Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Viva.
A Complicated & Confusing #MeToo
Do you remember, Daddy? Or is it something an elementary schooler would make up? Because I honestly don’t remember my childhood besides the few incidences we had. It’s something I’m just now dealing with at 20-years-old and I’m slowly starting to realize that you were the catalyst for my mental illnesses and personality disorder. Well, and Mom, but that’s a different kind of abuse. Now don’t get me wrong, my mother didn’t know about the abuse while it was going on. “How would she not?” I’m sure that’s what many of you are asking. The reason is because when my parents divorced when I was two, my mom moved back to Oklahoma and me and my dad stayed in Florida, coming to Oklahoma occasionally. Conveniently, most of the abuse happened in Florida from what I can remember.
By Carmen Pennington8 years ago in Viva
Empowering Women in Classical China
Around 190 CE China, it was common for girls’ personal names to be unrecorded by history. Instead, all we have left is to know them by their family names. One such woman born in this era was Lady Sun, but she didn’t let society stop her from trampling over gender norms with her one hundred armed female soldiers. This kind of female empowerment and early feminism is a rare find in this time period. A unit of female guards, all armed with swords and other weapons, was positively unheard of in the Han Dynasty, but when China split into three separate kingdoms, things like gender norms became a little more relaxed.
By Leigh Victoria Phan, MS, MFA8 years ago in Viva
Yes, Dad, #MeToo
Yes, Dad, #MeToo I have been trying, and failing, to speak my truth for years. To my parents. To my friends. To my coworkers. Every time I open my mouth to speak, I choke. The rare few times I have opened up to family members and close friends, I’ve been rebutted (“Wait, didn’t you sleep with that guy anyway?” “You were drunk.” “Well why didn’t you call the police?”). Eventually, you develop survival techniques for living with your secrets. Some of us happen to favor the unhealthy ones. My personal favorite is: If I distract myself by keeping my glass of [insert alcohol of choice here] full, I won’t think about what happened to me. The problem with my coping mechanism of choice is that, if you’re an unpredictable drunk like me, sometimes all you’ll be able to think about is the one thing you’re trying not to think about. That, or you end up speaking your truth before you’re ready, in fractured pieces to unwilling participants (which, in my case, includes my parents).
By Brooke Elizabeth8 years ago in Viva
Consent Isn't as Complicated as People Make It out to Be
Consent is sexy. Not only that, but it's mandatory. Without a yes, it's a no, as simple as that. But there's been this awkwardly complicated aura built around it, as if it's some sort of mystic situation no one can quite grasp. Obviously, to some people, it's common sense, but others often like to hide behind this "reputation" it has. "It's not all black and white, you know?" or "It's all just so.. complicated." are more often than not used as shields from social repercussions and judgment. But the thing is, consent is simple, so simple really, that it can easily be explained to children without anything turning into a never-ending spiral of awkward questions. In my opinion, a society focused and well-educated on consent is extremely easy to obtain, however, not without any change.
By Alys Farley-Pineau8 years ago in Viva
Four Fat Instagrammers You Should Be Following
We all know the web is flooded with influencers trying to gain some followers or get some free stuff. It can be hard to sort through accounts and personalities and blogs to find people in a community that are genuine and have unique, engaging content. This is especially true of the plus-sized community on Instagram, which is growing larger by the day. Don’t get me wrong—community growth is a great part of social media and the plus-sized community needs it. But it can be really hard to figure out where to start if you’re looking to find a community online. Look no further—here are some of the most prevalent, interesting, and engaging plus-sized influencers you should be following.
By Lauren Bowring8 years ago in Viva
Hysterectomy and the "Hysterical" Woman
Hysterectomy is a word that often strikes fear in the heart of a woman. It is plagued with a history of heartbreak and pain and even now isn't something taken lightly by many. The word hysteria and that of hysterectomy are not coincidently coordinated, but are stemmed from something that was one in the same. Women who were considered to be emotionally unstable were considered "hysterical," and in order to cure their hysteria, they were often put into asylums. Some of these places put women through a procedure that removed what they believed was causing all their emotional distress—the uterus. Thus the surgical term for hysterectomy was born and paved the way for many medical shortcomings for women for years to come.
By Becca Volk8 years ago in Viva
What We’ve Learned
Don't do this and don't do that. That's all we ever hear growing up. You can't go here and you can't go there. It's too late for that and it's just too dangerous for you. Why? We ask. Because you're a girl we're told. But since when is being a girl a bad thing? As soon as we're able to understand what's being said, we're told to be careful around certain family members. The question is, why let those family members near us if that was the case? Ever since we were old enough to attend school we were told that if a boy was mean to us, he secretly liked us. So then everyone wonders why we get into abusive relationships. We're just accepting the love that we were taught at a young age to accept. Ever since kindergarten we were told we couldn't wear certain clothes because it's too distracting to the boys' learning environment and even to male teachers. Why should the boys' education be valued over ours? Why have those types of male teachers? Ever since we were old enough to go places on our own we were told to never go anywhere by ourselves, in fear of something bad happening to us. Why should that be such a common fear? For as long as I can remember, I've always been told to watch my back when I go somewhere, watch what I wear, don't do this and don't do that because it isn't ladylike, males' education and lives are valued over my own. While one in sixteen men are raped or sexually assaulted, one in five women is raped every single day. Sixty-three percent of rape is never reported because who would believe us in this society? Rape culture "doesn't exist" but yet the victims are always the ones blamed for the crime. "Your dress was too short." "Your shirt was too low." "You shouldn't have worn those heels." "You were drunk." "I wasn't sure if you meant it or not when you said no." "You didn't stop me." All of these things are said to victims of sexual assault so why would we come out and say anything? Women have been oppressed since the beginning of time and it isn't getting any better. Hell, our right to vote isn't even 100 years old yet. We're still treated like objects to provide pleasure for men's sexual fantasies. We're treated like garbage and abused every day of our lives. We're told we aren't good enough but yet they question why we stress over not being perfect. Society puts so much pressure on not being over a certain weight, boobs being a certain size, and hair being a certain length. If your makeup doesn't look like this, you're ugly. If you don't look like you just had plastic surgery, you're ugly. No matter what you do, if you don't look like this model in a magazine that we photoshopped, you're nowhere near perfect. If you tell a man no, he doesn't understand. Either he doesn't understand or he doesn't care about what you say. It's sad that we live in a world where we have to say "I have a boyfriend" instead because men respect other men instead of you and what you say. Women are scared to tell men no because if we do, we're either beat to death or shot up. Women have to fight for their basic rights as a fucking human being and that shit isn't cool. Men always say that if it weren't for men, women wouldn't be here, when, in fact, women are the reason men are here. Little boys grow up not being taught how to respect women and grow into wife beaters. They grow into players who hurt a good girl just to get a laugh. It’s time to put an end to this.
By Callie McKinney8 years ago in Viva
Update on My Rape Case
For a while I believed that my soul was permanently shattered. I believed that what this man took from me could never be retrieved again. My pain was so excruciating physically and mentally that every day was full of new struggles. I was lost in a sea of my thoughts day after day. Running from him was something I became an expert at. However, it didn’t diminish the humiliation and pain I’d grown to live with. He lacerated the core of me and it ruined a lot of things as a result. It was of subtle comfort when the courts granted me with one year of a sexual violence protection order. The max was three years and honestly what I had aimed for. He fought it. Because of course he can’t just admit to the horrible things he’s done to me. I decided to fight after that day. No matter how afraid I was of him, he couldn’t just get away with one year of a protection order. That had to be the lightest slap on the wrist. Sexual assault is everywhere around us. The perpetrators scare their victims into keeping quiet and it’s the most disgusting thing. When I decided to fight I didn’t know it would be so hard. I had anticipated that it would undoubtedly take time but I never imagined it would take this much time. I just want the whole thing to be over.
By The Darkest Sunrise8 years ago in Viva
Feminism or Common Sense?
Part IWhat is considered having a monumental reputation is Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa for two reasons. For one, it is attributed to the mastery of the sfumato style, in which forms appear to evaporate into one another. Secondly, the most celebrated painting in the world has nothing to do with her enigmatic smile. Considered a great mystery, her smile is no mystery at all.
By Adrian Algan8 years ago in Viva
