Bloody Mary Podcast: The Accused

Bloody Mary is a podcast about feminism, sex and horror films hosted by Chicago comic Kristin Ryan. I am not a huge fan of the horror genre so I pitched her a non-traditional “horror” film, The Accused. She agreed it was “scary as shit.” Spoiler alerts!

Listen to us dialogue about rape culture, bystander accountability, women’s lack of credibility and the flaws of the justice system. It’s actually funny too!

Listen here: Bloody Mary Podcast Episode 14: The Accused with Alicia Swiz

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The Soapbox: Casting Women In “Male Roles” Won’t End Sexism In Hollywood

Originally published by The Frisky.

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Leslie Jones, Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon Photo credit: Yahoo

So, the question I’d like to see Hollywood answer is where are the movies that are simply about women?

Why not just create a female spy character that may grow to be as iconic as James Bond so that young girls can watch her? The idea that we have to simply put a female body in to a male character is not only lazy and severely lacking in creativity but it’s sexist. It tells us that stories about women are only valid when they are constructed through the male gaze and embody traditionally masculine gender roles. An all female Oceans 11? I’ve already seen Sex and the City.

Read full article here.

Love Lessons from Edward Scissorhands

Happy Birthday to one of my favorite holiday films. Here’s a piece I wrote for the Mixtape Madness Film Series 8 years ago (!) Still relevant.

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It’s that time of year again. The holiday season is upon us – a brief moment of time known to most of us in western culture as the season of giving. With the current economic crisis, and a heightened awareness of conservation due to our struggling environment, many Americans are preoccupied with the challenge of gifting those we love. What is often overlooked during this consumer fueled holiday is the most precious and valuable gift of all – Love. It is this gift that is the motivating force behind Tim Burton’s unexpected and unconventional holiday classic, Edward Scissorhands. So this holiday season why not take a cue from Burton’s unique protagonist? Stay away from the stores and, instead, give someone the gift of yourself. If you’re unsure of how to do that, as most of us are, take a deep breath, smile and try the following:

1. Start with…

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