Amid the noise of flashy reality programming, few shows manage to strike a good balance between spectacle and actual substance. Yet, Street Woman Fighter (SWF), the breakout Korean dance series, manages to do exactly that, reimagining the dance competition genre through the lens of femininity, culture and self-expression.   While it plays into the familiar drama of rivalries and high-stakes eliminations, the show stands out for its unapologetic celebration of women in dance, showcasing all-female crews from around the world who bring not just choreography, but their stories, histories and identities to the battle stage.  Unlike typical competition formats, SWF centers exclusively on all-female dance crews from around the world including…

As a kid, I was very aware of the gender divide. However, I never understood it. Why was there such a thing as gendered toys? Why was pink for girls and blue for boys?  In kindergarten, our class had a toy kitchen set and a toy tool bench. I went over to the tool bench and one of the boys told me it was only for boys and to go to the kitchen.  At a birthday party in the third grade, we had the option of choosing a toy after we won a game. I was one of the first to win, meaning I had a wide variety of toys…

By Lisa Manganiello  Across different mediums and historical contexts, women have always used art as a means of challenging dominant power structures and articulating alternative ways of being. From art on a page, to the canvas, to sculptures of bodies, here are four women whose artistic work exemplifies how art can be a powerful tool for resistance and change.  1. Mary Ann Shadd  Mary Ann Shadd broke barriers with the power of the printed word. Born in October 1823 to free Black parents in Wilmington, Delaware, Shadd became the first Black woman publisher in North America and the first woman publisher in Canada. At a time when Black voices were…

We all know her.   She’s the action hero who never cries. The emotionally detached detective. The girlboss who works 80-hour weeks, outruns trauma and definitely doesn’t need help from anyone. She’s the “strong female character” we’ve seen a hundred times, and she’s become more trope than truth.  In the early 2000s and 2010s, female characters like Lara Croft, Katniss Everdeen and Olivia Pope were hailed as feminist icons. They were smart, stoic, and fiercely independent. But over time, many of these portrayals have flattened into one-dimensional figures who equate strength with emotional suppression.  Lara Croft in Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, for instance, captures the classic “strong female…