Ahead of the release of her new album Radio Read on Friday, August 11 (via Bella Union), Laura Groves has shared one more single from it, ‘I’m Not Crying’. Following previous cuts ‘Sky at Night’ and ‘D 4 N’, the track arrives with an accompanying video Groves directed herself. Check it out below.
Flo Milli Announces New Album, Shares New Single ‘Fruit Loop’
Flo Milli has announced her next album, Fine Ho, Stay, and shared its first single. Produced by YoungFyre, ‘Fruit Loop’ comes paired with a music video directed by Chandler Lass. Check it out below.
Fine Ho, Stay is the follow-up to Flo Milli’s studio debut, You Still Here, Ho ?, which came out last year. It’s set to arrive later this summer.
Author Spotlight: Ben Purkert, ‘The Men Can’t Be Saved’
In Ben Purkert’s debut novel, Seth is spiraling. Previously a star employee at a New York copywriting firm, he took several midday “breaks” with an attractive coworker and penned a popular tagline for an underwear brand. Unsettled by sudden layoffs at his company, he takes a sudden trip to Israel and starts working at a coffee shop, but after a period of stability, he impulsively tracks down Ramya, his fellow barista that suddenly disappeared after days of the two of them sneaking down to the store’s basement to pop unidentified pills.
In Allentown, where Ramya is from, Seth falls into the care of a nearby Chabad House, using his Judaism as an asset, while also trying to escape Moon, a charismatic coworker who eventually steals Seth’s hookup partner right when he got the boot. Seth desperately, and with increasingly dramatic choices, attempts to figure out who he truly is at heart without a steady job and title by his side.
Our Culture sat down with Purkert to discuss delusion, morality in fiction, Judaism, and writing about masculinity.
Congratulations on your debut novel! How does it feel for it to be coming so soon?
It’s been a long road. I’ve worked on it for almost a decade, and that first draft came really quickly, and the revision took a long time. It’s sort of surreal that it’s about to be out.
You typically write poetry — did switching to a longer form come naturally or did it take some work?
It’s funny, it’s a mix. My background is in poetry, but that didn’t stop me, and some amount of ignorance is useful when you’re writing a first draft. I think you need to not think so hard and let the words come out. I’m a big believer in in-class writing and prompts to just generate, then, however, the work shifts to revision. I have this first draft and I didn’t really know how to shape or work it, and that was the part that was the steeper learning curve for me, where I felt like my poetry background was in certain ways, holding me back a little bit, and I just had to read as many novels as I possibly could to understand the form.
We meet Seth as a hot-shot copywriter where he’s just penned a brilliant tagline for underwear and secretly convinced his boss is in love with him. You mention later in the acknowledgements that you yourself worked as a copywriter — what parts of the job, good or bad, did you want to emulate in the book?
Well, I wanted to let Seth have his own life. The book is fiction, it’s not my experience of an agency, but I worked at an advertising/branding agency in New York City, right after college, and it was this really electric and bizarre, all-nighter-fueled adrenaline-pumped place. It just felt to me, in the same way that Mad Men evokes that world, but obviously in a different era, I thought it’d be cool to see on the page what it would be like to translate that sort of environment and characters and put my character, Seth, in the middle of it all.
One of the most entertaining parts of the book was Seth’s delusion — whether about the enduring success of a one-time marketing hit, his determination to be re-hired at RazorBeat, or his blind faith in lusting after and following a girl. What was it like to immerse yourself in a character that doesn’t always see reality for what it is?
I don’t know to what extent any of us see reality for what it is. I agree with you, Seth is particularly delusional. As you said at the outset, he has this tagline for an adult men’s diapers ad. It’s not like Coca-Cola or something. For him, it’s the pinnacle of success, and he’s convinced he’s gonna make partner based on this one shot. On the one hand, I think Seth is sort of laughable, but on the other hand, don’t we all have those delusions on some level? I think Seth is more naked about them, but we never know. We’re all in our own heads. The book is written in first-person — we think Seth definitely has an over-inflated sense of his own self-worth, but I think it’s hard to judge to what extent that tagline was a breakout success, or if it only was in his mind. Because it’s in first-person, we’re trapped in his head, and I think that’s the joy of the reading experience and also the frustrations of being situated in a room that you can’t get out of.
You’re right — he says he has this huge tagline, but we’re not even sure if that’s true. He even goes to a store later and picks up that very brand, and they’re not even using his tagline anymore. I personally enjoy reading from the perspective of an unreliable narrator.
I think it’s fun to write that kind of character, where there’s a distance between subjective reality and their own warped sense of things.
There’s a lot of demand to be moral in fiction, for your narrator’s actions to match what is socially acceptable, but it’s a lot more fun to play with someone who isn’t making the best choices or is the most sane.
For sure. My wife and I have two kids — I want my kids to make really good decisions, but I don’t know when I’m reading a novel if I want the character to make really good decisions. I want them to find themselves in predicaments and see how they, under pressure, are going to react. And oftentimes that does mean they’re going to do dodgy things.
Well said. So, Seth meets Ramya while working as a barista at a coffee shop, and together they engage in drugs until one day she suddenly leaves. Seth then goes on a wild goose chase to find her, despite a clear message that she wants to be left alone. Why do you think he’s so adamant about finding her?
I love that question. The book is titled ‘The Men Can’t Be Saved,’ and I think that Seth so badly wants to be a savior himself, he is desperately in need of saving after he loses his job at the agency, there’s this huge void in his life. How is he going to identify himself without his business card? Is he going to rebrand? Is he going to become more observantly Jewish? Is he going to commit himself to relationships? I think in the case of Ramya, her addiction and her going to rehab creates an opportunity for him to play that savior role. It’s easier, I think, to attempt to save someone else rather than yourself. If Seth were to admit he were in desperate need of saving, it’d be an admission that his pride or manhood would never allow. I think he really likes and almost gets off on the idea that he could save her, that he could be the white knight who comes in, and of course, he can’t at all. He always makes things worse. I think that impulse is sort of twisted but also beautiful, because I do think he wants to help.
Moon’s character was consistently the most irritating — which means you succeeded at your job as his writer. How did you come up with his personality?
It’s funny that you say ‘irritating,’ because he was the most fun for me to write. Whenever he came on the scene, it just felt like instant charisma, instant tension, instant electricity. He’s more successful than Seth at the agency, and I think in part it’s because of that bravado. He just doesn’t care and he’s so outspoken in who he is. For me, he’s a character where I really felt his volume on the page, and I had to keep up as his antics got more and more ridiculous. But I also wanted to make sure he wasn’t just a clown. Because I feel if he doesn’t have that depth to him, he doesn’t feel as dimensional or real.
Let’s talk about Judaism, which plays a big part in the book. As a fellow Jew whose mother is also pushing him towards going on Birthright for no other reason other than because he can, I wanted to ask about the influence of Judaism on Seth’s choices throughout the novel, especially going on that trip just for a vacation.
Yeah. And he doesn’t want to take a vacation. If it were up to him, he’d live 24/7 at the agency, and would never leave, but he keeps accruing days and he’s gotta go somewhere. Birthright being free of charge is appealing, certainly to his mother, who wants him to have a closer relationship to Judaism than he has. I think when I started writing this novel, I knew I’d want to situate it at the agency, and I didn’t know the extent to which Judaism would operate as a pretty central thread throughout the book. That’s one of the joys of writing, period, but it’s also one of the joys of writing fiction, I think, as it holds up a mirror. I’m Jewish, and I’m actually from an inter-faith household: my father is Catholic, my mom is Jewish, but I was Bar Mitzvah’d, I was raised Jewish.
People identifying as Jewish at different parts of their life has always been so interesting to me. When my Bubby died, my mom’s mom died, she was going to synagogue every day. She became a different person and Jew. After shiva had passed, she went back to her relationship with Judaism as it had been. Not consciously, but looking back on the novel, part of what I wanted is — Seth isn’t really all that Jewish until he needs to be. Once he’s laid off and he loses that job and that business card, he needs to call himself something else. He needs to identify with something else that’s larger than him. And I think Judaism is that — when he goes on Birthright, he doesn’t really need Judaism, but later, when he’s at Chabad, he’s at a much more desperate place.
Speaking of, during his detour in Allentown to find Ramya, he stumbles upon a Chabad House and starts to slightly take advantage of their kindness, even inventing a false girlfriend that Hana, the Rabbi’s wife, ends up preparing a gift basket for. When do you think Seth’s guilt about this kicks in, if it does at all?
Seth is a perpetual liar, and he’s a liar on some level when he’s doing the work in branding, he’s a liar on some level when he ends up in Allentown. But it’s interesting because I don’t know that the Chabad rabbi is not also getting something out of that as well. When you are invited into a Chabad house and eat food, you are participating in a series of rituals. Yes, you are being fed, but there’s also an exchange taking place. And that’s not to cast it in a nefarious way at all — whenever a door’s open to you, there’s two sides to that exchange. So I do think Seth is cold-hearted in the way that he treats this family, because he’s not open or honest with them. But I think when they take him in, they’re also getting something out of that relationship, too.
Let’s go back to the title, ‘The Men Can’t Be Saved.’ What did you want to explore in writing about masculinity and its pitfalls?
I don’t want to write an archetype, do you know what I mean? I wasn’t trying to write toxic masculinity from central casting. I wanted to create a human, a real character, who for sure, has toxic elements, but is not only bad or solely defined by that. Because my background is both in creative writing and in copywriting, I think the title is a way to create an advertisement for your book. I hate how sales-y that sounds, but I was cognizant of the fact that ‘Okay, if I’m really lucky and if this thing gets published some day, I want it to have a title that’s eye-catching.’ The same way a really good ad can grab you. A title like ‘The Men Can’t Be Saved,’ is like, ‘Woah! That’s a big claim. Are you saying there’s no hope for men at all?’ And it’s up to readers to decide, but I don’t the book is so nihilistic or hopeless in that way. But I do think that Seth is a character who really struggles to find his way. And I think that he can’t see himself. Until towards the end of the book where maybe there’s a bit of an arc, maybe he’s able to have a little more self-awareness than he did at the beginning, there’s a possibility of salvation or redemption. But the way he is at the beginning, and the way that, frankly, a lot of men are, maybe men particularly in certain industries — if you don’t see yourself clearly with an objective reality, I don’t know how you work on the self. I don’t know how you improve.
Finally, what’s next? Are you working on any upcoming poetry or maybe another novel?
Yeah, it’s been a busy time, because my wife and I just welcomed our second child. Part of me wants to scream, ‘I’m not getting any writing time at all!’ But I’m working on some new poems and I’m hoping to put a collection there, and I have started a second novel, so I’m excited to dive into both.
The Men Can’t Be Saved is available now.
Death Valley Girls Release New Song ‘I Am a Wave’
Death Valley Girls have dropped a new song called ‘I Am a Wave’. It comes alongside the announcement of a run of tour dates in Europe, US, Mexico, and Australia. Check it out and find the list of dates below.
Speaking about the track, bandleader Bonnie Bloomgarden said in a statement:
This song is for anyone that has had a hard time making decisions or following their gut!
I linger in indecision, and get stuck in the muck of options, weighing every single dynamic except “how does this make me feel.” Sometimes it’s from fear of imperfection, but always it’s from self-doubt, not trusting my instinct, or letting my intuition be my guide.
I’ve learned a lot from spiritual people lately. Pagans and witches, calling in the elements. I imagine it’s similar to asking Jesus, a saint, an ancestor, to help for guidance.
For me this song is like a meditation, or a prayer. To become a wave. To not want to turn in, quit, and become small or unseen, but to flow, and grow. Become part of the flow!!
Death Valley Girls’ latest album, Islands In the Sky, arrived in February via Suicide Squeeze Records.
Death Valley Girls 2023 Tour Dates:
Aug 10 – PT – Porto – Sonic Blast
Aug 13 – SW – Martigny – Palp Fest
Aug 15 – NL – Nijmegen – Merleyn
Aug 16 – DE – Berlin – Kantin Am Berghain
Aug 17 – DE – Hamburg – Molotow
Aug 18 – FR – Montesquiou – On The Rocks
Aug 20 – FR – Charleville-Mézières, Cabaret Vert
Aug 22 – FR – Bordeaux – Square Dom Bedos
Aug 23 – FR – Biarritz – Atabal
Aug 25 – FR – Dijon – Lalalib
Sep 1 + 2 – US – West Palm Beach, FL – Bumblefest
Sep 17 – US – Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room – Witching Hours 10th Anniversary Party
Oct 13 – MX – Mexico City – Asiste o Muere – Anticlub House
Oct 14 – MX – Queretaro – Hércules Brewery
Oct 15 – MX – Leon, Guanajuato – Rey Compadre Forum
Oct 20 – MX – Guadalajara – TBA
Oct 21 – MX – Mexicali – Intermedio Cross border Festival
Oct 30 – US – San Francisco, CA – Psyched Radio Fest
Nov 3 – US – Seattle, WA – Freakout Fest
Nov 26 – AUS – Melbourne – Psych Out! – The Croxton Bandroom
Lady Gaga Shares Eulogy to Tony Bennett
Lady Gaga has shared a heartfelt eulogy to her friend and collaborator Tony Bennett, who recently died at the age of 96. “I will miss my friend forever,” she wrote on Instagram. “I will miss singing with him, recording with him, talking with him, being on stage together. With Tony, I got to live my life in a time warp. Tony and I had this magical power. We transported ourselves to another era, modernized the music together, and gave it all new life as a singing duo. But it wasn’t an act. Our relationship was very real.”
Gaga continued:
Sure he taught me about music, about showbiz life, but he also showed me how to keep my spirits high and my head screwed on straight. “Straight ahead,” he’d say. He was an optimist, he believed in quality work AND quality life. Plus, there was the gratitude… Tony was always grateful. He served in WWII, marched with Martin Luther King Jr., and sang jazz with the greatest singers and players in the world.
I’ve been grieving the loss of Tony for a long time. We had a very long and powerful goodbye.
Though there were 5 decades between us, he was my friend. My real true friend. Our age difference didn’t matter — in fact, it gave us each something neither of us had with most people. We were from two different stages in life entirely — inspired. Losing Tony to Alzheimer’s has been painful but it was also really beautiful. An era of memory loss is such a sacred time in a person’s life. There’s such a feeling of vulnerability and a desire to preserve dignity. All I wanted was for Tony to remember how much I loved him and how grateful I was to have him in my life. But, as that faded slowly I knew deep down he was sharing with me the most vulnerable moment in his life that he could — being willing to sing with me when his nature was changing so deeply. I’ll never forget this experience. I’ll never forget Tony Bennett. If I could say anything to the world about this I would say don’t discount your elders, don’t leave them behind when things change. Don’t flinch when you feel sad, just keep going straight ahead, sadness is part of it. Take care of your elders and I promise you will learn something special. Maybe even magical. And pay attention to silence — some of my musical partner and I’s most meaningful exchanges were with no melody at all.
I love you Tony. Love, Lady
After collaborating on a version of ‘The Lady Is a Tramp’ that appeared on Bennett’s 2011 album Duets II, Gaga and Bennett teamed up for the 2014 duets album Cheek to Cheek, which was followed seven years later by Love for Sale. In 2021, the week of Bennett’s 95th birthday, the duo performed a pair of NYC shows at Radio City Music Hall.
Candy Claws Share First New Song in 10 Years
Candy Claws have unveiled their first new single in 10 years. Recorded by the band’s original lineup of Ryan Hover, K Hover, and Hank Bertholf, ‘Distortion Spear’ appears on a bonus CD that accompanies the 10th anniversary vinyl reissue of their third and final album, Ceres & Calypso in the Deep Time, which is out this Friday via Twosyllable Records. Check it out below.
“After spending most of the decade on opposite coasts (K and I in New York and Hank in Washington) we reunited at our friend Riley’s wedding in Portland last summer of,” Hover explained in a statement. “It was great and surreal to hang out again, and we had the idea of making a new song for the 10th anniversary of Ceres & Calypso. Back home on our respective coasts, we collaborated long-distance during the following winter. Lyrically, it’s about how a decade can simultaneously feel like a lifetime and no time at all. Nature, memory, anticipation.”
Album Review: Travis Scott, ‘UTOPIA’
Only Travis Scott could have made UTOPIA. At the same time, UTOPIA doesn’t always sound like Travis Scott, or even like it’s making the effort. After his reputation was tarnished by the deaths at last year’s Astroworld Festival, the rapper could have made a raw, low-stakes album that took him back to his roots in an attempt to reframe his wildman persona. The follow-up to 2018’s Astroworld really only addresses the tragedy once: “If they just knew what Scotty would do to jump off the stage and save him a child.” Not only is the rest of the album mostly just coasting on vibes, it also feels remarkably out of time and almost insular, like the whole spectacle is taking place entirely inside his mind while serving to bury it deeper. UTOPIA is not a raw, reflective album in the vein of 808s and Heartbreak. It’s polished, vague, and big enough for Scott to hide under his own shadow – or, more accurately, that of his very wide net of influences and collaborators. Unsurprisingly, it often works to his benefit.
If you’re reading this, you probably already know which other Kanye album UTOPIA is said to most immediately be channeling. But even if it sounded nothing like Yeezus, a record Scott had a hand in producing, it would still feel like a good point of comparison because Scott is so obviously aiming for the same kind of boundary-shaking event album. (West contributed production to a couple of tracks on UTOPIA, which are rumoured to have originated as DONDA demos. I guess we’re lucky it’s not that big of a mess.) But even on his most sonically expansive and innovative records, Kanye was an inescapable presence, whereas Scott is the one you have to kind of pass through to get to any of the good parts of UTOPIA. Though he does bring a refreshing amount of energy early on with the opening track, ‘HYAENA’, his flows are mostly serviceable and generic, filling the empty space before we get to the next attention-grabbing feature or jarring transition. And then there are all the lyrics you have to filter out but which unfortunately remain quotable, like: “I like a bi girl on a bicycle/ Then I bought a car, now she feel entitled/ My dick so hard, pokin’ like the Eiffеl.” Or: “I’m loyal, bitch/ I got Ye over Biden.”
You have to give Scott credit for orchestrating it all, though it feels more like an extraordinary feat of curation. As the lead single, ‘K-POP’ was a worrying sign – a collab with the Weeknd and Bad Bunny so underwhelming and forgettable its popularity seemed wholly contingent on SEO optimization. Flatly blending elements of Afrobeat and baile funk, the track both feels out of place and weirdly representative of the album’s marketable approach. The good news is that UTOPIA does, for the most part, manage to conjure the thrill of listening to all these artists and sounds come together in ways that only a blockbuster album would allow – and there aren’t too many of them these days. Beyoncé and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, on a track that stands out simply by virtue of emulating Renaissance? Vernon and Sampha, on a track with production from Frank Ocean collaborators Buddy Ross and Vegyn? What kind of fan would say no to that?
These two songs – ‘DELRESTO (ECHOES)’ and ‘MY EYES’ – are ones I enjoy, but they also give me a dystopian glimpse into a future where all of this could be achieved without a global superstar pulling the strings, just by typing commands into a text box. What if you got Drake to diss Pharrell on a song that sounds like ‘Sicko Mode’, then had Pharrell co-produce a Kanye-inspired track with a Kid Cudi feature to top it all off? What if the Weeknd was on ‘Black Skinhead’? These moments are so obvious and derivative I don’t even have to specify when they happen, which also doesn’t mean the average listener won’t go out looking for them. But even if they make a significant impact on first listen, you get the sense there’s not a lot of replay value. Once the itch has been scratched, you just keep asking what’s next, until there’s nothing. “Tensions is definitely rising,” Scott proclaims on ‘MELTDOWN’, and as maximalist as it remains for the majority of its 73-minute runtime, it never really explodes into anything truly spectacular. Why would you want to invest in the same wild, expensive ride twice if you know the payoff will be comparatively minimal?
It goes without saying that the guest stars and producers are mostly the ones carrying the momentum. The paradox is that even though most of them deliver, they still feel underutilized. Just like Sampha on ‘MY EYES’, SZA’s appearance on ‘TELEKINESIS’ gorgeously elevates the track but feels way too brief, adding more texture than dynamics. Playboi Carti’s bonkers flow on ‘FE!N’ has me intrigued about his next project more than it excites me about the track itself. It’s hard to argue UTOPIA is a mediocre album, but when you start to realize the wasted potential – collaboratively, musically, thematically – even its most invigorating moments start to feel hollow and depressing, just like the concept of UTOPIA itself. The album is dependent on and successful at keeping your attention, but tune out for a second and the lack of substance becomes impossible to ignore. Even James Blake’s soulful voice, which is lovely to hear on ‘TIL FURTHER NOTICE’, just underlines how soulless, messy, and unoriginal the ideas behind it are. “People need to see that utopia is real,” Scott has said. This one does the job better than any recent blockbuster album has even attempted, but at the end of the day, it feels as fake as it is impressive.
Alabaster DePlume Shares New Single ‘Greek Honey Slick’ Featuring Tom Skinner
Alabaster DePlume has released a new single, ‘Greek Honey Slick’, featuring drummer Tom Skinner (The Smile, Sons of Kemet). It’s the second preview of his forthcoming album Come With Fierce Grace, following ‘Did You Know’. Listen to it below.
“Before I recorded GOLD, I dropped an enormous metal tin of beautiful Greek honey on my studio floor,” DePlume reflected in a statement. “Heart-broken, I gathered it into my hands to be disposed of, which took ages. But I chose to embrace this too – not knowing why. And it turned out that it was a blessing for the making of that specific album (though I won’t say why, just now). The key thing for me is: embracing what is, without demanding to know why. Abundance and how it is, and how it can appear, and made welcome.”
Skinner added: “I don’t remember much about the details of the session at all, other than that it was a welcome oasis of spontaneous music-making in what had become an otherwise arid and disheartening year. A glorious and joyous exploration of sound in time.”
Come With Fierce Grace is due out September 8 on International Anthem.
Embracing Hair Care & Hair Removal Beyond Gender Expectations
In our Western society, there has long been an idealized image of the “perfect woman”, who’s typically depicted as having long and flowing hair while simultaneously showing a pair of hairless legs. In many ways, the Barbie movie acts as a painful reminder that generations of children have associated the combination of low body pilosity and gorgeous mane with beauty and attractiveness in women.
First of all, from a historical perspective, the allure of long hair goes beyond aesthetic considerations only. It has also been associated with health and even fertility, which is why it becomes understandable that societies all around the world would prefer women with long hair. Yet, in 2023, it is essential to break away from the rigid gender expectations and appreciate that personal hair choices should remain personal, and not dictated by societal expectations.
It is time to explore the fascinating world of hair care and hair removal without the tinted glasses of gender expectations. Furthermore, the rise in hair relaxer lawsuits highlights the importance of being cautious and informed about the products we use on our hair.
The natural connection between long hair and body pilosity
Here is a brief reminder for every woman out there struggling to conform to the image of ideal beauty: Long hair and smooth legs. The truth is that people with naturally long and thick hair often find a natural correlation with body hair as well. Essentially, hair growth is attributed to hormonal influences. Androgens, commonly linked with male hormones, are present in both biological genders. They play a crucial role in the growth of hair, both on your head and on the rest of your body.
As such, women who have long and luscious manes are more likely to have higher levels of androgens. This naturally also affects the body’s pilosity. Additionally, it is worth noting that some generic factors and health conditions will also influence hair growth patterns, which means that some individuals are predisposed to having thicker and longer hair, both on the head and on the body.
For example, conditions like PCOS, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, can increase androgen levels, which can lead to increased body and facial hair in women. In many cases, hormonal imbalances can be managed with medical guidance, once they’ve been diagnosed. While this will not eliminate body hair, it can help keep unwanted hair growth under control.
The bottom line: As unpleasant as it is, it is biologically impossible to naturally have both a luxurious mane and smooth legs.
Understanding discomfort with body pilosity
Yet, despite understanding the true connection with hairy legs and long manes, many women still beat themselves up for their body hair. Many feel they are not feminine enough if their legs are not smooth. This pressure can lead to feelings of insecurity and inadequacy as women try to reduce their body hair. It isn’t uncommon for women to describe their smooth legs as desirable, and want to hide the same legs when they have natural hair growth on them.
This is precisely where effective hair removal techniques play a significant role in an individual’s self-esteem. Believe it or not, but hair removal is not a new trend. Over the centuries, hair removal techniques have evolved significantly. In ancient civilizations, women used primitive tools like seashells or flint stones to scrape away unwanted hair.
As societies progressed, many cultures developed unique methods, such as the use of pumice stones by ancient Egyptians or early wax recipes including beeswax and sugar. Yet, these methods were not only time-demanding but the results were also temporary.
With technological advancements, modern hair removals solutions can offer convenience and long-lasting results, such as laser hair removals as specialist salons like Infinity Laser Spa. It is important, as more and more women are looking into permanent hair removal, to entrust the process to a professional provider.
Effective hair removal solutions become essential, not just in a quest for beauty, but in the quest for emotional well-being and self-esteem for many women. Additionally, it is worth noting that more and more men are looking into removing body hair too for aesthetic reasons.
The impact of ineffective hair removal
In the pursuit of hairless skin, many may choose to turn to DIY methods that can prove to be ineffective and harmful. Shaving, for example, may seem more convenient. However, in the long term, it can lead to skin rashes and ingrown hair, causing discomfort and further exacerbating body image issues.
Waxing, another popular method, can result in painful skin bumps and irritation in the hands of an amateur.
Besides, the repeated use of some hair removal methods can have counterproductive effects, increasing hair pilosity or leading to coarser hair growth, which creates a vicious cycle of discomfort and shamefulness.
The evolution of hairstyle and hair management
Managing hair growth is a challenge that every woman faces, both in terms of body pilosity and mane. As such, the adoption of short hairstyles by women was a move designed to challenge expectations on hair growth. Short hairstyles have frequently been seen as revolutionary and rebellious decisions against conventional gender norms. In the early 20th century, the bob haircut challenges traditional ideas of femininity, signifying women’s liberation and independence. This acted as a catalyst, encouraging women to question their hair quest and their definition of femininity. If a woman with short hair can remain attractive, why couldn’t a woman who doesn’t shave her body hair feel just as attractive?
Gradually, hair growth, whether through short hairstyle or challenging smooth legs standards, are becoming a symbol of liberation and self-expression. More importantly, this movement also promotes a new idea that can benefit society as a whole: Personal hair choices should be respected and embraced, regardless of gender.
In recent times, men with long hair have also faced gender-based stereotypes, often being perceived as effeminate or nonconformist.
However, these hair-related stereotypes are gradually being shattered as people embrace diverse choices and express themselves authentically.
Celebrating diversity in hair care
As we move towards a more inclusive and accepting society, it becomes crucial to celebrate the diversity of hair care choices. Long hair and short hair, body hair and hairless skin are all valid expressions of personal identity. By questioning and challenging long-established beauty standards individuals are making room for diversity. More important, at the heart of diversity comes the role of non-judgemental choices, which means that all choices are equal.
Diversity non-only embraces individual preferences, but also smashes societal gender expectations surrounding hair and body hair. It is essential to recognize these stereotypes for what they are and challenge them, accepting that hair does not define one’s gender identity.
Yet, while things are changing, gender bias remains. Men with long hair are perceived by society as attractive and confident. Comparatively, the same society frequently struggles with men who remove their body hair, believing them to be less masculine and strong. The belief that hair care and hair removal should be limited to women still has a negative impact. While men’s hair care, both head and body, has traditionally been more straightforward, recent trends have shown an increase in men adopting longer hairstyles and grooming practices.
Individuals, regardless of the gender they identify with, should not feel pressured to make hair choices based on what external observers may expect. Baby steps, but things are already moving in the right direction nonetheless.
The psychological impact of hair that nobody talks about
Hair management and hair removal decisions can have a profound psychological impact on individuals. Indeed, hair is tightly connected to your identity and your self-expression. As such, it comes as no surprise that, while many men and women fight against gender-biased expectations to express themselves, many choose to embrace these expectations to reveal their true gender identity. For instance, someone who was born male and is comfortable with this gender, may choose to grow their hair as a fashion statement. On the other hand, someone who was born male but identifies as a woman will choose to grow their hair as a celebration of their female identity.
In other words, hair preferences can mean absolutely anything. But they will only foster a sense of empowerment and self-confidence when they align with an individual’s inner beliefs.
Gender expectations surrounding both hair and body hair, have been deeply ingrained in society worldwide. It becomes crucial to understand that while a part of the population is confident in challenging stereotypes and recognizing hair choices as aspects of individuality and self-expression, challenging gender stereotypes can deeply affect those who question their birth gender. Visual gender stereotypes, such as smooth legs and long hair for women, or high body pilosity and short hair for men, can act as empowering cues along someone’s transitioning journey. So perhaps, the real question is not whether or not one should embrace or reject stereotypes when it comes to hair, but instead whether there is still a need for a unique beauty standard?
In conclusion, hair management is a tricky subject that is often associated with feelings of embarrassment, gender identity, and socially-accepted norms. With the tools and solutions available to us, it seems clear that we can do whatever we want with hair growth, except perhaps for solving hair growth problems in baldness patterns. Yet, beauty through body hair and manes needs to become more inclusive and subjectives. It needs to be a safe place for all, regardless of gender identity, beauty aspirations, and health conditions. Can we, as a society, be mature enough to stop splitting hairs about hair?
How Technology Is Transforming The Gambling Industry – The Rise Of Online Casinos
Gambling has long been a significant component of human civilization since it provides exhilarating entertainment and a chance to win money. Technology has significantly influenced how individuals bet throughout the years.
The emergence of internet casinos recently transformed the gambling industry by making it simple to access various casino games from the comfort of one’s home.
The emergence of online casinos like https://gg.bet/en/casino and the significant technical developments that have influenced it are the main topics of this essay, which examines the transformational effects of technology on the gambling business.
Online Casino Evolution
Basic online casino games were initially offered but with restricted accessibility and technological limitations. However, online casinos gained a lot of popularity due to improvements in internet access and the growing usage of mobile devices. Online casinos saw a rise in popularity due to players being able to access them whenever and wherever they wanted, thanks to the development of broadband and mobile internet.
The debut of Live Dealer games was a significant advancement for online casinos. The realistic and genuine casino experience offered by Live Dealer games was made possible by real-time streaming technology.
Real-time gameplay, interaction with qualified dealers, and high-definition video broadcasts let players seamlessly transition between traditional and internet casinos.
Technology Advances Changing Online Casinos
Numerous developments brought about by the quick development of technology have significantly impacted the online gaming experience. One such innovation is incorporating virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) into online casinos. Players can enter virtual casino scenarios using VR or augmented reality, where they can explore authentic locations, communicate with other players, and play games with more immersion.
Introducing blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies is another technical advancement influencing online casinos. Blockchain technology is the perfect option for the gaming industry since it provides increased security and transparency. Since they give players quick, safe, and anonymous payment alternatives, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have grown in favor of conducting business in online casinos.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have also impacted online gambling. Online casinos may tailor the gaming experiences for users using AI and ML algorithms. These technologies assess player preferences and habits to provide specialized gaming ideas, bonuses, and a more interesting and personalized gambling experience.
Benefits of Online Gambling
Numerous benefits that have come with the growth of online casinos have fueled this industry’s growing acceptance. Some of the main benefits are:
● Accessibility and Convenience
Without visiting a real casino, players may now enjoy their preferred casino games whenever they want and from wherever they are. Online casinos also provide a huge variety of games, from traditional table games to cutting-edge slots and live dealer experiences, to accommodate players’ varied interests.
● Rewards, Promotions, And Bonuses
Online casinos also include numerous incentives, like welcome bonuses, free spins, and loyalty programs, to draw in and keep players. Players receive added value from these incentives, extending their gaming and raising their chances of winning.
● Security And Safety
Online casinos have used strong security measures to provide a safe playing environment. Players’ money and personal information are safeguarded by encryption technology, shielding them from any dangers.
Challenges
Although the emergence of Internet casinos has been welcomed, it presents certain difficulties and raises concerns about the industry’s future.
● The Regulatory Environment for Online Gambling
Online casinos must negotiate a complicated legal landscape since countries have different rules and licensing requirements. Implementing strict laws and licensing structures to safeguard players and uphold the industry’s integrity is crucial.
Automated Systems And Artificial Intelligence In Online Casinos
These innovations improve the gaming experience and may affect the types of jobs available in the sector. Some classic casino jobs could become extinct as AI systems advance in sophistication.
Future developments in virtual reality and gamification are anticipated to influence online casinos. VR technology will continue evolving, giving gamers more realistic and immersive casino experiences.
Adding gamification components like leaderboards, awards, and challenges will increase player engagement and make online gambling more entertaining and participatory.
Conclusion
The gaming business is entering a new age due to technology, with online casinos leading the way. Internet connectivity improvements, mobile device breakthroughs, and cutting-edge technology like VR, blockchain, AI, and ML have all contributed to the growth of online casino games in the Philippines. These developments have improved players’ overall gaming experiences, making gambling more comfortable and accessible.
The gaming business needs help regulating and integrating new technology as it develops. But with the possibility of more developments in virtual reality, gamification, and tools for responsible gambling, the future is bright. The growth of online casinos, fueled by technology, is expected to change the gaming landscape for years to come and present exciting prospects for players and operators.
