Vanity Fair, the “Ladies of TV” deserve better – as do your readers

The other day Melissa Silverstein published a rant on the newly-released Katniss Barbie doll. It’s a fine rant as far as rants go. Worth a look if you’re a Hunger Games geek like me.

Today, I have my own rant. And it’s about this…

The May issue of Vanity Fair. I received it in the mail yesterday. I was psyched to hear that May would be the TV issue. And then I saw the cover. And the feature spread…

Seriously, Vanity Fair? You’re gonna talk about how awesome the women on primetime are by photographing them in lingerie and half-covered by sheets? This photo shoot sexually objectifies women. It’s insulting and offensive.

I’m in full rant mode now.

1. First of all, the cover. You’ve got The Good Wife‘s Julianna Margulies, Downton Abbey‘s Michelle Dockery, and Homeland‘s Claire Danes – three incredibly strong and compelling female characters on television right now. (I can’t comment about Modern Family‘s Sofia Vergara because I haven’t watched that particular show.) And Vanity Fair drapes them with sheets. Yes, these women are beautiful and sexy. But they have so much more to offer than their appearance and sexuality. They should not be reduced to eye-candy.

2. The same goes for the feature spread inside the magazine. You’ve got bustiers, garters and a bear-skin rug, for goodness’ sake. The actresses lounge about in provocative poses as they toss popcorn and drink alcohol. A spread like this perpetuates the slumber party fantasy that women hang out in their underwear and…whatever else people think goes on when a bunch of girlfriends stay in for an evening. I’m telling ya, the majority of women do not lounge around in lingerie. Sorry to break that myth. We unwind in sweatpants and t-shirts, drink a few glasses of wine, talk about careers and life and relationships.

As long as publications like Vanity Fair support photo shoots like this, women will continue to be misrepresented in media. (True, the actresses made the choice to participate in the shoot, so I can’t blame VF entirely. One of these days, I would love to hear of a story in which celebrities arrive to a photo shoot, note the sexism inherent within the theme/outfits/etc, and walk out. Talk about making a statement.)

Why couldn’t the photographer have had more fun with this stellar collection of actresses? It would be fabulous to stick them all in a paintball arena. Something that generates some friendly competition. If Vanity Fair wanted to stay with the “Evening in America” theme, then choose some activity that many Americans do in the evening. Workout at the gym. Walking an assortment of dogs down a city street. A poker game. Shoot, photograph them in a bar or pub somewhere, playing darts or pool. Where is the creativity?

3. As if this weren’t awful enough, the cover copy includes the words, “Admit it…you love TV more than movies.” Uh, people are admitting it. By the tweetloads. Next to this woefully ignorant and outdated subtitle is a quote by T.S. Eliot: “Television is a medium of entertainment which permits millions of people to listen to the same joke at the same time, and yet remain lonesome.” I want to find the person who wrote this copy and chose this quote. I want to ask this person if they have read a single article or post or tweet in the last year about the evolving landscape of television.

People are watching more tv than ever before. The amount of time spent on Netflix and Hulu for television continues to rise. Sure, there will always be the guilty-pleasure tv show. But we are getting higher and higher quality television with the likes of Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, Downton Abbey, and Revenge. Shows like HBO’s Game of Thrones garner massive cult and pop followings, usually reserved for the film franchise superheroes. With this quality programming, there isn’t the same kind of “shame” in watching television and as in the past. In fact, much of the cultural dialogue has turned away from film and towards tv. It’s “cool” to stay up to date with the latest episodes and to drop tv references into everyday conversations.

Miso, GetGlue, and Zeebox are apps specially designed for viewers to check into programs and chat about what they’re watching. Reuters recently published an article that claimed that 2012 will be the year of “must-tweet tv.” So not only are people admitting their love of tv, but they’re engaging fellow viewers – on a global scale, thanks to social media.

Vanity Fair, do your homework next time. And stop objectifying women. Okay, rant over.

 

A review that isn’t a review: The Hunger Games and its ripple-effect

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, Hunger Games 2012.

A week ago I was standing in line for The Hunger Games. After three years of waiting, it was exhilarating to finally watch the characters and places I had formed in my imagination take shape and flesh and color on screen. I left the cinema that night with the intention to watch the film again – this time with my fiance who has not read the book – compare notes, and write a review dialoguing the two perspectives.

And then a monster virus struck. Not a computer virus – the old-fashioned kind that strikes your immune system. Talk about annoying. I am the kind of person who is too busy to get sick. I don’t allow colds or flu-like symptoms to interfere with my work or writing or projects, damnit. So imagine my shock when this wretched virus knocked me out flat. For four days. My brain and muscles are equally exhausted. I feel completely out of the social media loop. And I’m sure hundreds of Hunger Games reviews have been written and posted by now, such as this one by my good friend Nicole M. Miller.

Today is the first day that my brain has been able to grasp a coherent, fully formed thought. The rest has been a haze of fitful sleep, NyQuil, fabulously bad ’80′s television (Remington Steele) and Torchwood marathons. (More on the latter two in a future post.)

Three Hunger Games items have punctured through the drug-head fog this past week. First, box office numbers. The Hunger Games made $155 million during its opening weekend, making it the third-best opening weekend ever. Thar’s right – it surpassed all Twilight movies and all Harry Potter installments save the final one (Deathly Hallows Part 2). Pretty impressive for the little studio Lionsgate.

Writers such as Melissa Silverstein and Thelma Adams have pointed out that HG‘s success is all the more significant due to its central female protagonist. This isn’t a blockbuster about Spiderman or Batman. Katniss is a sixteen-year old girl, and this powerful character is providing a strong role model for young girls across the country.

Second item: Astonishingly, despite the popularity of Katniss, some have criticized Jennifer Lawrence’s body in the film, claiming she doesn’t look “hungry enough” or that she is “too big” to play Katniss. One critic (Todd McCarthy) actually calls attention to Lawrence’s “lingering baby fat.” Such comments are repulsive. Are you frickin’ serious?

I found Lawrence utterly refreshing to watch onscreen. She is healthy, normal, and, um, beautiful. There are too many ultra-skinny women in film, television and media. How sad is it that underweight, dieted bodies are the “norm” for Hollywood – so much so that critics cannot recognize a normal, fit, and healthy body on screen? Thankfully people have been speaking out against this appalling bodysnarking, and the reviewers ought to feel ashamed of themselves.

Third item: the Jezebel article. You know what I’m talking about if you’ve read it. For those that haven’t, here’s a brief summary: Several Hunger Games fans expressed racist comments on Twitter and Tumblr after watching the film last weekend. Apparently, even though Suzanne Collins described Rue and Thresh as having “dark brown skin” in the novel, these viewers were shocked and angry that their “favorite characters” were black in the film. One particularly loathsome tweet said that the casting “ruined” the movie, and another confessed that Rue’s death was not as sad because she was black. WTF?

I don’t know what’s worse: that this kind of racism is still present  – and so highly vocalized! – in 2012, or that the hateful tweets were predominantly posted by teenagers. In what kind of culture is this behavior deemed okay to our youth? I am outraged that this kind of prejudice is still so clearly and unapologetically demonstrated in this country. It’s the kind of prejudice that leads to vigilante citizens shooting an unarmed black teenager wearing a hoodie.

A review on the actual film will be posted in the coming days. For now I thought it important to recognize that The Hunger Games is highlighting issues that extend far beyond war and youth and hunger. This movie is (unintentionally, I’m sure) provoking dialogue on the current state of gender, body image, and race in this country. That’s pretty powerful.

What conversations have you seen or been a part of relating to The Hunger Games?

 

Katniss vs. Bella — a comparison feminists can get behind

This morning I read a post on the Women Media Center’s blog, written by Melissa Silverstein. Ms. Silverstein’s post focuses on the current Katniss vs. Bella comparison, and she laments that such comparisons are pointless. She concludes that Hollywood doesn’t know what to do with films such as The Hunger Games and thus turns the comparison between Katniss and Bella into a “cat fight.” You can read her entire post on the WMC blog.

I have trouble with Ms. Silverstein’s conclusions, and I submitted a response to her post. I thought I would republish my thoughts here for your consideration:

“I would like to think there is something more to the Katniss/Bella juxtaposition than a mere cat fight. Both The Hunger Games and Twilight series amassed massive fan followings and provoked similar fan “mania,” if you will. Both began as young adult novels. Tenuous similarities to be sure, but I suppose those are a few of the reasons why people are comparing the two characters.

Twilight, whether you loved or hated the series, catapulted Kristen Stewart and her character of Bella into the media spotlight. Bella was the most recent megastar of fiction until Katniss came along. Perhaps this is another reason why the two characters are being compared. These characters have risen beyond their textual and cinematic confines and have become pop culture figures. Icons, even. What other young female characters have risen to this level of public and pop culture awareness within the past few years? Maybe Hermione Granger, though she was usually bundled together with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.

You write that comparing these two characters makes no sense. In regards to theme, style, and franchise, you are absolutely right. However I have found the comparison between Bella and Katniss to actually open up conversations amongst young women about the differences found in these two characters. Teenage girls are identifying the traits within Katniss that they like – those they want to emulate. She is fierce, strong, independent, resilient, resourceful. Girls find her strength attractive and compare it to Bella’s weak passivity. They admire Katniss’s independence instead of Bella’s willingness to remain in a violent relationship. Through this activity, young women are recognizing for themselves what kind of young woman they want to be—and, in turn, what kind of character they want to support. My hope is that this will translate into a dialogue about how these young women want themselves to be represented in media.

If nothing else, I think that the Katniss/Bella comparison offers a tremendous opportunity to encourage feminism within girls and young women. Instead of dismissing the comparison as silly (even though it certainly appears so at first), let’s turn the conversation around, note the differences, and encourage women – of all ages – to aim for strength and confidence.”

Have you encountered Katniss/Bella comparisons? What do you think of them? Share your opinions below!

 

The number one fall drama is…what?

The number one drama of the fall season is…Once Upon A Time? Yes, at least it pulled the hefty numbers for its debut with 12.8 million viewers. While ratings have dropped in subsequent weeks, the show still registers as the number one entertainment program with ‘key women’ (women, ages 18-34 & 18-49) on Sunday nights.

 

 

Once Upon A Time? The show about fairy tale characters trapped in the ‘real’ world, obviously named Storybrooke, Maine (!) I had to do a double-take, too. In fact, I was so surprised by the buzz surrounding the show that I actually (wince) watched the episodes to catch-up to the mid-season finale. I suppose that says something. It’s enjoyable enough to warrant sitting through seven episodes. There is something charming about the show (despite last night’s murderous ending, a plot development that took me slightly by surprise due to its ‘family-friendly’ 8 o’clock time slot). Once Upon A Time is glossy and colorful. It’s enchanting in its own way. By no means is the narrative an inventive concept, but it’s bubble gum. Bubblicious on steroids.

 

Why are people finding this show so addicting? I’ve thought of a few possible (rather snarky) reasons:

 

1. FAIRY TALES! I mean, Disney (wait, that isn’t so fashionable anymore, is it?)…I mean, modern retelling of beloved classic fairy tales that, er, uh…I just effing love fairy tales, alright?!

 

Yeah, we get it. People enjoy old stories made new. Retellings, remakes, reinventions. Look at the wave of stories right now that tap into myths, fables, and folk tales: Percy Jackson (ancient Greece), Kane Chronicles (ancient Egypt), Peter and the Starcatchers (retelling of Peter Pan), Fablehaven, etc, etc, etc. Next summer we’re going to witness TWO re-imaginings of the Snow White story (heaven help us): Snow White and the Huntsman and Mirror Mirror. There is something about the fairy tale that invites reinvention and revisiting. Audiences enjoy recognizing old stories while simultaneously being surprised.

 

2. There are, like, parallel worlds, man. Thanks to Fringe, Lost, Quantum Leap, and a host of others, television likes its dual/parallel/alternate realities. Once Upon A Time uses flashbacks (another Lost favorite!*) to fill in the blanks of the fairy tale world. Now those worlds are becoming less parallel and more…overlapped? See the end of ‘The Heart is a Lonely Hunter’ in which Mayor Regina (alter ego: Evil Queen) enters her private heart vault (yeah, the place where she stores all the hearts she has collected from her pitiful victims) underneath a crypt in a Storybrooke graveyard. No longer are the fairy world and ‘real’ world so separate. What does this mean, ABC?? Tell me now! I can’t wait until January 8th! *Not so surprising since Once‘s creators previously wrote for Lost.

 

3. Ginnifer Goodwin. Need I say more? She is frequently the only thing to save a scene from utter banality. I don’t know what it is about her. Her adorable, perfectly-shaped face, the way her eyes shine when she cries (which is almost every episode), her original vocal inflection, her gumption? She balances sweet innocence with intelligent strength. Ever since Mona Lisa Smile, I have been a fan. I put aside snarky commentary for Ginnifer.

 

4. Dragons. And who doesn’t love a dragon on Sunday primetime?

 

5. Les couleurs! I think the writers have got some sort of color symbolism goin’ on, what with the amount of red (apples, Evil Queen’s lipstick, Emma Swan’s ubiquitous leather jacket). Black is another one, a favorite of the Evil Queen. And the green! So many forest scenes. Is Maine truly that vibrant? Looks like the Olympic National Rainforest in Washington State. Everything looks hyper-stylized, unnaturally (read: digitally-enhanced) hued. But such intense colors are so very pretty to look at…

 

6. The cynicism. Yes, the folks over in Storybrooke, Maine do not know they are fairy tale characters. The only one who believes is a young child who Knows the Truth from an old (wait for it) book of fairy tales. Despite his earnestness, nobody believes him. They find him charming and odd. They know happy endings don’t happen in Real Life. They dispute the notion of true happiness. For they know better. They have LIVED LIFE and experienced the bitter realities of human existence. So they laugh off the absurd notion that they are somehow part of a fairy tale. And their lines! They are laden with sarcasm. Brilliant! We LOVE our sarcasm. It shows how cynical and droll and ‘with-it’ we are. Snow White? How quaint. We can smirk and eye-roll and quip sarcastic comments about how silly and over-romanticized that story is. How we are SO ABOVE that sort of trite. (Oh! Trite! What a hip, with-it word. Must input that piece of vocab into my next social gathering.) The fact that these characters echo our own sarcastic, cynical outlooks is golden. It’s like…watching ourselves.

 

7. Three main female protagonists. Okay, in all seriousness and no snarkiness, this is truly an excellent point. Once Upon A Time boasts three female leads: Emma Swan (Morrison), Snow White (Goodwin), and Regina/Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla). Each have their complexities. Snow White is refreshingly strong-willed and bold; both Emma and Regina are strong, complex women with emotional baggage. Each are driven by genuine motivations. Yes, Regina is the Evil Queen, but she even displays regret or conflicted emotion. She is not purely black. Snow White is not purely, well, white. It is a treat and joy to watch such complex female characters in a TV landscape all too often dominated by men.

 

Have you been watching Once Upon A Time? What are your thoughts? Let’s discuss below!

 

the women of ABC’s Pan Am

I did not want to.

 

I have fought against it.

 

But the truth remains: I thoroughly enjoy watching Pan Am. It’s fun and colorful. Sure the music is grandiose and everything looks über shiny (read: fake). Some plot developments are overly predictable, and actors deliver their lines in that ‘I know I’m in a period drama’ way. Despite all its flaws—and there are many—I really like the show.

 

Why? I’m still figuring that out. I enjoy the era—it’s rich in style and fashion. Major conflicts occurred, and while I’m wary of too many shows trying to capitalize on that—and thus empty the ‘60’s of its punch—Pan Am has avoided repetitiveness by including European perspectives of American politics (via Colette) and uncommon settings (e.g. Jakarta and Haiti).

 

Pan Am's Kate Cameron (Kelli Garner)

 

And then there is the fact that Pan Am primarily follows four women. A show whose four protagonists are females, ranging from a free-spirited, scrappy feminist to an optimistic, emotionally vulnerable femme française! Recently, MissRepresentation.org promoted an article on its ‘Sexy or Sexism?’ blog, and the writer dissected each Pan Am episode for all instances of sexism. I agree that Pan Am plays into sexist stereotypes. (I was bitterly disappointed that writers decided for Kate—the undercover courier-turned-spy—to fall in love with one of her marks, rather than remain an independent, cool professional). However, the critique does not allow for Pan Am to include sexist comments or pre-feminist situations for the sake of exposing the sexist attitudes and beliefs of the time period. Nor does it acknowledge that these kinds of tensions create a space for female viewers to wrestle with contemporary issues.

 

This past Sunday’s episode, ‘Truth or Dare’, offers one such example. The episode opens by revealing the four main female characters lounging in the empty economy cabin, with free-flowing alcohol and pantyhose hanging around shoulders. The amount of girlish giggling is admittedly a bit much; they’re playing a game of Truth or Dare, during which Laura—the doe-eyed, naïve ex-beauty queen—admits that she had nude pictures taken of her. Her sister, Kate, is shocked and disapproving, to which Laura says the photos were a form of empowerment and for her eyes only. I could quickly disagree with her. Nude or pornographic photographs all too often feed into continued sexism, instead of empowerment. Yet it touches upon a current debate. How much can women exhibit, celebrate, and showcase their sexuality before it becomes taboo, sexist, or gratuitous?

 

I am certainly not claiming to have answers. My point is that Laura’s situation—which could be labelled as another ‘sexist’ instance in Pan Am—speaks to an ongoing discussion about female sexuality. The scene has the potential to open a space for dialogue and reflection; it allows for tension to be aired, examined, and debated.

 

ABC has still not ordered a full season for Pan Am. It is still working out its kinks. Thankfully Pan Am has moved away from the ‘new location per week’ pattern with which it began. Hopefully the episodes’ plots will become more sophisticated—instead of its current clunky formation. Problems need to be stretched out, rather than being resolved one episode later. I want Pan Am to find its groove and to explore women’s issues in greater depth and complexity. Let’s hope that ABC gives Pan Am that chance to further develop.

 

Have you been following Pan Am? What are your thoughts?

 

a new direction

York Minster & Low Petergate, October 2010

A lot of changes have transpired this past year. A year ago today I was living in York, getting ready for my first departmental meeting. I was anxious and excited for the year ahead, unknown of what it would include. I still believed I would study the political and activist uses of film for my dissertation. And I walked into town every weekend so I could sit on the bench outside the Minster.

 

Now I am back in the States. My year in England has influenced and shaped me in ways I have not fully processed yet. But my studies abroad have revealed three things for certain.

 

1. I love analyzing television. More so than film. I enjoy the continuity of television seasons and the ability to craft ongoing, multi-layered, complex narratives. With television (if written and produced well), viewers can emotionally engage with characters—potentially over several years, an aspect distinctly different from that of the two-hour film. I now know that, at some point, I will be involved with television production.

 

2. Social media fascinates me, especially when joined with television. Because of the weekly format of most television shows, social media are used to further engage viewers, maintain interest between episodes, and deepen the narrative experience. Social media can create hyperdiegetic spaces, and we are only beginning to see the creative (and sometimes banal) ways in which entertainment and culture industries are employing social media to immerse their audiences.

 

3. I am a firebrand feminist. Apparently this is old news to everyone who has known me the past ten years. I never recognized this aspect of myself until college. Even then I saw it as a supplementary feature. Politics and theatre were my defining ‘passions’, if you will, during that time. Then I moved to York and met Dr. Kristyn Gorton.

 

While her area of research is television, she often analyzes television through a feminist lens. My first term of Television Case Studies was heavy with feminist analysis, and something within me finally sparked alive. Took root. Feminist analysis appeared in my critique of Mad Men that autumn, two more essays in the spring, and my final dissertation. Despite my efforts at searching for other analytic perspectives, I kept returning to feminism.

 

Feminism is more than a supplemental aspect of my being—something friends and family have recognized for years now. It defines me; I cannot separate my passion for female equality and empowerment from who I am. Now that I am fully cognizant of this passion—and embrace it—I am excited for the ways in which to pair feminism with media.

~ ~ ~

 

These three things, my readers, will come to define (edge)wise over the coming months and years. (Edge)wise will be undergoing a major face-lift over the next several weeks—a new direction. It will be a place for commentary on television, entertainment, and media; television and film reviews will remain a major component. I will have a new section specifically focused on girls, women and media. Interviews will become a regular feature. Book reviews will still make an appearance. Recipes will not. More attention will be given to the developments within social media and related technology. The hope is for (edge)wise to become your first-read on television, pop culture, and social media through the perspective of an everyday feminist. Fun, exhilarating stuff.

 

This is an exciting time for (edge)wise. Please be patient as the website undergoes creative re-design and construction. As always, I appreciate your feedback and your readership.

 

I am media maven. Hear me roar.

 

 

 

take two: spring term

Time has done what she does best: fly. Tomorrow begins my second term at the University of York, and here I sit, taking a long drag of oxygen as I prepare to dive into another nine weeks of research, modules, essays, research, meetings and – yes – more research. To add to the usual stresses, I get to figure out my dissertation topic this term and begin the research process. The problem there? I have four topics already and no idea which to choose.

Pause while I break out my breathing exercises.

It is not all bad – in fact, I thrive off strenuous academic work. But I do need balance. After running myself into the ground last term (hello, bronchitis), I have committed myself to a more holistic approach for spring. More walks, more exploring, more fiction, more yoga.

More blogging.

If all goes to plan, I will blog on Sundays (either weekly or bi-weekly). And to recap the past few months, in which (edge)wise was a veritable wasteland, here are a few highlights from the end of last term:

• Survived my first major snowfall in England.
• Experienced my first ‘Christmas Faire’ in a bona fide castle in December. It looked more like an overgrown mansion, but the shopping was enjoyable regardless.
• Attended a performance of Handel’s Messiah in the York Minster. There are simply no words to describe how breathtakingly beautiful this was. It was a spiritual experience, on par with Arthur’s Seat.
• Celebrated my 25th birthday in York: museums, Indian food, beer, and books. Fabulous day.
• Visited Durham en route to Newcastle Airport. The ‘Christmas feeling’ finally set in as I relaxed with Tessa and her family, watching movies until midnight and experiencing Beamish Museum.
• Spent a delectable two weeks at home for Christmas. Powells, sister dates, home-cooked meals, my dad’s famous pumpkin pie, Christmas stockings, family, Tatum, book club, Lewisville Park, Ram’s Head, friends at New Years, and Harry Potter. Not to mention time with my sweetheart. I actually had the opportunity to relax. I already miss, well, all those things.
• Returned to York and spent the next three days finalizing my essays. For those who are interested, I focused on: 1) the narrative structure of Lost (specifically its beginning), analyzing the first four episodes in an exploration of how the writers ‘set up’ the show’s complex narrative in order to hook viewers and create ‘quality television’; 2) the current debate surrounding the methodology of ‘third-generation audience research’; and 3) feminism and negotiated space within Mad Men, highlighting the relationship between screen and industry and suggesting that as long as women hold a minimized role in the television industry, the stories and images seen on television will not depict a realistic portrait of today’s American woman.

And now it begins again. I’ll keep you informed.

Breathe in, breathe out.

xx

Tessa and I at the Minster for the performance of Handel's Messiah.

Monster icicle outside my bedroom window in York.

Christmas stockings on Christmas morning.

Reunited with Tatum. Bliss. (And yes, her eyes are fluorescent.)

 

I’m not afraid to use the f-word: femininity

Awhile back I came across an article in the newspaper entitled “Summer of Dapper.” Apparently there is an elegant mod movement occurring this summer all over the country, harkening back to the days of slacks, button-up vests, and bowler hats. Guys decide to dress in their swankiest garb, complete with accessories, instead of distressed jeans and t-shirts. Bring in the ritz and the posh. The sass and the smart.

Summer of Dapper is a response to its feminine counterpart: the Summer of Dresses. From what I can gather, a young woman decided that she wanted to break her jeans and t-shirt habit and declared 2010 the “Summer of Dresses.” The challenge is to wear dresses twice a week. She even started a website in which other gals can post pictures of themselves in their newest, sunniest, quirkiest dress.

When I first heard about Summer of Dresses, I suppose I found the notion a bit surprising. Wearing dresses is not anything out of the ordinary for me. In fact, I love skirts and dresses. Depending on the cut, style and color, a dress can serve a variety of functions and moods. Chic. Playful. Powerful. Fun. Classic. Professional. Bohemian. Glamorous. Sexy. Bold.

You can pair a dress with vintage pumps, ballet flats, sandals, and boots. And they are, well, fun to try on. I usually cannot afford half the dresses I observe through a shop window. But I like to imagine. There is something unique about dresses (as well as tops/skirts) that jeans and shirts fail to capture. Perhaps it is the way I feel in a well-cut dress. My confidence soars beyond the stratosphere. I. Am.Woman.

Let me pause and declare that the same kind of confidence can be attained through a pair of skinny jeans and sweater. Or jeans and a snazzy blazer. My favorite article of clothing is actually my black skinnies, and there are long stretches of time (particularly in the Pacific Northwest winters) where I forego dresses and skirts of any kind. It’s too darn cold for that twill skirt and 1940’s blouse.

What I appreciate about this Summer of Dresses is that it promotes a culture of femininity. Now I do not mean cutesy clothes and demure ladylike expressions. I strongly advocate for the empowerment of women, yet I also encourage my fellow girls to engage those qualities and aspects of themselves that make them feel distinctly female. Because, well, you are female for one thing. And two, in this culture of post-feminism there seems to be a sort of backlash, in which women are looked down upon if she adores chocolate, concerns herself with fashion and style, desires motherhood, or any of the other stereotypical “female” attributes. Guess what? You can wear a smart pencil skirt and ruffled-neck blouse to the office and still be taken seriously. This is not an either/or choice. No more need for bra burnings. You can purchase the wildest, sexiest bra out there, wear it under a sheath dress at a work presentation, and blow everyone out of the water with your prowess, achievements, and intellect. Again, it comes back to confidence. Embracing your femininity is one way to feel better about yourself. Looking and feeling confident is attractive, magnetic. It’s about being comfortable in your body.

I say: stop looking to Hollywood and Vogue on how to dress and appear. Take your body back. Reclaim your beauty as your own, whether that be natural, glamorous, or homespun.

Now there is a difference between strutting your stuff with confidence and plain ‘ol tackiness. Ask your closest friends or a shop consultant on what styles work best for your body shape. From Queen Latifa to Carey Mulligan, a well-fit dress accentuates your uniquely ‘You’ features and makes you look good.

Men: how do you weigh in on this? Do you enjoy dressing in dapper clothing? What article of clothing gives you confidence? Are there aspects of masculinity that are fun to embrace? Aspects that you feel to be constricting or unfair? (Guys seem to be receiving the short end of the stick in popular media these days. Commercials profile the lazy, disconnected father or the ignorant jock. An increasing amount of pressure is being placed on guys to be waiflike and skinny, as evidenced in the rise of matchstick jeans. These generalized profiles are just as wrong as the dumb blonde, nagging mother, and obedient, robotic housewife.)

AND LASTLY, the moment you have been waiting for, I give you my Summer of Dresses Vote. I am looking to purchase a new dress for an upcoming special occasion. I cannot give too many details about the event. It will be indoors and during twilight/evening hours. Something versatile that could be worn at both the ballet and a cocktail party. Cast your vote and help me decide!

1. In Dove With You (ModCloth) - Sure, the title has a lot to be desired, but I simply love the color.

2. Sci-Fi Heroine - Sci fi + heroine = love it. The gathered sleeves and oversized collar are bonus points for me. And it's a tad funky. I'm all about that.

3. Velvet Underground. It's classy and understated. Imagine with black pumps and matching clutch.

4. English Seaside Dress - I love this dress. Before you say this is not fancy enough for an evening outing, first add a stylish black belt with matching pumps. Add a long string of black pearls or an antique locket.

5. One Shoulder Ruched Dress. I have been searching for a one-shoulder dress all year. Is this one a keeper?

6. Grecian Dress - Let's advance beyond the blacks, greys, and navys. I love this deep shade of green.