Greta Interviews Alex
Welcome to Part Two of our Get to Know the Founders series! We thought it would be fun to give readers a chance to learn more about the Uterish cofounders’ lives outside of Uterish. Part Two is a Q&A where Greta asks questions of Alex.
If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?
Playing backgammon at the Kallithea Springs beach on Rhodes, Greece 💙
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A fashion designer. And, so badly
A young Alex tells us what’s what.
Why did you choose Gender Studies as your major in college?
When I got to college, I thought I would major in either Gender and Women’s Studies (GWS) or Politics, which I thought would cover similar subject matter about social power, hierarchies, and structures. Instead, I found that feminist studies is much more like a humanities subject than a social science and was asking the questions that I was more interested in. (Feminist studies are actually descended from the discipline of English/literature.) Feminist critique looks at everything from policy, TV shows, art pieces, electoral politics, science fiction writing, political rhetoric, and historical events. You get the best of all worlds -- and you get to read the best writing!!
Alex with her major declaration form for Gender and Women’s Studies on Mount Baldy.
Speaking of, what piece of writing has had a large impact on how you think about the world?
Four feminist studies pieces: Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang’s “Decolonization is Not a Metaphor”, Christina Sharpe’s In the Wake, Roderick Ferguson’s Aberrations in Black, and José Esteban Muñoz’s Cruising Utopia.
How would you describe your sense of style?
Who is your favorite celebrity?
If the point of a celebrity is that our sustained interest in them pays their bills, I think that Kim Kardashian is leading the pack. I genuinely do enjoy dissecting her fame and thinking about the Kardashians’ cultural impact… Alternatively, and uncritically, Christine Baranski.
What is your zodiac sign, and do you identify with it?
I’m a Leo! And, yes. (Did you not watch the video above?)
Vibe-wise, what contraceptive method do you think best represents your personality?
I would say I’m the pill in the sense that I am both high-maintenance but tolerable (for the most part). Also, I think I am a little bit basic.
What are your favorite books?
I don’t know that I specifically have “favorite” books but here are some that I love dearly:
A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine L'Engle), Dawn (Octavia Butler), A Small Place (Jamaica Kincaid), Dune (Frank Herbert), Salt Fish Girl (Larissa Lai), The Bluest Eye (Toni Morrison), Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen), and The Mysterious Benedict Society (Trenton Lee Stewart).
Part of our friendship is that we both love Pride and Prejudice. Please make a compelling argument for which iteration of Mr. Darcy is hottest. You may include loose remakes such as Bridget Jones’ Diary.
What a question! I mean I love Colin Firth playing the role, so Bridget Jones’ Diary or the BBC Pride and Prejudice (1995) work. I don’t feel that strongly about it though, and I’m wary of calling Darcy “hot.” [ed. note: Matthew McFayden’s Darcy is unequivocally hot.]
Describe your perfect night using only three songs.
Bitch I’m Madonna, Madonna
Not Friendly, Flo Milli
Gone, Charli XCX
Alex’s grandpa teaching her to play tavli (backgammon) in Greece
Skinny dip, makeout, divorce: Abolition tote, Nalgene, Postcard Set
Skinny dip: postcard set. Makeout: abolition tote. Divorce: Nalgene.
What is your favorite product we have ever made?
I think the postcard set! Or the sticker sheet!
What does “change is good” mean? Why is there a snake?
Feminism demands that a world with abusive systems of power, social hierarchies, and discursive violence must change. Octavia Butler wrote, “All that you touch you Change. All that you Change Changes you. The only lasting truth is Change.” To me, our design acknowledges and accepts that radical societal transformation is the only way for everyone to live healthy, happy, and full lives. The snake reminds us that change helps us grow and become the best version of ourselves.
Alex enjoying a great work of literature.
Taya asked me about Twilight, so now I am compelled to ask the same of you. What do you think of the Twilight franchise?
It’s simply iconic. The baseball scene?!?!? No fifth grader can watch that and not be completely taken in. (Btw, I want my copy of Breaking Dawn back, Greta.)