Surveying popular culture, you would almost assume women smoking cannabis is an anomaly. Whether it’s through music, TV, or movies, recurring images appears of the stoner bro or the dealer bro or the functioning cannabis enthusiast bro. If you’re a man who smokes marijuana, you can find a place in culture where you’re represented.
With women it’s a different story. Actually, it’s not even a story at all. Outside of few offerings with a show like Broad City, women consuming cannabis are severely lacking in the mainstream. This despite a recent survey women are the fastest-growing cannabis consumers in the country.
But a new series from Merry Jane aims to fix that. Produced by Snoop Dogg, Queens of the Stoned Age will accurately showcase women who proudly use cannabis. As producer Tara Ariano told Refinery29, the show will attempt to “feminize” cannabis culture, and not make it seem only a place for bros.
“Weed is a male-dominated culture, and it’s hard for women to find themselves represented in it,” Aquino told Refinery29. “So this show is meant to be a symbol and empower women to come out and show that, look, there are successful women who smoke and who have weed as part of their daily life and are killing it in their respective industries.”
Women are also leaders in integrating cannabis into wellness and health. Through medicated yoga classes and the 420 Games, the contemporary image of the cannabis user is rapidly shifting. Women are also responsible for breaking new ground in cannabis, as they are early adopters and promoters of tinctures, topicals, and other nontraditional methods of consuming cannabis. In fact, women have been making marijuana history for years now.
Queens of the Stoned Age will attempt to finally demonstrate all that. As one woman says in voiceover in the show’s trailer, “Let’s change the face of cannabis.”
Ariano confirmed the sentiment to Refinery29, “We wanted women to openly discuss their relationship to weed in a safe space, and from there, [talk about] their relationship to the world and to each other.”
John McEnroe says he regretted saying Serena Williams would be ranked “like 700 in the world” if she had to play on the men’s circuit. But John is about to eat those words and make a lot of money in the process.
“Several big promoters are interested in putting together a Serena VS John tennis match after she has the baby. Serena is into it and thinks that she can beat the 58 year- old John on the court,” sources tell Straight Shuter. “It would be one of the most-watched games of all time and would make the two of them millions. What has John got to lose apart from his ego?”
This would not be a first – in 1973 Billie Jean King faced off against Bobby Riggs – viewed by an estimated 90 million people around the world.
“’The Game Of Thrones’” producers trust no one. They keep the plot a tight, tight secret and have even started filming fake scenes to fool the cast and crew and public,” sources tell Straight Shuter. “The show even went so far as to having its star, Kit Harington, cut his hair short to start a rumor that he would not be returning to the cast.”
It’s challenging for celebrities to avoid the spotlight. With eyes, both real or virtual, there is little hiding. In fact, no photo is safe from the Greek Chorus known as social media, who often burn people at the stake for any misstep, regardless of how trivial. Even the simple act of cooking can be blown out of proportion if someone famous doesn’t do it according to popular opinion. Here are eight celebrities who didn’t realize their personal decisions in the kitchen would result in hurt feelings from total strangers.
1. Pink
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWonpJ8lzgn/
You can probably guess by the photo what Pink did to draw ire from social media this week. Hint: comments included, “Pink is pulling her head back to protect herself yet babys head is in line of danger of being splattered and burnt. Sorry but this is not Ok,” and “I am a Mother of 4 grown children ..I never ever aloud my kids around the stove when cooking ..That my Dear is a Big NO NO…” Most people seemed to be in the rocker’s corner, reminding the haters that Pink is known for rappelling down stadium ceilings and generally being a badass on tour, so she can probably handle a stove.
English Rose Nigella Lawson is famous for her sultry, sex goddess approach to food. But it took a Facebook photo of her carbonara for people to be offended. One commenter replied: “Nigella you are a wonderful woman but your recipes are the DEATH of Italian recipes, literally! NO CREAM IN CARBONARA NEVER, only eggs.”
Chef Jamie Oliver received a windfall of hate after he included chorizo in his paella. Chorizo, as social media was quick to point out to him, is not included in authentic paella.
Jamie, we don't call that Paella, we call it "rice with things"#JamieOliver
She meant well with her attempt to live off of $29 worth of groceries for a week, but Goop‘s HBIC only lasted 4 days before succumbing to fresh veggies, half a bag of licorice, and some chicken. The Twitterverse was quick to call her out for her paltry attempt. Even Mario Batali got roped into the drama.
5. Mary Berry
The former “Great British Bake-Off” judge sent the UK up in arms when she dared add white wine and double cream to her spaghetti bolognese. But it’s what she didn’t add that really set people off. She omitted spaghetti entirely, preferring to use pappardelle. Shortly before committing this food crime, she baked a “pie” that was basically just stew with a crust top. WHAT WOULD THE QUEEN SAY!?
The “One Tree Hill” actress was shamed for what she didn’t cook: her own baby food. Kramer clapped back at her mommy-shamers with another photo:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGKDRQmLMsr/
7. Kelly Clarkson
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSoajTKlWk2/
The singer was also mommy-shamed for giving her daughter – gasp! – Nutella! Commenters shook a collective cyber finger at Clarkson for giving her kid “poison” and saying that it caused cancer and was full of sugar and … on and on and on. A month later, Clarkson posted this photo, a virtual waving of the white flag?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUUnJnslLCx
8. Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian knows good and damn well she didn't make all that Jamaican food pic.twitter.com/XOJu202D0W
Because Kim K doesn’t garner enough hate, the social media mob came after her (again) when she claimed to have cooked a huge Jamaican Sunday supper that her nanny taught her how to make. People were quick to point out that something seemed “off” — and that “something” was Kim breaking a sweat in the kitchen.
Have you ever asked yourself any of these questions below prior to going to the spa? Perhaps you were second guessing a few things while you were in the changing area and slipping into your robe?
I am shy and may prefer a woman for my first time at a new spa, yet isn’t a guy generally stronger if I want a sports or deep tissue massage?
Do I take off all undergarments or leave some on during treatments?
Should I have shaved or waxed?
What do I say if I have a chatty masseuse and all I want to say is shhhh?
How much do I tip?
The whole point of “spa-ing” is to relax and if you’re stressing about the do’s and don’ts, that might be a challenge. To that end, we polled more than 300 people, including spa directors and spa experts, to reveal the top questions you might be afraid or too shy to ask.
Boy Or Girl
If you prefer a male or female therapist…Just ask! Prior to booking your treatments, feel free to ask any questions and share any specifics regarding injuries, likes, dislikes, pressure, etc. The therapist will feel your energy if you tense up and you certainly do not want to be lying on the table with negative thoughts rolling around while Enya is playing in the background! Always share your level of comfort, modesty and what you truly want from the experience. (& trust me…I had a 90 pound woman give me the best deep/sports tissue massage ever in Turks & Caicos!)
Undies Or Commando
“The massage therapist left the room and my friend Tom asked, “Do I keep my undies on?” The sheer fact that he called his boxer briefs “undies” made me completely aware that he was out of his comfort zone and felt like a little kid. We had a great laugh about it! ~ spa enthusiast
This indeed was Tom’s first spa experience and for some this can be a bit unnerving. This is an individual preference and if you want to keep your undergarments on, no problem! Various spas will give you disposable underwear too depending on treatment like a scrub, aromatherapy oil wrap or specialized massage.
Primping
Will the therapist be bothered that I did not shave or wax?
Easy answer …NO. (As men tend to have hairy legs and heck, some ladies do too…So, if you want to skip shaving a few days or you are awaiting your next wax appointment ~ No problem!) Also, if you are having a body scrub, you will NOT want to shave for at least 12 hours prior.
YES…Please bathe! Your therapist will be pleased. Also, great to shower if you use any of the pools or hot tubs to remove all chlorine and chemicals.
Chit Chat
When booking your appointment and you are searching for peace and true relaxation, it is always best to ask for a “quiet” treatment. This will then be relayed to the therapist by their staff prior to your session.
If you feel that the therapist has not honored this, feel free to say something like “Can you please turn up the soothing music?” or “I had a long day and looking forward to falling asleep!” They will then certainly get the point.
A Penny Or A Pound
The customary amount to leave a therapist is 15-20% percent based on the full amount of the treatment
If the atmosphere, noise level, service and results of your experience all add up, then tipping is based on your final “zen-like” overall feeling. An example is to ask yourself how you would tip when dining at a restaurant based on the same points. (If so, perhaps how your belly feels in place of “zen-like”!)
Calling all Groupon fans ~ This percentage amount means to tip on what you would have paid for usual regular price of service
Some spas automatically add on a gratuity percentage. If you want to add more…Great! Yet, if you feel like it was not worth the amount, you are completely open to mention this at checkout for a reduced amount.
Ultimately, life is way too short to not enjoy your spa experience. AND Always remember the old adage ~ There are no wrong questions!
So, put on your robe, brew a cup of herbal tea and relax!
Maine became the eighth state to legalize marijuana in 2016. Since then, lawmakers have been in discussion on how to best put the law into effect in 2018. But what can you expect from Maine’s recreational marijuana market? They’re still in deliberation, however, and have only until September to come up with a final draft.
When voted in, the law called for a 10% cannabis tax for adults 21 and over to possess 2.5 ounces at a time. After many sessions and meetings, the current proposed legislation is to bring the taxes up to the 20% range and to give municipalities more control over over the market.
The special legislative panel that’s overseeing how all these details are applied have conducted a series of ad hoc votes on different aspects of Maine’s program, including the tax hike. As they test out popular opinion, they come closer to that September consensus.
Maine isn’t the first to ponder tax rates. If too low, the revenue isn’t anything to boast about, but if the taxes are too high, marijuana users are bound to go back to the black market. Massachusetts recently set their tax rate at 20% and Colorado just changed their taxes to 2.9% sales tax and 15% cannabis tax.
In Maine, where the tax revenue shall go is still being discussed, but on the table is mainly public health.
Another rule to the law is that you must be at least a six month long Maine resident to grow or sell. This keeps companies from coming in and monopolizing the market before the local growers have a chance to build their legal community and businesses.
Also, in a big move, cultivation caps have been removed, which protects cultivators, basically saying the more the merrier! No caps on crops or growers is a major victory.
Even though this all sounds pretty good, we can expect more debates on these moneys down the pike. Once the revenue’s coming in there are plenty who want a say as to where it goes. Lawmakers are chomping at the bit for healthcare research, substance abuse programs and even offsetting income taxes.
It’s estimated that once everyone’s open for business in 2018 that Maine could bring in $29 million dollars annually – if they stick to the 20%. For now, more straw polls will be conducted until the law’s solidification and Mainers should have a firm idea of what their new pot laws entail by the end of summer.
The easiest way to understand the latest social media viral challenges is not to approach them as the age you are now. Instead re-imagine being in high school and if planking and the Mannequin Challenge would appeal to you. Then you begin to grasp the appeal. And there’s little doubt my high school self wouldn’t love the Drive-By Dunk Challenge. It is a glorious invention of simplicity and potential. Drive around your neighborhood until you find an empty basketball hoop. Then film yourself exiting the car dunking on it.
The inception of the drive-by dunk seems to come late last year from Instagram user @t.currie. He claims to be the originator of the trend, posting five days ago a simple drive-by dunk with the caption, “Bitch I’ll dunk on your court [basketball emoji].”
A few days later he posted an impressive compilation that included rap music and 360 dunks. The highlight is when he asks a neighborhood kid to serve him an ally-oop and the kid is stunned by the dunk, adorably repeating “Damn.”
But the trend gained steam this past weekend because NBA star Anthony Davis posted himself participating. Pulling up to an unsuspecting hoop, listening to Lil Wayne and sipping a Red Bull, Davis slammed one down. NBA young up-and-comers also joined the fun. Sacramento King rookie De’Aaaron Fox hit a dunk, and Boston Celtic Jaylen Brown stole the ball at a random pickup game.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWyy4YpFB1I/
This post was popular on Instagram feeds, where the Drive-By Dunk Challenge backfires on one kid. Pro-tip: Make sure no dogs are loose when attempting a Drive-By Dunk Challenge. Though, I should mention the video suspiciously cuts before the dog reaches him so who knows how bad it really was.
I give it approximately one week until this appears on the Today show or any of those morning shows. Then the trend will die, as it always does when it no longer is cool. But it is now, so get your dunks in while you can.
Despite having interviewed Tyson several times over the last 25 years, Jeremy was surprised by the revelation because it had never come up.
“It was no one’s business to know, people just don’t talk about it because to some people they believe it’s demasculating [sic] them,” Mike said. “I learned that it doesn’t make you any less of a man because it happened.”
Kylie Jenner Snapchat Hacked, Nudes Coming
Kylie Jenner is all about body-positivity and flaunting all of the great things she’s got, but she wants to do it on her own terms. Having other people post unflattering, ugly, or even stolen photos of her really isn’t okay. Someone out there figured out that Kylie’s social media security isn’t up to snuff, and they revealed that they’ve got some pictures of the reality star and model that she definitely doesn’t want everyone to see.
Love the fresh dirt we bring over daily from Naughty Gossip? Let us know in the comments!
Bong water is something that stresses a lot of people out. It’s a very important part of the process, influencing your level of comfort when you inhale and also getting rid of some of the negatives of smoking, like ash and tar. Smoking from bongs leads to an overall healthier experience, with the water acting a a filter for the smoke and for also being gentle on your lungs.
The majority of people use natural water for their bongs, but there are other ways that are more inventive and that can add layers onto your smoking experience. Cold or iced water is very popular because it cools down the smoke and helps you avoid coughing fits. The coldness of the water condenses the smoke and produces a more comforting inhale. Iced water is so famous that there are even bongs with ice compartments, producing a smoother and softer inhale.
Hot bong water is also a thing that some people are into. While that sounds a little dangerous and hard to handle, hot water and steam are great for cleansing your pores and the impurities of your body. Inhaling this steamy smoke will cleanse your throat while opening up your blood vessels, like taking a trip to the spa.
Another thing that concerns bong users is the health of their device and whether the temperature of the water influences that in some way, which is not true. Having water in your bong for long periods of time does foster bacteria and grime, so be sure to change it frequently. You should also clean your bong regularly, including the insides of it, where moss and bacteria can develop if you’re not careful.
Elizabeth D’Amico is a behavioral scientist at RAND Corporation and a licensed clinical psychologist. She has researched drug and alcohol use among teens for more than 20 years. And she is a mom. Last week, D’Amico appeared on PBS NewsHour and offered up her views on how to talk to your children about marijuana legalization.
Since recreational marijuana was legalized in California last fall, a new billboards pop up all the time to advertise the fine art of smoking weed and where to buy it.
This leads my kids, 11 and 13, to ask a lot of questions: Why do people smoke marijuana? It can’t be bad if it’s legal and they can advertise, right, mom?
As always, it is best to give balanced, honest answers based on facts. Why do people smoke marijuana? Some may smoke it for medical reasons, to help with pain. Others may smoke it recreationally.
Parents might liken it to alcohol. You know how some people have a glass of wine with dinner to relax? Now some may smoke pot for the same reason.
For D’Amico, the “Just Say No” method simply does not work. And trying to scare children with Reefer Madness exaggerations is folly as well.
Instead, D’Amico urges parents to share facts and be just be honest:
Given this changing legal landscape, my kids and yours are going to be exposed to marijuana as frequently as they are to alcohol. And now that it’s legal, here come the marketing campaigns, which all make smoking pot seem normal.
And just like alcohol and tobacco ads, marijuana ads may influence their choices. My own research has shown that middle school kids who reported seeing ads for medical marijuana were more likely to report smoking pot one year later.
You can’t just say, don’t do it. But you can get the facts, share them with your kids, and help them make a healthy choice.
“The First Lady of Song” Ella Fitzgerald would have turned 100 in April, institutions from the Library of Congress to the Grammy Museum honored her amazing contributions to the jazz canon.
It will be interesting to see if any tributes mention Fitzgerald’s “Wacky Dust,” her song about cocaine.
In the 1930s – just as Fitzgerald was getting her start – jazz was under fire for its purported ties to drug culture. The 1936 anti-drug film “Reefer Madness” featured party scenes of young people listening to jazz and ragtime while smoking marijuana. A year later, Harry Anslinger, the commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, published “Marijuana, Assassin of Youth,” which pinned the use of drugs on a culture of unscrupulous partying – with big band jazz as its soundtrack.
In this climate, an ascendant singer named Ella Fitzgerald sought to take the opposite tack and cultivated a reputation as the “girl next door.” Fitzgerald walked the fine line between being understood as a jazz artist and an entertainer. Two recordings from the beginning of her career signal this tension. “A-Tisket, a-Tasket” and “Wacky Dust” were both released in 1938. One tune would go on to become a signature hit. The other would be largely forgotten, a side note to an otherwise squeaky-clean career.
A Dressed-Up Nursery Rhyme?
By 1938, Fitzgerald had established herself as the primary vocalist for Chick Webb’s orchestra at Harlem’s Savoy Ballroom. Under Webb, Fitzgerald began recording for Decca Records and in May 1938, Decca released Fitzgerald’s first major hit, “A-Tisket, a-Tasket.”
It was a song that perfectly encapsulates Fitzgerald’s girl-next-door image. It opens with Webb leading the orchestra through a stock series of simple chord changes. When Fitzgerald enters, listeners are treated to a reworked nursery rhyme that asks little of them other than to sit back and enjoy. There is no moral value, no hint of the singer’s inner life and no mention of drug use.
In fact, “A-Tisket, a-Tasket” is barely jazz. As with Benny Goodman and so many other bandleaders in the late 1930s, Webb and Fitzgerald seem more interested in creating a pop tune that fit the 78 RPM format than in staying true to their genre. Yet it became so popular that she and Webb recorded a follow-up track, “I Found My Yellow Basket,” that same year.
But then – just a few months after “A-Tisket, a-Tasket” – Webb and Fitzgerald recorded “Wacky Dust,” a song about the allure and dangers of cocaine use.
Ella’s Reefer Song
How Fitzgerald moved from a nursery rhyme to a song about cocaine says more about jazz culture than it does Fitzgerald’s own tastes. And while songs about drugs were common in jazz, “Wacky Dust” put Fitzgerald in the awkward position of recording a song that ran contrary to the image that she was trying to cultivate.
The release of “Wacky Dust” coincided with a massive shift in cultural opinion taking place in the U.S. about the use of drugs like cocaine and marijuana. Once a relatively uncontroversial social issue, drug use in the 1930s increasingly came to be seen as a societal ill that was especially (and incorrectly) tied to African-Americans and jazz musicians. Even sympathetic artists couldn’t help but buy into the stereotype. George Gershwin’s operatic adaptation of DuBose Heyward’s novel “Porgy,” for example, was revolutionary for its diverse cast, but the story, written and adapted by two men of European descent, reinforced the popular perception of prevalent drug use among African-Americans.
Jazz artists in the early 1930s didn’t do much to help this view. Just as big band jazz was coming to dominate the music scene, two of the era’s biggest names released songs with direct references to drug use.
In 1933, Cab Calloway’s “Reefer Man” was used in the film “International House.” A year later, Benny Goodman released “Texas Tea Party,” a reference to both marijuana and to the trombonist on the recording, Jack Teagarden. These were not subtle works, and most jazz artists of the era produced what have since become known as “reefer songs.” Even Louis Armstrong – who, like Fitzgerald, cultivated a rather benign image – was arrested for smoking marijuana and recorded several tunes that allude to drug use.
So when “Wacky Dust” was released, the idea of one of the great New York City house bands recording a jazz tune about drugs wasn’t all that surprising. (Fitzgerald and Webb had experimented with a similar subject a couple of years earlier with the release of “When I Get Low I Get High.”)
Like “A-Tisket, a-Tasket,” Wacky Dust opens with Webb’s orchestra. Fitzgerald doesn’t enter until nearly one-third of the way through the song. The first verse aligns cocaine with jazz and describes how easy it is for musicians to access the drug. The second verse and bridge section describe its wonders, but the final verse takes a turn, with Fitzgerald warning that the drug can’t be trusted and might kill you.
While “A-Tisket, a-Tasket” went on to become one of Fitzgerald’s signature pieces, “Wacky Dust” has faded into relative obscurity outside of specialty albums that feature songs about drug culture. And this makes sense. Fitzgerald was extremely careful about her image, and “Wacky Dust” didn’t fit. In fact, after “Wacky Dust,” Fitzgerald moved entirely away from songs that alluded to drugs.
By the 1950s, she had embarked on a recording career that displayed an unrivaled musicianship and joy for singing. Nonetheless, one has to wonder what her career would have looked like had “Wacky Dust” been the hit of 1938, rather than “A-Tisket, a-Tasket.”
