Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Viva.

Mountain Climbing into a "Man's World"
Woman's empowerment is a major topic in media all over the world right now. From speaking out about sexual assault to woman having the right to make their own choices in whatever capacity we have come a long way, but there is still a long way to go.
By E.W. Janes8 years ago in Viva
Pretty or Smart
Since I come from a Hispanic family, it is tradition that girls must wait to alter their appearance until they are 15 years old. The reasoning behind this mentality was always lost on me but I always respected traditions since I didn’t want to upset my parents. If we’re being honest I was always too afraid to go against any authority figure, I just assumed they knew best and that was all. However, the day I turned 15 was one of the happiest days of my life, not because I got fancy pictures with extravagant ball gowns or shiny heels, it was because I got so much makeup. As mentioned before, I wasn’t allowed to wear any makeup before, so you can imagine my excitement when my mother and aunt took me to a Mac store and bought me all the essentials. I was so happy and impatient I stayed up very late that night just to play with all my new toys, truth be told I ended up looking like a horrifying clown but it was so worth it. I’ve always been an artist, drawing is one of my favorite hobbies in the world. However, life gets busy and you don’t always have time for it, but makeup allows me to draw everyday on myself and the happiness that brings me is priceless.
By Diana B8 years ago in Viva
My Long Journey to Healing
At ten years of age I learned that not even family was safe, that the closest to you are sometimes the most hurtful, the most cruel and have the most negative impact on you.
By Ava McCoy8 years ago in Viva
What is Beauty?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; beauty is on the inside, not the outside. Young children grow up hearing these phrases of encouragement throughout their lives. As one grows and matures into adulthood their idea and envisionment of beauty changes. The painting of the ugly duchess is an "ugly" painting by the shallowest definition of beauty. However, some correctly believe, that influences from one's culture and background have to do with the way that one perceives beauty.
By Katy Christensen8 years ago in Viva
Violation
NOTE: Only initials will be given for the sake of the victimsS.B.: She was about 6. She use to play with her cousins like any normal child who grew up around close relatives. She told me that one day her uncle entered the room and told her cousins to leave. She, being a little girl, thought nothing of it because he was family. You should be able to trust family, right? She couldn't. After he approached and sat behind this ball of radiant energy, he proceeded to just slip his finger in his private area. Something so abrupt happened to this little girl, and I don't think she knew how to react. How do you react to that as a little girl? He proceeded to rub her chest, making the situation worse. He even tried to take it a step further by pulling down his pants in the hopes of getting some action. She was saved by an older cousin who happened to walk in. That cousin didn't realize what was going on or what she had done, but my heart dropped knowing what could've happened if she hadn't done that.
By Chantelle Peters8 years ago in Viva
Why Female Friends Are Important
My earliest memories are being in a male dominated house. My mom worked a bunch so I was with my brothers and dad most of the time. We played wrestling, played make believe kings & knights, and I watched a lot that influenced me into the idea that wives are nagging and never want to have fun. I never wanted to be that person. I started to think that other girls are the enemy and to impress a guy, you need to be like a bro... but a bro that you kiss. I was too young to know what it meant but these influences gave me the idea that I need to be of "loose morals" in order to keep a balance of being a friend and romantic prospect to men. These sound like terrible things to teacher a young girl. Who in their right mind would allow their child to believe this or watch anything that would give her that idea? Well, most people. My brothers and father weren't trying to teach me this nor did they know it was what I thought. It's a lesson we get fed to us by nearly all sit-coms revolving around a patriarch and his family. The wife is a drag, the man is a horndog, and we don't see very much actual love in the marriage. The deepest connections are between a man and his friends while women's relationships are almost always toxic. They fight over the men, they talk behind each other's backs and the teenage girls in the show are told that if you're a prude you won't find love and the "pretty" girls will wind up unhappy in their latter lives.
By Samantha Darling8 years ago in Viva
8 Over-Sexualized Characters In Comics And Video Games. Top Story - November 2017.
You may have noticed, but Suicide Squad was released recently and with its release came a lot of discord. Ultimately Suicide Squad has been laced with controversy since it was announced as a film — between the casting choices, David Ayer's six weeks to write a script merged with a grueling filming and production schedule, Jared Leto's strange tactics and of course the sexualization of Harley Quinn.
By Matthew Bailey8 years ago in Viva
Playing With Fire... And Hire
Look, I said it’s over. Let’s just draw a line under it and move on. Crazy bitch, why doesn’t she get that I’m not interested? Not to worry. I’ll get it taken care of. Look, I've found myself in a spot of bother. Can you help me clear it up? Good, things are sorted now. Just a bit of woman trouble. Another psycho ex, eh? Yeah, but not to worry, tagged & bagged, amirite, lads? Wa-hey!
By Katy Preen8 years ago in Viva
A Housewife
While growing up anyone asked me what my mother did it was an easy answer, "Nothing, she is a housewife." It never occurred to me then she wanted to be more than just that, and it is a sacrifice someone chooses to be the caretaker of the family. I thought the role of a housewife is to cook which could be done in one hour and sleep any time of the day. I dreamt of becoming one someday. Despite my mother's best efforts of telling me how important it is to have a job and be independent, my mind was made up—I want to become a housewife.
By Suraksha Seetharama8 years ago in Viva
EMCP – You Want Girls to What?
It looks like there's some distress out in the world of cosplay photography this morning after the re-circulation of screenshots from 2015-2016 of Eugene Manning attempting to pressure his female clients into shoots they were not comfortable with. Manning owns and operates EMCP and Eugene Manning Photography which are based in New York.
By Merlin Of Story8 years ago in Viva
There Is Power in Numbers
Alyssa Milano revived a movement on Twitter with the hashtag #MeToo. This was started about a decade ago by activist Tarana Burke. Harvey Weinstein, an American film producer and former film executive, who co-founded Miramax entertainment company, is facing sexual assault and harassment allegations. These accusations first publicly surfaced in New York Times at the beginning of October. Since then, many celebrities have shared stories about their own experiences with sexual harassment and assault. Alyssa wrote this on Twitter back in October:
By Lilli Adams8 years ago in Viva
Pros and Cons of Birth Control Every Woman Should Know
When it comes to contraception, there are a copious amount of different options to prevent pregnancy, but which is the best for you? It's always helpful to lay out the different pros and cons when you are making a decision.
By Kelsey Lange8 years ago in Viva