Letter from the Editors: New Years’ Resolutions

The Monthly

Dear readers,

Charlotte: I’m back! And it’s so great to see you again. After the long fall, I’m here for the long haul — Winter Quarter. And I have company!!

Crystal: And I’m here, refreshed from a quarter abroad, but not changed. Well, maybe a little. But my love for A&E, The Daily and The Monthly are all the same.

Charlotte: This month, we were thinking about pop culture — specifically, the Oscar noms, which were disappointing, but not shocking. Once again, people of color were almost completely shut out from the acting slots despite clear winners in the mix (*cough* J.Lo WAS ROBBED!!!!!!!! “HUSTLERS” WAS AMAZING!!!!!!) and women were barred from the directing category, because “Little Women” just directed itself.

Crystal: Arts and entertainment prides itself on diversity and accepting all voices from all backgrounds, but as recent nominations and headlines show, that isn’t the case in practice. All voices deserve credit and stories produced from members of marginalized communities should be broadcasted as loudly — if not louder — than others.

Charlotte: And that’s exactly what our cover star this month sought to portray with her new show “Diary of a Future President.” Ilana Peña (Communication ’13) draws from the experience of her Cuban-American upbringing, tackling important issues like feminism, girlhood and middle school ~drama~ along the way. And it helps that she kicks ass doing it, eventually becoming the most powerful person in the U.S.A.

Crystal: Normalizing powerful women on television is crucial. Questions of a female presidency have been floating in headlines for years, but when women step on the stage they are met with harsh criticism. Remarks are thrown around about their “bossy” attitude or what they wore. No one has cared so much about what a man wore since Timothée Chalamet donned that silk suit and shook the world. Ambitious women aren’t an anomaly; they’re the norm — and it’s time we start acting like it.

Charlotte: So get ready America, for two of the most powerful women in the nation — us. JK JK, but get ready for a lot of ladies in The Monthly (and J.Lo, if we can get her — we’ll give her the recognition she deserves).

–Charlotte Walsh and Crystal Wall