I think one of my least favorite types of responses to people speaking up on sexual harassment and sexual assault is are articles like “in wake of weinstein, men wonder if hugging women still ok”, and comments like “this is why men don’t pursue women anymore”, “i don’t wanna work with women cause i don’t want a lawsuit”, or “i don’t even look at women anymore cause everything is sexual harassment”. this is a particular brand of rape culture, men acting as if women are overreacting, as if men don’t have the basic social skills to know the difference between wanted and unwanted advances, as if women simply setting boundaries is “cramping their style” and “emasculating” them, as if the rules of respecting women are super confusing, so confusing that they’re supposedly forcing men not to interact with us altogether.
this is an act they’ve been putting on for decades: playing stupid, pretending not to know better and then getting upset when we tell them what “better” is. if that doesn’t show you how emotional and emotionally manipulative they are, i don’t know what does.
By insisting on an adult rating, Tarantino confirms that his Star Trek will be a gritty reboot. This already sounds like a bad idea, because Tarantino’s brand of sex and violence is fundamentally unsuited to Star Trek. It’s also a textbook example of a depressing Hollywood trend:
J.J. Abrams already did this to Star Trek in 2009. While Abrams’ Star Trek is a fun blockbuster, it misunderstands the Original Series cast and what they stood for. His version of Kirk is an arrogant frat boy who treats women like crap and forms an antagonistic rivalry with Spock. He’s also motivated by daddy issues, an overused theme among male filmmakers.
If you watch the 1960s show, you’ll understand the difference. William Shatner‘s Kirk is a charming romantic lead, a thoughtful leader, and kind of a bookworm.
Toxic masculinity is a formative theme in gritty reboots. Zack Snyder did something similar with Batman v Superman, and Guy Ritchie is the king of this phenomenon. He rebooted King Arthur (a romance!) as a macho gangster story, and Sherlock Holmes as an action movie peppered with no-homo humor.
But what about non-gritty reboots? What would they look like?
1. DIY Elderberry Thyme syrup – elderberry has been used for centuries in healing because it provides immune support (and has long been thought to banish negative energy). Can be taken both preventatively and to shorten the course of a cold.
2. DIY Cough Drops – these cute cough drops are made with tea and honey to sooth an irritated throat. The original blogger chose hibiscus tea for the taste, but consider using one of the herbal teas she lists at the bottom for a more healing herbal remedy.
3. Lemon, Honey, and Ginger in a Jar – a traditional and internet favorite, this mixture turns into a jelly for when your throat needs serious soothing. Honey has been used for millennia to heal a variety ailments, just be sure to keep this away from infants.
4. 30 Herbs for Cold and Flu Season – for those that like to have options, here is a long list of healing herbs with suggestions on how to use them during cold and flu season.
I’ve been posting weekly photo-fiction to my new tumblr, The Shortest Story, and I thought I’d share some of my favorites so far. If you enjoy this, consider reblogging or following on Tumblr, Facebook, Tapas or Instagram!
As small as the world 