In The Buzz Cut, we give our take on all of the intellectual and Internet-famous, celebrity and bizarre, buzzy and overlooked news we gossiped about all week.
The superficial. Because what a woman wears is always more important than what she does, the president of the French Tennis Association (a man) has said Serena William’s famous catsuit will not be allowed again at the French Open. Here’s a hot take on the sexism, racism and elitism behind that statement. Williams had her own last laugh, however. We hope tennis player Alizé Cornet, whose clothing was also policed by tennis officials this week, gets her own chuckle, too. And while we’re so focused on the superficial, one woman’s personal anthropological exploration of Tinder is proof swiping right isn’t just about appearances.
The practical. India has one of the lowest rates of breast cancer — but the highest rate of breast cancer deaths in the world, because women aren’t getting diagnosed early enough to get the care they need. Enter Mihir Shah, who has invented a portable, easy-to-use tool that will allow diagnosis to go to women, rather than women having to go seek diagnosis. Elsewhere, companies have been focusing on tangible changes to facilitate better work-life balance for some parents — but not all.
The invisible. The theory that human sperm cells ‘compete’ to reach the egg — with the fastest-swimmers winning the medal of fertilization — apparently has backing not so much in science but in cultural ideas of masculinity. This piece explores why women tend to eschew the limelight as a means of career advancement — perhaps surprisingly, the demands of family is a factor.
The infuriating. We can’t really say it any better, so we’ll leave this headline here: “Stop Applauding Men for Not Assaulting Women.” Also, maybe, while we’re at it — stop applauding men who have actually harassed women?
