Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Once upon a time there was a heroine called Daenerys Stormborn. She freed slaves and conquered nations and (quite literally, in some cases) burned down the patriarchy. She also – because of some shenanigans involving a deal with a witch – couldn’t have children and she was sad about that. But it was by no means the defining factor in her life.

Obviously, I am aware that Daenerys Stormborn is y’know, fictional – but as someone who has been trying and failing to have a baby for several years now (no witchy explanations in my case as far as I know), there’s something intensely comforting about a character who is portrayed as having these problems but who is in no way defined by them. After all, when you’ve flown on a dragon to rescue a group of hardened warriors from a bunch of ice-crazed zombies, the working order of your womb seems less of a thing.

But I’m nervous, you see, because the buzz seems to be that Daenerys’ story might well end happily (read: married with a baby) ever after, after all. There was an awful lot of speculation about her inability to produce an heir in the most recent series of Game of Thrones and Jon Snow has already told her not to be too sure about anything, with a look so intense and full of potency that he might as well have shot magical sperm out of his eyes while doing it.

The thing is, though, I don’t want to be told that the chance that I may still be able to get pregnant is where I should be pinning all of my hopes for future happiness. Too often in books and films and TV shows, infertility is treated as a plot device that can only be resolved with a bouncing bundle of joy.

Take Gavin and Stacey for instance (if you haven’t seen it, go and watch it immediately because it’s fundamentally funny and brilliant). When the titular characters can’t conceive, the advice is mostly ‘Hang on in there, it’ll probably happen anyway’ – which it does, of course, in a scene notable for Gavin’s triumphant cry: "My balls work, my balls work!"

While on the one hand this is moving and lovely because good TV makes it hard not to be happy when nice things happen to characters you care about, on the other it was the massively predictable choice for a heartwarming grand finale. How much more interesting might it have been for the show to have ended with the two of them heading off to travel the world? Or opening their very own dating agency and launching some sort of Barry/Billericay exchange programme?

Or, less flippantly, working through their sadness but finding that life could still be worthwhile even without a child?

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Arguably, the same is true for Bridget Jones. Despite her early fears that she may die alone and single, whichever version of Bridget’s future we embrace sees her happily "sprogged up" (to borrow a phrase from the smug marrieds she deplores). And in Bridget Jones’s Baby in particular, producing a tiny person from your vagina seems to function as a sort of human full stop to the story: 'And then she had a baby. The End.' Even if I weren’t struggling to conceive, I’d find this pretty depressing.

It doesn’t help that characters with fertility problems who aren’t ultimately on a journey to parenthood are often either completely invisible or else portrayed as fundamentally broken. According to The Girl on the Train, all I’ve got to look forward to if my uterus doesn’t get its act together is divorce and alcoholism and maybe a bit of melancholy sketching, if I’m really lucky.

Obviously, there’s a place for examining the very real pain and grief that can occur when women (and men) have to come to terms with the children they will never have. But all too often, the stories we see around us present this in an utterly binary way. Either have a child and end your story with love, joy and fulfilment. Or don’t and accept a lifetime of sorrow.

It’s no wonder, then, that Daenerys, who has thus far been too busy kicking ass and taking names to get too gloomy about the baby thing, feels like an important role model. And to be fair, she’s not utterly alone…

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

There’s also Ellie from Disney’s Up. (If you can get through the opening 10 minutes of this film without sobbing, then you’re a steelier person than me.) We see her miscarry and grieve and rebuild a life for herself. And through her relationship with Carl – and his relationship with Russell – the film actually rather cleverly examines the notion that there’s more than one way to have a family.

Still, when we’re having to rely on fireproof queens and cartoon characters for our most positive representations of infertility, maybe something has gone awry in the way society treats this subject.

And that’s why I really, really hope that Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, First of Her Name, the Unburnt, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains, and Mother of Dragons isn’t somehow only made complete by Jon Snow’s magic penis.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

The Hills 'Bad Boy' Justin Bobby Is Still The Worst

"Old Town Road" Just Broke An Impossible Record, With Mariah Carey's Approval

Missandei Is Dead. Long Live Nathalie Emmanuel

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Lisa Smith, an associate professor in criminology at the University of Leicester, first began exploring the idea of using forensics to bolster evidence collection in rape cases in 2014 after attending the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict.

The high-powered meeting, which brought together world leaders, activists and celebrities like Angelina Jolie, highlighted the urgent need for qualified medical staff and well-equipped clinics to perform exams on rape victims in war-torn areas of the world and in refugee camps (the number of these has increased since the mass exodus of migrants fleeing conflict and persecution in places like Syria and Iraq).

For Smith, though, the discussions raised a question as to whether medical exams were really the right answer to sexual violence in conflict-ravaged areas.

“The exams that are performed after this violent act are very invasive and many people don’t want them at all,” she says. “I thought to myself, ‘There has to be a way to give women control so that they don’t have to endure those exams, and yet recover the evidence that’s needed'.”

Smith – a forensics expert who began studying the science long before it was popularised in fiction and on television crime shows – devised a self-swab rape kit that, she says, a victim can use to collect DNA evidence herself.

The swab is shaped like a tampon – it has an applicator that helps the user with proper placement, protecting the swab as it’s being inserted and removed so that it does not come into contact with any other DNA. While Smith says that a proper medical exam is the gold standard of evidence collection for victims of rape and sexual violence, the self-swab kit is a solid alternative for women who don’t have access to a doctor or who may not wish to go to a doctor in the immediate aftermath of a violent act – which then reduces the possibility of collecting the kind of solid evidence that’s required in court.

The University of Leicester nominated the swab for a Research Impact Award earlier this year and once the prototype is finalised, it will be tested in a few places, including Kenya, where rape and sexual violence are a huge problem. Most recently, there were reports of many women, girls and boys across the country being raped in the aftermath of August's presidential elections.

“Sexual violence here has become a political issue and we’re having lots of challenges in supporting survivors, because some areas are aligned to political parties and tribal lines,” says Wangu Kanja, founder of the Wangu Kanja Foundation in Nairobi, an organisation that works with victims of sexual violence in Kenya and will be among the first to distribute the self-swab exam kit. “If we are able to support more survivors and allow them to access justice by preserving evidence for prosecution of more cases, that will work as a deterrent.”

Kanja, who was raped in a carjacking incident in 2002, believes that restoring dignity to survivors of sexual violence is paramount. The best way to do so, she says, is to empower survivors by giving them access to comprehensive care and support, but that isn’t so easy in a country like Kenya, where resources are limited and the fear of stigma and discrimination, along with cultural and religious beliefs, holds many victims back and prevents them from reporting rape.

“As a country, we don't have a national rape kit tool and we lack a strong referral mechanism that collects the data on reported cases and to compile reports for distribution or sharing with the relevant institutions,” Kanja says. “This swab kit will ensure that we preserve and maintain the chain of evidence to be presented in court. Currently, most of the cases are lost because evidence is lost for one reason or the other… I have faith that the self-examination rape kit will add value to the country's access to justice mechanisms.”

In tests, the swab was able to come up with a genetic match for the DNA it collected 32 hours after use. It would be tough to refute that evidence, Smith says, yet “while it’s difficult to argue against someone’s DNA on an intimate swab, sadly, there will always be scepticism surrounding women, particularly if women are accusing men they know, like their boyfriends or their husbands,” which might potentially limit a more widespread use of the swab beyond zones of conflict.

Unfortunately, there is a persistent belief – and this is the case in many countries, including the UK – that victims of rape commonly make false allegations, agrees Rachel Krys, co-director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition. The reality (in the UK, anyway) is that there are very few prosecutions for doing so “because false allegations about sexual offences are very rare and certainly are no more likely than any other type of crime.”

While in the UK there has been a dramatic rise in the number of survivors reporting rape to the police, Krys says it’s critical that the police and the courts, the government and all parties involved in frontline services do what it takes to keep driving this momentum to engage with survivors in their journey towards achieving justice, and send them a strong message that as victims of sexual violence, they will be believed, supported, and not blamed for their own assaults. Currently, only 5% of the 15% of reported rape cases reach a legal conclusion, Krys says.

“A crucial factor is the support women get when they have reported sexual violence – we know that when they get timely access to independent sexual violence services and advocated they are better able to get justice and receive long-term support to recover,” she says. “These services are simply not available to everyone who needs them and that is having a real impact on how the criminal justice service is able to respond to sexual violence.”

To that end, a self-exam kit that can help a victim collect evidence as easily as possible would be a good step in the right direction (although for now, the swab will only be deployed in conflict zones and in refugee camps). However, “We have to be sure that any new system works at every stage of the criminal justice system,” Krys says. “Women who report rape and sexual violence need to know the system will work for them, as there is too much at stake for them to rely on a new technology, and then to be let down later on.”

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Prince Harry Reveals How Many Kids He & Meghan Markle Want

As Mercury Retrograde Ends, Mercury Retro-Shade Begins

Why You're So Thirsty & What To Do About It

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Statement earrings have been riding high for several seasons now, with gem-encrusted scene-stealers and feminist slogans adding the final touches to our outfits. Instagram showed us how to style pieces that speak for themselves, from kitsch acetate shapes to graphic metal cut-outs.

Now, though, our choice of earring has fallen firmly on the tasselled pair. A little bit crafty, a little bit decadent, we'll be pulling our hair back to show off this style, whether it's beaded or fabric. While tassels fit nicely into summer attire, we'll be wearing these all winter – perhaps to put a little spring in our step on dreary days.

Whether you choose a black jewelled pair to go with your favourite drinks outfit or a bold fuchsia to add a pop of fun to your workwear, click through to find the pick of the bunch.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Staud’s Newest It Bag Is A Lunar Achievement

The Ballet Flat Is Back & These Are Our Favourite Pairs

6 Bikini & Blazer Combos We Didn't Know We Needed – Until Now

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Thirty-five years since the release of the original, the $185 million sequel Blade Runner 2049 is here.

It’s created by Denis Villeneuve, the French Canadian who, in the space of 10 years, has become the most sought-after director in Hollywood. Hans Zimmer does the score, Roger Deakins mans the cinematography.

It features the return of Harrison Ford to one of his most iconic roles. It showcases stunning performances from a series of virtually unknown actresses. And it stars Ryan Gosling, all hangdog gait and puppy-dog eyes and glacial blue stare, in what might be his most compelling performance to date.

This is American cinema at its most ambitious. Yet it’s a complex, strange juggernaut of a movie, a kaleidoscope within a Rubik’s cube of references to its past self; a compounded, elliptical mystery of shimmering sound and colour and light.

So what happens if you haven’t seen the original? Blade Runner is Ridley Scott’s 1982 science fiction film, based on Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? It’s a slow-burn post-modern dystopia that references Andrei Tarkovsky and German Expressionism. Unicorns run through forests, androids quote Descartes and deliver a soliloquy about crying in the rain.

The original Blade Runner is set in 2019, in a toweringly dark Los Angeles. It rains almost constantly – an acidic, dirty water – and the city is cloaked in smog. The elite reside at the vantage points of cliff-high skyscrapers. Huge animated neon women beam out from the darkness, asking the disenfranchised to share their deepest desires. Down below, the lowly hordes bustle and swarm. This Metropolis -esque megacity is the new apex of civilisation – ‘off-world’, as it’s known, is in its 'silent spring', a ruinous, post-nuclear wasteland of ash and radioactivity and mangled junk from the early world.

Walking among the people of this Stygian underworld are 'replicants' – synthetic androids designed by their 'maker' Eldon Tyrell. They are indistinguishable from humans; in the marketing jargon of Tyrell Corporation, “more human than human”. Yet they are docile and servile domestic providers – “basic pleasure models”.

But some of them have out-thought their creators. They have gained their own consciousness, have started to develop emotional internal worlds. They have rebelled against their pre-programmed bondage.

Harrison Ford plays Rick Deckard, an ageing ‘blade runner’ – an LAPD detective tasked with hunting down and ‘retiring’ a gang of four replicants seeking to expand their own set lifespans.

As one of Tyrell’s underlings tells Deckard: "The designers reckoned after a few years, the replicants might develop their own emotional responses. You know, hate, love, fear, anger, envy. So they built in a failsafe device."

"Which is what?"

"Four-year lifespan."

In the classic lineage of film noir, Ford’s Deckard is an anti-hero. He’s a crumpled, grizzly loner, his back bent as he walks through the acid rain, drinking rye in the seediest holes of the city. He can be soft and persuasive and seductive, but he’s capable of exploding into violence, and happy to use the threat of it to get what he wants.

Up against Deckard, Scott cast the fairly unknown Sean Young to play Rachael, a replicant so advanced she thinks she is human. She was created with memories implanted within her – memories culled from the mind of Tyrell’s niece. She can remember fragments of her childhood. She carries with her a photograph of her mother.

Tyrell believes the rebelling replicants have no framework to deal with the emotions they are starting to develop. By gifting them with memories, even fragments of memories, he hopes they will remain malleable – “a better product”.

In one scene, Deckard confronts Rachael with the truth of her status as a replicant. He describes in detail a childhood memory she thinks is unique: "They're implants. Those aren't your memories, they're somebody else’s," he tells her. He takes the photograph of her embracing her mother. Later, as he studies it over a glass of whiskey, the image moves almost imperceptibly for a moment. For Rachael, the photo is proof she had a mother, that she was created in the midst of someone else, that she was “born, not made”. Yet the image is the product of an algorithm, merely another prop designed to pacify her. It triggers in Deckard that most biological of feelings: he begins to fall in love.

In the new film world of 2049, there are now two kinds of replicants. The old, rogue versions seen in the original and an upgraded, newly subservient variety designed by Niander Wallace, a godlike heir to Tyrell, played by Jared Leto.

Gosling plays a blade runner. He is himself a replicant, an employee of the LAPD officially called KD6.3-7, or K, for short. He’s known as Joe to his friends, leading us to recall Josef K, the protagonist in Franz Kafka’s The Trial, which tells of a man arrested and prosecuted by a remote, inaccessible authority, who must go on trial for a crime that is never revealed to him.

K has a virtual-reality live-in girlfriend named Joi, stunningly performed by Ana de Armas. Joi is 2049’s version of Rachael, a mass-produced, customisable holographic AI who flicks between personas – a homemaker, a Parisian intellectual, a shimmering femme fatale – in line with K’s mood.

K believes they’re in love but he understands they are both merely constructs created by their human masters. Their relationship feels real, even though she's a hologram that often flickers and malfunctions.

And therein lies the crux of Blade Runner. "Could the feelings familiar to mankind abound within the man-made?” The New Yorker ’s Anthony Lane writes. “Could an operating system grow a soul?”

For we are still evolving. Just as our ancestors one day discovered fire, so we will begin to blend with machines, to plug our minds into the mainframe. Humans are imperfect creators. We’re the apex predators, gripping onto our control, holding back the tide. But how long can we keep a superior race in hock to our needs?

“Every leap of civilisation was built off the back of slaves,” Leto’s Wallace says. “The future of our species is finally unearthed. Replicants are the future.”

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

The Hills 'Bad Boy' Justin Bobby Is Still The Worst

"Old Town Road" Just Broke An Impossible Record, With Mariah Carey's Approval

Missandei Is Dead. Long Live Nathalie Emmanuel

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Catcalling is one of the most common – and frankly, unimaginative – examples of everyday sexism there is. And for the millions of women around the world who experience it regularly, being whistled at, insulted or "complimented" on their looks, is intimidating, frustrating and exhausting to deal with.

But one woman, who experiences it on a near-daily basis, has come up with a canny way of handling catcallers and highlighting the problem. Noa Jansma, a 20-year-old student based in Amsterdam, started taking selfies with her catcallers and posting them on Instagram.

#dearcatcallers "hmmmm you wanna kiss?"

A post shared by dearcatcallers (@dearcatcallers) on Sep 14, 2017 at 8:32am PDT

The account, Dear Catcallers, makes for uncomfortable viewing and has amassed nearly 50k followers from all over the world, highlighting the extent of the problem. "Dear catcallers, it's not a compliment," Jansma wrote in her first post just over a month ago. "Since many people still don't know how often and in [what] contact 'catcalling' happens, I'll be showing my catcallers within the period of one month."

In the selfies, “both the objectification and the object are assembled in one composition. Myself, as the object, standing in front of the catcallers represents the reversed power ratio which is caused by this project,” she added.

Classic 2.0 "psssst, whoooooop, Can he have your number?" #dearcatcallers

A post shared by dearcatcallers (@dearcatcallers) on Sep 12, 2017 at 10:11am PDT

The selfies weren't taken on the sly, either – Jansma openly asked each harasser for their permission to be photographed and all but one happily obliged without even questioning her motives, she told Het Parool, which only serves to highlight their audacity, really. "They're not at all suspicious because they feel that what they're doing is completely normal," she said.

The catcalling episodes highlighted during her project weren't the only times Jansma was harassed. There were times when she didn't feel safe enough to ask for a selfie or the man got away too quickly for her to ask.

#dearcatcallers

A post shared by dearcatcallers (@dearcatcallers) on Aug 29, 2017 at 6:34am PDT

Jansma's month-long project may now have come to an end, but she plans to keep Dear Catcallers running. "To show that it's a global phenomenon and that this art project is not only about me, I'll pass on the account to different girls around the world," she wrote on Instagram earlier this week, encouraging others in send in their own images under #DearCatcallers.

Research carried out by experts at the University of Melbourne in Australia earlier this year found that women experienced sexual objectification every two days. Being personally targeted or witnessing others being objectified was linked to a "substantial increase” in “self-objectification”, showing its damaging impact on the way women think about themselves.

There is a glimmer of good news for women in Amsterdam, however. Street harassment will be punishable with a 190€ (£170) fine from the beginning of next year, which Jansma believes will be difficult to enforce but is "symbolic" and so is to be welcomed.

If you're thinking about contributing to Jansma's project, be wary before interacting with catcallers and, whether or not you want to contribute, it's worth reading Stop Street Harassment's advice for dealing with street harassers.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Why Women In Iran Are Facing Prison For Posting Photos Online

Could Vaginal Spas Become As Popular As Nail Bars? UK Gynaecologists Hope Not

Boris' Treatment Of Women Since Becoming PM Fills Me With Dread

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

With the average cost of buying a property in London at a stubbornly persistent high (despite a recent decline), young people are being forced to rethink their futures. Many have given up on the idea entirely and have accepted a lifetime of renting. While some are happily embracing it, many others are heartbroken and angry at the generational injustice.

There is one section of society, however, that's benefiting nicely from our plight – the build-to-rent sector, and new research highlights the extent of its growth in the capital. There are now close to 55,000 built-to-rent homes in London, which accounts for more than half the total number in the UK.

The research by Savills for the British Property Federation, reported in the Standard, shows the sector is flourishing and suggests it's only likely to get bigger if the current situation – too few homes that are too expensive for young potential buyers – continues. With 60% of Londoners forecast to be renters by 2025, according to a PwC forecast, there will certainly be demand.

Built-to-rent homes are a relatively new concept in the UK, but property developers are already switching from building homes for sale to building rental homes because they're seen as a more reliable source of long-term income, as the Guardian reported recently. Some even believe these purpose-built properties could be the solution to the housing crisis.

There are many built-to-rent apartment schemes already in London, including the East Village in Stratford (formerly the athletes' complex during the 2012 Olympics), and many others underway. Elephant and Castle is set to get 600 flats for rent, Newham is getting more than 1,000 as part of a larger development, and 1,500 will be built in Bermondsey, the Standard reported.

While built-to-rent homes may sound like a secure, sustainable living option for young people, in reality it’s only the wealthiest – salaried professionals from the UK and abroad – who can afford them. And even those who can afford them will find it difficult to put away money for a deposit at the same time (if that’s their aim).

A one-bedroom flat in Harrow, northwest London, is currently being advertised at £2,005 a month, while a three-bedroom property in Wembley, not too far away, is £3,595 a month. They may be the size of a postage stamp, but the recently-announced micro flats sound more appealing, tbh.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Why Women In Iran Are Facing Prison For Posting Photos Online

Could Vaginal Spas Become As Popular As Nail Bars? UK Gynaecologists Hope Not

Boris' Treatment Of Women Since Becoming PM Fills Me With Dread

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Puerto Rico needed a hero after Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated much of the island and left millions without power, food, and water; and that hero was San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz.

In the weeks following the horrific natural disaster, Cruz has waded through sewage, rescued people from an assisted living facility, met with countless victims, and put her career and reputation on the line by calling out President Donald Trump on his inadequate response to the humanitarian crisis plaguing her country.

In response, Trump tweeted that Cruz possessed "such poor leadership ability" and that she and others in the country "want everything to be done for them." According to The Hill, Trump later told Fox News that she was "very nice at the beginning...she went a little bit on the nasty side and I said I guess she's running for office, and it turns out I'm right."

That was the wrong move.

On Wednesday, just one day after meeting with Trump for the first time face-to-face, Cruz stepped in front of the camera wearing a shirt emblazoned with the word "Nasty."

San Juan mayor wore jacket over the shirt for MSNBC interview but it was out front for Univision interview pic.twitter.com/Oq21kteYL0

— David Rutz (@DavidRutz) October 4, 2017

"What is truly nasty is that anyone would turn their back on the Puerto Rican people," she said in Spanish during an interview with Univision.

Cruz has repeatedly vocalised her discontent with the way in which Trump has made providing hurricane relief a political act, saying things like: "But, really, this is about saving lives. This isn’t about politics. Some people make it about politics, because they want to change the dialogue, because looking at the injustice and the suffering and the face will have to make them admit their failures."

Trump visited Puerto Rico on Tuesday, during which he patronised the millions in pain by throwing paper towel rolls into a crowd and implying that because thousands hadn't died, Hurricane Maria wasn't "a real catastrophe like Katrina."

So go ahead, Trump. Keep calling powerful women like Cruz and Hillary Clinton "nasty." At the end of the day, they'll be the ones doing what it takes to make the world a better place.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Elizabeth Warren's Plan For NHS-Style Healthcare In The US

Cardi B & Bernie Sanders Are Teaming Up For A Very Exciting Project

AOC & Kamala Harris Team Up On A Climate Justice Bill

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Paris Fashion Week ended with a historic finale. On Wednesday, Nicolas Ghesquière presented his SS18 collection for Louis Vuitton with a black woman leading the charge. It was the first time in the luxury brand's 163-year history that the show opened with an African American model.

What a blessing!! Wow! This is such an incredible and unbelievable moment! Not only for my first opening show to be Louis Vuitton but to make history as the first African American girl to open LV?!! Thank you @nicolasghesquiere @louisvuitton, @marieameliesauve, @paulhanlonhair, @patmcgrathreal, @ashleybrokaw and thank you to absolutely every person involved. Thank you God and everyone for all of the amazing support! I'm so glad more women of color are rocking the runways. It's so important that we stand up for ourselves and make a difference in this world. I'm so happy I was able to tell this beautiful story. I mean look at that coat! #louisvuitton is always #major. @WoodkidMusic @premiermodels @3mmodels @elitenyc @hookerthebooker @alexiacheval @okjanelle @hottattack #LouisVuitton #nicolasguesquiere #openinglook #exclusive #godisgood #blessed #PFW #janayefurman #ss18 #otto #modelsofcolor #firstblackgirl #heyjanaye #LVSS18 #blacklivesmatter #africanamerican #represent #makinghistory #shadesofblackness

A post shared by Janaye Furman (@iam_janaye) on Oct 3, 2017 at 7:11pm PDT

The model, Janaye Furman, is a Southern California drama student who, after being discovered during a class performance, made her catwalk debut last season for Proenza Schouler. According to Vogue, Furman was tapped by casting director Ashley Brokaw to walk in Vuitton’s AW17 show as well, kicking off a fruitful relationship that led to Furman becoming a regular in the French fashion house’s editorials and ad campaigns. Obviously, Furman was elated to receive such an honour.

“What a blessing!! Wow! This is such an incredible and unbelievable moment!” the 21-year-old wrote on Instagram, captioning a photo of herself opening the Vuitton runway. “Not only for my first opening show to be Louis Vuitton but to make history as the first African American girl to open LV?!!” She thanked the brand, Ghesquière, the show’s stylist, Marie-Amélie Sauvé, and its hair and makeup team, Paul Hanlon and Pat McGrath, before continuing: “Thank you to absolutely every person involved. Thank you God and everyone for all of the amazing support! I'm so glad more women of colour are rocking the runways. It's so important that we stand up for ourselves and make a difference in this world. I'm so happy I was able to tell this beautiful story. I mean look at that coat! #louisvuitton is always #major.”

As exciting as this moment is for Furman, it's also a reminder of how far the industry still has to go when it comes to diversity and inclusivity. Let's hope Vuitton's move to put Furman at the head of the pack will show other designers just how important it is to not just feature models of colour, but put them front and centre.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Why Christy Turlington’s Casting In Marc Jacobs' New Campaign Is So Important

Party Tips From The Women Who Make The Ultimate Party Dresses

All The Changes To New York Fashion Week

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Rihanna's highly-anticipated makeup line, Fenty Beauty, has garnered rave reviews, sell out status, and beauty tutorials. It's been an exciting launch, and yet somehow the polymath is already releasing her second batch of products.

Of course, if we've learned anything about Rihanna, it's that she won't stop until she's the baddest in the business. Naturally, it seems like her next step to beauty domination is a follow-up capsule line: The Galaxy Collection.

SNEAK PEEK. The Holiday Collection drops Oct 13. Comment below if you're ready. @badgalriri @sephorafrance #sephoralovesfentybeauty

A post shared by FENTY BEAUTY BY RIHANNA (@fentybeauty) on Sep 21, 2017 at 2:05pm PDT

Fenty Beauty's launch was special for a few reasons, including the fact that it included dual highlighters, a long awaited inclusive shade range, and an universal lip gloss. Will Fenty Beauty's holiday launch will hold even more star power?

Of course it will. There will be sparkle galore, with "glitzed-out lipsticks, twinkling glosses, transforming metallic-to-glitter eyeliner, and a hypnotic eyeshadow palette of mega-reflective shades." Party season is upon us, and clearly Rihanna knew what she wanted to deliver with this collection: "Glitter on glitter on glitter. That's what The Galaxy Collection is all about, no exception."

HOLIDAY COLLECTION. You ready? October 13. @badgalriri

A post shared by FENTY BEAUTY BY RIHANNA (@fentybeauty) on Sep 21, 2017 at 2:19pm PDT

So, what makes it more Fenty Beauty and less tired Christmas gift set? Of course, the out-of-this-world holographic packaging will look pretty on our bathroom shelf all year long, but the multidimensional colours are what's fuelling our lust for the collection. From glittering garnets to sparkling peaches, via emerald glitter and iridescent violet, The Galaxy Collection will ensure your makeup is the most lit in the room.

Luckily, we don't have to wait too long to add the line to our wish lists. The entire collection drops at Harvey Nichols on October 13th, so you have plenty of time to buy the gift set for your best friend (and one for yourself).

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Aysha Harun Wants To Change The Way We Talk About Makeup & Muslim Women

Christina Milian's Hair Evolution Will Make You Want To Try Something Wild

Jennifer Garner Debuts The Perfect Low-Maintenance Highlights For Summer

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

After the terror attack that killed 22 audience members at Ariana Grande's Manchester concert this May, the singer flew to Florida to see her mom and her boyfriend Mac Miller. But she didn't stay there for long. The following month, she was back in Manchester for a benefit concert to help the bombing's victims, and then she got back to her Dangerous Woman tour.

The strength she showed, however, belied the fact that the incident severely traumatised her. In a new interview with Coveteur, she got more honest than ever before about what the aftermath of the Manchester attack was like.

"I don’t think I’ve been through anything as traumatic as [what] we’ve been through," she said, trying not to cry. But she knew she had to continue her tour anyway. "Calling it off and going home was not an option," she explained. "The message of the show was too important. For the crew and everyone involved, it’s become more than just a show for us. We are really grateful to be here and really grateful for this show." She added, however, that she wanted to devote some time to her health after the tour was over.

She's been expressing this attitude ever since the bombing. Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic, which produced the Manchester benefit concert, told Billboard that though Grande was "traumatised," she wanted to show "a level of defiance that stands up to this bloodlust."

In this spirit, she posted a statement on Twitter after the bombing to let her fans know she refused to be defeated. "We will never be able to understand why events like this take place because it is not in our nature, which is why we shouldn't recoil," she wrote. "We will not quit or operate in fear. We won't let this divide us. We won't let hate win."

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

The Hills 'Bad Boy' Justin Bobby Is Still The Worst

"Old Town Road" Just Broke An Impossible Record, With Mariah Carey's Approval

Missandei Is Dead. Long Live Nathalie Emmanuel

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

The Other Art Fair, presented by Saatchi Art, opens this weekend at the Old Truman Brewery in east London. Part of London's Art Week, it's like the rising-star equivalent of Frieze, where artists on the verge of global recognition present and sell their work, which is everything from sculpture to works on paper, photography and painting.

The fair has a history of championing and nurturing the latest upcoming female talent, having previously showcased bold and bright creator Camille Walala. Two to watch this year? Award-winning London-based Icelandic artist Kristjana S. Williams and fashion photographer-turned-contemporary artist Carolina Mizrahi. With women making up half of the artists at this year's fair, the selection committee also boasts some of the industry's most exciting female talent, from Saatchi Art's Rebecca Wilson to journalist Elizabeth Fullerton and Serpentine Gallery exhibition curator Rebecca Lewin.

If supporting women in art and copping some contemporary pieces sounds like your bag, scroll through to see a preview of some of the fantastic female talent featured in this year's fair.

The Other Art Fair is at the Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London E1 6QR
Public Viewing: Friday 6th-Sunday 8th October, times vary, £8

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Lisa Taddeo Of Three Women Picks Her Four Favourite Books

What Being Friends With Anna Delvey Was Really Like — Before Getting Scammed

These Magical Photos About Sisterhood & Home Feel Like A Fairy Tale

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013. It was a bit of a blur and, initially, nobody really knew how bad it was. For a while, I didn’t know if it had been caught early or whether it had spread throughout my body. But I had to share the news. I felt obligated to tell those close to me.

When I started telling people I was quite calm, matter-of-fact, even. I told myself I wasn’t worried because I didn’t have all the facts. But as they say, hindsight is a wonderful thing. In reality, I was probably more numb than worried. I had no idea what the future held, what treatments I would or wouldn’t have, or whether I would live to see my children grow old.

Amid the blur of appointments and awkward conversations, the strangest thing I remember was how people treated me. And the one thing that really stays with me was when a very close friend said: “I wish you hadn’t told me you have cancer. I don’t know how to treat you now.” And then we talked about how awkward my diagnosis made her feel.

Now don’t get me wrong, sympathy was the last thing I wanted. But consoling others about my bad news somehow didn’t feel quite fair. It didn’t stop me telling others but as the word got round, it became more apparent that people just don’t know how to deal with it when their loved ones get diagnosed with cancer.

Another friend just avoided me altogether, confessing to my husband that she didn’t call because she didn’t know what to say. She didn’t even ask him how I was, wish me well, or ask to speak to me.

When people did talk to me, I didn’t always want to hear what they had to say. At the top of this list was "I’ll pray for you". I appreciate that some people may want to hear this but, frankly, it irritated me. I didn’t need praying for. I needed treatment.

Speaking of treatment; the world and his wife seemed to have an opinion on that, too. People asked me what therapies I was having and many suggested alternatives. Others shared their theories on what caused cancer. They told me to cut down on certain foods, to wear looser bras or to stop working so hard. Did I find this helpful? Of course not! I felt like people were suggesting the cancer diagnosis was my fault. That I’d brought it on myself and that I didn’t know what was best for my own body.

Being told I was brave irked too. Was I expected to break down and cry every five minutes? Or should I carry on as best I could? Bravery is for those choosing to face something head-on. I didn’t really have a choice.

People who hear my story consistently use the words 'brave' and 'strong'. But I didn’t feel either of these things. I let the medical profession do their job so I could do mine. I took one day at a time.

But all that being said, it wasn’t all bad. Some people were able to offer genuine words of wisdom.

The first was when a random woman at a spa told me about her grandmother’s cancer. She’d been diagnosed 20 years ago and was still going strong. At this point, I didn’t know the results of any of my tests, and this was exactly what I wanted to hear. Other people got through it, so I could too!

Another thing that stuck in my mind was a friend saying “I’m sorry you have to go through this.” There was no pity or judgment. She was genuinely sorry for my experience, without feeling sorry for me.

The final, standout example is when my 11-year-old daughter told me, “Mummy, if you die I will be able to look after myself, I will be OK.” To some this could seem callous but for me, it directly addressed a major concern: What would happen to my family if I weren’t there? I felt reassured by her words.

Ultimately, though, I didn’t wanted to be treated like a leper – nor did I want to be approached with caution. Those who treated me as they did before my diagnosis were the most helpful. They asked how I was, but didn’t pry. They were there to listen, but didn’t judge. They helped me when I asked, and sometimes when I didn’t.

Isn’t that all we want from our friends anyway?

Dr. Shara Cohen owns Cancer Care Parcel, which provides gifts, information and resources to those affected by cancer and gives loved ones a way to reach out, even if they don’t necessarily have the right words.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Why You're So Thirsty & What To Do About It

If Your Vulva Is Swollen, This Might Be Why

Breaking Down The Controversial Abortion Method In OITNB

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

The number of teenage girls being exploited by fake model scouts has increased drastically in the last few years because of social media, according to leading model agencies. Scammers are using Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat to extract explicit photos from vulnerable young people, which are later used against them to extort money.

Leading model agencies, including Storm Model Management and BMA Models, have warned young people and their parents or guardians to be "vigilant and defensive" in such instances, reported the Guardian. Typically, fraudsters will contact girls by claiming to be recruiting for a modelling agency and ask them for topless photos or to remove their clothes during a Skype interview.

Storm Model Management said it now receives messages every day about scam agents, up from one a week two years ago. “The rise of social media has impacted greatly on why modelling agency scams are increasing,” Sarah Doukas, who founded the agency and scouted Kate Moss, told the Guardian.

“Firstly, a lot of young people’s Instagram accounts are not private, and consequently they are easy to approach. Secondly, fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated because of social media generally," she added. “We are getting more scammers posing as ‘friends’ of the model agency and offering an introduction to us, and this is not legitimate.

"There was one example recently, which went on for several months, where a vulnerable girl was invited to a shoot and she ended up taking her clothes off. She had been approached by a fraudster claiming to know me.”

BMA Models director Alex Haddad said they now receive around 10 calls and 20 emails about fake model scouts each week – nearly double as many as last year. “[Scammers] will say they are scouting for models and ask for pictures, sometimes they ask for naked shots ... We are getting phone calls from concerned parents saying, ‘Is this a scam? What is happening?’ Some of them do Skype calls which are so-called interviews, and they ask things like, ‘Would you shave your head or go topless?’ It’s always young girls who get targeted.”

There were 327 cases of scam model recruiters reported in the UK last year, many of which involved social media, according to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau. Jessica Barker, co-founder of the cyber security consultancy Redacted Firm, said scammers will tell young girls they "look great and have the right look for film or whatever modelling campaign they are supposedly doing".

"Then they ask, ‘Can we see some more pictures?’ They flatter the girls a lot and give them hope in terms of what they are looking for. They encourage the girls to then share explicit pictures, and when they do they try to extort them of money," Barker told the Guardian.

She advises people in this situation to never send explicit images. "A reputable model agency... would never ask for someone to send naked images of themselves. If you have sent the images and are worried about being scammed, or you have received threats, tell a trusted adult.”

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Why Women In Iran Are Facing Prison For Posting Photos Online

Could Vaginal Spas Become As Popular As Nail Bars? UK Gynaecologists Hope Not

Boris' Treatment Of Women Since Becoming PM Fills Me With Dread

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

It's often said that modern medicine would look vastly different if we didn't live in a patriarchal society. Male doctors would take women's symptoms seriously, contraception wouldn't have such potentially life-altering symptoms and the often debilitating impact of period pain would have been researched decades ago.

But have you ever wondered how that most joyous rite of passage, the cervical smear, might be different in a more gender-equal society? Your doctor probably wouldn't use a cold metal speculum to open you up, for a start. The sinister-looking piece of equipment was designed (by a man, of course) nearly 200 years ago and has barely been updated for modern use – until now.

Frog, a San Francisco-based design firm, has given the humble medical apparatus a 21st-century update, as part of a project to "humanise" the cervical (or pap) smear experience, fortune.com reported. Female employees from the company have tried to recreate the device without any of its current anxiety-inducing traits: the cold temperature, the cranking noise or the uncomfortable feeling inside the vagina.

The original metal contraption was invented in the 1840s by American physician James Marion Sims – who notoriously experimented on enslaved African Americans, often without anaesthesia – but the new version has been designed specifically with women's comfort in mind. Hailey Stewart, an industrial designer, and her experience designer colleague, Sahana Kumar, interviewed patients and healthcare providers as the basis of their project and found their impression of the device to be fiercely negative.

The original device consists of two rounded metal "blades" hinged together at a right angle at one end. The other end is then opened once inserted into the vagina. Frog's redesign, by contrast, is angled at 105 degrees (making it more comfortable), coated in surgical silicone and has three "leaves" to expand the vagina, rather than a push handle with just one setting, reported fortune.com.

Fran Wang, a mechanical engineer at Frog who designed the device, said it's "more like something you’d buy at Good Vibrations [a San Francisco Bay Area-based sex toy chain]" than a traditional medical device. While it's still at the prototype stage, the team is looking for a medical device partner to fund and manufacture it. It looks like the cervical smear could soon become a lot less uncomfortable.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Why Women In Iran Are Facing Prison For Posting Photos Online

Could Vaginal Spas Become As Popular As Nail Bars? UK Gynaecologists Hope Not

Boris' Treatment Of Women Since Becoming PM Fills Me With Dread

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

There’s a lot more to the world’s most-followed Instagrammer than meets the eye. Yes, Selena Gomez may have shot to fame as a child actress and singer, but she’s also an entrepreneur, a philanthropist and a true creative, in every sense of the word.

The most recent accolade Gomez can add to her already star-spangled CV is as a Coach collaborator. The 25-year-old announced a partnership with the all-American luxury brand earlier this year and now the results of the collaboration are on sale in the form of one stylish handbag that comes in three brilliant, very-now colours. The Coach x Selena Gomez collection also includes a selection of accessories.

The partnership is not just about pretty handbags, though. Gomez is, first and foremost, a businesswoman. But having been at the sharp end of the celebrity world for her entire adult life (and most of her teenage one), she’s understandably keen to be in charge of her own personal brand.

“It’s really great to have an influence and some control when you’re working with a brand,” says Gomez of the partnership. “Having control in a situation is something that’s important to me, as a woman and as a businessperson.”

Gomez is also keen that she uses her own influence to benefit others. At 17 she became a UNICEF ambassador and this latest collaboration involves Gomez working with the Coach Foundation and Step Up, a national organisation dedicated to the empowerment of teenage girls from under-resourced communities.

As for the design elements of the collaboration, Coach’s creative director Stuart Vevers was keen to make sure that it felt true to who Gomez is as a person. After all, in a world dominated by social media, authenticity is more valuable than ever. And Gomez’s own ability to be true to herself has played a huge part in her success.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

“We discovered Selena is a carryall girl. She wanted something streamlined, smart, but not too formal, with clean lines, important hardware,” says Vevers. “Something she could use that could go with anything.”

Luxury meeting practicality? That’s something we can get behind. “I think the ultimate bag is something that goes with almost everything and you don’t have to even give it a second thought if it goes with your outfit,” adds Gomez.

But what was it like being in the design studio? “I’ve really learned to appreciate the craftsmanship and small details of a bag,” says Gomez. Vevers echoes this, saying it was a fun project to work together on. “We connected as two creatives,” he says. “It was me figuring out how I could make the designs feel right for her, and for Selena, a way to express herself. There’s something joyful about creating something new; we were playing. It was genuinely fun.”

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Gomez, it would seem, has only gone from strength to strength since her days in Wizards of Waverly Place. Fame hasn’t gone to her head, and she’s avoided the pitfalls of many other young stars. “She’s got a warmth that’s special,” confirms Vevers. “There is a realness to her. To me, she speaks to a generation.”

Ultimately, this realness comes from a place of self-knowledge and awareness, which Gomez puts front and centre of everything she does – including this collaboration. The Selena Grace bag is customised with “Love yourself first” in Selena's handwriting – a phrase inspired by one of her tattoos – embossed on the bottom of the bag.

“I have spoken with my fans about the importance of taking care of yourself,” she says. “I am so lucky to get to be creative in my life, and work on a variety of projects. But it is very important to make time for yourself, listen to yourself, and be kind to yourself."

Shop the full collection on Coach here.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Why Christy Turlington’s Casting In Marc Jacobs' New Campaign Is So Important

Two Of 2019's Official Hottest Fashion Pieces Are Under £55

Model Carissa Pinkston Faces Backlash After Lying About Being Transgender

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

On Thursday, the New York Times published a piece detailing decades of sexual harassment and abuse allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

According to the report, the abuse spanned more than 30 years and included eight legal settlements with women — all while Weinstein continued to be a big Hollywood name, won six best-picture Oscars, and worked on popular films like Pulp Fiction and Good Will Hunting.

In other words, he enjoyed a successful and profitable career while a history of repeat sexual harassment was swept under the rug. It's a story that's all too familiar for most women (and even some people of other genders) who have experienced the same kind of sexual harassment from authority figures in their own lives. And in the wake of allegations against Weinstein, these women are also speaking out.

It started with a call on Twitter from writer Anne T. Donahue, who tweeted, "When did you meet YOUR Harvey Weinstein? I'll go first: I was a 17-yr-old co-op student and he insisted on massaging my shoulders as I typed." (Full disclosure: Donahue has written for Refinery29 in the past.)

After Donahue posted her tweet, other people poured in with their own stories, detailing sexual harassment they'd faced from former bosses, teachers, a friend's dad, and even their dentist.

"The response has been heartbreaking, because these stories convey just how prevalent rape culture is, and the toxic norms we suffer at the hands of," Donahue tells Refinery29. "But at the same time, I'm blown away by the generosity of those sharing their stories in general. It's a big deal to talk about trauma; to go back and remember something that affected you and scared you and made you feel powerless."

Read on for 9 people's stories.

If you have experienced sexual violence of any kind, please visit Rape Crisis or call 0808 802 9999.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

The Problem With Calling Sobriety A "Wellness Trend"

How To Celebrate Pride In A Place Where You Can't

The Health Benefits Of Cucumber Water, Explained

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

On the surface, corduroy might conjure up images of uncool teachers in ill-fitting jackets but look a little closer and you'll find cultural moments littered with the retro fabric. Think The Graduate, in which Dustin Hoffman throws a cord blazer over his unbuttoned shirt, or Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker, who is still a sartorial pin-up for men everywhere thanks to his penchant for jewel-toned corduroy jackets over flamboyant shirts.

But the textured fabric is no longer the preserve of traditional menswear and this season we'll be donning it via everything from flared trousers and blazers to baker boy caps. So why is corduroy having such a comeback? One flick through the show images from February's AW17 collections and you'll see how designers revitalised the fabric for autumn. Marc Jacobs presented outerwear with shearling-trimmed cord jackets in taupes and maroons, perhaps taking inspiration from Stranger Things ' Jonathan Byers. Prada gave us the perfect two-piece, made of brown corduroy with mixed fabric pockets, while Isabel Marant presented sweet workwear jackets with puckered shoulders and balloon sleeves in salmon pink. Gucci gave us cord in the only way Gucci could: bright blue and sprayed with ditsy yellow flowers.

Of course, the fabric will always have its traditional connotations but styled the right way – whether that's through bold colour ways, sharp cuts or an oversized fit – it can be as contemporary as you like. Our favourite place to look for inspiration? The streets of fashion month.

Click through to see our favourite four ways the style set is wearing corduroy, and the pieces to bag to nail the look yourself.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

What's On Our Summer Wedding Wish List

The Unconventional New Bag Shapes To Know & Love

Staud’s Newest It Bag Is A Lunar Achievement

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

It’s never been easier to keep up with what’s going on in the world. The news is everywhere – in our Facebook feeds, on the morning commute, during that lazy half hour before you switch off the TV and go to bed. But the tide of global affairs is often more upsetting than uplifting and it can be tempting to bury our heads in the sand. As the saying goes: a picture is worth a thousand words, so to offer a different perspective we've rounded up some of the most memorable images of the week's events, captured by the best photojournalists on the planet.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Why Women In Iran Are Facing Prison For Posting Photos Online

Could Vaginal Spas Become As Popular As Nail Bars? UK Gynaecologists Hope Not

Boris' Treatment Of Women Since Becoming PM Fills Me With Dread

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

“We are summoning the demon,” Elon Musk recently said. The rich-beyond-our dreams futurologist was talking of the moment artificial intelligence realises it exists.

Over the next 20 years, 40-50% of jobs will be automated. We will have robots in our home, mobile Alexas drawing the blinds, hushing the lights and serving us our evening drinks.

The release of Blade Runner 2049 – in which humanoid replicants, created for service, seek liberty from their biological oppressors – has coincided closely with a report from the Foundation for Responsible Robotics. The report endorses the creation of sophisticated, robotised sex toys – dolls designed to look and feel like a real person. They warm to the touch, their labia are 'perfectly' formed, they communicate their needs via AI algorithms. They could, the report says, herald a ‘revolution’ in the way we express our most animal selves.

The report is open-minded. Its authors suggest such cyborgian creatures could help those of us who struggle to develop relationships with flesh and blood. They could aid people in care homes, or who are dealing with conditions like dementia or physical disability. Proponents have gone further, suggesting sex robots can help rapists overcome their impulse to rape, or help paedophiles deal with their attraction to children. In broader society, sex dolls could help people in monogamous relationships in which the desire for the other has departed. They might allow us to express ourselves, to be our deepest selves, without fear of judgement or pity or embarrassment.

Early polling suggests we are receptive. From a large sample, a recent YouGov study found that 49% of Americans expect sex with robots will become commonplace over the course of the next 50 years. One in four adult men said they would consider going to bed with a receptive cyborg (less than 10% of women sampled said something similar). An early study, conducted in 2016 by the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany, found that more than 40% of 263 heterosexual men in the country were interested in the proposition.

If the figures are to be believed, then they give succour to forecasts by futurologists that sex with robots will overtake human love-making by the midpoint of this century.

Sex dolls are not new. Dutch sailors are said to have used them as far back as the 17th century. It’s obvious that the newly responsive, networked sex dolls are crude prototypes of things to come. Take as an example Roxxxy, available from US company True Companion for £7,395, in one of 73 hair colours and with a range of eye colours and skin tones (the most popular is tanned with blue eyes and brown hair). If you so wish, you can choose from broad ethnicities like ‘African’ or ‘small Asian’. She can be a ‘party girl’ or a ‘submissive'. You can even choose the shape of Roxxxy’s pubic hair.

Roxxxy can be programmed to display different sides of her personality. This includes Frigid Farrah, who, to use the words of True Companion, is not "appreciative" when you "touch her in a private area". Frigid Farrah has created a storm of controversy – is Roxxxy’s manufacturer legitimising, and profiting from, rape fantasies?

Recently, at the Ars Electronica Festival in the Austrian city of Linz, Sergi Santos, an engineer from Barcelona, exhibited Samantha, a robotic doll programmed to respond to "romance". Samantha barely lasted the convention. She was broken to pieces by men roughly touching her. She was, Santos complained, treated just like an object.

The Roxxxys and Samanthas of this world may not last the ages but that’s not to say they will disappear. Indeed, they may be the earliest iteration of something that, in the near future, will become ubiquitous.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

In the Far East, the South Korean government has publicly stated it plans to mass-produce enough networked robots to install one in every household by 2020. Manufacturing is scheduled to begin next year.

The Division for Applied Robot Technology at the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology has already exhibited EveR-1. Motors beneath the robot’s silicon skin enable it to hold a conversation, make eye contact, and appear to express emotions like joy, sorrow and happiness. Coincidentally, EveR-1 is designed to resemble a Korean female in her early 20s.

Critics have long argued over the representation of women in the original Blade Runner. Many of the women dramatised in the film are wholly defined by the men in their lives. They are remorselessly sexualised, and killed off without sentimentality. One such woman, performed by a 20-year-old Daryl Hannah, is referred to dismissively as “a basic pleasure model” soon after she is brutally ‘retired’.

Watching the film, it’s easy to forget that each of them is a replicant. The fully formed character that Hannah so vivaciously brings to life is another Roxxxy – just a more advanced version.

Can you objectify a machine, the film asks, even if that machine resembles a woman?

When fielding these questions, Ridley Scott, the film's director, has always leant on the idea of 'patriarchal technologies'. He may be on to something. AI bots are already being developed to dispassionately assess candidates for jobs, university places and bank loans. But scientists at Boston University wanted to test whether our own attitudes are prevalent in the programming – ghosts in the machine.

They trained an AI bot to read Google News. After consuming the news, the machine was tasked with a word association game. It was asked: “Man is to computer programmer as woman is to x”.

Without hesitation, the computer responded with one word: “homemaker”.

Maybe the demon is already here.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Four Weddings & A Funeral Is The Ultimate Drag Of Instagram Relationships

How The Jane The Virgin Finale Gave Us The Happily Ever After We Deserve

Jordyn Woods Gives More Details On "Cancerous" Kardashian-Jenner Scandal

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

It was one of the biggest cold cases of the 20th century: who tipped off the Nazis about Anne Frank and the seven other Jews who were hiding in an annex in Amsterdam? While there have been many suspects over the years, there's never been a definitive conclusion and the mystery has baffled historians for nearly 75 years.

Now, a former FBI agent is beginning a new investigation into the case with the help of artificial intelligence – and it's going to get its own podcast and possibly a documentary, The Washington Post reported.

Former investigator Vince Pankoke has brought together a team of 20 researchers, data analysts and historians to investigate the case. Most interestingly, the team will be using a piece of specialised AI software that will be able to cross-reference millions of documents – from police reports to lists of Nazi spies and files about Frank family sympathisers – for new leads.

It would take a human a decade to pore over the documents and make connections, according to Pankoke – a process which would take the software mere seconds.

The investigation was the idea of Dutch production company Proditione Media, which is making the podcast and potential documentary. It is seeking donations to help fund the project and is calling on people to send over any information or previously undisclosed material via its website and, according to Pankoke, they've already received new information.

Anne Frank and her family were discovered by the Gestapo on a summer day in 1944 after spending more than two years in the secret annex, behind a moveable bookcase, at the back of her father's store in Amsterdam. They were sent to concentration camps in Germany, where seven of the eight hiders, including Anne, died before the end of WWII.

Anne's father, Otto Frank, was the only one to survive. He published his daughter's diary, which became required reading for children the world over, and dedicated the rest of his life to finding out who betrayed them. Frank suspected it was a recently hired employee, Willem van Maaren, but many others have also been identified as potential suspects over the years and the question remains unanswered.

“The bottom line is until this day, there is nothing that’s really held water or been definitive,” Pankoke told The Washington Post. “The point of the investigation is fact-finding just to discover the truth. There is no statute of limitations on the truth.”

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Why Women In Iran Are Facing Prison For Posting Photos Online

Could Vaginal Spas Become As Popular As Nail Bars? UK Gynaecologists Hope Not

Boris' Treatment Of Women Since Becoming PM Fills Me With Dread