Category: Raising Awareness

Epstein files reveal transparency dilemma in government

November 22nd, 2025
By Ace Vee

11/21/2025

Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender documents related to trafficking ring unsealed. 05/01/2024 (ABC News)

America describes itself as the land of the free, yet the justice system often appears to shield and preserve itself and powerful individuals from accountability. Like Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier and convicted sex offender that was involved in a sex trafficking operation exploiting minors that committed suicide years back. Recently, documents about the client list, flight log and emails from his estate have been partially released exposing not only powerful connections but also the government’s persistent lack of accountability and transparency. For instance, Donald Trump having an extremely close relationship according to CBS News, was repeatedly mentioned around “1,500 times” in the Epstein records. Not to mention his previous charges like Trump being found guilty of 34 felony counts and yet, is still in office despite conviction. Highlighting the government’s long-standing lack of consequences for elite and wealthy officials but also raises questions for their credibility.

The Epstein client list brought little new insightful information. This is an ongoing story, so more documents might be released. Clients ranging from government officials to well-known celebrities. According to INDEPENDENT, influential names like Michael Jackson, former Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton. These officials and higher ups while not mentioned in a semi negative way implicating them for any child sexual exploitation. Makes you wonder about the other reasons involved whether that’s other criminal charges, parties or other topics.

Even with this new information released, based on the questionable credibility of numerous areas of the government. That brings into question whether or not these files or individuals involved are corrupt or inaccurate. Especially, when some of the members of government hesitated or delayed releasing the files. According to MSN, Trump denied knowing Epstein and claimed multiple times that it was a “hoax.” High criminal cases like these end up with little to no regard for the victims or any substantial evidence that has not been removed or covered up.Showcasing how officials or anyone high ranking can use their influence or wealth to cover most things up. A scandal or major event occurs hurting the public or minorities, and the top dogs half the time get nothing but a slap on the wrist. The justice system has failed its citizens with its corrupt nature and lack of accountability. For example, the FBI released footage of Epstein’s location and cell from several weeks to months which to some critics and media editing experts might have modified and not the original footage FBI had claimed. According to Wired the “raw” footage was edited and saved multiple times by Adobe Premiere Pro. With no explanation as to why the footage was edited or what they were trying to cover up with the edit.

The Epstein case while hearing about on and off has been a long-term situation. That has still yet shed light on a lot of questions. Who’s involved? How do we make changes in government and society as a whole? Will the government become less or more corrupt over time? More files might hopefully be released, sharing more information.

Cited Sources:
- Original article: CBS News: Trump being mentioned in the files
- Independent :Names in the files
- MSN : Trump signing a bill to release files
- Wired: Media footage of Epstein modified
- focusmalaysia: Photo of Epstein
Psych Annotated Bibliography

November 1st, 2025

Ace Vee

Topic: Can music affect your mental health or even help reduce stress?

Thoma, M. V., La Marca, R., Brönnimann, R., Finkel, L., Ehlert, U., & Nater, U. M. (2013). The effect of music on the human stress response. PLoS ONE, 8(8), e70156. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0070156

The purpose of this article was to examine how different sounds affect someone’s stress levels, whether that means raising or reducing them. Using sixty volunteers and randomly assigning them to three different conditions before a stress test. The three conditions were relaxing music (RM), rippling water (SW), and no sound (R). They also made sure to track their salivary cortisol , salivary alpha-amylase (sAA), heart rate (HR), and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). Salivary cortisol here is measuring stress through cortisol levels, sAA here measures enzymes that show said stress levels, HR just tells you how fast your heart is beating, and RSA measures your heart rate and your breathing seeing how well you can relax. Their findings here was that the relaxing music prior to the stress test, worked in decreasing stress levels. Compared to the others, listening to music beforehand helped prepare the participants for the upcoming stressor ahead. In general they found that music lowered heart rate and cortisol levels. Mainly showing how music can positively benefit people in their physical and emotional health. Essentially, proving my research that music can positively help someone’s mental health or just in general be considered a good thing.

Topic: Can temperature affect sleeping patterns, and is it correlated to negative emotions?

Obradovich, N., Migliorini, R., Mednick, S. C., & Fowler, J. H. (2017). Nighttime temperature and human sleep loss in a changing climate. Science Advances, 3(5). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1601555

The purpose of this study was to analyze how temperature was correlated to affecting people’s sleeping patterns and how in some cases directly related to negative health effects or even sleeping disorders. To see whether or not this was the case they collected a data set of individuals who reported monthly about their insufficient sleep and how it was linked to data about temperature. Their individual responses came directly from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) and were pooled over a period from 2002-2011. And the randomly selected individuals had to answer a very specific question “During the past 30 days, for about how many days have you felt you did not get enough rest or sleep?” Combining the responses from this with their interview date, geolocation, daily temperature, precipitation, and climate data from the National Centers for Environmental Information Global Historical Climatology Network– Daily (GHCN-D). The study formed a concept about a theoretical relationship on how temperature anomalies were affecting sleep quality. And their findings concluded that rising temperatures especially at night due to climate change and other factors were contributing to sleep loss. The higher the temperature rises the less sleep an individual would get, highlighting my research and showing that it does in fact worsen sleep quality and might in some cases be linked to negative emotions. The study mainly talks about sleep loss though, however you could infer that being sleep deprived affects your health severely.

Topic: Sleep deprivation and how it affects physical performance?

Zhao, S., Alhumaid, M. M., Li, H., Wei, X., Chen, S. S., Jiang, H., Gong, Y., Gu, Y., & Qin, H. (2025). Exploring the effects of sleep deprivation on Physical performance: An EEG Study in the Context of High-Intensity Endurance. Sports Medicine – Open, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-024-00807-4

The purpose of this study is highlighting how sleep deprivation can limit someone’s physical endurance and performance. To show whether or not sleep deprivation affects physical performance they selected twenty male firefighters with no history of mental disorders and to assess sleep conditions they used Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). For the selected individuals they mainly focused on people with a minimum of three years of experience, no sleep disorders, normal vision, and no history of anything affecting their cognitive function. All people are subjected to both conditions with normal sleep and sleep deprivation and having to endure an intense treadmill exercise after each condition. And if you met certain criteria like respiratory distress, high systolic blood pressure, high heart rate, etc then you were terminated. Their findings for this study was that a lack of sleep affected people’s reaction times making them react much more slowly than they originally would on normal sleep. Thus, reducing their stamina, endurance, and their ability to focus on the high-intensity exercises. And in general showcasing that people sleep deprived have a limited ability of what they can do because of the lack of sleep they received. This article highlights my research and how sleep deprivation can highly affect someone’s ability to focus on a task and how it can make it harder for people with limited amounts of sleep.
Ambitious Women in Media, Leadership

November 1st, 2025
Ace Vee

Representation of women in power, mainly ambitious women in the media, has, throughout the years, been mixed. Media here reinforces stereotypes against women. Generally, there is a preconceived notion that women should not be allowed to enter any high-ranking position. Or the preconceived notion that women would not be effective leaders, portraying them as either heartless, unlikeable workaholics with no personal life of their own. On the other hand, the positives are confidence, independence, and resilience. Shows, movies, and literature—prominently, most of the media—showcase women as either bossy and cold or naive and unintelligent. In modern day, you can still see that being shown; however, there is more representation of women being empowered and efficient leaders. The importance of this representation is that it reveals how women were and are being treated. Media in general has the potential of women getting more of a chance to have complete and accurate representation.

Literature Review

There is a multitude of criticisms directed towards women in leadership positions. Particularly about the preconception that, due to their gender, they are less capable than men. Establishing traditional gender norms in the workplace or any organizational structure frequently makes women out to be less credible as leaders. Through their status, reputation, mannerisms, stereotypes, appearances, and more. (Irmgard Tischner et al., 2019) In addition to those criticisms, there’s also the portrayal of women acting overly emotional and unstable. Most women who are trying to gain the upper hand, achieve success, or deviate from the norms. Whether that be in reality or the fictional world, they are shown to either be betrayed, fired, or dying unexpectedly. For instance, in the series Game of Thrones (2011), many of the characters are terrible, victimized, villainized, etc. But in particular, Daenerys Targaryen eventually established herself as a powerful ruler, only to be villainized and destroyed and labeled as naive and unintelligent for her ill-advised actions. Sexism in the media constantly affects everyone, including women. Mainly, prevents women from entering leadership positions, like politics. It especially discourages young women from entering the social and political sphere and exposes young girls to stereotypical media; they are less likely to find motivation or interest for political roles. (Haraldsson et al., 2018)

Women are continuously observed through a gender-based lens that assesses their likability and competency. For example, Captain Janeway acts hypocritically in Star Trek: Voyager, 1995, in season 4, episode 16, “Prey,” when she claims that the Starfleet crew does not sacrifice others’ lives to protect themselves. She does that exact thing in season 2, saving two of her crew members. (MSN, n.d.) Or like in Parks and Recreation, 2009, Leslie Knope is an important employee of the parks department and wants to be a valued part of politics. She later in the season advances through the ranks and is later recalled. In season 6, episode 5, “Gin It Up!,” citizens tried to get Leslie recalled through a series of humiliation acts, mainly because the public disapproved of her and her changes. She imposed multiple changes to address the issues of obesity and address Eagleton’s debt with tax dollars. (Gibbs, 2023) Even in the news, there are a lot fewer women reporters because of corporate media and some of the public caring more about entertainment than actual facts. (Riedl et al., 2022)

In the media, ambitious women in leadership roles are often judged primarily by their appearance rather than their skills, talents, or intelligence. The way women are portrayed, especially through ads and in marketing, just shows how they promote conventionally attractive people. (Lin & Yeh, 2009) Or how, in celebrity culture, you mainly see women acting out, destroying their lives, and having mental health problems. Or the 2007 incident of a high-profile celebrity Britney Spears shaving her head. Fans, media, spectators just labeled her as crazy but in reality she was dealing with a difficult divorce and dealing with losing custody of her two kids. Or, Lindsay Lohan ending up with a drug addiction. From disney kid to drug addict pipeline, a global issue of craziness among young women emphasized by the “girls in crisis” storylines among celebs, who deal with eating disorders, chronic relationship issues, and substance abuse. (Meyer et al., 2011)

While the characters in these films and shows may have both feminine and masculine traits, their femininity is frequently used to discredit them. If they exhibit any masculine traits, they are seen as flawed or unlikeable; if they embrace their femininity, they are deemed superficial or unintelligent. For instance, Elle Woods from Legally Blonde, 2001, at first is deemed unintelligent simply because of her love of fashion and for her upbeat personality. Despite proving herself as a capable lawyer, she is constantly questioned due to the way she expresses herself. This is reflected in media where women’s competence is overlooked by societal expectations about how they should look and behave.

From the 1990s to 2024, the portrayal of ambitious women in the media has changed, reflecting societal attitudes towards women in leadership. Early representations, such as Dana Scully (The X-Files, 1993), challenged gender norms in law enforcement, paving the way for more authoritative roles like Captain Janeway in Star Trek: Voyager (1995). By the late 1990s, The West Wing (1999) highlighted women striving for political power within male-dominated spaces. The 2000s introduced narratives like The Devil Wears Prada (2006), where ambition was portrayed as both an advantage and a crutch. More recent portrayals, such as Annalise Keating in How to Get Away with Murder (2014) and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017), further depict women challenging traditional gender roles in the law and entertainment industry. Most recently, Barbie (2023) offers a new perspective on how society pressures women and how society puts unrealistic expectations on women.

Methodology

This research analyzes five different media artifacts spanning different years and examines how ambitious women have been represented over time. The selected artifacts are mainly YouTube clips of different media, including the TV series Star Trek: Voyager (1995), The West Wing (1999), Parks and Recreation (2009), How to Get Away with Murder (2014), and the movie Barbie (2023). These works were chosen for their cultural impact and their portrayal of ambitious female characters in leadership roles. This study primarily examines character representation, stereotypes, and the progress of media representation. Through this analysis, I aim to discuss recurring portrayals of ambitious women and how these depictions reflect or challenge societal norms over time.

Analysis of Media Artifacts

Star Trek: Voyager (1995), a show about Captain Janeway, the female leader guiding her Starfleet crew on missions through space. She challenges traditional gender roles with her leadership style, mixing both masculine and feminine traits. Breaking away from stereotypes of being a passive caregiver. As the first female starship captain, Janeway commands with empathy and intelligence and is able to make tough decisions. Or how in this one particular scene in the series she has a conversation with a little girl about what it takes to be a leader and the actions and mindset you have to have to be a leader. (Talking Salmon, 2008) She is neither overly emotional nor completely dominating to the point it is annoying. She reshapes the narrative about women in power and goes beyond the traditional gender norm.

Now, in The West Wing (1999), women in politics are shown as intelligent and influential. Characters like Cregg and Hayes hold high-ranking positions and are very respected in their field. Cregg is the White House Press Secretary she deals with challenges in the media of constantly being underestimated and undermined in a position of power. And Ainsley Hayes being underestimated because she keeps up with her appearances, being discriminated against because of her gender, and has to constantly prove herself in a male-dominated field. Highlights the challenges these characters face, like being constantly questioned about their authority or the consistent need to try harder just to prove themselves to others. Or how it even showed a new perspective on feminism and how it could lead to a better connecting experience. (Christoffel Middel, 2017) Balances women’s power with the reality of constant gender biases or stereotypes. Just like in Parks and Recreation (2009), Leslie Knope faces constant backlash due to her gender, as she is mainly working in a male-dominated field. Frequently overlooked and undervalued by her peers and by the public. She is consistently proving her dedication and her skills, overcoming multiple changes, and not only that, but she also faces a lot of problems within politics. Especially in this one scene in the series Leslie setting the world straight in an election and how people are constantly asking whether or not she is making the right decisions. (Parks and Recreation, 2015)

Like Annalise Keating in How to Get Away with Murder (2014), it reinforces stereotypes, especially about Black women. She is confident and complex. She defies the classic angry Black woman trope by showing how powerful, valuable, and deeply sympathetic she is. While she defies that trope, she reinforces stereotypes about hypersexuality amongst women. Pushes back against some stereotypes but still has its challenges. Even in her own trial she is constantly getting undermined and used. And how she deviated from the norm. Or even in the Barbie movie that faces traditional gender expectations and mainly how society imposes how women should act and behave. The movie explores how women are expected to fit into a little narrow mold about beauty and perfection. It also challenges society’s pressure to conform to gender roles. It did encourage viewers to start having freedom and self-worth. Or how even on the Barbie movie poster, it mainly focuses on Barbie but also focuses on unrealistic standards and expectations put on women to be perfect, while men do not get the same treatment or standards. Barbie. (n.d.)

Conclusion

The portrayal of ambitious women in the media has evolved significantly throughout the years. Showing clear progress in developing complex and visible female characters. From early depictions of seeing women in secondary roles to being the main character in a series. Like Parks and Recreation or How to Get Away with Murder, the media gradually encouraged women in leadership positions. Even though there is progress, there are still gendered stereotypes often showing women facing a variety of personal obstacles before achieving anything. Reflection on how there are still ongoing societal changes women face. Even though the representation has improved, there is definitely room for some changes. Future media representation should continue to question stereotypes and to continue to show women in a positive light. It is crucial to foster an environment of equality and empowerment.

References
- ABC. (2020, May 15). Annalise’s Powerful Closing Argument—How to Get Away with Murder [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYEAHjNId5Y
- Barbie. (n.d.). The Movie Database. Retrieved February 20, 2025, from https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/346698-barbie/images/posters
- Christoffel Middel. (2017, March 14). The West Wing: Feminism vs. Feminism [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Bbz5q2dxRU
- Gibbs, L. (2023, February 27). Why Parks & Rec’s Leslie Knope Was Recalled. ScreenRant. Retrieved February 20, 2025, from https://screenrant.com/parks-recreation-leslie-knope-city-council-recall-reason/
- Haraldsson, A., & Wängnerud, L. (2018). The effect of media sexism on women’s political ambition: evidence from a worldwide study. Feminist Media Studies, 19(4), 525–541. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2018.1468797
- Lin, C., & Yeh, J. (2009). Comparing society’s awareness of women: media-portrayed idealized images and physical attractiveness. Journal of Business Ethics, 90(1), 61–79. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-009-0026-z
- Meyer, M. D. E., Fallah, A. M., & Wood, M. M. (2011). Gender, Media, and Madness: Reading A Rhetoric of Women in Crisis through Foucauldian Theory. Review of Communication, 11(3), 216–228. https://doi.org/10.1080/15358593.2011.578254
- MSN. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2025, from https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/the-star-trek-voyager-season-4-story-that-turned-captain-janeway-into-a-hypocrite/ar-AA1q5bWL
- Parks and Recreation. (2015, February 11). Parks and Recreation | Leslie Sets the World Straight (Episode Highlight) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMnxPsQanrs
- Riedl, A. A., Rohrbach, T., & Krakovsky, C. (2022). “I can’t just pull a woman out of a hat”: A Mixed-Methods Study on Journalistic Drivers of Women’s Representation in Political news. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 101(3), 679–702. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776990211073454
- talking salmon. (2008, January 17). Janeway’s leadership advice [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8KxIPd_Yi8
- Tischner, I., Malson, H., & Fey, K. (2019). Leading ladies: discursive constructions of women leaders in the UK media. Feminist Media Studies, 21(3), 460–476. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2019.1640266
Fairy Tales Normalize Traditional Gender Roles & Stereotypes

November 1st, 2025
Ace Vee

Have you ever heard the iconic saying, “It’s a Man’s World, We Just Live in It”? Well, this saying is relatively important to past and modern-day society. Women’s rights are being taken away, for example, overturning Roe v. Wade, and women are constantly being discriminated against. Not only in literature such as fairy tales but also in TV shows, movies, campaigns, politics, etc. Children’s literature supposedly for kids is also discriminating against women and men. Fairy tales, if you do not know, are stories that have evolved and share a blend of cultural beliefs, significant events, and/or past-held values. They were created to entertain and reflect on past periods. Fairy tales can offer an escape to anyone of any age, gender, or race. However, while they can be a magical read, some stories provide a traditional and gender-stereotypical view. They depict women and men as very separate, with men coming out on top and women shown as lesser than for their status. Men are portrayed as brave, heroic, independent, and self-serving, while women are seen as naive, obedient, dainty, and self-sacrificing. These stories are predominantly centered around a patriarchal society normalizing traditional gender roles while also affecting children’s and adults’ perceptions of the opposite gender.

Fairy tales establish a set of rules for both genders, determining what is and is not appropriate. Places women in an unfavorable position while placing men on an ungodly pedestal. Female characters in multiple different stories and versions are usually shown as dependent and heavily relying on the men in their lives. Whether that be relying on men to rescue women from creatures, their terrible lives, or even their dysfunctional families. Often these characters get married in the end as a “happily ever after,” even if they did not want to be married. They are forced against their own will and placed into an arranged marriage. These tales do not concern themselves with the desires or goals of what a woman wants, and if they do, it is heavily unreliable, as most of the authors are men. In these stories, women are looked down upon as passive, weak, and only viewed on appearances (Ismail 942).

In other versions, including Disney, these tales reinforce the narrative that there is a significant power imbalance between men and women. And continues to establish the inequality already placed on both genders. This is even happening in real places like Rwanda, a country in East Africa, where their fairy tales encourage children to be in specific roles according to their biological sex. For example, teaching boys to either act or be in more dominant, assertive, and high-power roles. While women are encouraged to stick to home-based chores that are considered “womanly,” such as cleaning, cooking, keeping up with appearances, etc. A constant pattern you see is how men are given more of a position of power, unlike women, who are assigned a more passive and docile role (Ruterana 85).

Gender was and still is seen as a status symbol indicating social standing, economic class, wealth, freedom, and power. Being male or female, even today, holds a lot of power, resulting in discrimination against you because of your gender or rights being held back from you because of your gender. For instance, in the Brothers Grimm’s “Rumpelstiltskin,” the miller’s daughter was held against her will in the castle due to her dad lying that she could spin straw into gold. Her only escape was Rumpel making a deal with her that she had to give up her firstborn to spin some gold. She gets married to the king without her consent, and when Rumpel comes to claim his deal, he loses because she knows his name, which is his weakness. Even when she gets some power, the only one punished is Rumpel and not her father or the king. Even though Rumpel does get punished, he has more independence and power than she does, even as the queen. These recurring depictions of men being displayed as superior to women have been deeply ingrained into society through gender stereotypes, personal bias, education, literature, media, etc. And these different forms have both influenced and shaped how they behave, function, and think in terms of the real and fictional world.

Fairy tales promote harmful stereotypes that can hinder not only men’s and women’s relationships but also culture itself. These stories include upholding strict gender roles and continuing power imbalances and dynamics between genders. Women are seen to have limited roles that mainly emphasize appearances, beauty, helplessness, lack of strength, and inability to function alone. Like in Andersen’s and Disney’s fairy tales, they display women as submissive, caring, and concerned with matters of marriage and falling in love; on the other hand, men are focused on more action-based adventures and are given more active roles (Knyazyan 166). For example, Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Little Mermaid” is obsessed with being on land and fighting for someone, mainly a prince’s love. So, she chooses to find the sea witch to turn her human in exchange for her voice, and if she cannot make the prince fall in love with her, she has to kill him. She does not do that and instead returns to the ocean and fades away. All for some guy she barely knew and hardly talked to. In most of these stories, you see girls or women fan-girling over some average, bare-minimum scum.

This pattern has extended beyond a fictional world and has entered the physical world, even influencing cultures. These stereotypes do not just shape the fictional world; they also shape real-life perceptions. Just like in Rwanda, fairy tales utilize gender roles in these stories and expect certain genders to focus on a more appropriate task based on their gender (Ruterana 86). Or in Charles Perrault’s “Cinderella,” she is shown as a stepdaughter and a maid for both her stepmother and siblings. Her place was in the kitchen, cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, etc. And her sisters were focused on falling in love and how pretty they came off as. Because appearances were heavily prioritized and expected, these expectations fail young women and place their value not on intelligence but on what they can do for others and how they appear to others, especially men. That’s why you see so many women in abusive relationships so consumed with needing a relationship that they involve their entire livelihood in it. This bias and discrimination limit opportunities and expectations for both genders. Although there are, in some cases, strong female characters, they are still restrained by traditional views. They are defined by their relationships, personal appearances, and outdated standards (Ismail 942). Fairy tales, despite modern culture and equality movements, protests, etc. There is still conflict between genders and still a reinforcement of gender expectations that are still engraved in society. This continuation has negatively impacted everyone, mainly children and women.

Fairy tales affect everyone: children, adults, women, etc. Its effects are incredibly negative to children and people’s perception of women. These tales normalize gender roles and stereotypes and affect children’s development while also shaping adults’ perception of each other. Children’s development is vitally influenced by gender roles depicted in these tales, building understanding of what is acceptable and what is not. Also creates a barrier between genders that can hinder socializing as well as community. The Rwanda case discusses how children are socially conditioned to start doing appropriate tasks according to gender (Ruterana 85-101).

Not only do they shape children, but they also influence adult perceptions of gender. These tales contribute to how women and men behave in relationships and modern-day society. These stories can contribute to gender biases and outdated expectations. Helping adults understand gender, but in a more biased way, with men being viewed as heroic and women being objectified (Ismail 939). Women feel the need to fit into these insanely outdated standards that keep them restricted to traditional and limited roles. Not only that, but these standards hinder mutual growth and respect and stifle relationships.

Going beyond just biases and harmful perceptions can also lead to discrimination against women. Discrimination towards women is often rooted in biased views on traditional gender roles perpetuated by media, citizens, and stories. Leading to unequal treatment in everyday life. Fairy tales present women as second-class citizens at best, which you can see in the real world. Especially in the workforce, politics, and media. The underrepresentation of women in leadership positions, as well as the major pay gap between men and women. Now, there are more women in powerful positions, but men are still seen as superior. Even with equality in place, there is still scrutiny for women who do not fit the mold (Knyazyan 172). These stereotypes are deeply ingrained in society, and stories contribute to the real-world attack on women. Children’s fairy tales play a pivotal role in shaping societal perceptions and ongoing attacks on the opposite gender.

Fairy tales, while they can offer an escape into a magical place that is reading, can also offer up subtle misogyny and sexism. The sexism here contributes to children, especially boys, discriminating against or feeling superior to women. Fairy tales are becoming a huge setback to women in general, and if they fixed this inequality issue, fairy tales would become more enjoyable and quite valuable. But until that happens, it still is and might continue to be a man’s world.

Works Cited
- Ismail, Hisham Muhamad. “Objectification: Examples of Female Characters in Selected Traditional Fairy Tales.” Journal of Language Teaching and Research, vol. 14, no. 4, July 2023, pp. 939–43. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1404.11.
- Knyazyan, Anna. “Gender Stereotypes in Children’s Literature (With Special Reference to H.C. Andersen’s and W. Disney’s Fairy Tales).” Armenian Folia Anglistika, vol. 13, no. 1-2 (17), Oct. 2017, pp. 165–74. https://doi.org/10.46991/afa/2017.13.1-2.165.
- Ruterana, Pierre Canisius. “Children’s Reflections on Gender Equality in Fairy Tales: A Rwanda Case Study.” The Journal of Pan-African Studies, vol. 4, no. 9, Jan. 2012, pp. 85–101. liu.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2:531460.
Autism Awareness Month

April 2nd, 2025

Autism awareness month is upon us. And if you do not know April is the month of autism awareness and acceptance. So, in celebration of that, I will be giving autistic individuals or just anyone in general tips for this season.

1: Set Boundaries

Setting boundaries with yourself and others. Do not put too much on your plate, only do what you need to do, not someone else’s work. No need to put extra stress on yourself, you deserve a break from other people’s baggage. So, saying no, setting boundaries, or telling others what is and is not acceptable to you is needed so you do not burn yourself out.

2: Getting Rest

Getting rest is a necessity to function. So, taking a nap and a break and letting your mind rest can reduce stress and help you reduce burnout. Taking care of yourself can be hard so give yourself the time of a day and let yourself relax. Take a break now so you do not break down later.

3: Get Stimming

Stimming is a healthy part of autistic people. Allowing yourself to stim and express yourself can help let go of your stress. Using fidget toys, listening to the same song on repeat, repeating the same words, twirling your hair, etc.

4: Create a Safe Space

Creating a safe environment is key to opening up to being yourself. Fidget tools, sensory lighting, seating, certain textures, weighted blankets, etc. Anywhere that you feel safe or comfortable is a good place.

5: Sensory Items are Key

Get earbuds like loop earbuds to get rid of excess noise or headphones, weighted blankets, sensory lights, fidget toys, plushies, stuffed animals, etc. Find items that make you comfortable and find items that make you less stimulated and overwhelmed. Mainly just find what works for you.
Global Warming & Consumption

January 21st, 2025
The more individuals buy whether it’s food, clothing, phones, entertainment, etc. The mass amounts of trash which over time can create a mass accumulation of garbage that is not recycled or thrown into the garbage. Pollution comes as a direct result of the immense amounts of garbage being held and collected. Global warming has been at an all-time high because of the rise of trash and CO2 levels.

Companies produce a copious number of plastic products that get thrown into a landfill amount only to rot, while regular people have trash they do not produce as much trash as bigger companies do. These bigger companies PepsiCo and Coca-Cola overproduce plastic products as well as create pollution in the air raising the temperature and raising the garbage level. Consumption from individuals and companies can be harmful overall. For instance, the overflow of trash can end up in a community water source making the water unusable and even deathly. Torn-off nets used to catch fish left in the ocean that get fish and other sea life trapped reducing fish populations and even killing a vast majority of the food supply.

Consumption has led to major problems within the economy like rising inflation, impulsive buying, and wanting to be satisfied in a hurry. And more fossil fuels are being used which is slowly depleting the oil reserves of the world. This can also lead to higher temperatures, especially from air pollution that comes from cars to factories clogging up the sky with fumes so much you can hardly see the stars. People spending too much money on unnecessary items are contributing to this. inevitable of the destruction of the earth as we know it.

As you know, global warming cannot be stopped in a day. You can however help reduce its effects by preventing it by recycling more, not littering throwing your garbage into the trash, picking up trash you see on the ground, buying fewer plastic items, composting more, going vegetarian, and treating the environment around you with care, well it might not be a lot a little goes a long way. Global warming has been a thing since the late 19th century constantly rising whether it be because of running cars, forest fires, overflow of trash, burning fossil fuels, household emissions, humidity, mining, etc. The little things can bring a huge change, even negative change that can affect the world around us.

That being said you can make a difference in the world if you believe in a cause strong enough, start changing the world by changing your ideas, perceptions, and behaviors. We cannot stop global warming today but you can help make a difference by helping to prevent the Earth from healing one step at a time. You do not have to do a lot; you can simply share a video or photo on the matter discussing the importance of stopping global warming and how global warming is dangerous. It creates droughts, and
hotter temperatures, introduces poverty and loss of animals, as well as loss of food.

References:
- https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/causes-effects-climate-change
- https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/18/20-companies-responsible-for-55percent-of-single-use-plastic-waste-study.html#:~:text=After%20Exxon%20Mobil%2C%20Dow%20and,Petrochemical%2C%20Far%2
Feeling left Behind; An Autistic experience

January 19th, 2025

In my personal experience feeling left behind was a common theme. Feeling, Like I did meet milestones like so many other people feeling slightly down because of people “seeming” to appear further in life than I did. For instance, not having many friends or just having one to two close friends and feeling exhausted after hanging out with people to the point where I went nonverbal thinking was just a common experience. Figuring I could just push through like some others looking down on myself because I was not ahead like some allistics were feeling like I could not keep up. Looking at myself like a passion project you can see the vision and potential, but it is not there yet. That’s how it felt being able to do so many things like hobbies and special interests but when it came to smaller stuff like cleaning, hygiene, etc. it was just difficult. Emotionally draining feeling like you have to go above and beyond just to be seen as important, constantly masking to stay afloat. Not to mention Autistic burnout that stops you from masking because you are exhausted. And the recovery from this is like 3-5 years. So just a little rant but if anyone can relate just drop a comment.
Disability Pride Month

July 1st, 2023

Welcome welcome welcome to July guys or also known as Disability Pride Month. To kick off the month right let’s get to know the background and reason behind it.

Disability Pride Month is based on the (ADA) American Disabilities Act signed on July 26, 1990. The (ADA) is a Civil Rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas. With jobs, schools, transportation, etc. The main purpose of this law is to give the same rights and equal opportunities to disabled individuals.

DisabilityPrideMonth is based on being proud of who you are and accepting yourself. You and your disability are valid, acknowledged, and seen. During the month try to start embracing your identity or being neutral with it. Because you deserve to exist and to be happy with who you are. This month helps to create a safe and more inclusive environment mainly helping other disabled people to meet a larger community that makes them feel at ease, and safe and makes you feel that you can just exist that you can just be. And just like Pride month it has a flag. A lot of neurodivergent people are also lgbtq+.

This month is simply a reminder to start including more disabled individuals’ voices. Whether it be in discussions or about media. Start bringing more neurodivergent and disabled people into the conversation.

What would pride be without a flag? Such as this one created by Ann Magill to represent different disabilities with each stripe.

Ann Magill

Green: Sensory disabilities

Blue: Emotional or psychiatric disabilities

White: People with invisible or undiagnosed disabilities

Yellow or gold: Neurodiversity

Red: Physical disabilities
The Story of How I Found Out I’m Autistic

May 22nd, 2023

Two years ago, I discovered that I had Autism Spectrum Disorder: a disability and a neurodevelopmental disorder. Finding out I was Autistic was truly a come-of-age moment. Let us just say I was not like “other” kids. For the majority of my life, I was confused, hurt, and even heartbroken over the fact that I was “different” or “weird.” I got bullied by people even though I had done nothing but be kind towards others, I recognized that my “quirky” traits that people hated was believe it or not just me being myself, being Autistic, coming to the realization that I was different from them. Being Autistic is what made allistics (or non-autistic people) dislike me. I felt like a broken wind-up doll. Broken but there is nothing I can do to fix it. Being Autistic
was not an obstacle to overcome, but a fundamental piece of me that needs to be embraced. Being Autistic is meaningful to me because it helped me grow as a person, demonstrates where my limits are, and helped me find the positives of my diagnosis.

I had various realizations before I was Autistic I never knew how much it impacted my life. When I grew up I did not realize that most of the people around me were disabled individuals for instance, my family, my brothers, like Sky he has ADHD and Saber he has Autism, epilepsy, and Dravet syndrome. Growing up I had a lot of Autistic symptoms such as being non-speaking for the majority of my life. When I tried to speak it hurt me physically and psychologically. Instead of responding, I would just respond with sounds. Realizing now how when I was younger I got overwhelmed by loud sounds, bright lights, and crowds. I would stim
to self-soothe or whenever I got excited by pacing back and forth, rocking, shaking my hands, tapping my face/fingers, or using stim toys to focus.

My disability has shown me what my struggles and limitations are, and how it has helped shape my identity. After I discovered I was Autistic I then started to grasp how many sensory issues I actually have, and how much it affects me severely. For instance, loud noises and bright lights can trigger meltdowns for me. Half of my struggles are social skills, for example, not knowing when to start, join, or end a conversation with someone, or when I accidentally interrupt someone midway through a discussion. Autism hinders my ability to make and keep friends. In the Dsm5-Checklist A3 ”difficulties in relationships” trouble with personal relationships, making or keeping friends. For instance, I was friends with this one person for years and one day they suddenly just ghosted me with no warning. In both cases, whether it be with social skills or difficulties in relationships, being Autistic has affected me greatly.

My diagnosis has led to many positives in my life. This diagnosis has made me have this inner knowing and understanding of the way I am, helped me be more patient with myself, and helped me find accommodations for myself such as weighted blankets for sensory issues, and earbuds for reducing noise.

Ultimately being Autistic has given me a multitude of revelations in my life such as being able to understand myself in-depth now, being more compassionate towards myself because of my limitations, and helping me comprehend how to be happier in life. Having a disability impacts all areas of my life, but it has mainly shaped my identity by now knowing that accommodations are necessary for autistic people. That is the main reason why I created my blog to be an advocate for disabled individuals and mainly to be a voice for others who are afraid or cannot speak up for themselves. That is why my hope is to become a journalist that can share their voice and make an impact on the world.
What is Autism?

February 27th, 2023

Being autistic or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) if you do not know is a genetic neurological disorder. It is also an invisible disability because you cannot physically see it. Anyone can be autistic it does not have a specific look, race, gender, or age. Anyone can have autism, not just cis white males.

Autism is not a mental illness, an infection, a disease, or a stereotype. There is a spectrum to autism, not high or low functioning because that can be dehumanizing. Explaining if you are autistic enough to even qualify or explaining your support needs just because someone needs more or less support does not mean they are any less autistic than the other person it is ridiculous. “High functioning,” people are less likely to be taken seriously when it comes to their needs. Because they might not need as much support as the next person. Having their struggles diminished and needs not considered even though support needs differ day from day. And for “low functioning” individuals they’re seen as difficult or bad because of how they act. Which is them just being themselves which can be very dehumanizing to an individual and could make them feel less because of certain things they cannot do without help. There is nothing wrong with needing help throughout the day.

Neurodivergent people should not have to accommodate the world to support them, they should have people accommodate them. By that I mean the world should not make neurodivergent or disabled people feel wrong by simply existing instead it should be normalized to exist. Having ramps, stim toys, support, etc just made it feel normal to exist instead of feeling like the world’s burden just by being different. So having a well-rounded spectrum shows a pie chart of an individual’s traits, qualities, strengths, weaknesses, etc. Is an effective way to communicate a person’s needs because every autistic person is different.

This just in… autism isn’t a disease that needs to be cured. autistic people are just as human as everybody else and deserve to be treated as such. As an autistic person, I am sick and tired of people treating us like an illness or treating us weirdly because we’re not the same as allistic (not autistic ppl). Autistic people are not threats, diseases, lifeless robots, or whatever stereotype there is. Autistic people are human beings with emotions and feelings, no we are not the same, and no I’m not going to stop saying I’m autistic just because I’m not exactly like your five-year-old son Karen. Autistic people are enough and valid.