BLAKE LIVELY WILL NOT STAND FOR POST-BABY BODY SHAMING

Actress and mother Blake Lively has a lot to say about bodies after babies. On the Australian morning talk show Sunrise the conversation almost immediately centered around her body, uninvited by Lively, while she promoted her film The Shallows. When she brought up how challenging the physical aspect of the movie was after recently giving birth to her daughter James, the interviewer responded “See, now when the tabloids say, ‘how did she get her figure back post baby’ you say ‘well, you do a movie like this!” Hmmm we seem to remember Lively discussing getting back into physical fitness, not her bikini.

Lively was quick to respond to the reporter's comment, saying “It’s so unfair though, because it’s so celebrated. It’s like, this is what someone can look like after a baby. I think a woman’s body after having a baby is pretty amazing.”

What Lively said couldn’t be more true--isn’t a body that has given birth to another human live incredible on it’s own, no matter what size it is? Isn’t a ‘bikini body’ literally anybody that wants to be in a bikini? This seems like the simplest equation in the book (but if not, here’s a quick lesson: bikini + body= bikini body. No need to subtract.)

Lively continued, “You don’t need to be Victoria’s Secret ready right away because you just did the most incredible miracle that life has to offer. I mean, you gave birth to a human being! So I would really like to see that celebrated.”

Amen, Blake! While we don't believe you should ever feel pressured to look "Victoria's Secret Ready" (because what does that even mean, exactly) we wanna give praise to alllllll the post-baby bodies. 

Watch Lively’s response here:

THE OCEAN'S 11 REBOOT WE HAVE ONLY DREAMED OF IS REALLY  HAPPENING, FOLKS

I wish I could look each and every one of you in the eye right now and knowingly whisper “We deserve this”, but this post will have to do. One of our favorite heists movies, Ocean's 11, is getting a reboot fully equipped with an ensemble that we couldn’t have dreamed up any better.

For anyone that doesn’t remember/hasn’t seen, Ocean’s 11 is a heist movie set in a lavish fictional Vegas hotel. It’s Pitt, Clooney, and a ragtag (yet painfully charismatic) team that win your heart with their banter and wisecracks. TBH I am deeply dedicated to watching this film during almost every lengthy plane ride, but there has always been one big problem--where are the badass women? The only recurring female face we saw was Julia Roberts, and she wasn’t a large part of the heist itself. A female reboot is always something I felt we needed and deserved, and the movie gods have finally deemed my wish worthy with Ocean’s Ocho (but seriously--is this the real title or are we getting played?)

I do not know who is the brilliant mastermind behind casting this Gary Ross directed film, but it’s crucial I buy this person a drink (if anyone has any leads, please let me know!) This ensemble is really coming together, y’all. A quick rundown on who’s showing up:

It’s been heavily rumored that Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett will be playing the characters Danny Ocean and Rusty Ryan (originally played by George Clooney and Brad Pitt, respectively.) It is now being reported that Elizabeth Banks, Helena Bonham Carter, and Mindy Kaling will also be joining the crew. Basically, everyone I would like to have as a guest at a dinner party will be joining this movie.  

Given the “ocho” element, we assume they’re still adding some people to the crew. Deadline has reported that Rihanna (!!!) Anne Hathaway, and Awkwafina may be joining the cast, which leads me to believe this will be the fempowered flick we’ve been waiting for.  If anyone needs me to be a coffee runner, cheerleader, be in the actual film, you know where to find me.

ANDY MURRAY SERVES (SRY) PERFECT RESPONSE TO COMMENTATORS INCORRECT STATEMENT

I would like to start this story by thanking you for reading, despite the bad pun in the title. Moving right along.

Outspoken feminist Andy Murray had to *casually* remind a reporter that women’s tennis, in fact, counts as tennis, and is just as important as men's.  On Sunday, Murray was the first man to ever win back-to-back gold medals for a singles match at the Olympics/ After 4 hours of non-stop battlin’-it-out for the U.K., Murray was told by the truly misinformed BBC reporter John Inverdale hat he was “the first person to win two Olympic gold medals in tennis. That’s an extraordinary feat, isn’t it?” Murray almost instantly responded “Well, to defend the singles title. Venus and Serena have won 4 each.” Yup. And let’s not forget that Serena Williams is tied for the most Olympic medals in tennis overall.

Game, set and match, right?

Murray’s correction reminds us that women’s olympic accomplishments are still often downplayed compared to men's. A Rio 2016 headline has been floating around that reads “Phelps ties for silver in 800 fly” and in a smaller size font below “Katie Ledecky sets world record in women’s 800 freestyle.” Women’s accomplishments, no matter how big, are still not featured as prominently, and the headline is a glaring visual reminder. Murray reminds male athletes that they too can be a part of the change, and a part of that is giving proper recognition where credit is due.  Murray’s correction stirred the type of dialogue that still desperately needs to be had at the Olympic games. 

FU YUANHUI TALKS ABOUT HER PERIOD AT THE OLYMPICS

Chinese Olympic swimmer Fu Yuanhui came clean on why she wasn’t feeling her best at the Olympics, and it was, quite literally, painfully relatable.

Fu was asked about her performance in the wake (heh) of her team's loss in the 4 x100-meter medley relay. Throughout the team interview, Fu had a pained expression on her face, and crouched as she stood next to her teammates. When the commentator guessed that she had a stomachache, Fu was quick to respond. “It’s because I just got my period last night, so I’m still a bit weak and really tired. But this isn’t an excuse, I still did not swim as well as I should have.”  (We would perhaps like to argue that yes, that could be an excuse, as those pesky mind-numbing cramps can be a bit distracting during physical activity, but we digress.)

Fu’s refreshingly candid response almost immediately received universal praise, and became a trending topic and viral hashtag on the popular Chinese social media site Weibo (not to mention Facebook and Twitter, too!) She has been receiving praise and gratitude from her fans for speaking about periods so openly, as menstruation is still perceived as taboo.

Fu’s statements are not only important to periods in relation to the Olympics, but sparks discussion and an urge for change for China. According to a study referenced in The Guardian, the cultural resistance to feminine hygiene products has been a major cause for women opting not to use them. This study, published in 2015, states that only 2% of women use tampons in China. The Los Angeles Times reported that while China made 85 billion sanitary pads in 2015, there was no tampon innovation.

Fu’s honesty and comfort in talking about periods have brought these statistics and concerns to the forefront of conversation, and reminds us that change cannot begin before the willingness to create conversation. So, let’s talk about periods, ‘cause you know it’s our favorite subject. :)

AMBER ROSE IS PROUD TO CARRY CONDOMS

Amber Rose is a big advocate for safe sex, and she leads by example.

On Friday’s episode of The Amber Rose Show, Rose gave an empowering and passionate answer to a fan who asked her how she can practice safe sex without intimidating her partner.

"How can I be safe without scaring guys off?" she asked.  "In order to protect myself, I always have condoms on me but when I bring them out, I will have such shocked responses. Men will be like, 'She must be a slut!'"

Rose, who famously held a Slut Walk in October 2015 to reclaim the word, was quick to console and reaffirm the audience member’s actions.

"No, no, no. Don't ever change that," she said  "As women, we always things we have to change ourselves, we have to dumb ourselves down. We gotta do whatever the fuck we wanna do! And if that means you gotta be single for awhile, until that one man comes along and says you know what, I appreciate you having condoms, girl, that means you take care of yourself, that you protect yourself." No one should have to apologize for taking care of themselves.”

Rose’s advocacy for sexual health is supessss important,  as STD’s and STI’s are extremely common. There are about 19 million new STD cases a year, and 1 in 4 Americans will get an STD in their lifetime.

We gotta agree with Amber on this one--if a dude makes you feel insecure about being safe, than he’s probably (definitely) not worth your time, anyway.

by Team Thinx