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Magazine asks campus 'What the F?'
by Stephanie Shenouda
hat would you expect to see
in a University sponsored
feminist magazine? A how-
to on the most effective ways to burn
your bra? A picture of Todd Akin with
a bulls-eye over his face? A hundred
things to say while rejecting the creep
that hit on you at Rick's?
Since early 2012, the monthly magazine
What the F has been working to connect
the women of the University, giving them
a place to go every time they've seen some-
thing in the media or their daily lives that
made them say, "What the eff??"
1.-"Fresh, funny, factual, feminine, femi-
nist, f*ck," is what the "f" stands for in the
magazine title. You're probably not used
to seeing that last word associated with
University publications, but What the F,
the official women's health publication
on campus, has been pushing the enve-
lope ever since its creation two years ago.
What started out as two girls in a women's
health class tasked to find a way to use the
media to promote women's health is now
a monthly publication that prides itself on
bringing "lady Wolverines" accurate infor-
.,.onation in an edgy manner.
LSA senior Jennifer Spears, What the
F president and founding editorial board
member, sees the magazine as a catalyst
for dialogue and discussion regarding
women's health and other issues.
As president, Spears works to expand
What the F's presence beyond the print-
ed magazine by hosting events in order
to allow people to learn more about the
publication and the issues they advocate
for, such as showings of the documentary
"Miss Representation," which criticizes in
the role of women in the American media.
This year, the ladies of What the F plan
to take their stories online with a website
launch in an attempt to expand their read-
ership beyond 2,000 printed copies.
"Aside from being a magazine, What the
F brings social change to campus and gets
a conversation started by bringing these
issues to the forefront," she said. "Working
in a publication that goes to such lengths to
be not racist, sexist or violent really made
me more aware of how much the media is
into those things."
With regards to feminism, Spears hopes
'the magazine dispels the misconceptions
that many have about the movement.
"I think that everyone should be a femi-
nist," she said. "It's not like women are
trying to take over the world, we just want
to be equal and I think people who don't
think that are just misinformed. We're not
man-hating feminists, and we understand
that men also have issues. We just want to
be represented equally."
For Co Editor in Chief Brianna Kovan,
also an LSA senior, her journey with
What the F began with her interest in
publishing.
"I want to pursue (publishing) as a
career, but it's disheartening to see how
many magazines that claim to be aimed at
women end up being very male-centered,"
she said. "The neat part is how (What the
F) combines the literary aspect as well
as social-justice themes, which I'm real-
ly passionate about, but I feel like don't
and fighting for social justice."
Kovan added that people are often
shocked by her beliefs, frequently receiv-
ing the comment that she "doesn't look
like a feminist" - a preconceived idea of
a man-hater with hairy armpits clouding
their ability to hear her message.
"When people say that to me, I just
have to laugh," Kovan said. "It definitely
reminds me why it's important that we
have this publication on campus."
When asked about the shock-factor of
some of their articles, Kovan explained
e-V -neshould
. S
g t0 0taK over
just wanrt to
Spears, LSA senior
that it's one of her favorite things about
What the F.a
"My favorite article was one from last
year where an artist made a compilation
of all of these plaster-cast vaginas," she
said. "The article that went with it talked
about the process and how it was done, as
well as why they did it, and it was really
cool. I think it probably freaked a lot of
people out, but when you take that strong
of a stance on something you're probably
going to do that."
Stories in the publication run the gamut
from personal stories regarding sexual
assault to vagina cupcakes and tips for
finding the perfect vibrator. They've got
opinions about Miley Cyrus's perfor-
mance at MTV's Video Music Awards, the
wage gap, Congressman Todd Akin, Robin
Thicke's "Blurred Lines" and the hetero-
normative nature of the Disney princesses.
LSA senior Jillian McConville said
working at the magazine helped cultivate
her interest in women's issues.
"I fell in love with everything that the
magazine stands for working at What the
F," McConville said.
McConville also admitted that prior to
working with What the F, she was wary
of the F-word.
"Feminist is a very intimidating word
for a lot of people and it carries a lot of
unnecessary negative stereotypes," she
said. "I would have never really told any
of my friends that I was a feminist at the
time, but junior year of college, I had this
realization that I did identify with a lot of
things that feminists stand for and I would
be proud to say it."
McConville added that working for the
magazine has opened her eyes to the reali-
ties of complex women's issues, both at the
University level and on a global scale.
"Working at What the F has helped me
embrace a lot of things about femininity
and also myself, giving me the ability to
observe women in a broader scope," she
said. "As a Christian, white woman, I've
never had to consider what other reli-
gions and races experience in their fight
for their rights and equality, but this has
helped me to see that."
McConville said she appreciates the var-
ied content within the pages of What the F.
"My favorite thing about What the F is
the articles that people have been strong
enough to write about their experiences
with rape and sexual assault, because
I've seen firsthand the impact that it
has on people who read it and have had
a similar experience and are still trying
to find their strength," she said. "But on
the other hand, you'll see some shock-
ing things too, like this portrait that was
done by a really talented artist, made
entirely of period blood. You never know
what you're going to find between the
pages of What the F."
McConville adds that What the F is
made to empower women, taking issues
that seem taboo and making them more
approachable.
"The general consensus is that peri-
ods are super gross and awkward and
we should never talk about them ever,
but newsflash, we all have them, so why
is that weird?"
ion. Trench coats and camouflage
pants don't exactly scream sex,
and women are literally buttoned-
up or laced into their clothing. It's
utilitarian and, furthermore, it's
definitely not a style that's worn
for the attention of a man. This is
women dressing for women at its
finest. This type of clothing, in its
androgyny, effectively obstructs
the male gaze.
Women have been dressing like
this for hundreds of years, wear-
ing clothes that have no explicit sex
appeal and that make references to
women in heroic roles. This is noth-
ing new, yet the fashion industry
and feminists are still not on the
same page. It's interesting that col-
lege women are overwhelmingly
adopting this trend and communi-
cating a very specific identity. It's
by no means overkill; one small
piece, from leather shoulder panels
on a military green jacket to brown
lace-up boots, delivers the message.
I think we're finally seeing the start
of not just the military trend coming
back into style once again, but also
the eventual unification of fashion
and feminism.
on the record
"Her music, which deserves all the attention it's getting,
can't be taken seriously if it's accompanied by a video of
her making out with a hammer."
- ANNA SADOVSKAYA, Daily art's writer, on why it's OK
for her to dislike Miley Cyrus.
"I made a lot of mistakes today. It was probably my worst
game ever, but it won't happen again."
- DEVIN GARDNER, redshirtjunior quarterback, on barely grab-
binga win in Saturday'sgame againstAkron.
"We're just really concerned that the project might not
be going in the right direction and, ultimately,
we're trying to help."
- PHILLIP SACCONE, Rackham Student Governmentpresident,
about the University's plansfor a graduate residence hall.
art and design senior melissa weisberg, left, lightens up
ankle boots and a vest with printed scarf.
Isa junior alexis miedema, right, mixes preppy basics with
brown lace-up boots.
.3
Actor Zac Efron,
who plays a frat bro
in the upcoming film
"Neighbors," secretly
completed a stint in
rehab five months ago,
according to E! News.
Sources say he's healthy
and no longer drinking
alcohol. Let's hope this
former Disney star
can keep clean.
This week's "Breaking Bad" episode had
everyone buzzing during Michigan time - and
gained a record 6.4 million viewers, according
to Nielsen. Holly! Walter! Meth! Police! Bad!
Breaking!
J
Jennifer'
always go together."
Kovan said before joining the What the
F staff, she was hesitant to describe herself
as a feminist because of the stereotypes
and implications.
"After doing (Residence Advisor)
training and taking some women's stud-
ies classes, I realized that my ideals
align with that of many feminists," she
said. "The thing that I like about femi-
nism is that you can define it for your-
self and really be whoever you want to
be. For me, it's not about superiority
over men but about sparking debates
1
According to The New York Times, Iranian
internet users gained unrestricted access
to Facebook and Twitter briefly on Monday
before the governmentban was restored on
Tuesday.A "digital Berlin Wall" fell, onlyto be
rebuilt.
F
"What does the
fox say?" is not a
children's book,
but a new, viral
dance song and
video by Ylvis,
two Norwegian
comedians. Roll
your eyes all you
want, but try
listening and then
not singing the
catchy diddy after.
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