Below are five things that I’ve seen/listened to/read in the past week that either made me smile, made me smarter, or blew mind :) P.S. This is my favorite edition of “5 Recommendations” so far! So many great things in the world to consume lately :) – Karley
1. Diary of a Teenage Girl
Everyone needs to see this movie! It’s about a teenage girl discovering her sexuality, told from the girl’s perspective. I loved how it’s so honest and raw, and how it depicts the rampant, sex-obsessed mind of a teen girl without being exploitative, and without making it seem “weird” that a young girl would be so horny. Diary of a Teenage Girl is based on the graphic novel of the same name, and was directed by Marielle Heller in her feature debut. It was a big hit in the festival circuit and just came out in (select) cinemas. Lead actress Bel Powley is incredible in it, and Alexander Skarsgård is so hot it’s actually confusing. Trailer below.
2. John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight segment on sex education
I’m so depressed that Jon Stewart left the Daily Show! It was the only show that I watched religiously, and now I’m forced to read the actual news to find out what’s going on outside my apartment. Way less fun. However, I’m currently surviving thanks to John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight on HBO (although it’s once one a week, so less fulfilling). Last week’s show focused on sex-ed as the main segment, primarily the abysmal lack of it in this country. Want to know what schools in the bible belt teach students as “sex-ed”? It’s hilarious, but also terrifying…
3. The Whore of Mensa, by Woody Allen
This is a hilarious short story from the 1974 issue of the New Yorker, by Woody Allen. It’s about a private investigator and a very peculiar type of woman-for-hire. It’s hard to say more, you just have to read it. Find it HERE :)
4. Dr. Zhana’s TED Talk, “Is Casual Sex Bad for You?”
Slutever’s resident “Ask a Sex Researcher” columnist, Dr. Zhana Vrangalova, recently gave a TED Talk about casual sex, yay! Zhana does a lot of work educating people about casual sex, and how to do it well. For instance, she started the wildly popular site The Casual Sex Project, where people from all over the world share their hook-up stories. I highly recommend you watch her very informative and empowering TED Talk above!
5. Caitlyn Jenner speech at the ESPY Awards
Has everyone already seen this? If not, you should watch it! Last month, Caitlyn Jenner was honored with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award for transcending sports during the ESPY Awards ceremony. Her speech was incredibly moving, talking about her own experience, and calling out for respect for people of the trans community.
Main image by Stephen Shore