The color of your hair and your luck on the dating scene – is there a strong connection between the two? Although everyone has their own personal preferences when it comes to appearance or their specific “type” that they’re interested in, can a woman’s hair color be considered a deal breaker? I read a rather interesting perspective on this last week when (how ironic) I was getting my highlights touched up. I’m sitting in the salon chair playing the usual “catch-up” routine with my hair stylist when she randomly brings up an article she recently read in the May issue of Marie Claire. Tiffani (my hair stylist) is carrying on and on about this article in which a journalist - who has been dying her hair red for quite some time – has decided that red hair comes off as unapproachable (among many other things - such as too wild, different, alternative, etc.). Continue Reading →
Body Image
Recent posts
Want Bigger Breasts? There’s An App For That
Just when you thought the iPhone couldn’t get any cooler – a (newer) app that is gaining popularity is one which shows women what they would look like post-breast implant surgery. A co-worker of mine recently purchased the iPhone 4 and was talking about the app(which is titled iAugment) the other day and (although she briefly flashed us the home screen at work) I still could not believe what I was hearing. Therefore in order to satisfy my curiosity, I checked it out later when I got home and – lo and behold – iAugment is definitely a real app available on iTunes. Apparently the app is not as new as I thought; it turns out it was designed by Dr. Elizabeth Kinsley (a plastic surgeon based in New Orleans) and was released back in August of 2010 in order to (more or less) perform virtual plastic surgeries. It is a rather interesting concept because it basically aids women in deciding what cup size is best for them by giving them the chance to visualize how they would look after getting implants. Continue Reading →
Your Vulva is Perfect: A Poem
In*Touch, my school’s sexual health education group, recently put on an awesome event called the Alternative Vagina Monologues. We invited the community to come and speak out about their vaginas, experiences, sexuality, opinions, etc. in a safe space. Though I was unable to attend the event, I heard that we had some really awesome speakers. Here’s a little poem I wrote for the event:
Your Vulva is Perfect
Your vulva is perfect
Yes, it is true
Whether pink and voluptuous
Veiny and blue
Trimmed, waxed, natural
or totally bare
Your vulva is perfect
It’s lovely down there! Continue Reading →
Anne Frank’s Edited Anatomy
In all the places to find interesting sex-positive talk, I was informed of this link while listening to SModcast with Kevin Smith. He and his hetero-lifemate Scott Mosier expressed their disappointment in our society for the censorship that we feel we need to impose on our children, including basic anatomy talk from a famous teenaged figure. This from the guys who made “Clerks.” The body talk in Anne Frank’s diary is an older story (the content discussed was first published in 1995), but resurfaced two years ago when parents in a Virginia middle school were complaining about the “explicit sexual content” in this classic piece of literature. Reproduced here is the “explicit sexual content.” “…Until I was eleven or twelve, I didn’t realize there was a second set of labia on the inside, since you couldn’t see them. What’s even funnier is that I thought urine came out of the clitoris…When you’re standing up, all you see from the front is hair. Continue Reading →
What Causes Women’s Post-Sex Blues?
I recently read an interesting article from NYDailyNews.com discussing a recent study that was conducted in Australia pertaining to feelings of sadness post-sex. The study indicated that out of the 200 women they surveyed – at least one-third of the women felt sadness, anxiety, or irritability after sex. Yet what I found most interesting in the article was the reasons (or causes) for these feelings of sadness; the article listed the following (possible) explanations:
previous sexual abuse which may lead to feelings of guilt or shame,
emotional characteristics which may lead to feelings of sadness. The author of the study (Robert Schweitzer) also stated additional research needs to be done to see if the way women perceive themselves in the bedroom could has any effect on their post-sex feelings. But the one thing that comes to my mind when I think of irritability post-sex is lack of satisfaction in bed. Continue Reading →
Real Women Come In All Shapes and Sizes
I recently read a blog post that my friend Sarah linked me to on The Rotund. The post is about how real women come in all shapes and sizes, as she author is arguing against a pants campaign. In the article, titled “Job Number One; Destroying the Paradigm, Not Shifting It”, Marianne Kirby, expresses her displeasure with a clothing campaign using the slogan “Real women have curves.” When I first saw the same slogan, I liked it. I’m not a skinny girl, and even at my lowest body weight (not that it matters, but under 100lb) I still manage to have curves. Continue Reading →
Need Some Help Getting In The Right Frame Of Mind For Sex?
Don’t worry! Pamela Madsen’s mind/body meditation can apparently help you get in the mood. Shameless: Self, Love, and Sexuality is a series of four guided meditations that claim to help women get over their fears of lovemaking by “curing” body insecurities, shame and fear, and teaching relaxation techniques. While this does sound a little far-fetched to me, I’m a huge believer in the mind-body connection. There’s no doubt that unenjoyable or painful sex is often connected to a psychological block (of course, that’s not the only explanation, as painful sex could be a sign of something more serious), and it’s often hard to get past those blocks. Continue Reading →
The Cup Size Choir
Okay, so obviously I would be in love with this. I mean, it’s a combination of my two greatest passions in life- pretty bras and singing. While the pitch does get a little wonky, and it’s mildly creepy to watch each girl fall onto the mattress every time her note is sung, I seriously appreciate this. Continue Reading →
“Well, Don’t Tell Them You’re A Belly Dancer”: Stigma And Sexiness
Before moving to Bloomington, Indiana for my Ph.D. in folklore, I met with my mentor, Professor Alan Dundes, in his office at UC Berkeley. He had also done his Ph.D. in Bloomington, and he was giving me advice about relocating to the Midwest and adjusting to grad school. Among other gems of wisdom that he dispensed, he told me:
“Well, don’t tell them you’re a belly dancer. Continue Reading →
Vulvae: To Each Their Own
I recently came across this amazing blog, called The [Online] Vulva Book. It’s a fantastic site dedicated to showing the beautiful variety in vulvae across the world. Women are often super self-conscious about the appearance of their vulvae, as the images portrayed in pornography and the media often depict genitals as neatly packed little bundles of joy. The truth is, every vulva is different, and in my opinion, beautiful. Continue Reading →