I know this is shocking, given all the dudes offended by that Gillette ad, but there might be something to this “toxic masculinity” idea. At least that’s how it seems when nearly every day a woman stands up to some jerkoff only to see her words, her experience, is going viral. Quick recap: last week at […]
Childhood Trauma as It Relates to Immigrant Children in Detainment
I was 7 when it happened; roughly the same age as my kids are now. The same age as so many of the immigrant children who are currently housed in detention facilities all along the southern border of the United States. My older brother and I had gone to stay for the weekend with a […]
Ambien Rejects Roseanne’s Blame, Dictionary.com Has Alternate Theory
It may be just one more skirmish in a culture war that is being waged on all fronts of American life. Or it may be that the dust-up and fall-out over one outrageous and vile comment made by Roseanne Barr in the wee hours of Tuesday morning is a microcosm of where we find ourselves […]
Children and Gender Expression: Parents, You’re Making This Awkward
We’re out and about when my kid gets wide-eyed and then hollers, “LOOK!” Living in New York City with two young children, this sort of situation arises pretty often. Let’s be honest, taking children out in public anywhere is opening the door to awkward interactions with strangers. As often as we are proud of our kids, […]
Friends Call BS When School Demands Girl Cover Her Scars
Imagine if you suffered a brutal attack as a young teen. You survived, but you bore scars of your attacker up and down your arms. Perhaps you’d be ashamed or embarrassed. Or perhaps you’d see them as reminders of what you endured. As part of the healing process, you’d likely be counseled to work through […]
One of the “Good Guys” Steps Down, and the World Asks Where We Draw the Line
Dammit. I knew it was coming, and yet I still had hope. Right up until the moment Al Franken took the floor of the Senate today. The whole 11-minute speech is well worth watching or reading, but allow me to present for you its beating heart: I, of all people, am aware that there is […]
No, You Don’t Get to Stay the ‘Conscience of Comedy’ in Your Pseudo-Apology for Sexual Misconduct
I have spent my long and lucky career talking and saying anything I want. I will now step back and take a long time to listen. Alright, Louis C.K., listen up. So if I understand you, it was just YESTERDAY you realized you never had to consider that you’ve been a creepy bastard because you […]
Guy Rescues Friend Whose Period Came Early and the Internet Can’t Praise Him Enough
Once upon a time, a gal went on a routine morning hike with 3 friends. As sometimes happens, her period showed up several days early, and she was not only unprepared, but she was also fairly mortified that at some point these friends, who all happened to be guys, would be made all too aware […]