This is my story with self defense and being attacked

The Rape Joke by Patricia Lockwood

The rape joke is that you were 19 years old. The rape joke is that he was your boyfriend. The rape joke it wore a goatee. A goatee. Imagine the rape joke looking in the mirror, perfectly reflecting back itself, and grooming itself to look more like a rape joke. “Ahhhh,” it thinks. “Yes. A goatee.” No offense. The rape joke is that he was seven years older. The rape joke is that you had known him for years,…
Why We Need More Strong Female Film Roles

Why We Need More Strong Female Film Roles

In today's growing global political climate and all the recent reports surfacing around sexual harassment, particularly in the entertainment industry, it's more important than ever that we see strong women in strong positions in our media, movies, and shows. As Gal Gadot said recently in an episode of Variety‘s “Actors on Actors” series, “there cannot be women empowerment if women don’t have this visual in their subconsciousness, and if men don’t have it either. It’s important…
Hillary Clinton

Women’s Rights are Human Rights are Hillary’s Rights

However you voted in the 2016 US Presidential Election, you gotta hand it to Hillary Rodham Clinton for being the first woman to make such a huge play for the office on behalf of a major political party.. and very nearly succeed. Even though she didn't win (which some of us maintain was due to a ridiculous technicality), she still broke some serious glass ceilings and old molds for women and girls the whole nation…
A Real Live Beauty: Emma Watson and the Beast

A Real Live Beauty: Emma Watson and the Beast

Disney is planning a live-action musical version of their classic tale “Beauty and the Beast”. And it’s bound to be quite a beauty of a film, given who they’ve cast to lead the show as the brave and beautiful brunette bookworm. She’s already made quite a name for herself playing a similarly stubborn bookworm. Guess who it is yet? That’s right! Emma Watson! Bill Condon (“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn”) will be directing the film. But no…
It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s Melissa Benoist from Glee!

It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s Melissa Benoist from Glee!

CBS is throwing their hat into the superhero ring, with their own hourlong drama TV show centered around none other than SuperGirl herself – one of the only iconic female superhero characters that had yet to be tapped for her own show… until now. Joining forces with Warner Bros, CBS finally has the writing and producing power to get their pilot off the ground. And now they have their leading lady too. “Glee” alum Melissa Benoist has…
Michelle Maclaren to direct the new Wonder Woman film

A Wonder Woman To Direct Wonder Woman. No Wonder!

*UPDATE: After MacLaren's departure from the Wonder Woman film due to "creative differences," Warner Bros. could have chosen anyone to take over the helm. Anyone. And it wouldn't have surprised anyone if they'd chosen a man. But they DIDN'T! To our very pleasant surprise, Warner Bros. took another big leap forward and chose the equally Tough Cookie Patty Jenkins to take the reins. And boy are we glad she did! Wonderful news! Acclaimed bad-ass television…
Tough Cookie Scarlett Johansson stars as the Black Widow in her own movie, finally!

You Go ScarJo! The Star of the New “Ghost In The Shell” Reboot

My favorite new female action star has some exciting news! She’s going to be headlining yet another iconic action story, this time from the land of Japanese anime. If you aren’t already familiar with anime, and are curious to check it out, you can’t go wrong with Ghost In The Shell. And our beloved Scarlett Johansson is set to star as covert ops Major Motoko Kusanagi (or Monique Kutcher or whatever they plan to rename her), squad leader of…
Holy Female Leads, Batman! Jena Malone is Robin

Holy Female Leads, Batman! Jena Malone is Robin

I recently told you the incredible news about Wonder Woman's return to the big screen in the upcoming “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” film, to be played by Gal Gadot. Well now rumor has it that the same film will feature another female in a leading role - that of Robin, played by none other than the bad-ass Jena Malone! Now personally, I've always been a huge fan of Jena Malone - as far back as…
Give The World A Better Man

Give The World A Better Man

Happy Thanksgiving fellow Tough Cookies! As we give thanks this Holiday season for all the fortunate things in your life, let's take a moment to think about others who may not be so lucky - and extend our giving spirit to them. A Better Man is a new hopeful documentary film that is running an IndieGoGo campaign to help it achieves its mission - empower people to join the movement to END violence against women. I couldn't think…
We Should All Be Feminists

We Should All Be Feminists

On April 12, 2013, acclaimed writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie gave a TEDx talk entitled "We Should All Be Feminists." Then in July this year, she came out with a book of the same title, to further drive home her message. And what was her point? That we should all be questions what “feminism” really means today. That the 21st-century definition may not be what we think it is, but rather one more rooted in the concepts of inclusion…
Tough Cookie Scarlett Johansson stars as the Black Widow in her own movie, finally!

My New Favorite Female Action Movie Star

I was never much of a fan of Scarlett Johansson. She always somehow managed to be just a bit annoying in every movie I saw her in, whether weirdly wooing Bill Murray in Lost In Translation or being the girl we love to hate, envy and pity at the same time in He's Just Not That Into You. And don't even get me started on Match Point. But she's not without talent. She just wasn't well…
The Norwegian Preteen ‘Marrying’ a 37 Yr Old

The Norwegian Preteen ‘Marrying’ a 37 Yr Old

Thea is a 12 year old Norwegian girl with a bright future ahead of her. But instead of pursuing that future, Thea was going to be married off to 37 year old man Geir on Saturday, October 11th. Thankfully, this wedding wasn't actually real. But it mirrors many that are, and the stories of many underage girls around the world who are forced into these kinds of arranged marriages. According to The International Center for Research on Women,…