In The Buzz Cut, we give our take on all of the intellectual and Internet-famous, celebrity and bizarre, buzzy and overlooked family and parenting news we gossiped about all week.
Sex. Earlier this week, Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir won gold after an ice dancing routine that left viewers feeling hot and bothered. But does all of that sexual tension help them on the ice? Here’s a piece that asks the question we all want to know: Do ice dancing partners get higher scores if they’re sex partners, too? In other sex news, check out this piece that seeks to cast the #MeToo movement’s inclusion of consensual bad sex as the natural evolution of second wave feminism. Or, if you’re not sure you’re doing it right, this 300-year-old manual of sex tips. After that retrospective, here’s a look forward: What happens to privacy when your Internet-connected sex toys are collecting data?
Porn. It’s no secret today’s teens are getting their sex education from porn, with disastrous results. But what if they could be taught to watch it more critically? Elsewhere, learn how AI is protecting celebrities (and everyone) from having their faces superimposed into pornography.
Periods. Here’s a fascinating short history of menstruation. Which will now need to be updated with the fact that apparently you can now be kicked off a flight for being on your period. Maybe if ads didn’t stereotype menstruating women so much, this wouldn’t have happened. But if you read one piece on menstruation this week, check out this article that explores whether couples in which both people menstruate also have synced periods.
Marriage. In case you missed it here on The Swaddle: Jennifer Aniston is no longer married, and that’s OK. Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia recently amended its marriage laws to allow women to leave their husbands. (Cue cautious clapping — especially since the country’s robot citizen still has more rights than its human women.) Closer to home, the Supreme Court has decided it won’t annul the marriage of a consenting adult woman. Magnanimous.
Pregnancy. This article explores a serious pregnancy complication becoming all too common as C-sections increase. Elsewhere, an author argues that literature ignores pregnancy — and in doing so, fails us all.
Equality. An interesting exploration of how biology and socialization intersect to create gender. Elsewhere, this piece is a fantastic explanation of how the gender wage gap is really a child care penalty. And before you leave too depressed, check out this profile of France’s Minister for Gender Equality. (What a fantastic job title.)
