her wish and more. If you haven’t heard of McKenna Pope, she's the 13-year-old girl from New Jersey who questioned Hasbro on why they don't make a gender-neutral Easy-Bake oven. It all started after ... Read More

  You probably remember the board game “Guess Who?” — you know, the game where you randomly draw a character and then try to guess who your opponent drew? The game where you narrow down your options by asking questions like, “Is your person wearing a hat?” or “Does your person have blue eyes?” The game with 5 female characters and 19 male characters? “Is your person a girl?” ... Read More

Happy Halloween, y'all! In the spirit of this spooky day, check out this collection of BUST staffers in childhood costumes. They're guaranteed to make you "boo" and "aww."     Creative Director Laurie Henzel "This is not Instagram'd!"     Senior Editor Molly Simms "Me as a vampire, age 8. I was so afraid of my own face makeup that I avoided looking at myself in any mirrors that ... Read More

                    “I bet when you’re 10 you’ll love pink, and you’ll love princesses,” said Pippa Middleton to a 6 year old who said she was a sort of tomboy and liked things that “boys like.” Sigh.  The event was a promotion for Pippa’s new party-planning book “Celebrate.”  (I wonder if it’s got gender specific ... Read More

  Imagine a land where boys play with dolls and girls want to grow up to be firemen – and nobody makes fun of them for it. A land where girls don’t worry about being pretty and happily proclaim, “I like what I look like.” A land where boys know that it’s alright to cry. A land where “you’ll do what you like, and be who you are.” This is the land imagined in the album, book, and TV special ... Read More

The chorus kids at Staten Island’s P.S.22, who gained fame a few years ago with their spot-on renditions of popular songs, are at it again. This time they wow the indie music scene with their version of "It Feels Like We Only Go Backwards" off Tame Impala’s new record, Lonerism.     Who doesn’t love a chorus group composed of adorable and insanely talented kids? The cover sounds damn good--I’d even say as ... Read More

I remember getting American Girl catalogs every few weeks in the mail when I was a little girl. I would beg my parents for a doll, and one Christmas I found Samantha waiting underneath my tree. Despite my love for turn-of-the-century girl Samantha, I always wanted one of the My American Girl dolls--the customizable ones with contemporary clothes and range of skin and hair colors. But I never saw one that looked just like me, with medium-tone ... Read More