ColumnTrolls are everywhere–and not the nice ones from “Frozen.” Everyone’s had a run-in with a nasty faceless egg avatar or pixelated American flag on Twitter. But trolling has gone way too far over the past year.

By now, we’re sure you’ve heard that Leslie Jones, SNL comedian, has been bombarded with hate tweets, hacking, and personal attacks this past year.

Troll hackers have compared Jones to a gorilla, posted nude photos of her all over her own site and have made her personal information public. Why? Well, no one knows for sure, but we’re pretty sure it’s because these trolls are scared shitless of strong women.

Sorry. Maybe you were looking for a much more profound, deep statement than that. But honestly, that’s the only reason why nameless, faceless trolls attack independent women: they are cowards.

And we aren’t the only ones who are totally over these tired attacks. Other prominent women are all too aware of these common yet terrifying attacks.

“Instead of doing anything to improve yourselves, you waste your lives online spewing hatred, misogyny and racism. How ’bout getting off your asses and doing something to improve the world? You have declared open warfare on women like Jones because she’s black, a woman, accomplished. But you really hate her because you aren’t any of those things,” writes Linda Stasi for The New York Daily News.

“Because you aren’t, you instead insult women by calling them by body parts, and by using ugly sexual references,” Stasi continues.

“You are such dimwits that you think it’s clever to post nonsense like telling women who’ve accomplished much in life to get a life. News flash: If their lives were any bigger, they’d explode. Meantime, you’re the ones writing hate mail to celebrities you’ve never met. Seriously, losers: Time you all got a life.”

But although it feels good to read and write rebuttals to all these trolls, we have to be honest: These heartfelt columns aren’t going to stop anything.

Every day, another woman gets torn down by her significant other or threatened that he/she will make that woman’s nude photos public if she leaves. And let’s not forget the rapists and abusers who film and photograph their attacks. Until all these hate-filled attacks stop—all of them—we as a society need to take a long, hard look at how we address these attacks going forward.

So, let’s not forget this fact: Leslie Jones and every other strong, assertive woman who gets attacked for being “them” is not the problem; the attackers and the society who lets these trolls get away with these attacks is.

So, let’s do something because just saying something doesn’t work.

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Image of Leslie Jones via Shutterstock, DFree

The post Leslie Jones and Why Trolls Expose Strong Women: #NowWhat appeared first on EcoSalon.

Nothing is as inspiring as witnessing someone breaking barriers put before them. The following 5 powerful TED Talks are given by women who have overcome more than just their gender’s perceived limitations and serve as an example to everyone, men and women, of how we can make personal and social change.

5 TED Talks by Women About Breaking Barriers

Whether plagued with a “disability” or forced by a male-driven society to bow to convention, the following 5 women challenge our views on life as we know it and remind us that there is still so much work to be done in building a more open-minded and proactive environment, both personally and socially.

1. Meera Vijayann: Finding Your Voice Against Sexual Violence

Journalist and gender activist Meera Vijayann talks about her experience confronting sexual violence in India, particularly after the horrific events in 2012, which saw a 23-year old girl gang-raped on a bus in Delhi and die from her injuries. In 2013, Meera won the CNN IBN Citizen Journalist Award for her reporting of the rape case.

2. Sheryl Sandberg: Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders

Who better to reflect on the glass ceiling than Facebook’s COO Sheryl Sandberg?

3. Aimee Mullins: The Opportunity of Adversity

Born without shinbones, Aimee Mullins overcame her physical challenge and became a ground-breaking runner. She discusses how adversity can open the door for human potential.

4. Caroline Casey: Looking Past Limits

Caroline Casey was told at 17 years old that she was legally blind. Caroline explains how belief and vision were all she needed to not be held back by a limit she never knew she had.

5. Maysood Zayid: I got 99 problems…palsy is just one

Arab-American comedian, actress and philanthropist Maysood Zayid challenges society’s perceived limitations of those with cerebral palsy and stands as an emblem of success, despite her so-called disability.

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Women image via Shutterstock

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A German artist created a brilliant anti-rape campaign that uses one of things that makes men stand aghast in horror: sanitary napkins.

Elone, the German artist who got the idea to “post” all sorts of anti-rape, pro-feminist messages (for example: “Rapists rape people, not outfits”) atop sanitary napkins throughout her German city after she saw this hilariously true tweet from @cutequeer96:

Elone embarked on this artistic journey to show that feminism is all about equality and not about hating men. To promote her project, Elone posted photos of her work across Instagram and Tumblr and, surprise – she’s received a lot of attention.

According to Care2, her anti-rape campaign has been replicated in other countries, such as Brazil, Sweden, and the United States.

While this project is great for one obvious reason (it gets people to take notice) it also “Touches on two very important feminist issues: Shame around women’s bodies and menstruation as well as sexual assault,” reports Care2.

As Care2 points out, this piece of activism is just one instance on a growing list of attention-worthy social media campaigns that support feminism and women who have been raped. Other recent cases of hashtag activism include the following:

1. #BeenRapedNeverReported: This hashtag was started after Lucy DeCoutere, a Canadian actress, said she was one of the women who was assaulted by Jian Ghomeshi, a former CBC host. Other women who had been raped but never reported the instance took to Twitter to defend DeCoutere and her all-too-common story.

2. #RapeCultureIsWhen: This hashtag popped up as a response to “right-wing narratives that claim that the idea of rape culture is not real but rather is an idea that has been blown up by feminists,” Care2 reports. As a woman who has been raped and was told that my rape wasn’t “real” because it wasn’t “that violent,” I can report that rape culture is, indeed, alive and well.

Do you have a favorite hashtag to use to promote women’s rights and equality? My two favorites are #FuckYeahFeminism and #StrongWomen. Also: What do you think about Elone’s project? Would you replicate it in your town?

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Image: Kim

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The horror genre is an amazing place to explore the horrible stuff society does to the “other,” so, its ability to depict feminist storylines is rife with opportunity.

Now, not all horror is created equal. There are plenty of films that are not feminist friendly. The whole “have sex and get murdered” slasher shtick is hardly progressive (but sure is a lot of fun) and gory torture porn is nothing more than a boring, story-empty 90-minute waste. But there are many classic films in the genre that allow female characters to shine (even if some of these ladies are a bit deranged).

Of course, there are different ways that feminism can be displayed in horror. Some displays of feminism are brutal and gory, while others are just plain fun.

“I Spit on Your Grave” is one of the most empowering horror films ever made. Jennifer, a writer, is brutally attacked and sexually assaulted by a group of men. After the attacks, though, Jennifer seeks revenge. Sure, this is a rape-revenge film at its heart, but I’ll be darned if people call it exploitive and simple. This film is hard to watch because it is so real. But Jennifer is never exploited in the film – she is the every woman – she is every female who has ever been sexually assaulted. And while, sure, all sexual assault victims don’t get the chance to exact their revenge on their attackers, it is fine that Jennifer does – her attacks are meant to be cathartic. The fact that she doesn’t allow these brutal attacks to change her, or break her, is incredibly empowering.

On the lighter end of the strong feminist character in horror, we’ve got “Frankenhooker.” Now, at first glance (and by just looking at the film’s cover) you may say, “OK – that’s a nearly naked lady on the cover – how is this feminist?” It is! The film follows Jeffery, the depression stricken fiancé of Elizabeth, as he tries to rebuild his former love out of Manhattan sex workers (stick with me). Needless to say, the plan doesn’t go so well. As we watch Elizabeth “get to know” her new body, all the typical silly stuff occurs – she tries to remember who she is, ends up dabbling in sex work and wonders how the heck she got the body of a Playboy model. Once she puts all the pieces together, though, she is a force to be reckoned with. In the end, she gets the chance to rebuild her boyfriend and make him “better” and more “attractive” after he befalls a deadly attack. Needless to say, Elizabeth gives as good as she gets, and does so with authority, and in heels, no less.

“Phenomena” is a film that’s right in the middle of feminist horror. It’s not silly, but it’s not serious – it’s just right. The film follows Jennifer as she gets her footing at a new, Swiss boarding school. Just as she arrives, a string of gory murders starts to pick up. Jennifer, however, is armed with a special tool to help her ward off the killer – she can communicate with insects. Through her intelligence, quick thinking, and calmness, Jennifer is able unmask the murderer and survive her experience at the boarding school unscathed, and stronger than she was before she arrived.

If you’re still thirsty for some more great female-fronted horror films, here are a few more suggestions:

“Jennifer’s Body”
“Silence of the Lambs”
“Alien”
“May”
“Ginger Snaps”

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Image: Hannes Engelbrecht

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ColumnA weekly exploration into the sexually fascinating and provocative.

This is Abigail Wick’s first column in her new expedition of Sex By Numbers, an ongoing look into the emotional and sexual  lives of the modern day woman. Follow her weekly here for insight and inspiration as she explores the “sex” of women and the terrain they must travel.

Breaking up is a bitch. During the aftermath of a relationship, it’s critical to regard the upheaval as opportunity for empowerment and a chance to positively reshape the future.  I too try to walk the talk and at the encouragement of friends inspired by my recent courage and convictions post break-up, I’ve created a list of indispensable post-breakup musts that just might work for you too.

Write It Down: Perhaps your single-most important course of action is to write yourself a letter: Why am I no longer with this person? What can this severance teach me about myself and others? How can I leverage this breakup to emerge as a more compassionate and powerful woman? If you write it down, you prohibit yourself from forgetting, and when you’re hit with pangs of loneliness or desperation, it can be very, very easy to forget. Don’t let this happen. Consult the letter you addressed to yourself and remember.

Get Out of Town: When my long-term sweetheart and I separated, I decided to make the most of my mobility as a freelance writer. I booked it to Berlin, where I’m currently taking a three-month live/work sabbatical. Out-of-sight by no means signals out-of-mind, however, the geographic distance is a welcome salve. If journeying abroad isn’t available to you, then treat yourself to as many weekend road-trips as possible to a rejuvenating hot springs getaway or a relaxing bed-and-breakfast. And don’t make the mistake of going to visit your worried parents or blissfully betrothed little sister, it will just bum you out.

Dance-Dance Revolution: No human activity gets the blues to beat it more than dancing. With limbs flying free and your pelvis syncing with good grooves, you tap into the deepest, most-elemental parts of your body. Not to mention, moving in time with folks on the dance floor submerges your individuality, you become and belong to something greater than yourself. This combination of abandon, connection, and sweat (lots and lots of it, because of course you’re dancing to the point of happy exhaustion), reminds you that life is a miracle. Most importantly, the physical freedom you access on the dance floor mirrors your personal liberation from a romantic partnership that no longer serves you.

Forget About Flings: Don’t look for new men, but rather stick close to your girlfriends. They will ply you with champagne, reassure you you’re beautiful, and generally dispense all manner of conflicting advice. Don’t fret about your ladies’ contradictory ministrations, just let their sweet words fall over you like spring cherry blossoms dropping from their branches.

Get a Haircut: You’ve had that same style for long enough, and no matter how glossy and voluminous your locks, it will do you good to lop them off. Snipping off the end bits is a powerful symbol for eliminating emotional roadblocks and dead ends. As you negotiate your separation, do it resplendent and shorn.

Nobody Will Complain: You have 100-percent permission to go on a post-breakup bender. Don’t feel guilty, not one lick. But right after, pick yourself up and get your ass into yoga class. Nurturing health, well-being, and inner-peace is much sexier than downing too much wine. And whatever your future holds, nobody is going to complain about your hot, new yoga bod.

Pretty, Soiled Things: Tending to Plants: Even if it’s just watering the potted fern on your kitchen windowsill, plants offer roundly satisfying pleasure. Fill your living room with ivies and succulents or start a window box to grow fresh basil and mint. Better yet, join a community garden where you can sit on your haunches on a nice patch of earth while weeding strawberry plants.

Love Him: Where you focus your attention becomes your reality. If you train your thoughts on how you messed up or how he failed you, embarrassing obsessiveness and self-destruction are around the bend. Rather than creating negative neural pathways, generate useful ones. Think about the time he taught you to change a bicycle tire and be grateful for his generosity as a teacher and your finesse at fixing a flat. Remember his tenderness and protectiveness when you lost a loved one, and be glad you received his much-needed comfort. Focus on positive experiences you shared and lessons you learned from one another. Be thankful for him. Forgive him. Love him. Accept that things are different now. And move on.

Post-Modern Endings: At every moment, you are writing the story of you. Breakups are a reminder that our personal narratives are unfixed, unbound, and undefined. There are no happy endings, no packages tied-up with string, and no truth other than this: Life will throw shit at you, you will fall in the muck, and you get to choose whether or not you will pick yourself back up with dignity.

Every Morning: Every morning, tell yourself you are enlightened and then, to the best of your ability, behave like you are.

This is the latest installment in Abigail Wick’s column, Sex By Numbers, a weekly exploration into the sexually fascinating and provocative.

Image: Gandalf’s Gallery

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