culture

Why Aren’t There More Women in Movies?

A new action adventure film is coming out, which means it’s yet another opportunity to ask the age old question of why there aren’t more women not only in leading roles, but in movies to begin with. The New York Film Academy asked exactly that question last year during the launch of the last Hunger Games movie which features another female lead (albeit some women take issue with whether or not she’s a real feminist).  I could probably go off for hours on whether or not Katniss is a real feminist… but I’ll spare you.

I digress… The real question is… What’s up with the ratio of dudes vs. ladies in films? Here’s a friendly infographic that helps illustrate:

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This Nigerian minister wants you to be a better wife

Before I launch into this ass-cactus who has no business telling anyone how they should run their marriage… let me also remind you BNR is beginning a series on dating in the progressive world where we will have staff, guests, and sometimes scientists answer any and all questions you have. Feel free to email sex@bluenationreview.com with questions!

In other news… here is this guy:

Remember ladies, you don’t own your body. You’re only here to please men and push other men out of your lady parts. Oh, also to clean and make him a sandwich. If you’re not fulfilled by these requirements, then clearly there is something wrong with YOU. You’re probably a witch and we might ought to burn you at the stake. Remember this fun moment in The West Wing? I’m just saying… “It has nothing to do with husbands and wives, it’s all of us. St. Paul begins the passage ‘Be subject to one another out of reverence to Christ. Be subject to ONE ANOTHER…”

So, you’re going to find it shocking that there are some things I agree with that Nigerian minister Tony Rapu has said (though not for the reason he would think) and some things I find abhorrent.

Here are some really messed up philosophies:

 


Let me just answer this: so does a cat. Just saying.

Read more: http://bluenationreview.com/nigerian-minister-wants-better-wife/#ixzz3e2JCbim6

Absolutely, and if there’s one thing wives hate it’s being married to someone who doesn’t contribute. Relationships are a partnership. Give and take doesn’t mean one person gives while the other person takes. That’s called being an asshole. When one partner doesn’t contribute it makes the other unhappy. And everybody knows… when Mom ain’t happy ain’t nobody happy.


First of all – I hope he’s not talking about depression. Because that’s a whole other category. If you’re just talking about displeasure then see above. If she’s not happy because you’re not contributing, then that’s the fault of the spouse. If she’s unhappy because of external factors then again, it comes back to the partnership where you help each other out. You should motivate and encourage each other.

Here are some things I find that I do actually agree with:

Here’s a newsflash: if you want to change who someone is, why are you married to him or her? Don’t marry someone who doesn’t meet your needs. If you have to constantly nag your spouse because he (or she I suppose) doesn’t meet your needs, that means something is out of balance. Either resolve it and figure out what the source is, or the relationship isn’t for you.

Congratulations, Tony Rapu, you’ve become the biggest divorce advocate in all of Christian ministry!

Want more of this guy? Check out the storify. There’s a great deal of conflict in his advice.

Van-Heusen

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7 Awesome Photos Assembling The Statue of Liberty

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” the Statue of Liberty’s plaque reads.  Nothing could be more American than that.

The tablet she holds is inscribed JULY IV MDCCLXXVI – Roman numerals for July 4, 1776, Independence Day, when our founding fathers signed paperwork declaring that the King of England could suck it. Nearly three centuries before anyone had heard of “freedom fries,” the colonist rebels and the French fought side-by-side against the King’s men; years after American independence had been won,  a birthday present arrived from Paris.  Sculpted by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, she stands 151 feet high.  She’s survived terrorist threats and climate change as well as supernatural beings (Ghostbusters) floods and freeze (The Day After Tomorrow) on film. But 149 years ago we began what could be considered  the Ikea project of all time.  These are the photos:

1.  What would Freud Say?:  The face of Lady Liberty was modeled after the sculptor’s mother, Charlotte Beysser Bartholdi.

Liberty2

2. The crown was originally supposed to be a weird-looking cone modeled after the one given to emancipated slaves in ancient Rome.  Instead, Jefferson Davis  nixed it so as not to give American slaves the wild idea that the statue represented freedom and equality for everyone.  So it was changed.

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3. Many of the workers who helped build the base of the Statue of Liberty, and assemble her, were immigrants.

PedestalConstruction

4. On December 26, 1971, 15 anti-Vietnam war veterans staged a dramatic sit-in inside the statue, flying a US flag upside-down from her crown. They left two days later to comply with a federal court order.

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5. At the feet of the Statue lie broken shackles, representing the destruction of oppression and tyranny. They convinced Jefferson Davis it was jewelry (ha – just kidding about that last part). 

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6.  There was an old legend that the concept of the birthday present came from French law professor and politician Édouard René de Laboulaye, who, in mid-1865, said over dinner with friends:  “If a monument should rise in the United States, as a memorial to their independence, I should think it only natural if it were built by united effort—a common work of both our nations.”  But the sculptor later wrote the comment wasn’t meant as the idea, but as inspiration while Bartholdi was working on her.   (Below is the initial sculpture construction in France)

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7.  The Statue of Liberty is huge, and space was hard to come by during construction in France. A well-known French engineer and architect, Gustav Eiffel – yeah, that guy – was contacted for help. He had room in his Paris shop, and he had the talent to help.  Just three years after the completion of the statue project, the Eiffel Tower went up.

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BONUS

Here’s the scene from Ghostbusters II, in which Dan Aykroyd and the late Harold Ramis originally had the idea of bringing the Statue of Liberty to life as a force of evil used by Vigo. Out of respect to her, it was decided Libby would be the one to rally the city of New York, bring them together, and help the Ghostbusters save the day. Bill Murray admitted in an issue of Cinefex magazine back in 1989 that he got a little nauseous when filming it.

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The Best Use of a Drone is During the Forth of July

There are terrible ways in which our country has used drones to hurt people, but here’s a brilliant way to watch a fireworks show like you’ve never seen before:

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If you didn’t know what she was, would you still think she rocks?

The best thing about The Voice (Italy in this case): People are judged on what they do, not what they look like or what background they come from. What a concept. This kick-ass rockstar jam is presented by a woman with an unlikely background. Check it out:

BeWhoYouAre

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Reason Why Women Were Rooting for England In The #WorldCup Goes Viral

An unfortunate statistic about British women has gone viral all thanks to one video.

Tender, a British charity that works to promote healthy relationships based on equality and respect, took a note from a research paper published in the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency. The statistic shows “a match day trend that the risk of domestic abuse rose by 26% when the England team won or drew, and a 38% increase when the national team lost.”

I always appreciate moments like this where we can discuss the global epidemic of violence against women. I wish it was as simple as it being the fault of passion around the World Cup game, but sports is just an excuse. Abusers abuse. Whether they’re drunk or sober; angry about the World Cup or about someone on the road that cut them off; abusers will find any excuse to abuse.

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These three dudes in stilettos can dance just as good as Beyonce

Daaaammmmmnnnn…. I fell in love with these awesome dancers on a song that was my anthem for a while: “I hate my boss, I hate my co-workers, I hate my job” which got me through some hella tough times. They’ve been rocking it across the pond at Britain’s Got Talent, and famed choreographer Yanis Marshall has this video before their official performance. If this doesn’t get your Friday started, nothin will!

Here they are on Britain’s Got Talent, and get this… they’re doing it in kilts. Seriously. Wow.

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Dangerous double tornado in Nebraska caught on film

The Governor of Nebraska has just declared a state of emergency after at least two people were killed and more than two dozen have been injured in a powerful storm that went through the northeastern part of the state Monday afternoon. Two half mile wide wedge tornadoes struck the towns of Seward, Stanton, and the town of Pilger is said to have been leveled which you can see in this photo:

I saw the start of this storm from some of the meteorologists I follow on twitter who showed the beginning of the supercell developing:

But what StormChasingVideo.com captured will simply blow your mind (and if you think this is wild check out this video of a stormchaser being struck by lightning)

And here’s another video from Greg Johnson of Tornado Hunters where you can hear a little bit of the roar of the storm

Thoughts are with the people of Seward, Stanton and all other affected communities and their families as they start the process of rebuilding their homes and their communities.

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All he wanted was to see the forests one more time

This Facebook photo from the Evergreen Hospice Volunteers in Kirkland, Washington went a little viral this week, when so many people saw the light and love of this sweet man’s face in the final moments of his life.

BeAmongTheTreesThe story posted with the image was about Ed who has been suffering from his illness for several years and hadn’t been outside in quite a while.  Ed had been a forest ranger and told the hospice Chaplain about his time among the trees and how much he’d missed it.  His dying wish was simply to be in the forest again.

Chaplain Curt Huber talked with the hospice volunteers and they got in touch with the Snohomish County Fire Department who were more than happy to do what they could to see this last wish come true.

“Ed was picked up and transported in the EMS vehicle; other members of the fire department traveled in a fire truck,” the post reads. “Together, the group took Ed up and down the trails, bringing him the scents of the forest by touching the fragrant growth and bringing their hands close to Ed’s face.  Ed was delighted. So were all the professionals who accompanied him.”

Many of us don’t choose how we go or when we go or where we go, but having someone who understands what those precious little things you appreciate about the world and helps you give them one last hug.  Grace and peace to Ed and his family, and thank you to the amazing nurses, chaplains, and volunteers who work in hospice care across the world.

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Top 7 Worst Father’s Day Presents

Father’s Day is Sunday.  For some of my friends it is their first Father’s Day, for my grandpas and step-dad I sent a carefully selected card with funny and loving things written inside.  But for those of you who feel the need to shame those of us who lack the creativity of the perfect present, I’ll give you a good list of things you should NEVER buy on Father’s Day:

1.  Clothing of any kind.

Let’s be real; dads don’t need any more work clothes, cufflinks, ties, monogramed hankies, or whatever else your local department store is hocking. If he needs it, he buys it.

2.  Hair trimming devices. 

Men seem to know they’re furry. If they ever had a relationship with a woman, they’ve seen that arched eyebrow when they take off their clothes or heard the phrase “honey what’s coming out of your nose?” Trust me, if your mom hasn’t taken care of telling him, or his mom hasn’t taken care of telling him, he probably doesn’t care and it’ll just end up in a drawer.

 3.  Cologne 

By that same token, buying a dude cologne is like saying “you smell… fix it.” Even if he doesn’t take offense, finding something that someone else wants to smell on themselves is an incredibly personal item to purchase.

4.  Night at a strip club

Hard to imagine anyone would think this is a good idea, but a strip club in Queens is offering a special deal for dear old dads.  You have to have a really special relationship with your father to think this is a good idea, and realistically it’s Father’s Day, buy the man a steak and save the strip club for another night.

5. Anything testicle related

GolfBallz  trucknuts

Just, no. No. His sperm may have helped make you, but let’s not take that literally. Everyone knows your father is a guy, he doesn’t need to compensate for it, and again, even if he would find this funny or interesting, give the man a deserving steak dinner or take him out for a hunting weekend instead. TruckNuts don’t say “thanks for being a good father, I love you.”

6.  Your weird ass last minute drunken craft projects

BadCrafts

Chances are if you’re reading this you’re over 10 years old.  There’s no reason, unless you have a skilled craft or artistry that you should be trying to make an artistic interpretation of your appreciation for your father.  Don’t make it that obvious that you forgot and are hung over.

7.  You do nothing.


If you don’t send a card, or call, or take him to dinner, or really acknowledge him at all then it’s probably because you don’t have a relationship with your father at all. And if you’re in that boat today, then take yourself out for a nice steak dinner and buy yourself a new pair of socks and some cologne/perfume and give your mom a call to tell her you love her.

If that isn’t your situation, then give the man a call. If you live in the same city, stop by. Take him out to do something with the two of you together. Either take him or your folks to dinner, go kayaking, see a movie, wash and wax your cars together, go fishing or hunting, whatever it is that you can both do together, do it. It’s more about having time together, catching up, and showing him you care than anything. And the most valuable thing you can give someone is a piece of your time.

Happy Father’s Day everyone!

 

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