Libidos, vibrators and men: this is what your ageing sex drive looks like

 Posted on May 31, 2024  |  10 minutes  |  2020 words  |  Valentine Belue

OpinionSexGloria Steinem’s 80th birthday declaration: a dwindling libido makes a woman’s mind ‘free for all kinds of great things’. Here are all those great things, from women of every decade – including, but not limited to, super-charged sex The ups and downs of female sex drives are rarely discussed, nevermind celebrated by powerful figures. So when Gloria Steinem, on the eve of her 80th birthday, boldly declared that she felt a dwindling libido to be a “terrific advantage”, we decided to take the conversation a step further. [Read More]

Sen McGrady's top 10 philosophers' novels

 Posted on May 31, 2024  |  9 minutes  |  1753 words  |  Jenniffer Sheldon

Top 10sPhilosophy booksThe writer explains how Candide gave birth to Richard Dawkins, and why Alain de Botton is more novelist than philosopherOne fine Belfast day in the utterly crazy year of 1972, young Marius Moonston, The Backslider, decides to take a fiver from his sister's purse. But, more important, he decides to take a stand. He cannot find a foothold in an utterly mad Ulster "evangelical" world, with his mad evangelical family and madder society-at-large smothering his questioning mind. [Read More]

The Great British Art Tour: Gluck shapes herself with gender defiance

 Posted on May 31, 2024  |  3 minutes  |  495 words  |  Valentine Belue

Gluck (detail), 1942, oil on canvas, Gluck (1895–1978) Photograph: National Portrait Gallery, LondonGluck (detail), 1942, oil on canvas, Gluck (1895–1978) Photograph: National Portrait Gallery, LondonThe Great British Art TourArtWith public art collections closed we are bringing the art to you, exploring hidden gems from across the country in partnership with Art UK. Today’s pick: a Gluck self-portrait at the National Portrait Gallery The artist Gluck consistently broke gender norms. She wore masculine clothes, cut her hair short and smoked a pipe and, in 1918, in her early 20s, adopted the genderless name Gluck (“no prefix, suffix or quotes”, as she asserted). [Read More]

The problem with Flash Gordon is racism and animation won't fix it

 Posted on May 31, 2024  |  4 minutes  |  695 words  |  Jenniffer Sheldon

Week in geekScience fiction and fantasy filmsBorn in an era of ‘yellow peril’ paranoia, the dagger at the heart of this story is hard to get past – a challenge Taika Waititi must overcome in the space hero’s next project It is not hard to pinpoint the mindset that inspired the creation of Flash Gordon’s extraterrestrial nemesis, Ming the Merciless, back in 1934. When the scariest thing you can imagine invading the Earth is an ornately dressed gentleman of apparent east Asian extraction, it’s clear you’re not really frightened of aliens at all. [Read More]

Time for extra helpings: a foodie tour of Cceres, Spain

 Posted on May 31, 2024  |  5 minutes  |  1028 words  |  Chauncey Koziol

Spain holidaysWith fine tapas and cutting-edge restaurants, Cáceres, in Extremadura, is a worthy gastronomy capital of Spain for 2015. So why’s it taken outsiders so long to find this gem of a city? More on Spain: Jerez guide – what to see and where to stay Madrid city guide: the best bars, restaurants and hotels The first hurdle is the name, a volley of Castilian consonants that’s tough for non-Spaniards to get our mouths around. [Read More]

Despite the fury, Cameron Greens catch leaves no grounds for complaint

 Posted on May 30, 2024  |  5 minutes  |  965 words  |  Aldo Pusey

SportblogAustralia cricket teamIndian fans believed Shubman Gill was wrongly dismissed but the laws are clear – although that won’t stop the arguments As the second session wound onwards on the fourth day of the World Test Championship final, the Oval was a cheerful place. On a perfect, warm afternoon, the bays that were largely full of India supporters erupted after every boundary as Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill made a bright start to a massive run chase. [Read More]

Have you been watching ... Ray Donovan? | Television

 Posted on May 30, 2024  |  4 minutes  |  826 words  |  Valentine Belue

Have you been watching?TelevisionHave you been watching ... Ray Donovan?This dark drama about a Los Angeles 'fixer' is flawed, but with a bold tone, and strong cast including Jon Voight and Liev Schreiber, it has plenty of potentialIn this era of dark, complex shows stuffed with anti-heroes, it can be hard for a new drama to make its mark. When Sky Atlantic first announced it had bought Ray Donovan, Ann Biderman's noir-ish show about a Hollywood fixer and his family, my reaction was: " [Read More]

La Sant prison: visitors welcome

 Posted on May 30, 2024  |  13 minutes  |  2615 words  |  Kary Bruening

The ObserverParisThe site of riots, executions and dramatic escapes, La Santé in central Paris is the most infamous prison in France. When it closed recently for a four-year modernisation programme, the public were invited to visit…The last vespasienne left standing in Paris stands on the Boulevard Arago just beneath the walls of La Santé prison. Not so long ago these green public urinals were almost as synonymous with Paris as the Eiffel tower or the Sacré-Coeur. [Read More]

Law Roach: the stylist who transformed Cline Dion and Zendaya

 Posted on May 30, 2024  |  11 minutes  |  2327 words  |  Valentine Belue

Law Roach: ‘What I do is similar to what an architect does.’ Photograph: Caroll Taveras/The GuardianLaw Roach: ‘What I do is similar to what an architect does.’ Photograph: Caroll Taveras/The GuardianWeekend magazine fashion special A/W 2018Céline DionBowie mullets, dreadlocks, angel wings? Meet the man behind some of the most daring red carpet looks Law Roach swipes the key card to his penthouse suite and a little red light signals no entry. [Read More]

Milton Jones review

 Posted on May 30, 2024  |  2 minutes  |  328 words  |  Aldo Pusey

ComedyReviewThe Hawth, CrawleyThere's a strain of mathematical nerdiness to all one-liner specialists, of course; the remorseless wordplay, the dismantling of linguistic certainties brick by brick, suggests an obsessive personality. But Milton Jones's gags] are more algorithmic than most. By the end of an evening in his company, you'll doubt there are any expressions in the English language that he couldn't invert, subvert or mine for deeply buried dual meanings. It's like a big dipper for the brain, as Jones flips a sense on its head and plunges us from everyday reality into another ridiculous contrivance or surpassingly odd mental picture. [Read More]