Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Viva.
Body Positive?
I like to think of myself as outwardly accepting of others, regardless of my thoughts and feelings on their behaviors, beliefs, and beings. But there are three things that truly dishearten me about humans, myself included, I hasten to add and they’ve slotted themselves nicely into the unique-little-snowflake culture that has engulfed us millennials. They call themselves, in the style of a generation raised on spasmodic adspeak “body positive,” “you do you,” and “intellectual differences.” I’ve talked about the second and third before and intend to do so again in the near future but, for now, I’m going to focus on the first one.
I'm a 27-Year-Old White Male and I've Never Sexually Harassed a Woman
Sexual harassment lately has been overwhelmingly a part of our daily reads, and has made headlines across media sources across the nation. The #MeToo movement will accordingly go down in history as one of the most eye opening civil movements in my generation's days of yore, and rightfully so. Many women across the country finally must no longer be afraid to step forward about the abuse and bedevilment they have experienced from men that they work alongside, live with, or encounter in day to day activities. From politicians, to an overabundance of male Hollywood celebrities, to Olympic trainers; it finally seems as if men of high profile can no longer get a way with petty actions of sexual objectification and perversion, which we should all applaud!
J.D. stroudPublished 6 years ago in VivaYes, #MeToo
Will I give out names in this story? No. Nor will I allude to any places or milestones that could be traced back to its characters. That’s not why I’m choosing to write this. I’m not a victim, I’m not a survivor. I’m just a writer, and this is just another one of my stories.
something wildePublished 6 years ago in VivaWoman to Woman, What Can You Learn from Someone You Don’t Like?
I must admit, the news that two of Sex and the City’s most loved actresses have a lot of issues, animosity, and possibly hatred between them, really broke my heart.
Verity BrownPublished 6 years ago in VivaSpectrums, Harassment, Assault, and Sexism
Generally speaking you are born with XX or XY chromosomes. This means biologically and anatomically you are either male or female. However, there is a difference between gender/sex and sexual preferences. As you are developing in the womb, you start out as female. As you develop more you may stay a female, or become a male. The brain develops before the genitals, so it is possible to be born with a male brain but female genitals or vice versa. Hence, the sexual spectrum which we all fall somewhere on to.
James HowellPublished 6 years ago in VivaWhy We Need to Stop Using the Word "Mansplaining"
I am a feminist and I hate the word “mansplaining.” According to Google dictionary, mansplain is an informal verb used to describe a man explaining something to someone, typically a woman, in a manner regarded as condescending or patronizing. So basically it means a man is explaining something to a woman and she perceives it as being condescending. CONDESCENDING. PATRONIZING. Gender-neutral words. Words that could describe an annoying way of speaking by any gender. Why are we not just using those words? Why have we created a derogatory, gender-based insult specifically for men?
Jessica RowePublished 6 years ago in VivaWomen Feeling Less About Themselves
This upsets me the most, having a friend of mine telling me how she doesn’t feel pretty enough or good enough or plain and simple enough, because a guy did not see her worth. Ladies do not ever let any man make you feel less about yourself because he thinks more with his bottom head, then with his actual brain. Believe me I know it is hard to not let a guy get in your head, I have been there, but I am here to tell you that you are not the problem. He was the problem.
Manhatten J. SpanglerPublished 6 years ago in Viva- Top Story - February 2018
Products for Your Boobs They Will Thank You For
Yes, there are tons of products for your boobs that they will thank you for, and you need them right now. From simple products like nipple covers and boob tape to a face mask made just for your cleavage, there is a product for all of your breasts' needs.
Leanna DavisPublished 6 years ago in Viva Reprimanding for False Allegations
#MeToo is about letting other women know of their sexual assault tales. But the popular hashtag is causing a ruckus of the protocol in the ways people look into sexual assault. Recently in the news, a physician for the Tampa Bay Rays was given the boot after a 26-year-old woman claims he sexually assaulted her ten years ago.
Heather WilkinsPublished 6 years ago in VivaDark Memories
There are so many of them. Memories of my not-so-well-known childhood. I never spoke about all the occurrences as a kid due to the fear of my family being harmed or shamed. However, after a while it just became a habit. It was easier not to share my pain with anyone then to even remember it ever happened.
Bonita Fernandes-BennettPublished 6 years ago in VivaMy Experience with Skinny Shaming
I'm a size zero—the size often referenced as the pinnacle of beauty. The phrase "you don't have to be a size zero to be beautiful" is one common to the body positivity movement, and I wholeheartedly agree. What I'm here to tell you is that not only does beauty come in different sizes, but being a size zero does not inherently mean you're confident and love your body. For me, it's meant quite the opposite.
Katie BurkholderPublished 6 years ago in VivaDon't Miss the #MeToo Point
Far from the idea that women are the "weaker sex," women have exhibited tenacity and bravery for centuries as they fight and die to claim the most basic human rights. In modern years, as the force of liberal ideas grew, women called themselves "suffragette" and "feminist" until critics added the words "man-hating" to the accepted definition. The words for demanding the right to vote or to determine one's own life outcomes have become shameful.
Alice MoorePublished 6 years ago in Viva