gender roles
A look at the evolution of gender roles, from Leave It to Beaver, paternity leave, female breadwinners and more.
She Who is Relaxed, is Free.
“Growing up, I never knew a relaxed woman. Successful women? Yes. Productive women? Plenty. Anxious and afraid and apologetic women? Heaps of them. But relaxed women? At-ease women? Women who don't dissect their days into half hour slots of productivity? Women who prioritize rest, pleasure, and play? Women who aren't afraid to take up space in the world? Women who give themselves unconditional permission to relax? Without guilt? Without apology? Without feeling like they need to earn it? I'm not sure I've ever met a woman like that. But I would like to become one.”
By Alys Revna4 months ago in Viva
weird girl diaries
hey get off the internet, I need to use the phone. Sixteen-year-old me was a force to be reckoned with. A product of her time, she was an emo kid to her very core. Her black box dyed hair was styled in a deep side part and side bangs, with stripey lavender highlight, of course. She spent her time holed up in her lime green bedroom, picking out the perfect song for her Myspace page, taking selfies with duck lips and her fingers in a peace sign, and waiting for her friends to come online on AIM.
By Alys Revna5 months ago in Viva
The goddess of ten thousand names.
I wanted to write about the goddess Isis for some time now, but felt like my understanding of her is too limited, and my perspective won’t do this powerful archetype a justice. Mainly because, just like the title of this essay suggests, she was the embodiment of countless archetypes, and I haven’t studied them enough.
By Eva Smitte6 months ago in Viva
You are NOT a "Conservative Feminist," You are a Radical Conservative.
I am brutally honest with my opinion, and many people hate me for it. I am unapologetic when people who claim to be "Conservative Feminists" are offended when I say: "Conservatism and Feminism directly contradict each other; conservative feminism does not exist. You're not a feminist, you're a Radical Conservative." It's at that point civility dissolves from the other party, and they start calling me names or defending themselves instead of saying, "Excuse me? Explain yourself."
By Hope Martin7 months ago in Viva
The Great Binary Branding. AI-Generated.
"The clock has struck three, the coffee is cold, and the shadows are beginning to speak. Welcome back to the desk of The Night Writer. Tonight, we’re looking at the strange ways we label the world before it has a chance to label us." I was standing in the "Home & Lifestyle" aisle of a big-box store yesterday, staring at two identical travel mugs. One was a matte, tactical charcoal grey; the other was a soft, iridescent lavender. Both were made of vacuum-sealed stainless steel. Both were designed to keep 16 ounces of liquid at a temperature high enough to sear the roof of your mouth.
By The Night Writer 🌙 7 months ago in Viva
Thinness, TikTok, and the Algorithm: The Revival of Harmful Beauty Ideals in the Digital Age. AI-Generated.
Scrolling through social media today, it’s hard not to notice echoes of the early 2000s, when the ‘heroin chic’ aesthetic dominated fashion magazines and ultra-thin bodies were widely celebrated. Back then, women above a size two were frequently mocked in headlines, and intense scrutiny of female bodies was considered routine. As we fast-forward to the present day, similar attitudes are making an unsettling comeback—particularly on platforms like TikTok, where viral trends and algorithm-driven content cycles often spotlight a narrow, unrealistic version of beauty.
By Sarah Xenos8 months ago in Viva
Never Laugh at Woman's Pain
This story involves a life lesson learning experience for all women that they need to know and understand why they should never laugh at a woman’s pain because when she deals with it you will endure what she has. This story involves reality star and business Miss Nikki, former NBA basketball player/ wannabe rapper Gelo Ball, and Wild n Out gal Rashidia Nicole. Before I start to address this whole story and this is not a diss towards anyone, honestly, I was never involve in their lives and it is not my business to tell so. This is just a epitome of never laughing at woman’s pain.
By Gladys W. Muturi9 months ago in Viva
"The Woman or the Girl You Knew the night before...."
"Girl... ..... you'll be a woman, soon." Neil Diamond sang those lyrics circa 1967, the same year Aretha Franklin was belting out "Natural Woman". Bob Segar recorded the song "Turn the Page" in 1971 with the lyrics "You can think about the woman, or the girl you knew the night before." And "She's Always a Woman" is a song by Billy Joel from his "Stranger" album of 1977, while the BeeGee's sang "More than a Woman"also in the 70s. People also loved John Lennon's song "Woman" from the album "Double Fantasy" released in 1980. After that, the 80s and 90s did not produce any big titles with the word "Woman" as the main theme. So? Why all this history of "Woman" themed songs? What's my point? What does it mean to be a woman? VIVA community wants to know. I think Neil, Bob, Billy, The Gibbs, and John, have all tried to answer the question for women, but how many women have written a song about Women? We might bark up Melissa Etheridge's tree or the Indigo Girls, but as far as I've heard of their songs, I've not found one focused completely on the word or theme "Women" --- which has me believing that neither straight or lesbian women really know what to say about the word "woman" or "women" yet I have just thought of one artist who did come up with something in the 90s: Shania Twain. "Man, I feel like a Woman." Oh, wait. Another artist just came to mind - Whitney Houston (in the 80s) did do a remake of "I'm Every Woman" which was a Pop Hit for her.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman10 months ago in Viva
