A transsexual Michelle Obama

Candy magazine celebrates 'transversal style'. For its fifth issue, publisher Luis Venegas decided to feature a transexual model, Connie Fleming, as Michelle Obama. They called her 'The Candydate'. He explains the rationale behind the cover here:

'I especially love the cover story, which for the first time isn't a super-popular star, but a fabulous, beautiful black transwoman channeling a politician who looks pretty much like Michelle Obama. I remember back in early 2007 when the Democratic Party’s nominees were narrowed down between two 'controversial' stereotypes never before seen for presidency: a black man, Barack Obama; and a woman, Hillary Rodham Clinton. At that time, I thought, 'when will the time come when these archaic walls break down and the White House will be occupied by, for example, a black, transsexual woman?'

I love this cover and the idea of 'anything is possible' behind it.

They have also features James Franco on the cover in the past.

Was this Serena Williams impersonation super racist?

Recently, Danish tennis player Caroline Wozniacki strutted onto the court mid-way through a game with towels stuffed in her clothes to represent a Serena-like chest and bum. The audience laughed as she pranced around with the padding. She even let out a moan every time she struck the ball - one of Serena's signatures. This wasn't even her first time doing this impersonation. Last year, she skipped onto court to a Rihanna song; also padded as to represent Miss Williams's body shape.

Her behaviour was strange and no one really knew why she acted this way, yet the blogosphere and Twitter lit up with responses. One blogger wrote: 'This isn’t “harmless fun” as one article described it. its racist. out and outright racism. mocking and making fun of the bodies of black women for a laugh? real funny, stupid white girl. real real funny.'

Another wrote:

'It may have been done in “jest,” but I love how people can can turn a black woman’s body and sexuality into a caricature. However, we should not have the autonomy to celebrate any successes of our own.'

And another...

'Given the history and current-day context of racialized standards of beauty, and the hypersexualization of people of color, when a white woman makes fun of a black women’s body, especially in a way that hypersexualizes her and draws on the stereotype of black women’s big butts, it’s racist.' via Feministing.com

Personally, I think this is very disrespectful and without a doubt incredibly racist. I know that she probably meant this in a light-hearted manor; but to me this is the same as putting on black-face make-up. She doesn't focus on Serena's assets as a 'woman', but as a 'black woman'.

Let us know what you think!

Watch the video of her performance below:

     

Barbie's diet advice: 'Don't eat!'

We are of course familiar with fad diets like the cabbage soup diet and protein-heavy diets like Atkins, but during the 1960s Barbie's answer to losing weight, and keeping it off for good, was quite a special one. That is: "Don't eat!"

According to the "Slumber Party Barbie," produced in the mid-1960s one must simply starve oneself. The slumber party outfit, complete with a scale - permanently set to 110 pounds - and diet book makes for the strangest Barbie concept pack, probably ever produced?

How do you think this effected the minds of little girls? My guess? Not for the better.

Walking in a woman's shoes

“You can’t really understand another person’s experience until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.”

I love this amazing initiative by Toronto's Walk A Mile in Her Shoes parade which was held in September of this year. It is a parade against violence towards women and girls. Watch the above video for more info and a bit of a laugh.

Cameron Diaz likes being objectified

Cam recently received a lot of criticism for saying the following: “I think every woman does want to be objectified. There’s a little part of you at all times that hopes to be somewhat objectified, and I think it’s healthy,” she said, adding that she finds revealing photo shoots to be "empowering."

She said that she's comfortable being objectifying and objectifying herself, as long as she's in control of the situation in which she's being objectified.

"I'm a woman, I know how to handle myself. I know what I feel comfortable doing and I know my sexuality."

But what about those women who cannot be in control of this objectification? If we say 'yes' we as women are okay with being objectified then we need to ask: Who are these 'women'? Are these women able to control their objectification or not; are they able to choose?

Many women like Cameron Diaz can easily choose to take her clothes off for a magazine, she is in control of how much she shows and how much she covers up. But what about women who are forced into stripping and prostitution? Their objectification is not one of choice, but of exploitation.

I think it is very difficult to make the statement that Cameron made. We cannot say 'every woman' likes to be objectified, all women are different. Some women are able to negotiate the terms of objectification and others are not.

Straight men respond to: "Gay Men Will Marry Your Girlfriends"

So, I recently posted the video "Gay Men Will Marry Your Girlfriends", a fun and quirky video aimed at producing more tolerance for marriage equality in the U.S. Here is the follow-up or reply from the straight community.

  At least - as I was dreading - it didn't make them out as homophobic. Rather just as douchebags.  

The world's 'only' female male model

We've recently heard a lot about male models like Andrej Pejic modelling for women's wear fashion lines; now meet Casey Legler - the only female model to work exclusively as a male model.

"As far as I know, there are no other women exclusively modeling as male models," Legler tells Time magazine in their above video piece on her.

She is an artist who also models. She is an an androgynous being who says she doesn't only look great in more manly attire, but that she can also rock a dress and some heels.

I love what she says here: "What I wish is that we all get to be exactly who we are."

That is the ultimate goal.

Gay men will marry your girlfriends

CollegeHumor's Favorite Funny Videos

I love this video so, so much! It's a truly hilarious video to all those against gay marriage.

Marc Jacobs uses masturbation to sell sunglasses

What do you think?

The Marie Antoinette complex

What is the Marie Antoinette complex? It relates to that whole ‘let them eat cake’ attitude that Marie Antoinette apparently displayed towards her starving countrymen. It’s not so much about whether she actually said this; but more about the actual idea of it. The attitude.

Latest research shows that the rich and famous are in fact more prone to care less and to be more greedy. Here are a couple of people we believe might just have that 'let them eat cake' attitude:

Madonna

Last year, a massive fan of hers handed her a bunch of flowers at an event. Madonna was later overheard on microphone muttering to a friend that she absolutely hates hydrangeas - the flowers he had given her. She added: "He obviously doesn't know that." Um, are you that self-centred?

Kim Kardashian

After having the most lavish wedding ever seen on reality TV (or in Hollywood for that matter), Kim K filed for divorce a mere 72 days into her marriage with Kris Humphies. Lots of people criticized her for wasting a boat load of money. Money that could have changed millions of people's lives.

Nonhle Thema

The ex-Dark and Lovely ambassador had a famous Twitter meltdown last year. As she started losing sponsorships her bragging seemed to escalate. She went on and on about how much money she has, how famous she is and that poor people hate her because they are jealous of her. She's famous for telling people to 'sit down', a.k.a to bugger off.

Gina Rinehart

The world's richest woman whose family money comes via iron-ore mining is known for her ridiculous 'advice'. She recently advised the world's "jealous" poor to stop whining and drinking and  "thinks Australia's struggling mining industry should look to Africa for inspiration. There, miners "are willing to work for less than $2 per day," reports Newser online. As Nonhle Thema would say: "Sit down".

  Karl Lagerfeld "Adele is fat." "Pippa Middleton is ugly." "No one wants to see curvy women." Just a few of this fashion designer's gems.