Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Viva.
Superheroes and the Female Identity
In a society that’s becoming more open to the idea of treating women as equals (finally!) and with sexism being slowly eradicated, it is interesting to see the binary opposites in representation of women within the superhero genre compared to men.
By Leigh Hooper7 years ago in Viva
Toxic Masculinity Is for Women Too
I know it has the word "masculinity," but don’t let that trick you like it has so many other people on the huge impact it has on women and girls. I grew up restricting my own self expression because I was afraid of being "too girly" and having my friends and classmates think differently of me, think less of me just because I was wearing pink. I never wore pink, save for a few extremely pale, almost white pieces that I hardly ever wore. Even if I liked some clothes, I told myself I didn’t because I didn’t like the colour when I really just didn’t want to be associated with it. When getting toys and other things with colour options, I always chose anything other than pink. Purple I could accept, as long as it wasn’t too bright or too girly. The same went for glitter—I avoided it like the plague and couldn’t bear to have anything with glittery writing, and even when I started wearing makeup, a very stereotypically girly thing, I still avoided any glitter in that. The thing is, I’m not special. There are so many other girls (probably almost every girl) that went through this too. My sister was so much worse. She hated anything pink and refused to be in any way associated with it. Both of us had the issue of “I don’t wanna be like other girls.” I don’t know if I ever thought that explicitly and directly, but that’s definitely how I was acting. I wanted to be different, to be a "tomboy" because I didn’t want to be associated with girly stereotypes and immediately written off by both boys and girls because of it.
By Maddie Green7 years ago in Viva
The Furies: A Modern Antagonist from the Past
Strong female characters have become a desirable aspect for writers of all styles. The direct stereotype of damsel-in-distress appeals to audiences as it shows how women are so much more than what they've previously been portrayed as in society. All female films, female directors, female writers and female producers are becoming more common in our day, alongside such modern phenomena as the #MeToo movement (intended not just for women, of course) have goaded us into thinking that female lead theatre and film is the result of modern thinking. However, I believe that the inclusion of strong females in the arts industry goes back much further than most realise: to the Ancient Greeks. Not only did strong women like Sappho make the arts their own, but the Furies were written as the powerful main antagonists of The Eumenides. The final installment in the only ancient trilogy to still exist, The Oresteia by Aeschylus.
By Stephanie MacLeod7 years ago in Viva
Show Me How You Burlesque
When the movie Burlesque came out with Cher and Christina Aguilera, I couldn't stop watching. I was transfixed by the music, the flawless makeup, and the glittering costumes. However, I was raised in a religious home and to me it all seemed so inappropriate and taboo. But I couldn't stop watching it!
By Kyrsta Morehouse7 years ago in Viva
The Fight for Equal Pay
One of the most subtle but life-altering realities for women in the United States today is the gender pay gap. Women have been fighting for years against misogynist, patriarchal workplaces that undervalue their abilities and skills, and of all the ways that women are discriminated against, this is one that can very tangibly change the way they live their lives. Lower income means less freedom in the way they spend their money and likely leads to increased levels of stress. According to Anxiety.org, 30 percent of women reported higher levels of stress due to financial reasons, whereas only 17 percent of men said so (Sharf). The head researcher stated that women may feel more stress about money because they feel obligated to take care of the home and children, which is another result of patriarchy. So not only does patriarchy pay women less, it puts us in a position to worry about how we’re paid less. This is the reality that women face going to work every day.
By Mady Masters7 years ago in Viva
Open Letter to My Abuser
Recently, in therapy I was given an assignment to write all the things unsaid to my abuser down, seal it in an envelope, and never send it to him. "Well what good does not sending it do?" you may ask. You see, this healing process is for me alone, not him. While I was instructed not to send it, I decided that I should publish it. The message in it holds a special meaning to me. You can't hold tight to the pain others have caused you without hurting yourself. I hope my letter finds you, wherever you are in your journey, and my words help you understand that forgiveness isn't for your abuser, but for yourself!
By Aleea Whitmire7 years ago in Viva
Dear Men, Please Stop!
Dear Men, this is a way for me to politely make you aware and ask you to stop what your doing for a minute; put yourself in mine and the million other girls' shoes and think about how you would feel as a young teenage girl that is getting harassed by much older, ignorant, disrespectful men. See, you wouldn't like it, and yet men still carry on, unknowingly torturing us inside when we ask for you to simply stop, but most of you refuse and carry on until you get something out of it.
By Turtle Lover7 years ago in Viva
10 Feminist Jokes That Will Have You LOLing
Everyone and their grandmother knows at least one politically-incorrect joke. It's almost expected of you to know more than that, and tell them at least once. This strange but true fact of life brings me to my next point: most people assume people who are vested in equality have no sense of humor.
By Ossiana Tepfenhart7 years ago in Viva
Periods and the Menstrual Cup
March 1, 2013. The day I first got my period. I remember the date because it’s Justin Bieber’s birthday and for some reason, that’s engraved into my brain. Anyways, I go to the loo, and BAM, I shapeshift into a woman. I don’t freak out about it. I was actually excited because all my friends had started theirs and I was starting to get worried I didn’t have a uterus or something. I go and unpack my first pad and I spend the rest of the day walking around like a boss ass bitch. Either that or my pad was put on wrong and I was walking around like an inexperienced 12-year-old—most likely the latter.
By niamh yehezkel7 years ago in Viva
History Repeats Herself
We all have heard and sometimes actually believed the term history repeats itself. We see it all around us. From small things like fashion making the rounds over and over again, to a timeline of what we do throughout history. The ideal thought is that it’s to prompt change within our society. Usually a change for the better. As a woman living through the rise of another women’s liberation movement, as this year is now being deemed “The Year of the Woman”, are we not looking at the repeat of history?
By Meagan Hagerman7 years ago in Viva
