Social media is now a legitimate way of getting cast in a major fashion campaigns. “Twitter, do ya thing,” is a call-to-action of sorts, boosting certain images or campaigns to viral status and earning aspiring models exclusive contracts with Prada or cameos in Cardi B’s latest music video in the process. Or, in the case of Vivian Eyo-Ephraim, a supportive fan base in the form of ASOS shoppers.
Ephraim is a 20-year-old from Nigeria currently living in Greenwich, England. She’s studying Media Communications at the University of East London, and developed a sudden passion for modelling after "a conversation I had with my mum and sister,” she tells Refinery29. Before her career took off, she worked as an extra on Hoff De Record with David Hasselhoff, as well as hundreds of other TV shows on ITV and Channel 5. But after applying to a model search competition on Star Now, Ephraim signed with Bridge models in September 2017. Her one goal for 2018 was to work for a major British retailer. And thanks to Twitter, she didn't just meet her goal — she was heavily praised and celebrated for it.
Customers immediately took to Twitter to applaud ASOS for photographing the dark-skinned plus-size model in a yellow bikini (you can buy the top and bottom here). “I had no idea it would go viral, but I’m so grateful and excited that so many people all over the world are supporting me,” she says. “I hope the industry sees this and makes a more positive direction in terms of inclusiveness for plus and curve models.”
When asked how she felt about people calling her the first dark-skinned plus model in the body diversity movement, Ephraim said: “It’s quite shocking that people are saying that, only because there are thousands of other black plus-size models out there. More representation is something that needs to be worked on if people still feel this way.” In February, Ashley Graham echoed this sentiment, calling for more plus-size models of colour on the runway.
For Ephraim, the most important thing is about having a public platform is to help “people feel confident and celebrate themselves and their amazing bodies.” Especially because going viral isn't easy. “As a model you are putting yourself out there, so it's easy for [criticism] to feel personal. But you need to view yourself as your brand,” she says. “It’s very competitive and understand. Before you go into it, be honest and ask yourself: Are you prepared for both the lows and the highs?” Still, it's thanks to people who have come before her, like La'Tecia Thomas, that Ephraim feels like she can change the narrative to what a model — plus-size or not — looks like.
Anyone who's single, or has been recently, will know that meeting people through dating apps is a double-edged sword. It may be easier than ever to connect with random hotties you'd never otherwise meet, but without necessarily having any mutual connections, it's far more difficult to gauge whether they're genuinely a decent human being. Without a character reference, you're shooting in the dark.
If this struggle is real for you, you may be interested in a feature launched by dating app Badoo, which has over 380 million users worldwide. The new 'Friends of Friends' tool promises to make it easier to be introduced to that smoking single pal of your friend who you've hitherto been too shy to make a move on.
It allows you to easily discover and scroll through your Facebook friends' Badoo profiles, as well as (crucially) their friends' Badoo profiles. If you match with a friend of a friend, you can then chat to or video call them directly.
While other dating apps, including Tinder and Bumble, currently show your mutual Facebook friends with someone when you're presented with their profile, they don't bring together all your Facebook connections' dating profiles in one place.
It would be good if dating apps used twitter instead of Facebook. "Mutual friends include @BarackObama, @Ibra_official and @DebraMessing." Great, set me up with THAT guy!!
— Jessie wants to take your guns away Losch❄️ (@JessieLosch) April 2, 2018
For some people, the idea of being easily discoverable to their Facebook connections on a dating app may be a step too far – especially as many of those "friends" will be nothing more than acquaintances or people they've never even met. (The idea of a former colleague or estranged ex partner being able to read your dating-app bio and scroll through your selfies might make you cringe.)
When someone you're dating is a randomer who you have no connection to, they could be anyone.
The tool does, however, have the potential to make others feel more secure as they navigate the murky world of dating apps, and could even embolden them to reach out to people they wouldn't otherwise have the courage to talk out to. According to Badoo, having a mutual connection immediately puts singletons at ease, with 67% of the 10,000 users surveyed on the app saying they'd be more likely to strike up a conversation with someone with whom they shared a mutual friend.
Charlotte, 27, who is currently dating someone she was introduced to by a friend, says hooking up with friends of friends is great and she'd consider using Badoo's tool in future. "You'd know they're going to be a decent person, even if they might not be the right one for you," she tells Refinery29. "When someone you're dating is a randomer who you have no connection to, they could be anyone. That's not to say it doesn't sometimes work, but it's nice to have that initial comfort and thing in common."
Knowing who someone's friends are gives you "a better idea of who they really are", she adds. "Obviously it can have the opposite effect if your mutual acquaintances are people that you don't get on with," she adds.
Kate, 35, also likes the idea. "I love the friends of friends idea," she says. "Sometimes if you tell a friend you think their friend is hot, they get weird about it. They don’t want to set you up in case things get more weird – maybe you get on really well and they feel sidelined. But with this, you can elbow that friend out of the way and get on with it. The potential for things to get weird is still there, but that’s dating for you."
It’s important to gather intel and get receipts so I would definitely ask mutual friends about potential baes.
Darren, 26, dated a guy introduced to him by an ex-boyfriend earlier this year – "I fully recognise it was a weird situation" – and while it didn't work out, he'd consider doing something similar again. "The fact my friend already knew him make me more comfortable because I knew he was at least a well-adjusted person."
The conversation flowed all the better for the pair having a mutual connection, he adds. "We ended on good terms and I’d always rather date a mutual friend in future. It’s important to gather intel and get receipts so I would definitely ask mutual friends about potential baes."
The friends-of-friends arrangement hasn't worked out well for 32-year-old Saskia, however, who once matched with someone who knew her younger brother on Tinder (who she could see was a mutual Facebook friend). "That was my opening line – 'Hey, how do you know my brother?' – and he never replied," although she admits that maybe having a family member as a mutual connection is a step too far.
Saskia hasn't discounted the importance of mutual connections in meeting a significant other, though, particularly with dating apps. "I'd definitely be more likely to swipe right on someone who was friends with a friend – but only if they were a relatively close friend. But if we're talking the kind of Facebook friend you met in the student union bar seven years ago and haven't seen since, then no."
Warning: This interview contains mild spoilers for Blockers.
Leslie Mann, John Cena, and Ike Barinholtz may be getting top billing for Blockers, but Geraldine Viswanathan is the film's undeniable breakout star.The 22-year-old Australian actress, who plays John Cena's sporty daughter Kayla, carries some of the movie's funniest scenes with an expressiveness and enthusiasm that makes you want to jump into the screen and party with her.
Kay Cannon 's comedy about a group of teenagers who make a pact to have sex on prom night, and their parents' attempt to stop that from happening, is unusual in many ways: It's an R-rated comedy about young women, directed by a woman; it features a biracial family without making a big deal out of it; and, most strikingly, it's a mainstream representation of a positive attitude towards teenage female sexual choice.
"I want to go to prom, get drunk, get potted up on weed, and lose my goddamn virginity," Kayla says at the outset of the action. And though not all those things end up coming true (though I won't spoil which ones do), the journey there is all the more entertaining for its mishaps.
Refinery29 caught up with Viswanathan over the phone to chat about oral sex, female friendships, and what it's like to play John Cena's daughter.
Refinery29: This whole movie, but your character especially, is very different from what we're used to seeing from teenage girls. What drew you to the story?
Geraldine Viswanathan: "It was refreshing! I feel like I’d seen so many American movies about virginity or prom night, coming of age stories, but none of them have been from young women's perspectives. In high school stories, and especially in terms of virginity loss, it’s always the guy creeping on girls. The girls are an object to them, and it’s never reversed. And I rarely see the truth of how young women talk to each other. Me and my friends talk about sex all the time! It’s a big part of adulthood. I really wish I had a movie like this, which explores that, and shows you how it can be, and that it’s a personal choice, and that respect and communication is the bottom line. And also, that parents can just chill out a little bit."
"Kay Cannon especially was very aware of the delicacy of the subject matter, and how she was really pioneering this thing. It was a big conversation: Yeah, my character lets loose and does drugs, and drinks alcohol and all that. But consent needs to be abundantly clear. I feel like it sets a really nice example. This movie is funny, and I think comedy is the perfect vehicle for the feminist message because it’s just fun to watch, and relatable. I love the way the men respond and act in these situations, as well. They’re good examples of being respectful to us — as soon as my character is like, ‘Eh, I don’t feel like this is right,’ [Miles’ Robbins’ character] is like, ‘Oh, that is so fine. Let’s just hang out and get to know each other better.’
"Teenagers are really just figuring out what’s okay, and what isn’t, and movies like American Pie, and really broad comedies that are very much male-centred, I really don’t feel like they lead by example really well, for girls or boys. This movie strikes a nice balance of that."
Your character asks for oral sex from a teenage boy, which is something I’ve never seen happen in a teen comedy.What was your reaction when you read the script?
"'That’s fucking awesome!' Sex is such a huge thing; it can take place in so many ways. But I thought that was the perfect way to go for Kayla. One of them goes all the way, one of them is like, ‘I don’t want to do this with a guy at all,’ and Kayla’s like, ‘I did something that was really fun!’ A nice precursor to the next thing."
How much input did you have over the character? Were there specific details that you made your own?
"When I first read the script, Kayla was very much the jock. She was very sports-oriented, and I thought that was super funny, and interesting, but I myself am extremely unfit and non-sporty. And I’m Australian, so I know nothing about baseball. But I can relate to being competitive, and having a bit of a masculine energy, and being aggressive about things. And then I just had fun with it — she’s such a fun character, and it was really cool to be the party girl."
And it’s rare to see a teenage girl be assertive, without also being labeled a bitch.
"That’s so true. I feel like being John Cena’s daughter makes you a certain way. You go hard or you go home. You don’t beat around the bush. I really liked that about her."
You and the other girls had such great chemistry. Did you have time to bond off set?
"We did, pretty naturally. We were living in the same hotel — Gideon [Adlon] lived across the hall from me. So we would just knock on each other’s doors on the weekend, and said, ‘Let’s do everything.’ We were shooting in Atlanta, and it was really like camp. We would do little weekend trips away, we did karaoke, we had this bowling place that we loved, and we would play board games in our hotel rooms, and we got extremely close. It was really hard to leave that movie. It was a very special experience, and we’re still super close.
"It’s crazy because we didn’t even have chemistry reads together. We really met in rehearsals, a couple of days before we started shooting. Kay really just knew that it would work. And it did."
Do you think this would have been a different movie if a man had directed it?
"One hundred percent. I don’t think this movie would be what it is if a man directed it. Even just in practical terms of being on set, and feeling comfortable saying things, and doing certain things. Especially, this is my first movie in the [U.S.], so it was so imperative that we felt comfortable, and open and free, with our director, and Kay totally facilitated that. [She] had a big input in the story, in the script, in the way things were executed because the script is still written by two men, who are awesome, but if you’re writing a story about three young women, then you need the perspective of someone who’s been there and can relate. It was extremely important that it was Kay. She would tell stories about her high school experience, and it made it all the more real and grounded."
What do you hope women take away from the movie?
"I hope that they can kick back and enjoy watching a really funny movie, where the female characters are free to be just as silly and flawed as male characters in comedies. I hope that they think about their time in high school, and their core female friendships. And I hope that young girls that watch it, who are thinking about losing their virginity, or going to prom, or dealing with that kind of stuff, I hope they enjoy watching three young girls who are just true to themselves and go on this journey of discovery together. And I hope they know that it’s a personal choice! And that there should be absolutely zero pressure to do anything."
In almost every episode of Bones, a show that followed a fictional forensic anthropologist on her adventures analysing skeletons for the FBI, Dr. Temperance Brennan glanced at a pelvis or a skull and determined whether the skeleton was male or female. She could tell someone's sex assigned at birth even without the presence of their genitalia because there are differences in bone structure that delineate sex.
When it comes to the brain, however, there's no such tell. A scientist couldn't see a disembodied brain and know whether the person it belonged to was a man or a woman, says Gina Rippon, PhD, a professor of cognitive neuroimaging at Aston University.
So, why do we have so many stereotypes about men's brains versus women's brains? As common myth goes, men's brains are better suited to math and science, they're better at navigating and driving, and they're more logical (while women are ruled by their emotions). None of these stereotypes are inherently true, but they have the power to influence both our scientific understanding of men's and women's brains and the choices we make for our lives.
When these stereotypes interfere with a scientific study , researchers call it neurosexism. It's a term coined by psychologist Cordelia Fine to explain how pre-existing stereotypes about men and women shape neuroscience research. Past studies have claimed that "different wiring" in men's versus women's brains can explain why men have better motor skills and women are more analytical, or that a difference in how the brain "fires" explains women's connection to emotional memories. Dr. Fine and other neuroscientists argue that studies like these are biased, because they assume that men's brains are different from women's brains.
Thinking that because someone was born with a female brain, they're going to be more empathetic and nurturing than someone born with a male brain might lead a neuroscientist to search for that answer when it might make more sense to compare those traits based on educational experience, age, or the way someone was raised. In those cases, a researcher's unconscious bias influences the design of their study and the results, which means they could miss other explanations for the behaviour they're studying.
If you believe something is ‘caused’ by the brain, you are equally likely to believe that it is fixed, natural and can’t or shouldn’t be changed.
But, it's not just neuroscientists who fall prey to neurosexism. Perhaps an even greater concern is people who take a neuroscientist's findings and use them to reinforce gendered stereotypes, says Indre Viskontas, PhD, a neuroscientist and science communicator. Remember that infamous Google memo? Google employee James Damore wrote a 10-page anti-diversity rant claiming that biological differences between men and women make women less suited for jobs in technology. He claimed women "have a stronger interest in people rather than things," which makes them better suited for "jobs in social or artistic areas."
"He was taking data from neuroscience studies and using it to justify gender discrimination," Dr. Viskontas says. "It happens too often for my comfort."
It's stereotypes like those that can actually direct how people live their lives, Dr. Rippon says. Our culture encourages girls and boys to go down different paths, and neurosexism can powerfully reinforce those stereotypes. "If you believe something is 'caused' by the brain, you are equally likely to believe that it is fixed, natural, and can’t or shouldn’t be changed," Dr. Rippon says.
Yet, it's still important to look for differences in male versus female brains. "We shouldn’t ignore that there are differences," Dr. Viskontas says. "In Alzheimer's disease, there’s an allele of a particular gene that can determine someone's risk. In women, you can have only one of the bad alleles and that increases your risk, while men need both of the alleles. If we pretended that there are no differences, we wouldn’t understand why females are at greater risk."
So, yes, there are some differences between genetically-male and genetically-female brains. In fact, if you look at a large enough sample of male and female brains, the averages of certain features (like the size of a certain brain region, or even total brain size) will be different, but there will also be a lot of overlap. All of these differences exist on a continuum, Dr. Viskontas says. And, it's not totally accurate to call them "male" or "female," because almost no one has a fully male or fully female brain. "There’s so much variability, it becomes meaningless when you’re talking about empathy or abilities in math," she says. So, unless you're a neuroscientist trying to create a drug that will affect men or women differently, thinking of brains as male or female isn't helpful. All it does is falsely bolster gendered stereotypes.
I don’t have any real problems with my skin. That’s not meant to be a brag! It’s just usually well behaved; I get the odd spot and sometimes it feels sort of dry, but it’s mostly somewhere in the middle. I don’t have eczema or pigmentation, it’s not super sensitive or oily, it’s just... standard. As I get into my mid-20s, I do want to get more into skincare but it’s all so confusing. I have no idea what I really need, or how much to spend. Please help!
Ally, 24
A lot of doctors, derms and skin experts I meet have a Paul-on-the-road-to-Damascus story about their choice in career. An adolescence marred by cystic acne, or a childhood struggle with eczema or super sensitive skin turned them into a complexion-obsessive, thus they chose a profession where they could explore skin 24/7. But if your skin’s always pretty much fine, what’s the impetus for you to invest time and money in a real regime? After all, if it ain’t broke…
That doesn’t mean you don’t need to have a few things that work for you, however. I’m similar to you in that the odd hormonal spot aside, my main skin concerns are usually just patches of dryness or general dullness. A good regime is part maintenance, part insurance: keeping what you have in check, and ensuring it lasts as long as possible. The foundations of a good regime, as far as I’m concerned, are cleansing, exfoliating and protecting.
Let’s break that down a little. First of all, cleansing. Double-cleansing might sound a little over the top, but if you live in a city and/or wear makeup, it’s a necessity. Taking your makeup off is crucial, but if your cleanse stops there, you leave untold amounts of bacteria, grime and residue lurking on your face. A good makeup remover doesn’t need to be expensive – Bioderma, Nivea and Garnier all do excellent micellar waters which make light work of even waterproof makeup. Then, it’s the second cleanse. This removes any traces of makeup, but also general day-to-day dirt. Sure, your face may not look dirty but the accumulation of even microscopic bits of grime can still make your skin as congested as the M25 on a Friday night. I personally think gel cleansers are the best all-rounders, providing you choose one that’s sulfate-free. Sulfates are a foaming agent used in lots of products, from shampoo to dish soap, but they can be a little harsh and drying on the skin. SkinCeuticals Simply Clean is good, or Vichy.
Then, it’s on to exfoliation. Your skin has a natural exfoliation cycle that it does every day, where dead cells slough off and fresh new ones come through, but makeup and SPF can get in the way of this. Twice a week, make sure to give yourself a good scrub. The jury’s out on whether physical exfoliants (ie, scrubs) are better than chemical (ie, glycolic acid) and there are compelling arguments on either side. Murad Pore Reform Scrub is one I recommend to almost everyone, as it’s super gentle but really effective. Glossier Solution is a great chemical exfoliant, or something like Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid. I switch between chemical and physical, but use whatever you feel is best.
Then, protection. Protection takes a lot of forms, primarily SPF and a good antioxidant. I’m sure you’re bored to the back teeth of hearing why SPF is non-negotiable, but indulge me here. UV damage is a real silent killer when it comes to your skin health, and it’s probably one of the most ruinous things for your complexion. While you certainly get more sun in the warmer months, you need to wear sunscreen all day every day – it can even penetrate glass, so if you sit near a window or drive a lot, you’ll be getting exposure there. Even small, mild amounts of sun add up over time to spell trouble for your skin, so invest in a good sunblock now. NIOD, SkinCeuticals, Avène and La Roche-Posay are all really good options, as is Heliocare.
Antioxidants are your best friend when it comes to fighting the free radical damage that pollution brings. Free radicals are nasty little suckers that go around attacking cells in your body and causing oxidative stress. Your body is pretty good at fighting them off using antioxidants of your own but over time, you get less good at it, and modern-day pollution is sky-high. (Remember when that road in Brixton broke its annual air pollution target in five days? This is why you need more antioxidants.) I really like The Ordinary Resveratrol + Ferulic Acid, while if you have more cash to splash, SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic is always popular. Or you can go straight for a vitamin C serum. Vitamin C, as well as being a powerful antioxidant, is supremely brightening on the skin and can help your face look more awake. Try The Ordinary Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F (and try saying it five times fast), or Clinique Fresh Pressed.
These are truly the basics. There’s so much more you can add, if you like. Maybe a bit of niacinamide in the evening or, once you hit your late 20s, some retinol. Masks are fun, and doing a clay mask once a week is a good way to give yourself a deep cleanse. I adore a sheet mask, especially the eye-wateringly expensive ZO Medical and Colbert ones, but I also love the Soap & Glory ones, and if you can get your hands on them, Dr. Jart+ masks are brilliant.
Skincare shouldn’t be a chore. For some, a 10-step regime of serums, lotions and essences is the perfect way to wind down before bed. For others, it’s as much fun as filing your tax return. Find a happy medium in terms of effort and cost that works for you, making sure you cover all the main bases, and you’ll be fine.
Got a question for our resident beauty columnist Daniela Morosini? No problem, qualm or dilemma is too big, small or niche. Email deardaniela@refinery29.uk, including your name and age for a chance to have your question answered. All letters to ‘Dear Daniela’ become the property of Refinery29 and will be edited for length, clarity, and grammatical correctness.
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Plenty of women are whistleblowers, and plenty more work for the organisations that aid them. So why do we rarely hear about these women? And who are they?
In 2010, British journalist Sarah Harrison, then in her mid-20s, began working for WikiLeaks, the website created by Julian Assange to help expose large-scale injustices and cover-ups. It was the year that the site received and published some of its most explosive information to date; the Iraq War Logs, the Afghan War Diary and Cablegate were a collection of classified documents that were leaked out of the American military by Chelsea Manning, including a video showing the killing of civilians in a 2007 Baghdad airstrike. It was also the same year that Julian Assange was accused of sexual assault by two women in Sweden.
Harrison’s job was to assist in verifying the documents in the Afghan War Diary but she quickly became a permanent member of staff, working on Cablegate and later, the NSA scandal, the 2013 leak that revealed how the US government was spying on its citizens. Harrison was even sent to help NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden avoid arrest in his escape from Hong Kong to Russia, but was dubbed in several newspaper reports not as a successful journalist but as Snowden’s “assistant” or “friend”. She now works with the Courage Foundation, an organisation to support whistleblowers and hacktivists who are being persecuted.
A new book, Women, Whistleblowing, WikiLeaks, asks why we don’t hear more about women like Harrison, who have played key roles in uncovering conspiracies and advocating for freedom of information. Presented in the form of a three-way conversation between theatre director Angela Richter, human rights lawyer Renata Avila and Harrison, the book provides a platform for women working with whistleblowers to share their expertise in the area. Below, we talked to Harrison about WikiLeaks, working for Julian Assange after he was accused of sexual assault, and how we need to rethink whistleblowers in the West.
Hi Sarah, to start with, what did your job at WikiLeaks involve on a daily basis?
How WikiLeaks works is that, unlike a lot of media that goes and finds the stories, it’s done from the concept of this secure anonymous drop box. Julian felt there were a lot more people who were potentially whistleblowers than were coming forward to the press, and was the first person to come up with this as a technical solution, although it’s now used in certain newsrooms. We were sent large data sets of documents, and would have to check they were verified. Because they’re anonymous and you don’t get the source, there is a lot of work to go through, making calls researching stories in there, cross-referencing what you find in as many ways as possible – sometimes in traditional journalistic styles, but there are also technical things you can do. Then we’d ask: How do we publish this? Which media will this be relevant to? I would do work prepping those partner organisations, like which stories we would lead with.
It’s not as glamorous as we think, is it, going through all of this data?
Ha, no. It’s funny, there’s a feeling from the outside that it must all be secret and exciting but emails for example can be technically difficult to work with. Of course I loved the work we did, but when stories came in, I have to admit that a little bit of me would think ‘Oh, now we’ve gotta go through this whole thing!’ and I’d want to throw my computer out the window.
You did help NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden get out of Hong Kong though...
I’d been following the news stories as they were coming out and thought it was amazing. He’s explained that his main goal at first was to get the documents into journalists’ hands, then he outed himself. He wasn’t reckless, he did things like start the process from Hong Kong rather than America, to make it less easy for them to arrest him, but by the time he came forward there was a massive US manhunt. That’s when he started reaching out to people who might be able to help. One group was WikiLeaks. He knew from Julian taking asylum that we had some expertise, knew a lot of international lawyers, how asylum claims for these sort of free press situations could work and that we’re all trained at technical operational security. I was sent because I know Hong Kong very well as I have family there. Once I arrived, I was able to not use my passport or credit card, I could essentially disappear and not be followed.
From there, a lot of it was working out: What is the situation? What are the legal issues? He had a local Hong Kong lawyer who helps with asylum requests but had never helped with extradition requests and had no idea how the two would interact. As you can imagine, there’s not a million of these cases going on around the world so there’s a lot of research that needs to be done. The US government cancelled Snowden’s passport while we were en route to South America, and we were stopped in Russia on transit. We were then stuck in the airport for a month. We tried applying to countries in Europe for political asylum but they rejected our requests. We were lucky that the country we touched down in was eventually favourable to the situation, and that Snowden was given asylum in Russia.
How did it feel to see the reports calling you a “friend” or “assistant”?
I found that really annoying! The ones where it really annoyed me was where it was by journalists I had worked with! We’d had meetings talking about stories! I was described as a “companion”, very good at washing socks and making phone calls. These sorts of things. Sadly we get used to that as women. We shouldn’t but we do. At that time there was a desire to sensationalise the story in the press and make it more James Bond-like, planes going down and an international fugitive. A “pretty blonde assistant” seemed to fit with those stories, not a hardworking journalist looking at politics and law to sort the situation out.
I like how in the book Renata jokes that women are less visible in the world of whistleblowing because they’re more cunning.
Being a woman can mean people aren’t looking at you, so it can be easier to do things under the radar. But there is a flipside to that in that there is some protection in visibility. Not to be too paranoid and I don’t think this is going to happen tomorrow but say the US ordered an indictment and I was to be extradited, I would want there to be journalists at the hearing, and people trying to make sure it was done with due process. I think Renata’s point is that there are a lot of whistleblowers that have been caught that people don’t know about. That is something that we try to work on, to give them a public defence.
How do you know Angela and Renata?
I’m in awe of them! Angela got in contact with us because she’s a theatre director and she wanted to raise awareness of stories in this sphere. She goes away and interviews people, spends hours with them, then she puts her scripts together from the transcripts. Renata was a friend of Julian before I knew either of them. I met her at WikiLeaks because she’s a legal advisor to the organisation and we formed a friendship. She works a lot on technical rights regarding data but also on cases regarding indigenous people’s rights.
I want to talk for a moment about the accusations against Julian Assange. Do you get asked about that often? What do you tell people about why you chose to work with him?
They do ask me a lot and I explain the facts that have come out that I’ve been able to corroborate with documentary evidence. When I joined WikiLeaks, there was an original prosecutor who took the case up, investigated it and then said there’s nothing here and dropped it. It blew up [publicly] later on when a different prosecutor in a city Julian’s never even been to picked up the case – that seemed a bit weird to me. I wasn’t in Sweden and I don’t know what happened on those nights but bits of the police report got leaked. When you hear that a torn condom was found, for example, you think that sounds awful. Then when you read the police report and it had not one person’s DNA on it, that changes the situation slightly, or how one of the women who was interviewed said, no, he didn’t rape me, can you stop the interview, the police railroaded me into that.
If you don’t know the facts of the case you might also be forgiven for thinking, ‘Well he should have just gone to Sweden to clear his name’. But I was there when he was saying to his lawyers: ‘Can’t they come here, they do this all the time, I’m making myself available to them, we could do mutual assistance where the British ask questions.’ It’s so normal, it happens all the time, and therefore completely abnormal that they didn’t come for six years. An Italian journalist, Stefania Maurizi has been doggedly chasing lawyers and getting all of their correspondence. There are very interesting things she has got. The Swedes did try and come, but the UK stopped them. The US were being brought into it, but they won’t release any US communications on it because they don’t want Julian tipped off on anything to do with an indictment. I could see this wasn’t being treated as any other case at all.
What’s the latest?
Now Sweden have dropped the case but Julian doesn’t get to clear his name. From everybody’s point of view, it’s a complete failure from all the governments involved. It’s a sad and angry thing for me that he’s branded as a double rapist, which isn’t even the comments made at the beginning; that he is vilified and trapped in this room, and nobody has got any justice at all. For me, personally, as a woman, it’s upsetting – any question of these things happening is very upsetting to any woman but it’s clear to me that this has been dealt with in a very political way.
Is anything likely to change regarding Julian’s situation? What’s the ideal outcome?
The ideal outcome for me is that the grand jury [US indictment] charges get stopped and that they realise it’s a wrong thing to target the media and journalists and he could be freed. I don’t think that’s about to happen. People ask me – and this is the one I have no answer to – why the UN has twice said to the UK and Sweden, ‘This is not on, you need to let this man go, this is arbitrary detention’. Twice. And the UK just ignores them. What do you do then? The UK is clearly violating international agreements that it joined up to of its own accord. When a country like Egypt ignores the UN we all get up in arms but no one seems to care about Sweden and the UK doing it. Julian is in very bad conditions, one room. It’s not good.
Renata also mentions in the book how, in the West, whistleblowers aren’t really seen as political dissidents, just villains. Do you agree?
Yes, but more and more things are coming to light. Take this recent story with Cambridge Analytica, these are the kinds of things we think of as happening in totalitarian societies. I think there is a dangerous and concerning situation we have in Western countries where people I very much see as political dissidents are seen as traitors who should be locked up, they’re seen as national security issues. If someone from Russia came out as a Snowden, the West would be applauding them, saying ‘Come and stay here, would you like a palace, what else do you need?’ Whereas Snowden gets ‘Is he a traitor or a hero?’ That’s a dangerous precedent we’re falling into in the West because dissent is a large part of what makes a democratic society keep functioning in a democratic way.
So a final question: How can we pay women in whistleblowing more credit where due?
At the moment someone to be watching is Reality Winner, a whistleblower in the US awaiting her trial. It was due to start and it’s been postponed again. She’s been in jail a year, allegedly the whistleblower of intelligence documents that were write-ups regarding Russian actions in the US election. She’s not been given the normal rights in prison, she’s been in solitary, with no access to books or the meals that she needs for her dietary requirements. She didn’t arrive in the world with videos on front pages of websites, as Snowden did. She attempted to stay anonymous, but she was caught out by the journalists she went to. They fucked up and accidentally gave her away. She’s in a terrible situation with nowhere near the media coverage [of others], and we’re trying to keep her plight in the public domain. So there are women. They’re not known as well as the men unfortunately. But we can change that.
There have been many different iterations of yoga over the years. From power yoga to laughter yoga, dance yoga to dog yoga, it's clear that for some people, a classic chaturanga isn't quite enough.
And that's okay. Whatever gets you exercising, for the benefit of both your body and your mind, is fine by us. Our latest yoga obsession, though? Buti yoga.
Buti yoga isn't by any means a new thing and, since its creation in 2012, the hectic dance meets yoga fusion has gathered a dedicated following. Master trainer Gemma Cousins describes it as a workout that "fuses power yoga with cardio-intensive tribal dance, plyometric and body-sculpting movement and conditioning". FYI, for those unsure, "plyometrics" are exercises where you use a whole lot of energy in a super short space of time. Those people jumping up on blocks on the gym floor while you're trying to stretch? That's plyometrics.
The name apparently comes from Marathi, the language spoken in the Indian state of Maharashtra, in the west of the country. It supposedly means a "cure" or something "kept hidden or secret", although online Marathi dictionaries refuse to confirm this.
The mindful aspect of yoga is still important in buti; intentions are still set and each class finishes with savasana (that excellent bit at the end where you lie flat on the ground and do nothing) and meditation. "Buti yoga is about being part of a tribe," Gemma explains. "Connecting back to yourself and supporting and lifting each other to be the best versions of ourselves."
As with any other yoga practice, breath work is key. Although there isn't a specific focus on the ujjayi breath, class starts with a round of kapalabhati breathing (where you breathe out in short sharp bursts, tightening the abdomen each time) in order to "create fire in the body".
The practice makes use of the "Spiral Structure Technique" which, Gemma explains, literally refers to making spiral movements with your body. "Spiral movements are used through the torso and hips to open the chakras and awaken 'shakti energy'." This, she explains, is our female energy which "relates to mother nature allowing this energy to travel through the body and to unite with Shiva, our masculine energy". This, she says, "allows us to connect with our divine consciousness".
What that means in fitness terms is that your deep abdominal muscles will be toned through spiral movements: "Instead of linear movements, buti favours movements that challenge the body along all planes of motion."
While the calorie-burning potential is HIIT-worthy (not that that should always be your main focus of a workout), buti isn't consistently intense. "It builds up into an intense cardio burn," says Gemma, but it "always comes back down again, giving you time to regain your energy."
"There is a constant flow to the practice." The result is long, lean muscles and a strong and toned core.
To try buti yoga, find a class at your local Gymbox.
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Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex, Fashion & Disco, a film by director James Crump, is an intimate and vivid look at the most influential fashion illustrator of the 1970s, Antonio Lopez. Charting the development of his talent and extraordinary group of friends and lovers, the documentary is a far more emotive and dazzling look at the fashion world than its more controlled – and sometimes dull – predecessors. Through talking head interviews with the likes of actress Jessica Lange, former model Pat Cleveland and fashion photographer Bill Cunningham, plus archival footage from the decade, you’ll find yourself immersed in Lopez’s electrifying world, and see how he shook up and brought colour and vibrancy to the previously staid fashion industry.
Photo: Courtesy Of Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex, Fashion & Disco
Before Lopez made his mark, fashion illustration was “just like a very stiff couture model”, Grace Coddington, creative director at large of American Vogue, remarks. Where drawings once consisted of black and white line sketches of models who were more mannequins than personalities, Lopez introduced a burst of colour, chaos and movement to the art, his frenetic illustrations bringing the clothes and women he drew to life. “He was so far ahead of his time,” model Donna Jordan says in the film, “he was in another century.”
Photo: Courtesy Of Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex, Fashion & Disco
The early ‘70s was a wild and exciting time, full of new energy, movement and ideas. Alongside societal changes – this was pre-AIDS and post-gay liberation – big shifts were taking place in the fashion industry. “The ‘70s saw the emergence of the fashion designer as a true social force,” former editor-in-chief of Interview magazine, Bob Colacello says. The likes of Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino and Halston changed the role of the designer from dressmaker to society figure, while models went from wearing white lab-like coats between shows to dancing down the catwalks in the new prêt-à-porter collections. Personalities ruled, and Lopez knew how to capture them.
Together with his creative and sometime-romantic partner Juan Ramos, Lopez quit the Fashion Institute of Technology when offered work by Women’s Wear Daily. The pair went on to work for TheNew York Times and US Vogue, wooing editors and stylists like Diana Vreeland, Anna Piaggi and Polly Allen Mellen along the way. Designer Charles James invited Lopez into his studio to draw his collection, while Bill Cunningham gave him his six-room Carnegie Hall apartment to work from.
Photo: Courtesy Of Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex, Fashion & Disco
What was it about Lopez that attracted such influential figures? “You had to watch him as he was drawing,” Cunningham explains. “He was breathing like he was pulling the magic right out of the atmosphere.” Besides his hypnotising drawing method, which consisted of gasping, holding his breath, huffing and puffing, he was a magnet, drawing in lovers and collaborators alike with his voracious appetite for life. Lopez drew comparisons with Andy Warhol – perhaps the best-known artist and social butterfly of the ‘70s – who hung out alongside him at infamous nightclub-cum-restaurant Max’s Kansas City. One commentator in the documentary says: “You either hung out in Andy’s corner, with the hangers-on, or Antonio’s corner, with the cool kids. Andy was quiet and let things happen around him; Antonio created the things that happened.”
Photo: Courtesy Of Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex, Fashion & Disco
Part of the magic of Lopez were the women he surrounded himself with: 'Antonio’s Girls'. A feature by Jean-Paul Goude (the art director and long-time Grace Jones collaborator) in Esquire magazine in 1973 celebrated the women Lopez had discovered and drawn, often playing a heavy hand in their future careers: Cathee Dahmen, Pat Cleveland, Eija Vehka Ajo, Patti D’Arbanville, Amina Warsuma, Carole La Brie (the first black model to grace the cover of VogueItalia), Alva Chinn, Tina Chow, Jessica Lange – the list goes on. All unique in looks and character, Lopez sought something else from his models: “It’s the way they carry themselves, how they feel about themselves, you can see it clearly in the way they stand, the way they speak, the way they walk, the way they take care of themselves. I find that very exciting.”
Photo: Courtesy Of Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex, Fashion & Disco
In fact, it was Lopez and Juan’s diverse idea of beauty that led them to Paris. They felt the latent racism of New York’s fashion industry, which favoured the Cheryl Teigs "girl-next-door" aesthetic and withheld opportunities from black models, was inhibiting their work, and upped sticks to France, where they immediately fell in with Karl Lagerfeld, who was heading up Chloé at the time. The industry was seeing a decline in the serious and conventional world of salons and haute couture, and Lagerfeld was open to change, which he found in Lopez and Juan. Dressing the duo and supplying them with their materials, his prints at Chloé, according to Cunningham, were even inspired by their drawings.
Photo: Courtesy Of Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex, Fashion & Disco
One of the most thrilling parts of the documentary looks at the rivalry between Lagerfeld and the other designer darling of the time, Yves Saint Laurent. “There was the Lagerfeld clique and the Yves clique, and you had to be careful, as they didn’t like you crossing over,” Colacello says. “Karl wanted all of these young, talented people around him, whereas Yves was like Andy [Warhol] in a way, kinda helpless and needed women like Betty Catroux and Loulou de la Falaise around him to tell him what women wanted to wear. Karl didn’t need that.” Lopez, however, moved freely between the two camps, happy as long as there was a good time to be had.
Photo: Courtesy Of Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex, Fashion & Disco
To a soundtrack of Chic, Sly & The Family Stone, Donna Summer and The Temptations, the film shows how Lopez lived life at high speed, working ferociously by day and partying until the early hours at whichever hotspot was playing disco at the time – Café de Flore and Club 7 in Paris, where Lopez discovered Jerry Hall at just 17. They soon became lovers – a relationship that lasted several years – and it appears Lopez was fundamental in creating the Hall we’re so familiar with today, all sex, glamour and poise.
Photo: Courtesy Of Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex, Fashion & Disco
The film closes with a moving account from Cunningham, who was a lifelong friend of Lopez’s and who passed away shortly after production finished (the film’s credits read “For Bill”). Lopez died in 1987 of complications from AIDS, but it’s clear that everyone whose life he moved through was profoundly affected by his creativity and lust for life. Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex, Fashion & Disco is a time capsule of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s in New York and Paris, and pinpoints the birth of key fashion moments, from the ‘It girl’ to ready-to-wear collections. A joyous, seductive and inspiring film, we defy you not to fall for Antonio Lopez and his technicolour world.
Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex, Fashion & Disco is showing at cinemas now.
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In deeply unsettling news today, it has been reported that 16-25-year-olds in the UK are unhappier than they've ever been.
The research comes as part two of the Prince's Trust annual Youth Index Report, which found that young British people's wellbeing is at its lowest since 2009, when the report was first commissioned. In that time, the points recording their emotional health have dropped from 61 to 57 – the biggest fall in any wellbeing area ever recorded.
According to the 2,194 respondents, 61% of them feel "regularly stressed", 53% feel anxious, 47% say they have experienced a "mental problem" and a hugely worrying 27% feel "hopeless" on a regular basis.
Despite claims from older people that young people today are "work shy", two-thirds of the group surveyed say that a job would "give them a sense of purpose" and half think a job would be good for their mental health.
Sadly, 10% of them are not working or in education, and half of these people have been in this position for six months or more. Nine percent of them have lost a job in the last two years.
Over on Reddit, young people are weighing in with their thoughts. "The world feels a lot more competitive and aggressive than how it sounds when my grandfather or even my parents tell stories of their past," one user writes. "Jobs were easier to get even with low education and covered basic necessities easier."
"People feel stuck in dead-end jobs, working doing something dull with no real prospect of owning their own home of [sic] having a decent pension (or even retiring before they're 70). What do young people have to look forward to? What's the realistic, achievable goal?" says another.
"Overpriced rent, no jobs, a degree worth less than Andrex paper, and no progression. Although I did manage to get my driving licence and a car before I lost my job in Feb so I guess I'm getting somewhere," says one user, while another concludes, "We're fucking broke".
The UK Chief Executive of the Prince's Trust, Nick Stace says that the findings should be ringing alarm bells for all of us. "It is vital that government, charities and employers across the UK invest more in developing young people's skills and in providing opportunities for them to progress in fulfilling, sustainable careers."
As sad as the report is, it shouldn't come as a huge surprise. These days, the issue of mental health problems among young people is rarely out of the news. Waiting times for mental healthcare can be as much as 18 months and suicide is regularly cited as the biggest killer of young people. It's a situation which needs action now.
How much do humans and animals have in common? According to new research, one thing we share are "mating seasons". Yes, the way we procreate is more like animals than we thought.
Research published last month byData Driven Journalism demonstrates a link between when and where you were born, indicating that geography affects high birth-rate months. The findings were based on the most recent UN data on live births, cross-referencing the most common birth months with geographical location to determine the peak months of conception in countries around the world. It found a surprising link between three factors: the top birth months, seasons of the year and the latitude of the country (distance from the equator).
According to the research, humans, like animals, also seem to have mating seasons. Well, sort of. The infographic below shows that top birth months for northern hemisphere countries are July-September. The lower you go on the list, the more births occur at the start of the calendar year.
“While the majority of the middle-latitude (or tropical) countries register September and October as their top birth months, Southern hemisphere countries such as Uruguay register their top birth months at the start of the year,” writes Nayomi Chibana, author of the study.
“Meanwhile, another study on human birth seasonality concluded that peak birth months occur later in the year the farther south you travel, which is completely consistent with the trend revealed by our data visualisation.”
In the UK more births happen in July, August and September
In the UK, for example, more births happen in July, August and September than any other month of the year. Do the math and you’ll realise those babies were conceived the previous winter, which makes sense if you think that “cuffing season” – the social phenomenon of abandoning singledom and quickly coupling up – happens around the holidays.
Unlike animals, who only mate during certain seasons, humans are horny year-round, meaning we’re also blessed with the ability to reproduce whenever we please. “It is interesting to note, nonetheless, that our heat map and several studies on the subject indicate that we have what appears to be a quasi-mating season, even if not a true one scientifically speaking,” the research states. Experts seem to agree there are times of the year when people have more sex, and although it’s not necessarily to procreate, these birth patterns published by Data Driven Journalism indicate that it could in fact depend on where you live.
The bottom line is that while we’re different from wild animals in terms of babymaking, for mammals who have the evolutionary advantage of procreating whenever we want, this link might be more than just a freaky coincidence.
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American University is a small campus tucked into a leafy, suburban neighbourhood of Washington, D.C. Students hang out and study on the quad, which is so peaceful you almost forget you're in the nation's discordant capital. But under the surface, there's a seething anger.
The school has been the setting of racist attacks in recent years that help tell the story of an alarming rise in white nationalist recruiting on college campuses nationwide. In the most recent, in January, someone posted anti-immigrant flyers reading, "NO means NO! #MyBordersMyChoice," an unfortunate play on the pro-choice hashtag #MyBodyMyChoice, around campus. The flyers contained links to The Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi website that advocates for the genocide of Jews.
In some ways, the free-speech debate about these types of flyers is the same one that’s been happening in American colleges for years. But in 2018, after the election of Donald Trump, and clashes over right-wing hate-mongers like Milo Yiannopoulos and Richard Spencer speaking at universities — and magnified under the lens of the internet — the stakes feel higher.
DEVELOPING: AU President Sylvia Burwell responds to anti-immigrant rights posters found on campus. “We reject hate, bigotry, intimidation in all forms.“ pic.twitter.com/SUmZgaD1Sv
Statistics confirm this. Between March 2016 and October 2017, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the nation's largest hate-group watchdog, tracked 329 flyering incidents on 241 college campuses across the US, most of them perpetrated by people from outside the school. . They're members of groups like Vanguard America and Identity Evropa, organisations that believe white people are disenfranchised and that the US. should be an exclusively white country, and they are undertaking an unprecedented effort to recruit on college campuses. Flyering is a way for their new converts to show their commitment while staying anonymous. Both groups were involved in the Charlottesville rally in August 2017; James Fields, who plowed his car into a crowd, killing Heather Heyer, was seen marching with Vanguard America.
The Anti-Defamation League, which also tracks hate groups, reported a 258% growth in white supremacist recruitment efforts on college campuses between fall 2016 (41 incidents) and fall 2017 (147 incidents).
In our examination of dozens of schools, we've seen a similar scenario play out in colleges and universities from California to Texas to New York: Perpetrators put up flyers that target Black people, immigrants, or other groups. Students ask the administration to take concrete action. The administration — usually predominantly made up of white men — responds with a carefully worded statement about how the school doesn't tolerate discrimination of any sort, but doesn't take further action. Maybe there's a town hall or a roundtable. Students still feel like their true concerns aren't heard. Often, the provocations continue.
At AU, a politically active school in the nation's capital, the administration's response has been more proactive than most — at least recently. Maybe it’s because the university was the site of quite likely the most publicised racist attack on a college campus in recent years: In May 2017, senior Taylor Dumpson, who is African-American, was targeted on the day she took office as student body president when somebody hung bananas from nooses in three places on campus and scrawled messages like "Harambe bait" on them. The incident was investigated by the FBI and categorised as a hate crime. Dumpson resigned in January 2018.
The same month the #MyBordersMyChoice flyers were spotted, the university introduced its ambitiousdiversity and inclusion plan, which aims to invest $121 million over two years into programs like cultural-competence and bias training for all community members, hiring more diverse faculty, and support for the new Anti-Racist Policy and Research Center.
But it was right after the opening of the Anti-Racist Center in September 2017 that the university experienced more racist attacks. The night Dr. Ibram X. Kendi made a speech to introduce the center, Confederate-flag flyers with cotton stalks affixed to them that read "Huzzah for Dixie" werefound on campus. Authorities said they believe the perpetrator is a white man who is about 40 years old.
Senior Zoey Jordan Salsbury told Refinery29 it was "terrifying to me as a Jewish student" that the anti-immigrant flyers were connected to The Daily Stormer, which targets Jewish people.
She’s also terrified by the apathy of some of the other students. "There are students who say it's not that big of a deal, whispering because if people know they say that it's not okay... They're mostly white students who don't have intersections with other groups." For her part, she says she tries to be supportive to peers who are part of marginalised groups, inviting people who live off-campus and are in distress to hang out in her on-campus apartment.
It’s terrifying. Even when it’s covered at my college, it’s covered as “racist flyers on campus” and only whispers of the recruiting info on the back of them. Some had the Daily Strmer’s website on the front and I had to explain to the school paper why they shouldn’t link it 🙈
Anti-Semitic incidents in the US surged by almost 60% in 2017, the ADL found, due in large part to the fact that the number on college campuses nearly doubled. Colleges saw a total of 204 incidents in 2017, compared to 108 in 2016.
According to AU’s plan for inclusive excellence, only 33% of Black students and 60% of Asian and Latinx students say they feel safe on campus, compared to 71% of white students. Students of colour also feel “less physically and emotionally safe than their white counterparts and see few spaces designed by and for underrepresented students to hold meetings, to study together, and to socialise.” They say there is a “consistent pattern of derogatory comments” aimed at people of colour and that AU is generally not responsive to student concerns around discrimination. By including these stats, the university is taking a step in the direction of addressing the issues head-on — but there is more to be done, according to students we’ve spoken with.
Romina Martin, a sophomore at AU and the president of the school's chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), said she thinks the school's initial response to the flyers wasn't sufficient, which put a lot of students off. The administration, for example, didn't provide information about resources on campus like counselling that could help the community feel safe.
"A lot of the student body, we’re immigrants, our parents are immigrants. The reaction of the school made it feel like our backgrounds, our stories didn’t matter," said Martin, who moved to the US from Lima, Peru, in elementary school. She also questioned why the public safety department couldn't identify and find the perpetrator. “Now they post flyers, but what are they going to do next? Are we really safe on campus?”
Dr. Fanta Aw, the Vice President of Campus Life and Inclusive Excellence (the latter part of the title was added very recently), addressed safety in an interview with Refinery29. "I think often our immediate response is to think about physical safety, but all too often we underestimate the level of emotional safety," she said. "Emotional safety comes from feeling a sense of belonging wherever you are, feeling like wherever you're walking that someone is not questioning, ‘Do you really belong here? Do you have the intellectual ability to be here?’ ... I would say that our students are reflecting...a national angst that's going on."
She spoke about what’s been called “collective trauma ” in the wake of Donald Trump’s election. "When they talk about safety, it is not just on AU campus... But it is reflective of how they feel about where things are going in the society at large, and the campus is a microcosm of that."
"Take My Trump Trash"
If students from marginalised groups in Washington, D.C., where 91% of residents voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, are seeing symptoms of post-election hostility, then at the University of South Carolina it’s a full-blown disease.
"My friend got garbage thrown at her and called, 'Take my Trump trash, n-----,'” sophomore Maya Queenan said, according to theDaily Gamecock. Queenan said this at a town hall held in the aftermath of racist flyers being found in the building that houses the African-American Studies Program one day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year.
The university hasn’t identified the person who posted the flyers (though officials did spot a white male in his mid-40s who they don't believe is connected to the campus), director of public relations Jeff Stensland told Refinery29, but officials have since “seen evidence that it may not be an isolated case and could be part of a larger effort by a racist group.” He said to his knowledge, the university has not identified racist groups actively recruiting students.
A returning student worried about books/financial aid, a freshman's first day with a million insecure feelings. This is what we pay for. HATE POST from our fellow classmates (1rst day of Spr2018, 1 day after Martin Luther Kings day). #shameful@UofSC@HarrisPastides@wis10@WLTXpic.twitter.com/DOFYZ7znAW
Since then, Stensland said, the campus has held multiple events, including a #NotOnOurCampus rally. At this rally, university president Harris Pastides made clear that hateful speech is not welcome at the school: “We will confront you. We will take action against you.”
In addition to being racist, some of the flyers blamed African-Americans for voting for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 primary elections. Theyread, "We endured a year of Blumpf instead of enjoying one of Bernie because you DUMB BLACK ASSES just pull the lever for whoever the party machine says to," and, "All this bullshit about King when you simpletons can't even pick a candidate properly. You stupid monkeys handed Trump the White House the minute you handed Hillary the nomination!"
Clinton swept South Carolina in 2016's primary, with 73.5% of the vote versus Bernie Sanders' 26%. With African-Americans, she enjoyed an 87 to 13 margin.
"The flyers included racial slurs in big, bolded font, but the majority of the posters’ content was in a font that was more difficult to read, and those words were a direct indictment of the infighting of the Democratic Party," Logan Martin, a sophomore and president of the campus College Democrats, told Refinery29. "As the party of diversity, we must also be the party of inclusion, and that means accepting others’ decisions to vote for candidates with whom we disagree."
Designed by: Paola Delucca
Abby Beauregard, the communications director for the College Dems, told Refinery29 that she's not surprised about the expression of racist attitudes or the anti-Hillary aggression, both of which she's seen on campus before.
"Within groups of people I know, there was a lot of outrage and disgust" in response to the flyers, she said. "This is a very conservative campus in a lot of ways, so it's not unheard of for people to make comments like that — but it's another thing to see it in writing on the walls."
She said the fact that the school is in the South and has a big Greek system often seems to “enable” people to make these statements. The story of Harley Barber, a girl from New Jersey who was expelled from the University of Alabama for posting Instagrams in which she repeatedly says the n-word, comes to mind: In one of the videos, she asserts that she’s "in the South now, bitch," so she can say whatever she wants.
"There's a culture of saying things that aren't PC and trying to get a rise out of people of colour and women," said Beauregard. "I think the university has done its best to integrate us, but we still are a fairly segregated campus and the only thing that would change that is if student attitudes change, and we're getting better at it but we're just not there."
At Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN, another large public university in the South, the atmosphere can be just as tense. "We're all used to micro-aggressions. There's definitely racial tension," Raven Harmon, a senior and the vice president of the Black Student Union, which she has recently helped relaunch, told Refinery29, adding that in many of her classes there are very few Black students and some white students treat them as though they are less intelligent. "We definitely have class discussions where people show their true colours.”
A perpetrator stuck posters from Vanguard America that read "Protect White Families" on top of Black History Month posters on this campus in Murfreesboro, TN, earlier this year. Harmon said the BSU regularly meets with the school president to discuss incidents like this, but not much has come out of the discussions yet. She recalled how scary it was when white nationalists held a White Lives Matter rally in Murfreesboro last fall. In the end, counter-protestors outnumbered them by about 600.
White supremacist flyers have been stuck to Black History Month flyers around @MTSU campus. If you see one, please send it to us and try to remove them!
We will be discussing these flyers, white supremacy, and activism on Wednesday Feb 7th at 6:00 in STU 220. pic.twitter.com/EOhgMof6VO
At public universities like USC and MTSU, postings like this are generally protected by the First Amendment. Michelle Deutchman, National Campus Counsel at the ADL, said that despite their serious impact, it's unlikely for racist or anti-immigrant flyers to be considered criminal activity by law. "Hate speech is protected by the First Amendment — some would say that's a cornerstone of our democracy," she said, adding that a university is not in a position to make "content-based restrictions," only "content-neutral" ones.
Despite all the recent hand-wringing about free speech on college campuses, studies actually show that support for free speech is highest among liberals and the college-educated — though you wouldn’t know it from the way certain writers on the right have framed the debate. Bari Weiss’ “We’re All Fascists Now,” in which she argued that "leftists" are attacking free speech, and David Brooks accusing students of “ tribalism ” and suppressing opposing viewpoints on campus both come to mind. Incidents like Yiannopoulos' visit to Berkeley last year, when counter-protestors caused hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of damage to the campus opposing his anti-trans, anti-immigrant rhetoric, have become sticking points for conservatives. But in fact, people on the right are overall less supportive of free speech.
"It Makes It Hard To Concentrate On School"
At Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, CA, a large, suburban, public university, racist flyers were hung the day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January. They mentioned “statistics” about assault, welfare, AIDS, homicide, and domestic violence in Black communities as compared to white communities. A month before, flyers targeting DREAMers and undocumented immigrants werefound on campus.
Someone printed off and posted facts about blacks and the Cal Poly president condemned them as harassment, offensive, frightening, and intimidating. pic.twitter.com/AOlFNWL7RY
Isabella Paoletto, a third-year journalism student and activist, told Refinery29 that racist rhetoric and flyers are a common occurrence at Cal Poly, which, like all the others in this story, is a predominantly white school.
“We’ve also had multiple cases of individuals on campus handing out pro-Nazi propaganda flyers with words like 'American Nazi party' and 'Symbol of White Power' on them,” she said. “Many fraternities on campus have also contributed to the racist ambiance of campus, like in 2013 when a frat hosted a 'Colonial Bros and Nava-Hos' party [ Ed. note: The school found that this party didn’t violate any campus policies], or when the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity posted a photo in front of their frat in culturally and ethnically insensitive costumes, or in 2008 when a Confederate flag and a noose were found on campus housing.”
After the flyering incident this year, the university issued a statement. “As we have said in the past, hate has no place at Cal Poly,” university President Jeffrey Armstrongwrote in an email to the community. “We condemn any act intended to intimidate, frighten, harass, or hurt a member of our campus community. Such actions are borne of ignorance and cowardice and seek to promote division and false narratives rather than empathy and thoughtful discussion — the very ideals for which our university stands.”
Designed by: Paola Delucca
But the school didn’t go further than that. “Every time an incident like this happens the president of Cal Poly sends out an email basically saying that some students are offended about the incident and that he apologises and it doesn’t reflect what Cal Poly is about,” said Paoletto. “However, once this email is sent out the topic is never discussed or addressed by administration again.”
Despite the denunciations, the university emphasised that the flyers are free speech protected by the First Amendment.
"To be clear: The university does not support the content of these postings. And we stand with members of our campus community who find the content abhorrent,” Matt Lazier, the university's media relations director, told Refinery29. "Nevertheless, the content of the postings is protected as free speech by the First Amendment. As a public institution, Cal Poly cannot engage in censorship of any form."
While the flyers are legal, this begs the question: What responsibility do schools have to use, as Deutchman put it, “counter speech,” to send the message that they don’t tolerate racism? As she suggested, universities have a lot of options to raise their voices higher than those of bigots: Students and administrators can hold anti-racist rallies and town halls, offer counselling services, educate the community about white supremacy, and encourage students to use their First Amendment rights to promote diversity.
Said Stensland, from the University of South Carolina: “Part of the discussion we’ve had with students is that while we abhor certain messages, there are First Amendment protections that often come into play. We do not advocate silencing speech, but instead working to ensure hateful speech does not carry the day. The flyers were a special case because we do have rules about where flyers can be posted, and these were posted in unauthorised locations.” (In some locations, posting flyers is vandalism.)
Some schools have started taking these steps, however imperfectly. But a lot of students are tired of the emotional labour it takes to have to constantly speak up for their safety and wish their very right to exist weren't threatened. When the “protected speech” comes from organisations that advocate for killing minorities and are inspired by Nazis, it’s not hard to see why many are angry at their universities for not doing enough.
Especially in light of these stats: The number of US hate groups rose in 2017, during Donald Trump's first year in office, and has surged 20% since 2014, according to the SPLC. Among the more than 600 US white supremacist groups, neo-Nazi organisations rose from 99 to 121.
At academic institutions, racial-harassment complaints have steadily increased from 2009 to 2016, according to data from theUS Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. In 2009, the office had 96 complaints from post-secondary institutions while in 2016, there were 198.
Lecia Brooks, outreach director at the SPLC, says the best way to combat these efforts is with education: identifying these groups as white nationalists and supremacists, and protesting in peaceful ways.
"I think it's important for the administration to ensure that it cares about the students and ensure their safety: open up workshops and counselling centres, do whatever they can to ensure that their safety is a number-one concern,” she said. “Often, they'll just put out a nothing statement, saying, 'This doesn't conform with the values of our university,' and they do nothing to support the students."
Brooks, who travels to colleges around the country educating students and faculty on white supremacy, added: "I want to continue to talk about how we can and should push back against the recruitment of white supremacists on college campuses. I want to educate students and prepare and train them in the tradition of the non-violent civil rights movement. That's what we hope to do through our campus groups, too. It's important that people stand up and that they do it non-violently."
So, that’s where we are: Posting a flyer calling Black people monkeys is “protected” freedom of expression but clearly “abhorrent.” Students have become “overly sensitive” and “PC” in their hostility toward speakers who despise their very humanity. And universities, while making a valiant effort, by many accounts are still not forceful enough in their actions against those who try to force their white supremacists beliefs on institutions of learning.
Paoletto said that she has at least five friends who have wanted to drop out of Cal Poly or transfer to another school because of the racism on campus and the administration's non-response — herself included. "It makes it hard to concentrate on school and enjoy your college experience when you are constantly made to feel out of place and unwelcome, no matter how deserving you are to be there, too."
Meme culture has completely transformed the internet, from demystifying mental health to commenting on the politics of our time. Memes allow online users to tackle difficult topics with humour, creativity and customisation. A lot of the time, memes become popular by making someone else the punchline, but teenagers and millennials are challenging that with 'wholesome' memes trending on Instagram. Under the hashtags #wholesomememes (152,000 posts and counting) and #purememes (16,000 posts), young people are sharing supportive, kind messages with each other.
The UK-based Instagram users @loveandattention and @loveandwholesome use videos and images covered in heart emoji to share positive messages with their followers, reminding them that everyone deserves love. In the US, users @wholesomememes and @wholesome_memes_ post content with animals and cartoons which looks fluffy but also promotes positive mental health messages, mutual respect and friendship. With conversations about kindness, tolerance and self-care trending both on and offline, we're liking that wholesome memes are going viral.
Here are some of our favourite #wholesomememes to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside...
In 2015, hip hop artist Nas told TheNew York Times: “Your coming of age is about representing who you are, and hip-hop music contains a message — it tells a story about who you are — and what you wear is also proof of it.” For rappers, this idea of “making it” has seemingly always equated to a flashy lifestyle. The story of who they are is just as outward facing as it is inward — and you better believe it’s shiny. That might be why most rap songs feature braggadocios lyrics with obvious and repeated references to how much money rappers have, how big their chains are (and who’s wearing them), and how fly their gear is. It’s almost as if you can’t rap the part if you don’t look rich enough to play the part. But what exactly does “rich” look like?
Photo: Jordi Vidal/Getty Images.
For male rappers, gold chains have become a sign of newfound wealth. First, there was Big Daddy Kane, who made the necklace the status symbol it is today. Years later, Jay Z would give rappers who signed to his label “Roc-A-Fella” chains; Kanye West would take us through his materialistic urges in “All Falls Down,” rapping about how he went to Jacob the Jeweler before purchasing a home; and Big Sean would offer some insight as to why this particular accessory is so important to an artist once they become successful. In an interview with GQ, he said: “I worked hard as hell for it, you what I’m saying? Man, all them times I had to sleep on the floor. Didn’t have money for gas. I couldn’t afford McDonald’s. Like those times...that’s why it means so much to me to able to do that type of stuff for myself.”
Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images.
Rap’s earliest female pioneers had a similar chain reaction, embracing an aesthetic that looked just like that of their male counterparts. Roxanne Shante pulled her hair out of her face and into a high ponytail, pairing her oversized denim jacket with bamboo earrings; MC Lyte and Queen Latifah favoured extra-large jeans, snapback hats, tracksuits, and sneakers; Salt-N-Pepa rapped in coordinated streetwear looks. Even Missy Elliott sported expensive sneakers and piled-on the jewellery — not because they were status symbols for women, but because in order for women to have their craft taken seriously, they needed to take their bodies off display.
But for female artists today, the proof of finally feeling liberated, paid, and sexy looks pretty different: Their “get money” outfits no longer consist of hoodies and grills, but are instead comprised of luxurious furs and neon-bright colours first popularised by Kimberly Jones, also known as Lil’ Kim.
Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Lil’ Kim challenged the idea that a woman had to dress like a man in order to be taken seriously as a rapper. Though Jones rose to popularity working with both Notorious BIG and her rap group Junior M.A.F.I.A, it was her debut album Hardcore that cemented her as a force, vocally and visually. To date, some of her most iconic looks can be seen in her “Crush On You” video, which featured the 4’11” rapper decked out in designer goods that match the colours of the various scenes in the video. Today, you’d recognise her influence the minute you see it — and once an artist chooses to channel Lil’ Kim, it signals that she is ready to own her power. She has arrived.
Photo: KMazur/WireImage.
In 2015, Rihanna channeled Lil’ Kim at the iHeartRadio Awards for the first televised performance of “Bitch Better Have My Money” wearing a green fur coat with matching thigh-high boots and sunglasses. (It makes sense Rihanna would pay homage to Lil’ Kim while singing about being paid her due). As critic Doreen St. Félix wrote for Pitchfork: “The Black girl flaunting money is ratchet, the Black girl with money bankrolled her way there through sex, therefore the black girl with money does not properly own it. Since the racist and the sexist are also by definition prudes, this Black girl of their fantasy, no matter how tall her money, can never signify wealth, a sort of class ascendance that has as much to do with politesse in gender roles as it does one’s stock profile.” Trends once considered “hood” — wearing too much lipgloss, brightly-coloured fur, heavily-logo’d clothing — are now mainstream. But for Black women, it was validating to see Lil’ Kim flaunt not just these trends, but her sexuality and wealth, on a global stage.
In October, Beyoncé stopped the world — and most of the Internet — when she posted photos of herself dressed up as Lil’ Kim for Halloween. Like Rihanna, the timing was definitely not coincidental: Since the release of Lemonade, Beyoncé has arguably become more vocal about sociopolitical topics like white supremacy and misogynoir (misogyny towards Black women). Lil’ Kim is someone who owned her sexuality through her clothing and body language long before it was a mainstream occurrence for Black women — and perhaps she’s inspired Beyoncé to do the same.
Like Lil’ Kim’s “Crush On You,” Cardi B’s “Bartier Cardi,” which was released on Monday, was the second single off her debut rap album. Though Cardi B has always owned her sexuality, her latest video shows the rapper reaching new heights visually, thanks to photographer Petra Collins. Patientce Foster, who co-creative directed the music video, tells Refinery29 the aesthetic shift began with the Love and Hip Hop alum’s appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the night before the song came out. “In December, Cardi expressed that she wants to explore different looks and be more creative,” she said. Her styling team, including Kollin Carter, decided to focus on the '70s. Foster explains that while Cardi loves Lil’ Kim’s style, the Bronx native is looking to express herself in her own individual way. The fact that there is now more than one way for a female rapper to dress and still be taken seriously shows Lil’ Kim’s impact. And now that Cardi B can “walk it like she talks it,” she was more than willing to glide through the door Lil' Kim kicked down in designer heels.
But that’s the beauty of Cardi B and what she represents to her fans. She isn’t afraid to be sexy or talk about her money, and each happen on her own terms. We have yet to see a woman of color demand more and be frank in her struggle to do so. Cardi B has taken Lil’ Kim’s promise to flaunt sexuality and further broken down the stigma of what it means to unabashedly work to be successful. She’s honest about busting her ass to be able to afford certain shoes, and the luxury of how she presents her body — even her plastic surgeries (transparency we have yet to see from Lil’ Kim). Mastering the strip club as a dancer (a culture within itself often moving hip hop forward), helped Cardi B learn to negotiate, not just the terms of her body, but her sexuality.
“Where she’s from, when girls are ready to get dressed up that’s what you wear,” Carter told Billboard in September. “And in real life, ‘Bodak Yellow’ blew up, she wore red bottoms because that’s what it means to make it in the Bronx. It’s a status symbol that the masses can relate to; everyday girls work hard and save up their money to have that shoe. Cardi did the same.”
So when we see Cardi B dripping in diamonds, vintage Dior red fur, and super-glam makeup that could rival Lil’ Kim in her prime, we know it signifies a woman who is even more sure of who she is and where she is headed. And in doing so, she’s inspiring a generation of regular, degular, shmegular girls — all probably wearing Fashion Nova — to get “schmoney” too.
The shift in seasons means change in more ways than one. Now that spring has officially sprung, we’re tucking our 40 denier tights away at the back of the drawer and switching our morning flat white for an iced latte. Just like you wouldn’t want to step out in a big teddy coat on a fine spring day, your skin needs to be treated a little differently in the warmer months. The longer days and balmier evenings mean festivals, after-work Pimm's and more BBQs than you can shake a skewer at – but that also means more sun exposure, humidity and the only greens you’re getting being the cucumber in that Pimm's.
It’s all about making subtle tweaks to tailor your routine to your skin’s needs. Want to know more? Click through to see our five must-try products to get your skin ready for spring…
The skin around your eyes is the thinnest on your whole body, so you need to be extra careful when applying products. It’s just as susceptible to burning and UV damage as the rest of you, so add this concealing and sun-shielding hybrid into your routine, stat. With high protection against the sun’s rays and vitamin C to minimise the appearance of dark circles, it’s the perfect spring skincare swap.
The mercury rising makes you want to have as little on your face as possible. Want to perfect that no-makeup-makeup look? A smooth canvas is the best place to start. Buff a little bit of this gentle scrub onto a damp face before applying your hydrator (see next slide) to remove any dead skin cells or impurities lingering post-cleanse. Not only will it slough away any debris, it’ll kickstart your cell turnover for brighter, clearer skin.
Spring is a funny old time for your skin. Between the sudden super warm days and the odd chilly breeze (or dare we say, drop of rain), your skin has a lot of switching it up to do. That’s the beauty of Clinique's new Moisture Surge 72-Hour Hydrator: as well as the caffeine and activated aloe water, it uses hyaluronic acid to bind in moisture and keep it there, without feeling heavy or sticky. Hyaluronic acid is naturally found in the body and can hold 1,000 times its own weight in water, but few of us produce enough of it to have skin as soft as we want. The HA fused into this lightweight gel makes it ideal to use before makeup, as a mask, or even lightly dabbed over makeup for a quick refresh. Tired, dehydrated 4pm face? Not anymore. Pop one in your holiday bag to use on your cuticles and keep your hair frizz-free, too.
You should be wearing sunscreen all year round (just because it’s not hot, doesn’t mean UV rays aren’t still reaching you and causing damage), but it’s all the more important to wear it consistently when you’re outdoors. Choose something super lightweight like this fluid and avoid that uncomfortable ‘sticky-face’ feeling. With low viscosity but high sun protection, this is an ideal companion to the upcoming warmer days.
Balmy spring days and radiant skin go together like strawberries and cream. Give yourself a natural-looking glow with this organic coconut oil-based highlighter. Suitable for all skin tones, the creamy texture melts into skin and beautifully reflects hazy sunshine for a lit-from-within glow. Dot all over the high points of your face (cheekbones, tip of nose, Cupid’s bow, temples) and blend with fingers.
Listening to Adwoa Aboah talk about feeling lost in the world reminds you that not even supermodels who've appeared on the cover of Vogue are immune to insecurity. The only real difference is that some of them are in a unique position to help other people overcome theirs. As the founder of the nonprofit Gurls Talk, an online community that encourages discussion of tough topics like sexuality, mental health, and body acceptance, Aboah hasn't shied away from taking on new responsibilities as a powerful voice representing young women everywhere.
When we sat down to chat with the model and activist about her brand-new beauty gig as the face of Giorgio Armani's Sì Passione fragrance campaign, Aboah emphasised how important it is to be honest, and to surround yourself with a tribe of women who share those values. Yes, the British Fashion Council might have crowned her Model of the Year, but she's also here to help other women show up for each other when it's most important — and battle the occasional breakout. She's only human, after all.
The fashion industry still has a long way to go, but it's more inclusive and progressive than ever. Is that something you noticed backstage during Fashion Week?
"There was actually an amazing energy backstage this year. I was really happy to see that there were some amazing women of colour doing hair backstage who really understood how to style natural hair. It's always been something I thought the industry lacks. When I had hair, there were none."
Did you see a more accurate representation of women on the runway, too?
"The diversity on the runway was actually amazing. It was actually really good. There are some great models coming up who were doing lots of different shows. The industry is really listening to everyone who is speaking out and everything happening regarding inclusivity. That also includes sexual assault in the industry, and really wanting to pave the way for models' voices. I think people in the industry understand the power they have and that they have to use it for some good."
Speaking of women in the industry, do you feel like there's a good sense of mentorship within it?
"I'm definitely like the model mom to a few girls in the industry. Chanel [Iman], she's amazing, and Slick [Woods], who has called me her fairy godmother since we first met. But all of them are my sisters. There is definitely a bond I have with other models of colour because we're in this together. We know how hard we've had to work to get to this place, so we support each other. I've been mentored, too. Not necessarily by other models, but definitely by photographers, designers, and stylists."
I fall into moments of insecurity when I feel completely unsure of the path I've taken. That's just what being a human is.
A lot of your campaigns give you a powerful platform to use your voice. Does that attract you to certain partnerships in your career?
"Completely! It's something my team and I take into account when we choose what work to do or what kind of job fits best with everything else I do, like Gurls Talk. I advocate for those things. All the work I do within the industry shouldn't contradict what I do outside of it. I'm very lucky to be at a point in my career that everything I speak about is being celebrated and I'm being celebrated as a person who stays true to themselves. With most of the campaigns I do, like this one with Armani or [as a face of] Revlon, I've kept true to myself. And that's something the client and the photographers also want."
Speaking of Gurls Talk, what's one conversation that consistently comes up within the community?
"The recurring question we talk about is, 'Am I good enough?' I think that filters into everything you do in your life, like your career, love, friendships... It's just part of being young and lost. We have amazing people at Gurls Talk who advocate confidence and pave the way in the community to make sure that everyone is getting to a place where they have more self-love. And we're really honest. I'm not always there, in that place. There's more work I can do on myself. I fall into moments of insecurity when I feel completely unsure of the path I've taken. That's just what being a human is. It's a valid feeling."
Aisde from Gurls Talk, where is the one place in the world you feel most beautiful?
"I go to Kenya a lot with my family. That's a place where I feel really at peace and healthy. It's also where I eat well and sleep a lot!"
I can imagine you travel a lot...
"Yes, which kills your skin. I'm militant with my skin-care routine and that's why it's so annoying when my skin is bad. I was talking to one of my girlfriends last night and we were saying how well we take care of our skin. I'm quite an anxious and sensitive human being, and I think that when I'm feeling those emotions it comes out in my skin. It's something I'm just having to deal with."
Welcome toMoney Diaries, where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking a cross-section of women how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period – and we're tracking every last penny.
This week we're with a woman who works in retail while looking after 3-year-old twins on her own. Despite the excitement payday brings, she often finds herself paying off last month's debts before she gets a chance to plan the following month. However, with a potential new job on the horizon, things might be about to change...
Industry: Merchandising assistant in retail Age: 24 Location: Bedfordshire Salary: £19,828 Paycheque amount: After income tax (£125), National Insurance pension scheme (£105.84), and attachment of earnings for my council tax (£101) I am left with £1,178.14 of my work salary. I also get child benefits of £34.40 weekly, and child tax credits monthly, which is now reduced down to £396. In all that's £1,711.74 a month. Number of housemates: Two (3-year-old twins)
Monthly Expenses
Housing costs: For my two-bedroom flat I now contribute £263.74 in rent as I get £45.54 housing benefit based on my salary. Because of my council tax arrears for previous years, they have given me an attachment of earnings, which gets deducted prior to me seeing my wages. Loan payments: When I was offered my flat it came unfurnished, and so I had to buy furniture and decorate myself, which I am still doing three years on. I took out a hire purchase for a dining table and chairs which I so needed. I'm now repaying £98.51 per month. My very first car broke down at the end of last year, and so I was basically forced to get a new one in order to get to work and travel with the kids. That car was also on hire purchase, costing me £150.16 per month. Plus my car insurance has increased, because it's a newish car. I can't afford to change providers so I'm stuck paying £205.16 per month. Utilities: I try and stick to a weekly budget to get by. That means spending approximately £160 on food shopping monthly, £80 on gas and electric, £35.50 for my internet and TV. My TV licence is £12.25, and my water bill is £30.18. Transportation: I spend approximately £200 as I drive to work. Phone bill: £16.10 as I only pay for my sim card. Savings? I have been aiming to put aside £100-200 monthly leading up to my holiday to South East Asia. It hasn't been going so well. I slightly regret having booked my holiday, but it was prior to me being made aware of some of the changes to bills I am now having to budget for since working full-time. Other? When I was previously on benefits they overpaid me. I don't know how they managed to do that, but now I am having to pay £25 per month until it gets paid off for the next year. Bank overdraft £50 per month.
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Day One
00.00: Yay! It's payday. I don’t waste any time and check my account online to see it says £30. Which means I have to wait a couple more hours to see my wages go in. I feel it comes in at different times each time. I owe my mum some money and want to pay her straightaway, because I know she'll be on my case if I leave it later in the day. It's nice to see a few numbers in my account prior to spending it all.
5am: I wake up. I get the kids dressed and drop them off at nursery. I have a job interview today, so I'm really nervous.
9.30am: Time is tight as I leave home. My interview is at 12. I decide to walk to the station as it is only a 15-minute walk, and I book a return train ticket, which costs me £15.80. My railcard expired a few weeks ago, and I am not going to take the chance using it. I check my account and realise that an automatic payment has come out for my dining table £48.92. I pay my mum £54 that I owe her for a top-up food shop and petrol money to get to work from the week before.
10.15am: I get into St. Pancras and head to the Underground, trying my hardest to calm my nerves with some positive self-talk in my head. I decide to use my debit card instead of my Oyster because the queue is too long (£4.25 return). I badly want this job and I find a café near London Bridge to go over my notes, which I know is going to cost me but I think I might as well treat myself to a nice cup of tea and a sandwich, seeing as I have come this far. I buy a fennel and mint tea – meant to have calming effects, right? And a basic ham and cheese sandwich that sets me back £4.30 in total.
12.40pm: Interview over. I don’t know how to feel about it; I said as much as I possibly could. I'm not a regular smoker but a cigarette is so needed, so I find a corner to call my mum and have a quick smoke. Then I head off back home, with enough time to wash the dishes and pick up the kids from nursery.
4.30pm: On my way to my mum's house I buy some cod bites and chips in the local chip shop that makes the freshest chips ever! You have to always get there before the Friday night rush (£6.75). It’s only after I eat it that I think about all the things I could have bought with that to make a decent meal at home, and have leftovers for the weekend. But I convince myself that the treat was needed as it is Friday and payday! I get to my mum's and also pay my sister the £30 I borrowed from her to go out the weekend before. I feel irritated because the money I get is basically going back into paying past weeks of borrowing or struggling. I can never win! I contemplate going to the shop to buy a scratchcard but talk myself out of it as I don’t want to make it a habit, just because I won £15 a few weeks ago.
6pm: I head to Asda and buy a few snacks and breakfast foods for the kids and I for the weekend. I spend £6.60 in total. I try my hardest to be tight, as I plan to do a food shop in Lidl tomorrow that needs to last me for the next two weeks until I get my child tax credits. For the rest of the evening, I chill on my mum's sofa, scrolling through Netflix and falling asleep on the sofa.
Total: £170.62
Day Two
6.30am: It's a Saturday and I still get woken up at crazy hours by the kids begging me to make them some cereal and put some cartoons on. Once I do that, I go back to sleep – I have learned to be a very light sleeper around them as they like to fight over toys and sometimes I need to be the mediator. I get out of bed at 8am with a cup of tea and get on my laptop to organise my finances and what bills need to come out of my pay before I get carried away. I book my one-way train ticket to the airport for my holiday to South East Asia. I have more than four weeks to go, but while I have the money I specifically set aside to do this, I need to get it now. With no railcard it costs me £28. I return to a different airport and plan to take a coach home. I will book that at a later time. I consider travel insurance but decide to leave it. Perhaps I will do this closer to the time. I pay my rent which costs me £283.74 (£263.74 included in monthly budget) as I shorted my rent payment last month by £20 so I have to make it up this time.
12pm: I get the kids and myself dressed as I need to go into town to get a few bits and bobs. I end up spending £20.19 in Superdrug although I get £1 off using my store card. I only planned to get a body lotion, then realised I needed to top up on some makeup. Why is makeup so expensive? I don't wear it often. I go into Poundland to buy some more bits, and spend £5. Parking for an hour costs me £1.50.
1.20pm: Food shopping is now needed before I head home. Whatever I spend I need to make stretch for the next two weeks. And so I set up a shopping list in my head, and end up spending £20.20 in Lidl. I love shopping there. You get so much with so little. I buy food for the kids, as well as packed lunch bits that I need to force myself to get through rather than buying lunch at work.
2pm: The kids are super tired, and although I wanted to take them to the library after shopping, I’m also very tired. I desperately need my car washed though as I haven't done so since I got it in January, which is disgusting! I can't afford to but to spend another month or more with a dirty car is going to drive me crazy. So I bite my tongue and pay £13 to get a service at a carwash near my house. They do a BASIC job! I don't even get those smelly things that hang over your rearview mirror. I knew I should have gone to the carwash I regularly go to, and paid more. That's what I get for not being loyal!
3.30pm: I get home, make something to eat for us, and jump into bed, leaving the kids to play and make a mess for me to deal with tomorrow or whenever I have the energy. There's dishes piling up in the sink, and washing to do. I remember I forgot to top up my gas and electric, which are both on emergency. I remind myself to do it the following day, as I know it will last until then. Hopefully!
Total: £107.89
Day Three
7am: Another early start where I get woken up by the kids. They are in my bed this time, as they both snuck in at different times during the night. There are repeated requests to make tea and cereal. I do this, and head back to bed once again, scrolling through my phone. I am too exhausted to go to church, and stay in bed a little longer, then eventually make a cup of tea and some cereal for myself.
9am: I decide I need to go through my wardrobe and plan my outfits for my trip to South East Asia as I cannot afford to buy a whole new holiday wardrobe, and so I am having to mix and match – the old with the semi-new! I spend the next couple of hours trying outfits on, listening to music, playing with the kids, and tidying up. I am the queen of multitasking!
11am: We get hungry and I need to wash some clothes, so I head to the shops to top up my gas and electric. £20 on gas and £15 on electric should hopefully last me. While in the store with the kids they spot the baking section and start demanding I buy Paw Patrol cupcakes, or the pancake mix. Never go to a shop on an empty stomach; I easily give in although I realise I don't have eggs at home so have to get them too – additional expense. I also need bicarbonate soda to clean my Converse (I watched a YouTube video that recommended it). I also pick up a big bar of chocolate that I know I will be craving later in the day. I spend a total of £5.
11.30am: I get home, and put aside £200 I took out of the cashpoint. This is to go towards my spending money for my holiday. I promise myself not to go into it until I am ready to exchange the money (included under "savings" in my monthly budget).
Total: £40
Day Four
5am: I hate Monday mornings! I get up and put the heating on and make a cup of tea while contemplating whether I should really be going to work when I feel this exhausted.
6.15am: I get the kids up, make their cereal and get them dressed; we leave the house for me to drop them to nursery and hopefully get to work on time.
12pm: At lunchtime, I go to my staff shop and purchase some bits for the kids that includes a little educational animal game of snap. Total spend £2.
4pm: I finish work and head straight to the petrol station to top up. The child benefit money I get every week on a Monday is my petrol money pretty much for the week, so I decide £25 will fill the remaining tank, and I will have £9 left to top up if need be.
5pm: I pick up the kids from nursery and head home.
Total: £27
Day Five
5.30am: I wake up, and take my time to get dressed.
6am: Get the kids dressed and leave.
7.30am: McDonald's breakfast is so needed. I get up so early, I never feel to eat anything while at home. But I drive past McDonald's every morning on my way to work, and this morning I am starving. I really can't help myself and get a breakfast wrap with brown sauce (£3.69). I get to work dead on time!
4pm: I feel like I'm making a habit of McDonald's; I order a large chips and mayo chicken burger (£2.39) before I go pick up the kids.
5pm: I receive a call from the company I had an interview with on Friday. I got through to the second stage! I am ecstatic, but also nervous all over again. I need to find a new interview outfit!
7.30pm: This evening I have a session at (public speaking initiative) Toastmasters. It's very random for me but I am always working to personally develop myself, and this had been on my list of things to accomplish in 2018. This is the second session I will attend and I'm really trying to get the feel for it. I pay £1.50 for parking in the shopping centre car park, and then realise that the session is cancelled last-minute. I left the kids with my mum, so I just decide to head home and enjoy a night of peace and quiet.
Total: £7.58
Day Six
5.45am: I wake up and start all over again. Minus getting the kids dressed and dropping them off.
12.30pm: I don't want to eat my Thai carrot and sweet potato soup that I bought from Lidl for lunch. I had it yesterday, and it was so thick it could have passed as some sort of porridge. I instead buy a pasta dish that sets me back £1.95. It has no flavour, but is still better than the soup I brought in.
5.30pm: On my way to pick up the kids at my mum's house, I head to Asda. I didn't want to buy Easter eggs last weekend, as they would have been eaten by now – by me. But I wish I had gone earlier in the week, as there are only the crap ones left. I buy one each for the kids, one for my sister and brother, and of course one for myself. It costs me £9.
Total: £10.95
Day Seven
5am: My alarm goes off and I shut it down, only to wake up at 6 panicking! I have half a day at work, so it'll look very bad if I turn up super late. I get dressed, get the kids dressed and drop them off to nursery. I am so happy I am no longer having to buy nappies. They are fully potty trained but I have to pack extra clothes in their backpacks for potential wet clothes to wash.
8.20am: I get to work. Twenty minutes late isn't too bad. My boss doesn't notice. I check my account and realise because it's Bank Holiday Monday coming up I got my child benefit money early.
12.30pm: I leave work, and as I have lots of time before I pick up the kids from nursery and head to our dentist appointment, I decide to go to the shopping centre and find an interview outfit. I spend about an hour trying on potential looks, and decide to go with a nice blouse and tailored pants. On the day I will decide whether heels are necessary or not. I had £8 in Zara vouchers so that goes towards this, leaving me £37.30 to pay. Parking costs me £1.50.
3.15pm: I'm super hungry and I haven't eaten all day. I pick up the kids from nursery and the only thing I can think to eat is a quick McDonald's on my way to the dentist. I decide to order 20 nuggets to share with the kids (£3.99). This fills the gap for a little bit until I get home and make something for dinner.
4pm: The dentist comes to the conclusion that one of my teeth needs a slight filling, and so there and then I consent to her operating because I have never had to pay before for any treatment as my income has never been high enough to not come under the NHS. I get to the reception to hand over my notes, and the receptionist tells me I have to pay for the treatment as I have no NHS exemption code. If I decide not to pay and I can't provide the exemption code I get a £100 fine on top of the £20.60 treatment cost! To save myself the added stress, I pay the money. I did not see this coming, and now I've spent additional money saved for whatever expenses I have left to pay for the month. It's a joke! You just can't win when you're trying to make ends meet, provide for your family and still be able to have a little treat here and there.
It might not be rosé season quite yet, but that same shade of cool pink is more popular than ever. In fact, rosé hair — the universally-flattering shade of rose gold colour that dominated last summer — never really went away. From top salons in London, to the hair pros leading the way in Hollywood, pink hair has never been more popular. But according to Riawna Capri, co-owner and hairstylist at L.A.'s Nine Zero One, that's all about to change.
"People want something different, but still similar to rose gold," Capri tells Refinery29. "That’s how peach began trending." While both colours are rooted in pink, Sharon Dorram, master colourist at Sally Hershberger salon in NYC, explains that peach hair adds depth and dimension to the rosé trend.
Capri confirms that the peach hair trend is here for the long haul and you'll see it on everyone very soon — especially during the height of festival season this summer. So, with Coachella upon us, we've rounded up the coolest peach hair colours we spotted on Instagram lately. Even better, we tapped the coolest hair colour experts — Capri, Dorram, and Rita Hazan — to tell you how you can master summer's biggest hair trend.
The first, and most important thing to know? There isn't one shade of peach to settle on — there's a whole spectrum to pick from. Capri says that you have to find the right variation of the color to make it really great, like Paris Jackson's subtle pastel tint that flatters her warmer skin tone.
Capri says that, for a long time, clients were more obsessed with ashy and cool-tone hair colours, but now, many have shifted to something warmer. Translation: Your stylist should tone your 'do to flatter your unique skin tone.
"This colour is fresh, new, and super flattering," Dorram says. "It gives warmth to the skin and I really love the effect it can have on someone."
Like any rainbow colour, you should expect high-maintenance upkeep if you want to keep your shade vibrant...
However, it also looks beautiful when fading, so don't be afraid to lay off the bottle if your hair gets damaged or dry.
"A pastel peach will gradually fade out of the hair," Capri confirms. "You may find yourself going back to the salon within a few weeks to have the colour reapplied depending on how often you shampoo and your daily activities."
The process to achieve your customised shade of peach all depends on your base colour. Capri explains that brunettes will have to pre-lighten their hair to something that will hold the peach shade, like a pale yellow. Those who are naturally blond can go straight for the colour.
It's important to have realistic expectations if you are starting with dark hair. Hazan, who is Beyoncé's colourist, says that brunettes might end up with a richer shade of orange, while natural blonds can rock a pastel variation with less damage. Her one warning for brunettes: That platinum-meets-peach colour takes time — so be patient!
Hazan adds that darker skin tones should ask for a peach that makes their complexion pop. To achieve this, she suggests asking for a mix of coral and strawberry tones, which will yield a bright orange-pink.
Fair skin? You might want to gravitate towards peach with orange and red undertones instead.
The most important thing to remember is to do your research. "Always show your stylist a few different inspiration photos of hair that you like!" Capri explains. "This will help to narrow down any miscommunication between you and your stylist."
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
If #MeToo has taught us anything, it’s that we could all benefit from some reflection. Hollywood’s recent reckoning has presented some hard-to-stomach realisations about the entertainment industry, both for the fans who consume it, as well as the actors who were a part of it. In an essay for The New Yorker, Molly Ringwald confesses that it’s caused her to examine her own body of work, in particular the iconic movies she’s made with director John Hughes. While films like Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club are lauded as groundbreakers for telling adolescent stories, there are a few scenes that, in light of #MeToo, teach some pretty problematic behaviour.
“As I can see now, Bender sexually harasses Claire throughout the film,” Ringwald wrote, referencing the scene in The Breakfast Club when it’s implied Bender (Judd Nelson) sexually assaults Claire (Ringwald) under the table. “When he’s not sexualising her, he takes out his rage on her with vicious contempt, calling her ‘pathetic,’ mocking her as ‘Queenie.’ It’s rejection that inspires his vitriol.”
There’s also the uncomfortable plotline in Sixteen Candles when the Geek (Anthony Michael Hall) makes a bet that he can hook up with the popular girl, Caroline (Haviland Morris), and Jake (Michael Schoeffling) hands a drunk Caroline over to him like he’s delivering a package in exchange for Samantha’s underwear. Caroline and the Geek wake up the next day, and the two don’t remember what went down between them, but Caroline has “a weird feeling” she enjoyed it.
“She had to have a feeling about it, rather than a thought, because thoughts are things we have when we are conscious, and she wasn’t,” Ringwald writes.
The actress who played Caroline, Haviland Morris, spoke to Ringwald about that plotline recently, and doesn’t feel it was “black and white.” However, it certainly wouldn’t be accepted today. While women still suffer alleged abuse at the hands of people like Harvey Weinstein, it’s no longer acceptable to, at least outwardly, depict women as currency. It’s progress of the most depressing kind.
#MeToo is not about sucking out the enjoyment from the movies and TV we used to love. Rather, it’s about realisations like this, about no longer complicitly consuming content that belittles women and perpetuates rape culture. We can watch something from the past and distinguish what’s okay and what isn’t. We can’t change the past, but we can do better in the future. That’s kind of the point.
With ever more burlesque and strip clubs opening around the UK, exotic dancing has seen something of a reinvention in recent years.
Pole dancing classes have been embraced in many cities as an alternative to the usual workouts – Pilates, yoga or spinning. The connotations are positive and wholesome: gain body confidence, get fitter and healthier, feel sexier.
While there are many for whom exotic dancing continues to have a sinister side – women often turn to this industry when they find themselves in financial trouble, out of options and lacking support – there are others who choose to make it their profession, citing benefits like flexibility, fitness, and high earning potential.
We speak to one exotic dancer to find out the ups and downs of the job, from clients to hours and pay.
How long have you worked as an exotic dancer? Since October 2009.
How and why did you start working in this industry? When I moved from Europe to the US in 1998 I started working as a fitness instructor, teaching mainly yoga and Pilates. In 2005, interested in pole dancing, I took classes. I was later trained to teach pole. Then in 2008 the economy took a hard hit. My family was struggling financially so my husband and I decided to stake out some high-end strip clubs. I thought I had all the skill and training to take matters into my own hands and bring in enough money for us to live more comfortably. We did a lot of research and after an audition at a fully nude club, I started working there. Little did I know that dancing was just about 30% of the job.
What are the best things about the job? The best thing about dancing is just being able to express yourself. With every stage I take or every private dance I do, I get the chance to make my audience feel. I can touch people, bring them to life, wake hidden desires. This applies to men as well as women (the club I work at has a mixed clientele – men, women, couples). The other thing I really like about dancing is that I choose who I talk to, who I spend time with, or who I dance privately for. At the club that I work at there's no pressure from management to ask for private dances if I don't want to.
Do you dance full-time? Since I work during the day as a fitness instructor (as well as a dog behaviourist and nutritionist), I only dance part-time. About 1-2 nights a week. I wish I could pull off more night shifts.
What are the worst things about the job? Dancing is like a love-hate relationship. It’s a tough profession. We dancers are often the punching bag of society. People go to the strip clubs to let loose, to be who they cannot be outside of the club, to get their fix, or to get a half-naked therapist. Often without even thinking that, as dancers, we’re at work and should be appropriately reimbursed for the time we spend with a customer, the advice we give, our patience. A lot of customers feel entitled and think we’re just horny pole dancers who want to go home with them when our shift is over. But we’re not. We are entertainers, sensual dancers. Often we are seen as sexually open-minded, casual dates.
Have you been treated badly while working as a dancer? I cannot remember a single shift where I did not have an unpleasant or ‘challenging’ experience. I think it's the nature of the profession. Although the law protects us and it’s illegal to touch us dancers, nobody really follows the law. We get groped, slapped on the derrière, people say inappropriate things all the time... When you remind customers that they cannot touch you, it’ll be blamed on you: "I thought you wanted me to slap your ass.” In the mind of the customers it's your fault if you're violated. And it's not just men who grope us. Women do it too. You have to grow a thick skin, and you have to learn how to protect yourself. When you get violated as an exotic dancer it's as if it’s your own fault because you’ve chosen this profession and you're asking for it, wearing skimpy clothes and walking around in sexy lingerie. The world differentiates between regular women and strippers. So if anything bad happens to a stripper it's her own fault. Meanwhile, we’re all just women trying to make a buck, trying to feed our kids, helping our families to live better lives, pay our way through college... But society doesn't see it that way.
Where do you dance and how long have you worked there? I currently work at a wonderful bikini bar in the heart of Hollywood. I've been dancing at the club for over three years now. It's a fantastic place to work.
Are you friendly with other female dancers? I can't say that I am friends with my co-dancers. There are always a few girls you like and respect. In general I don't hang out with any of the girls outside of the club. And I don't share much about myself since it can always be used against you later. You can’t show any weakness in front of your co-strippers – especially not if you're a good dancer and they feel you're a threat.
Do you have to stay in exceptionally good shape for this job? The job does require a basic level of fitness in order to be able to perform multiple sets on stage throughout a 6-8 hour shift. Dance is physically demanding. It’s beneficial to live a healthy lifestyle and be mindful so you can last in this profession. I’ve never been on a diet, as such. I believe in a clean, healthy lifestyle. But so many dancers do diet and the yo-yo effect is often obvious. In some clubs dancers would be weighed and fired if they gained too much weight. We dancers are very aware of the fact that our bodies are our insurance and we need to look as good as possible.
What is the desirable physique for an exotic dancer? There's a girl for every guy. Some guys like thicker girls, big butts, small boobs, big boobs, small butts, tiny girls... Everything goes. I think what's most attractive to a man is a woman who is comfortable in her own skin and with her sexuality – maybe even in love with herself. A woman like this is a magnet.
What are your hours like? I work from 8pm to 2am.
What is the pay like? I love that you're asking me this question. There's no pay! Stripping is like gambling. You can hit the jackpot or go empty-handed. You can lose money too. Every club charges a house fee – every dancer pays to work there. Most clubs take a certain amount of money per lap dance you do. And then, at the end of the shift you have to tip out. Most of the time the DJ gets 10-20% of what you made. Bouncer/s get between 5-10% from what you have earned. In some clubs you have to tip the bartenders and manager as well. Depending on where you work you can leave up to 60% of what you earned to the club and the people you're supposed to tip. We do not get an hourly wage. We are independent contractors who work for tips and make money by doing dances. It’s rude when people come to the strip club to enjoy a ’free’ show to grab a cold beer. They should just go to their neighbourhood bar instead.
Do you ever think about quitting? I think about quitting every day – yet I also think about working an extra night per week. Stripping gives you insights you would never get, it keeps you on the edge, and can empower you. But it also exhausts you, makes you angry, hopeless, sad. Yet it pays to feed your family and allows you to do things like publishing books, rescuing dogs – or simply seeing a chiropractor to fix your jacked-up dancer’s body.
Is it competitive between female dancers? The competition between women is high. Other dancers can be like vultures. When it comes to money it gets cutthroat. You think that girl is your friend but next thing you know she’ll stab you in the back for $20. I think the strip club shows the true colours of humanity. On the other hand there's truly no competition. A guy either likes you, me or both of us.
Does your job affect your personal relationships? Without stripping I would not be who I am today. I was young, innocent, full of trust and romance. Then I started dancing… The insights I have gained about men, women, relationships, marriage are mind-blowing to me. I see humanity in a very different light now. I've grown up and learned to watch my back, not trust anybody. Yet I've become more compassionate. What I know has affected my relationship with my parents (in a very positive way), my sister, my closest family members and my friends. I've become more independent and strong. But deep down I am still a hopeless romantic. I still get hurt easily. I've become more realistic… I know today that men don't change.
Has dancing affected other jobs? I was fired from one of my fitness locations after it was revealed that I was working as a stripper. I was fired via voicemail and have never been allowed back to this location – not even as a sub teacher. They didn't even show me enough respect to tell me in person.
According to Deadline, Disney will be rebooting the classic 2000 romantic comedy High Fidelity as a gender-swapped TV series that will take on a more optimistic tone than the movie and its source material, the 1995 novel of the same name by Nick Hornby.
The idea of a woman playing the role of Rob Gordon, a jaded record store owner in Chicago who talks directly to the camera while recounting his top five breakups, had some corners of the internet pretty upset, including the original film's star, John Cusack.
Of course - they want to brand their thing with our thing- they’ll fuck it up ;) https://t.co/J1QTTocMTR
I think that was the point of it. He was a mess. And an upbeat version of it, is basically a misreading of what High Fidelity is. It’s like a PG Punisher movie. Or a funny The Bell Jar.
— This is my burner account (@azulgris27) April 7, 2018
I feel like people shouldn’t be allowed to reboot things if they clearly don’t understand the point of the source material.
And, to be honest, I understand some of the backlash. Instead of rebooting old movies with gender swapped roles (yes, this applies to you too, Steven Spielberg), why not greenlight original movies with original women characters as the lead? Movies like Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird, the Oscar-nominated Bridesmaids, and the Tracy Oliver-penned Girls Trip prove it is possible to gain critical and commercial success when making original women characters the centre of a film, and not simply the girlfriend or wife of the male protagonist.
But what I can’t understand is why people don’t want to see record owner and music expert Rob Gordon as Roberta Gordon. Someone who has the same interests and same smarts but with maybe just a little less self-loathing and cynicism in their heart? What would be the harm in positioning a woman as an expert in something as life-defining and ubiquitous as music, the soundtrack to our lives? Despite what most pop culture portrayals of nerds would have you think, some of the best music experts are women. Some of my favourites are Spotify’s Jessica Hopper, who worked at the Chicago Reader, Pitchfork, and MTV News, and Chicago-based writer Britt Julious, who has also written for the Chicago Tribune, Vice, and Vogue.
Unfortunately, I think the reason why people don’t want to see a woman touted as a music expert is because sexism is so ingrained in our society that any kind of expert, whether it’s regarding news, art, food, or music, is automatically assumed to be a man. And when anything comes along to buck that trend, even if it’s of a fictional character, it brings up that knee-jerk reaction of, “That’s not the way it’s supposed to be!”
In the 90-plus year history of Hollywood cinema, men have had the luxury of playing any and everything: heroes, villains, swashbuckling lotharios, lovelorn nerds who still end up finding companionship at the end of the movie. It’s been time for women to have the same opportunities to play those kind of wide-ranging roles.
