Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Viva.
The First Time
His hands around my throat, gasping, scratching, pushing at him but, I couldn't get away. I could hear my daughter crying. Too young to understand but, she knew he was hurting me. When did it get this bad, why did I keep allowing it to happen? I am smarter than this. It wasn't always like this. We use to be semi happy. Two small children, a marriage, a life I thought would be mine. Was I ever good enough?
By Aleea Whitmire8 years ago in Viva
Yes...You ARE the Sh*t!
Many girls in this day and age suffer from low self-esteem. This self-doubt may stem from cultural expectations of beauty as well as what type of environment that little girl grew up in and what she witnessed as a child. Children are very impressionable, and a daughter looks to her mother's relationship with their father for guidance on how she should be treated when she gets older.
By Dr. Superb8 years ago in Viva
'Girls Mature Faster'—Is This a Fact or Simply an Excuse to Treat Girls More Harshly?
Not so long ago, I was aimlessly scrolling through the news and I came across an article describing a controversial video that had gone viral. It consisted of Vladimir Putin’s top pilot team dancing around, extremely underdressed, and performing household tasks to the early 2000s hit "Satisfaction." It struck me as quite a sexual video, almost like a male version of the music video for the Benny Benassi song. As I scrolled down the article I saw the words: “Nothing is disgraceful here, just young lads with a good sense of humour.”
By Vicky Babczyk8 years ago in Viva
Life As a SSBBW
As you can pretty much tell from the title, I am a big woman. I like to consider myself just to be a BBW, which stands for Big Beautiful Woman. But if you have ever been on urban dictionary, I would be considered an SSBBW which simply means Super-Sized Big Beautiful Woman since I weigh over 400 pounds. No, that was not a typo, it is truth. When I was younger, I never imagined that I would get this big. But when you grow up and you don’t really feel loved, you turn to things to comfort you. Since I did not have anything to really comfort me, especially after my grandfather passed, I turned to food. When I was eating, I wasn’t thinking about pain, loneliness, and how empty I felt inside. I did what all fat people do, I ate my feelings and I never exercised. I just kept getting bigger and bigger. In spite of what others may think, I wear my size boldly and with confidence!
By Shanita Marshall8 years ago in Viva
Pro-Choice, Pro-Life, Pro-Feel
A sleeve of chill bumps wavers across my body as I exit the waiting room. The chilling reality of how cold it was hadn’t unnerved me until now. The nurse ushers me into the next room and urges me to take off my jeans. I was instructed to leave on my shirt.
By Micky Thinks8 years ago in Viva
Walmart Succumbs to Pressure from Conservative Lobbyists Who Twisted Meaning Behind #Metoo Movement in an Attempt to Justify Removing Cosmopolitan from Checkout Stands
"Walmart removes Cosmopolitan from checkouts as conservative lobbyists celebrate" Walmart removed Cosmopolitan form checkout stands, following pressure from The National Centre on Sexual Exploitation.
By ovaryacting8 years ago in Viva
Asifa: 5 Months on
Ah, the hashtag. It has many uses: be it for expressing your views on the latest series of a TV show such as #loveisland (still have no clue what it's about), to complaining about your broken phone charger before realising it is a #firstworldproblem; and of course, there are its more serious uses. #NotOurPresident. #Metoo. And in India, 3 months after 8-year-old Asifa Bano was found dead after an 8 day gang-rape, she too got a hashtag: #JusticeforAsifa.
By Vaishnavi Ramu8 years ago in Viva
Don’t Be Beautiful
You are beautiful,” “beauty is from within,” “be your own kind of beautiful.” These are things that women are told every day. But why should women only aspire to beauty? Why not kindness or intelligence or success in their career or physical athleticism? Why is the way a woman looks a reflection of her worth? We live in a world where vanity is seen as the most important thing Women should aspire to achieve. Because if we are not beautiful we are not worthy of love, friendship, respect.
By Emily Tarff8 years ago in Viva
A Lesson in Feminism and Adult Entertainment for Rudy Giuliani. Top Story - June 2018.
It’s hard to hold my tongue when I hear people, particularly men, claim that a female who has worked in the sex industry is not allowed an opinion, certain rights, or is not a ‘credible’ source of information.
By Samantha Bentley8 years ago in Viva
My Experience With Sexual Harassment: A Message to the Fearful
He asked me at least once every shift if I wanted to go out with him. No. I did not. First of all, I was dating at the time, second of all, I was just plain not interested in this flirtatious boy I worked with three times a week but knew next to nothing about. But, and here's a phrase I'm sure you wish you could just stop hearing, he wouldn't take no for an answer.
By Lucy Sammons8 years ago in Viva
