'Wife beater' vests have got a rebrand, and its about damn time
The simple white vest is an iconic style, and a favourite of men from Tony Soprano to Stanley Kowalski, Marlo Brando's character in A Street Named Desire – but its nickname has become somewhat dated. Now, Gen Z social media users have come up with a new term for the jarringly named “wife beater”, after a resurgence in popularity of the white tank top. People have started referring to the item as a “wife pleaser” to make it less triggering for victims of family and domestic violence. Tutorials on how to style the top have surged in popularity in recent times, while fashion magazines and websites have started listing them in articles like the “best wife pleasers of the summer”. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The term has been prompting anger for several years already. In 2018, The New York Times ran an opinion piece titled: "Are we really still calling this shirt a wife beater?" “I myself have used the term before — and I’ve worn the shirt plenty — but this time it stopped me cold. Given the torrent of revelations of abuse against women in the #MeToo era, the name suddenly seemed grossly inappropriate,” wrote the author. He continued: "We don’t call our pants 'child molesters' or our hats 'cat mutilators'. We immediately recognise such descriptions as violent and abhorrent. And yet, we somehow overlook the same when we call our shirts wife beaters." The “wife pleaser”, by contrast, appears to have been in use since last year, and has now gone viral again. In July 2022, InStyle ran an article about American actor Chris Evans’ love of the item, called ‘Chris Evans’s "wife pleasers" are this summer's ultimate fashion throwback". Social media users on TikTok are also calling it the “wife respecter” and a “wife caresser”. And in 2018, Jonathan Van Ness, star of Netflix series Queer Eye, even called it a “wife lover”, when the cast were helping a subject choose an outfit on the show. The term wife beater, meanwhile, has far more sinister roots. It appears to have entered common use in 1947, when a man wearing a white tank top was arrested for murdering his wife. His mugshot was nicknamed “The Wife Beater”, and the term stuck. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-08-10 19:26
No End in Sight to Deadly Cape Town Minibus Taxi Protest
A strike by minibus taxi drivers in Cape Town triggered violence that’s claimed the lives of five people
2023-08-10 18:27
European Stocks Lifted by Luxury as China Eases Travel Curbs
European stocks extended gains into a second session, as China’s decision to relax travel curbs offered a lift
2023-08-10 15:45
Woman says she was told not to breastfeed on flight because it would make passengers ‘uncomfortable’
People are coming to a woman’s defence after she claimed that she was told not to breastfeed on a plane because it would make other travellers “uncomfortable”. Chelsea Williams took to Facebook on 7 August to describe what she says was her experience with TUI Airways, a British airline owned by the TUI Group. She claimed that while she was in her seat during a recent flight and breastfeeding her child, one of the plane’s crew members told her to stop. “During our outbound flight I was told I was not allowed to breastfeed (even though we were both buckled) during takeoff and landing,” she wrote. “I have never had this with other airlines, in fact, it is encouraged to help with baby ear pain!” She then claimed that, after the experience, she was encouraged to reach out to TUI about its travelling regulations. “Before my inbound flight, I thought I’d check what the official rules were as I was shocked it wasn’t allowed as it left my baby screaming as a consequence,” she wrote. William’s post went on to include the message that her husband, Thomas, sent to TUI, asking if his partner could breastfeed their five-week-old baby while their plane is taking off and landing. According to the screenshot of the message, TUI then responded by encouraging Thomas’ wife to avoid breastfeeding on the plane, for the sake of other passengers. “There are no official restrictions, however, we would not recommend it because it could make other people uncomfortable,” the message read. Williams also added that the response from TUI was “complete discrimination and majorly disappointing”. Speaking to The Independent, Williams said that while on her first flight with TUI, the airline employee tried to “disguise the airline’s discrimination with the guise of a ‘safety issue’ but later retracted that”. “The cabin crew member said: ‘You’ll need to stop feeding as it is not permitted on takeoff and landing,’” she explained. “She then said my five-week old had to forward face, I said that she doesn’t have sufficient neck support at that age, which was answered with: ‘Maybe you could just sit her against you facing forward and lean back a bit.’” She also specified that, despite what TUI had allegedly told her husband in its message, she was able to breastfeed her daughter on her flight back home. Her Facebook post has since gone viral, with more than 1,200 reactions. In the comments, many people have gone on to defend Williams while criticising TUI for its “damaging” message about mothers breastfeeding in public. “Oh TUI - it’s damaging comments like this that can deter women from breastfeeding or breastfeeding in public,” one person wrote. “What’s so offensive about feeding a baby and if people are uncomfortable about a baby feeding in the most natural way by milk that is designed for HUMANS then that is their issue not hers or her baby’s fault.” “If other people are allowed to eat and drink in public then why is breastfeeding our children not allowed. What a disgusting response!!!” another added. “To all the breastfeeding moms out there, keep going. We’ve got this. Screw what other people say and think. Just smile at them and carry on, that will make them uncomfortable!” “This is absolutely disgraceful!!” a third wrote. “I am flying with TUI next month and have every intention of breastfeeding during take off and landing whether anyone feels ‘uncomfortable’ or not!” TUI has since responded to the comments on Williams’ post, with the company stating that it is “aware of the situation and are conducting an internal investigation”. TUI also added that “breastfeeding is permitted” on its flights, while the company “advises against it during takeoff and landing for safety reasons”. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mothers are encouraged to breastfeed their children “during takeoff and landing when travelling by airplane,” as “this will help to protect your child from ear pain due to cabin pressure changes”. The health agency also encourages mothers to feed their children “on demand,” noting that the best way for them to “maintain [their] milk supply is to breastfeed whenever [their] baby is hungry”. Speaking to Metro, Williams opened up about the breastfeeding incident during her first TUI Airways flight, which was from England to Spain. She said that after she stopped breastfeeding, after the airline employee had asked her to do so, her “baby was obviously crying”. “Quite drastically because I had cut her feed while she was in the middle of it - and the toddler was crying,” she added, referring to her two-year-old child. “I was sweating, I was on the verge of tears. I felt like everyone’s eyes were on us because obviously the baby was screaming and I obviously looked not great at that moment. The baby’s cries were getting worse – she was obviously in pain, she was obviously hungry as well.” Williams said that she waited until the seatbelt lights went off to start feeding her baby again. In a statement toThe Independent, TUI said: “We are really sorry for the distress caused to Ms Williams and her infant. As a family friendly travel company we support breastfeeding on our flights at any time. We will be making sure that all colleagues are retrained on our breastfeeding friendly policy.” Williams told The Independent that she “had a call with TUI” and talked to the company about some of the changes she hopes to see implemented. “They did sound receptive to some of the points raised, I will continue to push them to ensure these changes are made,” she said. Read More Breastfeeding Olympians want it all: Top careers and motherhood Ireland Baldwin reveals why she did not want to breastfeed her daughter after giving birth Couple flies abroad for day trip after they find flights are cheaper than train to London Americans spark backlash after claiming that Europeans ‘don’t believe in water’ Grimes says her and Elon Musk’s three-year-old child X ‘knows a lot about rockets’ What is TikTok’s ‘soft life era’ and could it be the secret to happiness?
2023-08-10 06:53
Grimes says her and Elon Musk’s three-year-old child X ‘knows a lot about rockets’
Grimes has opened up about raising her children with ex, Elon Musk, with the musician revealing that their three-year-old son “knows a lot about rockets”. The singer, 35, spoke candidly about co-parenting with the Tesla CEO during her cover story interview with Wired, published on 8 August. Along with their three-year-old, X Æ A-12 - who goes by “X” - the former couple shares a one-year-old daughter, Exa Dark Sideræl, who goes by “Y”. While speaking to Wired, Grimes was asked about Musk’s “weird kind of protégé thing going on” with their son, as he’s taken him to “meetings” and work events before. However, Grimes said that she’s “here for that” relationship between the father and son, before explaining that they share common interests. “X knows a lot about rockets,” she said. “It’s crazy. He knows more about rockets than me.” She then specified that she and Musk have stopped giving X toys, since he “gets upset” if “they’re not anatomically correct”. However, the singer confessed that she’s been a little worried about her son’s interest in space, as she described his reaction to the Starship rocket exploding earlier this year. “He’s a little engineer, for sure. But his obsession with space is bordering on: ‘Is this healthy?’ When X saw Starship blow up, he had, like, a three-day PTSD meltdown,” Grimes recalled. “Every hour, he was waking up and going: ‘Starship …’ and I had to rub his back.” Grimes - who announced her split from Musk in 2022- shared that her daughter is “a little engineer too,” explaining: “She likes industrial shipping. She’s very strange.” As she continued to open up about co-parenting with her ex, she said that she’s “trying to find a great peer group,” or “other parents who are sort of like us and share similar values”. She went on to speak candidly about the different boundaries she wants to set as a parent. “I really care about having a very good relationship with my kids. I think I understand how to be a good parent to them,” she said. “Both enforcing discipline and being their friend. Who knows, maybe they’ll resent me and reject family culture, but I feel like they will not.” She also confessed that she’s “a little bit” worried about her children’s privilege, as their father holds the title as the richest person in the world. “I think their life is gonna be pretty intense,” she said. “Being Elon’s kid is not the same as being anyone’s kid. In my house, at least, I want it to be more of a crazy warehouse situation and a cool art space.” Grimes and Musk first met in 2018 when he direct messaged her on social media, where they then made the same pun about artificial intelligence. In September 2021, Musk revealed to Page Six that he and Grimes have “semi-separated” due to conflicting schedules and locations. Two months later, the pair welcomed their daughter together via surrogate. After the announcement made headlines, Grimes told Vanity Fair in March 2022 that she and Musk have a fluid, inexplicable partnership. However, she later made a clarification about the comment on Twitter, noting that while she and Musk had broken up since welcoming their daughter, “he’s my best friend and the love of my life”. Elsewhere in her interview with Wired, Grimes acknowledged that she’s learned a lot from her ex, specifically when it comes to leadership skills. “I learned from him, like, the best internship ever. People don’t like talking about Elon, but it was incredible to be right there watching all that SpaceX stuff happen,” she said. “That’s a master class in leadership and engineering and makes you understand how rare it is to have a leader of that quality.” Grimes continued to praise Musk’s management skills, adding: “Elon has an old-world kind of discipline I really respect. And I think it rubs a lot of people the wrong way. They don’t want to be in that hardcore zone. If you’re not consenting to being in that hardcore zone, I get it.” She also specified that Musk has “challenged” her a lot, and taught her about running her own company and team. When asked what her ex learned from her, she said that she’s helped him “have more fun”. “I try to soften him up, to build family culture,” she said. “And he steals a lot of my memes.” Read More Elon Musk gave Grimes a ‘trivia test’ on Lord of the Rings when they first started dating Grimes criticised for remarks about Lizzo accusers Grimes weighs in on alleged cage match between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg Elon Musk gave Grimes a ‘trivia test’ on Lord of the Rings when they started dating Grimes weighs in on alleged cage match between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg Mark Zuckerberg reveals his 4,000 calorie diet and large McDonald’s order
2023-08-10 06:28
Rome archaeologist says Travis Scott's Circus Maximus concert risked damaging ancient site
The director of Rome's Colosseum has called for an end to concerts at the nearby Circus Maximus, after a performance by US rapper Travis Scott on Monday sparked fears of an earthquake.
2023-08-09 23:53
Ohio vote shows enduring power of abortion rights at ballot box, giving Democrats a path in 2024
Abortion wasn't technically on the ballot in Ohio's special election. But the overwhelming defeat of a measure that would have made it tougher to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution this fall was the latest indicator that the issue remains a powerful force at the ballot box. The election saw heavy turnout for what's typically a sleepy summer election date and sets up another battle in November, when Ohio will be the only state this year to have reproductive rights on the ballot. It also gives hope to Democrats and other abortion rights supporters who say the matter could sway voters their way again in 2024. That's when it could affect races for president, Congress and statewide offices, and when places such as the battleground of Arizona may put abortion questions on their ballots as well. Democrats described the victory in Ohio, a one-time battleground state that has shifted markedly to the right, as a “major warning sign” for the GOP. “Republicans’ deeply unpopular war on women’s rights will cost them district after district, and we will remind voters of their toxic anti-abortion agenda every day until November,” said Aidan Johnson, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The measure voters rejected Tuesday, known as Issue 1, would have required ballot questions to pass with 60% of the vote rather than a simple majority. Interest was unusually high, with millions spent on each side and voters casting more than double the number of early in-person and mail ballots ahead of the final day of voting as in a typical primary election. Early turnout was especially heavy in the Democratic-leaning counties surrounding Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. Opposition to the measure, which became a kind of proxy for the November abortion vote, extended even into traditionally Republican areas. In early returns, support for the measure fell far short of Donald Trump’s performance during the 2020 election in nearly every county. The November ballot question will ask voters whether individuals should have the right to make their own reproductive health care decisions, including contraception, abortion, fertility treatment and miscarriage care. Ohio's GOP-led state government in 2019 approved a ban on abortion after cardiac activity is detected — around six weeks, before many women know they are pregnant — but the ban was not enforced because of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade, which granted a federal right to the procedure. When a new conservative majority on the high court last year overturned the nearly 50-year-old ruling, sending authority over the procedure back to the states, Ohio's ban briefly went into effect. But a state court put the ban on hold again while a challenge alleging it violates the state constitution plays out. During the time the ban was in place, an Indiana doctor came forward to say she had performed an abortion on a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio who could not legally have the procedure in her home state. The account became a national flashpoint in the debate over abortion rights and underscored the stakes in Ohio. Ohio is one of about half of U.S. states where citizens may bypass the Legislature and put ballot questions directly to voters, making it an option that supporters of reproductive rights have increasingly turned to since Roe v. Wade fell. After abortion rights supporters said they hoped to ask voters in November to enshrine the right in the state constitution, Ohio Republicans put Issue 1 on Tuesday’s ballot. In addition to raising the threshold to pass a measure, it would have required signatures to be collected in all 88 counties, rather than 44. The 60% threshold was no accident, abortion rights supporters say, and was aimed directly at defeating the Ohio abortion measure. Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, six states have had elections regarding reproductive rights. In every election — including in conservative states like Kansas — voters have supported abortion rights. In Kansas, 59% voted to preserve abortion rights protections, while in Michigan 57% favored an amendment that put protections in the state constitution. Last year, 59% of Ohio voters said abortion should generally be legal, according to AP VoteCast, a broad survey of the electorate. Last month, a poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found the majority of U.S. adults want abortion to be legal at least through the initial stages of pregnancy. The poll found that opinions on abortion remain complex, with most people believing abortion should be allowed in some circumstances and not in others. Opponents of the Ohio abortion question ran ads that suggested the measure could strip parents of their ability to make decisions about their child’s health care or to even be notified about it. Amy Natoce, spokesperson for the anti-abortion campaign Protect Women Ohio, called the ballot measure a “dangerous anti-parent amendment.” Several legal experts have said there is no language in the amendment supporting the ads’ claims. Peter Range, CEO of Ohio Right to Life, said he has been traveling across Ohio talking to people and “I’ve never seen the grassroots from the pro-life side more fired up to go and defend and protect the pre-born.” While the November question pertains strictly to Ohio, access to abortion there is pivotal to access across the Midwest, said Alison Dreith, director of strategic partnership for the abortion fund Midwest Access Coalition. Nine Midwestern states — Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Nebraska, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin — are considered restrictive, very restrictive or most restrictive of abortion rights by the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization that supports legal access to abortion. “Ohio in particular has always been a destination state for the states around it,” Dreith said. “If we don’t protect abortion access in Ohio, the options just continue to shrink for people seeking care in the Midwest.” Sri Thakkilapati, the executive director of the Cleveland-based nonprofit abortion clinic Preterm, said the effect of the Ohio vote will reverberate throughout the country. “When we restrict access in one state, other states have to take up that patient load,” she said. “That leads to longer wait times, more travel, higher costs for patients." Thakkilapati called the energy around abortion rights in last year's midterms “exciting.” But she said the media attention died down, and people quickly forgot “how tenuous abortion access is right now.” The special election and ballot measure in Ohio are “a reminder of what’s at stake," Thakkilapati said. “Other states are watching how this plays out in Ohio, and it may give anti-abortion groups in other states another strategy to threaten abortion rights elsewhere,” she said. “And for the majority who do want abortion access in their states but are seeing it threatened, the results in November could give them hope that the democratic process may give them relief.” Kimberly Inez McGuire, the executive director of Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity, which focuses on young people of color under age 30, says the results of elections involving reproductive rights show that support doesn't come just from Democrats or in cities and states considered liberal bastions. “There was this idea that we couldn’t win on abortion in red states and that idea has really been smashed,” McGuire said. So, too, she said, is the “mythology” that people in the South and Midwest won't support abortion rights. “I think 2024 is going to be huge,” she said. “And I think in many ways, Ohio is a proving ground, an early fight in the lead up to 2024.” Dreith said that since abortion hasn't been on a major ballot since last year, the Ohio vote this fall is “a good reminder” for the rest of the country. “Abortion is always on the ballot — if not literally but figuratively through the politicians we elect to serve us,” she said. "It’s also a reminder that this issue isn’t going away.” Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Why Ohio's Issue 1 proposal failed, and how the AP called the race Ohio voters reject GOP plan to thwart upcoming abortion rights proposal Abortion rights advocates push for 2024 ballot initiative in Arizona
2023-08-09 23:50
Rising prices for travel yet to curb wanderlust
By Joanna Plucinska, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Doyinsola Oladipo and Priyamvada C LONDON/CHICAGO/NEW YORK (Reuters) -The post-pandemic travel boom and the
2023-08-09 22:51
Biden Decries Climate Threat But Does Not Declare Emergency
President Joe Biden stopped short of saying he would declare a national climate emergency, a move progressive lawmakers
2023-08-09 22:19
Prince Harry lauds the healing power of sports as he kicks off a promotional tour of Asia in Tokyo
Prince Harry has lauded the virtue of sports and its healing powers as he kicked off a promotional tour of Asia in Tokyo
2023-08-09 21:19
Kellogg forecasts annual sales of up to $13.6 billion for snacks business ahead of split
Packaged food maker Kellogg said on Wednesday its snacking business Kellanova is expected to report full-year sales between
2023-08-09 20:50
Rihanna breastfeeds baby RZA as she launches Savage X Fenty maternity wear
Rihanna has launched her first maternity wear line for her Savage X Fenty lingerie brand. The “Rude Boy” singer announced the range by modelling in one of her new nursing bralettes with her and A$AP Rocky’s one-year-old son RZA. She is also currently pregnant with their second child. Rihanna debuted her second pregnancy to the world while performing at the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show. Promotional images shared on the official Savage X Fenty Instagram page show Rihanna, 35, cradling RZA in her arms while she breastfeeds him. The pop star is seen beaming in each photo as she looks after her son. She wore her hair long and straight, with a straight fringe obscuring part of her eyes, and was styled in a black bralette. The caption reads: “Not ur [sic] mama’s maternity bras… Designed by Rihanna, approved by baby RZA.” According to US Vogue, the capsule collection features three new bralette styles and an oversized graphic T-shirt with a cheeky slogan that says: “Make more babies.” The bralettes are inspired by Savage X Fenty’s bestsellers and come in several colourways. The range includes the Savage X Cotton Maternity Bralette, the Floral Lace Maternity Bralette and the Savage Not Sorry Maternity Bralette. Each undergarment is designed for new and expecting mothers and enable them to hold their baby in one arm while fixing the bralette cup with the other hand in order to breastfeed with ease. They also feature a full nursing sling with a neckline to underarm opening, adjustable front-facing straps, and a set of nursing clasps. The back of the bralettes have a fourth row of clasps to allow for flexible adjustment throughout pregnancy. Sizes range from XXS to 4X, with prices starting from US$35 to US$60 (£27.46 to £47.08). Rihanna told the fashion magazine: “The new maternity capsule is about bringing that confidence and comfort to mums at every stage of their journeys. “I want to remind people that you can still channel sexiness and feel good while being a parent.” Last month, Rihanna modelled her brand’s new collection of sheer lingerie and showed off her growing belly. During the Super Bowl halftime show in February, the “We Found Love” singer revealed her baby bump in a full-red ensemble while putting on a show-stopping performance. Later, a representative confirmed she was indeed expecting her and A$AP’s second child. Her first pregnancy also came as a shock to fans, as she revealed her bare baby bump in a photoshoot after keeping it a secret for the first five months. The couple’s son’s name was only confirmed a year after his birth. A birth certificate, obtained by The Daily Mail, revealed that his name is RZA Athelston Mayers. Earlier this year, Rihanna spoke about how she became fiercely “protective” of her son’s privacy after photos of RZA were being potentially leaked to the press. She told British Vogue: “As parents it just feels so icky, like a violation.” Instead, the couple took control and sent candid photos of RZA to an unnamed blog and shared a video of the baby on TikTok. “It’s the thing you never want to happen… We get to decide as parents when and how we do that. End of story,” Rihanna added. Read More Wilko isn’t just a shop – it’s a magical portal to essential British tat Prince Harry’s ‘His Royal Highness’ title removed from royal family website Woman behind ‘not real’ plane tirade identified as marketing executive with $2m home
2023-08-09 19:58