Long before we had the vocabulary to define what the "perfect body" looked like, those beauty standards were placed onto women, men, and everyone in between throughout cultures around the world. These ideals have changed from decade to decade, yet the pressure to conform has remained constant. This undeniable truth holds particular weight among trans individuals as the concept of the perfect body takes on new meanings.
If the beauty industry has shown us anything over the last few decades, it's that makeup is for everyone. People of all genders, skin tones, ages, sexual orientations, and abilities are able to experience the power of transformation — whether that comes from throwing on some red lipstick at the office or executing a glitter cut crease for a TikTok tutorial. And, despite makeup being primarily recognized as a visual medium, it's enjoyed by many in the visually impaired community.
Body representation within modern media has skewed thin, white, cis, and able-bodied for a long, long time. People who haven't seen themselves reflected in media images have had to reckon with how narrow beauty ideals can be on a daily basis. Despite a slow industry shift in the right direction, there's still a long way to go — particularly when it comes to disability representation. According to the CDC, one in four adults in the US have a disability. That figure that may seem surprising, but it reflects a larger issue of how our society understands (or better yet, misundestands) disability as a whole.
These days, despite the exponential growth of companies like Beyond Meat and the positive representation from people like Kat von D, many individuals denounce veganism because of myths, misconceptions and stereotypes. And perhaps, one of the most damning fallacies that people hold on to begins and ends with one seven letter word: protein. Many believe that living a plant-based lifestyle starves the body of the necessary protein, especially when it comes to athletes. However, esteemed personal trainer Bianca Taylor would beg to differ.
Every big pothead, from Tommy Chong to Wiz Khalifa, starts somewhere, and for many, the first high can be overwhelming. “I first smoked cannabis when I was 16 and I was hanging out with some friends after school,” Angela Mazzanti, the co-host of NBC News Radio KCAA’s Green Talk and one of tattooing's most recognizable models, shares. “We smoked a blunt and I started feeling really weird because it was actually taking effect and I didn’t know what was going on. I remember being so high that I was just staring at myself in the mirror and trying to figure out what was wrong with me at first.”
Stunt acting is an extremely dangerous profession, with professionals putting their lives on the line to execute a fast paced car chase or free fall off the side of a building. However, production companies pull out all the stops to ensure safety for both the cast and crew. But, sometimes accidents happen and the aftermath can be catastrophic. Take for example, Olivia Jackson, a stunt actress who'd worked on films for Marvel and Star Wars. During her very first day on the set of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, Jackson collided with an action vehicle equipped with a crane while riding a motorcycle. She survived the crash, however, was in a medically induced coma and experienced traumatic brain injury, internal bleeding and had her left arm amputated at the elbow. We sat down with Jackson to learn more about her career as a stunt actor, how she was impacted by the accident and why she chose to get tattooed.
For the past two decades, Michelle Tea has shared her experiences navigating queer culture, feminism, sex work and class throughout many celebrated autobiographies and non-fiction books. Her work has reached thousands of readers from around the world, showing the experiences of queer women long before in was on trend. Today, she's not only established a brand as a celebrated memoir author, but has published several books about modern divination and even established Drag Queen Story Hour in San Francisco. We sat down with Michelle to learn about her literary legacy and what her cult readers can expect to see in 2020.
While Inked has been publishing photos of tattooed models for decades, its taken time for the mainstream fashion industry to catch up. Over the last several years, tattooed models have booked more campaigns and high profile spreads than ever before. This includes Portland based model and holistic nutritionist Teela LaRoux, who secured a coveted spread in the July 2019 issue of Playboy. We sat down with the tattooed Playmate to learn about her 16 years of experience in the fashion industry and how the world is changing its view of tattooed people, one model at a time.
There’s a silent epidemic occurring in bedrooms around the world, and that’s the female orgasm, or lack thereof. According to Elisabeth Lloyd, a faculty scholar at the acclaimed Kinsey Institute, only 25 percent of women consistently orgasm from penetration alone and about five percent never orgasm — period. While five percent may seem like a small percentage, that’s approximately 188 million people. Luckily, there are experts out there who’re trained in helping both individuals and couples alike have healthy sex lives.
Thanks to Megan Thee Stallion, summer 2019 has officially been declared "Hot Girl Summer," and female rappers are dominating the music industry like never before. One of the hottest musicians to hit the scene and get traction recently is the Bronx's Maliibu Miitch, whose collaborated with big names such as Brooke Candy and Charli XCX. We sat down with NYC's hottest new talent to talk about her debut in the industry, girl power, and what's next.
In 2018 alone, 4.79 million new videos were uploaded to Pornhub, and if someone were to watch every single video posted back-to-back, it would take approximately 115 years. As pornography has become more accessible, the industry has become mainstream and hundreds of thousands of women are cashing in on the 21st century’s sexual revolution.
Hannah Shaw, better known as the Kitten Lady, is a professional kitten rescuer and humane rescuer who has dedicated her life to helping neonatal kittens. Along the way, she's shared her work and her story on social media, acquiring nearly a million followers on both Instagram and YouTube who're tuning in for her latest crop of cuties. And now, Shaw has released her first book, Tiny But Mighty, to not only tug at your heartstrings but propel a growing movement that's saving the lives of the most vulnerable felines. We sat down with the Kitten Lady herself to learn why she decided to write this book and what readers can take away from this all in one guide.
Fifteen years ago, you'd be hard pressed to find more than a handful of heavily tattooed performers in the porn industry. However, today that's far from the case. Not only are tattooed performers visible to the mainstream, they're thriving. Just take Leigh Raven for example, who made history when she covered Penthouse Magazine in July of 2018. We sat down with the talented sex starlet to learn more about her unusual introduction into the adult industry and how she's found her niche in a the cutthroat market that is pornography.
Jessica Kent’s life was on the brink of falling apart completely. The 23-year-old was sitting in a jail cell hundreds of miles from home, awaiting a two-year prison sentence on drug-and gun-related charges. On top of that, she was starting to feel violently ill. To Kent, it must have felt like she was hitting rock bottom, but there was more to endure as she was about to receive a bittersweet revelation.
“The girls I was in county jail with were like, ‘She’s really, really sick,’” Kent says. “They thought I was just detoxing from drugs and I thought that too. They put in a sick call and the nurse gave me a pregnancy test that I one thousand percent don’t remember taking. Then the nurse said to me in a very cold, callous way, ‘Oh, that’s what’s wrong, you’re pregnant. You can go back to the unit.’”
In 2000, Cara Cruz's life changed drastically when she fell on her leg and caused a blockage of lymph fluid. She went on to spend almost a decade working with doctors to understand her condition and in 2010, she learned that she had both lymphedema and lipodema—conditions which have both physical and sociological impacts on her everyday life.
In the two years since the #MeToo movement spread like wildfire over social media, Hollywood and the world at large has experienced monumental changes in the way our society handles sexual harassment and assault. Thanks to high-profile stars like Alyssa Milano, Terry Crews, and the movement’s founder, Tarana Burke, people from all backgrounds, disciplines, and demographics found the courage to speak up about the traumas they’d experienced.
While many women around the world spend hundreds of dollars per year on methods to remove their body hair, this tattooed model has chosen to embrace her hair in its natural form. Meet Bella Mae, known to some as Hairy Fairy, a model based in Texas who gave up shaving and gained a powerful social media following. We sat down with the body positive beauty to learn about her journey as a model, as well as, how she's learned to accept both the beautiful and the ugly sides of social media.
Meet Carmen Liu, a 27-year-old London-based lingerie designer on a mission to create beautiful undergarments specifically for trans women. As a trans woman herself, Liu noticed that while many clothing brands were inclusive in their marketing campaigns, none had created underwear that met the needs of trans women.
While the job titles of doctor and tattoo model might typically not mesh well, Dr. Sarah Gray is here to prove that one can excel in both fields. As a former Inked Magazine Australia/ New Zealand cover model, Gray has gained recognition as a tattooed beauty for years on social media. However, throughout her years as a model, she's been training to become a doctor.
Katrina Jackson, also known as Kat Tat, is the first black female tattoo shop owner in Beverly Hills. However, this is far from her first claim to fame. For the first three seasons, Jackson was a main cast member of Black Ink Crew: Chicago—which took her career as an artist to an international level over night. We had the chance to speak with Jackson about her new title as Boss Lady of Enigma Tattoo and learn how she transformed her life after TV.
In 1998, David Letterman had Jennifer Ridley, who created a 24/7 livecast of her daily life, as a guest on his show. In that interview, he made a bold statement about Ridley’s site JenniCam—saying ‘I don’t care about the internet, but this is the perfect idea for [it].’ Although this wasn’t a profound statement at the time, twenty years later it highlights the unexpected explosion of the the digital sex industry.
While mainstream facets of entertainment such as music, television, and film thrive in the presence of diversity—the same cannot be said for pornography. From adapting to new technology to navigating major budget cuts, to struggling with censorship across the board, thriving as a content creator in today’s porn industry isn’t what it used to be. There’s also more risk involved, but for Vex Ashley, that risk is definitely paying off.
Meet Tarah Una, a tattoo model whose life was turned upside down after getting into a car accident exactly ten years ago. However, in this case, things aren't what they seem. Take a look at her inspiring story through life's biggest trials and tribulations below and let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments section.
Bow in the presence of greatness. Ryan Ashley Malarkey became the first female winner of Spike’s Ink Master after eight seasons and succeeded at what dozens in her position had hoped to attain on the preeminent tattoo competition show. Before she won over America and legendary tattoo artist, Oliver Peck, Malarkey was a fashion designer and the owner of the Strange and Unusual Oddities shop with a mere five years of tattooing under her belt.
With 32 awards and two bestselling books under her garter belt, Asa Akira is far from an amateur in the porn industry. Back in 2013, she made history as the second Asian person to win the AVN Female Performer of the Year Award and she’s starred in over 500 adult films since her debut in the industry.
If you’re a fan of watching heartfelt animal videos on Facebook, there’s a good chance you’re already familiar with Hannah Shaw. Shaw, aka the Kitten Lady, is a neonatal kitten rescuer, educator, and advocate making a monumental impact on social media. We caught up with the viral animal activist to learn why she’s dedicated her life’s work to saving tiny, but mighty, felines.
For Kalen Thorien, having a normal life and career was never an option. Straight out of high school, she moved to Alta, Utah and just two years later, she became a professional skier. However, Thorien’s love for adventure didn’t stop on the slopes. Today, she’s known as a professional adventurer and travels the globe exploring new places, whether by plane or by Harley. She’s a wanderer to her core and has no plan to settle down in one place anytime soon.
As able bodied individuals, we often take advantage of daily tasks that we'd never fathom losing the ability to do independently. However, for model, cosplayers, and artist Amber Guzman, she loses mobility every month because of Muscular Dystrophy.
