Here is your topic: Top Five Favorite Styles of Dance. Go!
Please feel welcome to share stories about why your Top Five picks are what they are, though a straight-up list is fine, too. Please refrain from negatively auditing other people's lists, because judgment discourages participation.
Top Five
Question of the Day
We've done this one before, but not for awhile: What is your favorite recipe with five ingredients or fewer?
Matt Lauer Is a Fucking Dirtbag
[Content Note: Misogyny; sexual assault; exploitation; weight loss talk.]
So, the other night, Anne Hathaway, who is currently promoting Les Miserables, was getting out of a vehicle when she had what in common parlance is known as a wardrobe malfunction, which revealed part of her crotch.
And because we live in a garbage world full of garbage monsters, a bunch of photographers took pictures of her in this vulnerable moment and then sold those pictures to people who published them on the internet, where other people posted them everywhere, and still more people commented on them, slut-shaming and victim-blaming Hathaway because in our garbage world full of garbage monsters this was not an occasion to observe that nonconsensually taking and distributing a picture of someone's inadvertently exposed crotch is a gross sexual assault, but instead to observe that the victim of this gross sexual assault is a dirty whore who needs to wear panties.
Anyway.
Today, Hathaway went on the Today show to promote Les Mis, and Matt Lauer, who is a fucking dirtbag, not only treated this like it's FUCKING NEWS, but MADE A JOKE ABOUT IT, talked to GROWN-ASS WOMAN ANNE HATHAWAY like a condescending patriarch, and acted like she owed a goddamn apology for it. The relevant bit begins at 0:52:
Matt Lauer: Anne Hathaway, good morning. Nice to see you. Anne Hathaway: Morning, Matt. Lauer: Seen a lot of you lately. [HAR HAR. HE LITERALLY JUST FUCKING SAID TO HIS GUEST: "I SAW YOUR VAJAYJAY TITTER!"] Hathaway: [laughs uncomfortably] Sorry about that. [laughs again] I'd be happy to stay home, but, uh, the film. [laughs; casts her eyes down] Lauer: Let's just get it out of the way. You had a little wardrobe malfunction [grins; Hathaway "mm"s in acknowledgement] the other night. What's the lesson learned from something like that? Other than that you keep smiling, which you always do? [FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!] Hathaway: [deep breath; looking down] Well, it was obviously an unfortunate incident. Um, I think— It kinda made me sad on two accounts. One was that I was very sad that we live in an age when someone takes a picture of another person in a vulnerable moment and, rather than delete it, and do the decent thing, sells it. And I'm sorry that we live in a culture that commodifies sexuality of unwilling participants, which brings us back to Les Mis, because that’s what my character is—she is someone who is forced to sell sex to benefit her child, because she has nothing and there's no social safety net. And I— Yeah, so, um, so let's get back to Les Mis. [laughs uncomfortably; looks down] Lauer: [acting all impressed and amused because HE IS A FUCKING DIRTBAG] That is one of the most creative turns of a question I've ever heard. And I'm gonna take it at that. That's fine."You really outsmarted me this time with your DECENCY, Anne Hathaway! But I'll get you NEXT TIME!" Matt Lauer has all the integrity of a cartoon villain. Congratulations, Today show. That's quite an anchor you've got there.
Later, Lauer OF COURSE presses Hathaway about her weight loss for the role, despite the fact she has repeatedly tried to avoid talking about it. Hathaway retorted: "I didn't do it to get hot, I did it to look like I was dying."
Go to hell, Matt Lauer. You asshole.
Quote of the Day
"I don't celebrate Christmas, okay? Or, as I like to call it: White Anglo-Saxon Winter Privilege Night."—Schmidt (Max Greenfield) to Cece (Hannah Simone) in last night's episode of New Girl.
I can't even tell you how hard Iain and I laughed at that. We reversed it and watched it again like three times.
Learned Hatred
[Content Note: Racism.]
I spent the afternoon at the doctor's office, for more tests for this ongoing whatever I've got causing me chronic exhaustion. It was a loooooooong stretch in the waiting room, but I was kept entertained by two wee brothers, probably ages 4 and 2, who had the sweetest personalities and were natural comedians. It was a gift they inherited from their mom, who corralled and scolded them in the most hilarious way.
At one point, an older woman and I lost our battle suppressing laughter and erupted into gales of giggles at the exchanges between the boys and their mom, and we apologized to her—"I'm so sorry! They're just so cute!"—but their mom was laughing, too.
Another woman came in with her toddler, and he immediately wanted to wriggle out of her arms to play with the brothers, which she happily obliged. They welcomed him immediately, and more silliness ensued.
Shortly thereafter, two more wee brothers, a baby and a boy about 5, wearing a Superman shirt and sporting a Kool-Aid stained face, arrived. Superman joined the other boys at a children's table in the waiting room, and he introduced himself and asked their names. It was such a formal little exchange: "Hi, I'm Superman! What's your name?" And once the introductions had been made, they all confabbed until they came to consensus about what game they wanted to play.
Moms and Grandmas smiled at them, and at me and the older woman watching, as they played together.
I will tell you that the first two brothers are black. The second boy is Latino. The second pair of brothers are white.
And none of them gave a flying shit about that.
At the other end of the waiting room, there was a middle-aged white woman grumpily and loudly filling out paperwork, and occasionally looking up in order to make judgments about parents who would let their children watch soap operas with sexual content. As if the parents picked to what station the office had the television turned. As if the kids were paying the slightest bit of attention to the television.
She got to the part on the form where it asked her to indicate her race, and let loose a commentary about having to identify as a "non-Hispanic white."
"Why can't they just say white? This country is getting so blah blah blah. Those people blah blah blah." You know. The usual.
We all diligently ignored her.
I turned my face further away from the sound of her bitter voice and watched the boys who were playing together and tried not to cry as I thought about how their world was already working to socialize them out of the natural affinity they'd found.
Important News
[Content note: gender, sexuality, and religious discrimination]
The Pope now has a Twitter account.
I can't wait to see what he and Timothy Dolan will have to say to each other!
@pontifex gays suck
@CardinalDolan liberals suck
@pontifex protestants suck
@CardinalDolan not the southern baptists... we're tight.
@pontifex ...k
@pontifex but feminists suck
@pontifex actually all teh ladeez suck
@CardinalDolan totes. wait, not u nuns! we love u.
@CardinalDolan (psych! actually totes u nuns too, lol!)
@pontifex pax vobiscum, ladeeeez!
Feel free to compose your own tweets to @pontifex in the comments below.
In The News
[Content note: Homophobia, anti-choice]
News That Spurts!:
Over half of the British public back marriage equality.
Ravi Shankar, the sitar master who influenced The Beatles and introduced classical Indian music to Western audiences, died yesterday. He was 92.
Redbox Instant will soon be streaming straight into your home. Be sure stand in front of your family and block their way into the kitchen for the full Redbox experience!
Tower Bridge was forced to open for a 50 foot rubber duck. Hail, Britannia!
Remember Mattin, the cute little French guy from Top Chef: Las Vegas? If you don't, here is a video of him.
A Spice Girls musical titled Viva Forever has opened in London. Okay!
The prime minister of Cambodia told citizens not to discriminate against gays and lesbians. Neat!
Ray Liotta has been in over 91 movies! How is that even possible?
North Carolina's "Choose Life" license plate has been ruled unconstitutional.
Need a recipe for Grilled Watermelon Salad? Probably!
For the first time in the 55-year history of the Grammy Awards, a videogame soundtrack has been nominated.
Wednesday Blogaround
This blogaround brought to you by rotary phones.
Recommended Reading:
Seth: Michigan Police Don Riot Gear and Pepper Spray as Workers Protest Anti-Union Laws
Jillian: Rick Perry: My Goal Is to Make All Abortion "a Thing of the Past"
Josh: Justice Scalia Defends Comparing Homosexuality to Murder
Rachel: Baltimore Feminists Lampoon Victoria's Secret—and Spark an Internet Revolution [Content Note: Rape culture; some imagery NSFW.]
Jess: Serena Williams Is Not a Costume [Content Note: Racism.]
Trudy: An Observation about Django Unchained (and Other Stories)
Frank Lee: Dear Blizzard [Content Note: Racism; misogyny; disablism; rape culture.]
Stephanie: On Sex, Disability, and Helen Hunt in The Sessions
Spooky: Israeli Artist Nirit Levav Upcycles Bicycle Chains into Intricate Dog Sculptures
And finally! Take Your Boobs to the White House Watch: Why Hillary Clinton Would Be Strong in 2016 (It’s Not Her Favorability Ratings).
Leave your links and recommendations in comments...
Important End-of-Year Fundraiser
This is, for those who have requested it, your bi-monthly reminder to donate to Shakesville and/or to make sure to renew subscriptions that have lapsed.
It is also the time of year when I ask readers who visit this space and do not generally make donations (but can afford to) to please kick in to support Shakesville and the work we do here.
If you value the content and/or community in this space, please consider (if you can afford to) setting up a subscription or making a one-time contribution.
Running this strictly-moderated, independent, and freely accessible space on donations rather than corporate advertising or mandatory subscriptions means that my ability to keep it going depends on the support of the readership. This is a full-time job and then some for me, which I do every day trusting that the community will value my work as they are able.
The reality is that if you take Shakesville for granted, it won't survive, because I have to earn a living doing it, or I can't do it.
So if Shakesville means something to you, please donate once by clicking the "Make a Donation" button in the righthand sidebar, or set up a monthly subscription using the "Subscribe" button just below it, which has a dropdown menu of subscription options—or visit the Donation page, for even more options.
My profound thanks to those who can and do financially support the space.
[Please Note: I am not seeking suggestions on how to raise revenue; I am asking for donations in exchange for the work of providing valued content in as safe and accessible a space as possible.]
Shooting in Oregon
[Content Note: Gun violence; terror.]
Last night, there was another incident of a masked gunman walking into a public space—this time, a mall at Christmastime—and opening fire. The shooting took place near Portland, OR, in Clackamas County at the Clackamas Town Center, leaving three people, including the shooter, dead and another person in serious condition. The shooter, whose name has not been released, was wearing a hockey mask and body armor, and used a semi-automatic weapon. He shouted "I am the shooter!" as he ran through Macy's, according to witnesses.
There is a local report here. CNN's coverage is here.
Please feel welcome and encouraged to leave links to additional information in comments.
I don't even know what to say anymore. Mass shootings. Alarming citywide violence, in multiple cities. There have been two murders this month in the small town in which I live, one a contracted hit carried out with a semi-automatic weapon. I don't know what's going on. I don't understand what it will take for this country to get serious about gun reform.
[H/Ts to Spudsy and Shaker WordSpinner.]
Top Five
Here is your topic: Top Five Favorite TV Parents. Individual moms, individual dads, sets of parents, adopted guardians (a la George in Punky Brewster), etc. Go!
Please feel welcome to share stories about why your Top Five picks are what they are, though a straight-up list is fine, too. Please refrain from negatively auditing other people's lists, because judgment discourages participation.
Photo of the Day
From the Telegraph's Pictures of the Day for 10 December 2012: The spire of the Burj Khalifa—the world's tallest building—is struck by lightning. [Ian Powell/Barcroft Media]
Discussion Thread: Finding Women Likable
In tandem with today's Helpful Hints post about the radical act of finding women likable, I wanted to open up a discussion thread to discuss how making a habit of liking women (since presumably most readers of this space are on that journey or have already arrived at the destination) has changed our lives.
I almost can't count the number of ways that jettisoning bullshit notions about being an Exceptional Woman and embracing vast and varied female friendship has changed me for the better, and I'm sure I'll share more in comments, but the most important change has been in the way I view myself: My body image, my self-worth, my capacity to draw boundaries and receive love...
A big part of that is because so much of the practice of not liking women is wrapped up in the culture of judgement, and letting go of the culturally-imposed compulsion to judge allowed me to give myself a fucking break, too.
So: How has the radical act of finding women likable changed your life?
Correct Me If I'm Wrong...
...but it is the year of our lord Jesus Jones two thousand and twelve, right? So why is this shit still happening?
Charlie Jane Anders: Female Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors Still Encouraged to Use Male Pseudonyms.
Wait, wait—don't tell me!
[H/T to Iain.]
Blub Train Arriving at Shakesville Station
Matt Stopera: 60 Moments That Gave Me The Chills During Seattle's First Day of Marriage Equality.
[H/T to everyone in the multiverse, and my thanks to each and every one of you.]
