Has the anti-bullying momentum grown loud enough to move the dial on something as ubiquitous as gossip-mongering? Perhaps. Today on Ellen, celebrity blogger Perez Hilton announced that he was going to stop bullying people on his famously mean-spirited gossip blog. Ellen has been a champion for LGBT rights and visibility for a long time, as…
I look so fat today. I have two chins. I hate my thighs. I’m not eating today. How many times have you said these things? Heard these things? Had a whole conversation about something along these lines? Yeah. That’s what I thought. Look, I do it too. I have the mental recording that drones on…
You don’t have to look hard to find evidence that we don’t like fat people in this culture. Stand in a check-out line at the grocery store and see tabloid headlines blaring “[Insert name] gains 25 pounds!” or “[Insert name] tips 200 lbs!” or “50 Fattest Celebrities.” Celebs, at least female celebrities, can’t catch a…
There are many things I have come to realize now that I am a parent. The chief among these is that before now, I did not understand. There’s just no way to. Let me illustrate by sharing some examples of things I never thought I’d do (or at least, not all at once): Left the…
On Sunday, July 4, it will be exactly six weeks since I gave birth to my daughter, Kate. It is Independence Day in more ways than one for me; I will finally be cleared for exercise and physical activity. I never knew how much I took the physicality of life for granted! For the past…
One of the more frustrating things about being a woman is the sometimes debilitating experience of shopping for clothes. No matter what size you are, shape, color, height, etc. … chances are there’s something about the shopping experience that pisses you off. If it’s not about the fight with clothes on the rack, it’s about…
It’s time for another installment from new guest-writer Jane Heenan! Enjoy! Growing up in Chicago, I regularly heard stories of and sometimes experienced late-season snowstorms. While rare, an April snow in that area can be especially dangerous because snow can change to sleet can change to frozen rain and back again. Driving can be impossible…
My dear Sirens, I do so love you. But I have to admit that during the past week my mind as switched into hyper-baby-drive. You see, I’m less than one month away (or less!) from having my first baby. So, I’m distracted. But I could never completely forget about you. And because I know so…
I can’t tell from the readership survey so far if you like these kinds of posts or not … but, yes, this is another post about pregnancy. (You’ve got until April 1 to tell me what you think in the survey, so if you love or hate these kinds of posts, now’s your chance to…
No one survives on caviar and champaign alone. Every now and again even the best feminist succumbs to silly pop-culture fare. For some it’s fashion mags, for others it’s rom-coms … My weakness is a little show on TLC called What Not to Wear. And I’m not the only one, apparently. (Remember local environmentalist Tara…
The Sin City Siren 