Feminists Aren’t Haters

This week we get loud and proud about our feminist ways with Ellen Page, we check out the latest pop sensation, and we get some great advice from a Malaysian woman who hit it big with her business idea in Mexico.

1. Feminists aren’t haters

feminist1As if we needed another reason to love Ellen Page!  The celebrity who shot to fame for her role as a pregnant teen in the movie Juno, has been promoting her new film The East this week.  However, her interview with The Guardian’s Hadley Freeman took a twist when the pair began bonding over social theory and politics, with Page stating her confusion and disappointment over celebrities who refuse to call themselves feminists.  After a string of successful women including Beyonce, Katie Perry and Lady Gaga all claimed they weren’t feminists because they like men, Page’s revelation of her own feminist beliefs are refreshing and a great reminder that feminism is a fight for equality, not an exclusive club for man-hating, bra-burning extremists.  Read the interview here for a good perspective on what a feminist is and why you don’t have to hate men to be one.

2. J-Pop Sensation

j-popIf you thought that the rise of K-pop with the success of PSY’s Gangnam Style was just a phase, think again.  Japan’s innovative music industry has come out stronger than Korea’s and even the USA’s with their new J-pop band, AKB48.  Aside for being super cute with catchy tunes, this girl band’s success has been all about the fans, as every person that buys their single receives a free ticket to meet the girls.  Fans are also involved in the audition process for new members and back-up dancers.  This interactive music sensation is sure to affect the global music market sooner than we think, and we can be ahead of the game by reading all about it here.

3.  Women’s rights in Saudi Arabia

Photo: Hassan Anmar/AFP/Getty Images
Photo: Hassan Anmar/AFP/Getty Images

Do you know that it is illegal for women in Saudi Arabia to drive?  Do you know they can’t ride a bike unless being accompanied by a male guardian?  More importantly, do you know there are female activists within the borders of Saudi Arabia trying to change these laws?  One woman, Wajeha al-Huwaider, has been creating waves by taking photos of herself driving and posting them on social media.  This week, however, the Saudi government has finally caught her in the act of breaking Sharia law.  After learning that a woman was unable to leave her home without her husband and food supplies were running out, she brought food to her and was instantly arrested.  Read up on the story here to find out more about breaking Sharia law and the women’s rights activists of Saudi.

4. Making it in Mexico

Wee Yen LimLearning a new language and starting your own business are two things that often end up on people’s “To Do” lists, but rarely get done.  That is unless you’re Wee Yen Lim.  This inspirational entrepreneur not only got her own business successfully up and running, she did it on the other side of the world!  Having grown up in Malaysia, Lim never expected to end up living in Central America.  When fate took her that way she went with it and started learning Spanish on the flight that took her to her new home in Mexico.  After slowly finding her Spanish voice, Lim established the designer dress rental company Conspiracion Moda.  Read some of her business tips, and advice on how to change your mindset here.

5. The truth about Tootsie

Photo: Columbia Pictures
Photo: Columbia Pictures

In case you somehow missed the clip from the AFI Archives of that Dustin Hoffman interview, check it out right now!  Playing an unattractive woman was more of a shock for Hoffman than her ever expected.   The clip is short but the message is clear, as he tells us how his role in Tootsie made him realise how much a woman’s appearance impacted how he treated them.  For more on the story, check out this article from the Huffington Post.

 

Christina Yiannakis

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