HuffPo Blogger Wonders Where the Ladies Are
According to her bio, Jessica Wakeman is "an associate blog editor at Huffington Post." We are not really sure what that means except that she writes totally adorable blog posts about media and all the people in media who she loves, like a little Rachel Sklar. Last time we checked in, she was distraught to learn that to "make it" in New York, "you need a strategy." Her mentor Vanessa Grigoriadis told her! Gosh! Wakeman decided she better stick with the web, a safe space for earnest and sincere young women, where Wakeman can work on writing about important cultural things, like her idol Vanessa or "Ariel Levy or Emily Nussbaum." Today, Wakeman is a little bit upset at her favoritest magazine ever!
Even when Wakemen is engaging in mild chastisement—there are not enough ladies (or black people) in New York's "This Is New York" issue!—she can't help but mention how she "want[s] to be Ariel Levy or Emily Nussbaum when [she] grow[s] up." But New York left all her lady heroes off their list of important things from New York! Like "bisexual folk singer Ani Di Franco" and fictional character Carrie Bradshaw.
"To be fair," Wakeman says, fairly, "there's several nice articles on the inside of the magazine extolling New York City's imprint on film, TV and literature. In it, we see diversity that actually reflects cultural demographic reality: Susan Sontag, Toni Morrison, Spike Lee. And the intro to the whole package is about Rhoda, the Mary Tyler Moore spin-off." But! "Where's Gloria Steinem in all her kooky-glasses-wearing glory?" And! "Wasn't Erica Jong's book Fear of Flying (a huge book in its time) set partially in NYC? She's a photogenic lady."
"And[!] what about the character of Carrie Bradshaw or real-life actress Sarah Jessica Parker? Hello? Remember that show, Sex and the City?" Vaguely!
It may seem like we're being mean here but we actually do find Ms. Wakeman to be totally adorable. Stick with Sklar, Jessica! She'll keep you on the straight, narrow, and earnest!
Oh and yes there probably are too many white men in New York this week but it's New York Magazine, the only black person they've put on their cover in more than year is a certain Senator from Illinois.
New York Magazine's 'This Is New York' Issue Cover: Very White, Lots of Dudes [HuffPo]