‘Frances Ha’ Shows The Pain of Losing Your Best Girlfriend

Frances HaThe only really disconcerting part of “Frances Ha” (opening May 31, nationwide June 14) is that the filmmakers decided to shoot it in black and white. Not that there’s anything wrong with black and white; the shadows pop and even the bleakest landscapes look beautiful. It just kinda screams artsy pretension, especially since the film is mainly set in New York among 20-something hipsters. 

But that’s not fair to this lovely little gem, directed by Noah Baumbach (“The Squid and the Whale”), nor are the inevitable comparisons to Lena Dunham’s “Girls” (though some of those might have been avoided by not casting Adam Driver in a supporting role).

Because “Frances Ha” is a great look at women’s friendships, particularly those intense bonds you form in your late teens/early 20s that, when they end, hurt far worse than any romance.  [Read more...]


Links for Sexy Feminists: Gay marriage, ‘The Year of Heroine Worship,’ and more …

Gay marriage goes to the Supreme Court: The highest court’s ruling could lead to federalizing gay marriage — or not — by late spring or early summer, says The New Yorker.

More gay marriage: Meanwhile, same-sex couples started getting legally married in Washington State this weekend. And Jezebel has a piece by a woman who grew up with two moms.

‘Year of Heroine Worship?’: New York Times critic A.O. Scott heralds 2012 as a golden age of strong female leads. New York mag’s The Cut says not so fast.

Gwen and Gavin are our aspirational-couple heroes: They are never allowed to break up. Here is some video of them singing “Glycerine” on stage together, via The Frisky, to reassure you that they are still awesome and together.


Links for Sexy Feminists: Mankind vs. Humankind, OTC birth control, and more …

Yeah, it’s important not to use “mankind” to refer to all humans: Even the scholars say so, io9 tells us. Seriously, it’s not that hard to make your language gender-inclusive, and it seems “silly” only when you’re one of the “man”s already included.

And yeah, we’re not about to suddenly call the internet a bastion of “niceness” either: We’re backing Jezebel on this one: Trolls live on.

OB-GYNs say the pill should be over-the-counter: We guess we’ll take the convenience factor even if it means we’d have to pay for it again. Especially after the fiasco our pharmacy experience was today. Self breaks down why OTC birth control would rule.

Another lady in charge of something major: The nation’s largest bank gets a new CFO, HuffPo reports.

Lincoln tries to remake First Lady Mary Todd: It doesn’t quite work though, says The New Yorker.


Links for Sexy Feminists: Ryan Lochte, Rashida Jones, and more …

10 Reasons Why Ryan Lochte Is America’s Sexiest Douchebag: Courtesy of Jezebel. We see that he’s super-hot, but we’re happy he isn’t totally our type, because, seriously.

Today in Lady Olympic News: America’s Missy Franklin breaks records and wins 200-meter backstroke, reports the LA Times.

Oh, Goody, the Personhood People Are Petitioning the Supreme Court: Details via The Daily Beast.

We Do Love Rashida Jones: She talks about writing herself a better role in Celeste and Jesse Forever, via Feministing.

Bitch Goes Beyond Judy Blume: And we’re suckers for anything with Judy Blume in the name.


Links for Sexy Feminists: The Nora Ephron, R.I.P., Edition

Nora Ephron’s Greatest Hits: A Video Compilation [via the LA Times]

Remembering Nora Ephron — A Great New York Dame [via FoxNews.com]

Nora Ephron Mined the Mundane for Laughs [via The Baltimore Sun]

Nora Ephron Talks Her Last Meal, Aging, and More on Charlie Rose [via The Huffington Post]

Tom Hanks, Nicole Kidman, Billy Crystal and More Mourn Writer-Director’s Death [via E! online]


Links for Sexy Feminists: A ’50 Shades’ movie, Elizabeth Warren for president, and more …

Could a 50 Shades movie actually be good?: Salon’s Laura Miller says yes.

Elizabeth Warren for president?: Not that we don’t love Warren, but The Atlantic ponders whether the Democratic bench is deep enough to handle the next election.

Congrats, Ms.!: The venerable feminist magazine celebrates its 40th.

Missing Joan and Peggy: The only three types of businesswomen represented in pop culture, according to Bitch.

Slate investigates the history of “witch hunts”: Hey, at least it’s a reference to women’s history!

The New York Times on The Atlantic “have it all” dust-up: A balanced summary of the debate.


Links for Sexy Feminists: Pixar’s ‘Brave,’ ’1% wives,’ and more …

Pixar finally gives girls their due: Salon reviews Brave.

Elizabeth Wurtzel baits debate by calling out “1% wives” in The Atlantic: We aren’t going to get on board with the whole mommyhood-is-a-pedicure-fest idea, but we do agree with this: “Who can possibly take feminism seriously when it allows everything, as long as women choose it? The whole point to begin with was that women were losing their minds pushing mops and strollers all day without a room or a salary of their own.” Feministe and The Frisky weigh in.

We heart Amy Poehler: And purple. So we like reading about her recent appearance at the 92nd Street Y in Capital New York, and her “purple-state feminism.”

Are you gay?: Match.com offers some advice for the curious-but-confused.

16 Excellent Retorts to “Why Are You Still Single?”: We’ve always gone with “Just lucky, I guess,” but we like HowAboutWe’s suggestions, too.

 


Leading Ladies We’d Love to See as ‘The Next Julia Roberts’

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Hollywood is filled with beautiful, talented actresses, but every time a new movie hits the theaters, it feels like the same cookie-cutter actresses (sorry, Katherine Heigl) are playing the lead roles while industry insiders fret over finding "the next Julia." We think it's time for a new type of leading lady in Hollywood, someone who can bring some diversity and authenticity to the movies we love. These are some of the talented actresses we want to see star in Hollywood’s next big blockbuster.

Which actress do you think deserve a starring role? Tell us in the comments below!
Photo: David Moir/Reuters/Landov


The Most Empowering ‘Chick Flicks’ Ever

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Chick flicks have a reputation for being sexist, vapid films (even the nickname makes us roll our eyes!). But the movies on this list prove that feminism can be found in any genre, if you know where to look. Whether the main character is kicking ass or finding her voice, these chick flicks are actually feminist.

Have movies to add to our list? Comment below!
Photo: Paramount


FemiNoshing: Who Is Worthy of Julia?

I have yet to see “Julie & Julia,” which opened Friday and was a huge box office hit. But it is definitely on my list, not just because it stars the ever-amazing Meryl Streep, but because it is, at its base, about two women who improve their lives by reinventing themselves, and this reinvention has nothing to do with looking pretty or finding a man.

Such films are rare, because so much of what comes out of Hollywood is either male-focused — or even if female-centric, about a girl looking for a boy to complete her. In “Julie & Julia,” the women and their journeys are at the center; and best of all, unlike, say, “Contact,” another great film about an amazing woman’s journey, this script is based on real people.

Julia Child has always been a heroine of mine, and I commend Julie Powell — who in 2002 built a blog around cooking each of the recipes in Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” in one year — for doing something so many bloggers dream of doing: turning their blog into a book, then a movie. With 33 million blogs out there and counting, it’s damn hard to make your voice heard.

[Read more...]


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