What is the point of the Bechdel test? It might not be the feminist media measurement we need.

By Molly Stein-Seroussi
Art by Maddy Best

A note: In this piece, the terms “women/woman” and “female characters/representation” are intended to describe anyone who identifies with feminine identities and stories, regardless of whether they identify as female.

I work in film production at a company run by women. Representation of women in media is something we think about deeply and often. We just released a film that doesn’t pass the Bechdel test, but even so, this film was made to call out patriarchal structures that harm women. 

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You’ll want to hop under the covers after visiting KC’s first romance bookshop

By Nicole Mitchell
Photos by Whitney Young

Do you dart to the romance section at every bookstore you enter? Are you someone who chooses books based on romantic interests? Will you be reading Ao3 fanfiction for the rest of your life? Maybe you found all your fave book recs from Catcall Editor Kelcie McKenney’s Smutty Book Guide. If any (or all) of the above fits your reading style, then, wow, do we have news for you.

Carley Morton recently opened Kansas City’s first all-romance bookshop, Under the Cover, to serve all your rom-com, YA romance, paranormal romance, regency romance, and/or erotica needs. A fellow cliterature stan, Carley has been a romance fiend since 2011. 

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Kansas City Lesbian and Feminist Stories are the Focal Point of Kemper Museum’s Current Annual Atrium Project

By: Nicole Mitchell

Emerging and mid-career Hispanic and Latinx artists in Kansas City get the opportunity to highlight societal themes through the exploration of subject and scale with the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art’s annual Atrium Project. On display through July 28, the Kemper’s eighth annual Atrium Project exhibition, So the roots be known, offers a lens into the intersection of feminism and Exhibition Artist Sarah Zapata’s personal experience with her lesbian identity.

In her practice, Zapata navigates identity, community, lineages, counterculture, and histories of resistance through intentional usage of color, iconography, and textile techniques—such as acrylic yarn and natural fibers.

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Let’s Take a Look Back at Catcall’s 2023

By The Catcall Team

As we set our hopes and goals for a new year, looking back at how far we came over the last year is a must. At Catcall, we took a walk down memory lane and picked out our favorite stories from 2023. This year, we catcalled systemic issues, elevated diverse creators and entrepreneurs, hosted our first public event, and shared all of our best tips for taking care of your mental health and fostering a healthy—and pleasurable—sex life. Take a look!

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Mikaela Moody, Bratz, and Embracing Your Inner Child

By Sophia-Joelle McDowell

When was the last time you played with dolls? For Mikaela Moody, the answer is pretty recently.

Moody, who has over 100 Bratz dolls to her name, is all about play. And after moving to Los Angeles in 2014 to pursue an acting career, Moody, now 27, is a self-proclaimed Life sized Bratz doll. 

Moody continues to act here and there (you may recognize her from the popular short inspirational Dhar Mann videos), but you’re more likely to find her making her own videos and posting them online. First it was cooking videos on TikTok, but as she lost interest in posting cooking content, Moody found herself creating videos that scratched a more nostalgic itch.

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