Ever since it was announced that the cult classic Heathers was being resuscitated, '90s kids everywhere have been counting down the days until we get a glimpse at the second coming of our favorite high school dramedy. We might have to put a pin in that though, fam, 'cause the new Heathers teaser trailer is here — and, well, it's... different.
Don't get us wrong; it looks fierce enough. But if you were hoping for a modern incarnation in keeping with the spirit of the Heathers of yesteryear, you might be disappointed.
In the short but buzz-worthy clip, we're introduced to a few members of the new class of key players: namely the infamous Heather Chandler and the resident non-Heather, Veronica Sawyer.
Heathers 2
Heathers 2
Of course, the Chandler of old was all things cliche '80s mean girl — blonde, slim, biting, high-brow and fashion savvy.
The new Chandler may still be a mean girl, but she's definitely been given a millennial makeover, complete with tons of blingy rings and Instagram makeup. She's rocking short red hair and some curves, too. The caption of her yearbook photo, which was released as part of a series on the reboot's Instagram feed (make sure you click through for each character!), reads "woke af."
Unlike the circa 1988 "Heathers," this is a diverse group, including a black Heather and a genderqueer Heather.
And, hey, diversity should always be encouraged in casting. But (and it's kind of a big one), isn't that kind of missing the point where Heathers is concerned?
Their existence was defined by being super-exclusive mean girls. That was their thing. It was practically what drove the entire plot. It was what made them so unlikable. Why not diversify the anti-hero of the story, Veronica, instead of introducing the diversified characters as the oppressors?
Still, the fashion does look like it is going to be lit. Plus, judging by Veronica muttering, "Well, f*** me gently with a chainsaw," it seems as though the reboot does intend to honor the original in dialogue at least.
What say you? Is the reboot a dream-come-true, or a disaster?
It's easy to decide to be a more positive person, but truth be told, a positive attitude can be hard to come by, especially if you don't have any strategies in place to help. To find out what steps we can take to become more positive in general, we consulted with experts to get the 411 on positive outlooks. They didn't disappoint.
Exercise is not only good for the body, but it's great for your mood too and can brighten your outlook on life. Psychiatrist Dr. Gayatri Saraf recommends that you engage in some sort of physical exercise daily, such as running, Zumba, strength training or yoga.
"Exercise releases endogenous opioids, which are our 'feel-good' chemicals and has also been found to be effective in treating mild to moderate depression," she says. Sounds good!
Make a list
One the simplest ways to tackle the stresses of an ordinary (or not-so-ordinary) day is to make a list of the things you're grateful for. Whether it's on your phone or an actual piece of paper. Andi Wrenn, financial counselor and relationship coach, says that her clients often benefit greatly from a list.
"With most clients, I have them start with three items per day," she explains. "After the first week, we moved to five. And eventually work up to 10 things they're thankful for or are positive about."
Recognize self-doubt
Self-doubt is one of those things that can sneak up on you and wreck your day. Robyn Tingley, author of 10 Essentials for the Motivated Millennial, says that it's way easier to derail self-doubt before it sets in.
"When you quiet your inner critic, you’ll feel better, project more confidence and attract other positive people into your life," she says. Learn to recognize self-doubt before it starts to creep up on you, and while it can be difficult to learn new habits, you'll eventually learn to replace negative thoughts with positive statements.
Often, negative thoughts can be all-consuming (as anyone who has had trouble sleeping because they can't stop replaying how terrible their day was can tell you). Instead of replaying scenes or situations where things did not go as planned, focus your thoughts and energy on the things that went well recommends psychotherapist Karen R. Koenig.
Retrain your brain
Koenig also recommends that you retrain the way you think about your life and your own goals, even down to the seemingly mundane daily tasks like grocery shopping and going to work. Instead of telling yourself what not to do, tell yourself what to do instead. For instance, if you want to remember to make eye contact when meeting someone new, say to yourself, "Maintain eye contact" instead of "Don't look away."
She notes, "Putting thoughts in the negative only reminds them of what they don’t want to do."
Give yourself me-time
Yes, we're all familiar with me-time, and it can be hard to actually commit to doing it — especially if your day is completely overworked and overwhelming. However, Dr. Fran Walfish, Beverly Hills family and relationship psychotherapist, author of The Self-Aware Parent and co-star on Sex Box on We TV, says me-time doesn't mean huge chunks of time, and it can be vital to maintaining a positive outlook.
"Take 10 to 15 minutes each day to be with yourself and chill," she says. This short amount of time that's just for you will help nourish and fortify your spirit.
If you've suffered trauma or loss, it can sometimes feel difficult to work through that emotional pain and heartache to the point of maintaining a positive outlook on life. Anne-Marie Lockmyer is a certified grief recovery method specialist, and she suggests that those in this situation use their experiences to help others who might be going through something difficult in their life.
"Taking a traumatic or difficult experience and deciding to use it for good, since one has to go through it anyway, is one of the most positive choices a person can make," she explains.
While there is no one-size-fits-all advice that works for everyone all the time, keeping these tips in mind can greatly improve your outlook on life and can be the start of being a more positive person.
A source talked to PEOPLE, saying, "Kim thought it was a good idea for North to take care of a puppy. It could prepare her for a baby sibling too.”
Uh, not so much. North, 4, shows no signs of thawing when it comes to her little brother, who's now 20 months old. Their famous mom — who is famously close to her own siblings — is struggling to manage the tense situation.
A week ago, Kardashian West posted a picture of herself reclining with her two children, with the ambiguous caption, "Total eclipse of the heart." (We're thinking now the caption was not just in reference to the total solar eclipse.)
Kim and kids
Kim and kids
The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star discussed the bad blood in the Kardashian West household while stepping in for host Kelly Ripa on a Monday episode of Live with Kelly & Ryan.
“I don’t know if it’s because she’s the older sister. I don’t know what it is. I thought it was a phase. She does not like her brother and it’s so hard for me,” Kim said.
“She would get so jealous when I would breastfeed and all that kind of stuff,” she continued. “And now, the phase isn’t going away.”
North is crafty when it comes to avoiding playtime with Saint, according to Kardashian West.
“She thinks she’s outsmarting me,” she said. “Like, she’ll have a tea party and say, ‘No boys allowed.’”
Sounds like North has taken a page out of the Taylor Swift-Katy Perry feud playbook. Here's hoping she comes around to her cute little brother soon. If not, well, it will make for good reality TV in 20 years.
After a court battle lasting more than a year, a Louisiana federal judge dismissed the case against Sofía Vergara in which her former fiancé Nick Loeb argued he had the right to their frozen embryos, E News reported.
Back in December 2016, we learned that Vergara was being sued — not by Loeb, but by two embryos she created with him in 2013. This may sound like just another far-fetched Hollywood scenario, but in reality, the case had the potential to be a landmark case having wider effects on the concept of what it means to be a person with legal rights. It's also an important reminder to always pay attention to contracts.
Now that this legal ridiculousness is out of the way, it's a good time to revisit the questions this unusual court case raised: Can embryos sue people? Logistically, how do they even file the paperwork from a freezer? How is embry-bro Loeb still in the news?
To make this story a little easier to digest, here are three things you need to know about the dismissed lawsuit that potentially had implications beyond the former couple.
1. Apparently, random men in Louisiana can name your embryos
The plaintiff in the case was a man named James Carbonnet, who is listed as the embryos’ “trustee,” despite the fact that he has no clear relationship with either Vergara or Loeb. In addition to going through the hassle of filing the right-to-live lawsuit on behalf of two embryos, he also took it upon himself to name them “Emma” and “Isabella.”
In other words, he Googled “popular baby names for girls 2013” and went with the top two contenders. Clearly, this was done in an attempt to establish relatable identities for the embryos to garner public support.
2. There is a mysterious trust set up for the embryos, coincidentally also in Louisiana
The crux of the lawsuit was that by not permitting “Emma” and “Isabella” to be born, they are being deprived of their inheritance, which, it just so happens, is in a trust in Louisiana — a very anti-abortion state. The lawsuit requested that the embryos be returned to Loeb so he could implant and gestate them via a surrogate, thereby receiving the money in the trust, which would be used to fund their health care and education.
3. The basis of the lawsuit is requesting that a legal contract is voided
You might be wondering why Vergara and Loeb didn’t sign a contract regarding custody of the embryos when they were created at the fertility clinic. Actually, they did, and it states that neither party could use the embryos without the consent of the other. What was missing, however, was a clause specifically addressing what would happen if the couple broke up, which Loeb has tried to use as a reason why he should be granted custody of the embryos.
But really, the whole part about not using them without the consent of the other pretty much covers that anyway. The lesson here, prospective fertility clinic patrons, is to really go over that contract carefully before moving forward with creating the embryos that may later take you to court.
There's yet another Bachelor baby on the way! Emily Maynard Johnson is expecting her fourth child (her third with husband Tyler Johnson).
Life hasn't been all roses and Champagne and awkward helicopter rides for Maynard. Her firstborn, Josephine Riddick "Ricki" Hendrick, 12, was fathered by NASCAR driver Ricky Hendrick. Hendrick was Maynard's fiancé and high school sweetheart and died tragically in a plane crash before his daughter was born.
Now, just in case you're feeling fuzzy on where Emily fits into the Bachelor lineup (it's OK, it happens to us on a daily basis): Maynard was on Season 15 of The Bachelor and took home Brad Womack's final rose (but didn't keep Brad). She then starred in Season 8 of The Bachelorette, giving her final rose to Jef Holm (only to split up two months later).
But she's found blissful — if chaotic — domestic life with Tyler Johnson. Today, she posted a sweet (and very pregnant) Instagram post of her strolling with her son, Jennings Tyler, 2, and "clinking" ice cream cones.
Emily Maynard
Emily Maynard
The caption? "Way too many tacos at lunch. ---Seriously though, as scared as I am to have 3 under 3, I'm so grateful God picked me to be the mommy to my kids and we can't wait for number 4 to get here! This pregnancy has been filled with lots of hot wings, ranch dressing, an emergency appendix surgery at 6 months, and swollen ankles all day every day but I wouldn't change it for the world. My little tribe can't wait to meet their new brother or sister (it's a surprise!) in the next couple of weeks!"
Back in December, Maynard told People that she and Johnson wanted more kids.
“I definitely think we’ll have at least one more. [Tyler] wants two more,” she said. “[My daughter Ricki] will be out of the house and the babies will still be young.”
She continued, “We’re going to plan this one a little better. We’ll space it out a little bit better. This has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
In fact, there's already one Game of Thrones spinoff that is happening right now that will help curb those cravings for Season 8; prepare yourselves, it's going to be amazing. According to ELLE, the Game of Thronesbehind-the-scene series The Game Revealed will be airing episodes through all HBO streaming platforms with the first episode available on YouTube. You'll get to see interviews with the actors as well as a look at how to world of Westeros came to be in Season 7. Honestly, who wouldn't want to watch that?
Additionally, HBO has already confirmed that it is developing four different spinoff ideas. With a world as rich with characters and story as A Song of Ice and Fire, it's no surprise. There are so many legends to explore, adventures to go on and magic to discover. Though it will be terribly devastating to not have new episodes of Game of Thrones to look forward to, there is a good chance that a new show in the Westeros universe will come along shortly to fill the void. At least, I hope so. I mean, if HBO doesn't want a mob of angry GoT fans on its hands, the network would be wise to bring at least one of these spinoffs to life. And soon.
1. Robert's Rebellion
Robert's Rebellion refers to the events just years before Game of Thrones began. At this point in the show, we pretty much know the details of what went down during Robert's Rebellion — "pretty much" being the key words here. Prior to Robert's Rebellion, the Targaryens were on the throne and ruled Westeros, but when Rhaegar Targaryen stole away Lyanna Stark, Robert's betrothed, he reached his breaking point and challenged the crown. As we know from Game of Thrones, Robert won and took the iron throne. Thanks to Bran's vision in Season 6, we know Jon Snow is the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna. And thanks to last week's episode, we know that Rhaegar and Lyanna were married, meaning they must have actually cared about one another. The story is probably much more complex than we know so, obviously, I'd love to see it played out on screen.
2. The Rise of the Night King
If HBO chose to tackle this storyline, it would bring in a lot more fantasy to the franchise than we already see. We're slowly but surely learning details about the White Walkers, such as the fact that they were created by the Children of the Forest to fight humans — a decision that ended poorly. We also know they have tried to invade Westeros before, but thanks to the hero Azor Ahai, the White Walkers were pushed from the region beyond the Wall. A series that showed us this legendary moment in Westeros' history would be well worth the wait to see, especially depending on how Showdown 2 pans out in Game of Thrones.
3. Tales of Dunk and Egg
This series seems like a no-brainer for HBO to consider since George R.R. Martin has already written three tales in this spinoff. In fact, Martin has confirmed that HBO has approached him about developing the story. The series is set 90 years before the War of the Five Kings and follows the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg, aka Prince Aegon "Egg" Targaryen, aka the younger brother of Maester Aemon, aka King Aegon V.
Not only is Dance With Dragons the name of the fifth book in the Song of Ice and Fire series, it also refers to a Westerosi civil war that happened about 200 years before Game of Thrones. Basically, some infighting over the rights to the throne happened early on in the Targaryen dynasty between King Viserys I's second wife, Alicent, and his daughter, Princess Rhaenyra, which led to an upset within the Seven Kingdoms. Luckily, if you are interested in all the glorious details, Martin has already published a novella going into the specifics of the war called The Princess and the Queen. He also writes about the moments leading up to the war in another novella, The Rogue Prince.
5. Aegon's Conquest
What are two of the most defining characteristics in Game of Thrones? War and dragons. A series about Aegon's conquest would deliver both in spades. Aegon I was the first king of Westeros after he united the seven kingdoms under one ruler for the first time. Prior to this, the Targaryens were the lords of Valyria. The ins and outs of his conquest and the events leading up to his takeover would make for a series that would be just as intriguing as our current match for the throne.
If I had any say in the making of this show, my vote would be on the Robert's Rebellion storyline, especially with everything we just discovered about Jon Snow's lineage. That legend is filled with secrets I would love to explore. Plus, the Targaryens are known for being easy on the eyes, so I wouldn't mind watching Rhaegar come to life.
Can you even imagine a world without Prince William and Prince Harry? It almost happened. Well, sort of. Prince William and Prince Harry the people were always going to exist, but it turns out that if their dad, Prince Charles, had had his way they both would have had different names.
It's not too surprising that Charles and Diana would have wanted to give their kids classically regal-sounding names, as is the tradition of the English royal family. But in a recorded interview, the late Diana revealed that she picked the first names for both their boys because Charles had names picked out that she thought sounded a little too dated for '80s babies.
When asked, "Who chose Harry's name?" Diana responded, "I did," and added, "I chose William and Harry, but Charles did the rest."
As fans of the royal family will know, it's common for members of the family to have a whole bunch of names — William is actually Prince William Arthur Philip Louis, and Harry's full name is Prince Henry Charles Albert David. Even though he got to pick everything but the boys' first names, Diana revealed that he had opinions about those too, but she shut him down.
"He wanted Albert and Arthur, and I said no," she explained. "Too old!"
Of course, should either of the boys become king, it's likely that he'll change his name. Even though there's some question whether Charles will actually take the throne or if he'll abdicate it to Prince William when his turn comes up, he's expected to be called King George VII, should he take his place as the next heir for the seat.
Have you ever read something on the amount of fruits and vegetables that you’re supposed to eat every day, gotten overwhelmed by the gigantic amount and then reached for the nearest processed, crunchy, salty snack? Well, good news. The World Health Organization now says that just three to four portions of fresh produce each day could be enough to get the lifesaving nutrients and fiber you need.
Of course, this does not mean that if you’re eating more than the three to four servings that you should cut back — keep up the good work. But, it does offer hope to those who might find the previously recommended quantities of fruits and vegetables — eight to 10 servings each day — slightly out of reach.
This large-scale study by WHO — which involved more than 135,000 participants from around the world — also took food costs into account, noting that previous higher produce intake recommendations put a financial strain on low- or middle-income people.
So what kind of health benefits are we talking about? The study found that people who ate between three and four portions of fruit and vegetables each day reduced their risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer by 22 percent compared to those who only ate one serving per day. Not only that, but researchers also found that while eating more produce than that is certainly healthy, it didn’t translate into a greater reduction in health risk.
In an editorial accompanying the article, which was published in The Lancet, Estefanía Toledo and Miguel Ángel Martínez-González from the University of Navarra were enthusiastic about the research, but stressed that it’s important to look at produce consumption in the context of your wider diet.
“Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables should be at the expense of reducing other foods and drinks, such as sugar-sweetened beverages, red and processed meats, saturated and trans fat, refined cereals, and sugar-rich desserts,” they write, “not in isolation or as a mere addition to the rest of the dietary pattern.”
So it’s not enough just to add a few veggie sides to a high-fat meal — it has to be part of a bigger shift in eating habits.
If you are looking for a unique baby name that will help your child stand out in a crowd, our list of the top names from movies might be just the ticket. These names are not only trendsetting and cool, but they are also based on some of our favorite characters from movies.
We glanced through character lists of movies dating back decades, and selected the ones that caught our eye — this means that even though we loved Mary from It's a Wonderful Life, we didn't include her name because it's one of those gorgeous traditional names that doesn't necessarily stand out from the crowd. Instead, we chose names that have a little more oomph as well as classic names from older movies that haven't yet made a strong comeback.
From sci-fi flicks to old-fashioned classic Hollywood movies to modern-day Oscar winners, these boy names from movies might make their way right to the top of your baby-name list.
These girl names ran the gamut from beautiful, old-fashioned names to those that are a little more unique and modern. We have rounded up the best names from movies of the past and present.
No matter what your baby-naming style is, these movie baby names incorporate a few different trends, from classic baby names to more modern monikers. While baby-name inspiration can come from many places, there is something that's simply super-cool about picking a movie baby name.
Reese Witherspoon has a big year coming up. In addition to the TV show she she's going to star in alongside Jennifer Aniston, it was just announced that Witherspoon will have a role in producing what sounds like an intensely emotional biopic about a former member of the infamous Westboro Baptist Church.
According to Variety, Witherspoon will help bring to life the story of Megan Phelps-Roper in This Above All. The film will tell the true story of Phelps-Roper's exit from the Westboro Baptist Church, a church she had grown up in, and her exile from her family because of it.
Phelps-Roper is the granddaughter of Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps, which only makes the story all the more intriguing. She was a vocal member of the church for most of her life and worked as a communications director to spread its hateful messages online. Through conversations with people on the posts she would put up on Twitter, though, Phelps-Roper reportedly came to question the beliefs that had been drilled into her throughout her life. Eventually, she and her sister left the church and now speak out publicly against it.
This Above All is based on Phelps-Ropers' as yet unpublished memoir, adapted for the big screen by award-winning writer Nick Hornby. Hornby was nominated for an Academy Award for his adaptation of Wild, which is likely how he and Witherspoon met.
"Megan’s extraordinary story says so much about so many things in contemporary America, and I’m really excited about this project," Hornby told Variety. "I’m looking forward to working with the brilliant Marc Webb, [Condé Nast Entertainment] and with my friends Reese Witherspoon, Bruna Papandrea and River Road, with whom I enjoyed such a good relationship during the making of Wild."
Superstar Mariah Carey isn't one to share the spotlight — that is, unless it's with her kids.
Carey is currently on the road for the All the Hits Tour with Lionel Richie (yeah, we're a little confused too, but hey, why not?). This weekend, the audience at Chicago's United Center lucked out when Carey was joined by daughter Monroe for a duet rendition of the hit "Always Be My Baby."
Mariah and Monroe rocked their stage-time together, and fans erupted into huge applause. The sweet mama-daughter moment was documented on Instagram.
Mariah and Monroe
Mariah and Monroe
Carey captioned the video clip, "#AlwaysBeMyBaby" and "#RoeRoe" — her adorable nickname for her daughter (yes, we know, roe are technically fish eggs, but try not to think about that when you're visiting Celebrity Baby Nameland).
Both of her twins were on hand for another "Always Be My Baby" performance on Aug. 1 — also documented on Instagram by thrilled fans.
Dem Babies
Dem Babies
Carey shares boy-and-girl twins Moroccan and Monroe with former husband Nick Cannon, who told E News he's pretty sure they've got some serious performers on their hands.
"My kids, especially Moroccan and Monroe, they're hams," Cannon said. "They love attention. They love performing. My son is fascinated with cameras and directing and making little movies. They definitely have the bug."
Cannon added, "I'd rather them be nuclear physicists or brain surgeons. But I can't control that. So if they want to be entertainers, I'll support it."
Carey twins
Carey twins
Both Moroccan and Monroe have been touring with their mom across the country the past few months, chilling at Disneyland or backstage with Serena Williams along the way.
Mariah and Serena
Mariah and Serena
Not a bad summer for two 6-year-olds — not a bad summer at all.
A lot of weird things happened during that Jon/Daenerys sex scene on the most recent episode of Game of Thrones. First, at the same moment they were having hot, passionate sex, Sam and Bran were coming to the realization that Jon is a Targaryen and heir to the Iron Throne. But more important, he is a Targaryen. And by that, we mean Daenerys' nephew.
Second, also intercut with the nakedness were shots of Tyrion just staring down the halls of the ship right outside the room where said lovemaking was happening. He was just standing there! Why was he just standing there?!
Well, there are some theories.
1. He's secretly madly in love with Daenerys
This one would kinda break my heart because Tyrion deserves true love after everything he's been through. He and Daenerys have formed a close, intimate relationship over the past season, and yet there's still a distance there for him. They are more business partners than actual partners. Then Jon enters and Daenerys doesn't waste much time in swooning. It looks like Tyrion might turn into Ser Jorah in about another decade.
There is a good chance we didn't get to see something really, really big go down between Cersei and Tyrion. Cersei agreed to meet with her little brother, didn't kill him and then he realized she was pregnant. End scene. But in just the next moment, we see Cersei striding back out to the dragon pit and agreeing to send troops, an agreement that was a lie, but still, what did Tyrion say? What did he promise?
Most people on the internet are theorizing a betrayal since Tyrion admitted to Cersei that he didn't want to end the Lannisters.
I think it's more likely Tyrion offered Cersei Jon's head rather than Daenerys' death. I think Tyrion is genuinely loyal to Daenerys, but he isn't loyal to Jon in that way, despite the respect he feels for him. My theory is Tyrion offered to take out Jon for Cersei as soon as the fight with the White Walkers was won, assuming she agreed to the peace treaty. And there's the loophole for Cersei: She agreed to the peace treaty but didn't agree to actually assist in the battle.
Now, just because Tyrion didn't betray Daenerys directly, if my theory is true, doesn't mean he didn't betray Daenerys. She is growing to love Jon. He is an important ally, and if Tyrion sacrifices Jon for the sake of her empire, well, that's not a sin she would forgive. Tyrion would know that, though, so he would understand that he's not just sacrificing Jon but himself.
It could be that both of the above are true. Tyrion loves Daenerys, and he is betraying her. Going along with my theory that Tyrion offered Cersei Jon's death, it could be because Tyrion wants Jon out of the picture because he wants Daenerys all to himself.
If this is the case, I could see Tyrion morphing into a dark version of himself and actually becoming the monster everyone accused him of being. As a fan favorite character, this might be worse than seeing Tyrion's death, so brace yourself.
Do you think Tyrion will betray Daenerys in Game of Thrones Season 8?
Today in medical misogyny, French gynecologists have reportedly instructed women with complications from faulty pelvic mesh to try anal sex instead of painful vaginal penetration.
Wait, what? How did we even get to this point? Let’s back up a bit.
Complications with pelvic mesh is unfortunately an all-too-common experience for women with pelvic health issues. As we age — and after childbirth — our pelvic floors weaken, sometimes leading to pelvic organ prolapse, when an organ in your pelvis (like your bladder) can no longer be supported by your pelvic floor muscles and drops so it’s up against the wall of your vagina.
Treating pelvic floor disorders, including prolapse, is tricky, and usually involves some sort of device or material that tries to mimic the pelvic floor muscles to keep the organs in place. One such material is pelvic mesh — which is also used to treat stress urinary incontinence (loss of bladder control after movement, sneezing, laughing, etc.). The problem is, pelvic mesh comes with some pretty serious side effects for many women, including pain, infection, bleeding, damage to nearby organs and painful vaginal sex.
Which brings us to the unsolicited anal sex advice. These reported comments surfaced in emails between French gynecologists and a Johnson & Johnson marketing manager referenced during a class-action lawsuit against the pharmaceutical giant, which manufactures the faulty pelvic mesh in question. The lawsuit was initiated by Australian women who claim to be experiencing “chronic and debilitating pain” as a result of the device.
The emails reference the doctors’ unease about discussing sexual matters with middle-aged women, including alternatives to painful vaginal penetration.
“It is no less true that sodomy could be a good alternative!” one doctor wrote.
Another doctor wrote about trying to psych himself into having conversations with his patients about their sexual well-being.
“I said to myself, there you go, for your next prolapse [patient], you talk to her about orgasms. OK! But also about fellatio, sodomy, the clitoris with or without G-spot etc,” he wrote. “I am sure of one thing: that I would very quickly be treated like some kind of sex maniac (which, perhaps, I am) or a pervert, or an unhealthily curious person.”
Doctors not taking the sexual fulfillment of middle-aged women seriously is hardly news, but when the Australian women affected by the faulty pelvic mesh read the contents of these emails, they spoke out about why this attitude toward their sexual health is so troubling. In fact, many women (speaking anonymously) reported to Guardian Australia that they had heard similar comments — including suggestions to switch to anal sex — from their own doctors.
“Our vaginas have been abused by mesh and now doctors are suggesting our anus be abused. Despicable! Only a misogynist could think this way,” one told Guardian Australia.
A second woman said that she was “gobsmacked” by the sexual advice from her doctor, noting that she finds the suggestion that anal sex “is supposed to make the pain and complications from the mesh go away” disgusting.
This attitude toward women’s bodies devalues a woman’s right to an active sex life as a fulfilled participant, reinforcing the idea that we’re “nothing more than a receptacle to satisfy men and that ‘any hole will do,’” a third woman remarked. Amen, sister.
Another woman told ABC Australia that her doctor’s reaction to her complaining about painful vaginal sex as a result of the pelvic mesh was, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”
Look, there’s certainly nothing wrong with anal sex — many women enjoy it. That’s not the issue here. The problem is the pervasive notion that women’s pain isn’t a big deal and just part of our lot in life and that our sexual satisfaction comes second to that of men.
If men required the equivalent of pelvic mesh, you’d better believe that by 2017, someone would have come up with a material that not only effectively treats the condition, but has no negative impact on their sex lives. But we’re dealing with women here, so both pain and having a fulfilling sex life are trivialized.
We need to take a page out of the Australian women’s playbook and speak out about these disparities and allegedly “uncomfortable” subjects until our pelvic health — including sexual satisfaction — is taken seriously.
There are few things in life more nostalgic than cracking open an ice-cold soda pop. Back in the day, soda was a rare treat doled out when parents finally relented to endless begging for a frosty pop. And if we've heard it once, we've heard it a million times: Soda will rot your teeth and your insides. Sadly, yes, most companies slip a ton of nasty hidden ingredients into mass-produced sodas — but if you go old-school and make your own, you can sidestep said nasties.
Creating your own healthier version of soda pop is as easy as creating a flavored syrup at home and pouring some cold seltzer over it in a nice tall glass. Bada bing, bada boom — instant homemade soda.
One of the great things about making soda in this way is that you can control the intensity of the flavor and the relative sweetness of the resulting beverage. You can experiment with flavors and even use real fruit to make the syrups.
Making syrup for soda is as easy as making a simple syrup (sugar and water) and adding flavoring. To use fresh fruit, choose fruits that are very ripe and juicy and either put them through a juicer or puree them and press through a strainer. If you use canned or bottled juices, look for juices that have very high natural juice content, and a very low sugar content. Now you've gotten the idea, here's the easy way to make homemade soda.
1/2 cup fresh fruit juice or concentrated fruit juice (the more concentrated the juice, the more intense the final flavor)
Directions:
Combine the ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and let simmer until the mixture is reduced by half. (To intensify the flavor, you can add a dash of an appropriately flavored extract.)
Store the finished syrup in a squeeze bottle in the refrigerator for instant access.
To make homemade soda, simply add syrup to a glass of ice and top off with seltzer water or club soda.
Suggestions for flavors
Lemon-lime
Mango-papaya
Pomegranate
Blueberry
Currant
Strawberry
Cantaloupe
Quick tip: The syrups are also tasty drizzled over ice cream or other desserts.
Originally published September 2015. Updated August 2017.
Remember when "Gettin’ Jiggy Wit’ It" was the anthem of the year? Yeah, that was in 1997. Since then, the Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff have been basically silent. Until now, that is. Sure, they released a single in 1998 to complement their Greatest Hits record, so it hasn't been quite 20 years since they gave us new music. Still, it's been close enough. We are long overdue, but they have finally delivered.
At Blackpool's Livewire Festival, the two took the stage together, and while they performed their classics, obviously, including "Gettin' Jiggy Wit' It," "Men in Black," "Miami," "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble" and "Just the Two of Us," they also dropped a brand-new track on the surprised audience.
Smith addressed the crowd first, telling them that he and DJ Jazzy Jeff had been working on a new song "that you haven’t heard yet," and that they wrote it in response to the "chaos and confusion" in the world.
He continued, "I wanted to make a song that allowed people to let their light shine. We all have an inner light and sometimes this world… people can say stuff to you and tell you you can’t do and you know you can, but when they tell you that it, kinda knocks you down a bit, right, so I wanted to make a record that reminded each and every one of y’all to let your light shine."
Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff release new single Get Lit
Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff release new single Get Lit
We didn't know Smith had new music on the way, but he did just appear on James Corden's Carpool Karaoke series, so we probably should have seen it coming. Here's hoping there's a whole album in the works and not just this one track.
Everybody wants to get away on the long weekend, but focusing on traffic, public transportation or renting a car can immediately kill your relaxation vibes. Hiring a private car and driver may seem like an extravagant choice, but it turns out Uber has some pretty affordable rides that will take you to a fun vacation spot for less than $100. And if you're traveling with a friend or two, you can share the costs to make it even more reasonable.
If you're thinking of traveling over Labor Day weekend, check out one of these inexpensive mini-vacays, all of which cost less than $100 from Uber.
NYC to Long Beach: Travel from the city to Long Beach, where you can spend the day riding bikes by the beach, eating al fresco and enjoying the boardwalk.
NYC to Cove Island Park, Connecticut: Head north from the city to Cove Island Park for a day of fun in the sun, with everything from swimming at the beach to exploring the wildlife preserve at your fingertips.
San Francisco to Napa Valley: Wine tasting is always better when you don't have to worry about driving. Take an Uber to Napa Valley and feel free to guzzle as much vino as you want.
Chicago to Munster, Indiana: Get a taste of small-town life in Munster, where you can enjoy walking around one of the three lakes, relaxing in Centennial Park or enjoying a beer at 3 Floyds Brewing Company.
Austin to Lake Travis, Texas: The Lake Travis reservoir is the perfect place to escape the heat of summer, with over 271 miles of shoreline to explore. Swim, rent a boat or just enjoy the breeze while picnicking in one of the parks.
Atlanta to Greenville, South Carolina: There's a lot to do in this small city, from viewing the waterfalls at the Falls Park on the Reedy, going to the Greenville County Museum of Art or visiting the Greenville Zoo.
Los Angeles to Laguna Beach: The gorgeous coves and inlets of Laguna Beach are perfect for sunbathing, and the area offers a bevy of dining and shopping options too.
Los Angeles to Ojai, California: Go wine tasting, shop in the quaint downtown or take a hiking trip in Ojai, the perfect getaway from busy Los Angeles.
Boston to Newport, Rhode Island: Take a trip out of the city and view the historic mansions of Newport, Rhode Island, and don't forget to take a walk along the rocky coast.
Boston to Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Head north to enjoy the small New England city of Portsmouth, where you can spend time at the beach, visit the children's museum or stroll through the scenic downtown.
Boston to Cape Cod, Massachusetts : Who wouldn't want to take a fun trip to Cape Cod? Sandy beaches, seafood dinners and sunshine await.
Seattle to Woodinville Wine Country in Washington: There are more than 90 wineries in Woodinville, and if you take an Uber, you won't have to worry about finding a designated driver. Even if you don't drink, it's a beautiful spot to shop, visit farms and grab a bite to eat in a pretty setting.
There are a lot of fun options, and it's so much more convenient to just call a car than having to worry about renting one or dealing with public transportation. As soon as you get in the car, it's like your trip has already started — your Uber driver can focus on the road so you can start relaxing.
Something weird happens when you turn about 28 or 29. Suddenly, staying out partying until the wee hours of the morning sounds more like a living nightmare rather than a blasty-blast, and you'd much rather hole up drinking some Sleepytime tea on the couch with Netflix at least one night out of the weekend. It's not necessarily a bad thing. Drinking at bars can get expensive really quickly, and it's safe to say that your liver is also grateful for the reprieve.
But that doesn't mean that you give up partying for good once you hit 30. Nope, we'd just much rather chill at home with some friends and a couple of drinks. And if there's a special occasion that calls for you to get your swerve on, it's actually really easy to shake up some club-style shooters at home for you and your buddies that won't leave you with bar-tab remorse the next morning.
Whether you take your shots fruity or prefer something that will put a little hair on your chest, there's a shot here for everyone. Just remember to drink responsibly!
Aug. 29 would have been Michael Jackson's 59th birthday. His daughter, Paris Jackson, took to Instagram to commemorate the day by posting a photo of herself giving her late father a sweet kiss and writing a heartfelt message to him.
She wrote: "Birthday wishes to the love of my life, the one person who showed me what passion truly was, the one that gave me solid morals to live by and how to dream," she wrote. "I will never feel love again the way I did with you. you are always with me and I am always with you. though I am not you, and you are not me, I know with all of my being that we are one. and our souls will never change in that way. Thank you for the magic, forever and always."
Paris Jackson posts heart felt bday message to Michael
Paris Jackson posts heart felt bday message to Michael
Unbelievably, Jackson had to turn off comments on the post after trolls started attacking her in the comments section, saying her father would have been disappointed in her. Seriously, why do people have to stoop so low?
On Twitter, Jackson addressed the haters, writing, "oh he'd be disappointed in me? for my activism n positive messages? hunty [sic] you da one nonstop saying the most vile, hateful, fucked up things."
Regardless of anything that's ever happened to her, it's fair to say that Jackson's father would not be disappointed in her. She's a strong woman, and she doesn't deserve this kind of hate, nor does her father.
Breastfeeding can be a long, tedious process. Who hasn't reached for their phone to scroll through Facebook or Instagram for a few minutes to help the time pass? Turns out, these distractions happen a lot. About 60 percent of the interruptions during breastfeeding can be attributed to technological devices according to a recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. The research examined whether texting while you feed — dubbed "brexting" — is a good way to pass the time or whether it could have a negative impact on the feeding experience.
In the study, 75 moms between the ages of 18 and 40 with complication-free pregnancies or births kept diaries for one to six days about feeding times for infants, all under 6 months old.
“Distractions were reported during 43 percent of feedings for the group data, with mothers reporting technological distractions during 26 percent of feedings and non-technological distractions during 17 percent of feedings,” said Dr. Alison Ventura, the lead author, in a statement.
And on the individual level, 92 percent of moms reported a distraction during one or more feedings, and 83 percent said there was a technological distraction during at least one feeding.
Passing time or putting baby second?
All numbers aside, should you be passing the time on your mobile device?
Nursing is more than nutrition for a baby; it is also a time of bonding and of establishing human connection between a mother and a child, says Carolyn Thompson, a Nashville-based OB-GYN. She said eye contact is a pivotal part of that bonding, which can help babies develop their emotional quotient.
“The distractions of cellphones disrupt that bonding,” Thompson said.
While no one knows for sure to what degree the interruptions may impact the breastfeeding experience, Thompson contends that it has the “potential to translate into emotional disturbances in the children in the future.”
Deedra Franke, a nurse and board-certified lactation consultant at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, said moms are on their phones more than they were a few years ago. Some are using breastfeeding apps to monitor feeding activities.
“In the early weeks of learning to breastfeed, I usually don’t see moms on their phones because they are learning to breastfeed,” she said. After they master breastfeeding, more moms do use their phones. But she doesn’t see it being a problem so long as they’re not distracted for too long. Many women who support brexting say it simply replaced moms who would read or watch television as they nursed years ago.
“Babies in general won’t allow moms to be on their phones very long because other infant care duties require two hands,” she said. Franke doesn’t believe being distracted can affect the bonding aspect too much because the act of breastfeeding alone enhances attachment.
Katayune Kaeni, a psychologist from California who specializes in maternal care, has said that babies need moms to respond to them whether breast- or bottle-feeding.
“When babies are first born, their vision is only basically from the breast to the mother's face,” Kaeni told Southern California Public Radio in 2015. “That’s as far as they can see. So babies do a lot of staring and bonding in that way.”
There are a million reasons to love Ellen DeGeneres. She's hilarious. She's charismatic. She can out dance anybody out there, and she's pretty much the best talk-show host this country has ever seen. But above all the reasons mentioned above, DeGeneres' amazing generosity is what makes us hold her near and dear to our hearts. We were reminded of just how charitable DeGeneres is this week when she pledged to donate upward of $75,000 to humans and animals impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Harvey.
"A lot of people in Texas have lost their homes," she said in a segment of her show on Monday. "The city of Houston has been hit the hardest. I know people would like to help. I would like to help."
And this is hardly the first time DeGeneres has lent a hand.
DeGeneres (who was honored as the People's Choice Awards' Favorite Humanitarian last year) has given away way more than $50 million dollars on her show. She has raised $12.5 million for breast cancer, more than $10 million for families affected by Hurricane Katrina and more than $21 million to individuals and families who shared their stories with her. DeGeneres has even inspired her audience to donate more than $35 million of their own. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Here are just a few of the many, many surprising and inspiring moments when DeGeneres changed lives.
1. The moment DeGeneres & Britney Spears gave back to their home state
Ellen and Britney donate to Louisiana
Ellen and Britney donate to Louisiana
DeGeneres and Spears both hail from Louisiana and gave back in a big way after the state experienced devastating floods in 2016. Spears donated a $125,000 emergency-response vehicle, while DeGeneres sent a $125,000 gift to a middle school for rebuilding efforts.
2. The moment she changed the lives of elementary students in Detroit
Ellen Spain Elementary
Ellen Spain Elementary
Before DeGeneres helped out Spain Elementary School in Detroit, the building was decrepit and the students were relying on archaic technology to learn with. Things were so bad, in fact, that most of the kids didn't even have books.
That all changed when DeGeneres and Lowe's donated over $500,000 to help to rebuild the school. On top of that, Justin Bieber appeared on the show and offered $1 from every one of his tickets sold to Spain Elementary.
3. The moment she & Ryan Reynolds helped out his favorite charity
Ryan Reynolds on Ellen
Ryan Reynolds on Ellen
DeGeneres so kindly offered to set Reynolds up with $25,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation if he stepped into her studio dunk tank. That's what you call a win for everyone.
4. The moment DeGeneres & Dierks Bentley gave a military family living in poverty $50,000
Sgt. Chad Sparks and his wife, Ashley, had a newborn baby. Yet, medical expenses made the small family penniless. We learned that Sparks was injured in Afghanistan during his first deployment, yet here he was about to be deployed a second time, leaving his wife and baby behind with no money. Ashley wrote in to DeGeneres telling her they had to sell the baby's things as well as their own (appliances, coffee pot and even parts of their car) to feed themselves. DeGeneres and country singer Dierks Bentley said they couldn’t allow that to happen and gave the Sparks a check for $50,000.
You are likely one of the 3.3 million people who retweeted DeGeneres' famous Oscar selfie featuring Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Meryl Streep, Brad and Angie, Kevin Spacey, Julia Roberts, and for no apparent reason, Lupita Nyong'o's brother. Since the photo was taken with a Samsung phone, Samsung agreed to donate a dollar for every retweet to the charity of DeGeneres' choice. She chose two: St. Jude's Children's Hospital and The Humane Society, so Samsung gave each charity $1.5 million apiece.
6. The moment DeGeneres became way more generous than Santa
DeGeneres received a letter from Amy Phillips of Rigby, Idaho, who said that in a crushing economy, and with seven kids, she often hasn't enough money for food. With a steep mortgage and car payments, she and her husband can't stay above water. She realized that with Christmas coming, she wouldn't have anything left to put gifts under the tree for her children. While DeGeneres likely gets more letters than Santa, she gave the Phillips family $28,000 worth of stuff for Christmas. She gave them everything from her 12 days of Christmas list, which included iPads, TVs and generous gift certificates.
7. The moment DeGeneres introduced us to a pizza man helping the homeless
Not only did DeGeneres give, she told us about others who were doing the same. In January 2015, we learned of Mason Wartman. Wartman quit his job on Wall Street to move home to Philly and open a pizza shop. One day, a customer came in saying he would like to "pay it forward" by buying a slice for the homeless man sitting outside. The next customer wanted to do the same and so on and so on. Wartman decided to allow customers to buy a slice for a hungry person by putting a post-it on the wall with their name on it. When a hungry or homeless person came in, they could pay for a slice with that post-it. By the time DeGeneres featured him, he had given away 8,500 slices in the nine months the program was underway. After being on DeGeneres' show, Wartman's story went viral and by June 2015, he had given away more than 23,000 slices.
8. The moment DeGeneres spent an entire season helping her viewers
Helping a person here and there was great. Giving to charity and families in need was even better, but do you know what was the very best? Dedicating an entire season to helping viewers in need, and that is what the TheEllen DeGeneres Show did in Season 10. It would be too much to tell you story after story of DeGeneres' generosity that year, so I will narrow it down to one heartbreaking story. Kim Ledbetter is a single mom from Birmingham, Alabama, who not only has her kids but is raising a niece. Kim was laid off a year and a half earlier and has been struggling to find work. All they wanted was a new microwave since theirs had broken. DeGeneres did give them a new microwave, but it had $20,000 inside. The family was knocked off their feet and grateful…and then DeGeneres gave Kim and her family a brand-new car.
9. The one of many moments DeGeneres saved an animal's life
Not only does DeGeneres regularly feature dogs in need of homes and people who have risked their own lives to rescue animals, a visit to the DeGeneres TV show page reveals that the bulk of her charitable giving goes to these most vulnerable creatures. Her current effort is for the Gentle Barn, a home and hospital for abused animals, which has received millions from her and from her viewers. DeGeneres and her wife, Portia, have adopted two cows, named Holy and Madonna. She gives us regular cow updates on her show. DeGeneres also is an advocate for local dog rescues, Farm Sanctuary, saving elephants and seals along with dozens of other charitable efforts for animals.
10. The moment she & Ben Affleck decided to feed a nation
DeGeneres likes to give to existing charities rather than start her own. But she couldn't resist when actor Ben Affleck asked her to help him create the American version of the Small Change Campaign, a charity that has benefited children in Germany and Southeast Asia since 1987. This particular campaign funds Feeding America, the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity. Determined to end hunger in America, DeGeneres and Affleck ask that you give to others by donating spare change through Coinstar machines.
11. The moment DeGeneres chose St. Jude's for the Walgreens $100,000 donation
That moment happened at the 2016 People's Choice Awards. In her speech, DeGeneres said that, "kindness is an innate quality," and that we all need to "be kind to one another." So, as part of the humanitarian award, DeGeneres had the opportunity to select one charity to receive a $100,000 donation from Walgreens. She chose a charity that she has been a part of for many years, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.
This explains why when her friend Melissa McCarthy introduced her at the PCAs, she said, "When she hears about anyone in need, anywhere, she is the first to step in and help them."