These “extra” measures are not designed to give women and people of color an advantage over white men. They’re designed to give them the exposure, access, and opportunity that white men already take for granted. After a much touted all-black, all-female audition cycle for Saturday Night Live, the seminal sketch comedy show announced this week […]
Emily Heist Moss’ best guy friend suddenly stopped returning her calls. They were not lovers, they never even kissed. But it broke her heart as much as any other breakup. My worst breakup was not the one when he called me eight hours before our three-day weekend adventure and told me he was rerouting his […]
The ambiguity around “family time” and how it will be divvied up causes Emily Heist Moss more anxiety than just about anything. This will be the first year that my brother won’t be coming home for Christmas. Intellectually, I know that this is what happens—families grow, priorities change, traditions evolve. Intellectually, I know that his […]
Emily Heist Moss discusses why we must acknowledge both the epidemic of obesity and the toll body shaming takes on our souls. Maria Kang continues to ride the wave of the dubious Internet fame she achieved with her “What’s Your Excuse?” photo shoot. A month ago, Kang posed with her three young children in minimal […]
When I took Plan B, I was over 176 pounds and I thought I was protecting myself with the best available option. How many millions of women have done the same? On Monday, Mother Jones broke the news that the European manufacturer of a pill identical to Plan B (an over-the-counter emergency contraceptive sold in America) has revealed […]
It is absurd to draw a hard and fast line across a swath of people that contains such a multitude of human faces and figures, says Emily Heist Moss. Is it racist to categorically not date people of a certain race? Yes. But, what about…no. But, what if…no. But, but, but, but…no. Why is it […]
I’m going to want to go out with you again if I feel like you talked with me, not at me. The first time there’s an awkward pause on a date, I happily fill it, asking a question on an earlier subject, or segueing toward something new. The second time there’s an awkward pause, I wait […]
Only 12% of middle-aged women are “satisfied” with their bodies. Is the body image prison not something we ever break out of? I was 11 the first time I remember a stranger commenting on my figure. I was trying on skirts for Bat Mitzvah season and a saleslady told me I had a “bubble butt.” […]
For those of us who are dating for the old-fashioned reason of trying to get to know someone, a transactional approach is deeply damaging, says Emily Heist Moss. “I’ve got a pretty face and a pretty extensive Urban Spoon wish list…We all know that getting what you want in life can be tough, which is […]
Emily Heist Moss responds to Vice co-founder Gavin McInnes’ epic rant about how feminism is destroying the “natural order” of things. This essay began as a project to answer the question “Is feminism working?” but was interrupted by the arrival of Gavin McInnes’ video outburst on HuffPo Live. As someone who routinely devotes 140 characters […]
Sex-positivity is not advocating for any particular quantity or form of sexual expression. Rather, it is about ownership, agency, self-awareness, and respect, says Emily Heist Moss. Last week, activist Kelly Rose Pflug-Back wrote a Huffington Post piece called “Why Sex-Positive Feminism is Negative for Me.” Given that I’m a vocal advocate and documented subscriber to […]
Penis-in-vagina sex isn’t the only kind of sex, and Emily Heist Moss gives four reasons why folks need to stop saying that it is. “Did you have sex?” “Well….” “How could that possibly be a complicated question?” “We did stuff, you know…other stuff, but we didn’t… “ “Oh. Yeah. No, that doesn’t count.” I have […]
