LEGOs are some of the most creative toys around for kids. When I was growing up, I loved mixing together sets and building whole worlds (including assembling a perfect replica of Jurassic Park whose quality I will defend to this day) and never saw them as a toy meant for either boys or girls.
But recently, LEGOs have come under fire for two reasons.
In Karen Sander's dystopian young adult book Tankborn, the world is a stringent caste system where race and origins determine all status. Tankborn was a hit and the sequel, Awakening, just came out this April, which means now is a great time to discuss the race and gender angle of the book.
We all have words we love and words we hate. On this episode of Popaganda, we dig into those words we just can't stand, from "moist" to "exotic." In addition to ragging on words submitted by readers and friends, we discuss language with New York Times Magazine columnist Lizzie Skurnick, Northeastern Professor Sarah Jackson, and political cartoonist Matt Bors.
What words do you hate? Add ones we missed to the comments.
• Seattle's May Day protests last night turned into a mess, complete with tear gas and dozens of police. Here's a rundown of what happened. [The Stranger]
It’s not often that income tax audits make big news, but the mammoth of an audit that’s been thrown Venus DeMars andLynette Reini-Gambell, a married couple and a relatively successful musician and poet respectively, has been getting some local press in their home state of Minnesota. This MinnPost article features an interview with the couple in which they discuss the details of the situation, but in short: the Minnesota Revenue Department is claiming that the couple’s respective artistic careers are not profitable enough to qualify them as “professional” artists and is demanding around $100,000 in back taxes for work-related tax deductions the couple has claimed over the years.
There are all kinds of women warriors in pop culture: The Wonder Woman Amazon, the Black Widow martial arts expert, the Lara Croft tough-as-nails adventurer. And then there's the including equestrian heroines, like Xena: Warrior Princess (1995-2001) and Mulan (1998). Numerous factors influenced the design of these characters—like how well they could be turned into merchandise—but it's interesting that both Xena and Mulan address the same issues of feminiity that female heroes have been have been dealing with since Ancient Greece.
You know Nancy Stole as a horrible person. She's performed under the nickname Mink Stole in sixty films, but her morally corrupt roles in John Waters' outrageous films are the ones that burn themselves into your brain.
Have you been looking for a body-positive magazine written by feminist, queer-friendly women who don't take themselves too seriously? Welcome to Ms. Fit. [Autostraddle]
Ok, we're still talking about it cause it's so ridiculous. Female athletes have been out for decades: and here's a timeline to prove it. [BuzzFeed]
Recently I told some jokes a stand-up show and as I was getting off stage, the host said, “Go give her a hug after the show!” I shuddered back into my seat and pulled my beer in front of my chest like a protective shield.
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