Honestly, as a gamer (though more former at this point due to a lack of time and tolerance) and knowing that culture, rape is exactly what my mind would have jumped to had I been the woman at that conference at E3. I think you need to at least skim over that linked article, because on top of the crap that the (big)…

Well, there is the equally off-putting original line of "I want to have your abortion" from Fight Club...

It's not the whole South, really, nor is it just the South. Population also plays a hand in it. If you go far north enough into small neighborhoods, then it's just as bad as small towns in the deep South. And some times you don't have to go that far to find it. You just have to look for the signs, because the North…

Exactly. It's Church logic, and it's completely backed by infallibility granted by God in the form of silly hats.

Yes, but how long have people been trying to do this in a Church that's how old now? The thing that makes it most problematic is where the Vatican's ruling effects people globally: the cover-ups with the molestation charges; the institutions they open up teaching that hate to a new generation, thus combating social…

The issue isn't being surprised. I'm sure as hell not as a recovering Catholic. But that doesn't at all make it ok that the Church moves so slowly, and those following the Catholic Church shouldn't support it the way they do. Which, in case you don't know, is by giving them money. Not just for services like baptisms…

Possibly not you directly, but there are many communities within the US that the Church has a lot of influence over the same way lobbyists do. AND the Pope dictates the whole tone that those of the Catholic faith believe and act upon, which will influence their votes. Outside of America, there are many places where…

History really shows that the only time big changes are even made is the church is with a schism. If you are still giving money to the Church and defending it, regardless of what you believe and say outside of your parish? You are still the problem. End point.

You do understand that the choosing of the new pope in no way involved the congregation, right? That was followed on the news? 'Cause if it wasn't, let's clear that up: the Vatican is not a democracy. Only the Cardinals pick who is Papa Fresh from their own pool of members, and no, they don't give a rats ass about the…

Yeah, I only hear my dad say that about the Vatican heads, and only when my not-very-progressive Catholic mother is well out of hearing.

Oh goodness, I don't think they'll pick an American or Canadian Pope any time this century. Too progressive on one end, too tied up with Protestant history and religious freedom on the other. And American cardinals and bishops are still just as guilty of the worst of it all as they are elsewhere, so the fact that ours…

I'm not angry, but I do have to question you as a recovering Catholic who watches the politics of the Church through her priest uncle: how aware of the actual workings of the Vatican hierarchy are you? The Catholic people have no say in what the Vatican actual does to formulate Church policy. The only way they can is…

Regrettably, this. The only way that the Catholic people can change the Vatican rule is to Martin Luther it and diminish their sway in the world by collectively leaving. And good luck with that.

Possibly even three or four, not counting bridesmaids. A friend of mine from high school recently got married and while she and her wife both wore gowns for the ceremony itself, she changed into a lady tux for the reception.

While I understand the frustration with the reactions coming out of the western culture lens, it's not at all ok to hand wave it. It's definitely more enforced with the girls, first off, and the strictness in the school system that you referencing is a small part of a bigger problem regarding the restrictions they put…

It all is rooted in an aspect of Japanese culture where you belong to a part of the whole. An entertainer doesn't only belong to their company, but to their supporters, so the apology needs to be made public. Because she's one of the founding members and most popular girls from AKB48, her position is considered very…

Idols often join because they want to do something else in entertainment and graduated idol groups are a good stepping stone for this, especially since idols tend to be recruited while in high school or their early university years. Members of the boy band Arashi, while still members, are also actors and models (Jun…

But if you weren't in Japan, you still can't apply those experiences abroad to what happened with Minegishi and makes mentioning that you've lived abroad completely irrelevant and pretentious. Someone who actually has observed or studied Japanese culture without once stepping out of American borders will have far more…

I went to a pretty decent school in suburban NY, and I only knew about this in high school because I read my mother's medical journals in lieu of never getting a proper birds and the bees talk and being incapable of staying awake for the Your Body and You films we had to watch. We learned evolution. We learned proper…

You'd be surprised. I attended a pretty decent school in my district, but if I didn't read my mother's medical journals in high school, I wouldn't have known this until college. I taught it to most of my friends who also didn't by drawing diagrams on a 2x4 during stage crew.