Pretty Darn Cool

Random things I found on the internet.

[meganmulroy]

[meganmulroy]

50 Wonderful Things From 2019

From J. Lo to Keanu, baseball GIFs to Phoebe Waller-Bridge's masterpiece, here are 50 great cultural moments — from TV, movies, theater, books, podcasts and more — from the year that was.

#7, #8, #10, #12, #35

22 and 36 are my favs on the list

[meganmulroy]

52 things I learned in 2019

This year I edited another book, worked on fascinating projects at Fluxx, and learned many learnings.

[meganmulroy]

Proprietary Font

Relevant Proprietary Font

[meganmulroy]

They’ve been told that this cuisine is the finest America has to offer, but the three chefs from China are not very impressed.

But there are strong taboos I haven’t anticipated. The most striking is the visceral dislike of rawness. In China, the consumption of raw foods was historically viewed as a barbarian habit, and most everything is still eaten cooked. The chefs are horrified by the rare, bloody meat they are offered in America. And after two days of buffet lunches at the school, they are even tiring of salads: “If I eat any more raw food I’m going to turn into a savage,” jokes Xiao Jianming with a wicked grin.

[...]

But first encounters are always shocking, whether you start out from Sichuan or California. The chefs were intrigued by their fleeting glimpse of America. But gastronomically, it was just too much novelty to absorb in too short a time. By the end, Xiao Jianming and Lan Guijun were dying to get home, where Sichuanese rice porridge, braised duck, and chile bean sauce would greet them. (Yu Bo actually decided to stay on in the States and help out at a restaurant outside of Manhattan for a few months.)

[meganmulroy]

Netflix’s Gripping ’Unbelievable’ Feels Like An Insurgent Twist On Cri

Netflix’s shattering ’Unbelievable’ digs into how two female detectives upended a case in which a rape victim was treated like a suspect.

The most standout aspect of Unbelievable, though, is that it shines light on survivors and heroes, rather than dwelling upon the psyches of perpetrators of violent crimes. That’s definitely a notable approach, right after the release of a Mindhunter season, along with several recent projects devoted to the celebrity of Ted Bundy and charisma of Charles Manson. As entertaining as those projects have been, Unbelievable almost feels insurgent in comparison. It’s a feminist approach to crime-drama storytelling, but the series never feels preachy or heavy-handed in its execution. Flashbacks occur as they are necessary, and any perpetrator’s methods are acknowledged but not admired. The details might be triggering, but the focus sits upon the lingering outcome of these crimes. The reality that Unbelievable confronts is that the aftermath of sexual assault can be as traumatic (or moreso) than the attacks themselves. Admittedly, this sounds god-awful as viewing material, but the resulting watchability is only one way that the series turns assumptions upon their heads.

[meganmulroy]

Netflix's Unbelievable Review: Finally, a True Crime Adaptation That Skips Sensationalism | TV Guide

Unbelievable isn't about twists and turns, but rather sheer determination.

Karen and Grace's tentative partnership is in turns comedic, antagonistic, judgmental, and extremely supportive, and Wever and Collette's chemistry is pitch perfect. There are no sweeping monologues about what it means to be a woman in a male-dominated field, particularly one that's especially weighted against women. Rather, it's their steady determination and commitment to the investigation that demands their colleagues' (and the audience's) respect.

Every single aspect of the show is infused with the same energy. To some it will feel like a slow grind to watch these two women deal with the tedium of police work. But it's exactly this slow and inevitable build to the show's cathartic conclusion that makes Unbelievable such a satisfying binge. Unlike other crime shows that center around soap opera-style reveals and Reddit deep dives, Unbelievable centers first and foremost on the experiences of its female characters.

[meganmulroy]

The Good Fight Is Quietly the Most Feminist Show on TV

With its frank, point-blank discussions about everything from race to maternity, the CBS All Access spinoff of The Good Wife leaves no stone unturned.

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[meganmulroy]

#MeToo Is Changing How Sex Is Simulated on Set

The growing demand for more ethical practices across the entertainment industry has paved the way for a new profession: intimacy directors. “There are no act...

[meganmulroy]

Mantra Wellness Magazine on Instagram: “And that little wheel just keeps spinning for no reason 🤣🙌❤️ Is it Friday yet? Because it feels like it should be. 👀 We can definitely tell…”

12.1k Likes, 365 Comments - Mantra Wellness Magazine (@mantramagazine) on Instagram: “And that little wheel just keeps spinning for no reason 🤣🙌❤️ Is it Friday yet? Because it feels…”

[meganmulroy]

[meganmulroy]

Perspective | The U.S. women’s national team is an American treasure. Pay them a bounty.

The women’s program is the most important team in American soccer history — male or female.

I don’t want to hear another word about whether the Americans scored too much or over-celebrated. This is a team in full attack mode, fighting not just to win a World Cup but to prove a larger point about their worth. They have been denied fair pay compared with their men’s team for years, and they’re out to make a statement about just how good they are, both on the pitch and in the court of public opinion. You don’t make up a chronic pay gap with ladylike restraint. You do it by kicking through a wall.

[meganmulroy]

In Signing Thorisdottir, Nuun Brings Pregnancy Protections Debate to the CrossFit World | Morning Chalk Up

Last week, when Annie Thorisdottir announced her new partnership with Nuun, her contract came with something unique: a pregnancy clause ensuring that she would continue to receive financial support if she were to decide to take time off to start a family. “[I am] very honored to be aligned with a partner who shares my …

Nuun, the makers of hydration products like electrolyte tablets and powders, recently overhauled their existing contracts for their twenty-plus female athlete roster to formalize pregnancy clauses and support athletes throughout the term of their contract, “including through pregnancy.”

“Nuun is on a mission to inspire more movement and a key value in bringing this to life is fostering a level playing field for all athletes,” said Kevin Rutherford, Nuun President and CEO. “We are honored to welcome Annie into the Nuun family and support an extraordinary athlete that demonstrates that success in sport is equally measured through both: results and the way in which you accomplish them.”

Essentially by doing this, Nuun is contractually recognizing that female athletes still have value when they’re pregnant, not just when they’re competing.

[meganmulroy]

For the unsinkable Serena Williams, the last step is proving the hardest

Coming back from childbirth was always going to be her biggest challenge, but the baggage of trying to become the all-time great is proving a formidable haul even for Serena

This week, Williams returned to the top 10 for the second time this year, one year after her first grand slam competition following maternity leave. It is absurd. She has completed only one tournament in 2019, the Australian Open, withdrawing after one match in her last three events. Over the past 52 weeks, she has only completed five events. For much of her career, she loomed as large over the tour in her absence as when she was there, but now her absence seems normal. The sport goes on.

[willowofthehearth]

The enemy of feminism isn’t men. It’s patriarchy.

And patriarchy is not men.

It’s a system.

And women can support the system of patriarchy just as much as men can support the fight for gender equality.

- Justine Musk

[meganmulroy]

What ‘Game of Thrones’ Got Wrong About Sansa Stark and Abuse

Sansa Stark has been able to thrive, to govern, to strategize, and to make decisions independent of men’s counsel in spite of her history of abuse, not because of it.

It’s true that Sansa’s character strengthens over the time these abuses took place, but it was not because of them that she grew strong. Her circumstances may have triggered her survival instinct, but in the end, she learned to do more than survive. She was able to thrive, to govern, to strategize in battle, and to make decisions independent of men’s counsel in spite of what happened to her, not because of it — and regardless of the words Benioff and Weiss put in her mouth.

[...]

Benioff and Weiss may have meant for the best when writing Sansa’s line to the Hound, but the words themselves deny the truth of her experiences. They refute the actions she took—actions they wrote—to heal, they ignore the psychological impact of cumulative trauma, and they could cause harm to survivors who don’t feel strong, either because of or in spite of what happened to them. Rape, assault, and abuse are designed to make people feel like denigrated, powerless “little birds.” True healing takes place when survivors reject that narrative and find power and affirmation elsewhere. This is true for me, for Sansa, and for every person who has ever been wounded by others. To say or imply otherwise is irresponsible and damaging, especially when writing for a show as popular as Game of Thrones.

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss wrote Sansa’s story and should know her character thoroughly. She deserves to own her growth, not owe it to her abusers. She may be a show’s invention, but she deserves better. As for us viewers, we are not fictional. Our scars are real. We deserve writers who truly reflect a survivor’s story.