Thanks for sharing your story. It’s so important that people remember how recently women were forced into dependency, not just by social pressure but by systematic restrictions of agency. I’m glad you made it out the other side.

That is so wonderful. My first serious relationship was very abusive, and afterwards I repeated the pattern with a few short term terrible relationships. Finding sex partners who treated me well and were patient with me as I recovered from my past paved the way to finally enjoying my sexuality. I’m so happy for you…

Those fabricators with their comfort!

I was at an anti-Iraq War protest sometime around 2003 and for some reason there were anti-abortion counter protesters there with the big bloody signs. I don’t even remember their rationale for it, I guess they just turn up for anything.

I interpret “the one” as “the one person I choose to try and make permanent” vs. “Soul mate” would be “only one person in the whole wide world.” Would be psyched if the former happened, although I think it’s rarer than people think; definitely don’t buy the latter.

I have a friend who was a pilot and is also a dog owner — he never puts his dog on a plane and told me not to either. He said that along with the temperature issue, sometimes cargo holds just plain lose air pressure for short periods of time. Even if I end up taking a longer trip, I’d rather pay for a month of…

Ugh yes. I read about that with my dog snuggling up to me on the couch and I thought about how I worry about him even when he’s in our enclosed backyard. I would not survive a flight with him in any part of a plane unless it was in the seat next to me that I bought for him (can someone start a dog airline?).

Really great article. I didn’t even know this perception was part of the gender disproportion in rap and hip hop. Thanks for a solidly researched and easy to follow education.

It’s about shape. Nothing to do with frequency. We’ve all got different bodies. Signed, partner of a guy who I can’t do certain positions with because yeah it hurts.

But I’m also confused by Kris’ cheeks? Maybe someone can explain? They all have so much surgery that I’m assuming they wouldn’t look that way unless she wanted them to...

My last workplace did that shit as well. It’s so hard in my experience to get people (well, certain people) to understand how real that is and how it wears you down. “Be more confident” is a bullshit review I’ve heard more than once from those people. I am confident as hell. I also happen to have a softer speaking…

There’s also classism at play. I was in treatment for different substance issues a few years ago and the people in the program who were there for opioids were primarily young, low income, low education-level white heroin users. I know if they’d been a different race things would’ve been even worse for them, but they…

Feel that. I’m in the midst of a breakup and dreading the process after this whole deal. I seem to be attracted to a ridiculously small portion of the population, so dating is exhausting.

I stopped wearing heels ages ago when I was living in NYC and was 20 minutes late for my birthday dinner because it took me that much longer to walk from the subway in those stupid things. If I were one of those ladies who can run in heels, sure. But I’m definitely more in the category of your friends say “Let’s just…

Yeah, I used to work for a company that people used to meet up with new friends with shared interests for platonic purposes. Some users had aggressively creepy profiles that indicated they were clearly looking for a date and others would complain to us, why aren’t you making them change it? And our response was…

I love Charlize Theron. She’s handled her career fantastically and seems like someone who should not be trifled with. I particularly love how she shuts down any interviewer who tries to pigeon hole her into the “remarkable recovery after traumatic childhood” box.

As a fellow Californian, I can attest that we collectively decided bras were outerwear several years ago and have been sticking to our guns since then. I love this only slightly less than the fact that I get to call leggings pants now. Please never die, pajamas-in-public trend. Also, I should order some more sunscreen…

The most recent This American Life episode profiled 5 women who were abused by the same man (I think it’s just called 5 Women) and one of them had a point that resonated a lot with me. She talked about how it took her and her friends a long time to recognize what had happened to them in various scenarios as rape,…

Lawrence herself is bringing it up though. I don’t have strong feelings on her as an actress but in some of her recent interviews I really empathized with her situation. She’s acutely aware that she’s going to age out of the “It Girl” phase and will have to navigate a transition into an actor with staying power. I…

It’s definitely funny in a dark humor kind of way!