On HuffPost today, the fabulous Jessica Wakeman questions New York Magazine’s cover for the This is New York 1968-2008 issue. Are the “cultural titans” of the big apple mostly white and mostly male?

Jessica points out that the article itself is culturally diverse:

To be fair, 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.

She lists some of the best New York icons that didn’t make it in the magazine like Gloria Steinem, Ani di Franco, Julia Louis Dreyfus’ Elaine, Tina Fey, Yoko Ono, The Cosby Show, and the ladies of the Sex and The City. Who are your favorite New York icons?

Learn more about women and minorities in the media by visiting Women’s Media Center and Media Awareness Network .

Read Jessica’s full article.

The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Several topics really stood out this week, including the Oscars as social advocacy inspiration, civil rights and Black History Month, and lots of hot news on entertainment going Green. Check out our most popular posts of the week on these subjects, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites.

Katie:

Happy Belated “Freedom to Marry” Week!

Rosa and Raymond Parks: Valiant Valentine #5

* * *
Nicole:

Top 10 Oscar Picks to Inspire Social Action

Cornel West: Black Thoughts On Black History Month

* * *
Giulia:

H&M’s “Fashion Against AIDS”

Ed Begley Jr. Goes Green

* * *
Gina:

Top 10 Best Picture Winners That Inspire

Remixing “Chicago 10″

* * *
Kerry:

How To Set the World On Fire Without Burning Out

Eco-Brokers Cater to Green Homebuyers

For me, clothing is another way to express myself so I especially love finding fashion that makes a clear, strong, social statement.

So I was thrilled to find the site www.bodyasbillboard.com. Founded and run by Periel Aschenbrand, this native New Yorker has found the formula to use apparel as advertising for women’s issues.

Aschenbrand infamous first design was a tee she simply made for herself sporting the slogan “The Only Bush I Trust Is My Own”. That shirt was noticed by a trendy LA shop owner who requested that Achenbrand make more and sell those shirts in her shop. Soon feminist icons such as Gloria Steinem, Susan Sarandon, and Betsey Johnson began sporting her thought-provoking tops.

Read the rest of this entry »

I was so busy celebrating Valentine’s Day, finding guilt-free Valentine’s Day Gifts, and awarding Valiant Valentines to social action-taking couples, I didn’t have enough time to blog about Freedom To Marry Week, the great week-long holiday that celebrates marriage for all people. Freedom To Marry is an inclusive non profit organization dedicated to ending the exclusion of same-sex couples and their families from marriage.

Do you believe that people who love each other and are committed to each other also deserve to be able to marry each other? Then ! Sign the Marriage Resolution! And watch Julie Goldman and Kate McKinnon in the music video for Julie’s song Commitment Ceremony, which is both hilarious, and inspiring. Not to apply an peer pressure, but FYI, when you sign the pledge you’ll be in good company, joining fellow pledgers like Gillian Anderson, Matthew Broderick, Bea Arthur, Beck, Neve Campbell, Alan Cumming, Ted Danson & Mary Steenburgen, Ellen DeGeneres, Laura Dern, David Duchovny, Nora Ephron & Nick Pileggi, Melissa Etheridge, Al Franken, Whoopi Goldberg,

Read the rest of this entry »