User:Edendavenport2025

Vag Magazine, which was created in 2010 by Leila Cohan-Miccio and Caitlin Tegart, is an American feminist themed comedy web series starring Kate McKinnon, Jocelyn Guest, Nicole Drespel, Sarah Claspell, Veronica Osorio, and Leslie Meisel. Filmed at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, the six-episode web series directed by Zach Neumeyer and produced by Nicole Shabtai. (All Minor Edit)

The mini-series was created to take a comedic, satirical approach to feminism. Writer and Creator, Caitlin Tegart, said in an interview about Vag Magazine, "ultimately, people like to be parodied and I hope that it’s obvious from our parodies that we are feminists...in a way, we are saying that this is important enough to parodied.” [5]

[5] Bilton, Ricardo. “A Web Comedy with a Feminist Prod, ‘VAG Magazine’ Premieres at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.” Observer, 7 Oct. 2010, observer.com/2010/10/a-web-comedy-with-a-feminist-prod-vag-magazine-premieres-at-upright-citizens-brigade-theatre/.

Summary: This edit offers a far more concise and descriptive reasoning as to why the web-series was created. It is using the same source that was in place in the original Wikipedia page.

Deletion: “As Katelyn said when interviewed in MS. More than a Magazine, a movement by Kathleen Richter, this satire approach to feminism has a goal of appealing  feminism to a larger group”

Summary: A moment in the current overview in which writers Leila Cohan-Miccio and Caitlin Tegart are intended to be mentioned, but names are spelled incorrectly. The name here should either be fixed or deleted entirely.

Synopsis
With the proceeds of their Etsy shop, three “hipster third-wave feminists”, Bethany, Sylvie, and Fennel buyout fashion magazine Gemma, and come together to create Vag Magazine. The lone standing Gemma holdover, Meghan, is skeptical about the re-branding.[1]

[1] “VAG Magazine Episode 1: ‘Fumbling toward Ecstasy.’” YouTube, YouTube, 7 Nov. 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfbdVOQDxPI.

Summary: The initial section was titled Overview and failed to mention any of the characters names, nor their motivations for creating a new magazine. The information previously stated was more in tandem with a description of the intended audience/overview of why the production was created. This edit better reflects a synopsis for the show.

Cast
* Minor edits made to add character names for continuity
 * Kate McKinnon as Bethany
 * Jocelyn Guest as Sylvie
 * Nicole Drespel as Fennel
 * Sarah Claspell as Meghan
 * Leslie Meisel as Reba
 * Veronica Osorio as Heavy Flo

Production
Creators of Vag Magazine, Leila Cohan-Miccio and Caitlin Tegart, have mentioned in interviews that a goal of theirs with the web-series was to appeal concepts of feminism to a larger demographic. [6 -already in current page] By using cringe and satire, the series interrupts the fantasies of the male gaze and makes room for the complexity, and seemingly shameful realities, of the female experience. [7] Yet, humor has not always been a friend of the feminist movement - the 1960s and 70s were tainted with ridicule against women. Writer and comedian, Kate Clinton, notes: "Men have used humor against women so long--we know implicitly whose butt is the butt of their jokes--that we do not trust humor". To perform stand-up comedy--to be aggressively funny--is to violate the norms of femininity (Barreca 1991, 6; Russell 2002) [8].

[7] Marso, Lori. "Feminist Cringe Comedy: Dear Dick, The Joke Is on You." Politics & Gender 15.1 (2019): 107-29. Print. https://www-cambridge-org.proxy.lib.umich.edu/core/journals/politics-and-gender/article/feminist-cringe-comedy-dear-dick-the-joke-is-on-you/60EBB681DDDB26A9672BA5E4E5F79E34

Summary: Original publishing did not provide context as to why the series was created, or what the creators hoped to bring up in conversations regarding the piece. This section adds insight as to why the show was made and brings up the question as to if it still stands in relevancy today.

[8] Willett, Cynthia, et al. "The seriously erotic politics of feminist laughter." Social Research, vol. 79, no. 1, spring 2012, pp. 217+. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A292009088/AONE?u=umuser&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=cb5bd5ff.

Summary: Original publishing did not mention a production section in which there was context given in relation to the feminist movement -- which the series directly hopes to tackle. This section gives direct quotations as to how feminist comedy has been received in the past which can further inform the following section for critical response.

Critical Response
Because many viewers have varied perspectives on the concept of feminism, and furthermore third-wave feminism, the web-series was met with mixed reviews: "Third-wave feminism is sometimes viewed with disdain because it can seem empty: if any choice a woman makes can be construed as feminist, then perhaps no act can be truly called feminist." The web-series generated conversation on different images of feminism. Natasha Leupke, guest writer for The Society, went as far as to mention that "the series humorously highlights the bind modern feminists often find themselves in: how to be inclusive without embracing everything, how to be forthright and challenging of inequality but not bullying." [9]

Alice Wetterlund of Slate Magazine offered that the series made her realize why public-service comedy grosses her out. That the series itself is "debatably" comedic, and in fact not a "call to arms for some sequestered faction of feminism" [10].

[9] Luepke, Natasha. “Feminist Options in VAG Magazine - Sociological Images.” Sociological Images Feminist Options in Vag Magazine Comments, thesocietypages.org/socimages/2011/06/27/feminist-options-in-vag-magazine/. Accessed 26 Nov. 2023.

Summary: Original publishing didn't mention any of the critical review. This added section gives insight into some of the neutral and more positive reviews that came from the series - particularly as it relates to the feminist themes within.

[10] Wetterlund, Alice. “‘VAG’ Is Lame.” Slate Magazine, Slate, 19 Oct. 2010, slate.com/human-interest/2010/10/vag-is-lame.html.

Summary: Original publishing didn't mention any of the critical review. This added section gives insight into the negative reviews - particularly as it relates to the feminist themes within and the series concepts in general.