Little Miss Opinionated

Love is the most important part of my life. I need to feel loved and I need to love others. Being able to love my girlfriend gives me the most satisfaction and fulfillment I've ever known. I don't know why so many are convinced this love could ever be bad. But I suppose it's because they've never seen it flourish in real life. My life would be nothing without love and I know the same is true for many others, my girlfriend included. Without her love, I couldn't make it through everything else. Without her love, I wouldn't have the strength to carry on each day. But when I am with my girlfriend and it's just us in our own little world, I forget about everything else so easily. I can't tell you how many mornings I wish could have lasted for eternity, just us lying together in bed, cuddling and giggling and touching and loving. Those are the best moments for me. I go back to them whenever I feel unsettled or unsure or unsafe. I remember those moments and I p...

I always tell myself i am not good enough. but that voice, those words, come from something that is not me. they come from my doubts and my fears and the terrible ways i was conditioned to think about myself. It takes a lot to counteract those thoughts and honestly, im not always successful. But I want to try harder for the fact that something amazingly beautiful may come out of it. the world may not want to hear from me or see me but the world also needs to hear my stories. i always tell myself i am being too picky. for wanting to hear my stories and to know about my people. But I know now that is the voice of patriarchy and white supremacy trying to silence me and stop me from growing. they want to keep up apart they don’t want us to find each other in this world. because what if we create a bond greater then their oppression. Our collaboration is priceless and it is certainly our most powerful tool. This is why I know I must read the words of clothes but also I must write and I must...

By: Bella Carbone and Serena Turner      In the 2010s, YouTube's beauty community gained an influential member who would gain a significant following for his makeup abilities. His signature slayed block eyebrows and bold eyeshadow or lip combinations made James Charles recognizable and popular. But, what truly helped him stand out was the fact that he was a gay man gaining recognition in a highly women-dominated space. Yes, there were gay male beauty influencers before James Charles but his fame and capitalist ventures were quite an accomplishment. Another aspect that helped James Charles gain awareness and recognition was his catchphrase and fanbase greeting of “Hi Sisters!” that aggressively began every single one of his videos. At face value, this expression of community amongst his followers primarily young girls and other gay men seems harmless and endearing. Yet, when we look deeper there is a notion of appropriating a term often used amongst Black women to displa...

By: Serena Turner Recently(and by that I mean in the past 20 years), I have found myself comparing myself to everyone around me. And I am living in a constant state of feeling less then because of these comparisons. The worst part about comparing yourself is that it only hurts yourself. Because while you sit there counting all the numerous ways in which you feel other people have it better (or worse) then you do, the rest of the world keeps on moving. I get so stuck in that comparison cycle. I run on it rampantly. It gives me the motivation to try harder and do better while also dragging me down so low that I don’t have any energy to pull myself up. I took the title of this blog post from a piece of advice I heard one my coworkers give to another coworker. She said that she had recently learned that instead of comparing herself to other people, she should use them for inspiration. While this felt helpful at the time, I have since become disenchanted by the statement. I used to think us...

By: Bella Carbone Today I made myself a hearty, nutritious meal for dinner and it was delicious as well. The food was so tasty it inspired me to write. I was apprehensive to write this because I was thinking to myself how is posting a recipe relevant to my radical blog? But that is when I thought to myself that finding the time to buy fresh, healthy ingredients, to prepare and cook yourself a meal that's both balanced and flavorful is not only a privilege, it is radical. I think that for someone like me who has not only struggled with eating in general, eating healthy, has PCOS which is directly affected by your eating habits, and struggles to find time and energy to cook, choosing something nourishing as well as the act of eating is truly revolutionary. It is also an act of self-care on one of the deepest levels. Our eating has an undeniable effect on our overall health and well-being. Just as it is self-care to enjoy the treats we crave, it is self-care to put into our body the e...

by: Bella Carbone I recently saw Monkey Man at the movie theater and I have been reflecting on what I have just seen unfold on screen. As a media critic, I first thought I wanted to focus on rage in this film as a constant theme and the idea of injustice leading to such rage which is a commonly felt sentiment amongst marginalized people. Yet, something more striking has taken up my thoughts after sitting with this movie for about a day, and that is how gender is portrayed and performed. Disclaimer: I take to writing this reflection on the film as someone who has studied American queer media theory but I am not Indian nor am I the most well-versed on the gender-cultural relations in India. I do, however, really respect and love the incorporation of gender non-conforming characters who are marginalized but build community and seek refuge despite their oppression. Alas, since I am coming in appreciation, I will still begin to give a piece of my mind even though I am no expert on this su...