Free Thinking: TV Debates
Why I’ll Keep Saying ‘Pregnant Women’
Who can get pregnant? It sounds like a trick question. For centuries, English speakers have talked about “pregnant women” without a second thought. (The Atlantic)
Dave Chappelle’s Rorschach Test
"The Closer is Dave Chappelle pushing all of our buttons, and inviting us to reflect on which ones provoke a reaction." (The Atlantic)
What Happened When Facebook Became Boomerbook
"Sometimes it’s hard to remember that Facebook is only 17 years old: If it were a person, it could drive but not drink. And it probably wouldn’t use Facebook." (The Atlantic)
The Cult of Virginity Just Won’t Let Go
"This fall, Britain is poised to ban virginity tests—and will consider banning hymen-repair surgery too. That would be an impressive victory." (The Atlantic)
The Man Loves The Extra Publicity
"No one here is rebelling against the Man. The Man loves the extra publicity; it helps sell more $35,000 tickets to socialites who love a frisson of revolution as long as it’s safely divorced from the threat of actual tumbrels." (The Atlantic)
The Problem With Being Cool About Sex
"Porn consumption is now such a fixture of modern life—there is no chance the American government will take your smut away—that space has opened up to question its effects without being dismissed as a wannabe censor. Which isn’t to say that admitting to reservations about current sexual trends is easy." (The Atlantic)
Great Wives on Radio 4
In this Radio 4 series, Helen Lewis explores the hidden advantage enjoyed by many of history's most famous men.
Why Families Argue About Weight
"Genetically, Xand and Chris van Tulleken are clones. Yet the 42-year-old twins do not look identical, because Xand is more than 30 pounds heavier than Chris." (The Atlantic)
The Superstars of Tourette’s TikTok
"Halfway through our conversation, Glen Cooney calls me a four-letter word often cited as the most offensive in the English language. But that’s okay. He doesn’t mean it. On Twitter, such behavior would get Cooney canceled a dozen times a day, but on TikTok, it has made him a star." (The Atlantic)