Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Viva.
Messages Portrayed About Women in Television
When watching television, we hardly stop to analyze what subliminal messages the ads and shows are portraying. We usually just pick up the obvious messages and the rest is placed somewhere in the back of our minds. After thoroughly analyzing one television channel for 2 hours, I began to realize that a lot more ideas and messages are entering our minds than what we may see on the surface. In my writing I am going to be analyzing the ideas portrayed in the shows and commercials presented on the television station “Nick at Nite” and examine the way they they depict beauty images and how they represent the beauty norms of our society.
By Vanessa Solorzano8 years ago in Viva
Small Girl, No Pants
The dislike for shopping isn’t just for the heavier girl, skinny girls hate it too. In a world where only 5% of the population can fit into “off the rack” items, why are companies catering to vanity sizes? Companies should be focusing on catering to different body types, not a number.
By Rosa Reyes8 years ago in Viva
Socially Constructed Gender Roles
Once when I was 6 years old, I recall a day when my brother and I were playing with our toys while we waited for our mom to finish preparing dinner. My brother was playing with his toy cars and I was playing with my baby dolls. We decided to play with our toys together so I put one of my baby dolls in his toy monster truck and we took turns pushing it around. My brother decided to take the baby doll out of the monster truck toy to put it into another car. However, as soon as my brother picked up the doll, my mom had just walked in the room to check on us. She noticed that my brother was holding the baby doll and exclaimed how cute he looked holding it. This caught the attention of my dad who, unlike my mom, was not amused. My dad snatched the doll from him, “Babies are for girls! You’re a man son so you play with boy toys...Here.” he said sternly as he handed him a G.I. Joe action figure. As a 6 year old girl, I was very confused. I had seen my father hold my brother as a baby and feed him and care for him and show him affection, so why then were “babies for girls” only? This is just one example of how I was exposed to situations in which I was told that one had to be a certain gender in order to do certain things or act a certain way. In this essay I’m going to share with you the concept of the social construction of gender and how this applied to my life growing up, shaping me to be who I am today.
By Vanessa Solorzano8 years ago in Viva
Gender in the Fashion Industry
For so long, it wasn’t socially acceptable for girls to wear jeans. That seems ridiculous, does it not? The fashion industry and societal standards push these rules on us. Why is it that people who identify as male cannot wear a skirt or a dress?
By Madeline Kimble8 years ago in Viva
Signs That You're in an Abusive Relationship
Abuse comes in many different forms. It can be financial, emotional, physical, verbal and sexual. It's hard to see what an abuser looks like especially after the first couple of dates. Some people assume abusers have a look to them but this is not always the case. An abuser can come in all shapes, sizes, colors and backgrounds. The signs that someone is abusive are there, but they are hard to notice at first.
By Stormy Sky8 years ago in Viva
Just Be YOU
When I looked in the mirror yesterday, all I saw was a 19-year-old girl with an endless amount of flaws. My hair didn’t fall the way I thought it should. I have acne spots. I looked down at my finger nails, angry that I didn’t have enough self-control to not bite them. I looked at my face—too round, too many freckles. My eyes, not blue enough. Eyebrows, they didn’t look the way the model’s did.
By Katie Hollis8 years ago in Viva
Marriage & Children? No Thanks.
I can't tell you how many times people with children tell me that one day I will have babies of my own. My response is always the same: "I don't want to have children, I love kids but they just aren't for me, I would not be able to take care of them properly." To which they always respond: "You say that now, but trust me, you will change your mind." I will NOT change my mind. I am mentally unable to care for another human being and that will never change no matter what. I have no control over that.
By Alyssa Lactin8 years ago in Viva
The Red Dress Among the Sea of Black at the Golden Globes
In case you've been hiding under a stone at the bottom of a volcano this past week, you are probably aware that the #timesup movement happened at the 2018 Golden Globe Awards early this January. Attendees wore black in support against the growing sexual harassment stories that have surfaced in light of the #metoo campaign that swept the world like a broom to dust. Actresses from Oprah Winfrey to Kristen Bell, Gal Gadot and Amy Poehler all wore black in commemoration of the two epic-sized movements, but one beautiful red dress stood out from the wave of darkness.
By Delilah Jayde8 years ago in Viva
Body Image
Body image can be very important to a person. Thanks to social media and the internet, there is a stigma that most individuals that struggle with their body image are women, when in fact it's 50/50 between both women and men. However, men don’t talk about the issues, whether it is their bodies or their health, unlike some women.
By Tanisha Dagger8 years ago in Viva
“I Am Not a Victim, I Am a Survivor”
“I am not a victim, I am a survivor” and “my rapist doesn’t know he is a rapist”: a few common phrases you hear from women and men who have been raped. I am here to call bullshit, but first let me tell you about myself. My name isn’t important, but my story is, I am a sophomore in college and I was raped my junior year of high school. My boyfriend at the time and I had just gotten in a huge fight and I needed a distraction, so my friends took me to a party. While there I had a lot to drink and I met this boy. This boy had a smile that lit up the room and was throwing back drinks like a frat guy, he caught my eye the second he walked in. However, no matter the fight or the amount of alcohol I would never be unfaithful, so I continued on with my night and had fun with my friends. We played beer pong and danced on tables, eventually as everybody does while drinking I had to go to the bathroom. I couldn’t find any of my friends, so I ventured off alone, a big mistake on my part, spoiler alert. I walked up the stairs and quickly grabbed the handrail because I was very dizzy.
By Erin Connor8 years ago in Viva
6 Things Women in Relationships Should Know About Money
I am a firm believer in being an independent woman. In a relationship or not, it is so important to be able to stand on your own two feet. I’ve gone through a series of horrible relationships, been single as fuck and married to my work, and I am now in a very comfortable and committed long term relationship (that I hope will be marked for forever).
By Samantha Bentley8 years ago in Viva
