Caitlyn Jenner’s Vanity Fair cover, a movie we’re excited for the whole family to see, tax news we can use and another reason to have the grandparents watch your kids. That’s what we’re talking about this week.
1. Caitlyn Jenner makes her debut on the cover of Vanity Fair
Was there any other story in the news this week? Caitlyn Jenner snapped up headlines around the world when she made her debut on the cover of Vanity Fair, the caption ‘Call Me Caitlyn’ superimposed over a glamour shot by iconic portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz. The response to Jenner’s big reveal has been thankfully mostly positive, with many stars reaching out via social media to offer Jenner their best wishes, among them, Laverne Cox, the transgendered star of Orange is the New Black. Cox took to her Tumblr to offer her heartfelt congrats in a public letter that has since gone viral, applauding Caitlyn’s courage and grace and saying that although Jenner looks beautiful, it’s her heart and soul and vulnerability that make her truly stunning. Cox also points out that most trans people don’t enjoy the vast privileges (like celebrity and wealth) that her and Jenner do, and that there is still much work to be done. Well said.
2. We’re really excited for Disney/Pixar’s new film
In other celeb-related news, we couldn’t be more excited about the latest venture from Disney/Pixar. The animated movie, Inside Out, is directed by Pete Docter, the Academy Award-winning director of smash hits Monsters Inc. and Up. The movie stars Riley, a young girl who is struggling to understand her emotions after her family moves to a new city. Riley’s emotions are presented as living, talking characters who reside in the ‘command centre’, aka Riley’s brain. Docter says he was inspired by his own daughter, Elie, who was naturally exuberant as a child but who became emotionally distant, seemingly overnight, as she neared adolescence. We think the movie, in addition to being unique and imaginative, might help kids (and perhaps even some adults) understand and feel comfortable talking about their emotions. Of course, it helps that Amy Poehler, Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling all star in it. The movie hit theatres June 19, and we will be first in line. Watch the trailer here.
3. The grand news about being a grandparent
Good news on the Alzheimer’s front: the University of Melbourne in Australia has released the findings of a 20-year study on women and aging, and they’ve found that grandmothers who spend one day a week minding grandchildren have better memory and faster cognitive speed than those who don’t. They also reduced their risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s. As with most things though, moderation is key—researchers found that the opposite was true and that processing and planning functions decreased if grandparents spent five days or more a week minding grandchildren. (The research guessed this was due to stress, anxiety and exhaustion—we get that). In case we needed another reason to book Grandma in for babysitting during date night, we’ve now got science on our side.
4. Your period just got a bit less painful
File this under things we didn’t know we were angry about: the federal government, until very recently, considered feminine hygiene products like pads and tampons to be non-essential items. Um, what? As so called ‘non-essential items’, they were subject to GST taxes—until this week. A ‘No Tax On Tampons’ campaign has successfully managed to change that, and we’re looking forward to pocketing just a little more change every month. We think it would be a true feminist victory if we could get retroactive payments on the tampon taxes we’ve paid over the years! Just put the cheque in the mail, Mr. Prime Minister. Meanwhile, as this satirical article pointed out, that leaves only ‘3,424 areas of gender inequality remaining’ in Canada.
5. The Savvy team is scrubbing up for a good cause
This week we’ll be attending the 14th Annual Scrubs in the City event, benefitting of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). Raising money for kids while having fun? We’re in! Proceeds from Scrubs will help fund the purchase of a new 3T-MRI machine, one of the highest priority needs for the hospital. To date, the annual event has raised more than $3 million in support of some of the most critical needs at the hospital. We’re thrilled to be taking part in a great event.
Have a good week!
Tagged under: Blog,SavvyBlog,from the editor's desk,savvy blog,editor's desk,editor's letter
Category: entertainment
