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The Buzz Cut: Facebook Releases In‑App Dating Function in 20 Countries

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Sep 7, 2019

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In The Buzz Cutwe bring you a round-up of all the weird, controversial, and wonderful stories we’ve been reading all week.


Not satisfied with the global-level, high-stakes bungling of billions of users’ data, Facebook now wants to meddle in your love life. The tech giant launched Facebook Dating, an in-app function available in 20 countries that will enable users to search for potential matches based on common likes. Can we trust it?

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The world’s abuzz for the imminent release of renowned author Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments, a sequel to her book-turned-hit-Hulu-series, The Handmaid’s Tale. The new release will pick up in the dystopian, oppressive state of Gilead 15 years later.

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World No. 1 Naomi Osaka ruthlessly defeated Coco Gauff, 15, at the U.S. Open this week, before completely reversing her attitude, hugging her opponent and inviting Gauff to a joint post-match interview. It was “the hug heard around the world,” and tennis fans lauded the moment when empathy ruled.

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Even as beauty standards in Indian society are influenced by Western ideals, one wonders how the Western ideals came to be. Turns out, an ideally thin body image is a colonial idea, birthed by Europeans in response to their observations of small, elite groups in developing countries, who were well-off and well-fed. This made Europeans think entire continents, such as Asia and Africa, adored obesity as a ‘cultural ideal.’ Naturally, in order to set themselves apart, they moved in the opposite direction, and unfortunately, the world followed.

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In the New York strip club industry, the dancers would always be at a disadvantage — underpaid, and required to endure insult and harassment from clients. Until one veteran dancer decided to change things up — what’s it like to drug filthy rich men and finagle money out of them under the pretext of drugs and sexual attention? It’s an old piece, but worth a re-read as the movie-version of the real-life story nears release.

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Scarlett Johansson has had enough chances. She’s fighting off criticism for participating in Hollywood’s tendency to whitewash movies, apparent in Ghost in the Shell, in which Johansson plays a Japanese character. Now, Johansson has come out in defiant support of Woody Allen, an accused child molester who married his adopted child. Too far this time, ScarJo.

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Nicki Minaj is retiring from rap to start a family — with a man who is a registered sex offender. Only time will tell if the rapper is 100% done with her music career.

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The fast fashion industry is increasingly coming under fire for appropriating the likenesses and styles of celebrities to sell material — and the celebrities are lashing back. Most recently, Ariana Grande filed a lawsuit against Forever 21 — the fast-fashion brand already on the brink of bankruptcy — for $10 million.

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Written By Rajvi Desai

Rajvi Desai is The Swaddle’s Culture Editor. After graduating from NYU as a Journalism and Politics major, she covered breaking news and politics in New York City, and dabbled in design and entertainment journalism. Back in the homeland, she’s interested in tackling beauty, sports, politics and human rights in her gender-focused writing, while also co-managing The Swaddle Team’s podcast, Respectfully Disagree.

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