The Best of 2013: The Feministing crew’s favorites (Part 2)

To close out 2013, we’re showcasing our favorite feminist content from the past year. Today, we’re continuing with the Feministing crew’s personal “best of’s” here on this site and elsewhere in the blogosphere. Check out Part 1 in the series here, as well as Feministing’s top ten most-read posts of 2013. And add your own picks in the comments!

ON FEMINISTING:

Best example of the collective brilliance of Feministing

“Feministing Chat: Individualism, violence, and victim blaming” by the Feministing crew

Every day I’m in awe of the depth of talent and brilliance on the Feministing roster, and this dialogue unpacking the dangers of individual feminism, capitalism, victim blaming, and gender based violence fully realizes the dynamic potential of linking all of these great minds. – Mychal

Best time societal fears were examined through a Beyonce video

“Beyonce shows us what we really fear in ‘Haunted'” video by Sesali

In this post, Sesali breaks down how the things that Bey sees in the house she’s strolling through in her video for “Haunted” represent larger societal fears, blowing my mind and making me wanna watch this one over and over and over. – Vero 

The post that put all my angry incoherent thoughts into organized words

“Is this real life? Gawker hosts Privilege Tournament” by Vero

Vero does an awesome job of mocking Gawker’s horribly failed attempt at finding humor in oppression. She proves that feminists can be witty while holding online publications accountable. – Juliana

The post that left me all verklempt

“Because I knew you, I’ve been changed for good” by Samhita

 In this post, outgoing Feministing Executive Editor Samhita Mukhopadhyay, who has empowered and transformed so many people through her blogging and organizing, reflects on how much she has been empowered and transformed by engaging in the the Feministing and feminist community. – Katie

Best post that tied together almost all my favorite TV shows

“The Skyler White problem: can we accept complex female characters?” by Jos

Jos is my pop culture twin, so it’s no surprise that I loved this post of hers exploring our inability to accept complex, multi-dimensional female characters–from The Wire to Buffy–in a patriarchal context. It was also responsible for getting me on the Breaking Bad train. – Maya

 Best, and most necessary, meta talk

“On cynicism, calling out, and creating movements that don’t leave our people behind” by Vero

It’s really hard to talk about holding our communities accountable in productive, moment-building ways while validating anger and acknowledging the harms that drive us to be haters. But Vero walked that line and did some really important work that spoke to so many of us in an honest, smart way. – Alexandra

 ELSEWHERE ON THE INTERWEBS:

Best conversation changer

“What about the guys who do fit the gay stereotype?” by Maya

Ok, maybe this is cheating since its by Maya, but I loved this intervention into the narrative of gay “tolerance” that prioritizes traditional masculinity. – Alexandra

Best commentary that rides hard for black women

“Women’s lives don’t matter: The lesson of Marissa Alexander” by Brittney Cooper

Brittney Cooper produced a lot of my favorite work this year, but this particular piece stands out as Brittney tied together seemingly disparate issues that all have the common ground in dehumanizing and devaluing the lives of black women. It’s tough, necessary, heart-breaking work, and no one was doing it better in 2013. – Mychal

The illest cultural criticism of the year

“When the Lights Shut Off: Kendrick Lamar and The Decline of the Black Blues Narrative” by Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah

Yo, shout out to dream hampton (who be knowin’) for tweeting the link to this deliciously deep long read by writer Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah back in February of this year. Ghansah elegantly examines history, music and literature in teasing out the cultural impact of Lamar’s Good Kid, M.A.D City.  Since this piece dropped I’m on the lookout for all her work. She’s a writer to watch in 2014. – Syreeta

Best time when a total stranger described the #storyofmylife

“Coming out as biracial” by Stephanie Georgopulos

This piece gets at the complexities of being mixed in a world that operates on a person of color/white binary. Stephanie Georgopulos talks about the difference between how we identify because of our family experience and our own understanding of who we are, and how often this clashes with the way people treat us. In other words, what/who society tells us we should be according to how we look. – Juliana