deerstalker

Over the years, Gwyneth Paltrow has recommended a lot of seemingly strange products and questionable services in the name of “wellness.” Many products are simply absurd (and absurdly expensive), like “sex dust” or “moon juices” or those spacesuit stickers that were supposed to engage your body’s “ideal energetic frequency.” But others are potentially actually dangerous. Most notably, a woman died after trying Goop-endorsed bee-sting therapy, and numerous gynecologists have warned against Goop favorites like vaginal jade eggs and steamings.

Now, after a number of “cultural firestorms,” Goop is finally making some changes. A recent, lengthy profile in the New York Times Magazine says that “Goop has hired a lawyer to vet all claims on the site. It hired an editor away from Condé Nast to run the magazine. It hired a man with a Ph.D. in nutritional science, and a director of science and research who is a former Stanford professor. And in September, Goop, sigh, is hiring a full-time fact-checker. G.P. chose to see it as ‘necessary growing pain.'”

Apparently, Goop was originally supposed to be part of the Condé Nast family of magazines, but the company had “a lot of rules.” Rules like fact-checking. So Paltrow walked away.

I’m glad “G.P.” is finally going to start looking at actual facts, but I find it interesting that among those new consultants, none is a medical doctor. (Or at least none is listed as being one.) Paltrow has long defended her company’s lack of inclusion of medical professionals, saying she only offers “suggestions,” not medical advice. “We’re never making statements,” she tells the Times. “We’re just asking questions,” says her partner. But those questions tend to be along the lines of “What if you paid a ridiculous amount of money to stick something in your vagina? Could it change your life? This company that sells the things says yes!”

Their fact checker will likely do what their current one is doing with the “speculative but promising” stupid ranking system. A word salad. It is part of the grift. 5

— Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) July 25, 2018

Looking around Goop’s wellness page, the site is a catalogue. Every product is for sale. Some vitamin packs come branded with “Goop Wellness.” It’s totally disingenuous to pretend like that could be read as anything but an endorsement.

But Paltrow also brags in the profile about the clickbaitification of those “cultural firestorms.” She told a group of Harvard Business students that when she’s getting called out for bad medical advice suggestions, “I can monetize those eyeballs.” Whenever a medical professional (like Dr. Jennifer Gunter, seen above) or a pop culture outlet writes about a dangerous or absurd Goop product, her site inevitably gets traffic. That’s unfortunate, but if it’s the necessary trade-off to get actual knowledge out there, it’s worth it.

Paltrow monetizes the vagina, which is what I have called her out for. Women are harmed by the perpetuation of vaginal myths. It’s internet traffic for her. It’s women crying to me. 3. pic.twitter.com/u9Mwmgc0ax

— Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) July 25, 2018

(via NYT Magazine, image: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for goop)

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The massively popular anime series My Hero Academia is getting its first, long-awaited theatrical debut this fall, with the movie My Hero Academia: Two Heroes. It’ll be rolled out to select cities nationwide […]

The post My Hero Academia: Two Heroes Will Make Its First Western Theatrical Debut This Fall appeared first on Geek.com.

Hardships. Growing pains. Revelations. Triumphs. Victories. Being a free black man in America has its advantages as well as disadvantages and Darnell L. Moore’s No Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black and Free in America is a journey by a member of the LGBTQ community that many of us can relate to. Born into tough circumstances; his ideal of masculinity questioned, the Camden, New Jersey-reared author stopped running from himself, confronted his enemies, and fully realized his lifelong purpose. Moore opens up about his life in a curated recollection that provides a look inside how society, whether your secular orientation and socio-economic strays, is shaped by cultural  and sub-cultural normals alike.

Black Enterprise: This project, No Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black and Free in America, is not a tell-all. What is the best way to describe this book?

Moore: “It’s a memoir that is both a personal and a social study into a complex, beautiful and messy world of a young black person who came of age in an era that forced one to wear the mask as well as bite the bullet in order to survive. I tried my best to offer snapshots of my life, and the various forces that shaped me.

Healing and survival, and in your case, death, are central themes throughout this book. How are your own interactions with youths grappling with these themes similar to your own?

I was honest about my dances with depression and suicidal attempts in the book. But I was also honest about the many people who aided in my survival. We cannot expect young people to be so strong and so self-loving as to navigate life on their own. Young people need communities who can wrap them in support. I’ve spent a little more than two decades working with young people in my role as an educator, therapist, program director, and much more. I’ve spent a considerable amount of that time working with LGBTQ youth of color.

Pride Month seems to be more important than ever given the current administration’s stance on gay rights and the more recent Supreme Court ruling in favor of the Colorado baker refusing to serve a same-sex couple. But we have positives: FX’s Pose and Viceland’s My House, which both highlight the black and Latino ballroom scene. Just as those ‘houses’ serve as a sense of community how will your book foster the same?

I wrote the book for the 16-year-old version of me. I wrote it for young people, and the many individuals and institutions charged with their care. I hope that black young people can see semblances of themselves, as well as their struggles and joys, in it. And I hope some reader will feel as if they are understood.

What advice or steps would you give aspiring authors on the art of writing a book from conceptualizing to securing a deal to completion to marketing?

Know what it is you want to write. Know who it is you are writing to and in conversation with. Be clear. Be specific. And know the reason you want to write a book before beginning the journey to publishing. Talk to folks who have written published books. All of my connections, to my agent and publishing house, were forged by friends and writing peers. Build a community of peers and through that community; reach out to people who may be able to help you.

Orators and oral history are mentioned several times starting with your great-grandmother to work as a feminist, activist, and Black Lives Matter supporter. Touring, with numerous stops in small and renowned bookstores, allows your readers to connect with you on a more spiritual, personal level. What voice will readers discover throughout this memoir?

It’s an honest and vulnerable voice. Sometimes it’s sermonic. Sometimes it’s poetic. Sometimes it’s analytical. But it’s always gesturing toward a love for black people.

How has queerness and masculinity appeared in your life and shaped your character throughout the years?

The idea of manhood and masculinity have functioned like cages in my life. I am finally getting free. Cages aren’t doorways. Queerness, or rather, defying norms and rules have been a key to my freedom. It’s been a journey, and still is, but it’s been worth it.

To read more about Moore’s journey and purchase his book,  visit www.darnelllmoore.com.

The post New LGBTQ Summer Read Challenges Notions of Black Masculinity appeared first on Black Enterprise.

During Avengers: Infinity War, several beloved characters seemingly met their end at the hands of Thanos, and his all-powerful Infinity Gauntlet. While we fully expect some of those deaths to be reversed by the end of Avengers 4, the “undusted” fatalities have a greater chance of sticking. That includes Loki, whose death in the opening moments of Infinity War seemingly completed his tragic arc of semi-redemption. But what if Loki lives? Today’s Nerdist News is examining an intriguing new fan theory which suggests that Loki may have once again cheated the grim reaper.

Join host and the Asgardian goddess of geeks and nerds, Jessica Chobot, as she runs down the Loki theory that has Tom Hiddleston’s fans very excited. Remember, Loki faked his death during Thor: The Dark World, and one of the key aspects of that trick was that it was a reversed version of Loki who was left-handed. A fan on Reddit recently noticed that Loki once again uses his left hand to attack Thanos shortly before his demise, which could mean that he tricked the Mad Titan and his brother by faking his death…again.

That would be a totally Loki thing to do, which is why it would make sense. It may undo the tragedy of his death, but Loki is always Loki. He was bound to disappoint Thor at some point. It’s in his nature. That said, don’t go celebrating Loki’s return just yet. As pointed out by other Reddit users, Loki’s left hand assault may not prove anything at all. It could have simply been the most convenient way to strike at Thanos without showing his weapon until it was too late. If so, Loki’s fate will stand, barring an act of God/Thanos in the next Avengers.

Do you think Loki successfully faked his death again? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Images: Marvel Studios