Spontaneity was everywhere at the Women’s March on Washington — tears, embraces, chants, random acts of kindness. And singer MILCK took it upon herself to ensure that there would be one more such moment: She and a group of singers orchestrated a flash mob performance of her song “Quiet,” which they sang a few times throughout the day at the march.
MILCK and company rehearsed the song via Skype (!!) and marched together, pausing now and then to break out into song. The lyrics, which reference a “one-woman riot” and ruminate on the fears about speaking up — “Would I be that monster, scare them all away / If I let them hear what I have to say?” — were apropos for the march, and seemed to resonate with those who were lucky enough to catch the show.
MILCK says she wrote “Quiet” as a cathartic exercise trying to let go of her past, which includes physical and sexual abuse. "With this song, I feel like I'm finally allowing my truest inner self to be expressed," she wrote in a statement along with the song’s release a few days before the march.
"In this time of fear, propaganda and discrimination, it is critical for our individual and collective voices to be heard,” she continued. “With this song, I'm saying I am NOT the woman who is going to stay quiet where there are figures who promote oppression. I want to encourage others to give a voice to whatever they may have silenced, political or personal."
The video has been viewed and shared thousands of times YouTube thus far, so it seems like it’s working.
Tip of the day: If you're a reporter at a press conference with someone who is arguably the greatest tennis player of all time right after she wins a big match, it might not be in your best interest to tell her she didn't play well. But because we live in a world where people are rude assholes on a pretty regular basis, that exact scenario happened to Serena Williams, who handled it like the goddamn queen she is.
The reporter, who isn't named by all the news outlets that are making fun of him now, asked the first question of the day, calling Williams' performance in the second round of the Australian Open — which, I repeat, she won — "scrappy" and full of "unenforced errors."
Serena Williams destroys a reporter with no mercy
Serena Williams destroys a reporter with no mercy
Williams, without even missing a beat, clapped right back.
"I think that’s a very negative thing to say," she responded. "Are you serious?"
This would have been a great time for that reporter to start backpedaling like his very life depended on it, but as we already knew from his first statement, he's not the brightest crayon in the box. Nope, instead, he decided to double down, responding to Williams with a sassy, "Just my observation."
LOL, yeah, man, just your observation, because everyone else who observed that match saw that Williams was a beast. She knew that, though.
"Well, you should have been out there," she said. "That wasn't very kind. You should apologize. Do you want to apologize?"
There it is. The guy finally realizes at this point that he needs to take a big step back, because Williams can and will destroy him with the pure magnitude of her shade.
There's more than one delicious way to eat a dumpling. In fact, we've got 20 Chinese dumpling recipes that are all equally mouth-watering — and whipping them up is the perfect way to celebrate Chinese New Year.
Traditionally, dumplings (also called jiaozi) are served on Chinese New Year just after midnight. Because their shape resembles old silver and gold ingots (a historic form of currency), eating dumplings on New Year's Day is thought to bring good luck, especially where money is concerned. Many families even hide a coin in one of the dumplings, making the person who finds it the luckiest of the upcoming year.
Food should be fun, and there's nothing cooler than piercing one of these juicy dumplings with your chopstick and seeing the steaming broth pour into your bowl. If you go in teeth first, watch out — these babies get hot!
A life without dumplings? No one deserves such a tragedy! Thanks to tapioca starch, rice flour and xanthan gum, these plump dumplings, full of seasoned ground chicken and spinach, are gluten-free.
Recipes like this are why I'm still firmly on Team Kale. Mushrooms, tempeh and kale come together to make a totally satisfying vegan dumpling, which is then dipped in a sweet, spicy and tangy sauce.
7. Korean dumplings and fresh salad with spicy, tangy and sweet dressing (bibim mandu)
You won't have to feel guilty about eating dumplings when you serve them on top of this fresh and crunchy salad. If you don't drown everything in the insanely delicious accompanying dressing, that is.
8. Edamame dumplings
Image: Diana De Cicco/SheKnows
The secret to these dumplings is twofold: Protein-rich edamame replaces fatty meat in the filling, and sour cream binds the ingredients together while adding a creamy mouthfeel.
Sometimes you just want dumplings in a hurry, with little to no fanfare. The next time a dumpling emergency strikes (so like, probably tomorrow), this recipe will be there to save the day.
10. Pork and shrimp dumpling soup
Image: Rowena Dumlao-Giardin/SheKnows
These juicy dumplings are even more decadent and comforting when served in a hot, aromatic broth.
OK, I know these bacon cheesburger wontons are crazy, but once you've been bitten by the dumpling bug, you won't rest until you've tried every flavor combination at least once!
These Filipino steamed buns are stuffed with chicken, Chinese sausage and salted duck egg. A must-try if you're bored with the Chinese pork-and-shrimp combo.
Pizza dumplings? Heck yeah! This recipe, a mashup of mini calzones, pizza rolls and dumplings, will blow your usual frozen pizza snacks out of the water.
If you've never had momo, you're in for a treat. Ground meat is flavored with ginger and cilantro, stuffed into a tender, springy wrapper, then steamed and served with a savory tomato-based chutney.
Chinese barbecue pork bao (steamed buns) are delicious. Bulgogi is pretty much the best food on Earth. Put them together, and you will reach dumpling nirvana.
These pork-stuffed wontons are smothered in a silky peanut butter-chili sauce and sprinkled with green onions, making a dish that's hearty enough to be served as an entrée.
These grilled cheese and tomato soup dumplings are totally out-of-the-box, but the thought of hot, creamy tomato soup spilling out of a cheesy dumpling shell just does things to me, y'know?
When it comes to dumplings, there's a whole lot of savory, but you can't skip dessert! These strawberry-chocolate dessert dumplings are brightened up with balsamic vinegar and lemon, making for a fun and unique dessert that's perfect for a special occasion.
They say all's well that ends well, but they obviously weren't talking about the first half of The Walking Dead Season 7. We can be real about this now, right? It was brutal. And by brutal, I mean BRU-TAL. It's safe to say we never really recovered from losing two of our favorite characters in the premiere.
It was more than just the loss of Glenn and Abe, though — although, admittedly, losing Abe's one-liners alone was a rough blow to the TWD fandom. And, you know, watching Glenn's eyeball pop out was quite literally a rough blow.
But right up until the midseason finale, myriad problems plagued Season 7. It was disjointed. It was hella depressing. It was almost too gory, which says a lot coming from this crowd. Let's just say if it weren't for the show rallying in that last episode of the first half, they may not have been able to pull out of the ratings plunge.
As it turns out, fans weren't the only ones pissed about how the season has played out thus far.
Remember Morgan? You might not considering the staff-wielding warrior-slash-pacifist barely appeared in the first eight episodes. Admittedly, I wasn't a huge fan of this character when he was first introduced, but he has steadily grown on me. Maybe it took not seeing Morgan all season so far to realize I legitimately missed the vibe he brought to the group.
Well, that and I'm a huge fan of the adorable and incredibly talented Lennie James. Have you seen him on The Talking Dead? He's so damn charming, he could sell ice to an Alaskan.
However, his impeccable manners have a breaking point, and that breaking point seems to be a subpar season. When asked by NMEwhat it was like to film only two episodes of the season as the story kept jumping narratives, James didn't hold back.
"Horrible, just horrible — I swear to God, horrible (laughs). But it was the same for everybody. Everyone's had more time off this season than they've ever had, but it's horrible. I hated it, and I complained about it — and I'm not a complainer — every day, like, 'How you doing Lennie?' 'I hate it!' 'You want tea or coffee?' 'I hate it!' It was horrible, because you just didn't see anybody," James explained and we are here for it. You let 'em have it, Lennie!
Plus, as you'll recall, Lennie and Carol were hunkered down at The Kingdom. Not only was this a distinctively different location in TWD world, but it was actually quite different IRL too.
"Because we filmed The Kingdom in a completely different area to where they were filming Alexandria, the Hilltop, or the Saviors, it meant that no one was close to each other," he lamented. "When we started filming the first episode, there was a moment where everybody sort of came together — and then everybody split up."
Most abhorrently, it interfered with his and Andrew Lincoln's real-life bromance. "I didn't see Andy for six weeks because we weren't filming in the same place... I hated it, it was horrible," James told NME.
And, hey-o, we weren't the only ones to whine about how many newcomers diluted the chemistry of the core characters this season so far.
"... There's whole bunches of people that you meet at the wrap party who you've never met before! You're like, 'Who are you and what are you doing on my show?' There were just loads of people going, 'Hi, I'm such and such and I play...' I don't know you, go away! Where's my mates? It was horrible, I hated it — meeting people at a wrap party and they don't even look like themselves. It's just stupid."
Seriously, AMC, ya heard? Lennie James agrees that keeping Morgan and Carol isolated from the rest of the crew is horrible — where I come from, those are fightin' words.
Happily ('cause this is a weird fandom we inhabit, and we lik'a da carnage), several other cast members seem to confirm that's exactly what the back half of Season 7 will be filled with: fighting.
Norman Reedus, aka Daryl Dixon, told Entertainment Weekly that he's out for blood. "He wants revenge," Reedus said. "He's ready to fight. When he goes back in that last episode and hands Rick back his stuff, it was like, 'Let's go! Let's go beat this guy up. Let's go take what's ours and fight this monster.' So, you know, he's in kill mode."
As for good ol' "Andy," as James calls him, he also confirms change is coming in the second half of Season 7, saying, "It's probably the opposite of what you just witnessed. Certainly from Rick's point of view. You see a man in action again with some of the members of his closest family."
Hell to the yes, people. Get ready — the shit hits the fan on Monday, Feb. 13.
Now, if you stayed in bed with the covers yanked over your head all day Inauguration Day, you might have missed a petite brouhaha (and by "petite brouhaha," we mean "flaming apocalyptic brawl") started by Weekend Update writer Katie Rich, who tweeted that Barron Trump — the only child of President Trump and first lady Melania Trump — "will grow up to become America's 'first homeschool shooter.'"
Ohhhhh, dear. (Facepalm.) Thanks, Katie. You're not really helping us with that whole National Endowment of the Arts funding thing with material like that.
Clinton (and most of America) rushed to Barron’s defense. Which is heartening, because did we mention he's 10? And we believe you've met his father? SO LAY OFF THE BOY, EVERYBODY. Gilded toilets or no, Barron's life is decidedly not a bowl of cherries.
Clinton wrote, “Barron deserves the chance every child does — to be a kid."
She added, "Standing up for every kid also means opposing POTUS policies that hurt kids.”
(We see what you did there, Chelsea. And we like it, we admit it.)
Commenters on Clinton’s FB page were mostly positive, praising Clinton’s defense of Barron. One commenter wrote:
“Kids are off limits. Barron deserves to be left out of the fray. He didn't ask to be thrown into this kind of spotlight. Thank you, Chelsea. You went through it yourself, and it's not fair!”
“Sorry, but Barron is the least of my concerns. He won't have to go to a public school with Betty DeVos [sic] at the head of the Department of Education. I appreciate your unique perspective, but I think Barron's billion inheritance should soften the blow should his feelings be hurt.”
Nope. How about we make every kid our concern, including Barron? We're down with that.
FWIW, Rich deleted her controversial tweet after only three hours — for a while, she set her Twitter account to private, but has since gone public again, with the following apology:
Katie Rich tweet
Katie Rich tweet
She has been suspended indefinitely from SNL. (And, from our cursory Twitter search, she seems to be the subject of numerous threats, now. Ah, Twitter. You never fail to bring out the worst in people.)
I'm proud to say that my 9-year-old son is a feminist in training. In 20 years time, this hopefully won't be anything worth writing about. But right now, far too many boys are being raised to believe they are superior to girls. If we want our daughters to have rights equal to our sons, we need all sexes to support the cause.
I'll never tell my son to "man up." I'll never say, "boys don't cry." I'll never say anything that supports stereotypes about what girls/women and boys/men should be like. The only place for "should" in our house lies in the sentence, "Both boys and girls should have the freedom to develop their personalities and make their choices without the restriction of archaic gender norms."
Clinical psychologist and author of Brave Girls, Dr. Stacey Radin, agrees that the everyday language we use to talk to our kids can have a huge impact on their attitudes toward gender and gender equality. "I would say we develop the concept of gender equality from day one of our children's lives, both in our actions and the language we use," she says. "Children are observant and attuned to the messages and behavior of the adults around them."
2. I don't force him to conform
Right now, my son is growing his hair. It's almost reached his shoulders — finally long enough for a ponytail. He doesn't want to look like a girl; he wants to look like his uncle, who is in a rock band and therefore extremely cool. It would be much easier for me if his hair were short (less likelihood of head lice and far less time trying to tame it into a school-appropriate style every morning), but I love that he has the confidence to go against the grain and have a hairstyle that many people would describe as "girly."
"Accepting a child as an individual and applauding decisions and choices is critical," says Radin. "I once observed a mom become upset that I allowed my son to wear my heels and parade around the house. He was 2-1/2! She chastised me for encouraging feminine behavior. Rather than defining all behaviors as 'feminine' or 'masculine,' there needs to be an acceptance of children's preferences and temperament."
3. I encourage him to express his emotions
Why do so many people still refuse to acknowledge that showing emotion is a positive thing for boys (and men)? If my son is upset about something, I'll let him cry it out before we try to find a resolution.
Research published by U.K. mental health charity Mind in 2015 found that 4 in 5 18- to 34-year-old men don't show their emotions when they are anxious, instead putting on a brave face ("manning up," some might say.) Additionally,1 in 5 men think showing their emotions is a sign of weakness. The idea that "men don't cry," is dangerous because it can stop men from asking for help when they might have a serious mental health issue that needs to be addressed. I don't want my son to ever find himself in that position.
Radin agrees that feminism is just as much about nurturing healthy boys as supporting equal rights for girls. "My philosophy about gender is that we must engage men versus alienate them and make them part of the solution," she says. "Otherwise, feminism is perceived as a woman's issue vs. the societal issue it is."
4. I question sexism and inequality whenever possible
I don't spend my life clapping back at anyone who says something sexist. But if there is an opportunity for discussion with friends or family, I'll grab it. "If a mom hears an innocent stereotype she can probe for understanding and clarify and educate," says Radin. This might mean asking a parent why they won't allow their son to play with dolls or not letting it slide if my nephew says my daughter can't do something "because she's a girl."
"Parents should listen. There are so many openings to have a conversation," says Radin. "You have an opportunity to explore and ask [children] questions to understand their thinking and explain that it's not about being a girl or a boy and build empathy for others."
5. I talk about powerful female figures
I try to expose my kids to women and men who are presenting a different view to the cultural norm and highlight powerful female figures in the media and pop culture because, let's face it, it's women who have been marginalized forever. I don't stop them watching TV shows and movies that are gender-imbalanced because that would be impossible. "Only 11 percent of movies could be classified as gender-balanced," said actress, mom of three and founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, Geena Davis. So when my kids and I are watching a gender-imbalanced movie, I'll comment on how the female characters look, or why the male and female characters fill certain roles, just to flag those issues, and hopefully encourage them to question what they see rather than accept it as the truth.
6. I lead by example
If I want my son (and daughter) to know that women are just as strong, smart and capable as men, I need to be a strong, smart, capable woman myself. I encourage them to have strong, positive relationships with other strong female figures in our lives. I want them to see women as individuals, not objects. I also work on my relationship with their father to ensure it sets an example to them about how women (and men) should be treated. "It starts with how they are raised," agrees Radin. "It's important to have parents who communicate and treat one another with respect."
I think we've all had the realization that the more someone posts on social media about their perfect relationship, the more likely it is that that relationship is actually probably pretty rocky. And if we're being honest, we've probably all been on the other side of this equation, too. Who among us hasn't upped the frequency of our lovey-dovey Instagram posts in a last-ditch effort to convince the world – and ourselves – that we're doing fine?
Reality shows magnify this phenomenon to an extent that there seems to be a definite correlation between the overexposure such a show can provide, and the demise of the relationship it depicts.
From Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson to Christine and Tarek El Moussa, it seems like couples who make reality TV paychecks together simply don't stay together. So what does say about the relationships that play out on reality shows? And what happens when the documenting of the relationship becomes more important than the relationships itself?
Well, there's perhaps no more perfect example of this, and no relationship more thoroughly documented, than that of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.
This morning, People Magazine quoted a source explaining that Kanye is going to try to increase his involvement on KUWTK, saying, "Kanye is really trying to please Kim. He realizes that his difficult behavior has been extremely draining for her... He is trying to make it up to Kim by going along with things that are important to her. The show is still important to Kim, so Kanye will support her.”
We don't know for certain if these KUWTK rumors are true, but if they are, I have ever so many things to say. SO. MANY. THINGS. Where do I even begin?
1. Good job, Kanye. But also, WTF Kanye?
If the unnamed source is correct, and Kanye is acknowledging and taking ownership of how his increasingly erratic behavior (including bizarre rants, and meeting with and endorsing then President-elect Donald Trump) has affected his wife, that's fantastic. But, the next steps he's taking make no sense whatsoever.
When you're recovering from media overexposure and hospitalization for exhaustion and sleep deprivation, is jumping right back into filming a reality show really such a great idea? I mean clearly participating in KUWTK isn't demanding in the same way that coal mining is, for example, or teaching, but goddamn, man.
Supporting your partner? Good. Taking an interest in your partner's work and doing everything you can to help them achieve their goals? Great. "Going along with" an incredibly popular reality show that painstakingly offers up every detail of your lives for voracious consumption in the wake of several incredibly stressful life events like the birth of a child, violent robbery in a foreign country, and ongoing mental health issues? TERRIBLE. IDEA.
You know how during those in-flight safety demonstrations they tell you to put your own oxygen mask on first before helping those around you? DO THAT, Kanye.
The best thing you can do for both your wife and your marriage right now is to devote yourself wholeheartedly to your own health. And on that note...
3. What the everloving hell, Kim?!
Obviously, we all have moments where we'd like our partners to be more supportive, more involved, and even more compliant. I remember telling my husband at one point "If you would just do everything I tell you to do, our lives would be perfect!"
I was serious. (And I still think I was right). But pressuring or guilting your spouse into doing something they seem reluctant to do, regardless of the cost to them emotionally, physically or psychologically? That's wrong. Period.
4. There's a bigger issue here
Let's talk about the elephant in the room, okay? Something that should be readily apparent to all of us, especially Kim.
Although we don't know the details, Kanye's "difficult behavior" isn't the problem. Kanye's "difficult behavior" is thought by many to be the result of a mental health issue, the specifics of which are either undiagnosed or at least not publically shared (and this is fine, no one - not even celebs- should ever feel obligated to share the private details of their health with the public.)
I support destigmatizing mental illness and having open, honest conversations about mental health. But having West do this (especially when it seems like he's only doing so to save his marriage) within the framework of a reality show doesn't seem open or honest - it seems exploitative.
Relationships aren't always easy, and celebs face more hurdles to creating these strong bonds than most of us. But for the love of Oprah, filming a reality show isn't going to fix your marriage! Filming a reality show will likely bring Kim and Kanye one step closer to joining the ranks of other relationships that have crumbled on-screen.
After Kim K's robbery, she retreated from social media and took a break from the limelight. Let Kanye have the space to get away from cameras and focus on both his health and his marriage without cameras present.
If you don't like Ed Sheeran then leave now. Just when I think his music can't get anymore beautiful he outdoes himself with his recently-released singles.
"Castle on The Hill" is one of the songs I can't stop rocking out to but leave it to Sheeran to use the music video as an opportunity to make the song even more listen-worthy.
The video seems straightforward enough: High school kids getting into trouble while Sheeran longs for home and the good old days despite the fact that everything wasn't perfect. He also recounts what became of his old high school friends.
"One’s brother overdosed / One’s already on his second wife / One’s just barely getting by," the song goes, ending with, "But these people raised me and I can’t wait to go home."
"People lent us their cars, houses, and pointed us in the right direction of people we might want to cast," video director George Bedfield said of shooting the project.
Of course, Tom Brady and Donald Trump are friends. Of course they are. Brady is, after all, the most hated man in the NFL, and Trump is the most hated man in the White House. By 50 percent... give or take.
Trump: Don't be weak like a baby. Johnson is a billionaire, like me, and he's from New York, like me, so he's perfect! Plus, I hear he can properly inflate a football. Tom, you've got a bigly important Super Bowl to win.
Brady: Just like you won the election. God, it's good to be a winner.
Trump: Yes, we should celebrate with some really fantastic drinks. Bring your wife.
Brady: I will! Just keep your hands away from her pussy, please.
All joking aside, Brady clearly isn't in on the plethora of memes and GIFs that could be headed his way thanks to this news.
"Why does that make such a big deal? I don't understand," Brady said during an interview with the WEEI "Kirk & Callahan" radio show. "I mean, I don't want to get into it, but if you know someone, it doesn't mean you agree with everything that they say or do, right? You have a lot of friends in your life [like that]."
Yes, yes I do, but none of my friends are currently running the United States of America. When I get together with my friends and debate the merits of Trump's wall, we don't actually have to worry that our back and forth arguments will amount to anything other than gaining a better understanding of the world.
It seems like we've spent enough time wallowing in sadness over Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's divorce at this point that we can all start to have a little fun with it. Especially when news about their comings and goings post-divorce is still all some people seem to want to talk about, even though Jolie and Pitt are clearly moving on with their own lives.
Us Weekly reports Angelina Jolie is developing her own line of perfume, which, I mean, good for her if that's where she sees her brand expanding. Will she call it Eaux de African Babies I've Saved?
The perfume market definitely seems like an odd choice for Jolie's career expansion but, I mean, if Rihanna and Britney Spears can do it, why not Jolie, too?
While Jolie seems to be all business, Pitt is rumored to be focusing on fun.
Sources report he's been hiking and eating clean, which doesn't really line up considering in the same article they report he packed his trunk with left over alcohol from a party he held at a Santa Monica hotel on Wednesday. But maybe he has cheat days? Cheat weeks?
Alcohol isn't the only thing he's taking home from parties, either. Pitt also apparently took home a big bunch of gold and white balloons, which he wanted to save for his children. He's really switching around those child abuse claims with a run for Dad of the Year.
Alls well that ends well, I suppose, if only these two could iron out the kinks in that dang custody agreement already.
Her path to likability all started tonight when she was upfront with the other girls. Rather than letting them go about talking behind her back, she called it out. Sure, it didn't go so well, and sure she still couldn't help but talk about her multi-million dollar company and her nanny before insisting she isn't privileged, but it's a start.
Then she put on her happy face and pranced around with Nick for a while, who seemed to have found a renewed skepticism with Corinne. Even Corinne noted the lack of intimacy between them, which has me thinking her time on the show is limited at best.
Still, Corinne did the honorable thing again when she went out of her way to talk to Taylor at the group date rather than call her out in front of the other girls.
Taylor totally was throwing Corinne unnecessary attitude. It's something I will be referring to from here on out as Taylor 'tude, mostly because it just sounds as hilarious as all of this dramatic situations really are.
So while Taylor was throwing her Taylor 'tude in Corinne's face, trying to school her on some big girl words, Corinne was trying to maintain her composure while venting to the cameras.
But let's just take a step back for a moment. Taylor is worried about Corinne's emotional maturity and readiness to be a wife. Mind you, Corinne is 24, arguably not at the place in her life to be clawing for a husband on national television. But Taylor is 23. She is younger than Corinne. Um, hypocritical much?
Taylor needs to check the 'tude because she really has no place to be talking about emotional maturity. Especially not with that Taylor 'tude she was wearing all over that cocktail party.
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West's relationship has been the subject of many reports over the last few months, and while it was once claimed that the pair were headed for divorce, tabloids seemed to have since changed their tune.
West and Kardashian West are very much together, but one of the reasons for this could be West's willingness to please his wife. According to a People magazine source, "Kanye is really trying to please Kim."
The source adds, "He realizes that his difficult behavior has been extremely draining for her. He is trying to make it up to Kim by going along with things that are important to her."
Of great importance to Kardashian West is her and the rest of her family's E! reality show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians. And even though Kanye has never really been one for reality TV, he reportedly realizes that "The show is still important to Kim" and so he intends to support her. So much so, that he's apparently willing to be more involved in the filming of the show — so we may be seeing a whole lot more of West on our TV screens in the future.
A source also commented on the status of the couple's marriage, saying that while it seems as though West and Kardashian West will not split, "things don't seem great." However, the source notes that they are working to change that.
"Kanye has been very low-key and Kim appreciates that," the source said. "With her life not being completely chaotic, she is able to be more understanding and patient with Kanye. Kim seems more hopeful about their future together."
Working together on a reality TV show could be bad news for West and Kardashian West's relationship —we've seen so many couples crack under the pressure of having their lives constantly scrutinized — but what is important is that West is reportedly so willing to work on his marriage, and Kardashian West clearly means the world to him.
And in the end, isn't that what marriage is all about: love and commitment?
Vanderpump Rules' Jax Taylor makes for great TV, so it's really unsurprising that he and his girlfriend Brittany Cartwright have reportedly secured a reality TV spin-off deal — in fact, the thought has us pretty excited.
According to TMZ, sources close to Bravo (the network that the show will reportedly air on) revealed that Taylor and Cartwright started filming the show several months ago in Kentucky, where Cartwright's family is from. The series will center around the couple's relationship, and how Cartwright's family are putting pressure on them to get married.
However, Taylor seems reluctant in that respect, and has not even proposed.
We've seen Taylor's womanizing ways play out on TV before — including his volatile relationship with Vanderpump Rules' co-star Stassi Schroeder and the fact that he had sex with his friend's girlfriend, Kristen Doute — and although Taylor and Cartwright have been in a loving relationship for just short of two years (the pair started dating in May of 2015), he doesn't seem ready for marriage just yet.
According to TMZ, Taylor's reluctance to put a ring on Cartwright has caused concern for Bravo, who are unsure whether the couple will even be together by the summer, when the show is reportedly set to air. Yikes, right?
But things could play out in one of two ways: the couple could either crack under the pressure of filming a reality TV show together, and Taylor could be freaked out by Cartwright's parents determination for them to get married; or it could be the push that he needs to propose to the love of his life.
As if the world isn't already tilted in favor of men, we're now being told that women are predisposed to provide their sons with better-quality breast milk than their daughters.
In research to be published in the April edition of the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, psychologists Nancy Segal and Satoshi Kanazawa seek to prove that there is a sex bias in the quality and components of breast milk.
This isn't an entirely new hypothesis; a previous study of U.S. women showed they "produced higher-quality milk, with greater energy, lipids and other constituents, for their sons than for their daughters."
It's known as the Trivers-Willard hypothesis and is based on the idea that parents want to preserve their genes for the future. During good times, parents "invest" more in male offspring to ensure they are strong enough to go out and seek females, mate and produce more children. But when times are not so good, the female children get greater "investment," to help them attract strong males.
It's all very sexist club-them-over-the-head-and-drag-them-back-to-the-cave-type stuff. But can we really argue with evolution?
They analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, comparing the outcomes of same-sex twins to opposite-sex twins with the belief that mothers with opposite-sex twins wouldn't be able to produce different qualities of breast milk while breastfeeding both babies simultaneously.
"We found that breast-fed same-sex twins were indeed either slightly taller or substantially taller than breast-fed opposite-sex twins," they said. "Same-sex twins were, on average, nearly one inch taller than their opposite-sex counterparts. Similarly, same-sex twins were substantially heavier than the opposite-sex twins except during the first measurement period. The same-sex twins were, on average, 12 pounds heavier than the opposite-sex twins."
We can fight for equal rights in education, health care and the work place, but as far as breastfeeding goes, we may have to resign ourselves to the fact that baby boys are always going to get the better deal.
I was determined to have the A-plus pregnancy. You know what I mean: I was going to be the rock star — the shining example of doing it right. I gave up sushi, alcohol and hot tubs. I read the books (until my husband threatened to burn my copy of What to Expect When You’re Expecting if I didn’t release it voluntarily). I bought organic, BPA-free and non-VOC everything. And I listened to my many doctors, all seven of them, like their advice was being given via tablets on Mount Sinai. So where was the problem?
The problem really unfolded in two parts. The first part was that I listened to exactly what my doctors said, unquestioningly and without compromise. The second part was that I had so many doctors, no one was listening to me in return.
Doctor F (I no longer remember any of them except the one who finally delivered my son) told me that it was extremely important to stay hydrated. I was due in August, it was crazy-hot and I had to drink as much water as possible.
As a super-achiever, I was going to be the champion hydrator of all time. I came as close to drinking all the water as was possible. My husband recounts the story of the night that he woke up to discover that I wasn’t in bed. When he got up to find me, I was in the kitchen, guzzling water straight from a gallon jug.
In short, I overhydrated. I drank until I could no longer quench my thirst and then I drank more. If this sounds unhealthy, that’s because it is.
Meanwhile, the overhydration may have led to another issue. The fun new word I learned from my OB was “polyhydramnios,” which is from the Greek for “holy moly, that’s a lot of amniotic fluid.” I was one of the lucky 1 percent of pregnant women to develop this condition, which can result in preterm labor or stillbirth. I was just swollen. Super-swollen. So puffed up, you could poke my legs and leave indentations like in bread dough.
I would come home from work and put my super-sized legs up to let them drain back to something approaching normalcy. I gained over 50 pounds — most of it water. But the excess fluid meant that the doctors couldn’t determine just how big my baby was. They were strongly in favor of a C-section.
As it happened, I was OK with having a C-section. But in the throes of a first pregnancy, hopped up on hormones and stunned with the realization that I was about to become a mother, it would have been easy for me to get swept into that decision even if I weren’t comfortable with it. I had no relationship with my doctor and this attempt at spreading the liability in the event something went wrong with my pregnancy ended up meaning that something did go wrong.
I’m now a two-time pregnancy veteran and I know from the night-and-day difference between my two experiences just how vital it is to be able to talk to your doctor, to say if something feels wrong or even if there’s just a new symptom that is causing concern. Doctors, especially obstetricians, know that they are the entrusted guardians of people at one of their most vulnerable stages: incipient parenthood. A good one should not only recognize but also anticipate that the patient is going to need to ask questions, raise concerns and sometimes just seek reassurance.
I found my second OB via referral from a colleague. “I love him!” she exclaimed. “I’m not having any more kids, but he almost makes me wish I were!” When I met him, I understood: warm, funny, competent, compassionate, he was truly a doctor who made you feel like it would all be OK.
Clearly, this wasn’t just my opinion either. When I was in the hospital, almost every nurse I encountered said that he was her doctor as well. You don’t get a higher endorsement than that. This doctor knew me. He asked about my work (was I spending too much time on my feet?), my family (was my older child letting me rest? Ha!), my well-being (was I feeling all right mentally and emotionally?).
He joked with me about my Type-A pregnancy issues (a glass of wine is fine, he said, relax already). He talked to me and he listened when I answered him. I didn’t have a repeat performance of the polyhydramnios, nor did I have any other complications. Some of that is luck of the draw, but some of it is having a supportive, communicative relationship with my doctor.
The upside to this is that, yes, I was more prepared for my second pregnancy. But even before that, I knew that having an unresponsive doctor (let alone multiple unresponsive doctors) wasn’t going to work. I knew what I needed, and maybe even more important, I knew what my family needed as well. When I realized that we were facing a similar position with our pediatrician, we made a fast break to another practice — one with two doctors, better hours and a personal recommendation from my brother-in-law and his family.
Trying to do the right thing put me in the wrong position. I learned that it’s far better to be a prepared woman than to blindly follow the rules.
On Tuesday, Jan. 24, the 2017 Academy Award nominations were announced. Like it usually goes with any awards show, people are not happy that one particular actress was snubbed, while another one stole her well-deserved spot.
We're talking about the fact that Amy Adams wasn't nominated for her lead role in Arrival, but Meryl Streep was nominated for her leading part in Florence Foster Jenkins. How did that happen? Let's also talk about the fact that Arrival was nominated for Best Picture (Florence Foster Jenkins was not). The film wouldn't be in that category without Adams and her fantastic performance, so how the heck did she not get nominated?
Don't get us wrong, Streep is an amazing actress who never fails with any of her performances, including Florence Foster Jenkins. Plus, this is her 20th Oscar nom and that is a huge milestone, not to mention one that should definitely be celebrated. However this time around, Adams most definitely deserved a spot in the Best Actress category over Streep.
If you've seen Arrival, then you know where we are coming from. Adams delivered on so many levels, in addition to telling an extremely powerful story that was so much more than an alien invasion. We get chills just thinking about it.
We're not alone in our anger, either. There are plenty of similar emotional reactions on Twitter.
As you can see above, there are plenty of Streep fans who even think Adams deserved the nomination. Basically, most people seem to be "Team Amy" in this situation.
Like the class act she is, Adams probably isn't even thinking twice about Streep being nominated over her. Though, that doesn't mean we can't imagine how she just might react. So why not have Amy Adams "react" to her own snub with gifs of the actress?
Here are a few ways Adams could easily be feeling about this snubbing situation.
There's no doubt Stranger Things Season 1 was a huge success. It is one of the best series that has ever come to Netflix, so thankfully, there is a second season.
Based on how Season 1 ended, it was unclear if or how Eleven would return to Season 2. Do not fret, because Eleven is returning. Although, how many episodes she'll be featured in and if she'll play a huge part like she did in the first season remains unknown.
Not only is Eleven part of the above photo (which is obviously making a fun play on the Upside Down), but so are Dustin, Lucas, Mike, Will, Jonathan, Nancy, Steve and two new faces. The caption reads, "Back in production. See you next year."
The Stranger Thingscast is going to be even bigger than it was in the first season. According to TVLine, Sadie Sink (American Odyssey) will play Max, who is said to be a “tough and confident girl whose appearance, behavior and pursuits seem more typical of boys than of girls in this era." Then, there is Power Rangers' Dacre Montgomery, who is set to play Max's "hyper-confident, edgy older step-brother. He steals girlfriends away from their boyfriends, is great at drinking games, and drives a black Camaro. But lurking under his apparent charisma, is a violent and unpredictable nature."
As revealed by Entertainment Weekly, Paul Reiser (Mad About You), Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings, Goonies) and Danish actress Linnea Berthelsen will also be part of Season 2. Reiser will play Dr. Owens, "a high-ranking member within the Department of Energy on a ‘clean-up’ assignment, tasked with containing the events of last year." Astin will play Bob Newby, "a kindhearted former nerd who went to high school with Joyce (Winona Ryder) and Hopper (David Harbour) and now manages the local Hawkins RadioShack." Finally, Berthelsen will play Roman, "an emotionally damaged, magnetic young woman who suffered a great loss as a child. Although she does not live in Hawkins, she is mysteriously connected to the supernatural events at the lab…"
All of Season 1 focused on saving Will and seeing as that was accomplished in the last episode, he will become even more of a focus. In addition to Schnapp being a series regular, Matt and Ross Duffer (aka, the Duffer Brothers and the creators of Stranger Things) told reporters at the Television Critics' Association in July that the sophomore season would look into the "bigger mythology" behind Will's disappearance. Matt said, "It’s open-ended in a way that if people wanted it, and Netflix wanted it, we could explore it and continue the storyline."
When Season 2 finally premieres, it will pick up in 1984, the Duffer Brothers revealed to EW in July. Even though it's only a one-year time jump, Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers) told Entertainment Tonight in November, "You follow these characters a year later, and you're straight back in the world of Hawkins, [Indiana], which we know and love so well. The scope feels bigger this year." Also regarding the time jump, Heaton added, "I don’t think you're gonna notice. Even though it's a year, you're falling straight back into where we left off, in a sense."
The Duffer Brothers also told EW that Season 2 will travel outside of Hawkins. "We will venture a little bit outside of Hawkins," Matt said. "I will say the opening scene [of the premiere] does not take place in Hawkins."
It's only one more episode than Season 1, but Season 2 will include nine episodes. Matt told EW, "We’re letting the story dictate it. I think if it gets any longer, it gets unwieldy for us. We want to make sure it’s manageable and we want to be able to tell a movie-like story where it’s never treading water. We want it to have the same feel and pacing as Season 1. I think if we extend it too much, it will have a very different feel."
If you thought the Upside Down storyline was finished, you're wrong. There is so much more to learn, Matt dished to EW. "We kinda just peeled back the curtain and revealed a tiny bit of the Upside Down. So we definitely want to explore a little bit more. There’s a lot we don’t know about the Upside Down at the end of Season 1."
During a Jan. 21 Fan2Sea Comic-Con cruise (via Hollywood Life) David Harbour (he plays Hopper), dished, "We have Sean Astin… he’s Winona’s new boyfriend — much to the chagrin to the Chief of Police." So does this also mean Hopper and Joyce may soon have a romance?
If you consider yourself a huge fan of Barb, Harbour also teased at the panel that she will be part of the story line, but not physically. "The question and the feelings that Nancy has that no one ever cares about her friend Barb, are very much present in the beginning of the season," he revealed.
According to Harbour, there is also some major fall out between certain people, which is to be expected. "It’s a year later in the story, so there are several things that happened last year — like Will has come back — there are certain people in the town that know what happened, and then certain people that don’t know what happened." He added, "So there’s a lot of fall out with who knows what."
Laura Prepon is expecting her first child with fiancé Ben Foster. The Orange Is the New Black actress “showed off her baby bump” at the rollicking Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Monday, reported Us Weekly.
Really, Us Weekly? Did she “show off” her baby bump, that showy, showy-pants pregnant peacock? Like a new Givenchy belt? Or Jimmy Choos?
Or was it, maybe, you know, PART OF HER ANATOMY? Food for thought, Us Weekly, food for thought.
And speaking of food! Those total and complete strangers — uh, eyewitnesses — bless them, they were really on it, breathlessly relaying that Prepon “avoided alcohol and was drinking only water” at the IMDb Lounge at Sundance.
What? That was only Monday’s liquid intake? Damn. If only we knew about Sunday night...
What? We do? Thanks, Pregnancy Meal Police at Sundance: “… on Sunday night [Prepon] was spotted enjoying pizza while again skipping the alcohol.”
I don’t know about you, but when I was knocked up, there was nothing I liked better than having “eyewitnesses” trailing me and keeping Weight Watchers diaries of every liquid, solid and gas I gobbled down with my big, fat pregnant mouth.
So sorry, Laura, about the guys in trenchcoats wanking off in the shadows (probably) while you try to eat and stay hydrated like a normal human being. And congratulations. Here's to many more months of your dietary habits being considered public fodder.
Rudy Huxtable, just look at you—all grown up and posting ultrasounds and baby pics on social media!
Keshia Knight Pulliam, 37 (the youngest and cutest Huxtable on The Cosby Show), announced the birth of daughter Ella Grace on Monday via a post on Instagram. AND WE NOTICED, PEOPLE.
“Ella Grace has arrived!!!” wrote Pulliam of the pic, a shot of Ella’s feet in a pair of fuzzy socks.
We’re assuming it’s Ella, and not an adorable body double. But look for yourself:
KKP baby
KKP baby
Do we know anything else about the birth of Ella Grace? NOPE. Not yet. We’ve got a little backstory, though, if you’re interested.
Pulliam broke news of her pregnancy back in July via (you guessed it) Instagram. A few days later, Rudy’s, er, Pulliam’s husband of six months, Ed Hartwell, charmed the pants off of everyone by filing for divorce and insisting on a paternity test from the actress. (Nobody puts Rudy in the corner with a paternity test, people.)
Despite the lousy hand Pulliam was dealt, Pulliam stayed admirably positive throughout her pregnancy, saying after the nasty split, “Despite what’s been publicized, there’s always funny, there’s always love, there’s always laughter, no matter what.”
On Thanksgiving Day, Pulliam shared a photo of an ultrasound (again, we’re inclined to think it was Ella Grace, not an ultrasound stunt double). The caption read:
“This has been this single most challenging year of my life. However, I wake up this Thanksgiving more grateful & in awe of God’s power than ever. Thru it all this little face has kept me going & helped me tap into strength I didn’t even know I possess. I am so eternally grateful for my little Ella. I would not trade any of what I have gone thru for her. She is my greatest accomplishment & joy. She has inspired my smile even thru the tears. I am so proud she has chosen me to be her mommy.”
Dang it, Rudy, now we need to fish our hankies out of our cardigan sleeves. You’re going to rock this motherhood thing, we have a feeling.
Flip or Flop's Christina and Tarek El Moussa make for a winning team on television, which is probably why there have been reports that HGTV is pressuring them to play nice (despite their divorce) or possibly face being sued for breach of contract.
But apparently the network will have no issues with Christina, because according to In Touch Weekly she's willing to cooperate in the hopes that in the future she will get her own spin-off show.
"She has been talking to HGTV about her own series without him," a source close to the former couple told the publication. "She told the network she wants a younger, sexier, better-looking costar."
Christina has reportedly set herself big career goals, ones which don't include her ex-husband.
According to the source Christina has previously told Tarek that she would start her own design show. She reportedly also "fancies herself a single version of Joanna Gaines, one of HGTV's biggest stars thanks to Fixer Upper, her show with husband Chip."
The source adds, "Christina has told Tarek many times that she didn't really ever need him."
HGTV probably doesn't want to lose out on a winning combination, and the success of the show depends largely on the former couple being able to remain civil towards each other, but whether that is going to happen remains to be seen, as a source previously told the publication that things were getting very ugly, adding, "HGTV is livid with Tarek and Christina. Flip or Flop just won't be the same if they're not together, so execs desperately want them to reunite to save the show."
So, if Christina's hopes of getting her own show are ever to come true, she may have to wait until her contract with Flip or Flop is successfully over — or she could find herself in the network's bad books.
