Health is wealth, a gift for us. Not an option but a necessity. In today’s world of the super-fast era, it's very important for individuals to keep themselves fit and exercise regularly.

We are sitting too much and it’s the reason for the damage. &nbsp;A recent study indicates&nbsp;that exercising daily not only keeps you fit, but helps you feel confident and be stress-free.

A habitual 10-minute brisk walker can amass an additional 16 years of life by middle age and also slow down the ageing process.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/researchers-may-have-solved-mystery-of-how-pyramids-were-built-512515">Also read |&nbsp;Researchers may have solved mystery of how pyramids were built</a>

According to researcher Professor Jean Woo, emeritus professor of medicine and director of the CUHK Jockey Club Institute of Ageing, there is a rising trend of increasing dependency and weakness accompanying the increase in overall life expectancy.

An unhealthy lifestyle causes numerous illnesses and is a major reason for early death.

Woo advises to be busy, engage socially and just keep moving, South China Morning Post reported.

"Safeguard your physical and mental health through lifestyle changes, and learn new things&nbsp;to beat the rising trend of dependency and frailty in older age. There is a rising trend of increasing dependency and frailty accompanying the increase in total life expectancy,” he advises.

"Daily 10-minute walk slows rate of ageing, and a plant-rich diet to support the gut-brain axis lowers the risk of having dementia while&nbsp;socially engaging has a good and measurable impact on brain health," Woo added.

Age-related mobility issues are a common scene now.&nbsp;More than 30 per cent of people over the age of 70 struggle to climb stairs, get out of a chair, and find it difficult to move around.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/vitamin-d-may-help-in-treating-depression-hints-a-study-509257">Also read | Vitamin D may help in treating depression, hints a study</a>

The World Health Organisation has listed sedentary lifestyle as one of the top 10 reasons for death.

A movement can reduce your risk for any age-related condition one fears the most. It is also believed that isolation ages us.

Saunders, a researcher said that socially engaging has a good and measurable impact on brain health. Social isolation rises mental health-related problems. One such instance was coronavirus, where social isolation contributed to the rising mental health problems.

So the top three ways to keep yourself fit, happy and relaxed can be to go out in the morning for a 10- or 15-minute walk, have a good six to eight hours of sleep, meet new people, try new food or new passions or anything to keep yourself busy.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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Health is wealth, a gift for us. Not an option but a necessity. In today’s world of the super-fast era, it's very important for individuals to keep themselves fit and exercise regularly.

Health is wealth, a gift for us. Not an option but a necessity. In today’s world of the super-fast era, it's very important for individuals to keep themselves fit and exercise regularly. We are sitting too much and it’s the reason for the damage. A recent study indicates that exercising daily not only keeps you fit, but helps you feel confident and be stress-free. A habitual 10-minute brisk walker can amass an additional 16 years of life by middle age and also slow down the ageing process. Also read | Researchers may have solved mystery of how pyramids were built According to researcher Professor Jean Woo, emeritus professor of medicine and director of the CUHK Jockey Club Institute of Ageing, there is a rising trend of increasing dependency and weakness accompanying the increase in overall life expectancy. An unhealthy lifestyle causes numerous illnesses and is a major reason for early death. Woo advises to be busy, engage socially and just keep moving, South China Morning Post reported. "Safeguard your physical and mental health through lifestyle changes, and learn new things to beat the rising trend of dependency and frailty in older age. There is a rising trend of increasing dependency and frailty accompanying the increase in total life expectancy,” he advises. "Daily 10-minute walk slows rate of ageing, and a plant-rich diet to support the gut-brain axis lowers the risk of having dementia while socially engaging has a good and measurable impact on brain health," Woo added. Age-related mobility issues are a common scene now. More than 30 per cent of people over the age of 70 struggle to climb stairs, get out of a chair, and find it difficult to move around. Also read | Vitamin D may help in treating depression, hints a study The World Health Organisation has listed sedentary lifestyle as one of the top 10 reasons for death. A movement can reduce your risk for any age-related condition one fears the most. It is also believed that isolation ages us. Saunders, a researcher said that socially engaging has a good and measurable impact on brain health. Social isolation rises mental health-related problems. One such instance was coronavirus, where social isolation contributed to the rising mental health problems. So the top three ways to keep yourself fit, happy and relaxed can be to go out in the morning for a 10- or 15-minute walk, have a good six to eight hours of sleep, meet new people, try new food or new passions or anything to keep yourself busy. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Exercising regularly and engaging socially helps you with ageing, says expert

The protagonist of Netflix's hit show Sex Education, Otis Milburn during one of his monologues to a fellow hopeless romantic drops a pearl of wisdom. Otis remarks, "...love isn't about grand gestures, or the moon and the stars. It's just dumb luck."&nbsp;

And for once, we could not have related to a fictional being more than ever. Love is a different feeling altogether. People fall in love for different reasons. It could be a person's way of laugh, their idiosyncrasies, or their outlook towards life. There is no set manual as to what attracts us to a fellow human. However, scientists have laid out nine qualities that if you find in a guy, you should quickly snap him up.

1) He makes you laugh

Any relationship can only go the distance when there are laughs and gags involved. A man that is witty and has a good sense of humour is definitely a catch. Imagine being old and still having a partner that makes you laugh. The looks and money may not count for much at such an age but if you have someone that ticks this box, you've got yourself sorted.&nbsp;

2) He is smart

As they say, "smart is the new sexy". A significant amount of women are stimulated by a better half who is smart, intelligent, and possesses a good head on the shoulder. A study by Hanken School of Economics in Finland has also reported that smart men are less likely to be unfaithful. Primarily because they know how to communicate and get their grievances sorted.&nbsp;

3) He is emotionally intelligent

While being smart and intelligent are good attributes, they do not form the complete package. A relationship can get messy and complicated at times. Thus, one needs emotional intelligence and maturity. A man shouldn't be afraid to talk about his feelings or be vulnerable in front of his partner. It shows empathy and allows your partner to get closer and connect to you more viscerally.&nbsp;

4) Respects your opinions and listens

In a world where most men are concerned only about themselves, it is rare to find someone who actively listens to your opinions, ideas, and worldviews. In fact, not only listens to them but respects them even if sometimes he may not necessarily agree with them. Listening to and respecting someone's opinions display&nbsp;an open-mindedness which helps in conflict resolution as the relationship proceeds further.

5) Celebrates your triumphs

As mentioned above, if a guy listens to your opinions without any biases, it is highly likely that he will also celebrate your achievements and victories in a similar manner. &nbsp;The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that couples who did so were more satisfied with their relationships than those who reacted negatively or were indifferent.

6) Both share the same values

When you are planning for the long haul, it is pertinent to have the same set of beliefs and values that you both can share.&nbsp;However, a caveat is that couples do not need to be completely alike in their values. Some difference is tolerable and healthy.&nbsp;

7) He attempts to connect with your close ones

This can be a home run if the guy does this for you. Taking the big step of meeting your family members and friends can be a daunting task. It informally means that both of you are taking your relationship to the next level. Some might have cold feet and attempt to walk away but if your guy does not and makes a conscious attempt to connect with all of them, you've got a winner.&nbsp;

8) He supports your career

This goes without saying, but if a man cannot get behind your career choices one hundred per cent, then he isn't the prince charming you once thought him to be. It is&nbsp;non-negotiable. Most women are forced to leave their careers&nbsp;just because the man in their life could not adjust his lifestyle according to his partner's career choices. Thus, if you find a man who truly supports your career, you have hit the jackpot.&nbsp;

9) He is willing to slog it out

Often there comes a time in every relationship where the going gets tough. In such situations, one needs someone who is willing to put their head down and get stuck in. Meaning, they put the work in and attempt to make the relationship work. It may not always be pretty, but this is what separates a true long-term relationship from those that break at the first slight inconvenience.&nbsp;

 
WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

The protagonist of Netflix's hit show Sex Education, Otis Milburn during one of his monologues to a fellow hopeless romantic drops a pearl of wisdom. Otis remarks, ".

The protagonist of Netflix's hit show Sex Education, Otis Milburn during one of his monologues to a fellow hopeless romantic drops a pearl of wisdom. Otis remarks, "...love isn't about grand gestures, or the moon and the stars. It's just dumb luck." And for once, we could not have related to a fictional being more than ever. Love is a different feeling altogether. People fall in love for different reasons. It could be a person's way of laugh, their idiosyncrasies, or their outlook towards life. There is no set manual as to what attracts us to a fellow human. However, scientists have laid out nine qualities that if you find in a guy, you should quickly snap him up. 1) He makes you laugh Any relationship can only go the distance when there are laughs and gags involved. A man that is witty and has a good sense of humour is definitely a catch. Imagine being old and still having a partner that makes you laugh. The looks and money may not count for much at such an age but if you have someone that ticks this box, you've got yourself sorted. 2) He is smart As they say, "smart is the new sexy". A significant amount of women are stimulated by a better half who is smart, intelligent, and possesses a good head on the shoulder. A study by Hanken School of Economics in Finland has also reported that smart men are less likely to be unfaithful. Primarily because they know how to communicate and get their grievances sorted. 3) He is emotionally intelligent While being smart and intelligent are good attributes, they do not form the complete package. A relationship can get messy and complicated at times. Thus, one needs emotional intelligence and maturity. A man shouldn't be afraid to talk about his feelings or be vulnerable in front of his partner. It shows empathy and allows your partner to get closer and connect to you more viscerally. 4) Respects your opinions and listens In a world where most men are concerned only about themselves, it is rare to find someone who actively listens to your opinions, ideas, and worldviews. In fact, not only listens to them but respects them even if sometimes he may not necessarily agree with them. Listening to and respecting someone's opinions display an open-mindedness which helps in conflict resolution as the relationship proceeds further. 5) Celebrates your triumphs As mentioned above, if a guy listens to your opinions without any biases, it is highly likely that he will also celebrate your achievements and victories in a similar manner. The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that couples who did so were more satisfied with their relationships than those who reacted negatively or were indifferent. 6) Both share the same values When you are planning for the long haul, it is pertinent to have the same set of beliefs and values that you both can share. However, a caveat is that couples do not need to be completely alike in their values. Some difference is tolerable and healthy. 7) He attempts to connect with your close ones This can be a home run if the guy does this for you. Taking the big step of meeting your family members and friends can be a daunting task. It informally means that both of you are taking your relationship to the next level. Some might have cold feet and attempt to walk away but if your guy does not and makes a conscious attempt to connect with all of them, you've got a winner. 8) He supports your career This goes without saying, but if a man cannot get behind your career choices one hundred per cent, then he isn't the prince charming you once thought him to be. It is non-negotiable. Most women are forced to leave their careers just because the man in their life could not adjust his lifestyle according to his partner's career choices. Thus, if you find a man who truly supports your career, you have hit the jackpot. 9) He is willing to slog it out Often there comes a time in every relationship where the going gets tough. In such situations, one needs someone who is willing to put their head down and get stuck in. Meaning, they put the work in and attempt to make the relationship work. It may not always be pretty, but this is what separates a true long-term relationship from those that break at the first slight inconvenience. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Look out for these nine qualities in a man and never let him go, if you find them all

Remote workers are now swapping homes to attain the kind of jet-setting lifestyle they desire at a fraction of the cost of purchasing a pricey holiday. Molly Gambhir tells you all about this new trend.

WION Fineprint | Why are remote workers swapping homes?

In a study published in a journal, researchers in Israel say that artificial sweeteners should no longer be assumed to be safe and good for the health. Though these products are often advertised to have low calorie, the study finds that it may actually increase the sugar level in the body.

Artificial sweeteners may increase sugar levels in body, impair ability to dispose glucose

Are you bored of your mundane workout? Have you tried boxing? Are you curious to try it out? Priyanka Sharma decodes the benefits of boxing, the latest fashion trends and a lot more in this episode of The Good Life.

The Good Life | Power Punch: Have you tried boxing as a workout?

Fashion is one of the most unpredictable things in this entire world.&nbsp;We have seen many times in the past how luxurious brands are selling common fabric pieces with a huge price tag, and now just adding another one to the list is a pair of blue strip shorts - very familiar&nbsp;menswear in an Indian household.&nbsp; 
 
Luxury Brand Kobe has become the talk of the town after some desi Twitterati noticed the bizarre price for such an ordinary clothing item.&nbsp;&nbsp;A piece of fabric that anyone can buy at the price of Rs 100 bucks, but if you are willing to wear a Kobe one then you can buy it at a price of&nbsp;₹15,450.&nbsp; 
 
This all started after a Twitter user named Arshad Wahid shared a screengrab showing the two clothing items and the price.&nbsp; 
 
The screenshot shows the image of a blue-print short and the second image shows a model wearing a very common checkered print matching shirt and shorts with an exorbitant price of 11 K.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
why is this pattapatti trouser 15k?😭 <a href="https://t.co/RrBSeFqd3I">pic.twitter.com/RrBSeFqd3I</a>
— Arshad Wahid (@vettichennaiguy) <a href="https://twitter.com/vettichennaiguy/status/1553280018876342274?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Sharing the photo, the Twitter user wrote, ''Why is this pattapatti trouser 15k?'' 
 
The price of this clothing piece, obviously will not sit well with the Indians who were left baffled over the fashion label's very usual collection and especially the price.&nbsp;

The tweet and the shorts have gone viral on the internet with many users sharing their views on the matter.&nbsp; 
 
Retweeting the tweet, the user wrote, ''Who is buying clothes from these websites?''

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Who buys these?! <a href="https://t.co/AlzhDASy1R">https://t.co/AlzhDASy1R</a>
— Neon Acharya (@NeonAcharya) <a href="https://twitter.com/NeonAcharya/status/1554087495028973568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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''My grandpa used to wear these, didn't know he had dat dam paper,'' Another one wrote.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
..... who is buying clothes from these websites? <a href="https://t.co/kjZAr2p1lg">https://t.co/kjZAr2p1lg</a>
— powerful_anteater.jpg (@PranayBS) <a href="https://twitter.com/PranayBS/status/1553757806939017219?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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Ye langote nahi langoté hai. <a href="https://t.co/TLFVRkto6M">https://t.co/TLFVRkto6M</a>
— Aditi Mittal (@awryaditi) <a href="https://twitter.com/awryaditi/status/1553592073013456896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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Baburao ka kaccha for 15k... <a href="https://t.co/ZjqVs0ZPYc">https://t.co/ZjqVs0ZPYc</a> <a href="https://t.co/HPg6rWObRl">pic.twitter.com/HPg6rWObRl</a>
— RR (@iThor_11) <a href="https://twitter.com/iThor_11/status/1553491490847895552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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Meanwhile, if you remember last year Sabyasachi&nbsp;was trolled for selling a very common saree&nbsp;at an outrageously priced.&nbsp;

Fashion is one of the most unpredictable things in this entire world. We have seen many times in the past how luxurious brands are selling common fabric pieces with a huge price tag, and now just adding another one to the list is a pair of blue strip shorts - very familiar menswear in an Indian household.

Fashion is one of the most unpredictable things in this entire world. We have seen many times in the past how luxurious brands are selling common fabric pieces with a huge price tag, and now just adding another one to the list is a pair of blue strip shorts - very familiar menswear in an Indian household. Luxury Brand Kobe has become the talk of the town after some desi Twitterati noticed the bizarre price for such an ordinary clothing item. A piece of fabric that anyone can buy at the price of Rs 100 bucks, but if you are willing to wear a Kobe one then you can buy it at a price of ₹15,450. This all started after a Twitter user named Arshad Wahid shared a screengrab showing the two clothing items and the price. The screenshot shows the image of a blue-print short and the second image shows a model wearing a very common checkered print matching shirt and shorts with an exorbitant price of 11 K. why is this pattapatti trouser 15k?😭 pic.twitter.com/RrBSeFqd3I — Arshad Wahid (@vettichennaiguy) July 30, 2022 × Sharing the photo, the Twitter user wrote, ''Why is this pattapatti trouser 15k?'' The price of this clothing piece, obviously will not sit well with the Indians who were left baffled over the fashion label's very usual collection and especially the price. The tweet and the shorts have gone viral on the internet with many users sharing their views on the matter. Retweeting the tweet, the user wrote, ''Who is buying clothes from these websites?'' Who buys these?! https://t.co/AlzhDASy1R — Neon Acharya (@NeonAcharya) August 1, 2022 × ''My grandpa used to wear these, didn't know he had dat dam paper,'' Another one wrote. ..... who is buying clothes from these websites? https://t.co/kjZAr2p1lg — powerful_anteater.jpg (@PranayBS) July 31, 2022 × Ye langote nahi langoté hai. https://t.co/TLFVRkto6M — Aditi Mittal (@awryaditi) July 31, 2022 × Baburao ka kaccha for 15k... https://t.co/ZjqVs0ZPYc pic.twitter.com/HPg6rWObRl — RR (@iThor_11) July 30, 2022 × Meanwhile, if you remember last year Sabyasachi was trolled for selling a very common saree at an outrageously priced.

This brand is selling very common 'grandpa' shorts for Rs 15, 000, netizens are going crazy

In a recent interview given to Harper's Bazaar, the 50-year-old Hollywood star Jennifer Garner shared some beauty advice that goes against the norm. The actress and mother of three said, "Be cautious when it comes to injecting anything into your face. Be very, very incredibly judicious and wait as absolutely long as possible to add anything." She added, "Don’t think that you’re 37 and you need to be shooting up your face."

She also said that one need not focus on perfection, "You don’t need to wear so much makeup or have such a constant blowout."

"My beauty advice is always the same," she continued, "Look in the mirror less, obsess less, and look at the rest of the world to see what you could be using your time for instead."

On the topic of society's obsession with appearance, Garner said, "We all look at our faces more than people used to, And it doesn’t do you any good. You obsess over changes or how to fix something on your face."

Garner shared her hair care routine that she does seem to advocate for. She said, "My day usually starts with a really hard workout. Then, [my hair] gets all gross, so I have to wash it." She said that to ensure that her hair does not suffer harshness from over-shampooing, she always uses a hair mask over the weekend to add nourishment.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-kris-jenner-goes-makeup-free-as-she-reveals-her-skincare-routine-see-viral-video-501987">Kris Jenner goes makeup-free as she reveals her skincare routine, see viral video</a>

In a recent interview given to Harper's Bazaar, the 50-year-old Hollywood star Jennifer Garner shared some beauty advice that goes against the norm. The actress and mother of three said, "Be cautious when it comes to injecting anything into your face.

In a recent interview given to Harper's Bazaar, the 50-year-old Hollywood star Jennifer Garner shared some beauty advice that goes against the norm. The actress and mother of three said, "Be cautious when it comes to injecting anything into your face. Be very, very incredibly judicious and wait as absolutely long as possible to add anything." She added, "Don’t think that you’re 37 and you need to be shooting up your face." She also said that one need not focus on perfection, "You don’t need to wear so much makeup or have such a constant blowout." "My beauty advice is always the same," she continued, "Look in the mirror less, obsess less, and look at the rest of the world to see what you could be using your time for instead." On the topic of society's obsession with appearance, Garner said, "We all look at our faces more than people used to, And it doesn’t do you any good. You obsess over changes or how to fix something on your face." Garner shared her hair care routine that she does seem to advocate for. She said, "My day usually starts with a really hard workout. Then, [my hair] gets all gross, so I have to wash it." She said that to ensure that her hair does not suffer harshness from over-shampooing, she always uses a hair mask over the weekend to add nourishment. Also Read: Kris Jenner goes makeup-free as she reveals her skincare routine, see viral video

Jennifer Garner says no-no to face injectables, champions natural ageing

Introduction

There are numerous ways to define popular culture. Popular culture influences people's beliefs and values. Popular culture plays a vital role in defining the term Culture. It consists of various cultural elements in a society mainly using the media such as TV, radio, and even though modern days social media. According to some scholars, popular culture is just the leftover of high culture in society. Popular culture in this context is defined as a great category which tries to accommodate mass people's culture, texts and practices and the culture which fails to prove as a high culture according to the aristocrats and the leaders within the society. Pierre Bourdieu, a French socialist argues that cultural distinctions, that is the distinction between the high culture and low culture, are often used to define class distinctions. For him, culture is Predisposed, consciously and deliberately or not. Popular culture claims that the destination is mass commercial culture, whereas high culture claims that a destination is an individual act of creation.

Another way to define popular culture is ‘mass culture'. This definition is substantially based on the previous one. Many believe that popular culture is a hopelessly commercial culture.&nbsp;Popular culture is believed to be produced for mass consumption. Those who are a part of&nbsp;popular culture usually keep in mind the golden age that is the previous generation. This usually takes place in 2 different ways

● A lost organic community

● A lost folk culture

For example, It has been found that American culture has turned out to be a more efficient&nbsp;popular culture than other cultures. Foods like Mcdonald's and KFC are found in almost all&nbsp;countries and are easily available.

History of Popular Culture

During the early period, most people were spread in small cities and states, at that time they were not known to any form of popular culture as people at that time were divided into small groups. With the beginning of the Industrial Era, the rural masses began to migrate to cities, leading to the formation of urbanisation.

Urbanisation is the only step in the formation of popular culture. People used to live in small rural villages in small groups but as the urbanisation grew and as they started growing into larger groups and crowds the adaption of popular culture also started increasing. Thus, many scholars have found that the beginning of popular culture led to the rise of the middle class during the industrial revolution. Industrialisation brought up many developments and advancements such as various types of transportation such as steam, locomotive advancement in building infrastructure, improvements in education and health and the evolution of writing in leaves to writing in printed pages all this led to the creation of popular culture. Popular culture is largely influenced by the mass media in this modern ERA. Television all has a certain form of influence on creating popular culture. As a result, urbanisation, industrialisation, the mass media and the advancement of technology led to the total creation of popular culture. This totalled to the shaping of pop culture.

Reflection on the study of Popular Culture

However, During my study about high culture and popular culture. I found out that this division between the two types is not so clear to me. William Shakespeare is now considered high culture, even though his work was once considered popular theatre in the&nbsp;nineteenth century. The same argument can also be done with the famous writing work done by Charles Dickens. Similarly, Film Noir has crossed the borders separating popular and high culture. However, Luciano Pavarotti's performance of Puccini's Nessun Dorma is a recent example of cultural flow travelling in one direction. Even the staunchest defenders of high culture would not want tenor or Puccini to be barred from their chosen domain.

Pavorti, on the other hand, was able to get 'nessun Dorma' to number one in the British Charts in the 1990s. Such a commercial triumph. He added that it was now humiliating for him to play the song because he didn't want people to think his musical taste was influenced solely by the fact that it was "the official BBC Grandstand World Cup Theme." Other students teased and laughed. Pavarotti performed a free concert at London's Hyde Park on July 30, 1991. The concert was expected to draw 250000 people, however, due to heavy weather, the attendance was only&nbsp;approximately 100000. This concert puts an interest in the people regarding the concept of popular culture.

This popularity of the event put a question on the excitation of the differences between popular culture and high culture. In the early days, concerts were mainly attended by the ethnic class people. This concert, really put a question mark on the differences between the extensions of high culture and popular culture.&nbsp;

This example clearly demonstrates that the cultural divide between high and low cultures is no longer as visible as it once was.&nbsp;

It has been seen that the popular culture is generally different for different countries, according to the research most of the country's popular culture is nowadays changing. For example, Western countries have found out that eating unhealthy food has created a bigger issue, diseases like obesity, diabetes etc are rapidly increasing and dealing with mental illness is a huge issue.

It has been found that slowly the western countries are now getting influenced by India and slowly have started to do yoga to deal with these issues. Doing yoga keeps your body, and mind in peace. While yoga was first discovered in India. On the opposite side, Indian scholars and people are now getting influenced by western culture and slowly and steadily the younger generation prefers to go to the gym in India rather than do yoga.&nbsp;

As a result, from both countries' perspectives, I found out that popular culture is really a&nbsp;controversial term. It has a negative as well as a positive side&nbsp;

● Positive in the sense, that due to the growth of social media and technology we are getting&nbsp;to know each country's popular culture.

● And, Negative in the sense that due to the growth and the advancement of technology&nbsp;slowly and steadily each country is reading their traditional culture and adopting other countries' culture. For example, as this yoga was first discovered in India according to Vedas, and Upanishad while it has been seen nowadays yoga is slowly been adopted by western countries. While on the other hands GYM is a part of western countries the first GYM was introduced in 2000 BC was first found by Egyptians and Greek , but now during this modern times due the growing and evolution of GYM it also now been adopted by the Indian people .

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

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Introduction There are numerous ways to define popular culture. Popular culture influences people's beliefs and values. Popular culture plays a vital role in defining the term Culture.

Introduction There are numerous ways to define popular culture. Popular culture influences people's beliefs and values. Popular culture plays a vital role in defining the term Culture. It consists of various cultural elements in a society mainly using the media such as TV, radio, and even though modern days social media. According to some scholars, popular culture is just the leftover of high culture in society. Popular culture in this context is defined as a great category which tries to accommodate mass people's culture, texts and practices and the culture which fails to prove as a high culture according to the aristocrats and the leaders within the society. Pierre Bourdieu, a French socialist argues that cultural distinctions, that is the distinction between the high culture and low culture, are often used to define class distinctions. For him, culture is Predisposed, consciously and deliberately or not. Popular culture claims that the destination is mass commercial culture, whereas high culture claims that a destination is an individual act of creation. Another way to define popular culture is ‘mass culture'. This definition is substantially based on the previous one. Many believe that popular culture is a hopelessly commercial culture. Popular culture is believed to be produced for mass consumption. Those who are a part of popular culture usually keep in mind the golden age that is the previous generation. This usually takes place in 2 different ways ● A lost organic community ● A lost folk culture For example, It has been found that American culture has turned out to be a more efficient popular culture than other cultures. Foods like Mcdonald's and KFC are found in almost all countries and are easily available. History of Popular Culture During the early period, most people were spread in small cities and states, at that time they were not known to any form of popular culture as people at that time were divided into small groups. With the beginning of the Industrial Era, the rural masses began to migrate to cities, leading to the formation of urbanisation. Urbanisation is the only step in the formation of popular culture. People used to live in small rural villages in small groups but as the urbanisation grew and as they started growing into larger groups and crowds the adaption of popular culture also started increasing. Thus, many scholars have found that the beginning of popular culture led to the rise of the middle class during the industrial revolution. Industrialisation brought up many developments and advancements such as various types of transportation such as steam, locomotive advancement in building infrastructure, improvements in education and health and the evolution of writing in leaves to writing in printed pages all this led to the creation of popular culture. Popular culture is largely influenced by the mass media in this modern ERA. Television all has a certain form of influence on creating popular culture. As a result, urbanisation, industrialisation, the mass media and the advancement of technology led to the total creation of popular culture. This totalled to the shaping of pop culture. Reflection on the study of Popular Culture However, During my study about high culture and popular culture. I found out that this division between the two types is not so clear to me. William Shakespeare is now considered high culture, even though his work was once considered popular theatre in the nineteenth century. The same argument can also be done with the famous writing work done by Charles Dickens. Similarly, Film Noir has crossed the borders separating popular and high culture. However, Luciano Pavarotti's performance of Puccini's Nessun Dorma is a recent example of cultural flow travelling in one direction. Even the staunchest defenders of high culture would not want tenor or Puccini to be barred from their chosen domain. Pavorti, on the other hand, was able to get 'nessun Dorma' to number one in the British Charts in the 1990s. Such a commercial triumph. He added that it was now humiliating for him to play the song because he didn't want people to think his musical taste was influenced solely by the fact that it was "the official BBC Grandstand World Cup Theme." Other students teased and laughed. Pavarotti performed a free concert at London's Hyde Park on July 30, 1991. The concert was expected to draw 250000 people, however, due to heavy weather, the attendance was only approximately 100000. This concert puts an interest in the people regarding the concept of popular culture. This popularity of the event put a question on the excitation of the differences between popular culture and high culture. In the early days, concerts were mainly attended by the ethnic class people. This concert, really put a question mark on the differences between the extensions of high culture and popular culture. This example clearly demonstrates that the cultural divide between high and low cultures is no longer as visible as it once was. It has been seen that the popular culture is generally different for different countries, according to the research most of the country's popular culture is nowadays changing. For example, Western countries have found out that eating unhealthy food has created a bigger issue, diseases like obesity, diabetes etc are rapidly increasing and dealing with mental illness is a huge issue. It has been found that slowly the western countries are now getting influenced by India and slowly have started to do yoga to deal with these issues. Doing yoga keeps your body, and mind in peace. While yoga was first discovered in India. On the opposite side, Indian scholars and people are now getting influenced by western culture and slowly and steadily the younger generation prefers to go to the gym in India rather than do yoga. As a result, from both countries' perspectives, I found out that popular culture is really a controversial term. It has a negative as well as a positive side ● Positive in the sense, that due to the growth of social media and technology we are getting to know each country's popular culture. ● And, Negative in the sense that due to the growth and the advancement of technology slowly and steadily each country is reading their traditional culture and adopting other countries' culture. For example, as this yoga was first discovered in India according to Vedas, and Upanishad while it has been seen nowadays yoga is slowly been adopted by western countries. While on the other hands GYM is a part of western countries the first GYM was introduced in 2000 BC was first found by Egyptians and Greek , but now during this modern times due the growing and evolution of GYM it also now been adopted by the Indian people . (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.) 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What exactly is popular culture according to you?

Don’t workout to fit into a dress, a pair of jeans or for a wedding. Exercise for the right reasons. We tell you why!

The Good Life: Why should we exercise?

If you switch on the television today, log on to social media. Step out to parks, wellness centers or gymnasiums, you'll see someone performing an asan or a yoga posture. Celebrities, politicians, policy makers, global leaders are all practicing Yoga. Today's International Yoga day this year's theme is 'Yoga for humanity'.

The Good Life: Yoga is not a trend but a lifestyle | Celebrating International Yoga Day

Technology has redefined different aspects of our lives. It has revolutionized the way we commute, interact, enjoy or even eat. Now a new technology aims to change the way we buy perfumes.

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Ivorian artist creates artworks by recycling old phones. Artist Koffi started collecting dozens of old keyboards after graduation. The Artist Series 'Life here' depicts the daily life of ordinary people. The artist hopes to create awareness about recycling.

Ivorian artist recycles old phones to create artworks

Keto, South Beach, Mediterranean- we are not listing exotic holiday destinations but naming just a few of the dieting fads which were earlier loaded and then later rubbished. In a bid to lose weight or gain muscle, the internet fools us into sampling the new miracle diet.

The Good Life: Which is the perfect diet for you?

People who are rude to everyone might not be perceived as sexist, suggests the findings of a researcher at the University of Texas at Dallas.Dr Sora Jun, assistant professor of organizations, strategy and international management at the Naveen Jindal School of Management, and her co-authors identified a barrier that makes sexism hard to recognize: men`s rudeness toward other men. 
 
Their study, published in Psychological Science, found that a man does not seem sexist if he treats everyone, both men and women, poorly. Jun said the idea for the research topic came from a discussion with her co-authors, Dr Peter Belmi and Dr Gabrielle S. Adams of the University of Virginia. 
 
"We were having conversations about men who get away with making sexist remarks," Jun said. "We realized that one commonality among these people is that they are often seen as simply being rude because they are rude to men as well. We thought that this attribution of general rudeness might be what allows these people to continue displaying sexist behaviours without retribution."The researchers conducted a series of five studies from 2019 to 2021, using online survey platforms. First, a pilot study examined whether men can both hold sexist beliefs and be rude toward men. 
 
The researchers conducted a two-part survey among 759 employed men to obtain self-reports about rudeness to female and male colleagues at work and their attitudes and beliefs about women. 
 
The pretest found that men who reported holding more negative stereotypes about women also reported being more discourteous, impolite or inconsiderate toward their male and female colleagues. 
 
Researchers said the men believed that rudeness may obscure the recognition of sexism by creating the perception of gender blindness, in which the perpetrator does not notice or pay attention to a person`s gender, creating an illusion of impartiality."By `equal-opportunity jerk,` we mean an individual who is mistakenly seen as gender-blind in their negative treatment toward others," Jun said. "They think, `This person is presumably rude toward both men and women equally, and therefore cannot be sexist.` Of course, in our research, we find that this perception is flawed."Next, the researchers tested whether rudeness toward men obscures gender bias. They surveyed nearly 5,000 male and female online participants and students from professional schools. 
 
In one study, participants read tweets written by former President Donald Trump from July to August 2019, while he was in office. All participants read tweets that contained negative comments toward women, and some saw additional tweets of Trump berating men.The participants were asked whether they thought Trump was sexist or gender-blind. The study found that the more lay observers saw Trump being rude toward men, the more they thought he was gender-blind. 
 
In another study, participants read a fictitious story about a manager who made a sexist remark toward a female intern. Some participants read that the manager also berates male interns.In this study, when the manager made a sexist remark to a female intern and was also rude to male interns, participants viewed him as less sexist because they perceived him to be gender-blind. 
 
The findings suggested that rudeness obscures the recognition of sexism by creating the perception that the sexist perpetrator does not notice or pay attention to gender when dealing with other people."Sexism and rudeness are two different concepts, and we try to outline this idea in the paper," Jun said. "Rudeness is defined as behaviours that are regarded as discourteous, impolite or inconsiderate. Sexism is defined as attitudes, beliefs and behaviours that reflect, foster or promote negative or pejorative stereotypes about women. Not all rude behaviours are sexist, because not all rude behaviours invoke negative stereotypes about women -- for example, failing to acknowledge a co-worker in the hallway. On the other hand, not all sexist treatment is rude." 
 
For example, Jun said, in a common form of sexism, called benevolent sexism, women are treated as if they should be cherished and protected. Benevolent sexism may be regarded as being polite and courteous, but it harms gender equity by promoting negative stereotypes about women, such as being weak or lacking agency. 
 
Gender-Bias TrainingThe researchers also explored the downstream implications of their findings, including gender-bias training. In a replicated study with the fictitious manager, participants diminished the importance of gender-bias training the more they saw the sexist manager`s rudeness toward men. 
 
Jun said these findings show that rudeness creates a critical barrier to addressing sexism by discouraging observers from recommending gender-bias training for sexist perpetrators."The first step to eradicating sexism in the workplace is to identify it when it happens," Jun said. "If observers are unable to recognize an employee`s behaviour as sexist -- because those behaviours are incorrectly explained away as general rudeness -- those problematic sexist behaviours will likely continue to plague organizations."The study also suggests that when rudeness toward men hides sexist behaviour, it hurts women in more than one way, Jun said. 
 
Women first must manage the sexism they face, she said. Second, they may begin to have doubts about whether sexism actually was present, which also can be psychologically taxing. Finally, even when women conclude that sexism is present, they may have a difficult time convincing others that sexism is at play. 
 
Organizations should clearly define sexism in their training programs, Jun said."Our work suggests that lay people`s conception of sexism may be both broad and malleable, so being clear about what it means to be sexist may help people better identify sexism," she said.Jun said future research could examine whether rudeness can hide other types of discrimination, such as racism.&nbsp;

People who are rude to everyone might not be perceived as sexist, suggests the findings of a researcher at the University of Texas at Dallas.Dr Sora Jun, assistant professor of organizations, strategy and international management at the Naveen Jindal School of Management, and her co-authors identified a barrier that makes sexism hard to recognize: men`s rudeness toward other men.

People who are rude to everyone might not be perceived as sexist, suggests the findings of a researcher at the University of Texas at Dallas.Dr Sora Jun, assistant professor of organizations, strategy and international management at the Naveen Jindal School of Management, and her co-authors identified a barrier that makes sexism hard to recognize: men`s rudeness toward other men. Their study, published in Psychological Science, found that a man does not seem sexist if he treats everyone, both men and women, poorly. Jun said the idea for the research topic came from a discussion with her co-authors, Dr Peter Belmi and Dr Gabrielle S. Adams of the University of Virginia. "We were having conversations about men who get away with making sexist remarks," Jun said. "We realized that one commonality among these people is that they are often seen as simply being rude because they are rude to men as well. We thought that this attribution of general rudeness might be what allows these people to continue displaying sexist behaviours without retribution."The researchers conducted a series of five studies from 2019 to 2021, using online survey platforms. First, a pilot study examined whether men can both hold sexist beliefs and be rude toward men. The researchers conducted a two-part survey among 759 employed men to obtain self-reports about rudeness to female and male colleagues at work and their attitudes and beliefs about women. The pretest found that men who reported holding more negative stereotypes about women also reported being more discourteous, impolite or inconsiderate toward their male and female colleagues. Researchers said the men believed that rudeness may obscure the recognition of sexism by creating the perception of gender blindness, in which the perpetrator does not notice or pay attention to a person`s gender, creating an illusion of impartiality."By `equal-opportunity jerk,` we mean an individual who is mistakenly seen as gender-blind in their negative treatment toward others," Jun said. "They think, `This person is presumably rude toward both men and women equally, and therefore cannot be sexist.` Of course, in our research, we find that this perception is flawed."Next, the researchers tested whether rudeness toward men obscures gender bias. They surveyed nearly 5,000 male and female online participants and students from professional schools. In one study, participants read tweets written by former President Donald Trump from July to August 2019, while he was in office. All participants read tweets that contained negative comments toward women, and some saw additional tweets of Trump berating men.The participants were asked whether they thought Trump was sexist or gender-blind. The study found that the more lay observers saw Trump being rude toward men, the more they thought he was gender-blind. In another study, participants read a fictitious story about a manager who made a sexist remark toward a female intern. Some participants read that the manager also berates male interns.In this study, when the manager made a sexist remark to a female intern and was also rude to male interns, participants viewed him as less sexist because they perceived him to be gender-blind. The findings suggested that rudeness obscures the recognition of sexism by creating the perception that the sexist perpetrator does not notice or pay attention to gender when dealing with other people."Sexism and rudeness are two different concepts, and we try to outline this idea in the paper," Jun said. "Rudeness is defined as behaviours that are regarded as discourteous, impolite or inconsiderate. Sexism is defined as attitudes, beliefs and behaviours that reflect, foster or promote negative or pejorative stereotypes about women. Not all rude behaviours are sexist, because not all rude behaviours invoke negative stereotypes about women -- for example, failing to acknowledge a co-worker in the hallway. On the other hand, not all sexist treatment is rude." For example, Jun said, in a common form of sexism, called benevolent sexism, women are treated as if they should be cherished and protected. Benevolent sexism may be regarded as being polite and courteous, but it harms gender equity by promoting negative stereotypes about women, such as being weak or lacking agency. Gender-Bias TrainingThe researchers also explored the downstream implications of their findings, including gender-bias training. In a replicated study with the fictitious manager, participants diminished the importance of gender-bias training the more they saw the sexist manager`s rudeness toward men. Jun said these findings show that rudeness creates a critical barrier to addressing sexism by discouraging observers from recommending gender-bias training for sexist perpetrators."The first step to eradicating sexism in the workplace is to identify it when it happens," Jun said. "If observers are unable to recognize an employee`s behaviour as sexist -- because those behaviours are incorrectly explained away as general rudeness -- those problematic sexist behaviours will likely continue to plague organizations."The study also suggests that when rudeness toward men hides sexist behaviour, it hurts women in more than one way, Jun said. Women first must manage the sexism they face, she said. Second, they may begin to have doubts about whether sexism actually was present, which also can be psychologically taxing. Finally, even when women conclude that sexism is present, they may have a difficult time convincing others that sexism is at play. Organizations should clearly define sexism in their training programs, Jun said."Our work suggests that lay people`s conception of sexism may be both broad and malleable, so being clear about what it means to be sexist may help people better identify sexism," she said.Jun said future research could examine whether rudeness can hide other types of discrimination, such as racism.

Rude behaviour with everyone might mask sexism: Study

Attention, spheksophobes: Wasps just want to help.

And Heather Holm wants to help them make their case to gardeners and others.

Holm, a biologist and pollinator conservationist, knows it’s not an easy sell. But in her recent book, “Wasps: Their Biology, Diversity, and Role as Beneficial Insects and Pollinators of Native Plants,” she asks that we consider wasps — and not just their cousins, the bees — in the plant choices we make and the pollinator-friendly gardens we create.

“If we took wasps out of the equation,” she said, “many of the leaf- and seed-eating insects they prey on would just go unchecked.”

Troubled by cabbage loopers chewing on your brassicas? There’s a wasp for that.

If tomato hornworms try to defoliate your plants, there’s a wasp for that, too — more than one, in fact. There are also wasps that target tarnished plant bugs (a pest with a taste for a wide range of vegetables and small fruits) and ones that prey on brown marmorated stink bugs and fall webworms. All such sustenance is brought back by adult female wasps to provision their nests, as food for their larvae.

One wasp species is even providing scientists with biosurveillance support in the fight against the emerald ash borer, a devastating invasive beetle whose wood-boring larvae are infesting and killing large numbers of native ash trees (Fraxinus) throughout the United States. In areas not yet infested by the ash borer, researchers monitor the prey brought back to nests of smoky-winged beetle bandit wasps (Cerceris fumipennis), looking for remains of the borers, which helps them track the pest’s widening dispersal.

The list of the organic pest control services offered by wasps goes on, and yet it is the wasps that we humans reflexively regard as pests. That reputation is the result of just 1.5% of the total wasp species in North America — the ones that build social nests above or below ground, forming colonies and cooperatively living in multigenerational nests during breeding season to rear the next generation.

The irony: It is the social wasps toward whom we feel anti-social. They have inadvertently tainted our view of the other 98.5% (although, to be fair, the social ones provide ecosystem services, too).

The trigger is typically a run-in (or more likely a run-over, while mowing) with ground-nesting yellowjackets (Vespula). Or a too-close encounter with a nest of paper wasps (Polistes) or perhaps with a larger, more complex nest of bald-faced hornets (Dolichovespula maculata), its many layers of combs enclosed in an envelope. The result is a sting — always delivered by a female — that we just cannot forget.

If the wasps had been nectaring on flowers like sumac or goldenrod, their most-visited woody and herbaceous plant choices, they would have paid us no mind, Holm is quick to point out. But when we threaten their nests — the home to the next generation — their best defense is a good, and painful, offense.

“The flower garden is the restaurant, not their home — they don’t defend it,” Holm said. “But social wasps are very inclined to defend their home.”

Flowers a Wasp Could Love

Wasps need habitats similar to those preferred by bees — the subject of Holm’s previous book, “Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide.” But bees eat a plant-based diet. Their prey-seeking cousins, the wasps, need something more: to be around the specific plants that attract the insects they hunt to feed their young.

No one book could tackle the almost 13,000 species of wasps in North America north of Mexico. In “Wasps,” Holm focuses on the flower-visiting species, social and solitary, the aculeate wasps (some of whom, the Apoid wasps, are the evolutionary ancestors of bees).

Their unfortunate common name? Stinging wasps.

“People have long known these wasps have flower associations,” Holm said. So it mystified her when she scanned the literature about eastern North America that very little had been documented. “It was hard to find even three sentences in old books or research papers that even hinted at their visiting flowers.”

Wasps make up 15% of the total number of flower-visiting insects worldwide. But they are regarded as incidental or secondary pollinators, not the pollination machines that bees are designed to be, with their hairy bodies that pollen granules cling to.

Another anatomical difference: The range of flowers that adult wasps can drink nectar from is limited because their tongues are typically shorter than those of bees. While choosing native plants is important when you’re creating a habitat that supports beneficial insects, the wasps have an additional request: simple, shallow flowers, please.

Plant families with such flower forms include carrot relatives such as rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium) and golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea). Asters and their kin, including goldenrod (Solidago), fleabane (Erigeron), tickseed (Coreopsis) and boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), are also especially attractive to wasps.

So are mint family members, including various mountain mints (Pycnanthemum), horsemint (Monarda punctata) and bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), and likewise milkweeds (Asclepias) and their relative dogbane or Indian hemp (Apocynum cannabinum).

Oh, and lots of wasps love the color white, as many of those examples underscore.

“If you have white and purple prairie clover side by side,” Holm said, “you’ll likely observe wasps preferentially visiting the white flowers.”

Remember the restaurant-versus-home analogy, she said, and go ahead: Start planting with wasps in mind. Enhancing the garden with their preferred flowers won’t increase your chances of being stung — and it might make your vegetable garden a more resilient place.

Limiting the Risk of Getting Stung

No amount of explaining wasps’ role in the order of things or the ecological services they provide will make anyone want the nest of a social wasp along a walkway, under the porch eaves or in any high-traffic area.

But what’s the best way to discourage them from stinging — and to avert the near-inevitable human impulse to spray some chemical from a distance to eradicate an established nest, killing all of the individuals in it?

Intervene early, Holm advised, to dissuade nest-building in high-risk spots, sparing risk to yourself and to whole colonies, above or underground. “Don’t even think of trying to intervene in August,” she said.

One insight toward that end: Yellowjacket females, probably the wasp most often responsible for stinging humans, search out preexisting cavities, like rodent holes in the ground, when they are emerging from winter hibernation in early spring. Try closing up those holes proactively.

And if you had a ground-nesting colony in the yard last year, look there first, Holm recommended, because wasps will often search for and initiate a nest near the site of their natal one.

Similarly, check eaves, overhangs and birdhouses early and regularly for any sign of the construction of a nest comb, she said, “when maybe there is only an occupant or two involved.”

Nest-Building Heroics and Other Tales

Holm’s strategy for changing our minds about wasps: to keep telling their stories.

Like the one about the great golden digger wasp (Sphex ichneumoneus), whose female may dig only one nest in her lifetime. Still, she puts her all into creating that multicellular burrow in the ground. Using the same vibratory mechanism that bees use in sonication — the buzz pollination of flowers — the female of this thread-waisted species gets to work in a sunny spot with sparse or no vegetation.

“They grab hold of clumps of soil or aggregate with their mandibles,” Holm said, “and vibrate their thoracic muscles, making a sound like the dentist’s drill or like a little jackhammer.”

Or the black-and-ivory-colored Eastern cicada killer (Sphecius speciosus), one of the largest solitary wasps in eastern North America: Each burrow in her nest must be as much as twice her body width — large enough to accommodate the various species of annual cicadas (not the periodical types) that she stashes inside to sustain her young. As if all that excavating weren’t enough, there is also the matter of transporting a parcel that may be twice her body weight, with occasional stops on the ground to rest along the way.

Then there are the species that perform elaborate mating dances and those that stay clasped to their mates to prevent the female from mating with other males.

“Just telling one fun or fascinating story about a wasp people have never heard, with this amazing life history, and what a struggle it is for them to produce the next generation,” Holm said, “that might build a little empathy for those species who are just trying to eke out a living in these ecosystems that we have changed, and not always for the better.”

The next step on her bucket list, after persuading gardeners to add key wasp-friendly flowering plants to enhance their pollinator plantings beyond the bees’ top choices?

She’ll know she has finally succeeded, she said, when she sees evidence on social media that people have moved in close enough to photograph wasps nectaring on the blooms — not just more butterfly photos.

Attention, spheksophobes: Wasps just want to help. And Heather Holm wants to help them make their case to gardeners and others. Holm, a biologist and pollinator conservationist, knows it’s not an easy sell.

Attention, spheksophobes: Wasps just want to help. And Heather Holm wants to help them make their case to gardeners and others. Holm, a biologist and pollinator conservationist, knows it’s not an easy sell. But in her recent book, “Wasps: Their Biology, Diversity, and Role as Beneficial Insects and Pollinators of Native Plants,” she asks that we consider wasps — and not just their cousins, the bees — in the plant choices we make and the pollinator-friendly gardens we create. “If we took wasps out of the equation,” she said, “many of the leaf- and seed-eating insects they prey on would just go unchecked.” Troubled by cabbage loopers chewing on your brassicas? There’s a wasp for that. If tomato hornworms try to defoliate your plants, there’s a wasp for that, too — more than one, in fact. There are also wasps that target tarnished plant bugs (a pest with a taste for a wide range of vegetables and small fruits) and ones that prey on brown marmorated stink bugs and fall webworms. All such sustenance is brought back by adult female wasps to provision their nests, as food for their larvae. One wasp species is even providing scientists with biosurveillance support in the fight against the emerald ash borer, a devastating invasive beetle whose wood-boring larvae are infesting and killing large numbers of native ash trees (Fraxinus) throughout the United States. In areas not yet infested by the ash borer, researchers monitor the prey brought back to nests of smoky-winged beetle bandit wasps (Cerceris fumipennis), looking for remains of the borers, which helps them track the pest’s widening dispersal. The list of the organic pest control services offered by wasps goes on, and yet it is the wasps that we humans reflexively regard as pests. That reputation is the result of just 1.5% of the total wasp species in North America — the ones that build social nests above or below ground, forming colonies and cooperatively living in multigenerational nests during breeding season to rear the next generation. The irony: It is the social wasps toward whom we feel anti-social. They have inadvertently tainted our view of the other 98.5% (although, to be fair, the social ones provide ecosystem services, too). The trigger is typically a run-in (or more likely a run-over, while mowing) with ground-nesting yellowjackets (Vespula). Or a too-close encounter with a nest of paper wasps (Polistes) or perhaps with a larger, more complex nest of bald-faced hornets (Dolichovespula maculata), its many layers of combs enclosed in an envelope. The result is a sting — always delivered by a female — that we just cannot forget. If the wasps had been nectaring on flowers like sumac or goldenrod, their most-visited woody and herbaceous plant choices, they would have paid us no mind, Holm is quick to point out. But when we threaten their nests — the home to the next generation — their best defense is a good, and painful, offense. “The flower garden is the restaurant, not their home — they don’t defend it,” Holm said. “But social wasps are very inclined to defend their home.” Flowers a Wasp Could Love Wasps need habitats similar to those preferred by bees — the subject of Holm’s previous book, “Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide.” But bees eat a plant-based diet. Their prey-seeking cousins, the wasps, need something more: to be around the specific plants that attract the insects they hunt to feed their young. No one book could tackle the almost 13,000 species of wasps in North America north of Mexico. In “Wasps,” Holm focuses on the flower-visiting species, social and solitary, the aculeate wasps (some of whom, the Apoid wasps, are the evolutionary ancestors of bees). Their unfortunate common name? Stinging wasps. “People have long known these wasps have flower associations,” Holm said. So it mystified her when she scanned the literature about eastern North America that very little had been documented. “It was hard to find even three sentences in old books or research papers that even hinted at their visiting flowers.” Wasps make up 15% of the total number of flower-visiting insects worldwide. But they are regarded as incidental or secondary pollinators, not the pollination machines that bees are designed to be, with their hairy bodies that pollen granules cling to. Another anatomical difference: The range of flowers that adult wasps can drink nectar from is limited because their tongues are typically shorter than those of bees. While choosing native plants is important when you’re creating a habitat that supports beneficial insects, the wasps have an additional request: simple, shallow flowers, please. Plant families with such flower forms include carrot relatives such as rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium) and golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea). Asters and their kin, including goldenrod (Solidago), fleabane (Erigeron), tickseed (Coreopsis) and boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), are also especially attractive to wasps. So are mint family members, including various mountain mints (Pycnanthemum), horsemint (Monarda punctata) and bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), and likewise milkweeds (Asclepias) and their relative dogbane or Indian hemp (Apocynum cannabinum). Oh, and lots of wasps love the color white, as many of those examples underscore. “If you have white and purple prairie clover side by side,” Holm said, “you’ll likely observe wasps preferentially visiting the white flowers.” Remember the restaurant-versus-home analogy, she said, and go ahead: Start planting with wasps in mind. Enhancing the garden with their preferred flowers won’t increase your chances of being stung — and it might make your vegetable garden a more resilient place. Limiting the Risk of Getting Stung No amount of explaining wasps’ role in the order of things or the ecological services they provide will make anyone want the nest of a social wasp along a walkway, under the porch eaves or in any high-traffic area. But what’s the best way to discourage them from stinging — and to avert the near-inevitable human impulse to spray some chemical from a distance to eradicate an established nest, killing all of the individuals in it? Intervene early, Holm advised, to dissuade nest-building in high-risk spots, sparing risk to yourself and to whole colonies, above or underground. “Don’t even think of trying to intervene in August,” she said. One insight toward that end: Yellowjacket females, probably the wasp most often responsible for stinging humans, search out preexisting cavities, like rodent holes in the ground, when they are emerging from winter hibernation in early spring. Try closing up those holes proactively. And if you had a ground-nesting colony in the yard last year, look there first, Holm recommended, because wasps will often search for and initiate a nest near the site of their natal one. Similarly, check eaves, overhangs and birdhouses early and regularly for any sign of the construction of a nest comb, she said, “when maybe there is only an occupant or two involved.” Nest-Building Heroics and Other Tales Holm’s strategy for changing our minds about wasps: to keep telling their stories. Like the one about the great golden digger wasp (Sphex ichneumoneus), whose female may dig only one nest in her lifetime. Still, she puts her all into creating that multicellular burrow in the ground. Using the same vibratory mechanism that bees use in sonication — the buzz pollination of flowers — the female of this thread-waisted species gets to work in a sunny spot with sparse or no vegetation. “They grab hold of clumps of soil or aggregate with their mandibles,” Holm said, “and vibrate their thoracic muscles, making a sound like the dentist’s drill or like a little jackhammer.” Or the black-and-ivory-colored Eastern cicada killer (Sphecius speciosus), one of the largest solitary wasps in eastern North America: Each burrow in her nest must be as much as twice her body width — large enough to accommodate the various species of annual cicadas (not the periodical types) that she stashes inside to sustain her young. As if all that excavating weren’t enough, there is also the matter of transporting a parcel that may be twice her body weight, with occasional stops on the ground to rest along the way. Then there are the species that perform elaborate mating dances and those that stay clasped to their mates to prevent the female from mating with other males. “Just telling one fun or fascinating story about a wasp people have never heard, with this amazing life history, and what a struggle it is for them to produce the next generation,” Holm said, “that might build a little empathy for those species who are just trying to eke out a living in these ecosystems that we have changed, and not always for the better.” The next step on her bucket list, after persuading gardeners to add key wasp-friendly flowering plants to enhance their pollinator plantings beyond the bees’ top choices? She’ll know she has finally succeeded, she said, when she sees evidence on social media that people have moved in close enough to photograph wasps nectaring on the blooms — not just more butterfly photos.

Why you should plant a garden that's wasp-friendly

HIIT- High Intensity Interval Training -- burns more calories in a lesser amount of time. From celebrities to fitness enthusiasts, there's an HIIT workout tailored for all of us. But is it good for everyone in the long run?

HIIT workout is popular across internet but is it good in the long run?

The journey of a theatre exponent demands unwavering discipline and passion. Since time immemorial, committed playwrights, directors and actors have used the medium of theatre to entertain, and also to reflect upon social conflicts and the human condition. At their core, however, lies the urgent need to tell a story.

This World Theatre Day, Zee Theatre is celebrating this very spirit with the theme, “Tales of Theatre.'' This &nbsp;is a tribute to the unbroken chain of narrative journeys that began with oral traditions, grew into street performances and now have spanned across genres and are staged all over the world. &nbsp;

Meet a few Zee Theatre stars whose own creative journeys are full of many unforgettable stories and whose love for theatre has only grown stronger with time. 
&nbsp; 
Aahana Kumra 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Aahana Kumra, the OTT, stage and big screen star says, "For me theatre is the reason why I became an actor. &nbsp;This snapshot is from my first ever sold out show, 'By George' for Motley and it was &nbsp;directed by none other than Naseeruddin Shah. This was my debut on stage as a professional actor and right after this performance, I just went and hugged him, and wept with joy. That was the beginning of a story that I continue to be a part of till date."

<img alt="aahana kumra" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ed090dc8-42f1-4b3e-bf78-6da75da399c8" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/New-177.jpg" />

Himani Shivpuri 
&nbsp; 
Veteran actor Himani Shivpuri, looks back at her journey with &nbsp;wonder and says, "Well, my story began while doing my MSc in Organic Chemistry when I got to know about the National School of Drama and left my academic career &nbsp;to join it. I went on to join the NSD Repertory Company where I did beautiful plays like 'Mitro Marajani', 'Othello', 'Surya Ki Antim Kiran Se Surya Ki Pehli Kiran Tak' and 'Aazar Ka Khwab'. My most&nbsp;memorable role was in 'Mitro Marajani' which was based on Krishna Sobti's Sahitya Award winning novel. Mitro is a very bold character and&nbsp;it was a great challenge to play it. In fact, Krishna Sobti ji embraced me &nbsp;after watching the play and said, "You have brought my Mitro to life.&nbsp;This is how I imagined her to be." I treasure her words and wish more stories like this were written today." &nbsp;

<img alt="himani" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="079f309a-be07-4f81-8f2f-bc32a1a2d034" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/New-176.jpg" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-world-theatre-day-indian-women-artists-creators-on-bringing-the-female-perspective-to-stage-465905">Also read: World Theatre Day: Indian women artists-creators on bringing the female perspective on stage</a> 
&nbsp; 
Dilnaz Irani

Dilnaz Irani, who has made an impact on many mediums, says, "My journey started with my first &nbsp;commercial play, 'I'm Not Bajirao'. Since then, every time I do a play, or perform 'The Vagina Monologues' for the 2000th time, I feel it is part of the same story that began all those years ago. Theatre is a bug, and once you are bitten by it, there is no going back. There is no antidote. I wouldn't give it up for anything in the world. The stage is where I can be myself and live someone else's life, at the same time."

<img alt="dilnaz irani" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0ff3c5ab-56a4-4c1e-9f43-3b8e78547b68" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/New-174.jpg" /> 
&nbsp; 
Rajeev Siddhartha 
&nbsp; 
Rajeev Siddhartha recalls, "My &nbsp;theatre story began was when I was just eight-years-old and we did a play &nbsp;called 'The Stone Soup.' I had to come to the stage, take my jacket off and say my lines. It was , I suppose, the beginning of a life long journey and exploration. Since then I have been fortunate enough to do many plays as a professional actor and I dare say, I am getting to a point where far from being a bundle of nerves before going on stage, I now feel at home whenever I make my entrance. This photograph is from the play 'Aadhe Adhure' where I worked with veterans like Lillete Dubey and Mohan Agashe."

<img alt="rajeev" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e2de8aab-0395-4986-93b3-9c56b224b28f" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/New-175.jpg" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-peace-power-and-the-underlying-theme-of-musical-%E2%80%98aaj-rang-hai%E2%80%99-on-zee-theatre-464809" hreflang="en">Peace, power and the underlying theme of Zee Theatre's musical ‘Aaj Rang Hai’</a>

Karan Veer Mehra

Theatre and television actor Karan Veer Mehra grows nostalgic as he recounts his first brush with theatre and says, "I remember watching a play with my mother as a child and that was my initiation into the magic of art and creativity. I think the need to tell stories is intrinsic to human nature and they have evolved from hunting narratives to where we are now. That is why theatre will never die because as long as we want to tell stories, we will need theatre to be our conduit. This photograph has me with David Lee Strasberg, Creative Director of the Lee Strasberg Theatre &amp; Film Institute and son of Lee Strasberg. I received a certificate of merit from him."

<img alt="karan veer mehra" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4455d529-0e00-4695-a38d-a678fc6ddaaf" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/New-178.jpg" />

The journey of a theatre exponent demands unwavering discipline and passion. Since time immemorial, committed playwrights, directors and actors have used the medium of theatre to entertain, and also to reflect upon social conflicts and the human condition.

The journey of a theatre exponent demands unwavering discipline and passion. Since time immemorial, committed playwrights, directors and actors have used the medium of theatre to entertain, and also to reflect upon social conflicts and the human condition. At their core, however, lies the urgent need to tell a story. This World Theatre Day, Zee Theatre is celebrating this very spirit with the theme, “Tales of Theatre.'' This is a tribute to the unbroken chain of narrative journeys that began with oral traditions, grew into street performances and now have spanned across genres and are staged all over the world. Meet a few Zee Theatre stars whose own creative journeys are full of many unforgettable stories and whose love for theatre has only grown stronger with time. Aahana Kumra Aahana Kumra, the OTT, stage and big screen star says, "For me theatre is the reason why I became an actor. This snapshot is from my first ever sold out show, 'By George' for Motley and it was directed by none other than Naseeruddin Shah. This was my debut on stage as a professional actor and right after this performance, I just went and hugged him, and wept with joy. That was the beginning of a story that I continue to be a part of till date." Himani Shivpuri Veteran actor Himani Shivpuri, looks back at her journey with wonder and says, "Well, my story began while doing my MSc in Organic Chemistry when I got to know about the National School of Drama and left my academic career to join it. I went on to join the NSD Repertory Company where I did beautiful plays like 'Mitro Marajani', 'Othello', 'Surya Ki Antim Kiran Se Surya Ki Pehli Kiran Tak' and 'Aazar Ka Khwab'. My most memorable role was in 'Mitro Marajani' which was based on Krishna Sobti's Sahitya Award winning novel. Mitro is a very bold character and it was a great challenge to play it. In fact, Krishna Sobti ji embraced me after watching the play and said, "You have brought my Mitro to life. This is how I imagined her to be." I treasure her words and wish more stories like this were written today." Also read: World Theatre Day: Indian women artists-creators on bringing the female perspective on stage Dilnaz Irani Dilnaz Irani, who has made an impact on many mediums, says, "My journey started with my first commercial play, 'I'm Not Bajirao'. Since then, every time I do a play, or perform 'The Vagina Monologues' for the 2000th time, I feel it is part of the same story that began all those years ago. Theatre is a bug, and once you are bitten by it, there is no going back. There is no antidote. I wouldn't give it up for anything in the world. The stage is where I can be myself and live someone else's life, at the same time." Rajeev Siddhartha Rajeev Siddhartha recalls, "My theatre story began was when I was just eight-years-old and we did a play called 'The Stone Soup.' I had to come to the stage, take my jacket off and say my lines. It was , I suppose, the beginning of a life long journey and exploration. Since then I have been fortunate enough to do many plays as a professional actor and I dare say, I am getting to a point where far from being a bundle of nerves before going on stage, I now feel at home whenever I make my entrance. This photograph is from the play 'Aadhe Adhure' where I worked with veterans like Lillete Dubey and Mohan Agashe." Peace, power and the underlying theme of Zee Theatre's musical ‘Aaj Rang Hai’ Karan Veer Mehra Theatre and television actor Karan Veer Mehra grows nostalgic as he recounts his first brush with theatre and says, "I remember watching a play with my mother as a child and that was my initiation into the magic of art and creativity. I think the need to tell stories is intrinsic to human nature and they have evolved from hunting narratives to where we are now. That is why theatre will never die because as long as we want to tell stories, we will need theatre to be our conduit. This photograph has me with David Lee Strasberg, Creative Director of the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute and son of Lee Strasberg. I received a certificate of merit from him."

On World Theatre Day, peek into the creative journeys of Aahana Kumra, Himani Shivpuri & more

Theatre has always remained a favourite of those who enjoy community watching. The thrill of sitting in an auditorium and watching characters perform live for your pleasure, is something that hasn’t lost its charm even today. While the post-pandemic world has put challenges towards those involved with the artistry of it all, the art is much appreciated even now if not more.&nbsp;

On World Theatre Day on March 27, we take a look at the emerging bond between women creators and artists in India’s theatre space. While there are ample numbers of powerful female protagonists in classical theatrical masterpieces that we have loved to indulge in, here’s taking a look at how over time, Indian women dramatists, directors, and playwrights have made their mark on contemporary Indian theatre. Names like Qurratulain Hyder, MK Binodini Devi, Vijaya Mehta, Nadira Babbar, Nuggehalli Pankaja, Manjula Padmanabhan, and many more have filtered personal and social narratives through the female gaze.&nbsp;

On World Theatre Day, Zee Theatre stars who also happen to be women speak to WION on how theatre is being enriched by the female perspective.&nbsp;

Well-known theatre, film, and television actor Dilnaz Irani says, "To begin with, I think theatre is much more advanced in terms of gender diversity, than films and has been for a long time. It is only in the recent past that the film industry has started giving women their due in stories and has seen the emergence of powerful women directors. In theatre, we have had influential actors and directors like Shernaz &nbsp;Patel and Ratna Pathak doing incredible work for a long time and women have been performing various roles in theatre from writing, producing, direction and costume styling, etc."

<img alt="dilnaz irani" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c6f976a5-eb64-49f3-9b11-15459e2f1ea2" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/New-172.jpg" />

<h6>Dilnaz Irani in the play Shireen Shah</h6>

&nbsp;

She believes a woman at the helm does make a difference to the narrative and says, "That's a different kind of empowerment. A man will obviously have a completely different perspective towards a story but today, the voice of a woman is being heard too. &nbsp;I've been lucky to work with a lot of women writers and directors. Eve Ensler's 'The Vagina Stories' for instance, is a play by women, for women and we have performed it all over the world. Today, I see so many one-woman plays in India which are power-packed and free-spirited. I feel lucky to be a part of this movement as it unfolds."

Veteran actor Himani Shivpuri feels, with the advent of &nbsp;OTT platforms, makers are increasingly choosing women-led stories. In theatre though, she feels, there has always been space for such stories though things could be better. "More diversity in story-telling is a good thing. One of my most memorable performances was in Krishna Sobti's 'Mitro Marajani' and it would be great if more such characters find their way into contemporary Indian theatre,” she says.

<img alt="himani" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0b84f8db-ed0d-4b48-8da6-88f5121b6238" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/New-171_0.jpg" />

<h6>Himani Shivpuri from play Hamidbai ki Kothi</h6>

&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-reinventing-bharatnatyam-one-film-at-a-time-savitha-sastry-and-her-vision-for-the-classical-art-form-464234" hreflang="en">Reinventing Bharatnatyam, one film at a time: Savitha Sastry and her vision for the classical art form</a>

Purva Naresh, one of the most prolific and successful theatre exponents in India agrees and says, "The male gaze is dissipating if not disappearing. We are getting more stories where women are not just playing the role of a protagonist but expressing concerns about their identity, needs, and desires. Today, shifting from the heteronormative narrative to a more inclusive perspective is balancing the gender disparity overall but stories about women can't be coming from a male gaze. This practically dictates how characters will be written to fit into market demands and will end up underscoring &nbsp;the deep-rooted conditioning of the audience." Her play 'Ladies Sangeet' on Zee theatre hence takes a different route and is a counterpoint to the romanticisation of the Great Indian Wedding and the idea of marriage as a social institution.&nbsp;

<img alt="purva naresh" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a1da8a33-1473-48b8-b377-c9633a9fc541" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/New-169.jpg" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-peace-power-and-the-underlying-theme-of-musical-%E2%80%98aaj-rang-hai%E2%80%99-on-zee-theatre-464809" hreflang="en">Peace, power and the underlying theme of Zee Theatre's musical ‘Aaj Rang Hai’</a>

Actor Smita Bansal who ventured recently into script-writing with the play 'Hello Zindagi' says the token representation of women characters in stories no longer works and they must have something substantial to do. She says, "I did not play safe with this play. I tried to focus on diverse female characters and gave equal importance to each one's story because every woman is unique."&nbsp;

<img alt="smita bansal" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1e7c3390-6c6c-41f3-8753-33a786b48f43" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/New-170.jpg" />

Women are finally writing their own stories and taking up more space than ever before in theatre and this, as Dilnaz Irani says, is empowerment with a difference.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-taking-indian-fashion-to-high-streets-of-paris-milan-masoom-minawalas-success-story-465449" hreflang="en">Taking Indian fashion to high streets of Paris, Milan: Masoom Minawala's success story</a>

Theatre has always remained a favourite of those who enjoy community watching. The thrill of sitting in an auditorium and watching characters perform live for your pleasure, is something that hasn’t lost its charm even today.

Theatre has always remained a favourite of those who enjoy community watching. The thrill of sitting in an auditorium and watching characters perform live for your pleasure, is something that hasn’t lost its charm even today. While the post-pandemic world has put challenges towards those involved with the artistry of it all, the art is much appreciated even now if not more. On World Theatre Day on March 27, we take a look at the emerging bond between women creators and artists in India’s theatre space. While there are ample numbers of powerful female protagonists in classical theatrical masterpieces that we have loved to indulge in, here’s taking a look at how over time, Indian women dramatists, directors, and playwrights have made their mark on contemporary Indian theatre. Names like Qurratulain Hyder, MK Binodini Devi, Vijaya Mehta, Nadira Babbar, Nuggehalli Pankaja, Manjula Padmanabhan, and many more have filtered personal and social narratives through the female gaze. On World Theatre Day, Zee Theatre stars who also happen to be women speak to WION on how theatre is being enriched by the female perspective. Well-known theatre, film, and television actor Dilnaz Irani says, "To begin with, I think theatre is much more advanced in terms of gender diversity, than films and has been for a long time. It is only in the recent past that the film industry has started giving women their due in stories and has seen the emergence of powerful women directors. In theatre, we have had influential actors and directors like Shernaz Patel and Ratna Pathak doing incredible work for a long time and women have been performing various roles in theatre from writing, producing, direction and costume styling, etc." Dilnaz Irani in the play Shireen Shah She believes a woman at the helm does make a difference to the narrative and says, "That's a different kind of empowerment. A man will obviously have a completely different perspective towards a story but today, the voice of a woman is being heard too. I've been lucky to work with a lot of women writers and directors. Eve Ensler's 'The Vagina Stories' for instance, is a play by women, for women and we have performed it all over the world. Today, I see so many one-woman plays in India which are power-packed and free-spirited. I feel lucky to be a part of this movement as it unfolds." Veteran actor Himani Shivpuri feels, with the advent of OTT platforms, makers are increasingly choosing women-led stories. In theatre though, she feels, there has always been space for such stories though things could be better. "More diversity in story-telling is a good thing. One of my most memorable performances was in Krishna Sobti's 'Mitro Marajani' and it would be great if more such characters find their way into contemporary Indian theatre,” she says. Himani Shivpuri from play Hamidbai ki Kothi Also read: Reinventing Bharatnatyam, one film at a time: Savitha Sastry and her vision for the classical art form Purva Naresh, one of the most prolific and successful theatre exponents in India agrees and says, "The male gaze is dissipating if not disappearing. We are getting more stories where women are not just playing the role of a protagonist but expressing concerns about their identity, needs, and desires. Today, shifting from the heteronormative narrative to a more inclusive perspective is balancing the gender disparity overall but stories about women can't be coming from a male gaze. This practically dictates how characters will be written to fit into market demands and will end up underscoring the deep-rooted conditioning of the audience." Her play 'Ladies Sangeet' on Zee theatre hence takes a different route and is a counterpoint to the romanticisation of the Great Indian Wedding and the idea of marriage as a social institution. Peace, power and the underlying theme of Zee Theatre's musical ‘Aaj Rang Hai’ Actor Smita Bansal who ventured recently into script-writing with the play 'Hello Zindagi' says the token representation of women characters in stories no longer works and they must have something substantial to do. She says, "I did not play safe with this play. I tried to focus on diverse female characters and gave equal importance to each one's story because every woman is unique." Women are finally writing their own stories and taking up more space than ever before in theatre and this, as Dilnaz Irani says, is empowerment with a difference. Also read: Taking Indian fashion to high streets of Paris, Milan: Masoom Minawala's success story

World Theatre Day: Indian women artists-creators on bringing the female perspective on stage

Crowding, confrontations and full-on attacks. Japan's many train fans are mostly mild-mannered enthusiasts passionate about the country's famed rail system, but a small group is gaining surprising notoriety.

Japan's railway system has long inspired envy around the world, with its famed punctuality, cutting-edge technology and meticulous timetables.

So it's no surprise that the country is home to a diverse landscape of train buffs, from those who enjoy poring over timetables to others who adore and even record the rumbling sound of passing trains.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-temperatures-drop-japan-asks-public-to-save-power-warns-of-blackouts-in-plea-464559">As temperatures drop, Japan asks public to save power, warns of blackouts in plea</a>

Perhaps the best-known group, however, is a tribe dubbed "toritetsu" (train photographers), who strive to take perfect photos of approaching trains.&nbsp;

They have been around for decades, but in recent years, reports of shouting matches, trespassing and even violence at stations have turned toritetsu into the bad boys of Japanese trainspotting.

Some argue the out-of-control behaviour isn't entirely new, citing frenzied farewells for retiring steam locomotives in the 1960s and '70s.

But recent incidents, including the harassment of a photobombing cyclist and an assault that left a teen with a fractured skull last year, have some enthusiasts worried.

"The manners have gotten worse for sure," lamented septuagenarian Masao Oda, who has been taking train photos for about 50 years.

I love everything about trains

It's an uncomfortable feeling for toritetsu like 27-year-old Akira Takahashi.

"People now point fingers at me," said Takahashi, whose fondest obsession is the EF66 electric locomotive model, which he describes as his "idol".

"The negative image of us now prevails... I don't want to be lumped together with some of us who are causing trouble."&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-modi-and-japans-kishida-discuss-china-and-ukraine-conflict-463860">India’s Modi and Japan’s Kishida discussed China and Ukraine conflict: Shringla</a>

Most fans are more like 19-year-old Ryunosuke Takagai, a university student who has been known to get up at five in the morning to document his passion and sometimes takes on part-time factory work to finance his hobby.

"I love everything about trains -- their sound, their atmosphere," he told AFP.

"That moment when you succeed in capturing the train you'd spent hours waiting for is truly fulfilling," he said.

The increasingly raucous behaviour of some toritetsu may be driven by their pursuit of the perfect photo, according to Jun Umehara, a freelance railway journalist formerly at one of Japan's top train magazines.

He says factors including fewer "retiring" trains and more urban development mean hobbyist photographers are squeezed into smaller spaces as they chase their dream pictures.

"Every train has its last moment, which, for them, is the last missing piece of the puzzle they need to make their photo collection complete," he said.

"The idea of missing that final piece is almost unbearable for them," added Umehara.

"Hence the desperation."&nbsp;

No longer 'the enemy

Housing development over the years has also seen some old shooting spots razed, making it even harder for toritetsu to emulate the "impeccable" train photos they grew up admiring.&nbsp;

The images, featured by Japan's niche railway magazines with their devoted toritetsu readership, are often taken with a clear view of trains -- devoid of obstacles like fences, trees and passengers.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/japan-pm-fumio-kishida-announces-42-billion-investment-in-india-463849">Japan PM Fumio Kishida announces $42 billion investment in India</a>

"But imitating these exemplary photos in real-life situations is almost impossible," Umehara said. "And yet, that's what they're after."

The community of train fans encompasses a diverse group of enthusiasts, including "noritetsu", who simply enjoy riding on trains, "ekibentetsu", who focus on the ekiben bentos -- boxed meals sold at trains stations, and "soshikitetsu," so-called "mourners" of retiring trains.

Nationwide, there were an estimated five million train fans -- from casual to hardcore -- in 2015, according to Nobuaki Takada, a senior consultant at Tokyo-based firm NRI Social Information System Services.

And encroaching toritetsu have become an increasing problem for rail operators, which have often responded with heavier security.

But last year, industry behemoth East Japan Railway Company, commonly known as JR East, changed tack and launched an official fan club for train enthusiasts.

"Toritetsu can actually be counted on to take beautiful pictures of our trains and promote them on the internet," said Yusuke Yamamoto, an official with subsidiary JR East Start UP Co.

"So instead of treating them as our enemy, we wanted to build a good relationship with them through this fan community."&nbsp;

He wants to see the community overcome&nbsp;the stigma associated with its fringe elements, citing the way anime and manga obsessives have become more mainstream and less socially isolated in Japan.

"Toritetsu is a culture, and I hope its image will change," Yamamoto said.

Watch |&nbsp;Japan's Suzuki to invest $1.4 BN in India to boost EV infrastructure

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Crowding, confrontations and full-on attacks. Japan's many train fans are mostly mild-mannered enthusiasts passionate about the country's famed rail system, but a small group is gaining surprising notoriety.

Crowding, confrontations and full-on attacks. Japan's many train fans are mostly mild-mannered enthusiasts passionate about the country's famed rail system, but a small group is gaining surprising notoriety. Japan's railway system has long inspired envy around the world, with its famed punctuality, cutting-edge technology and meticulous timetables. So it's no surprise that the country is home to a diverse landscape of train buffs, from those who enjoy poring over timetables to others who adore and even record the rumbling sound of passing trains. Also read | As temperatures drop, Japan asks public to save power, warns of blackouts in plea Perhaps the best-known group, however, is a tribe dubbed "toritetsu" (train photographers), who strive to take perfect photos of approaching trains. They have been around for decades, but in recent years, reports of shouting matches, trespassing and even violence at stations have turned toritetsu into the bad boys of Japanese trainspotting. Some argue the out-of-control behaviour isn't entirely new, citing frenzied farewells for retiring steam locomotives in the 1960s and '70s. But recent incidents, including the harassment of a photobombing cyclist and an assault that left a teen with a fractured skull last year, have some enthusiasts worried. "The manners have gotten worse for sure," lamented septuagenarian Masao Oda, who has been taking train photos for about 50 years. I love everything about trains It's an uncomfortable feeling for toritetsu like 27-year-old Akira Takahashi. "People now point fingers at me," said Takahashi, whose fondest obsession is the EF66 electric locomotive model, which he describes as his "idol". "The negative image of us now prevails... I don't want to be lumped together with some of us who are causing trouble." Also read | India’s Modi and Japan’s Kishida discussed China and Ukraine conflict: Shringla Most fans are more like 19-year-old Ryunosuke Takagai, a university student who has been known to get up at five in the morning to document his passion and sometimes takes on part-time factory work to finance his hobby. "I love everything about trains -- their sound, their atmosphere," he told AFP. "That moment when you succeed in capturing the train you'd spent hours waiting for is truly fulfilling," he said. The increasingly raucous behaviour of some toritetsu may be driven by their pursuit of the perfect photo, according to Jun Umehara, a freelance railway journalist formerly at one of Japan's top train magazines. He says factors including fewer "retiring" trains and more urban development mean hobbyist photographers are squeezed into smaller spaces as they chase their dream pictures. "Every train has its last moment, which, for them, is the last missing piece of the puzzle they need to make their photo collection complete," he said. "The idea of missing that final piece is almost unbearable for them," added Umehara. "Hence the desperation." No longer 'the enemy Housing development over the years has also seen some old shooting spots razed, making it even harder for toritetsu to emulate the "impeccable" train photos they grew up admiring. The images, featured by Japan's niche railway magazines with their devoted toritetsu readership, are often taken with a clear view of trains -- devoid of obstacles like fences, trees and passengers. Also read | Japan PM Fumio Kishida announces $42 billion investment in India "But imitating these exemplary photos in real-life situations is almost impossible," Umehara said. "And yet, that's what they're after." The community of train fans encompasses a diverse group of enthusiasts, including "noritetsu", who simply enjoy riding on trains, "ekibentetsu", who focus on the ekiben bentos -- boxed meals sold at trains stations, and "soshikitetsu," so-called "mourners" of retiring trains. Nationwide, there were an estimated five million train fans -- from casual to hardcore -- in 2015, according to Nobuaki Takada, a senior consultant at Tokyo-based firm NRI Social Information System Services. And encroaching toritetsu have become an increasing problem for rail operators, which have often responded with heavier security. But last year, industry behemoth East Japan Railway Company, commonly known as JR East, changed tack and launched an official fan club for train enthusiasts. "Toritetsu can actually be counted on to take beautiful pictures of our trains and promote them on the internet," said Yusuke Yamamoto, an official with subsidiary JR East Start UP Co. "So instead of treating them as our enemy, we wanted to build a good relationship with them through this fan community." He wants to see the community overcome the stigma associated with its fringe elements, citing the way anime and manga obsessives have become more mainstream and less socially isolated in Japan. "Toritetsu is a culture, and I hope its image will change," Yamamoto said. Watch | Japan's Suzuki to invest $1.4 BN in India to boost EV infrastructure

Japan's hardcore train fans accused of going off the rails

Do you have an extreme lifestyle? Do you go on extreme diets for weeks, and then 'cheat' a week. Do you grab a drink the moment you land on holiday and detox after returning? Palki Sharma Upadhyay brings you an eyeopener about living on the edge.

Gravitas Plus: Do you alternate between binging and dieting? Watch this

Helen McLaughlin says she was suffering so much that she would burn herself with a hot bottle "just because that was a nicer pain than the one that I was in".

But when her medical scans kept coming back clear, the doctors in London made her feel like "there's nothing wrong with me -- it's in your head."

Her story will be familiar to millions because the disease plaguing her -- endometriosis -- is suffered by one in 10 women worldwide.

But endometriosis is so under-researched, and often takes so long to be properly diagnosed, that it has come to symbolise how illnesses that only affect women have long been ignored by a historically male-focused medical establishment.

McLaughlin was 16 when she had her first symptoms of endometriosis, where the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus instead grows on the outside.

When she told her GP in Britain that she was having her period every other week, he prescribed her the pill.

When she was 25 -- nearly a decade after that first misdiagnosis -- she started getting increasing pain after her period -- "a quite intense pulling feeling in my tummy".

A year later it had spread to her legs and she was "in pain 24 hours a day, seven days a week".

"I had difficulty walking in and out of hospital, I couldn't work, I was put on 25 tablets a day -- just pain management."

Change only came when a friend of hers said they had heard of another person with similar symptoms who had endometriosis.&nbsp;

However when McLaughlin mentioned endometriosis at her hospital, "they were really dismissive" and she was again discharged with painkillers.

"I ended up writing a three-page letter to the general surgeon just begging him" for the surgery to search for endometriosis, which neither scans nor blood tests can conclusively detect.

"That's how I got diagnosed."

- Not a 'pink sparkly day' -

Now 37 and living in London, McLaughlin said International Women's Day, on Tuesday, "can't be seen as this -- to use the stereotype -- pink sparkly day".

"It's a day that needs to be taken seriously, because there is so much that affects women that just isn't addressed in the male world."

A 2020 British parliamentary report found that women with endometriosis waited an average of eight years for a diagnosis, despite more than half seeing the doctor over 10 times with symptoms.

A 2019 analysis of studies in the US showed it is even more difficult for women of colour to get diagnosed with endometriosis.

British feminist cultural historian Elinor Cleghorn has a similar story to McLaughlin.

When pain gripped her from "hip to ankle", her family GP said he couldn't see anything wrong with her, speculating it was gout.

"Might I ask if an attractive young woman such as yourself might be pregnant?" the doctor asked Cleghorn, according to her 2021 book "Unwell Women: Misdiagnosis and Myth in a Man-Made World."

When informed that she was on the pill, the doctor concluded, "It's probably just your hormones."

After a decade of pain and frustration, a rheumatologist finally discovered the real cause: lupus.

- Women help men first -

French neurobiologist Catherine Vidal said the "so-called 'nature' of women, the representations of them as weak creatures, have long permeated medicine".

Woman and girls are significantly more likely to suffer from depression than men and boys, according to the World Health Organization.

Again, hormones have been traditionally blamed.&nbsp;

But the WHO said gender norms that resulted in women having less autonomy, while carrying greater societal expectation, was to blame -- as well as the trauma some carry as victims of gender-based harassment and violence.

Claire Mounier-Vehier, a cardiologist at the University Hospital of Lille, said another problem was that "women feel less concerned about their own health and often put it second to their family or work".

A French survey showed women called an ambulance an average of 15 minutes later than men when having a heart attack.

A 2019 European Society of Cardiology study also found that "women call an ambulance for husbands, fathers and brothers with heart attack symptoms but not for themselves".

"We have to stop believing that when a man collapses, he is having a cardiac arrest but that when it's a woman, it's a fainting spell," Mounier-Vehier said.

Helen McLaughlin says she was suffering so much that she would burn herself with a hot bottle "just because that was a nicer pain than the one that I was in". But when her medical scans kept coming back clear, the doctors in London made her feel like "there's nothing wrong with me -- it's in your head.

Helen McLaughlin says she was suffering so much that she would burn herself with a hot bottle "just because that was a nicer pain than the one that I was in". But when her medical scans kept coming back clear, the doctors in London made her feel like "there's nothing wrong with me -- it's in your head." Her story will be familiar to millions because the disease plaguing her -- endometriosis -- is suffered by one in 10 women worldwide. But endometriosis is so under-researched, and often takes so long to be properly diagnosed, that it has come to symbolise how illnesses that only affect women have long been ignored by a historically male-focused medical establishment. McLaughlin was 16 when she had her first symptoms of endometriosis, where the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus instead grows on the outside. When she told her GP in Britain that she was having her period every other week, he prescribed her the pill. When she was 25 -- nearly a decade after that first misdiagnosis -- she started getting increasing pain after her period -- "a quite intense pulling feeling in my tummy". A year later it had spread to her legs and she was "in pain 24 hours a day, seven days a week". "I had difficulty walking in and out of hospital, I couldn't work, I was put on 25 tablets a day -- just pain management." Change only came when a friend of hers said they had heard of another person with similar symptoms who had endometriosis. However when McLaughlin mentioned endometriosis at her hospital, "they were really dismissive" and she was again discharged with painkillers. "I ended up writing a three-page letter to the general surgeon just begging him" for the surgery to search for endometriosis, which neither scans nor blood tests can conclusively detect. "That's how I got diagnosed." - Not a 'pink sparkly day' - Now 37 and living in London, McLaughlin said International Women's Day, on Tuesday, "can't be seen as this -- to use the stereotype -- pink sparkly day". "It's a day that needs to be taken seriously, because there is so much that affects women that just isn't addressed in the male world." A 2020 British parliamentary report found that women with endometriosis waited an average of eight years for a diagnosis, despite more than half seeing the doctor over 10 times with symptoms. A 2019 analysis of studies in the US showed it is even more difficult for women of colour to get diagnosed with endometriosis. British feminist cultural historian Elinor Cleghorn has a similar story to McLaughlin. When pain gripped her from "hip to ankle", her family GP said he couldn't see anything wrong with her, speculating it was gout. "Might I ask if an attractive young woman such as yourself might be pregnant?" the doctor asked Cleghorn, according to her 2021 book "Unwell Women: Misdiagnosis and Myth in a Man-Made World." When informed that she was on the pill, the doctor concluded, "It's probably just your hormones." After a decade of pain and frustration, a rheumatologist finally discovered the real cause: lupus. - Women help men first - French neurobiologist Catherine Vidal said the "so-called 'nature' of women, the representations of them as weak creatures, have long permeated medicine". Woman and girls are significantly more likely to suffer from depression than men and boys, according to the World Health Organization. Again, hormones have been traditionally blamed. But the WHO said gender norms that resulted in women having less autonomy, while carrying greater societal expectation, was to blame -- as well as the trauma some carry as victims of gender-based harassment and violence. Claire Mounier-Vehier, a cardiologist at the University Hospital of Lille, said another problem was that "women feel less concerned about their own health and often put it second to their family or work". A French survey showed women called an ambulance an average of 15 minutes later than men when having a heart attack. A 2019 European Society of Cardiology study also found that "women call an ambulance for husbands, fathers and brothers with heart attack symptoms but not for themselves". "We have to stop believing that when a man collapses, he is having a cardiac arrest but that when it's a woman, it's a fainting spell," Mounier-Vehier said.

'Probably just hormones': Women's illnesses going undiagnosed

Climate Change is real and scientists along with activists have been saying that we are not doing enough to save the only planet we have. For many of us, the situation is tricky as they want to join the fight to save planet Earth but they don't know how or where to start. This study may help them start on their journey to save our home.

The study has been carried out by Leeds University and the data for the study has been analysed by experts at Arup, a global engineering firm and C40 group of world cities.

The study has found that adopting six behavioural changes by citizens in well-off nations may go a long way in arresting climate change. A new climate movement has also sprung up based on this.

The Jump, as the climate movement is called is asking those who sign up do these six things.&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Eating&nbsp;a largely plant-based diet with big portions and ensuring no waste.</li>
	<li>Buying no more than three clothing items in a year.</li>
	<li>Using electrical products for at least seven years.</li>
	<li>Taking only one short-distance flight in three years and a long-distance flight in eight years.</li>
	<li>Getting rid of personal motor vehicles. If this is not possible, keep using the same vehicle for long period.</li>
	<li>Making a considerable effort to nudge the system, like using green energy</li>
</ul>

Tom Bailey, co-founder of the campaign said: “This ends once and for all the debate about whether citizens can have a role in protecting our earth. We don’t have time to wait for one group to act, we need ‘all action from all actors now’. He was quoted by The Guardian. 
&nbsp;

Climate Change is real and scientists along with activists have been saying that we are not doing enough to save the only planet we have. For many of us, the situation is tricky as they want to join the fight to save planet Earth but they don't know how or where to start.

Climate Change is real and scientists along with activists have been saying that we are not doing enough to save the only planet we have. For many of us, the situation is tricky as they want to join the fight to save planet Earth but they don't know how or where to start. This study may help them start on their journey to save our home. The study has been carried out by Leeds University and the data for the study has been analysed by experts at Arup, a global engineering firm and C40 group of world cities. The study has found that adopting six behavioural changes by citizens in well-off nations may go a long way in arresting climate change. A new climate movement has also sprung up based on this. The Jump, as the climate movement is called is asking those who sign up do these six things. Eating a largely plant-based diet with big portions and ensuring no waste. Buying no more than three clothing items in a year. Using electrical products for at least seven years. Taking only one short-distance flight in three years and a long-distance flight in eight years. Getting rid of personal motor vehicles. If this is not possible, keep using the same vehicle for long period. Making a considerable effort to nudge the system, like using green energy Tom Bailey, co-founder of the campaign said: “This ends once and for all the debate about whether citizens can have a role in protecting our earth. We don’t have time to wait for one group to act, we need ‘all action from all actors now’. He was quoted by The Guardian.

These six lifestyle changes will make you an eco-warrior, says study

People can now help in preventing climate crisis by making certain changes in their lifestyles. A research from three leading institutions has revealed that people from rich countries can help in preventing climate crisis by making certain lifestyle changes.

People can now help in preventing climate crisis by making certain changes in their lifestyles. A research from three leading institutions has revealed that people from rich countries can help in preventing climate crisis by making certain lifestyle changes. The study was carried out by researchers at Leeds University. It was then analysed by experts at the global engineering firm Arup and the C40 group of world cities. Published recently, the study was carried along with the launch of a new climate movement. The aim was to support relatively well off people to sign up to the six pledges. Also read | Prices of premium perfumes are skyrocketing. Here’s why Named as 'The Jump', the campaign urges people to take six “shifts” for one, three or six months. Here is a list of changes that the campaign needs: Eating a plant-based diet, with healthy portions and no waste Buy just three new items of clothing per year Take just one short-haul flight every three years and one long haul flight every eight years Use one electrical product for at least seven years Get rid of personal motor vehicles or use your existing vehicle for longer Make at least one life shift, for instance moving to green energy or changing pension supplier Tom Bailey, co-founder of the campaign, in a report by The Guardian said, "This ends once and for all the debate about whether citizens can have a role in protecting our earth. We don’t have time to wait for one group to act, we need ‘all action from all actors now’.” “The research is clear that governments and the private sector have the largest role to play but it is also equally clear from our analysis that individuals and communities can make a huge difference.” (With inputs from agencies)

Here is how people can fight climate change by making these six lifestyle changes

If you’ve slept, perchance you have dreamed about an ex and woken up wondering, “What was that&nbsp;all about?”

The good news for chronic analysers: An intense dream about a person you cared about months or even decades ago doesn’t mean you’re secretly pining for them. Deirdre Barrett, a dream researcher at Harvard University and author of “Pandemic Dreams” and “The Committee of Sleep,” who has a doctorate in clinical psychology, said a number of factors can spark a dream about an ex-partner.

“Triggers can include an anniversary of a death or a breakup or a divorce decree,” she said. “But dreams can also be a reaction to how we feel about our present relationships.”

Instead of looking at dreams about exes as a sign of still being hung up on them or as a signal to look them up on social media, Barrett said to think of them as a chance to examine your current emotions and how you’re coping with them.

“The whole idea that we process deaths or breakups in an ‘all or nothing’ way is deceptive,” Barrett said. “Life is a continuous ‘getting over it.’ These things never fully disappear.”

Here, Barrett and another expert parse the takeaways from three such dreams. To protect the privacy of both parties, we are using first names only for the dreamers and not naming their exes.

An ex-spouse reappears

Andrew, 47, had been divorced for three years when he had a dream about his ex-wife that stuck with him. At the time, Andrew, who is now in another relationship, had been considering reaching out to his ex, to whom he had been married for 10 years, to catch up.

In the dream, he was meeting his sister at his parents’ house for dinner, and they arrived to find his ex-wife in the backyard, sitting calmly at a picnic table. He and his family then went inside the house and looked through a window at his ex-wife.

Andrew said he woke up feeling like he had “dodged a bullet,” and later decided that contacting his ex would be a bad idea.

That Andrew’s dream provided enough insight to change his course of action, Barrett said, supports what is commonly known as continuity hypothesis: A theory that states that anxieties in our dreams may mirror the ones in our waking life.

“He said he’d been thinking it might be reasonable and even pleasant to start getting together with his ex occasionally,” she said. “But something in his dream made him abandon this plan.”

Ian Wallace, a psychologist in Inverness, Scotland, and author of “Decode Your Dreams: Unlock Your Unconscious and Transform Your Waking Life,” was struck by the placid imagery: the calm face of Andrew’s ex and the picnic table.

“The picnic table could symbolize that he now has the opportunity to make things easier and more pleasant for himself,” he said.

Tap dancing for attention

Five years after Zach, 31, broke up with his on-and-off girlfriend of three years in 2014 because of issues related to dating long-distance, he had a dream about them meeting at what Zach described as a “magic academy,” like the one in the TV series “The Magicians.”

The two were on a great lawn, and Zach heard an old phonograph playing what he said might have been a love song in the distance. He began to tap dance, hoping his ex-girlfriend would see him, but she had fallen asleep on a blanket.

Later, he was in a room inside the academy. “All of the rooms are locked by a magical spell that can only be broken by the occupant of the room,” Zach said. When he heard a knock on the door, he opened it to find his ex-girlfriend there.

Zach, who is in another relationship, said he rarely dreams about his ex-girlfriend and that he woke up wishing that he was at the magical academy.

According to Barrett, “each room being locked with a spell only its occupant can break” could be associated with the issues that Zach and his ex faced by dating long-distance. That Zach woke up wishing he was at the academy could suggest an openness to reconnecting. “I wouldn’t be amazed to see this dreamer give it” another chance, she said.

The dream’s mystical quality, Wallace said, suggests that Zach is seeking a perfect relationship. “In waking life, we can sometimes delude ourselves with magical thinking as we try to idealise a romantic relationship rather than engaging with practicalities,” he said.

Rekindling a relationship

Right around the start of the pandemic, Justy, 34, said she started having one or two dreams a month about her ex-husband, whom she divorced in 2014 after two years of marriage.

In one dream, Justy, who is currently single, arrived at a hotel in the area where her ex grew up. There, she discovered that he was getting married to someone else. Soon she was surrounded by his family and friends, who told her that they wished it was her and him getting married again. Then, Justy and her ex were somewhere else, alone. He was holding her and saying that he wanted to be with her.

Justy said the dream stayed with her because of how emotional it felt, despite the fact that she and her ex-husband no longer share romantic feelings.

“I think a big part of why these dreams started during the pandemic is there’s this nostalgia for when I was married,” she said. “I really liked where my life was at and where my career was going.”

The past two years have changed so much about our lives that past relationships may have an added appeal because new ones are harder to imagine, said Barrett. The dream may be more about a nostalgia for a time that her ex represents, rather than the person himself.

“Past relationships may have an added appeal as brand-new ones are harder to initiate right now” because of the pandemic, she said.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

If you’ve slept, perchance you have dreamed about an ex and woken up wondering, “What was that all about?” The good news for chronic analysers: An intense dream about a person you cared about months or even decades ago doesn’t mean you’re secretly pining for them.

If you’ve slept, perchance you have dreamed about an ex and woken up wondering, “What was that all about?” The good news for chronic analysers: An intense dream about a person you cared about months or even decades ago doesn’t mean you’re secretly pining for them. Deirdre Barrett, a dream researcher at Harvard University and author of “Pandemic Dreams” and “The Committee of Sleep,” who has a doctorate in clinical psychology, said a number of factors can spark a dream about an ex-partner. “Triggers can include an anniversary of a death or a breakup or a divorce decree,” she said. “But dreams can also be a reaction to how we feel about our present relationships.” Instead of looking at dreams about exes as a sign of still being hung up on them or as a signal to look them up on social media, Barrett said to think of them as a chance to examine your current emotions and how you’re coping with them. “The whole idea that we process deaths or breakups in an ‘all or nothing’ way is deceptive,” Barrett said. “Life is a continuous ‘getting over it.’ These things never fully disappear.” Here, Barrett and another expert parse the takeaways from three such dreams. To protect the privacy of both parties, we are using first names only for the dreamers and not naming their exes. An ex-spouse reappears Andrew, 47, had been divorced for three years when he had a dream about his ex-wife that stuck with him. At the time, Andrew, who is now in another relationship, had been considering reaching out to his ex, to whom he had been married for 10 years, to catch up. In the dream, he was meeting his sister at his parents’ house for dinner, and they arrived to find his ex-wife in the backyard, sitting calmly at a picnic table. He and his family then went inside the house and looked through a window at his ex-wife. Andrew said he woke up feeling like he had “dodged a bullet,” and later decided that contacting his ex would be a bad idea. That Andrew’s dream provided enough insight to change his course of action, Barrett said, supports what is commonly known as continuity hypothesis: A theory that states that anxieties in our dreams may mirror the ones in our waking life. “He said he’d been thinking it might be reasonable and even pleasant to start getting together with his ex occasionally,” she said. “But something in his dream made him abandon this plan.” Ian Wallace, a psychologist in Inverness, Scotland, and author of “Decode Your Dreams: Unlock Your Unconscious and Transform Your Waking Life,” was struck by the placid imagery: the calm face of Andrew’s ex and the picnic table. “The picnic table could symbolize that he now has the opportunity to make things easier and more pleasant for himself,” he said. Tap dancing for attention Five years after Zach, 31, broke up with his on-and-off girlfriend of three years in 2014 because of issues related to dating long-distance, he had a dream about them meeting at what Zach described as a “magic academy,” like the one in the TV series “The Magicians.” The two were on a great lawn, and Zach heard an old phonograph playing what he said might have been a love song in the distance. He began to tap dance, hoping his ex-girlfriend would see him, but she had fallen asleep on a blanket. Later, he was in a room inside the academy. “All of the rooms are locked by a magical spell that can only be broken by the occupant of the room,” Zach said. When he heard a knock on the door, he opened it to find his ex-girlfriend there. Zach, who is in another relationship, said he rarely dreams about his ex-girlfriend and that he woke up wishing that he was at the magical academy. According to Barrett, “each room being locked with a spell only its occupant can break” could be associated with the issues that Zach and his ex faced by dating long-distance. That Zach woke up wishing he was at the academy could suggest an openness to reconnecting. “I wouldn’t be amazed to see this dreamer give it” another chance, she said. The dream’s mystical quality, Wallace said, suggests that Zach is seeking a perfect relationship. “In waking life, we can sometimes delude ourselves with magical thinking as we try to idealise a romantic relationship rather than engaging with practicalities,” he said. Rekindling a relationship Right around the start of the pandemic, Justy, 34, said she started having one or two dreams a month about her ex-husband, whom she divorced in 2014 after two years of marriage. In one dream, Justy, who is currently single, arrived at a hotel in the area where her ex grew up. There, she discovered that he was getting married to someone else. Soon she was surrounded by his family and friends, who told her that they wished it was her and him getting married again. Then, Justy and her ex were somewhere else, alone. He was holding her and saying that he wanted to be with her. Justy said the dream stayed with her because of how emotional it felt, despite the fact that she and her ex-husband no longer share romantic feelings. “I think a big part of why these dreams started during the pandemic is there’s this nostalgia for when I was married,” she said. “I really liked where my life was at and where my career was going.” The past two years have changed so much about our lives that past relationships may have an added appeal because new ones are harder to imagine, said Barrett. The dream may be more about a nostalgia for a time that her ex represents, rather than the person himself. “Past relationships may have an added appeal as brand-new ones are harder to initiate right now” because of the pandemic, she said. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Why we dream about past loves

Fashionistas braved gale-force winds in London on Friday to attend the first Fashion Week shows, with a schedule dominated by up-and-coming young designers.

Gusts ripped through the streets of the British capital as crowds, wrapped up in coats and hats, flocked to the week's first live shows with attendees, which make up about half of the five-day event's timetable.&nbsp;

It kicked off with the sustainable label SOHUMAN, created by Spaniard Javier Aparici, who promises "radical transparency" on the factories used to make his garments.

He showed an ultra-feminine collection of cocktail dresses in red and black featuring applique flowers, sheer panels and giant bows.&nbsp;

Young British designers then came under the spotlight, with Saul Nash showcasing a relaxed but luxurious streetwear collection of merino wool tracksuits, hoodies, puffer coats and scarves, many emblazoned with his Saul logo.&nbsp;

With a background in dance and performance, Nash graduated from the Royal College of Art in menswear in 2018.&nbsp;

Another British brand, Poster Girl, known for ultra-revealing cutaway shapewear-style dresses worn by celebrities such as Kylie Jenner and Dua Lipa, held its first catwalk show with an apres-ski theme.

Poster Girl designers Francesca Capper and Natasha Somerville, who studied at the prestigious Central Saint Martins fashion college, showed their neon-hued creations in a freezing building due for demolition.

Models in tube dresses and leggings wrapped up in fake fur coats and puffer jackets. There was even a ski suit, accessorised with bright pink high heeled sandals. Fans took pictures on their phones and whistled in approval.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Brands missing -

S.S. Daley, a brand based in Liverpool in northwest England recently founded by Steven Stokey Daley, went for classic unisex tailoring, featuring wide baggy trousers and Sherlock Holmes-style checked overcoats.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Matty Bovan, another northern designer from the city of York, showed an Americana-themed collection with models wearing eccentric assemblages melding baseball jackets, gingham, denim and colourful crochet.&nbsp;

Missing from this week's events are several of the best-known brands in British fashion, including Burberry, Mulberry and Victoria Beckham.

Burberry has announced that it will hold a separate live show in London in March, while Beckham has not participated in London Fashion Week, even digitally, for a year. She has complained of the high cost of catwalk shows.

Another major name in British fashion, Ozwald Boateng, announced at the last minute that he will hold a comeback show on Monday.&nbsp;

The former creative director for Givenchy menswear, who was the first black head designer at a luxury fashion house, has not shown a collection in London for 12 years.

As sustainability and upcycling become industry buzzwords, Britain's Bethany Williams and Ireland's Richard Malone will present shows on Tuesday focusing on reused materials.

Williams' materials include abandoned festival tents for garments and book waste for bags while Malone's creations feature fragments of materials including scrap leather.

Following in the footsteps of designer brands such as Gucci and Dolce &amp; Gabbana, meanwhile, Serbian designer Roksanda Ilincic has announced she will sell non-fungible tokens (NFTs), offering digital ownership of a 3D image of a dress from her label.&nbsp;

- Future stars -

The event, which showcases autumn/winter 2022 collections,&nbsp;was held entirely virtually a year ago as it coincided with a national lockdown. Live catwalk shows resumed last September.

This time there are nearly 40 such shows including Simone Rocha, Molly Goddard, Roksanda, Erdem and Rejina Pyo. Other designers are sticking to digital formats, such as punk icon Westwood, who will present her latest creations in a video.

After being hit hard by the pandemic, the British fashion sector, which employed about 890,000 people in 2019, is seeking a route to recovery.

Caroline Rush, the chief executive of the British Fashion Council, which organises the fashion week, told AFP that the industry has had "a very challenging couple of years", exacerbated by Brexit-related changes that entered full force on January 31, 2020.

London's five-day showcase is followed by fashion weeks in Milan and Paris later this month.

Fashionistas braved gale-force winds in London on Friday to attend the first Fashion Week shows, with a schedule dominated by up-and-coming young designers. Gusts ripped through the streets of the British capital as crowds, wrapped up in coats and hats, flocked to the week's first live shows with attendees, which make up about half of the five-day event's timetable.

Fashionistas braved gale-force winds in London on Friday to attend the first Fashion Week shows, with a schedule dominated by up-and-coming young designers. Gusts ripped through the streets of the British capital as crowds, wrapped up in coats and hats, flocked to the week's first live shows with attendees, which make up about half of the five-day event's timetable. It kicked off with the sustainable label SOHUMAN, created by Spaniard Javier Aparici, who promises "radical transparency" on the factories used to make his garments. He showed an ultra-feminine collection of cocktail dresses in red and black featuring applique flowers, sheer panels and giant bows. Young British designers then came under the spotlight, with Saul Nash showcasing a relaxed but luxurious streetwear collection of merino wool tracksuits, hoodies, puffer coats and scarves, many emblazoned with his Saul logo. With a background in dance and performance, Nash graduated from the Royal College of Art in menswear in 2018. Another British brand, Poster Girl, known for ultra-revealing cutaway shapewear-style dresses worn by celebrities such as Kylie Jenner and Dua Lipa, held its first catwalk show with an apres-ski theme. Poster Girl designers Francesca Capper and Natasha Somerville, who studied at the prestigious Central Saint Martins fashion college, showed their neon-hued creations in a freezing building due for demolition. Models in tube dresses and leggings wrapped up in fake fur coats and puffer jackets. There was even a ski suit, accessorised with bright pink high heeled sandals. Fans took pictures on their phones and whistled in approval. Brands missing - S.S. Daley, a brand based in Liverpool in northwest England recently founded by Steven Stokey Daley, went for classic unisex tailoring, featuring wide baggy trousers and Sherlock Holmes-style checked overcoats. Meanwhile, Matty Bovan, another northern designer from the city of York, showed an Americana-themed collection with models wearing eccentric assemblages melding baseball jackets, gingham, denim and colourful crochet. Missing from this week's events are several of the best-known brands in British fashion, including Burberry, Mulberry and Victoria Beckham. Burberry has announced that it will hold a separate live show in London in March, while Beckham has not participated in London Fashion Week, even digitally, for a year. She has complained of the high cost of catwalk shows. Another major name in British fashion, Ozwald Boateng, announced at the last minute that he will hold a comeback show on Monday. The former creative director for Givenchy menswear, who was the first black head designer at a luxury fashion house, has not shown a collection in London for 12 years. As sustainability and upcycling become industry buzzwords, Britain's Bethany Williams and Ireland's Richard Malone will present shows on Tuesday focusing on reused materials. Williams' materials include abandoned festival tents for garments and book waste for bags while Malone's creations feature fragments of materials including scrap leather. Following in the footsteps of designer brands such as Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana, meanwhile, Serbian designer Roksanda Ilincic has announced she will sell non-fungible tokens (NFTs), offering digital ownership of a 3D image of a dress from her label. - Future stars - The event, which showcases autumn/winter 2022 collections, was held entirely virtually a year ago as it coincided with a national lockdown. Live catwalk shows resumed last September. This time there are nearly 40 such shows including Simone Rocha, Molly Goddard, Roksanda, Erdem and Rejina Pyo. Other designers are sticking to digital formats, such as punk icon Westwood, who will present her latest creations in a video. After being hit hard by the pandemic, the British fashion sector, which employed about 890,000 people in 2019, is seeking a route to recovery. Caroline Rush, the chief executive of the British Fashion Council, which organises the fashion week, told AFP that the industry has had "a very challenging couple of years", exacerbated by Brexit-related changes that entered full force on January 31, 2020. London's five-day showcase is followed by fashion weeks in Milan and Paris later this month.

Street styles, neon kick off London Fashion Week

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II said on Friday she was appointing her daughter-in-law Camilla, a member of the ancient Order of the Garter, in an apparent boost to her royal standing.

The monarch announced she was adding Camilla, the wife of the heir to the throne Prince Charles, to the royal members of the Order, who currently include her children Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward and her eldest grandson Prince William -- but not their spouses.

The inclusion of Camilla, who married Charles in 2005, comes as she has taken on more prominent royal duties in recent years and has seen her public approval rating grow.

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The Most Noble Order of the Garter is the oldest order of chivalry in the world, established in 1348 by the queen's ancestor King Edward III.

Its members are called knights and ladies.

They attend an annual service at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, walking in procession wearing white ostrich plumes, blue velvet robes and black velvet hats.

The order includes a maximum of 24 non-royals personally chosen by the monarch.

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It is Britain's highest honour and is awarded for outstanding public service and achievement.

The Queen on Friday also appointed former Labour prime minister Tony Blair as a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, the highest British civil honour obtainable.

He will join former Conservative prime minister John Major who was awarded the honour in 2005.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II said on Friday she was appointing her daughter-in-law Camilla, a member of the ancient Order of the Garter, in an apparent boost to her royal standing.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II said on Friday she was appointing her daughter-in-law Camilla, a member of the ancient Order of the Garter, in an apparent boost to her royal standing. The monarch announced she was adding Camilla, the wife of the heir to the throne Prince Charles, to the royal members of the Order, who currently include her children Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward and her eldest grandson Prince William -- but not their spouses. The inclusion of Camilla, who married Charles in 2005, comes as she has taken on more prominent royal duties in recent years and has seen her public approval rating grow. Legendary actress Betty White, star of 'Golden Girls', dead at 99 The Most Noble Order of the Garter is the oldest order of chivalry in the world, established in 1348 by the queen's ancestor King Edward III. Its members are called knights and ladies. They attend an annual service at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, walking in procession wearing white ostrich plumes, blue velvet robes and black velvet hats. The order includes a maximum of 24 non-royals personally chosen by the monarch. Debra Messing tests positive for COVID-19 a day before New Year's eve It is Britain's highest honour and is awarded for outstanding public service and achievement. The Queen on Friday also appointed former Labour prime minister Tony Blair as a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, the highest British civil honour obtainable. He will join former Conservative prime minister John Major who was awarded the honour in 2005.

Queen Elizabeth appoints Camilla to prestigious British Order of Garter

Your addiction to smartphones may affect your child's development, says a new study. The Tel Aviv University conducted a study for the peer-reviewed journal Child Development last month and have revealed that kids whose parents are on smartphones for long hours tend to have slow development.&nbsp; 
 
The researchers, led by Dr Katy Borodkin of the Department of Communication Disorders at the Stanley Steyer School of Health Professions, Sackler Faculty of Medicine of Tel Aviv University, observed 33 Israeli mothers and their 16 toddlers, all boys aged 24-36 months for a certain period of time.&nbsp; 
 
The researchers reportedly invited participants saying they would examine the common interests between mothers and children. The mothers were asked to browse a specific Facebook page and 'like' content that interests them, read printed magazines and mark interesting articles and play with their child while the phone and magazine were in another room. 
 
Borodkin revealed that the activity was intended to observe mothers while they took care of their children and also devote some of their attention to her smartphone.&nbsp; 
 
"The mothers were unaware of the purpose of the experiment, so they behaved naturally by splitting their interest between the toddlers and the smartphone and magazines. We videotaped all the interactions between the mothers and the toddlers and later scanned the recordings frame by frame in an attempt to quantify the mother-child interaction," said Borodkin in her research.&nbsp; 
 
The researchers defined three aspects of the interaction between a mother and her child: Maternal linguistic input - the "linguistic content that the mother conveys to the child"; conversational turns - the level of interactivity of a mother-child verbal exchange; and maternal responsiveness - the timeliness and specificity of a mother's response to a particular "bid" from her child. 
 
According to the research, a decrease in maternal linguistic input leads to reduced vocabulary in a child, even when they become adults.&nbsp; 
 
Similarly how interactive a particular conversation was - affect a child's linguistic and social development as "the child learns that he or she has some time to contribute to the interaction as well as the basic social norms of social interactions."&nbsp; 
 
Maternal responsiveness is critical for child development, including linguistic, cognitive emotional and social development.&nbsp; 
 
"For example, when the child says 'look, a truck', there is no comparison between a response such as 'yes, that’s great' and a response such as 'correct, this is a red truck, like the one we saw yesterday", said the researchers.&nbsp; 
According to the research the three components of mother-child interaction were two to four times lower when the mother was using her smartphone or reading a magazine.&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;"Moreover, they exchanged fewer conversational turns with the toddler, provided less immediate and content-tailored responses, and more often ignored explicit child bids," TAU stated. 
 
The team stated that using a smartphone and reading was equally distracting. TAU though was careful to add that there is currently no evidence that smartphones directly impact child development because smartphones are a recent phenomenon- although finding suggest "an adverse impact on the foundation of child development." 
 
The research may also be relevant to father-child interaction as the use of smartphones by both women and men is comparable. 
 
"In our current research we focused on the mothers, but we believe that our findings characterize communication interferences between fathers and their toddlers as well, since the smartphone usage patterns are similar between men and women, thus allowing us to estimate with high probability that the research findings are applicable to fathers and to mothers”, Borodkin further said.&nbsp;

Your addiction to smartphones may affect your child's development, says a new study. The Tel Aviv University conducted a study for the peer-reviewed journal Child Development last month and have revealed that kids whose parents are on smartphones for long hours tend to have slow development.

Your addiction to smartphones may affect your child's development, says a new study. The Tel Aviv University conducted a study for the peer-reviewed journal Child Development last month and have revealed that kids whose parents are on smartphones for long hours tend to have slow development. The researchers, led by Dr Katy Borodkin of the Department of Communication Disorders at the Stanley Steyer School of Health Professions, Sackler Faculty of Medicine of Tel Aviv University, observed 33 Israeli mothers and their 16 toddlers, all boys aged 24-36 months for a certain period of time. The researchers reportedly invited participants saying they would examine the common interests between mothers and children. The mothers were asked to browse a specific Facebook page and 'like' content that interests them, read printed magazines and mark interesting articles and play with their child while the phone and magazine were in another room. Borodkin revealed that the activity was intended to observe mothers while they took care of their children and also devote some of their attention to her smartphone. "The mothers were unaware of the purpose of the experiment, so they behaved naturally by splitting their interest between the toddlers and the smartphone and magazines. We videotaped all the interactions between the mothers and the toddlers and later scanned the recordings frame by frame in an attempt to quantify the mother-child interaction," said Borodkin in her research. The researchers defined three aspects of the interaction between a mother and her child: Maternal linguistic input - the "linguistic content that the mother conveys to the child"; conversational turns - the level of interactivity of a mother-child verbal exchange; and maternal responsiveness - the timeliness and specificity of a mother's response to a particular "bid" from her child. According to the research, a decrease in maternal linguistic input leads to reduced vocabulary in a child, even when they become adults. Similarly how interactive a particular conversation was - affect a child's linguistic and social development as "the child learns that he or she has some time to contribute to the interaction as well as the basic social norms of social interactions." Maternal responsiveness is critical for child development, including linguistic, cognitive emotional and social development. "For example, when the child says 'look, a truck', there is no comparison between a response such as 'yes, that’s great' and a response such as 'correct, this is a red truck, like the one we saw yesterday", said the researchers. According to the research the three components of mother-child interaction were two to four times lower when the mother was using her smartphone or reading a magazine. "Moreover, they exchanged fewer conversational turns with the toddler, provided less immediate and content-tailored responses, and more often ignored explicit child bids," TAU stated. The team stated that using a smartphone and reading was equally distracting. TAU though was careful to add that there is currently no evidence that smartphones directly impact child development because smartphones are a recent phenomenon- although finding suggest "an adverse impact on the foundation of child development." The research may also be relevant to father-child interaction as the use of smartphones by both women and men is comparable. "In our current research we focused on the mothers, but we believe that our findings characterize communication interferences between fathers and their toddlers as well, since the smartphone usage patterns are similar between men and women, thus allowing us to estimate with high probability that the research findings are applicable to fathers and to mothers”, Borodkin further said.

Are you addicted to smartphone? It may affect your child's development, claims new study

Sarah Weingartz, 18, became a makeup expert during her senior year of high school. Her days were spent in Zoom classes and at a part-time job at McDonald’s, and her nights on FaceTime, where she would connect with two classmates, usually around midnight, put on a bunch of eye shadow and lipstick, wipe it off and then go to sleep.

During the thick of quarantine, Weingartz, who never wore makeup prepandemic, stocked up on vibrant pencils, powders and palettes. She studied cat-eye techniques from Kall Me Kris, aka Kris Collins, a Canadian TikToker with more than 40 million followers, and experimented with blue shadow and eyeliner, now staples in her growing makeup collection.

“I started with a basic wing and got more and more fancy as it went on,” Weingartz said of her eyeliner journey. “It snowballed from there.”

Now she draws an exaggerated wing that “swoops up” and extends beyond the outer corner of her eye and uses white liner on her waterline to make her eyes “pop.” When she feels like it, she smudges on some red or blue eye shadow.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-black-women-make-waves-in-hair-care-435478" hreflang="en">Black women make waves in hair care</a>

This is what the new way to wear makeup is all about.

After years of romanticising “no-makeup makeup,” a catchall for the products to give the illusion of a “bare” (yet perfect) face, people are opting for self-expression as they weigh their appearance in a largely post-lockdown world. Many are back to socialising, eating out, vacationing, going to the office and events and, soon, holiday parties, and they’re hungry for ways to express their individuality.

“There is a huge collision of cultural trends that are affecting the reinvention of makeup,” said Sam Cheow, global head of makeup innovation, portfolio and product development of the Estée Lauder Cos., including lockdowns, social media, Gen Z and a more discerning shopper. “People hate to be told that ‘this is the trend.’”

It’s why the pandemic ignited a makeup rebirth in terms of how we apply it, the products and colors we use, and our attitudes toward beauty. Modern makeup is meant to reflect what’s going on inside; it isn’t about looking hot or as if you’re not wearing any at all — it’s colorful, expressive, imperfect and meant to be seen.

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According to 1010data, which analyzes consumer habits, online makeup sales in the United States (lip, eye and face categories combined) have increased by 29% in 2021, compared with 2019.

“People are coming to the realization that makeup is a way to celebrate your femininity and personality,” said Violette Serrat, a makeup artist and the founder of Violette_Fr. “It’s finally happening.”

So what will makeup look like and how will we wear it?

‘Girl Gaze’ Makeup

After years of perfecting imperceptible makeup, the kind designed to conceal, contour and highlight, something new is afoot. It’s not a heavy-handed, complicated look that demands a 35-shade eye shadow palette and a 30-minute YouTube tutorial. Nor is it the kind of makeup that, like shapewear, you’re not supposed to see but which is quietly rearranging your body into something more palatable for men.

“A ‘no-makeup makeup’ look implies that you’re trying to cover up something,” said Maria Salcedo, senior vice president for merchandising at Ulta Beauty. The store is phasing out the term.

Enter “girl gaze” makeup, a new middle ground that’s expressive yet still simple in its application and, most important, wearable. A single wash of metallic pink shadow over the entire lid or blue eye “paint” used as liner doesn’t require much time (or skill).

It’s not revolutionary, but it is an evolution of the painstakingly pink Glossier era. Dewy-faced teens and millennials still want to look dewy but with twinkling yellow-gold liquid eye shadow. Real skin is in; the full-coverage foundation of the contouring heyday — which took place roughly between 2015 and 2019 — is out.

Doniella Davy, makeup designer for HBO’s “Euphoria,” believes makeup should be something you wear for&nbsp;yourself, she said, not because you feel pressure to contour your nose or cheeks to give the illusion of perfect bone structure (although that’s perfectly fine, too).

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She urges people to think about makeup less “correctively.”

“There is a world where you can wear the pink eye shadow and not do the concealer,” Davy said.

‘Time to Be Seen’&nbsp;

Mascara, eyeliner, eyebrow enhancers, false lashes and eye shadow are a bright spot for beauty. The eyes are the only visible part of the face in a mask, but they’re also the feature that allows for the most expression and creativity.

“There is this inner urge to peacock out somewhere,” said Shireen Jiwan, founder and CEO of Sleuth Brand Consulting. “Maybe we’re not willing to peacock in 3-inch heels, but we are in a blue eye shadow.”

Overall, online eye makeup sales in the United States have been 47% higher in 2021 than in 2019, according to 1010data. That’s more than double the rise in sales in the lip or face categories in the same time period.

Search terms reflect the trend, too. The analysts looked at the top terms leading to a beauty purchase on Amazon. Last year “face wash” and “shampoo” were the most searched for items. Now “mascara” and “gel nail polish” are the No. 1 and 2 searches leading to a beauty purchase.

“Now is the time to be seen,” said Tereza Kurbasa, 41, an administrative assistant in Melbourne, Australia. “Everyone is going to go crazy.” She celebrated the end of Melbourne’s sixth lockdown with shimmery eye shadow and lunch with friends, her first time in a restaurant in months.

A pink eye was the epicenter of a “flirty and fun” weekend makeup look Kurbasa planned far in advance using Milk Makeup Color Chalk in Skip It, Flower Beauty eye shadow palette in Bloom, KVD Beauty liquid liner and MCoBeauty mascara.

“I didn’t get the chance to add my LoveSeen lashes, but they will be used hopefully soon,” she said. (LoveSeen is the new line of fake lashes from former J. Crew executive Jenna Lyons.)

Alanna McDonald, president of Maybelline, said that its Sky High mascara, which hit shelves in January, is one of the top sellers of the year.

“It’s a real customer insight about the desire to wear makeup for everything you missed,” she said of the company’s makeup business, now disproportionately driven by eye and lip products.

Similarly, E.l.f. Cosmetics has had success with its Big Mood mascara, which came out in August, and the No Budge Shadow Stick, a collection of 12 metallic eye shadow pencils that come in neutral beige to vibrant sapphire.

Shadow sticks are designed for “one swipe” use, said Gayitri Budhraja, chief brand officer of E.l.f. Also, they’re shimmery and cost just $5.

Raynell Steward, founder and chief executive of the Crayon Case, a school supply-inspired line of makeup, is seeing demand for bold eye shadow.

“People that were never into color are more into color now,” Steward said, adding that she had trouble keeping an 18-shade Box of Crayons palette and mini eye shadow “notepads,” especially in green, in stock.

“The nude palettes are not selling,” she said.

The New Blue and Monochromatic Lids&nbsp;

Beauty industry experts say complicated eye motifs — think over-the-top shadow with eyebrows that look as if they were drawn on with a Sharpie — are passé.

Serrat suggests a single wash of color painted over the entire lid (blue is her favorite), applied with a brush or your finger. Depending on your mood, the end result can be intense and opaque, light like a watercolor or somewhere in the middle.

With Violette_Fr’s Yeux Paint, a liquid eye color that doubles as a liner, you can swipe it across your lid and blend to your liking or paint a thick line along the lash line (wing optional) with a pretty easy-to-use applicator. A “twinkling” blue is the most popular color, Serrat said. (She thought it would be beige.) Two new shades came out in late October: a rich navy and an acid yellow gold.

Don’t let blue eye shadow conjure memories of frosted hair, feathered bangs, Madonna in the 1980s and bad fashion. The new blue isn’t garish.

“If you’re wearing a blue eye shadow but your hair is chill, your skin is kind of bare and you have a little gloss on, you still look like you,” Serrat said.

At MAC Cosmetics, yellow lids are trending.

In some places, sales for yellow shadow tripled or quadrupled, Drew Elliott, the company’s global creative director, reported, a result, he said, of content and a “Yes to Yellow” campaign that kicked off last spring.

What about skin?

“This younger consumer knows their skin is textured,” said Eden Palmer, vice president for global brand at Morphe. “They’re OK with that and want to show it.”

It’s a sentiment shared industrywide. At brands and stores like Morphe, Nars, Sephora and Ulta, customers are opting for tinted moisturizer or skin tint over full-on foundation — to pair with a big-eye look, of course.

“People are excited to show their face again,” Jiwan said. “The only difference is that they’re showing it in a different way than they did before.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Sarah Weingartz, 18, became a makeup expert during her senior year of high school. Her days were spent in Zoom classes and at a part-time job at McDonald’s, and her nights on FaceTime, where she would connect with two classmates, usually around midnight, put on a bunch of eye shadow and lipstick, wipe it off and then go to sleep.

Sarah Weingartz, 18, became a makeup expert during her senior year of high school. Her days were spent in Zoom classes and at a part-time job at McDonald’s, and her nights on FaceTime, where she would connect with two classmates, usually around midnight, put on a bunch of eye shadow and lipstick, wipe it off and then go to sleep. During the thick of quarantine, Weingartz, who never wore makeup prepandemic, stocked up on vibrant pencils, powders and palettes. She studied cat-eye techniques from Kall Me Kris, aka Kris Collins, a Canadian TikToker with more than 40 million followers, and experimented with blue shadow and eyeliner, now staples in her growing makeup collection. “I started with a basic wing and got more and more fancy as it went on,” Weingartz said of her eyeliner journey. “It snowballed from there.” Now she draws an exaggerated wing that “swoops up” and extends beyond the outer corner of her eye and uses white liner on her waterline to make her eyes “pop.” When she feels like it, she smudges on some red or blue eye shadow. Black women make waves in hair care This is what the new way to wear makeup is all about. After years of romanticising “no-makeup makeup,” a catchall for the products to give the illusion of a “bare” (yet perfect) face, people are opting for self-expression as they weigh their appearance in a largely post-lockdown world. Many are back to socialising, eating out, vacationing, going to the office and events and, soon, holiday parties, and they’re hungry for ways to express their individuality. “There is a huge collision of cultural trends that are affecting the reinvention of makeup,” said Sam Cheow, global head of makeup innovation, portfolio and product development of the Estée Lauder Cos., including lockdowns, social media, Gen Z and a more discerning shopper. “People hate to be told that ‘this is the trend.’” It’s why the pandemic ignited a makeup rebirth in terms of how we apply it, the products and colors we use, and our attitudes toward beauty. Modern makeup is meant to reflect what’s going on inside; it isn’t about looking hot or as if you’re not wearing any at all — it’s colorful, expressive, imperfect and meant to be seen. Best bars in the world 2021 revealed, New Delhi's Sidecar only Indian entry to make the list According to 1010data, which analyzes consumer habits, online makeup sales in the United States (lip, eye and face categories combined) have increased by 29% in 2021, compared with 2019. “People are coming to the realization that makeup is a way to celebrate your femininity and personality,” said Violette Serrat, a makeup artist and the founder of Violette_Fr. “It’s finally happening.” So what will makeup look like and how will we wear it? ‘Girl Gaze’ Makeup After years of perfecting imperceptible makeup, the kind designed to conceal, contour and highlight, something new is afoot. It’s not a heavy-handed, complicated look that demands a 35-shade eye shadow palette and a 30-minute YouTube tutorial. Nor is it the kind of makeup that, like shapewear, you’re not supposed to see but which is quietly rearranging your body into something more palatable for men. “A ‘no-makeup makeup’ look implies that you’re trying to cover up something,” said Maria Salcedo, senior vice president for merchandising at Ulta Beauty. The store is phasing out the term. Enter “girl gaze” makeup, a new middle ground that’s expressive yet still simple in its application and, most important, wearable. A single wash of metallic pink shadow over the entire lid or blue eye “paint” used as liner doesn’t require much time (or skill). It’s not revolutionary, but it is an evolution of the painstakingly pink Glossier era. Dewy-faced teens and millennials still want to look dewy but with twinkling yellow-gold liquid eye shadow. Real skin is in; the full-coverage foundation of the contouring heyday — which took place roughly between 2015 and 2019 — is out. Doniella Davy, makeup designer for HBO’s “Euphoria,” believes makeup should be something you wear for yourself, she said, not because you feel pressure to contour your nose or cheeks to give the illusion of perfect bone structure (although that’s perfectly fine, too). Nicki Minaj turns 39, celebrates with a nude photoshoot She urges people to think about makeup less “correctively.” “There is a world where you can wear the pink eye shadow and not do the concealer,” Davy said. ‘Time to Be Seen’ Mascara, eyeliner, eyebrow enhancers, false lashes and eye shadow are a bright spot for beauty. The eyes are the only visible part of the face in a mask, but they’re also the feature that allows for the most expression and creativity. “There is this inner urge to peacock out somewhere,” said Shireen Jiwan, founder and CEO of Sleuth Brand Consulting. “Maybe we’re not willing to peacock in 3-inch heels, but we are in a blue eye shadow.” Overall, online eye makeup sales in the United States have been 47% higher in 2021 than in 2019, according to 1010data. That’s more than double the rise in sales in the lip or face categories in the same time period. Search terms reflect the trend, too. The analysts looked at the top terms leading to a beauty purchase on Amazon. Last year “face wash” and “shampoo” were the most searched for items. Now “mascara” and “gel nail polish” are the No. 1 and 2 searches leading to a beauty purchase. “Now is the time to be seen,” said Tereza Kurbasa, 41, an administrative assistant in Melbourne, Australia. “Everyone is going to go crazy.” She celebrated the end of Melbourne’s sixth lockdown with shimmery eye shadow and lunch with friends, her first time in a restaurant in months. A pink eye was the epicenter of a “flirty and fun” weekend makeup look Kurbasa planned far in advance using Milk Makeup Color Chalk in Skip It, Flower Beauty eye shadow palette in Bloom, KVD Beauty liquid liner and MCoBeauty mascara. “I didn’t get the chance to add my LoveSeen lashes, but they will be used hopefully soon,” she said. (LoveSeen is the new line of fake lashes from former J. Crew executive Jenna Lyons.) Alanna McDonald, president of Maybelline, said that its Sky High mascara, which hit shelves in January, is one of the top sellers of the year. “It’s a real customer insight about the desire to wear makeup for everything you missed,” she said of the company’s makeup business, now disproportionately driven by eye and lip products. Similarly, E.l.f. Cosmetics has had success with its Big Mood mascara, which came out in August, and the No Budge Shadow Stick, a collection of 12 metallic eye shadow pencils that come in neutral beige to vibrant sapphire. Shadow sticks are designed for “one swipe” use, said Gayitri Budhraja, chief brand officer of E.l.f. Also, they’re shimmery and cost just $5. Raynell Steward, founder and chief executive of the Crayon Case, a school supply-inspired line of makeup, is seeing demand for bold eye shadow. “People that were never into color are more into color now,” Steward said, adding that she had trouble keeping an 18-shade Box of Crayons palette and mini eye shadow “notepads,” especially in green, in stock. “The nude palettes are not selling,” she said. The New Blue and Monochromatic Lids Beauty industry experts say complicated eye motifs — think over-the-top shadow with eyebrows that look as if they were drawn on with a Sharpie — are passé. Serrat suggests a single wash of color painted over the entire lid (blue is her favorite), applied with a brush or your finger. Depending on your mood, the end result can be intense and opaque, light like a watercolor or somewhere in the middle. With Violette_Fr’s Yeux Paint, a liquid eye color that doubles as a liner, you can swipe it across your lid and blend to your liking or paint a thick line along the lash line (wing optional) with a pretty easy-to-use applicator. A “twinkling” blue is the most popular color, Serrat said. (She thought it would be beige.) Two new shades came out in late October: a rich navy and an acid yellow gold. Don’t let blue eye shadow conjure memories of frosted hair, feathered bangs, Madonna in the 1980s and bad fashion. The new blue isn’t garish. “If you’re wearing a blue eye shadow but your hair is chill, your skin is kind of bare and you have a little gloss on, you still look like you,” Serrat said. At MAC Cosmetics, yellow lids are trending. In some places, sales for yellow shadow tripled or quadrupled, Drew Elliott, the company’s global creative director, reported, a result, he said, of content and a “Yes to Yellow” campaign that kicked off last spring. What about skin? “This younger consumer knows their skin is textured,” said Eden Palmer, vice president for global brand at Morphe. “They’re OK with that and want to show it.” It’s a sentiment shared industrywide. At brands and stores like Morphe, Nars, Sephora and Ulta, customers are opting for tinted moisturizer or skin tint over full-on foundation — to pair with a big-eye look, of course. “People are excited to show their face again,” Jiwan said. “The only difference is that they’re showing it in a different way than they did before.” This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

The new makeup is meant to be seen

Spend 10 seconds with Colton Underwood, and you get why “The Bachelor” figured he was a home run. He has a boy-next-door smile and an aw-shucks manner. He’s brawny. He hikes.

 
But in April, in an emotional interview on “Good Morning America,” the former NFL linebacker, who made hearts flutter two years ago as the virginal leading man on ABC’s aggressively heterosexual hit dating franchise “The Bachelor,” said the no-going-back words “I’m gay.”

 
Underwood, 29, brawls with contradictions. He’s a Christian who refuses to believe in the version of God he learned about as a Catholic altar boy. He loves football, but the locker room is where he felt most afraid to reveal his true self.

 
Now he shops at Kohl’s and on Rodeo Drive. He has a boyfriend, and is also attracted to women, but is not bisexual. His Grindr tribes would probably be Clean-Cut and Rugged.

 
So much identity straddling — that’s what brings Underwood back to reality television for “Coming Out Colton,” a new six-episode docu-series on Netflix that arrives Friday. The series, which started filming before his “Good Morning America” appearance, is a heartfelt but carefully packaged diary, in which Underwood reveals his sexual orientation to unsuspecting family members, friends and others, and gets a crash course in gay.

 
Underwood hopes the show helps people see how coming out can be a gift. But he also wants to make amends for going on “The Bachelor” in a failed attempt, he said, to “bury being gay.” And to address troubles that arose in turn, including a restraining order filed against him by his ex-girlfriend and criticism that he’s cashing in on something he shouldn’t.

 
“I’ve lived my life so publicly straight, and I ran from a community I’ve belonged to my entire life,” he said over breakfast at Hugo’s, a diner on Santa Monica Boulevard he picked. “I knew there was going to be a lot of people who didn’t understand. Maybe at the end of these six episodes, people still don’t understand. But at least I’ve tried to undo the wrongs.”

 
Underwood gets an assist on the series from his friend Gus Kenworthy, a skier and Olympian who came out as gay in 2015. Compared to Underwood, Kenworthy is a gay sage: He teaches Underwood what cisgender means (“cis means that your gender that you identify with is the same as the gender you were assigned at birth,” he explains in one scene) and sits with Underwood for a history lesson at the Stonewall Inn.

 
An executive producer on the series, Underwood knows he has privilege and a platform, which is why he said he sought counsel from people who aren’t white gay cisgender men, including Nicole Garcia, a transgender Latina pastor. In an email, Garcia said Underwood could be a role model, especially to let young athletes know they “can be male, athletic, gay and be successful, loved and respected.”

 
This being reality TV, Underwood didn’t prepare the people he comes out to on camera — what we see, he said, is their genuine reaction to the news that he is gay. Initially, that didn’t sit well with his mother, Donna Burkard, the first person he comes out to on the show. (Underwood’s parents are divorced but on good terms.)

 
Burkard said her son’s revelation was a surprise, and she was uneasy with the camera but resigned to it. Then her mama bear emerged.

 
“We decided if we could help a single family, and hopefully multiple families, by showing the love and support that I believe I displayed, other gay men and women in hiding could see a flicker of hope that their parents are going to respond with open arms,” she said in a phone interview.

 
Underwood’s biggest protector on the show is his father, Scott Underwood, who said he loves his son — “a strong person,” he called him for coming out on national television. But did he have to get the news while they fished?

 
“I’m not saying I’m upset about it, but I would have preferred it had been done differently,” he said by phone. But his son is “an entertainer, let’s face it,” he continued. “That’s what he’s chosen to do for his career.”

 
“Am I going to say it’s for fame?” he added, referring to his son’s decision to star in the series. “No. Did he come out on TV for money? Sure. But who in reality entertainment doesn’t leverage their life and put it all out there for money?”

 
Check out Underwood’s recent Instagram post about the series, and it’s clear that a lot of people think his post-“Bachelor” controversies should disqualify him from a Netflix deal. (Many others disagree.)

 
An online petition with more than 35,000 signatures as of late November asks Netflix to cancel the series because of stalking and harassment allegations that Underwood’s ex-girlfriend, Cassie Randolph, outlined in a restraining order she filed against him in September 2020. Randolph was the woman Underwood chose to marry on “The Bachelor,” but their season didn’t conclude, as most do, with their engagement.

 
In November 2020, Randolph dropped the order, and the two reached a private agreement that prevents much from being said publicly. Underwood has apologized for his behavior.

 
“It’s more sad than anything else that I was ever even in a position to say the things I said to her or do the things I did,” Underwood said. Randolph did not reply to requests for comment.

 
Jeff Jenkins, an executive producer of “Coming Out Colton,” said a talent agent originally pitched the show to him as a reality series about Underwood and Randolph as a couple. When their relationship ended, Jenkins said, the show’s direction pivoted. Underwood met with him to explain that he was considering coming out.

 
“We saw the positive of him sharing his story,” said Jenkins, an executive producer of “I Am Cait,” a series about Caitlyn Jenner’s life as a transgender woman, with which “Coming Out Colton” shares LGBTQ reality show DNA.

 
Asked about Underwood’s motives, Jenkins said: “He already has fame and — not to speak out of turn — but this documentary is not going to make him rich.”

 
Damla Dogan, Netflix’s director of unscripted series, wrote in an email that the streaming service trusted the producers to address Underwood’s “complicated story, which includes him taking accountability.” Asked how the show fits into Netflix’s strategy for queer programming, especially following the accusations of transphobia in Dave Chappelle’s most recent comedy special, “The Closer,” Dogan said, “It would be unfair to Colton to put the weight of all LGBTQ representation on his shoulders.”

 
“One person’s experience will not fill the void of queer stories on TV,” Dogan wrote in an email. “We have to do better as an industry to highlight more kinds of lives and love.”

 
Then there’s the timing. The series begins on Nov. 6, 2020, five months before Underwood revealed his sexuality on TV, which means he came out to his professional team before his family. To some, that appears more like a monetized career move than an unvarnished emotional reckoning.

 
John Casey, the editor-at-large for The Advocate, wrote in an opinion column that Underwood “has failed women and the LGBTQ+ community by deriding our coming out process, particularly for those of us who took on great peril to be ourselves.”

 
Attempts to reach Casey were unsuccessful. The LGBTQ advocacy organization GLAAD, which is thanked in the show’s credits, declined to comment.

 
Underwood said his hand had been forced because, as he also told Variety, he got an anonymous email last year from someone who claimed to have nude photos of him at a spa known for a gay clientele. He admits he was there, but the photos never surfaced. The first person he ever came out to was his publicist.

 
Underwood knew his family had to be next. Having cameras around, he said, captured the drama but also held him accountable. He said he found comfort thinking: “Today you’re about to come out to your dad and you cannot run.” (He came out to people in his life off-camera, too.)

 
The only time Underwood looked antsy in our conversation was while talking about his boyfriend of several months, political strategist Jordan C. Brown. Underwood didn’t say much other than that he was “very happy and very in love” with Brown and that the two men’s families have met.

 
“The easiest way for me to say it is that it was like me bringing a girl home,” Underwood said, blushing and sounding like someone who really is new to this whole gay thing. “Like, nobody batted an eye.”

 
Underwood isn’t sure what comes next — maybe another gay TV project of some kind. His priority, he said, is doing something he has never been good at. “I have to take care of myself first,” he said.

 
And that means social media, Christians, gay guys, Bachelor Nation, everybody else will have to wait. 
“If it does not make me happy and it does not fulfill me, I don’t want anything to do with it,” he said.

Spend 10 seconds with Colton Underwood, and you get why “The Bachelor” figured he was a home run. He has a boy-next-door smile and an aw-shucks manner. He’s brawny.

Spend 10 seconds with Colton Underwood, and you get why “The Bachelor” figured he was a home run. He has a boy-next-door smile and an aw-shucks manner. He’s brawny. He hikes. But in April, in an emotional interview on “Good Morning America,” the former NFL linebacker, who made hearts flutter two years ago as the virginal leading man on ABC’s aggressively heterosexual hit dating franchise “The Bachelor,” said the no-going-back words “I’m gay.” Underwood, 29, brawls with contradictions. He’s a Christian who refuses to believe in the version of God he learned about as a Catholic altar boy. He loves football, but the locker room is where he felt most afraid to reveal his true self. Now he shops at Kohl’s and on Rodeo Drive. He has a boyfriend, and is also attracted to women, but is not bisexual. His Grindr tribes would probably be Clean-Cut and Rugged. So much identity straddling — that’s what brings Underwood back to reality television for “Coming Out Colton,” a new six-episode docu-series on Netflix that arrives Friday. The series, which started filming before his “Good Morning America” appearance, is a heartfelt but carefully packaged diary, in which Underwood reveals his sexual orientation to unsuspecting family members, friends and others, and gets a crash course in gay. Underwood hopes the show helps people see how coming out can be a gift. But he also wants to make amends for going on “The Bachelor” in a failed attempt, he said, to “bury being gay.” And to address troubles that arose in turn, including a restraining order filed against him by his ex-girlfriend and criticism that he’s cashing in on something he shouldn’t. “I’ve lived my life so publicly straight, and I ran from a community I’ve belonged to my entire life,” he said over breakfast at Hugo’s, a diner on Santa Monica Boulevard he picked. “I knew there was going to be a lot of people who didn’t understand. Maybe at the end of these six episodes, people still don’t understand. But at least I’ve tried to undo the wrongs.” Underwood gets an assist on the series from his friend Gus Kenworthy, a skier and Olympian who came out as gay in 2015. Compared to Underwood, Kenworthy is a gay sage: He teaches Underwood what cisgender means (“cis means that your gender that you identify with is the same as the gender you were assigned at birth,” he explains in one scene) and sits with Underwood for a history lesson at the Stonewall Inn. An executive producer on the series, Underwood knows he has privilege and a platform, which is why he said he sought counsel from people who aren’t white gay cisgender men, including Nicole Garcia, a transgender Latina pastor. In an email, Garcia said Underwood could be a role model, especially to let young athletes know they “can be male, athletic, gay and be successful, loved and respected.” This being reality TV, Underwood didn’t prepare the people he comes out to on camera — what we see, he said, is their genuine reaction to the news that he is gay. Initially, that didn’t sit well with his mother, Donna Burkard, the first person he comes out to on the show. (Underwood’s parents are divorced but on good terms.) Burkard said her son’s revelation was a surprise, and she was uneasy with the camera but resigned to it. Then her mama bear emerged. “We decided if we could help a single family, and hopefully multiple families, by showing the love and support that I believe I displayed, other gay men and women in hiding could see a flicker of hope that their parents are going to respond with open arms,” she said in a phone interview. Underwood’s biggest protector on the show is his father, Scott Underwood, who said he loves his son — “a strong person,” he called him for coming out on national television. But did he have to get the news while they fished? “I’m not saying I’m upset about it, but I would have preferred it had been done differently,” he said by phone. But his son is “an entertainer, let’s face it,” he continued. “That’s what he’s chosen to do for his career.” “Am I going to say it’s for fame?” he added, referring to his son’s decision to star in the series. “No. Did he come out on TV for money? Sure. But who in reality entertainment doesn’t leverage their life and put it all out there for money?” Check out Underwood’s recent Instagram post about the series, and it’s clear that a lot of people think his post-“Bachelor” controversies should disqualify him from a Netflix deal. (Many others disagree.) An online petition with more than 35,000 signatures as of late November asks Netflix to cancel the series because of stalking and harassment allegations that Underwood’s ex-girlfriend, Cassie Randolph, outlined in a restraining order she filed against him in September 2020. Randolph was the woman Underwood chose to marry on “The Bachelor,” but their season didn’t conclude, as most do, with their engagement. In November 2020, Randolph dropped the order, and the two reached a private agreement that prevents much from being said publicly. Underwood has apologized for his behavior. “It’s more sad than anything else that I was ever even in a position to say the things I said to her or do the things I did,” Underwood said. Randolph did not reply to requests for comment. Jeff Jenkins, an executive producer of “Coming Out Colton,” said a talent agent originally pitched the show to him as a reality series about Underwood and Randolph as a couple. When their relationship ended, Jenkins said, the show’s direction pivoted. Underwood met with him to explain that he was considering coming out. “We saw the positive of him sharing his story,” said Jenkins, an executive producer of “I Am Cait,” a series about Caitlyn Jenner’s life as a transgender woman, with which “Coming Out Colton” shares LGBTQ reality show DNA. Asked about Underwood’s motives, Jenkins said: “He already has fame and — not to speak out of turn — but this documentary is not going to make him rich.” Damla Dogan, Netflix’s director of unscripted series, wrote in an email that the streaming service trusted the producers to address Underwood’s “complicated story, which includes him taking accountability.” Asked how the show fits into Netflix’s strategy for queer programming, especially following the accusations of transphobia in Dave Chappelle’s most recent comedy special, “The Closer,” Dogan said, “It would be unfair to Colton to put the weight of all LGBTQ representation on his shoulders.” “One person’s experience will not fill the void of queer stories on TV,” Dogan wrote in an email. “We have to do better as an industry to highlight more kinds of lives and love.” Then there’s the timing. The series begins on Nov. 6, 2020, five months before Underwood revealed his sexuality on TV, which means he came out to his professional team before his family. To some, that appears more like a monetized career move than an unvarnished emotional reckoning. John Casey, the editor-at-large for The Advocate, wrote in an opinion column that Underwood “has failed women and the LGBTQ+ community by deriding our coming out process, particularly for those of us who took on great peril to be ourselves.” Attempts to reach Casey were unsuccessful. The LGBTQ advocacy organization GLAAD, which is thanked in the show’s credits, declined to comment. Underwood said his hand had been forced because, as he also told Variety, he got an anonymous email last year from someone who claimed to have nude photos of him at a spa known for a gay clientele. He admits he was there, but the photos never surfaced. The first person he ever came out to was his publicist. Underwood knew his family had to be next. Having cameras around, he said, captured the drama but also held him accountable. He said he found comfort thinking: “Today you’re about to come out to your dad and you cannot run.” (He came out to people in his life off-camera, too.) The only time Underwood looked antsy in our conversation was while talking about his boyfriend of several months, political strategist Jordan C. Brown. Underwood didn’t say much other than that he was “very happy and very in love” with Brown and that the two men’s families have met. “The easiest way for me to say it is that it was like me bringing a girl home,” Underwood said, blushing and sounding like someone who really is new to this whole gay thing. “Like, nobody batted an eye.” Underwood isn’t sure what comes next — maybe another gay TV project of some kind. His priority, he said, is doing something he has never been good at. “I have to take care of myself first,” he said. And that means social media, Christians, gay guys, Bachelor Nation, everybody else will have to wait. “If it does not make me happy and it does not fulfill me, I don’t want anything to do with it,” he said.

Colton Underwood comes out and comes clean

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