Most of us are aware of how fashion magazines and lipstick commercials too often depict women: We’re reduced to overly sexualized, dolled-up mannequins in skimpy clothes and lots of makeup. And the result is harmful: women are constantly exposed to commercial ideals of beauty and impossibly Photoshopped models, which can be extremely damaging to their body image. One way to combat this over-sexualization is comprehensive sexual education, which teaches young women about healthy body image and that they can combat sexualization.

Artist Yolanda Dominguez has come up with another, more unusual way to tackle the problem. Her latest project puts those unrealistic, sexualized magazine images in new perspective. “Poses” captures the ridiculous nature of many magazine photos and uses the humorous result to share an important message. Dominguez had women “pose” to recreate the positions and expressions seen in fashion spreads, then displayed the original photos and remakes side by side online. Her subjects are far from high fashion; the women are certainly much more like our moms and neighbors than supermodels. And her settings are everyday scenes.

The result is incredibly bizarre. Put into a real-world context, the images become ridiculous. It’s almost impossible to believe that they were shot to sell handbags and high heels in the first place. Dominguez makes us consider how lots of make-up and special lighting have made us forget that these poses are unnatural to the point of absurdity. That we hold them as a standard makes little sense—they’re impossible.

Dominguez hopes we will also wonder why men in magazines are rarely shown in such absurd poses. According to the artist, in photo shoots men emphasize their strength, standing up with broad shoulders and straight backs. In other words, they seem fit, while women—often emaciated, contorted, and wearing sour expressions—are portrayed as exactly the opposite. It would appear that the body image magazines promote in women is not only sexualized but also simply unhealthy. Whether or not this double standard exists across all fashion spreads, Dominguez’s chosen images of women seem to speak for themselves. “We don’t identify with this type of woman—we are much more,” explains Dominguez.

—Meg Gibbon, 19, Contributor

When is the last time your feelings were hurt because of someone else’s words? My answer is—not so long ago. For as long as I can remember, classmates have laughed about my last name, “Fung-Wiener,” and it took me years to embrace my name as a goofy representation of my culturally diverse background. Most teens deal with bullying in some way during their high school experiences. Haven’t you?

The Bully Project is a grassroots movement that uses local campaigns, video projects and social media “to build an alliance of students, parents, school staff, policy makers and engaged citizens to create a positive environment in schools where everyone feels safe and respected.”

At the heart of The Bully Project is a documentary of the same name, directed by celebrated filmmaker, Lee Hirsh. The film spotlights the stories of five different American teens and families in their homes and at their schools. Through these stories, The Bully Project searches for the answers to questions we’ve all asked ourselves: Why do we bully each other, and how can we stop it?

The Bully Project film is scheduled for broad release in U.S. theaters soon. But we don’t need to wait for the movie to learn how to make a difference! On the project’s official Web site, bold letters beckon teens across the nation to “JOIN THE MOVEMENT” by signing up to hear about their latest news and initiatives.

So think about it—when is the last time bullying affected your life, or that of a friend or family member? You’re not alone. It happens all the time to teens all over the nation, but bullying doesn’t have to go on like this forever. We have the power to stop it. So check it out. Speak up. Join the movement.

—Hannah Fung-Wiener, 16, Staff Writer

Have you ever felt like Facebook makes dating complicated? I was talking to a friend about dating and relationships, and she went on a rant about her boyfriend’s lack of enthusiasm when it came to liking her statuses, commenting on her photos and so on. She then explained how the way he acts on Facebook must reflect what he thinks of their relationship. But is that really true?

People can get crazy about their boyfriend, girlfriend or crush’s wall posts, status updates, pictures—and not to mention relationship statuses. When we see someone has gotten in or out of a relationship, everyone wants to know what happened. This can make something intimate more of a public spectacle. Rumors can also easily spread because of something seen on Facebook, creating drama and unnecessary conflict in the dating scene (as if it weren’t already difficult enough!) Should we be counting on Facebook to develop healthy relationships?

When the main form of communication in a dating relationship is Facebook, you are concentrating on the virtual aspect of the relationship. But it can make things downright awkward in-person. It’s best to establish a healthy relationship outside of Facebook and talk to people you trust, such as parents or teachers, about dating rather than going on Facebook to check up on every little thing your partner or crush is or isn’t saying on Facebook.

Instead of getting caught up in Facebook drama, we can educate ourselves about healthy relationships. For more information on dating, love and healthy relationships, check out the Love & Relationships section of Sexetc.org.

—Casandra Fetchik, 18, Staff Writer

Australia recently began offering a third gender category in addition to male and female on their country’s passports. In addition to “M” for male or “F” for female, people can choose “X.” This change was made to help fight discrimination usually faced by people who are transgender or intersex since they may not identify as male or female.

Although Australia is the only country who offers a third gender category, many countries, like England and the United States offer citizens the option to mark whichever gender they identify as. While it is great that the U.K. and U.S. have adopted policies that allow citizens to choose the gender that they identify as, I feel like these policies don’t compare to what Australia has done. I can only imagine how frustrating it must be to explain to immigration or customs officials that although your passport states you are male or female, you do not identify as either, and instead feel that you are something entirely different. These kinds of situations degrade the individual involved and open them up to more discrimination and abuse.

Australia’s third gender category on passports grants intersex and transgender individuals a more comfortable way to identify themselves without having to worry about being forced to select a gender when neither male nor female feels right for them. Gender “X” will also hopefully help spread acceptance of transgender and intersex individuals. If other nations adopted this third gender, people might begin to see it as part of the norm. Hopefully, this will promote an understanding that not everyone identifies as either male or female, and maybe, just maybe, it will help promote a future where we openly recognize that we cannot all be classified into just two genders.

—Sam Dercon, 17, Staff Writer

I’ve started losing interest in Twilight fandom, and it’s all because of the long awaited marriage and sex scene between Edward and Bella in the latest film, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1.

In the books and movie, Bella wants more physical intimacy with Edward, but he says they must marry first. So what does Bella do? She rushes too quickly into marriage—a very serious thing—because that’s the only way Edward will have sex with her. Her only concern seems to be what will make Edward happy—not a good message to send to the fans. It’s frustrating that Bella’s character is portrayed as so dependent on Edward. He spies on Bella while she sleeps, dictates her choice of friends and encourages her to trick her father, among other questionable actions that make Edward a creep and not a healthy choice for a boyfriend or husband. But will girls and guys believe having a controlling and possessive partner means your partner “loves” you, because they see Bella and Edward’s relationship portrayed as “romantic”?

And what about sex? The sex scene wasn’t described in detail in the book or movie. But the aftermath was shown with the breaking of a headboard and Bella’s body covered in bruises. (Edward can’t control his superhuman strength during sex with a mere human. This makes me wonder: Does this leave people thinking a partner really desires you if he or she hurts you during sex?) While Edward is disgusted with himself because he has bruised Bella, she is happy they have finally had sex. One moment Bella and Edward are in total bliss, and the next they’re both upset. Communication before, during and after sex might have helped avoid some of the misunderstanding.

At first I thought the Twilight storyline was cute, and of course, I daydreamed about how lovely a vampire boyfriend would be, but when I actually thought about what Bella and Edward’s relationship is like, I really lost interest. (But Team Jacob all the way!)

—Casandra Fetchik, 17, Staff Writer