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The fact that 80% of Pinterestusers are women has naturally led the site — the latest social network darling — to be denigrated by the rest of the internet as something "confusing" and ultimately frivolous for its users' focus on domesticity, weddings, fashion, crafting, and home decor. Obviously this line of thought is sexist. But it's also stupid — a new study finds that Pinterest drives more traffic than YouTube, Reddit, Google+, LinkedIn and MySpace. It would seem that Pinterest — the "virtual pinboard" that "allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web" — is a force to be reckoned with, on par with the likes of Twitter. (While the Internet Boys Club might not understand the virtues of mood boards, certainly they understand those of traffic stats.) So what is it that makes Pinterest — which is inherently gender neutral — so implicitly "girly"? Perhaps the answer lies in how easily the site allows women to connect with, share, and organize their aspirations. More »
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We tend to think of the differences between men and women in broad, comprehensive terms. Women are more nurturing, men are more aggressive, and on and on. Of course we rationally understand that these traits are influenced by our sex hormones, but on a deeper level we seem to regard the differences in our behavior as somehow fixed. But now new research is showing that, in fact, there are very specific genes that regulate male or female behaviors, and they can be turned on and off at will—which could drastically alter the way we think about what drives us to be who we are. More »
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Well, here's something that's not all that surprising: guys are more likely to do good deeds if there's a pretty lady present. A little more interesting is the fact that the presence of a sexy dude doesn't seem to change ladies' do-gooding behavior at all. More »
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We've all heard plenty of hacky jokes made about the fact that women want to stop having sex after they've been in a relationship for a while, but men don't. Now there's some new research confirming that, in fact, there is a connection between the length of a relationship and the decline in a woman's desire for sex, but let's not abandon hope just yet. More »
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Here's some bad news for testosterone already somewhat damaged reputation: the hormone apparently makes people less cooperative in groups. But there's a catch — the effect has only been observed in women. More »
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In a truly awful act of violence, an Afghan man strangled his wife to death after she gave birth to a second daughter instead of the son he had wanted. The 22-year-old woman, whose name was Estorai, had previously told her family members that her husband was unhappy with the birth of their first daughter and had threatened to kill her if she gave birth to another girl. More »
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We so often go to great lengths to keep the fact that we're menstruating to ourselves. From hiding our tampons in our pockets on the way to the office restroom to bowing out on dates during inopportune times, we have perfected the art of pretending we never bleed. Uterine lining? What uterine lining? But now it turns out that our bodies are betraying our efforts: some guys can tell when it's that time of the month just by hearing us talk. More »
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For too long, women have been forced to endure the tyranny of hotel rooms that were not designed specifically to meet their needs. But good news: our collective suffering is over because there is a new trend of hotels creating rooms that are just for women. What, exactly does this mean? Well, at the Dukes London, it means "fresh flowers, women's magazines and size-appropriate slippers and robes and female staff members who are escorts at check-in." Vancouver's Georgian Court Hotel has the Orchid Floor, a special women's only floor where the rooms are equipped flat irons, yoga mats and beauty products. A hotel in Copenhagen also has a floor that's only accessible to female guests using a key card. More »
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The idea that women are hardcore rocks who can withstand any amount of physical pain with serenity and fortitude has been around for a long time. After all, we have to survive monthly go-rounds with monster menstrual cramps and then many of us have to push a giant baby skull through our most delicate parts. We do need to tolerate a lot of pain, but it turns out that doesn't mean we don't feel it. In fact, according to a new study, it turns out that women actually feel pain more intensely than men do. More »
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A depressing new study has found that when they solve problems in groups, women tend to do worse than their IQ would suggest. The researchers aren't sure why this is, but we have some theories. More »
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Gaydar — the ability to be able to tell who's gay just by looking or talking to them — is a "skill" of debatable merit, but many people like to brag about having finely calibrated systems of working out who's gay and who's not. Of course, when pressed, nobody can ever really put their finger on why exactly they sense someone might be gay. Moreover, people are often wrong, which can lead to all manner of unfortunate situations. But luckily, science has taken it upon itself to study some of the inner workings of gaydar. (Maybe they had a slow week in between trying to cure cancer and figuring out whether wine is killing us or saving us?) More »
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A new study purports to find that scarcity of women turns dudes into spendthrifts. So should sex ratio be a new economic indicator? More »
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George Simpson is married with 2 kids, has worked in public relations for nearly 40 years, and lives in that town in Connecticut where The Ice Storm was set. And boy, is he cranky! Mr. Simpson recently found out, in a column by Jim Gilmartin, that women (especially between 50 and 70 years of age) are the world's most powerful single demographic. And that just won't do, no siree! Because women are gossipy flibbertigibbets who can't make up their minds, see. Simpson writes: More »
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Winston Wu, founder of a "global dating" site Happier Abroad, knows why the caged male bird sings: He wants to meet exotic, silk-feathered ladybirds, probably from the Orient. More »
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A new study claims to prove that men and women have very different personalities. However, the research may not be watertight. More »
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Despite the fact that a network television show and a dating site exist in testament to the non-mythological nature of cougars, Dalhousie University professor Marina Adshade still let her douchey male friend insist over dinner that the only men she, a well-educated, gainfully employed, forty-something woman, could hope to attract with her desiccated uterus were men who could take her to a matinee on their senior discounts. More »
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The nominations for Jezebel's Woman of the Year are in, and while it was a tough decision, we've managed to narrow the field down to eight frontrunners. Read more about them below, then cast your vote! More »
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New analysis was presented yesterday by the National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study regarding same-sex sexual activity amongst 17-year-olds. The NLLFS was comparing their numbers to numbers obtained from The U.S. National Survey of Family Growth to figure out if lesbian parents inspire their children to engage in excess homosexual romps, as the anti-gays so vehemently believe. Unsurprisingly enough, there was no significant difference in same-sex activity between the daughters of gay parents and the daughters of straight parents. More »
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If you always assumed grocery stores were designed to be equally unpleasant places for both men and women to shop, you thought wrong. It turns out that from the start, stores have been subtly geared toward being more accessible and friendly for women, who were, after all, their primary customers for many years. But now all that is changing. According to the Chicago Tribune, men are increasingly taking over food shopping duties for their families, and this is revolutionizing the way stores serve their customers, even leading to the creation of the "man aisle," a ridiculous-sounding safe space for male shoppers. More »
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We were uninspired to say the least by French magazine Terrafemina's choice of DSK's wife Anne Sinclair as "Woman of the Year." So we decided to give you the chance to vote for your own. But first, we need a slate of nominees. More »
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A new study has found a possible reason for the much-vaunted decline in marriage: people are afraid of having to go through a divorce. And women are more likely than men to fear getting "trapped" in a relationship they can't easily exit. More »
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Now that the percentage of married Americans has dropped to a dire 51%, reporters are talking to women about their shriveling ovaries and dim marriage prospects and finding them ... strangely unconcerned. More »
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Aw, cute: the life of an independent, successful, pint-sized woman. Here's hoping that her parents didn't actually let her get behind the wheel of that car, though! More »
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A tipster recently wrote to tell us that Forever 21 didn't divide its wares into "men's" and "women's" categories — rather, its clothes were for "men" or "girls." We decided to investigate — and to take a look at what its competitors call their male and female customers. Below, a breakdown. More »
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Egypt's military rulers continue carry out a brutal crackdown on protesters in Cairo. Fighting has been ongoing for the last several days, and more than 300 people have been injured and at least nine people have been killed. In a shocking scene yesterday, troops viciously attacked a crowd of protesters—in one case (seen in the video below) dragging a woman's body though the street and pulling off her shirt and hijab, leaving her bra and bare torso exposed. More »
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What is it about December that inspires mass breakouts of victim-blaming? Is it the darkness encroaching on our days? Is it the way the holidays make us all want to drink? Whatever it is, it's happening again. And just like last year's Never-Ending Naomi Wolf Incident, this one involves women hating on women in ways that shouldn't shock me but still really, really do. More »
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The comedic Twitter feed Shit Girls Say is now a web series, starring Graydon Sheppard, who, along with his boyfriend, Kyle Humphrey, came up with the idea for the Twitter account earlier this year. Honestly? Funny because it's true, except for the part where guys dress up as women in order to mock them. That part is tired. But "could you do me a huge favor?," "first of all eww" and bag-rummaging R us. And if we could have lunch with Juliette Lewis, you bet your pita chips there would be some high-pitched squealing. I am not even joking right now. More »
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You know how women can't read a map or park a car, because their poor ladybrains just can't handle complex spatial tasks? Turns out, that may be partly because everyone's always telling them their poor ladybrains can't handle complex spatial tasks. More »
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As a man, I regularly use the word, "need." I ask for my needs to be met in life, in work, and in friendships. While I may not often get my wants fulfilled, I am insistent that my needs be met. I have no hesitation in expecting this. More »
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After nearly twenty years of teaching gender studies at a community college, I've got a little saying that elicits knowing smiles whenever I share it around campus: "sisterhood is easier in winter." I'm referring to the reality that when the weather is cold (or as cold as it gets in Southern California) and my students are in sweaters and jeans, there's considerably less intra-female hostility in my classrooms than when the weather turns warm. More »
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ABC's remake of Charlie's Angels was canceled, but apparently the network had some leftover skirt suits. Why else would execs greenlight Bosom Buddies Deux — sorry, Work It? More »
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A valley in Palmira, Colombia, which was once war-torn and filled with little economic opportunity has been transformed by two women, Patricia Restrepo and her daughter Vanessa. Ten years ago, the women started a butterfly export business called Alas de Colombia after they noticed that there was a growing demand for butterflies at places like nature museums. More »
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Women have made great strides in the last century, but a global preference for male children has never been more dramatic. In spite of vigorous government programs to combat the practice, sex-selective abortion and female infanticide are still disturbingly common, especially in Asia. Among American couples, 54% would prefer a male child over a female one. Now, a new series of ads created for an article called "The Case for Girls" attempts to unstick the stubborn global anti-girl baby bias. More »
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Having a roommate can be a pain if she eats your food or lets her cat poop in your shoes. But for older single women, living with someone can actually be a blessing. And lots of ladies are going this route. More »
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A new study suggests that men who are scantily clad are viewed as more sensitive, but less intelligent than men who are fully dressed. Men: they're judged like us! More »
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A blogger has created a fun new tool that switches the gender of all gendered words on webpages, yielding some amusing and thought-provoking results. More »
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Think of 30 Rock, first season, third episode. Jack the-Great-and-Powerful Donaghy is setting up Liz No-I-Don't-Need-Any-of-Your-Help-Especially-Not-with-Dating-which-I-Don't-Have-Time-for-because-I'm-All-About-My-Career-Thanks-a-Lot Lemon with his friend from out of town. Jack catches her in the hall and tells her the name of the fancy restaurant where he's set up the blind date. A pause. He takes in her typically casual attire [i.e. unglamorous sweatshirt and jeans]. "What are you going to wear?" he asks (as though he doesn't know). Exasperated with his overbearing behavior, Liz insists "I don't have time to change." Jack shakes his head gravely, "That won't do." He hands her cash and tells her to go to a women's clothing store during her lunch break. Liz grudgingly accepts and turns up looking elegant for a change. More »
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Misty Copeland is the first black female American Ballet Theater Soloist in 20 years, and she's helping redefine what it means to look like a dancer. More »
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A new study shows that female lawyers may be unpopular with legal secretaries. Is this because lady lawyers are just too busy to be nice, or because people have higher expectations of female bosses? More »
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It is universally accepted that one is better off wearing a seatbelt in a car than not, but now it looks like safety belts might also be the source of a serious problem. A new study has found that women who wear seatbelts are at a greater risk than their male counterparts: More »
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