About Us
B-Word Worldwide is a nonprofit (501c3), independent, feminist media organization best known for publishing Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture, a print magazine devoted to feminist analysis and media criticism. Bitch features critiques of TV, movies, magazines, advertising, and other elements of pop culture. We also interview feminist pop culture makers, review new books and music, and lots more. We're in the process of evolving into a multimedia organization, starting with this very website.
Mission
We seek to be a fresh, revitalizing voice for feminism, one that welcomes complex arguments, showcases witty and whip-smart critiques of popular culture, and refuses to ignore the contradictory and sometimes uncomfortable details that constitute the realities of life in an unequivocally gendered world.
We seek to formulate replies to the sexist and narrow-minded media diet that we all--intentionally or not--consume. It's about critically examining the images of things like femininity, feminism, class, race, and sexuality that are thrown at us by the media. And by media, we mean TV, movies, books, magazines, the music world, advertising, fashion, the web--and also the messages that are sent through the news media, in schools, and on the streets.
We seek to forge connections between the sociocultural messages we get and the commercial agendas of who's behind them. It's about creating a dialogue--making people aware that the dissenting views they hold are, in fact, shared by many. It's about asking ourselves and each other questions: Where are the places in the mass media that don't insult our intelligence? How can we get more of them?
We're about saying, We can make them.
About Our Name
The B Word
For as long as we've been publishing Bitch, there's one question that gets asked over and over. And over. "Why did you choose that word as the name of your magazine?" While we're aware that our title is off-putting to some people, we think it's worth it. And here's why.
The writer Rebecca West, back in the day, said, "People call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat." We'd argue that the word "bitch" is usually deployed for the same purpose. When it's being used as an insult, "bitch" is an epithet hurled at women who speak their minds, who have opinions and don't shy away from expressing them, and who don't sit by and smile uncomfortably if they're bothered or offended. If being an outspoken woman means being a bitch, we'll take that as a compliment, thanks.
We know that not everyone's down with the term. Believe us, we've heard all about it. But we stand firm in our belief that if we choose to take the word as a compliment, it loses its power to hurt us. And if we can get people thinking about what they're saying and why when they use the word, that's even better.
And last, but certainly not least, "bitch" describes all at once who we are when we speak up, what it is we're too worked up over to be quiet about, and the act of making ourselves heard.
What People Are Saying
"Bitch's honesty, thoughtfulness, modesty, and understated brilliance make it a must-read." --San Francisco Review
"One of the best-written and edited girl-centric zines around." --Spin
"Required reading for the modern feminist." --Baltimore City Paper
"A breath of journalistic fresh air." --Chicago Tribune
"Cheerfully attitudinous updated feminism." --Katha Pollit, The Nation
