Top Stories
Stories in Viva that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.
Wronged Women
In my time learning history from the Ancient Greeks to the Tudors, I have begun to notice in a pattern in how the history that we know is far from the actual truth. History is not a new subject, History and Classics were being taught in Oxford and Cambridge at the time of Henry VIII and before. The Renaissance, in short, came about as a rebirth of these classical ideas and philosophies which so fascinated the medieval world. However, only until recently did we finally have female voices in history. Women were not allowed admittance to universities, not to say that they were not educated but the average Tudor woman's grasp of Latin would be constrained to that of the church, it would be unlikely that she had an opinion on the rights and wrongs of Helen of Troy. This lack of female voice in history has all too often polluted the vision that we have of women from our past, often coloured with outdated misogynistic lenses. Taking the fiction away from the facts of the events can be hard, as so often historical figures are clouded with myths about them, as I will go on to discuss. As students, as people, we owe these women, who usually changed the world we live in through their existence, the comfort of having their stories told for what they were.
By Beth Haywood8 years ago in Viva
Strong Woman Syndrome?
Last week, Monday February 26, I was diagnosed with Strong Woman Syndrome. My face remained expressionless and then I blinked my eyes as I stared in to the eyes of my diagnoser. I thought to myself, "Is that even a real thing? I have to Google that and see what that is exactly." And then I smugly thought to myself, "I’ll take that as a compliment.” I hope he didn’t mistake me blinking my eyes as batting my eyelashes, eww.
By A Fillmore8 years ago in Viva
Products for Your Boobs They Will Thank You For
Yes, there are tons of products for your boobs that they will thank you for, and you need them right now. From simple products like nipple covers and boob tape to a face mask made just for your cleavage, there is a product for all of your breasts' needs.
By Leanna Davis8 years ago in Viva
Reflection on Self-Esteem
Most women (and girls) have found themselves trapped in a negative mindset, criticizing their imperfections, the flawed put on a spotlight, or have even made a thoughtless remark about someone else. Carving out more reason to distrust the good and the beautiful still there in the mirror. This is where to seek mindfulness, learn to push past that negative voice, and accept the beautifully imperfect and love the soul beneath! Cherishing it slowly and with time, heal the misconception that only outward beauty determines respect and esteem.
By Melissa Johnson8 years ago in Viva
Hottest Valentine's Day Lingerie Sets to Slip Into
Don't be afraid to spice things up with your partner on Valentine's Day, it's the perfect excuse to. Buying a nice lingerie set is one of the easiest and safest ways to do so. Plus, it's a gift that will keep on giving for you and your partner.
By April Demarco8 years ago in Viva
A Century of Corruption
Last night at the Golden Globes, actors and actresses wore black to display their support of the Time’s Up movement, a campaign founded in response to the Harvey Weinstein allegations and subsequent Weinstein effect. The response in Hollywood since the watershed moment of the first allegations against Harvey Weinstein in October 2017 has been significant, but not surprising. Since Weinstein, there have been following allegations of abuse against a number of prominent names, including Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K., Charlie Rose, James Toback, Matt Lauer, Brett Ratner – the list is sadly exhaustive, and will most likely be continuously added to. But as appalling as these revelations are, they are far from shocking. Hollywood has been an abusive industry for its entire existence, forming over a century’s worth of heartbreaking stories of ‘casting couch’ abuse, manipulation and mistreatment, from the days of the silent era, through Hollywood’s golden age to the present day.
By Fern Wigfield8 years ago in Viva
Interview with Fred Sweet, founder of La Jolla International Fashion Film Festival
Fred Sweet is passionate about all things fashion and film. That's precisely why he created the La Jolla International Fashion Film Festival, and why his passion led to it becoming one of the greatest fashion film festivals in the world.
By Natasha Sydor8 years ago in Viva
When You Feel Bad Because He's Nice
I’m sure, at one point or another, we’ve all experienced the guilty sensation we get from not really liking someone even though they’re nice. If you’re someone like me (until very recently), you might not know what to do in these situations. I’ll admit, I’ve carried on week-long conversations, I’ve gone on dates, and I’ve even kissed someone because I felt bad rejecting the person because he was nice. I know more than a few women who’ve gone so far as sleeping with someone because they didn’t really see a way out of it without offending the guy and they didn’t want to do that because he was nice.
By Jessica Rowe8 years ago in Viva
#ThisIsBeauty Is The New Movement With A Surprising Backstory
If there's one community you'd expect to be all about the idea of beauty being a codified, standardized trait, it'd be the beauty pageant community. With so many movies and television shows mocking how allegedly similar all the pageant contestants are, one would expect most pageanteers to really focus on looks.
By Ossiana Tepfenhart8 years ago in Viva
I Don't Know What To Eat...
Ah, the female dilemma. Now before anyone jumps down my throat about this: if you are female and know what you want to eat every time someone asks you, then I applaud you for that. You are steps ahead of many individuals and you need to hold onto that decision-making ability. You are truly gifted as a member of the gender.
By Samantha Reid8 years ago in Viva
We Need to Face Uncomfortable Truths
Dear Male Reader, I have a question for you: Why do you hate me? Sometimes I feel like everyone hates me because they keep saying it was my fault. My fault for having decided to go out alone, or my fault for the length of the skirt I decided to wear, or even my fault for that one too many drinks I had. The blame is even worse if what happened to me was done by my intimate partner (being him a boyfriend or a husband). That's due to this weird "common sense" understanding that if I agreed to be in a relationship with that man, I automatically deserve everything that comes out of it, after all, it was my choice. Please, I can't understand, why do you hate me? Why am I to blame if it I wasn't the one to perpetrate the assault? Just stop and reflect for a moment, how can it be my choice to be sexually violated? My choices regarding personal fashion, alcohol consumption habits, and social circles are not synonymous with choosing to be harassed. No one ever put that power in my hands. But you male reader, like to put the fault on my shoulders when the ugly truth is that the only choice that mattered on the occasion of the violence I suffered was that of the man who did it. He was the only one who chose when and how would he abuse me. And I'm sorry to say it male reader, but you are the one who gave him that power. Because you as a part of our current social structure constantly reinforce that I, as a woman, am the frail sex but contradictorily you lash out with so much judgment when I am weak and vulnerable. Isn't that exactly how you want me to be? The damsel in distress is the role that is forced upon me. You must understand that even though it's very entertaining to play as the male hero in a video game going on a quest to save the princess, this brings the exact opposite of safety to real women. Because malicious men take advantage of our vulnerability, being it emotional or physical, to say an extremely invasive and inconvenient comment about our bodies, to grab our butts at a party, to decoy us of a cab ride home once we're tipsy, to shove us into a dark corner, to force us into unwanted sexual acts in our own homes. And they feel like they have the authority to do all these dreadful things because our pop culture is unceasingly putting us in a role of utmost submission. We DID NOT choose for such things to happen to us! So I ask you: why has the word "molested" become synonymous to "dirty"? Why is it me that has to live in shame with the label "raped" stamped on my forehead, when no one even mentions my aggressor? Moreover, why do you never allow me to speak about it? You need to stop taking away my voice because sexual violence is a very real social problem. I guarantee it has happened to someone close to you, dear male reader, maybe to a friend, a work colleague, a sister, cousin or aunt, maybe even to your own mother or wife, but you don't know about it because this woman lives mortified in the shame that you put on her, to the point that she doesn't dare speak up about what happened to her.
By Lena Marques8 years ago in Viva
