Last month, model Amber Rose announced on her Twitter and Instagram accounts that she plans to host her own SlutWalk this summer as a way to end slut-shaming. She explained that her SlutWalk “will be about every Woman Equality issue we deal with everyday.” While some may view Amber Rose’s announcement as new and forward-thinking, in actuality, SlutWalks have been occurring for years. And for good reason.

It all began in 2011 in Toronto, Ontario. The spark for the SlutWalk was ignited by a Toronto police officer who publicly suggested women “avoid dressing like sluts” in order to avoid being sexually assaulted. Naturally, women were angered by this unwanted advice, and they sought to make it right. On April 3, 2011, 3,000 women — as well as many men — gathered at Queen’s Park in Toronto to protest victim-blaming, shaming and rape culture as a whole. Participants made posters, wrote speeches and some even showed up in “slutty attire” to express their anger toward the police. They then proceeded to march together from the park to police headquarters.

It did not end there. The next day, another SlutWalk was organized in Sackville, New Brunswick. A couple months following the original event, the idea of the SlutWalk had spread to other countries. Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, South Korea, England, India, Singapore, as well as the United States all had its own SlutWalks. The SlutWalk quickly became a global phenomenon.

The purpose and message of the SlutWalk has slightly evolved and changed over the past couple of years. What started as a protest against victim-shaming has evolved into a place where rape victims can find support and strength after being assaulted. Some women use the SlutWalk as a way to fight off slut-shaming, supporting the idea that women should be able to wear whatever they want without fear of being criticized or blamed for their decisions.

No matter the reason for an individual to take part, the SlutWalk is a necessary event in today’s world. While some may argue that the “feminist agenda” is over the top and unnecessary, it is anything but. Too many women are told to “cover up” so as not to elicit unwanted attention from men. Too many rape victims are told that their choice of clothing was what caused them to be raped. Too many fingers are pointed at women and the way they dress when they should actually be pointed at the men who rape.

Rape culture – the concept that rape is normalized as a result of society’s attitude toward sexuality and gender – needs to end. But it is something that cannot be stopped overnight. SlutWalks do what should be done: it brings people together who challenge the idea of rape culture in order to fight it together. Much like a giant fire-breathing dragon, rape culture cannot be defeated by one person. Instead an army of people need to work together to defeat it. Society needs to fight this beast together.

SlutWalks are empowering. SlutWalks get people talking about important issues publicly. SlutWalks force others to take a look at the way they perceive “sluts.” Every country, every state, every city should host its own SlutWalk.

It is amazing that Amber Rose is using her celebrity status to bring attention to the cause of the SlutWalk. But she shouldn’t need to. Everyone should be aware of these issues and how people are already battling them. There is power in knowledge. We should all know that the SlutWalk is more than just a bunch of women walking around in their underwear, and we should want to join them.

Follow Alysha Ferguson on Twitter @AlyshaNFerguson

For the past month or so, the E! network’s popular show Fashion Police has been under great scrutiny. It all started when co-host Giuliana Rancic made a racist comment regarding Disney Channel star Zendaya’s hair worn to the Oscars. Zendaya chose to wear dreadlocks for the night, and on the next episode of Fashion Police Rancic made the comment that she feels as if Zendaya “smells like patchouli oil … or weed.” Naturally, Rancic was showered with outrage over the inappropriateness of her comment and has since publicly apologized for what she had said. While many may believe this was an isolated event, I am here to say that sadly it is not.

The show, which will celebrate its fifth year on television this September, has produced numerous inappropriate and offensive “jokes” and critiques about celebrities and how they look. These critiques include anything from racism, domestic violence, rape and even the Holocaust. While the show may be considered a comedy, I believe it is anything but.

The show is fueled by criticizing people on how they look, declaring who and what is “hot” and what is not. Instead of celebrating everyone and their expression through fashion, the show tears them down in a demeaning and harmful way. No one is safe from the Fashion Police and their offensive comments. On one episode, Elsa Pataky was said to look as if she had a beer belly. She was three weeks away from giving birth to twin boys.

In today’s society, supporting positive body image is more important than ever. Sadly, the presence of Fashion Police disrupts that message from spreading. The late Joan Rivers, who was the original head of the show, constantly made comments regarding celebrities weight. For many, fashion and how you make yourself look overall is used as a way to express yourself.

Each individual makes their own choices on how they want to look. The superficial Fashion Police does nothing but demean individualism and natural beauty. By declaring what is “in” and what is “out,” the show is making the statement that if you do not look or dress a certain way then you are “out” and do not fit their brand of beautiful.

I am completely aware that while the show tears women apart, it also compliments women who fit the show’s ideas of what is fashionable and beautiful. While complimenting is great and should be done more often, it gets overshadowed by the negativity the show produces.

The sole purpose of the show is to declare who are the most fashionable celebrities of the past week. But the issue with this is in the co-hosts themselves. Out of the six people who are or were hosts of the show, only one of them is involved in fashion. The rest are comedians and TV personalities. How can a show comment on fashion accurately when only one of its co-hosts is involved in the industry of fashion? This reveals something very important about the show and how it is run: the show’s true purpose is not so much on the fashion, but rather the “jokes” made about the people wearing these fashions.

Joan Rivers was infamous for her offensive comments and “jokes.” Since her passing, the show has struggled without her. The reason for this was the way in which Rivers was accepted. Whenever Rivers said something inappropriate, many would brush it off. River’s whole persona revolved around her lack of a filter. Without the presence of Rivers and her accepted sense of humor, the show struggles with getting away with the “jokes” it produces.

As a result of Rancic and her comment, two co-hosts have left the show. The show has also been put on hold and may (or may not) return in September. I hope that it doesn’t because what’s the point of a show that does nothing but say mean things about people.

The post Ferguson: The problem with Fashion Police appeared first on Emerald Media.

Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain. The state to which Oscar Hammerstein dedicated an entire musical has recently made headlines for a controversial reason. Legislators are attempting to cut funding to all AP U.S. History classes, also known as APUSH in the state’s public school system. While this course of action may be puzzling, the reason they are doing this is because legislators say AP U.S. History is anti-American.

AP U.S. History does exactly what the title suggests, every facet of our country’s history is taught and discussed. The class is designed to delve deeper into our history so that students may have a greater depth of knowledge. It takes apart important pieces of our history, both good and bad. Instead of memorizing dates students have the opportunity to actually discuss the events and form opinions about what Americans have done and why Americans have done it. The victorious founding after a successful split from England and its monarchy, the creation of democracy and sending a man to the moon are a few of the many events in which we are proud of. But with these victories and triumphs our country is also laced with heartbreak and controversy. AP U.S. History explores every event which has made our country what it is now. 

Republican Representative and author of the bill, Dan Fischer would like to see an end to funding for APUSH, as he deems it is unpatriotic and promotes what is bad about our country. House Bill 1380 addresses the idea that APUSH is currently failing to teach “American exceptionalism,” or the belief that America is superior to other nations. Idea sound familiar? Germany had a similar view known as “Sonderweg” during the rise of the Nazi regime leading up to World War II. Germany has an interesting past, much like America. Though as bad as it was, Germany is learning from it and emerging stronger.

The whole point of history is to teach about the triumphs and mistakes which led to today’s world. It would be ludicrous to teach one without the other. Future generations need to know about slavery, racism and many other events which took place in our own backyard. While many wish that occurrences such as slavery had not happened, it did. We were then able to learn from it because that is what you do. Mistakes are made, you learn from them, and then you can move on to a brighter future.

Though many wish it were, America is not just a land full of opportunity and warm apple pie. America has a past. But, America also has a future. History courses string together the events of the past to show the way to the best possible future. Without knowledge of the past we remain unaware of ways to enhance the future. Ignoring the past causes us to stay the way we are, blocking our way to a successful future. 

With the absence of APUSH, future generations will not know about Japanese internment camps. They will not be tested on the significance of Martin Luther King, Jr. They will not write reports on the thousands of lives lost on the Trail of Tears. America is in no place to brush off the bleak moments in its history, especially when we are still making mistakes.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s fight to end racism? Ferguson, Missouri would argue we’re still fighting for it. The women’s suffrage movement? Women are still struggling to get equal pay. America doesn’t outlaw biracial marriages anymore, that’s good right? The LGBTQ community would argue that there is still much to be done. Issues that were prevalent years and years ago are still issues today. Clearly there is still much to learn from the past. If we diminish the opportunities to learn about our mistakes, then we shall be damned to repeat them forever.

The post Ferguson: The importance of teaching history appeared first on Emerald Media.

For the last sixteen years, Jon Stewart has been the face and voice of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, the popular political comedy. But recently Stewart announced his plan to retire from his position and give someone else the chance to shine. While the question of why he was leaving was discussed among audiences, so was the question of who should replace him. While the jury is still out on any certain person to fill Stewart’s successful spot, I have my own ideas of who shouldn’t: another man.

Primetime late night television is a monopoly of middle-aged white men: Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, David Letterman, John Oliver, Conan O’Brien. Need I go on? Now the problem with this pattern is not that these men aren’t funny, because they are. The problem is that these men are just that, men. Where is the female representation? Late night television is run by males. And that’s a problem.

Flashback to many moons ago. A young female comic is given her own late night show on Fox. Her name is Joan Rivers. Sadly, Joan’s show was cancelled. Almost thirty years later, and there has yet to be another female host in late night primetime television.

Comedienne Kathy Griffin was highly interested in replacing Craig Ferguson on The Late Late Show last year, but was told that women would not be considered in the search for his replacement. They ended up choosing James Corden. Who’s that, you ask? Another white male.

Women are being completely shut out from primetime late night television. Female representation has been confined to daytime talk shows and the occasional cable late night show, such as Chelsea Lately, Chelsea Handler’s former show on the E! network.

This whole debacle goes back to the outdated and misogynistic myth that women aren’t as funny as men. Which is complete and utter bullshit. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve sat through a conversation with a man explaining why that statement is true, I would have enough money to buy NBC and make myself a late night host. When my male friends make the comment that I will never be as funny as them because I’m a female, it takes every ounce of self-control to not rip their throats out. I get it. You’re from the 1800s. I’m sure you support accusations of women being witches for having opinions too.

Women are funny. Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Kathy Griffin, Mindy Kaling, Kristen Wiig, the list goes on. I could spend hours writing about the funny females I aspire to be. They inspire me and countless other young women hoping to get into the comedy business someday. But women are not given equal opportunities as men, making it hard to envision a future in the business.

The last two Golden Globe Awards were hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and they killed it. Imagine if either of them were to have their own late night show. These women can do no wrong. Remember when they were on Saturday Night Live’s weekend update desk? Genius. When people claim that women can not be funny, they disrespect the hard-earned careers of these women and countless others.

For the patriarchy which is late night television, some lucky women have been blessed with the opportunity to enter the writers’ room, but the majority of the writers are still male. Women have been given the ability to write for these shows but are not allowed to speak for themselves. By including women into primetime late night television, a new voice and perspective may be included into the conversation. When every male host makes a joke in his monologue about the same thing, it gets tired and played out. Now, imagine a woman’s perspective on the same occurrence. It’d most likely be different and would most likely be funny.

If Comedy Central does not choose a woman to replace Jon Stewart, then they have missed a great opportunity to make a difference. Women can do anything men can do. Including hosting a late night show.

The post Ferguson: Late night television, a sea of men appeared first on Emerald Media.

Until recently, I was living under a rock and had no idea what the show The Bachelor was about. I knew it had roses and crying women, but other than those two components I had no clue of what this popular show consisted of. I wanted to see what all of the fuss was about, so I decided I would watch this season. Boy was I in for a treat.

The Bachelor is hands down the most dramatic show I have ever had the privilege of watching. Having multiple women compete for the affection of one man would obviously come with drama. I love the crazy dates these women go on with the Bachelor, the heart wrenching rose ceremonies and the crazy antics these women do to grab attention. But I think what I like most about The Bachelor is how educational it is. I feel as if I have learned so much from watching these women pine for farmer Chris.

In the ways of love, romance and how to find that special someone, this is what I have learned since I started watching The Bachelor:

A man’s affection is measured in how many roses he gives you. Forget “I love you” or simple sentiments such as that, the only way to know if he’s truly interested in you is if he continually gives you roses. Never a bouquet, just one single rose at a time. Only roses though, any other flower will not suffice. Man gives you tulips? Consider yourself friendzoned.

You can not truly win a man’s heart unless you have beaten twenty other girls for it. Life’s all about competition, am I right? The only way to know if your love is real or not is if he has rejected twenty other girls and chose you as the victor of his heart. It’s just like the Hunger Games, minus the killing.

The only way a relationship may flourish is if it is broadcasted for millions of people. Forget privacy. A love story is only as strong as its viewership. The connection is not authentic unless you have supporters and fans.

You have to be perfectly accepting of him kissing, flirting and dating multiple other women. Love is all about trust. Even though the man who you wish to be the father of your future children may kiss or date other women, this should not bother you. At the end of the day, it is you who he will love the most. Best to just ignore the fact that he may be forming relationships with others, it won’t matter once he finally chooses to you.

You must leave your friends and family for multiple months so that all of your undivided attention is spent on him. Clearly this works, I mean look at all of the success The Bachelor couples have had. Without the distraction of family and friends, you can focus solely on the man you wish to wed. Who needs mom and dad’s approval when you’re head over heels in love?

Two to three months is the perfect amount of time to form a relationship before getting engaged. Why waste any more time? Two months is just enough to create a strong and healthy relationship before deciding to spend the rest of your lives together. And when those months end, it’s time to plan the wedding of your dreams!

If the relationship sadly ends, you can always start over as The Bachelorette. Same process, but now you’re the one with all the power. Men will fight for your hand in marriage. What more could you ask for?

With this new found knowledge under my belt, I am ready to tackle the dating world. Right after I submit my audition tape for next season of The Bachelor.

Picture this: it’s three o’clock on a Monday in June. The sun is out, and the temperature is teetering between 99 and 100 degrees fahrenheit (just making sure we’re all on the same page here). It’s the first practice and my first day of high school cross country. “Lets do an easy run of only 30 minutes” the coach says. Are you freaking kidding me? I say silently to myself, why would anyone run for thirty minutes? The team sets off on the “easy” workout. Five minutes in, I’m walking behind trees and praying no one sees me. Little did I know I’d meet my soulmate that day.

Flash forward four years. I’m running over three miles at a time and training for a half-marathon. So what happened between hiding behind trees and now? I fell in love, that’s what happened. I fell in love with the only one I have ever loved. I fell in love with running.

Now if you’re anything like I used to be, you’re probably wondering how anyone could possibly fall in love with running. Running is torture, I use to say, something PE teachers used to punish late students. It’s simple to love running, really. Once you get over the hating yourself, the constant pain and torture, and the endless buckets of sweat, you find that running is such a tranquil and calming activity. I mean, no great relationship is easy.

Once at a cross country meet, I bought this shirt that said “Running is my boyfriend.” I had no idea what that meant, but my dad gave me money so I bought it. Now, I truly understand what those insightful words really mean. Running is the best boyfriend I could ever ask for. Apart from Joseph Gordan-Levitt of course. I wonder if he runs? I feel like he would be a runner. But I digress.

Running is my boyfriend because I can always count on it to make me feel good about myself. I can let my emotions out while running. When I have a bad day, or get into a fight with a friend or family member, running lets me take my frustrations or feelings out on it. I can truly be myself with running. Running does not judge, running does not complain, running does not get mad when I ditch it to hang out with my friends. Most importantly, running allows me to eat whatever I want. Running doesn’t get mad when I have too much ice cream. Best thing for a relationship if you ask me.

The thing I like best about running though is how accepting it is. There have been times when running and I weren’t talking. But as soon as I wanted to get back with running, it always accepted me with open arms. We could just start right back where we left off, almost as if we had never been apart.

Running and I have so many wonderful memories and milestones. There was my first race, my first running medal, my first fall, my first bug in the eye, so many charming memories we share. But with all the good, comes the bad. Running has left me with shin splints, torn muscles and the knee of a 90 year old.

Over our four year relationship, I have had two knee surgeries. I could not see running for months at a time. Being apart was the worst possible thing in the world. But I never worried about our relationship. I knew running would wait for me, just like Noah waited for Allie in The Notebook. Our love will live forever and ever. So beautiful, I know.

I truly see myself growing old with running. Running will stay with me forever and ever. Running came with me to college, and will continue to follow me wherever I go.

Dear Disney,

I have always been your biggest fan. I have seen practically every movie, memorized almost every one of your songs, and have considered Disneyland my second home–visiting multiple times a year. Never once have I complained about the questionable things you have done, instead, I try to support every project of yours. Until now.

Recently you unveiled your newest princess, Elena of Avalor. Great! The first Latina princess! I, too, am Latina. I remember when I heard the wonderful news. I was waiting for one of my classes to start when a friend texted me an article explaining your newest project. A smile immediately spread across my face as the little girl inside me read the headline she’s waited years for.

Sadly, that smile began to diminish as I continued reading the article. What? This can’t be right. Disney’s first ever Latina princess was only getting a 30 minute animated show on Disney Jr.? Elena of Avalor deserves to reach more than two to six-year-olds.

I am biracial: my father is Caucasian, my mother Hispanic. But for years, I only identified with one of the two. You see, I grew up in suburbia. A majority of my friends were white, blonde and blue eyed. I, on the other hand, have dark brown hair with matching eyes and permanently tanned skinned. Growing up, I was different. Not an easy concept for a child to grab.

I spent all of my time watching your movies, with your princesses being some of my favorite. They were all so beautiful and wonderful. Unfortunately, they were all light skinned. As a result, I grew up thinking I was ugly.

Playing dress up was one of my favorite games, but it always went the same. The blonde girls fought over who was Cinderella and who was Sleeping Beauty. The brunettes fought over Snow White and Belle. My one Asian friend always got to be Mulan. When I asked to be anyone, I was always told I was too dark to be her. Disney princesses are celebrities to young girls.  Let’s be real, they are even celebrities to adult women. We want to be just like them. Sadly, none of them were like me.

Jump to 2009: you The Princess and the Frog, starring the first African-American princess. This was huge. The publicity around this movie was incredible, and rightfully so. Young African-American girls finally had a Disney character they could look up to, someone who was just like them. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous.

Then the day comes when you finally announce you are creating a Latina princess. Yes! Finally! But wait, she’s not getting a movie. She will not have her story playing in theaters across the country. She will most likely not have a character signing autographs at your theme parks. She’s only getting a 30 minute time slot once a week on Disney Jr., a channel for preschoolers.

So here’s my issue with this, Disney: hispanic representation deserves more. Yes, you are making a Latina character, but she deserves to reach every demographic. Preschoolers are not the only ones who should get to hear her story and learn about Hispanic heritage. You have the opportunity to tell an amazing story and create a figure girls like me can look up too. But instead, you’re confining her. You are silencing her story, taking her voice away like poor, lovestruck Ariel (see what I did there).

For 19 years, I have patiently waited for you to create a character I could relate to. You finally do, and this is what you do to her.

I will always love you, Disney, but you can do better than this.

Sincerely,

A disappointed fan

Every Monday morning, the buzz of what everyone did over the weekend circulates my freshmen filled classes.  While so-and-so explains to what’s-his-face how wasted she got on Saturday, I am quietly reliving the movie and cup of hot chocolate I was with on the same night.  I go to a party school.  That’s fine and dandy, except for the fact I don’t party.  Alcohol?  Nope.  Drugs?  Never.  Going out on a Saturday night to some place other than dining?  Never in my wildest dreams.

Let’s get one thing straight: the University of Oregon is a party school.  I’m not just saying this to add dramatics to my piece.  Our lovely place of learning is actually nationally recognized as a party hot spot.  According to the Princeton Review, we were ranked 19th for biggest party schools in the United States for the year 2014.  And in case you were wondering, a party school is simply a school that has a reputation for heavy drug and/or alcohol use.

Now let’s get another thing straight: I do not believe I am all high and mighty because I do not party, drink, smoke or any of those things associated with college weekends out.  I am not writing from atop of a high horse.  I’m just here to shed light on the other side, give a voice to the people who don’t stay up past two in the morning.  The people who spend their evenings with a good book or watching the gang get together on Friends.  According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism – also referred to as the NIAAA – four out of five students enrolled in college consume alcohol.  I’m here to speak for the 20 percent who don’t.

I remember the first time I realized how big the party culture at this school was like it was just yesterday, which it practically was since I’ve only been attending UO since September.  I was just starting to get to know people in my classes, and they were always sharing how “turnt” they were over the weekend or planning to get over the next weekend.  Fellow classmates were even going out on school nights.  School nights!  I did not understand how everyone was able to party and sleep at the same time, let alone get any school work done.

On Sunday mornings I enjoy going for an early run around campus.  No run is complete without seeing students walking back to their respective halls in obvious party attire.  I am forced to reflect on how different our lives are.  Their night is ending, while my day is just beginning.  Quite strange if you ask me.

Attending a party school, while most would argue is fun and part of the college experience, can also be dangerous.  I’m sure you’re thinking, “She’s just a freshman–she has no idea what she’s talking about.”  Well, I have numbers on my side.  I’m not just a freshman; I’m a freshman who knows how to Google stuff.  The NIAAA notes on their website that about 1,825 college students die each year as a result of alcohol-related injuries.  They also note that 150,000 college students each year begin developing alcohol-related health problems.  Those numbers mean something about college and partying.  What can begin as having a good time and making memories can be destructive and possibly deadly.

But the main issue here is that party culture and living in the setting of a party school affects everyone.  There is always the constant threat of peer pressure.  I have been in too many situations where people can not accept that partying, drinking or doing drugs just does not interest me.  While I respect their choices of how to spend their time, a majority of the time they do not respect mine.

And that’s my issue with attending a party school.  I can look past the loud, drunken conversations right outside my door at four in the morning, but I will not look past the peer pressure placed on me and people like me.  Let us enjoy our tame nights in.  Please don’t judge us, we certainly don’t judge you.