Investors have never had a better decade than the 2010s. Certainly, the U.S stock market did incredibly and Canada was solid. But the real gains were in investor empowerment. A decade of competition, innovation and regulation has brought lower costs, more choice and more transparency to individual investors. Lets look at some of the highlights.

Robo-advisers have been around for five or so years in the Canadian market, not long enough to build a significant market presence. So dont succumb to the temptation to write them off as a faddish riff on fintech (financial technology) that will never go mainstream.

What robos offer is vitally important low-cost help in building and maintaining a properly built portfolio of exchange-traded funds. There isnt a financial goal in life that cant be achieved using a robo-adviser.

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Why use a robo? Because you dont want to buy overpriced mutual funds from your bank; because you cant find an investment adviser to handle your modest account; or you have an adviser, but she or he is only interested in selling you overpriced mutual funds. Robos connect investors to effective investment portfolios in an economical, effective way.

ETFs were on track in fall 2019 to outsell mutual funds for the second straight year. With more than $200-billion in assets as of Nov. 30, assets held in ETFs are still only about 12.5 per cent of the amount invested in mutual funds. But ETFs now have the momentum the mutual fund industry had in its 1990s heyday.

The ETF industrys growth isnt a totally great story for investors. In particular, theres a tendency to issue funds to capture trends that any experienced investor knows are both temporary and bound to end badly. But the benefits of ETF growth outweigh the negatives. You can now buy ETFs to track the Canadian stock market with a management expense ratio of 0.06 per cent. Thats awfully close to zero.

Yes, you do have to pay commissions to an online broker to trade ETFs. But over the past decade, several brokers have conditionally limited or eliminated these costs.

Balanced ETFs took off immediately after their introduction in early 2018, which shows just how useful this product is. A balanced ETF is a fund of funds, which means it holds ETFs tracking stock and bond indexes in mixes that appeal to conservative, middling and aggressive investors.

How to be a successful investor: Pick a balanced ETF to suit your needs, then add money regularly over decades. You dont need to rebalance your holdings because thats done for you. The cost of owning balanced ETFs? About 0.2 per cent to 0.25 per cent, which is a monster-size bargain in comparison with the balanced funds the mutual fund industry offers.

A lot of big U.S. online brokers cut their stock-trading commissions to zero in 2019, and the response from Canadian brokers was predictably lame. We are still waiting to see whether any brokers in this country will even reduce commissions, never mind eliminate them.

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But lets take the long view here. As the past decade began, investors were paying about $29 minimum to trade at the big bank-owned firms, or about $9.99 flat if they had $100,000 in assets with their broker. The $100,000 requirement for $9.99 trades later fell to $50,000 at bank-owned brokers and then started to disappear altogether at mid-decade.

Still lower commissions were available from independents Questrade and Virtual Brokers. They helped put pressure on the big players to cut costs.

Fee-for-service planning has been around a long time, but mainly as a service for wealthy families. Now, its starting to catch on with a much wider swath of the population. Apparently, theres an appetite for paying hundreds and, often, thousands of dollars to get questions about debt, retirement, taxes and more answered by someone who does not sell investments or want to manage your portfolio.

As noted in a recent Portfolio Strategy column, some fee-for-service planners are so busy they have waiting lists. There are now enough planners of this type to populate a national directory you can download here.

More and more fee-for-service planners are segmenting their services so you can buy a full, big-picture plan, or discuss specific matters such as the affordability of buying a house, debt reduction and retirement planning. Fee-for-service planners usually dont discuss specific securities, but they can help you find the right mix of stocks and bonds to meet your investing goals.

If youre interested in any sort of financial planning, make sure you deal with a properly accredited planner. The top designations are the certified financial planner (CFP) and the registered financial planner (RFP).

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Money market funds were the go-to place to park cash until the financial crisis came along and sent interest rates into the sub-basement. The 10-year annualized return for one of the countrys largest money market funds was 0.7 per cent as of Nov. 30, which compares with an average inflation rate of 1.7 per cent over that period.

The better option is the high-interest saving account packaged either as a mutual fund or ETF. Returns as of late December ranged from 1.4 per cent to 1.6 per cent for high-interest savings account mutual funds and roughly 2 per cent for the ETFs. I recently compiled a full list of the savings account products offered by all major online brokers.

Sorry for the jargon, but CRM2 (for client relationship model, phase two) is what everyone calls the regulations introduced in 2017 to improve disclosure of fees and returns for individual investors. Every January, investors receive a statement showing what they have paid for advice in dollar terms and their annual returns.

CRM2 is not comprehensive enough. Mainly, there needs to be more information to show the full range of fees paid by investors who own mutual funds. But think back to the level of pre-CRM2 disclosure. Returns for the previous quarter or month, with no long-term numbers. Advice fees described in percentage terms only, which has less impact than fees shown in dollars.

The bottom line with CRM2 is that investors are better informed about advice fees and returns than they used to be. If they read their CRM2 statements, that is.

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These trends of the past decade made investors smarter and richer, and they can do the same in the 2020s - The Globe and Mail

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Its the dawn of a new decade and based on new survey insights, it might be a naughty one.

More than half of American adults already own a sex toy and one in four hope to start or expand their collection in 2020, according to the Sex and the State of the Union survey conducted by Lovers Family of Stores. When asked which titillating activities adults want to do more of in the year ahead, 32% of participants hope to do the deed in risky or unexpected places, while 22% want to watch adult videos with their partner and 21% want to ratchet up the role playing. The top answer though? 38% simply wish for a romantic, sex-centered evening in with their sweetie.

As a retailer, were beyond thrilled to see the stigma around sex and intimacy lifting! says VP of Marketing for Lovers Family of Stores Jessica Ivey. These survey results mirror what were experiencing on the retail side: people are less discouraged by their embarrassment and more encouraged by unlocking their pleasure potential when it comes to fun, sex and intimacy.

So, who exactly is getting down with the get down and what are the trends for 2020? The survey reveals these top stats:

Jennie Ketcham Crooks, therapist and anxiety specialist, reviewed these results in-depth and had a unique perspective on the findings. People are talking about sex more so now than at any other time in historyits also everywhere. We see it on television and can access pornographic images on our handheld devices, said Lovers in-house sexpert Ketcham Crooks. The mainstream media is more openly discussing all things sex, especially the darker areas of sex after the #MeToo movement, so it makes sense that we are witnessing this uptick in perceived social acceptance. We are actually talking about whats okay and what isnt okay, and as a byproduct of that conversation, we end up having open and honest conversations about sexual habits.

By Movement

Female Sexual Empowerment

58% of females reported owning a sex toy, and with 75% of adults comfortable with the growing movement and support for female sexual empowerment, its no wonder we're seeing a spike in sex toy ownership and less-elusive female orgasm. And, only 10% perceived female sexual empowerment to be less socially accepted than it was a decade ago. You go, girls! According to Lovers sexpert Ketcham Crooks, weve still got work to do on this front. Popular culture and the medical field are still trying to debunk the belief that bringing a man to the brink of an orgasm and then not completing the task is dangerous for mens health. There is no such mythology for women; in fact, we have been socialized to 'fake it' if our partner doesnt do the deed.

Gender Fluidity

"They" is the 2019 word of the year, but less than half of Americans say they are comfortable with gender fluidity. Unsurprisingly, Millennials and Gen X are the most comfortablebut not as comfortable as you'd think. When responding to this survey, only 57% of Millennials reported being comfortable with gender fluidity and more than one-third of Gen Xers reported being uncomfortablewith 20% of both groups reporting they were "completely uncomfortable" with fluid gender identity. And the OK Boomer trend came to life in the results, as we saw a complete flip in opinion between Gen X and BoomersBoomers reported being 65% uncomfortable and 35% comfortable with transgender identity whereas Gen X reported the exact opposite: 35% uncomfortable and 65% comfortable.

When asked if there had been any perceived change in social acceptance around gender identity, 73% of adults responded that there has been a positive shift in the overall acceptance of gender fluidity.

Open Relationships

One-third of adults have either been in, have thought about or talked about being an open relationshipthough survey results show that nearly a quarter of Americans think open relationships are less socially acceptable in the eye of the public than they were a decade ago. Gen Zers and Millennials were most comfortable with the idea of an open relationship, but it was a 50/50 split between the two camps in both age groups.

Ketcham Crooks weighed in on this and said, This finding is interesting because these are also two generations of individuals for whom mixed families have been normalized. Many of us (as a Millennial myself) witnessed our parents' attempts at monogamy fail and became open to less traditional familial relationship constructs. It may also be that, due to the internet and ease of access to information, we are exposed to all of the ways relationships can look.

Sex Toy Ownership

Americans who took this survey like their trinkets and toys, and those who own them proved to be most open and adventurous when it came to all things sex. 20% of sex-toy owners are looking for some backdoor action in 2020, along with 38% who are interested in a new position or technique to try in the bedroom. Almost half of all sex toy owners also reported they are looking to add a new gadget to their bedside drawer next year and are equally as likely to visit a retail store as they are to look online for information on their next boudoir purchase.

By Gender

Self-pleasure for men was perceived at 40% less socially accepted over this last decade, while female self-pleasure was perceived as 67% more socially acceptable. Males are more likely to perceive that sexual health is connected to their overall wellbeing than females are, and both sexes were equally interested in adding a new toy and romance to their 2020 routines. Males also reported engaging in open relationships nearly twice as much as females.

By Generation

69% of Millennials own a sex toy, and surprisingly, Gen Z was daring, but not as daring as Millennials77% said they wanted to try something sexually new in 2020 compared to 88% of Millennials (but 28% of Gen Z did say they wanted to try anal for the first time!). Gen Xers and Millennials are the romanticswith nearly half wishing to add more romance to their sex lives for 2020. When it came to try new things in their sex lives, Boomers encapsulate the saying If it aint broke, dont fix it, as only 37% of Boomers said they wanted to try something new in 2020 to spice things up.

Ketcham Crooks explains, The Gen Z demographic are likely encountering a variety of new experiences at this phase of life; breaking away from parents, going to college, meeting new people from different backgrounds and being exposed to new ideas. It can be helpful and less intimidating to take this phase of extreme change one beat at a time.

By Region

If you live in the Midwest, you're more likely to own a sex toy than any other region, and youre also least likely to be comfortable with transgender or gender fluidity. Those who were most satisfied with their sex lives live in the West, with those who are least satisfied reside in the Midwest and Northeast. And, its possible you have or are engaging in an open relationship if you live in the Northeastover a fifth of Northeasterners reported doing so at some point in their lives.

A Look Back: A Decade in Review

Overall, Americans feel that an array of sexual behaviors are in general becoming more and more socially accepted (even if they do not necessarily agree with the behaviors on a personal level). The big takeaways from the last decade:

On behalf of Lovers, CITE Research conducted an online survey among 1,000 U.S. adults representative of the U.S. Census population. Respondents were screened to match the U.S. Census on, gender, age, ethnicity, region, household income, region and marital status.

About Lovers

The Lovers Family of Stores is a sex-positive, judgment-free, fetish-friendly community dedicated to enhancing your sexual pleasurewhatever pleasure you pick. Mother-daughter duo Phylis Heppenstall and Kriss Butt founded Lovers in 1981 under the belief that everyone has a right to great sex, regardless of gender identification, race, sexual orientation, or socio-economic status. Our 43 locations span across Washington, Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, and California under A Touch of Romance, Christals, and Lovers. Each store offers high-quality toys, curated products, and education to help you consensually fulfill your desires. Maybe its time you finally realized that fantasyyou know the one. Satisfy your curiosity at http://www.loverspackage.com or on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

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Lovers | Sex and the State of the Union Survey - Business Wire

Sharon Stone in Los Angeles in July 2018.

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Stars truly are just like us: engulfed in a personal reckoning with a dating app. Sharon Stone announced in the very early hours of Monday morning (prime time for lying awake and swiping!) that she had tried to use Bumble, only to have her account shut down. Some users reported that it couldnt possibly be me!, she wrote on Twitter, tagging the companys account. Dont shut me out of the hive. She finished with a bee emoji, and then tweeted a screenshot for good measure.

So fortuitous was it for Bumble to be called out in this wayhere we are, adding to the cacophony of pressthat I initially assumed it all had to be a PR stunt. Who but someone on the inside would call Bumble a hive? Alas, a representative for the company insisted this wasnt planned. Especially for an apparently organic interaction, the problem was quickly resolved. At 4:26 a.m.just hours after Stones initial tweetBumbles editorial director replied to the actor to report that her account had been restored.

Why is accidentally blocking a famous person great for Bumble? The immovable reality is that dating comes down to meeting people plus serendipity, which means that no matter how fancy its sorting algorithm is, any dating apps most distinguishing feature will be the kinds of people who use it (or at least appear to). The fact that Stone was blocked (and unblocked) from Bumble means that she is on Bumble, making it both a place where you can run into celebrities, and one where a celebrity would deign to be seen. In fact, Bumble has made some effort to position itself as a place where you can bump into note-worthy people. Among photos of beautiful nobodies in last years Find Them on Bumble ad campaign were a handful of niche famouses, like Vox journalist Liz Plank, former Obama deputy chief of staff Alyssa Mastromonaco, and Soul Cycle founder Julie Rice.* Bumble also recently ran a contest to hang out with 20-year-old Riverdale hunk KJ Apa; users could enter by finding his (presumably PR-crafted) profile on the app and swiping right. Celebrities typically note that theyre on the more exclusive app Raya, so Sharon Stone is a big upgrade for Bumble.

Stones foray into Bumble also boosts the apps appeal for older folks (shes 61), and in particular, people who might be looking for more than a hookup, a space well-claimed by Tinder. A survey of users that the company shared last year suggested that the vast majority are looking for a partner. The women that use the app (or that the company wants you to think use the app) have established their careers, experienced love, had families, and know what they want in their next relationship, Bumbles in-house sociologist told Mashable.

Even the fact that Bumble blocked Stone neatly fits into its empowerment-app narrative, alongside its central feature of having women make the first move, in theory cutting down on creepy spam. You want your dating app to err on the side of aggressively blocking catfishers. Bumble, a PR rep told me, was also the first app to offer a way for users to verify that theyre real people (you take a photo of yourself making the same gesture as shown in a random photo). Its unclear why Stone didnt do thisperhaps going on the app was a lark, and she just hadnt bothered with looking at all the features. After Bumble unblocked her, it invited her in a wildly shared statement to its headquarters for some personalized dating help. If only the company would build perfect dating profiles for the rest of us, too.

Correction, Dec. 30, 2019: This post originally misspelled Alyssa Mastromonacos last name.

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Bumble May as Well Have Blocked Sharon Stone on Purpose - Slate

Ten years is a long time for anything. Its especially a long time for any industry that is seeing the explosive yearly growth that anime is. Over this past decade over 1500 anime series have premiered, not even including the countless more films! With that many shows behind us, its naturally time to do a little introspection and think about which series truly rise above the rest. Before we send off this decade and look forward to the next, check out these anime to see just what this wonderful medium is capable of giving. These are the best anime of the decade.

Studio: KyoAni Runtime: January 11th, 2017 April 6th, 2017

Dragon Maid is a wholesome slice-of-life that works in spite of its oftentimes overwhelming fanservice. It is, perhaps, indicative of KyoAnis charm, that such an egregiously horny show can manage to be so wholesome. Whether its because of the colorfully soft visuals, the playfully gentle background music, or the endearing cast of characters, Dragon Maid stands above its many, many competitors.

But what makes Dragon Maid more than a gimmicky SoL? Simple: family. The relationship between the titular Kobayashi and her equally titular dragon maid Tohru is one of sincere affection that gets explored as the series progresses. Its a slow change that we see in Kobayashi, one that she herself doesnt notice until its gone. Helping with groceries, visiting school, and going on picnics: Dragon Maid does what few other SoLs have and gives weight to the small moments, the doldrums of daily life that can only be found with family.

And I mean, cmon. That OP.

Chu chu yeah! Kyle Rogacion

Watch on Crunchyroll (subbed) and Funimation (dubbed)

Studio: Studio 3Hz Runtime: October 6th, 2016December 26th, 2016

Animations true wonder is its lack of physical, earthly constraint, and yet too few series take advantage of the medium. Not so with Flip Flappers, which burst onto the scene in kaleidoscopic colors and with a visual freneticism that never abated. With the scant trappings of a magical girl series to barely maintain cohesion, every episode shifts genre and style crossing multiple dimensionsall to resolve maternal and interpersonal relationship issues.

There is a good story here, especially as the series plunges deeper and deeper into manifestations of psychological trauma, but its superseded by the beauty of the animation and the overriding sweetness of the friendship (with increasingly homoerotic implications) between protagonists Cocona and Papika. With bold lines and a density of detail across the screen, Flip Flappers is a tonic for those wishing that anime would push boundaries more often. In the world of Flip Flappers, there are no boundaries that cant be crossed. Declan Biswas-Hughes

Watch on Crunchyroll (subbed)

Studio: White Fox Runtime: April 4th, 2016 Sep 19th, 2016

Re:Zero succeeds in how it takes two heavily-used anime tropes and makes it its own. It employs the basic set up for an isekai and the groundhog day trope as its key plot tool.

The shows story arcs range from slice-of-life to faux-medieval political drama to all-out fantasy-action. Its distinct yet still working in tandem for both world-building and more importantly character development, with main character Subaru Natsuki as the constant element. Subaru, whose character development is arguably the highlight of the show, is most interesting as the repeated tragedies start affecting his psyche, and how he does (and doesnt) cope. He is also flawed in his seemingly pure-hearted infatuation with Emilia the half-elf, and the show doesnt hold back in drawing out the ugliest parts of its protagonist. This only allows for redemption toward the very end of the season.

Re:Zero also takes time to develop its core supporting cast, creating fan favorites as their story arcs twist and turn around Subaru. The show even led to an enduring waifu war between Emilia and Rem, a testament in itself to the shows development of its supporting cast. Katharine Booth

Re:Zeros second season was recently announced for 2020.

Watch on Crunchyroll (subbed) and Funimation (dubbed)

Studio: P.A. Works Runtime: July 7th, 2013June 25th, 2017

Fittingly, The Eccentric Family occupies an odd space at the intersection of whimsy, magic realism, and character drama; there is no other series quite like it. Steeped in Japanese folklore, The Eccentric Family tells the story of a family of shape-shifting tanukis, and the precariousness of their existencealways under threat from being captured and thrown into a hot pot stew by humans. Combined with flying tengu overhead and the enigmatic magical human, Benten, whose mercurial relationship with protagonist Yasaburou is both alluring and terrifying, comes a wistful and moving meditation on existence. Yet the series is always pleasant owing to its eccentric delight in the fun of ephemeral life, and thus is a show worth seeing. Declan Biswas-Hughes

Watch on Crunchyroll (subbed)

Studio: Lay-duce Runtime: July 6th, 2019September 21st, 2019

This is Mari Okadas most technically adroit melodrama, which is surely an odd thing to say about a series hinging on the irrational flood of feelings regarding sex and sexuality. But her decades worth of experience examining the teenage psyche in all its perceptiveness and irrationalities comes to bear in O Maidens.

For sure, only Okadas fine attunement to teenage minds could result in a character so empathetically written as Niina. Niina is fascinating and capricious, with her sexual maturity being both an asset and an isolating force amongst her friends, and her story an incisive exploration of the warping male gaze. All the characters in O Maidens are interesting in their own right, each unravelling various facets of their own sexuality, but there is no character in anime quite like Niina, and only Okada could have written her. Declan Biswas-Hughes

Watch on HiDive (subbed/dubbed)

Studio: Satelight Runtime: Oct 6, 2013 Dec 29, 2013

Despite anime being veritably flooded with series with romance as a core tenet, the amount of truly good romantic dramas are few and far between and even fewer still that dont rely on cheating to create cheap conflict. White Album 2 is part of that esteemed list.

Relationships are more than just the leadup to a confession, contrary to what many anime may lead you to believe. Theres the actual dating part and, sometimes, the fallout afterward. White Album 2 details all three parts of the dating process in all their nit-gritty glory. Characters are emotionally hurt, relationships irrevocably damaged, and fond memories smothered by bittersweet events.

The worst part and the part that makes the series so incredible is how no character was in the wrong for their actions. As corny as it sounds, they were true friends always thinking of the best for each other and that makes the outcome all the more painful. Few series are as beautifully tragic as White Album 2, and it is certainly one that will leave scrambling to pick up the pieces of your broken heart. Matthew Ponthier

Watch on Crunchyroll (subbed)

Studio: KyoAni Runtime: April 3rd, 2011 September 25th, 2011

Its hard to get the slice-of-life formula wrong. The genre, at its core, relies on highlighting the common experiences we all share: doing laundry, making dinner, hanging out with friends, etc. Narrative takes a back seat in favor of situational comedy and the characters caught in them. What puts Nichijou several cuts above the rest is just how absurd those situations are.

Nichijous brilliance is how it balances over-the-top exaggerated Japanese comedy with a genuinely comfy atmosphere. Deer wrestling and nuclear explosions are the order of the day, but how these moments are rooted in the mundane aspects of everyday life make them land so much better. All of this is helped by KyoAnis stellar animation team, who brings the wild nature of the comedy to a whole other level. One simply need watch Nichijous OP to understand exactly what theyre getting into. Kyle Rogacion

Watch on Funimation (subbed and dubbed)

Studio: Lerche Runtime: January 13th, 2017March 31st, 2017

Anime may too frequently take an emotionally and sexually neutered approach to romance in its idealisation, but sex, love, and happiness are separate entities in Scums Wish. The series seeks to display all three nude and unspun in all their explicit sensitivities, with no moralizing or punishment.

Fully capturing intelligent, hormonal teenagers standing on the precipice that is the edge of adulthood and the harsher romantic truths of adulthood through grown-ups themselves Scums Wish then submerges its characters and itself in social taboo. In doing so, it presents one of animes most realistic depictions of the pursuit of empty affection and the idolatry of the imperfect.

Chika Ansai gives a stellar, earnest performance as Hanabi navigating these murky waters, which emotionally tethers the series. On top of this, Andou Masaomis direction visually shows estrangement and entanglement in an engaging manner. Its everything somebody, scum or otherwise, could wish for. Declan Biswas-Hughes

Watch on Amazon Prime (subbed)

Studio: TMS entertainment Runtime: April 6, 2019 September 21, 2019

At its core, Fruits Basket is a story about learning how to accept others for everything they are, as well as oneself. Such a simple-sounding concept is, in reality, difficult to realize, especially when trying to do so alone.

The Souma family circumstances are fantastical, to be sure, but each members plight touches upon the many forms of doubt and insecurity one may feel throughout various stages of life. The cast of Fruits Basket all have their own inner demons to grapple with and chances are youll find yourself sympathetic to at least one of them for one reason or another. Its in seeing protagonist Tohru unconditionally believe in that projection of yourself that has such a profound healing effect both inside and outside the screen. It also helps that the updated animation makes the high-emotion scenes hit all the harder.

Fruits Basket is a rare anime series that challenges the viewer, challenges them to be a better person. It shows how difficult it can be to be that person to soothe others pain, but it also shows the importance of at least trying. Mathew Ponthier

Watch on Crunchyroll (subbed) and Funimation (dubbed)

Studio: MAPPA Runtime: October 6th, 2014 December 29th, 2014

An anime series based off a mobile game has no right to be this good. Defying expectations, Rage of Bahamut: Genesis tells a compelling story that doesnt stray too far from your traditional Japanese take on Western fantasy. At first glance, it might even seem rather mundane for the genre. Grand conflicts between angels and demons, with humans caught in the middle; plot-driving MacGuffins that everyone desperately desires; an ancient god sealed away lest it destroy the world.

What sets Rage of Bahamut apart is its presentation. Thrilling orchestral scores, thrilling swashbuckling fights, and genuinely endearing characters create the perfect ingredients for a wholly engrossing adventure. The main trio of Amira, Favaro, and Kaisar establishes its core dynamic with refreshing alacrity. You immediately understand whats at stake and why each of the characters are driven forward. Spanning twelve episodes, the series covers a staggering amount of ground without feeling rushed.

Rage of Bahamut was one of the first series to come out of MAPPA and it quickly helped to establish the studios presence. MAPPA would go on to create such series as Yuri on Ice, Zombieland Saga, and Sarazanmai, showing that this relative newcomer was an animation powerhouse ready to make its mark. Kyle Rogacion

Watch on Funimation (subbed and dubbed)

Studio: Tatsunoko Production Runtime: April 11th, 2014 June 20th, 2014

Despite the name, Ping Pong is decidedly not about the sport. Rather, its about the people who play it and their reasons for doing so. Upon first watch, the most striking aspect about Ping Pong will be its art style. Its scratchy and somewhat off-putting, but a perfect fit for the incredibly stylized nature of the show. Director Masaaki Yuasa brings his signature flair to Ping Pong; dynamic motion and intense framing ensure that every second your eyes are glued to the screen.

By leaning into this heavy stylization, Ping Pong makes liberal use of metaphor and symbolism to get its points across. Yuasa and his animation team instill a palpable sense of fun into their work, making even the most mundane action seem grand and mesmerizing. At its core, however, Ping Pong is a journey of self-discovery, a hunger for purpose and motivation. Through the context of table tennis, the show dives into what exactly this sport means for its players and how they use it to not simply define their lives, but inform them. Kyle Rogacion

Watch on Funimation (subbed and dubbed)

Studio: A-1 Pictures Runtime: January 12th, 2019 March 30th, 2019

Kaguya-sama is a joy because it pokes fun at the ridiculous dance of high school romance while reminding us just how serious those situations felt at the time. Its immediately relatable; hesitating to confess ones feelings, not knowing how to exchange contact info without seeming desperate, trying to give love advice knowing full well youre not qualified to do so, etc. While everything is escalated to hilarious heights, its all anchored by a subconscious Yeah, Id be freaking out about that, too.

Aka Akasaka and A-1 Pictures manage to sidestep much of the saminess of other shows by leaning into the sketch comedy format la Aho-Girl. Instead of following around one character for an entire episode, each episode is instead broken up into vignettes featuring the cast in different scenarios. Kaguya-sama leverages this format to deliver sharp satire and fascinating glimpses into the lives of its characters.

Beyond the relatability, format, and smart writing, however, Kaguya-sama nails the balance between comedy and character-building. For as many laugh-out-loud moments as there are, Kaguya-sama hones in on each non-Kaguya/Shirogane cast member just enough to get viewers attached. Its never been a better time to enlist as a soldier of love. Brent Middleton

Watch on Crunchyroll (subbed) and Funimation (dubbed)

Studio: TMS Entertainment Runtime: July 5th, 2019 Dec 13th, 2019

Dr. Stone presents a unique take on the end of the world, taking a heavily-used plot device and making it its own. The show takes time to develop its characters while presenting its overarching morality conflict pitting the first seasons two opposing factions against each other. However, the show convinces the viewer to root for protagonist Senku and his kingdom of science, just as the side characters warm up to him as well.

While Senku seems like a one an army because of his intellect, self-confidence and problem solving ability, the narrative still makes a point of showing his need to rely on the help of the other characters, thus making the story suspenseful as he wins them over to his side. Throughout the first season, Dr. Stone makes sure to keep technical science components light-hearted and easy to understand, which is essential for the side characters, but really meant to keep the viewer engaged and on the same page throughout the story.

Dr. Stone has just hit the ground running over the past several months and shows no signs of slowing down, with season two announced for 2020. Katharine Booth

Watch on Crunchyroll (subbed)

Studio: David Production Runtime: October 5th, 2018 July 28th, 2019

This isnt the first time Ive discussedJoJos Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind. In short: its superb, and a must-watch for anyone passionate about creatively imaginative storytelling. In long: heres a rap I wrote about it!

Its bonkers and bizarre, the protagonist drives a car. Hes only fifteen so evidently hes not a law-abiding star. He runs with a gang in the streets of Italy, beating baddies with a beatdown bitterly. Employing peculiar powers to pimp out plant life and turn gravel into a tree.

This is the best season of JoJo, Arakis mind hasnt lost its mojo. Its the most narratively consistent iteration of an anime thats loco. So checkGolden Windif youre seeking fun, and off the walls action to get your head spun. And you can count on affairs to include ablonde-haired boy shouting Muda Muda Muda!. Harry Morris

Watch on Crunchyroll (subbed)

Studio: White Fox Runtime: January 26th, 2010December 11th, 2010

Like most Nisio Isin creations, Katanagatari is clever. Wordplay, subversions of samurai film structures, metatextual commentary, thematically meaningful mundane objectsthis is a finely crafted sword hunt story (the title itself a clever portmanteau of katanagari and monogatari), where the ostensibly simple plot of searching for twelve legendary swords is enriched by literary accouterments.

What really sets Katanagatari apart, however, is the love story between Yasuri Shichika and Togame at its core. These mystical Deviant blades are corrupting and powerful, and so Togame only recruits Shichikas help on the condition that he does so for the sake of pure love. Shichika, having lived a secluded life, agrees. So begins an enveloping romance evolving through conversation about lifes oddities.

Yes, there are some spectacular and inventive fights each episode, but its rare to have an anime so quiet, with characters dissecting idiosyncrasies through discussion. Even with its atypical visuals and quirky dialogue, this is natural-feeling love story that is as engrossing as its sword hunt story. Declan Biswas-Hughes

Purchase on Amazon

Studio: Wit Studio Runtime: April 6th, 2013 September 28th, 2013

This first season of Attack on Titan sets the stage for what has become one of the most critically acclaimed and loved series of the past decade. The shows world-building and art direction create a setting unlike any other show to date, and the pacing covers a lot of ground with its plot development to make the show fast-paced without feeling rushed.

As the main characters become more entangled in the central conflict of their world, the show immerses viewers in its universe. Attack on Titan pulls no punches with its depictions of violence and terror from episode one, presenting the viewer almost immediately with just how high the stakes are for both the main characters and every single person living in this brutal world. The first season succeeds in both building up the three main characters development while also taking the time to share the spotlight with its secondary characters. This gives just the right amount of attention to everyone based on their future importance to the series. Attack on Titan hits the ground running, and demands your attention, getting the viewer hooked on this wildly popular thriller. Katharine Booth

Watch on Hulu (dubbed) and Crunchyroll (subbed)

Studio: Madhouse Runtime: April 22nd, 2010 July 1st, 2010

In many respects, Tatami Galaxy is self-indulgent. Director Masaaki Yuasa has made a name for himself with his insanely stylized and fluid animation, and its impossible to mistake this show as having any other person at the helm.

Lacking any real plot, Tatami Galaxy revels in the fantastic and the absurd. Its a distorted vision of college life, a narrative and visual mile-a-minute ride that takes viewers through a cavalcade of people and places.

The show knows exactly what it is and carries with it a meta sense of wit and humor without ever winking at the audience. Because the show effectively tells the same story in different ways, Tatami Galaxy benefits from a sense of freedom that allows it to explore a variety of different approaches. Through the conceit of parallel worlds, the show takes a charmingly cynical look at the fickle nature of youth that, by the end, settles on the notion that our mistakes and failures are simply a part of what drives us forward. Kyle Rogacion

Watch on Funimation (subbed)

Studio: Production I.G. Runtime: October 12th, 2012 March 22nd, 2013

A cyberpunk, crime laden city chock-full of sci-fi splendour; Psycho-Passs backdrop is instantly appealing. Centered around Dominators, weapons that can measure a persons crime coefficient (their mental state and likelihood to commit a crime), Psycho-Pass confronts viewers with an array of gripping criminality, all the while utilizing said crime coefficient concept to carve out its own identity. Its morbid, packed with futuristic creativity, and a shining diamond in its genre. Harry Morris

Watch on Funimation

Studio: Toei Animation Runtime: Oct 10, 2013 Dec 19, 2013

Anime and manga have always had a distinct fascination with Alice in Wonderland, often facelifting cues and characters directly into their own works. Enter Kuousou Giga, a distinctly Japanese take on the world-famous fairy tale thats as bombastically creative as it is heartwarmingly emotional.

Journeying through the city of Kyoto Through the Looking Glass is a visual joyride of flamboyant colors complemented by a boisterous orchestral soundtrack that all too easily matches the fantastical nature of the locale. Its wondrous scenery ironically exemplifies just how common and relatable the threads of the story are, though.

Characters in Kyousou Giga may be based on ones from Alice in Wonderland on the basest of levels but the numerous Buddhist and Shinto principles that permeate throughout make them nigh unrecognizable beyond their eye-catching designs. The story goes through its fair share of twists and turns, spanning time and space that sometimes gets a little too grandiose for its own good but it all ultimately boils down to one universal truth: the importance of family bonds. Its a melancholic, heartfelt tale thats sure to elicit memories of those warm halcyon days. Matthew Ponthier

Watch on Crunchyroll

Studio: Kyoto Animation Runtime: April 8th, 2015 December 28th, 2016

KyoAni understands people and relationships like no other studio. Hibike Euphonium is a tour de force of storytelling that strikes at the heart of what drives us as human beings. The show follows the journey of the Kitauji High School Concert band as they slowly improve and aim to become contenders in Japans national music tournaments. Hibike! Euphonium starts the band at the bottom so that their meteoric rise over the series progression is all the more impressive.

Passions, goals, and heartbreak stream forth from the show in a way that manages to consistently top itself. With each episode, stakes continually build as characters come to better understand both themselves and the others around them. These powerful emotions center around music, which tug at the core like nothing else; viewers are there for every painful step of the way. Each moment of self-doubt, each moment of triumph: Hibike! Euphonium masterfully showcases the insane amount of dedication and effort that it takes for a disparate group of individuals to come together and make beautiful music. Kyle Rogacion

Watch on Crunchyroll (subbed)

EDITORS NOTE: A special mention to the Liz and the Blue Bird movie which is part of the Hibike story. Only one author had watched it though and so it was unable to be placed on the list.

Studio: Asread Runtime: October 9th, 2011 April 15th, 2012

Writing a great thriller anime is no easy feat. They need to maintain a careful balance of suspense, action, and softer character-focused moments to give viewers an emotional break throughout the course of an entire season. The way that The Future Diary handles this while keeping the stakes of its killing game consistently high is inspired.

Yuki and Yuno are the primary protagonists, but their safety never feels fully assured. Yunos mental instability but undeniable combat prowess makes her a necessary liability throughout; her love for Yuki is strong, but its this same manic love that could easily lead to his demise at the turn of a hat.In many ways, watching The Future Diary feels like watching a nightmare. Its equal parts fantastical and gruesome, and is made all the more impactful because of how well the rest of the cast is fleshed out. Each absolutely shines with backstories so compelling that it can make rooting for Yuki and Yuno questionable at times.

More than anything, The Future Diary excels at asking the tough questions. Its hard to look at the expression unconditional love the same way after this. Brent Middleton

Watch on Funimation

Studio: White Fox Runtime: October 6, 2017 December 22, 2017

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The Best Anime of the Decade (Ranks 25-1) - Goomba Stomp

Conflict is bound to take place and can be frustrating and uncomfortable. During the divorce process, there are many issues that can cause disputes. It is important to recognize that individuals have their own specific wants, needs, ideas, and opinions that they project and sometimes they complement each other and other times they dont, and tensions develop. Controversy naturally arises from arguments over values, motivations, desires, feelings, or ideas and triggers strong emotions. Disagreements are based on a persons perceptions of a situation, not necessarily to an objective view of the facts. How one manages opposition has a direct impact on the resolution which makes it essential to comprehend various conflict resolution styles.

Emotional awareness is the most critical element in understanding yourself and how you deal with challenging circumstances like the dissolution of marriage. If you arent comfortable with your emotions or unable to manage them in times of stress, you will be inhibited from resolving disputes successfully. Many individuals going through divorce ignore or try to deflect strong emotions which lead to irreparable rifts, resentments, disappointments, and discomfort. The ability to handle differences of opinion depends on being connected to your feelings and being conscious of your moment to moment emotional experiences, word usage, body language, and tone of voice. Becoming more mindful of the styles of conflict management and how to instinctively respond to controversy can lead to a more effective and efficient solutions.

According to Thomas-Kilmans Conflict Mode Instrument*, which provides insight into an individuals typical response to disagreements, there are 5 major styles of conflict management to be aware of. The various modes reflect differing levels of assertiveness and cooperation, and all individuals are capable of using the 5 conflict-handling modes depending on their personal predispositions and the requirements of a particular situation.

People, particularly couples who are getting divorced, have their own unique approach to challenging situations. Identifying and being aware of which conflict management style best suits your needs is crucial.Individuals always have a choice as to how they want to approach differences of opinion. The most successful management conflict style reinforces listening to what is being said, focuses on the present, makes resolution a priority rather than winning, picks battles carefully, has a willingness to forgive, and knows when to let go. Dealing with disagreements effectively requires managing stress while remaining alert and calm so that verbal and nonverbal communication can be accurately read and interpreted. It also requires learning to control your emotions and behavior so that needs can be communicated without the use of intimidation, threats, or punishment. Understanding your preferred way of responding to disputes together with emotional awareness increases the ability to react in constructive ways.

Conflict is a natural part of our interactions with others because no two individuals have exactly the same expectations and desires. Disputes, especially during the divorce process, are not always negative and can be an opportunity for growth and improvement. It is inevitable that individuals will disagree and when this confrontation occurs, it needs to be handled as it arises in the most effective manner possible. When disputes are mismanaged, they can cause a negative ripple effect. The key is not to shy away from differences of opinion but to learn how to resolve them. When individuals practice recognizing their preferred conflict management style combined with an increased ability to manage their feelings appropriately, they can learn to examine others involved in the dispute with compassion and understanding. This process can lead to creative problem solving, respect, and consideration which is advantageous for all parties involved.

*kilmanndiagnostics.com

Jennifer Warren Medwin, MS, CDC

Supreme Court of Florida Family Mediator and Certified Marital Mediator

305-302-9777

[emailprotected]

http://www.seekingempowerment.com

.

Excerpt from:
Do You Know What Your Preferred Conflict Management Style Is? - Thrive Global

Year-end lists are a matter of taste and can say more about the writer than the subject. Annual box office summaries are statistics-based and often miss the bigger stories at hand.

So in an attempt at something different, we are going to cite 12 films of note (eight studio releases, four from specialized companies) not as hits or misses, but what they mean for future productions.

Wide Release

The Lion King(Disney)

The film that showed the strength of the overwhelmingly dominant studio was this technically updated remake of their 1994 animated smash. Both versions grossed over $400 million domestic: adjusted, 1994 would be $805 million and #20 all time; 2019 was $544 million and a bit more than double that overseas.

But what really makes this smash stand out is it came in the face of mediocre reviews and social media scorn questioning why a new version was necessary.

That damn-the-torpedoes success (it should end up #2 for the year, domestic and foreign) sends the message that the public has a mind of its own. And unlike early disappointments in rebooting previous successes (Disney with Dumbo, expensive reimaginings of Terminator and Men in Black), the veneer of something new worked: the public didnt want something original. That formula will be sought out for replication.

Ford v Ferrari

Ford v Ferrari (20th Century Fox)

We dont yet know how new owner Disney will regard the results ($300 million so far worldwide) for this very un-Disney like project. Other Fox-produced inherited films fell far below this James Mangold original film aimed at smart adults. The movie edged into likely profit and earned accolades, sending a message to the franchise/sequel-oriented overlords that a film like this can work.

Knives Out(Lionsgate)

The odds against this midsize Thanksgiving release outgrossing Cats, Richard Jewell, and Lionsgates own Bombshell Christmas week were so long as to be nearly inconceivable. It now projects to over $130 million domestic, and more than $300 million total, sending multiple messages.

It reinforces that movie comedies are rebounding (see also The Upside, Good Boys), that Lionsgate is great at creating original titles with sequel potential (Angel Has Fallen, John Wick).

But biggest of all is that Rian Johnson, after scoring a huge but (to some) unsatisfying experience with The Last Jedi, succeeded with a more personal project similar to his earlier films. Disney might be co-opting many up-and-coming directors, but this proves you can go home again. (See also the upbeat response to Taika Waititis specialized Jojo Rabbit.)

Us

Us(Universal)

Jordan Peele followed his sleeper hit Get Out with Us, and scored nearly identical worldwide results (about $255 million, both about 2/3 domestic, 1/3 foreign.) A new brand is born, with Blumhouse Prods. getting credit for developing him as a creative force and nurturing him with a second personal-vision project.

We are now seeing something similar with Greta Gerwig and Little Women building on her Ladybird acclaim. In a year when veterans like Tarantino and Scorsese roared back after less-successful efforts, the growth of these two artists, within the theatrical studio model, is a huge story.

Shazam!(Warner Bros.)

This D.C. Comics character is the #18 domestic release of the year, with $140 million ($365 million worldwide), on a $100 million budget. No stars of note, from a Swedish director already on to his third big hit (earlier ones were horror).

Its financials are almost identical to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. And the latter likely had far higher talent profit-sharing deals that will reduce its profit.

Shazam is a bread-and-butter commercial New Line movie released by Warner Bros., made with some smarts, producer insight, and no guarantee that a franchise would ensue. This is the kind of success that is vital for any studio, and is potentially more risky than a Tarantino film with top-drawer stars and prestige value.

Richard Jewell

Warner Bros.

Richard Jewell (Warner Bros.)

Warners struggled with dramas throughout the fall Motherless Brooklyn, The Kitchen, The Goldfinch, The Good Liar but the shocking failure of Clint Eastwoods latest is the standout disappointment. The best reviewed of the group, thought to have awards potential (including three acting categories), and coming on the heels of his $100 million The Mule, even with prime Christmas placement this wont do much more than $20 million. Individual factors played in fictionalized plot details, the lack of a name lead but it is part of a bigger picture. Most years, Warners leads in total number of theatrical releases. It is hard to see new studio chief Toby Emmerich maintaining this especially with the upcoming launch of streaming platform HBO Max in May.

Spider-Man: Far from Home(Sony)

Hardly the biggest Marvel success this year, but it is the biggest non-Disney 2019 release domestic and foreign (it ranks even higher overall). It was the best in the franchise since 2007 (adjusted) on a $160 million budget lower than Disneys top sequels. Most impressive was its more than four times multiple, from a decent opening. Thats rare in the Marvel world, and for a later film in any franchise. This seemed to come in part because the Sony end of the Marvel world has the capacity for surprise and fun that some of the Disney releases, huge as they are, lack.

At the very least, that an alternative template to the Disney Marvel model works is an important statement coming out of 2019.

Hustlers(STX)

This hit may have saved a company. STX has been a decent mid-level budget producer since its 2015 founding, but financial-backer turmoil put them at risk this summer. The $104 million success for this empowerment drama set in the world of strippers made sure the company lives another day.

The film also featured one of several female-directed films that were successful with the mass public a number that should only growin 2020.

Downton Abbey

Focus Features

Downton Abbey(Focus)

This feature-length addendum to the PBS series grossed nearly $100 million domestically. Like another Focus success, Harriet, it went wide from the start. That will be noted by Disney (which now oversees Fox Searchlight). Is this a way for studios to concentrate on top franchise titles, and turn a wider array of projects to their side units? Downton became Focus second-biggest hit, with nothing at this level since Brokeback Mountain 14 years ago.

Uncut Gems(A24)

So much to note in the Safdie Bros. anything-but-safe multiplex release. Adam Sandler took a chance, and saw his reputation soar (along with his chances of an Oscar nomination). It also bolstered A24 in a year when Neon threatened its position as the go-to specialized distributor for edgy specialized films that target younger audiences.

Transit

Christian Schulz

Transit(Music Box)

Films like Roma, Shoplifters, Cold War, Parasite, and Pain and Glory suggest a turnaround for the long-troubled specialized foreign-language market, but hits are the exceptions.

German director Christian Petzolds Phoenix topped $3 million in 2015, and Transit got terrific reviews. However, it couldnt gross much more than $800,000. Similarly Birds of Passage from the Colombian directors of Embrace of the Serpent saw praise and a prime release from The Orchard, only to gross a little over $500,000. Focus got the Spanish Everybody Knows to $2.7 million, but it had Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, and a name director. Beyond those mentioned here, not a single arthouse subtitled film reached $1 million.

Late Night(Amazon)

Sundance looms, followed by the number of top deals that didnt pan out. Blinded By the Light (Warner Bros.) and Brittany Runs a Marathon (Amazon) joined Late Night as rapturously received films that scored big deals in Park City, then opened to minimal response.

Late Night failed right after the SXSW-premiered Booksmart opened wide to good reviews and box-office brickbats. Amazon acquired Late Night for$13 million; after marketing, it may have lost $40 million but its available forever on Amazon Prime.

Shortly after, Amazon began a series of announcements of other titles headed to Prime after token theatrical releases. This is the company that earlier proclaimed itself the anti-Netflix by holding to theatrical windows.

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The 12 Films of 2019 That Tell Us 2020 Box Office and Industry Trends - IndieWire

In its first season, The Bold Type became an instant classic, creating relatable and strong female protagonists. But not all episodes hit the mark.

The Bold Type is a female empowerment powerhouse,even inits pilot season, it made a huge impression.

RELATED:The Bold Type: 10 Most Empowering Moments From The Women At Scarlet

Even though each episodefocuses onsuch different topics, the ladies of Scarlett magazine don't disappoint when it comes to matters of the workplace, heart, and friendship.

In this season, we see the characters' backgrounds and personalities established. The simple foundation of who they are and why they are that way. Despite that, in every seasonsome episodes stand out more than others. It'll be interesting to see how IMDb users feel about the episodes from this Freeform hits trial season.

In this episode, audiences find ourfavorite ladies from Scarlet going through a time of growth. Jane writes an article about a woman who previously worked on Wall Street and now takes pride in her work as a stripper. Unfortunately, her piece isn't received well and inevitably gets Scarlet in legal trouble.

Kat deals with the fact that things with her and Adena are becoming serious quickly. Adena even plans to break up with her longtime girlfriend for Kat, which makes things more real and stressful for her. Finally, we see Sutton get her job offer with the fashion department and she quickly learns that she is getting a pay deduction. Throughout the episode we see her navigate how she wants to go about this transition and how she can compensate for the financial shortcomings.

When a massive traffic jam, caused by a presidential visit, surrounds office building, members from the Scarlet team including Jane, Sutton, Alex, and even pinstripe are stuck for hours on end. This allows Jane to think about a possible new job and a growing bond to form between Sutton and Alex.

While most of her friends are cooped up in the office, Kat is at the airport (via the purchase of an $11,000 first-class ticket) with Adena after she was detained. In the end, they spend as much time together before Adena flies back home, leaving Kat and the others at crossroads.

After turning down the ad sales job, Sutton feels that she has found her dream job as Olivers fashion assistant, but she is also scared that she doesnt have what it takes to get the job. Meanwhile, we find Jane, post-orgasm article.

RELATED: The Bold Type: Main Characters Sorted Into Hogwarts Houses

She takes matters into her own hands and set up a date with pinstripe after work. Later things take a sad turn when Kat uses her platform to stand up for gender equality in terms of virtual reality production. Unfortunately, this results in her being attacked online. Eventually, as things seem to get worse, other women online support her and come up with a way to change the technology instead of being silenced by the trolls.

Opportunities are all around the ladies in this episode. Sutton is one of the few being considered for the fashion assistant job, but unfortunately, Oliver thinks that she went to FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology). Sutton goes about trying to maneuver things in the office without anyone realizing the misinformation. Jane is asked to be apart of an up-and-coming political writers panel butis forcedto deal with her evolving relationship with "Pinstripe" after he invites himself to the panel.

Meanwhile, Kat is trying to figure out her feelings toward Adena, so she uses the letter of recommendation that Adena asked her for as an excuse to spend more time with her.

A memorable episode in the first season,Jane and Kat have dinner at Sutton's boyfriend, Richard's house for the first time. Meeting your friend's new boyfriend is already stressful enough without theextramental stresses each girl is facing.

Kat is coping with the fact that herstaffer is negatively effecting Scarlet's online brand. Jane is forced to deal with the ever-evolving relationship between her and Ryan aka Pinstripe. Sutton starts networking by going to a high tea event, resulting in hershowing uplate to dinner stoned. Ending the night with all three girls in Richard's bathtub shows the audience how solid and necessary these ladies' friendship is.

There is no surprise that thisone was one of the best. Throughout this episode we see Scarlet focusing on Breast Cancer awareness. We see Kat going full force on social media front lines after finding out that her post with a woman's nipple was taken down based on social media guidelines. While Jane is writing a story that hits close to home. An article thatfocuses on the BRCA gene test, puts her in an uncomfortable situation knowing that she has a higher chance of carrying the gene.

On the other hand, we see Sutton on her first day as a fashion assistant, learning the ropes and trying to prove herself in the process. In the end, even though each of them has personal matters they need to tend to, we see them together supporting Jane through the tough process that is her upcoming preventative breast health care.

With rumors swirling around the office, everyone starts to worry about their job security at Scarlet. This putting a sense of urgency and opportunity into Alex, Jane, and others. Even more so, Kat has to keep the news of lay-offs a secret from her two best friends because of her position in the company.

RELATED:10 Most Evil TV Female Heroes Of The Past Decade, Ranked

Outside of that craziness, we find Jane, Sutton, and Kat on a group date since they all are single at the same time for the first time in a while. Using this data as a distraction from past relationships, Kat and Sutton are focusing on their dates to try and get over Adena and Richard.

In the second episode of the series, we see the girls tested in several ways. Sutton isgivenan opportunity to climb the Scarlet ladder and join the Safford ad sales team. But her heart is not in sales and she finds herself wondering if the job is the right move for her.

Kat starts to spend more time with Adena after the initial profile article had gone up, and starts to realize that her feelings may not be strictly platonic.

Lastly, audiences see Jane in an uncomfortable position after being assigned to write an article on the best orgasm that she ever had, but the kicker is she hasn't had one yet. This prompts her to seek guidance from her friends and find her voice in a topic that she is unfamiliar with.

Every episode in this season made an impression, but unfortunately, the pilot episode wasn't well received.Within this episode we see Jane struggling to write an article about her ex, Kat being confused about her feelings for a local artist, and Sutton trying to move from assistant to the fashion department while also secretly dating one of Scarlet's lawyers.

With so much going on it can be hard to get a feel of the show and the characters that are being established. Despite that, the fact that the lowest-rated episode is right below an 8 shows promise for the series as a whole.

There is no surprise that the heart-wrenching season finale is the highest-rated episode. All of the ladies are at crossroads: Jane writing her last piece for Scarlet, Kat dealing with her feelings for Adena, and Suttonbeing forced to deal with her feelings for Richard.

Everything in this episode pulls audiences in from the Scarlet New York Fashion Week party to Jacqueline revealing that she was sexually assaulted. Throughout the final scenes, some lingering questions were answered while others were formed. Making for the perfect ending to the season.

NEXT:TV: 10 Most Empowering Female Characters of the Decade

Next The Big Bang Theory: 10 Couples That Would Have Made A Lot Of Sense (But Never Got Together)

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The Bold Type: 5 Best & 5 Worst Episodes Of Season 1 (According To IMDb) - Screen Rant

The Pulp section of The Daily Orange strives to shed light on various moments and members of the Syracuse community. The stories shared during the fall semester of 2019 were no different in their creativity and inspiration. The Daily Orange Pulp staff has rounded up 10 of the most well-written stories of the past semester before heading into the new year.

Emily Mcneill | Staff Photographer

Russell Fearons journey with diabetes began during his sophomore year at SU. He initially felt that the process of drawing blood draws too much attention to the condition. So, Fearon decided to invent a more discreet device: a glucose-monitoring watch.

Fearons invention was showcased at the EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator Program at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. After this article was written, Fearon, along with his project partner Ricardo Sanchez 21, won the first place prize of $50,000 as well as the fan-favorite prize of $5,000.

Lucy Messineo-Witt | Contributing Photographer

T-shirts, tattoos and more than 5,000 Instagram followers can be attributed to SUs construction sensation: Walt the crane. Niko Benelli and his rowing teammates first gave name to the 3-million-pound crane one day after walking back from Marshall Street. The crane is currently being used for renovations to the Carrier Dome.

Walt, one of the largest cranes in the country, is now one of the most popular ones as well due to Benellis efforts. After creating the Instagram account @walt.the.crane, Benelli has attracted the attention of his peers as well as the CEO of the crane company.

Lauren Miller | Staff Photographer

Gianni Villegas used his passions for music to develop into his own career. The SU senior curated his sound through inspiration from Steve Lacy to Colombian salsa, a style of music he always heard growing up.

During his early years at Syracuse, Villegas struggled to connect his IT major with his passions. But during his sophomore year, he dove into music-making and began to merge some of his academics with creating music. Villegass hard work manifested on stage when he opened for S.O.Bs in New York City earlier this year.

Corey Henry | Photo Editor

Outside of the classroom, Cliff Davidson can be found running throughout the neighborhoodeven in the daunting Syracuse winter. For the last seven years, the SU environmental engineering professor has run the same 10-kilometer route almost every other day. The workout is part of Davidsons training for 100 marathons in less than 19 years.

In October of this past year, Davidson ran his 100th marathon: The Empire State Marathon in Syracuse. It was his third time tackling the local competition, but he has been running his whole life.

Elizabeth Billman | Asst. Photo Editor

The #NotAgainSU sit-in, a demonstration made in response to racist incidents and hate crimes in November of this past year, needed help. Adia Santos began a GoFundMe page for student protestors to buy food and supplies.

While the page raised money, members of SU and the local Syracuse community stepped up to provide food and hygiene products. Members of the Syracuse/Onondaga County Chapter of the NAACP and Vegan CNY were among those that offered support.

Diana Riojas | Senior Staff Writer

After Jessica Oh found racist graffiti toward Asian people written in the Comstock Art Facility, students and professors gathered to cover the hate with images of unity. The graffiti was one of at least 16 hate crimes found on SUs campus toward the end of the semester. The mural featured phrases such as SU UNITED and When they go low, we go high, a popular quote from former first lady Michelle Obama.

Students and faculty alike engaged in conversations about safety, as some had not felt safe on campus within the last few days of the semester. For many participating in the painting, the activity provided some peace and empowerment.

Madison Brown | Contributing Photographer

Francisco Rodriguez grew up eating empanadas and fried plantains in the Dominican Republic, and Roberto Lazaro learned how to cook traditional Mexican dishes in Acapulco, Mexico. Now, they both serve authentic Latin American food at restaurants in Syracuse.

Rodriguez owns Las Delicias, a restaurant in the Westcott neighborhood that offers Dominican and Puerto Rican dishes, including mofongo, which is made with fried pork and smashed-up plantains. Lazaro serves Mexican dishes such as fajitas, tacos and chicken tamales at Camino Real Mexican Restaurant II in North Syracuse. Las Delicias and Camino Real Mexican Restaurant II are two of only a few restaurants in Syracuse that are run by Latin American people and serve authentic Latin American food.

Talia Trackim | Presentation Director

After a long career as an executive producer for ABC News and associate professor at Columbia Universitys Graduate School of Journalism, Betsy West set off to create a film capturing the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The film garnered both audience criticism and praise because it highlighted Ginsburgs crucial legal activism in regard to the womens movement.

Wests story mirrors that of Ginsburg, as during her time at Syracuse University and thereafter, she was often the only woman in newsrooms and radio stations.The resulting documentary landed her and her co-director, Julie Cohen, Oscar nominations and a Primetime Emmy Award for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking.

Diana Riojas | Senior Staff Writer

Throughout her time at SU, Professor Margaret Susan Thompson has seen the campus change. But her fight for womens rights has remained. Thompson uses her voice and platform as an educator to speak out on the current womens movement and personal experiences with sexism in the academic community. She is as a survivor of sexual abuse and offers advice for those struggling with assault.

Thompson brings these conversations throughout all aspects of life, including the church. As a Catholic, she has been outspoken about the treatment of women in the church. However, to achieve any progress in eliminating sex discrimination, harassment and assault, Thompson believes that feminists across all generations must unite.

Courtesy of Austin Cieszko

SU alumna Bri Tolani had been creating EDM songs with acclaimed producers from the confines of her dorm room for years. But on November 20, Tolani took her musical career in a different direction with her debut single, Hazy. The song delves into Tolanis feelings of anxiety and dissociation.

On the same day, a music video, which was produced by and featured SU alumni, was shot mimicking a real-life therapy session. In making the accompanying music video, Tolani hoped to spark inspiration in her fans to share their own difficulties regarding mental health.

Published on December 31, 2019 at 5:49 pm

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The best-written D.O. Pulp stories of fall 2019 - The Daily Orange

A new decade is arriving and with it comes the question: Do I really need six cooling face masks in my nightstand? As 2019 winds to a close and 2020 resolutions loom, it's the ideal time to clean out those makeup drawers and donate that eyeshadow palette or lipstick you'll never use.

Spread the magic that is Fenty Beauty to those less fortunate with the help of these six organizations.

Beauty Bus delivers at-home beauty services and product packages to terminally ill patients and their caregivers. Donate new and unopened products that are at least six months from their expiration date. Unaccepted items include perfumes, deodorants, makeup bags, and razors.

In addition to providing professional clothing for women ahead of a job interview, Dress for Success also offers cosmetics and toiletries. All donations must be new, unopened, and within six months from the expiration date.

Since 2017, the Los Angeles LGBT Center has accepted unused cosmetic and personal hygiene products for transgender and gender non-conforming people. Hairstylist Andrew Fitzsimons created the initiative, which distributes donated products to the Center's Transgender Economic Empowerment Project (TEEP) and other clients of organizations serving the trans community. Donations will benefit a group of people with higher rates of poverty, particularly trans women of color.

This organization, headquartered in the New York area, donates beauty products to women and teens in crisis. Items should be new, unopened, unexpired and cannot be flammable. A sample of brands donated to the company includes Elizabeth Arden, L'Occitane, and Tarte Cosmetics.

This organization will donate your unwanted beauty products to charities that serve marginalized women in communities across the country. Project Beauty Share accepts everything from feminine hygiene products to skincare. However, all lipsticks must be new. Additionally powdered items without a seal or items with a used wand will not be accepted.

One direct way to give back in your community is by searching for local women's shelters. This site lists area shelters in each state, where you can find information about which toiletries, cosmetics, and skincare items are needed as well as donation restrictions.

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Here's Where to Donate Your Unused Beauty Products Ahead of the New Year - ELLE.com

For more than 5,000 high schoolers applying to college each year, Brigham Young University, in Provo, Utah, checks two critical boxes: Its an extremely good university, and its tuition fees are just $5,790 a year.

But if youre a Mormon student, theres another reason to want to attend: Its the largest and best majority Mormon university in the world. And for women, that comes with an additional perk. The point of Mormon women going to college is to find a spouse, period, says Kate Kelly, an alumna of the college who graduated in the early 2000s. BYU is just about the best place to do so, with a student population of 35,000, and a Mormon-majority community that prioritizes marriage and the family unit. Within 12 years of graduating, 84% of BYU graduates are married.

At BYU, the hunt for a spouse touches almost every aspect of student life, says Kelly, who grew up in the Mormon faith but was excommunicated in 2014 over her push for gender equality. Its the focus of speeches given by religious leaders, meet-and-greet activities, even religious practice, she says. Even at regular compulsory worship, students are split up by marital statusif youre single and lucky, The One may be sat over in the next pew. The pressure was everywhere: BYU is just like a dating factory, she remembers, but [for women] that was the entire point.

BYU is just like a dating factory, but [for women] that was the entire point.

But while secular women may see education as a route to a more lucrative or successful career, most of BYUs female alumni never work outside the home, despite having attended a top university. The messaging starts early, Kelly says: Throughout Sunday school and other forms of Mormon education, Mormon girls are explicitly told that their college education is predominantly a back-up, if ever accidentally your husband were to die or you found yourself in a position where you had to earn a living. But otherwise you are not to use it. Statistics bear this out: Male graduates of BYU earn 90 times more than their female peers, with an average salary of $71,900 by the age of 34. Female graduates, on the other hand, earn on average $800 per year. Even the wage gap at other religious universities is not quite so extreme. Female graduates of Huntingdon University, Baptist Bible College, and Maranatha Bible University earn between about $15,000 and $20,000 a year at age 34. Its a little more than a third of their male peers salary, or more than 20 times more than female BYU grads.

Majority-Mormon neighborhoods in the US closely resemble a 1950s ideal: As a 2015 New York Times investigation observes, the male-dominated nature of Mormon culture has kept nonemployment rates for prime-age women extremely highas high, in some areas, as they were for American women in the 1950s.

But Mormon culture, with its reputation for family orientation, clean-cut optimism, honesty, and pleasant aggressiveness, as the historian Jan Schipps puts it, hasnt always looked like this. As far back as the mid-1800s, leaders in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (commonly abbreviated to LDS) encouraged women to apply themselves to work outside the home. The 19th-century LDS prophet Brigham Young, for whom the university is named, thought women might usefully study law or physic, or become good bookkeepers and be able to do the business in any counting house, and all this to enlarge the sphere of usefulness for the benefit of society at large.

As of 2013, however, roughly 25% of Mormon women are in full-time employment, compared to 75% of working women, a number that has likely not changed much in the years since. Thats because, as the Mormon journalist McKay Coppins writes for Buzzfeed, for many Latter-day Saint women, staying at home to raise children is less a lifestyle choice than religious onea divinely-appreciated sacrifice that brings with it blessings, empowerment, and spiritual prestige.

What gives? Over 150 years, as the pressures on the LDS community have shifted, the churchs official stance on womens rights and obligations has grown more rigid and conservative, changing female adherents opportunities and career prospects in the process.

Founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints roots lie in Christianity. There are still overlaps, including a belief in the Holy Trinity and faith in Jesus Christ, but the two have striking differences. Mormonism uses additional scriptures, including the Book of Mormon, and recognizes Smith and other Mormon leaders as prophets. Around 1.5 million members of the church live in Utah, out of 6 million nationwide, with an additional 10 million overseas. Many have converted to the religion after encountering enthusiastic young Mormons; missions, in which LDS members bring the good news of prophet Smith to every corner of the globe, are strongly encouraged by the church.

But theres another important distinction between LDS members and other Christians, which has in turn dictated the changing church policy on womens roles. For most mainstream Christians, scripture remains as it ever was, with no updates in a few millennia. Mormons see it differently. The churchs president, sometimes known simply as the Prophet, serves as a direct line of sorts to God, ready to revise, supplement, or update policies as soon as he hears word. Speaking to CNN, historian Kathleen Flake describes him as Moses in a business suitsomeone who can lead people, write Scripture and talk to God. Revelations appear on a rolling basis, via the churchs most senior members: In October 2018, for instance, the current leader, Russell Nelson, declared it the command of the Lord to use the churchs full name, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when referring to it. Continuing to employ nicknames such as Mormon or LDS would be a major victory for Satan, he warned. (Whether for reasons of practicality, forgetfulness, or nostalgia, many members of the church flout these instructions, as do secular news outlets such as the New York Times or CNN.)

[The prophets say] point blank that women are not to work outside the home.

If youre looking for a guide to modern life, the Bible is a challenging place to start. Thats especially true on matters of womens rights: As a thousand-years-old text, its frustratingly oblique on such thorny issues as how women should dress, whether they should work outside the home, and Gods preferred balance of career and motherhood. But for Mormons, His words continue, via the prophets and church leaders, and do indeed address such topics directly. These dynamic revelations have allowed church leaders to communicate Gods word, and fashion an official line on Mormon womens activities.

Its explicit. [The prophets say] point blank that women are not to work outside the home, says Kelly. This is not optional. What Mormons say is, The thinking has been done.

A 1995 church text called The Family: A Proclamation to the World spells it out plainly: By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. These responsibilities, and the family unit, are sacred.

In the churchs earliest incarnation in the early-to-mid 19th century, womens labor was critical to the success of the movement and to help build up Zion, writes the historian Colleen McDannell in her 2018 book Sister Saints: Mormon Women since the End of Polygamy. These initial LDS women were expected to workand in almost any field that they chose, from mens tailoring to studying obstetrics, managing a telegraph office, healing the sick, or even spawning fish in springs. Motherhood was valuable, of course, but it was only the start of what these pioneering souls were expected to do to help. Later, these same women would be swashbuckling suffragettes, fighting to be allowed to vote in US elections, in part to preserve their own right to practice plural marriage, which many felt was key to building community and sharing labor.

While in the early years of the faith, Mormons generally lived apart from other religions, growing affluence led to greater integration. After abandoning polygamy in 1890, church members grew closer to the US mainstream, adopting a far more traditional approach to the family unit. Women were thus confined to the home. Since the 1940s, male and female church leaders had been unequivocal in their celebration of motherhood, to the exclusion of almost every other role for women, writes McDannell. Actively or otherwise, the history of pioneer women was largely forgotten, she explains, with postwar women [] told to concentrate on home and ward life.

Though the mainstream started to liberalize in the wake of the war, LDS policy did not. Instead, church publications, fireside talks, and annual meetings allowed elders to speak out against the cultural changes happening in the secular world. Among these voices was Spencer W. Kimball, one of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, an important all-male governing body tasked with receiving and communicating Gods message. In 1973, he became the churchs president and prophet.

Though guidelines for Mormon womens dress had existed since the 1910s, it was not until the 1950s that Mormon women began to adopt different standards of modesty. In 1951, Kimball, then an apostle, gave a talk on modesty in dress, titled A Style of Our Own. After it was reprinted in the official Church News, many Mormon women opted to kimballize their wardrobe, lengthening hems or buying little jackets to wear with then-popular strapless dresses. Just one week after the talk, an editorial in BYUs Daily Universe noted the noticeable change in attire at the Friday night Banyan Ball among its female students. Fearing the rise of counterculture, other official pamphlets followed, emphasizing modesty in speech and conduct and a feminine, clean-cut Molly Mormon dress style.

Over the same period, church leaders grew more didactic about womens roles. In the first year of his presidency, in 1973, Kimball sketched out a cozy image of the ideal family unit, which is still cited by church authorities as a key text on mothers employment outside the home. The husband is expected to support his family and only in an emergency should a wife secure outside employment, he said, in a fireside talk. Her place is in the home, to build the home into a heaven of delight I beg of you, you who could and should be bearing and rearing a family: Wives, come home from the typewriter, the laundry, the nursing, come home from the factory, the caf.

Though these comments resemble so many other conservative critiques of the period, they have far more heft in a Mormon context: Kimball was, after all, speaking as Gods proxy. Rather than suggestions or even commentary, these were divine ordinances from the churchs highest spiritual authority, to be taken as seriously as the words of any ancient prophet.

While most of American Christianity was liberalizing, Mormonism was doubling down on male leadership.

These comments came at the tail end of a push by church leaders to, as McDannell puts it, consolidate power, standardize doctrine, and coordinate the various programs across individual churches. One effect of correlation, as it was called, was to limit womens influence within the church. At this time, most of American Christianity was liberalizing, decentralizing, and opening up to the possibility of women in the pulpit. Mormonism, meanwhile, was doubling down on male leadership and placing more power in fewer handsand further away from women.

The rest of the US was grappling with scripture of a different sort. Since the early 1960s, the rise of second-wave feminism and of thinkers such as Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan had changed how women thought of their lotencompassing professional prospects, work-life balance, and what they were prepared to tolerate. Mormon women were not immune to these rumblingsthough, like their secular peers, they found little consensus.

In perhaps the best snapshot of these many different views, the independent Mormon journal Dialogue released its pink issue in 1971, which dealt primarily with questions of womens rights. Edited by Claudia Lauper Bushman, an LDS member who would later become a history professor at Columbia University, it paints a picture of women considering their options and obligations from all angles. Although we sometimes refer to ourselves as the LDS cell of Womens Lib, we claim no affiliation with any of those militant bodies and some of us are so straight [conventional] as to be shocked by their antics, Bushman explains in the introduction. We do read their literature with interest.

For some of these writers, parenthood and the home is ample spiritual and personal nourishment: a veritable homily to motherhoodBless Sesame Street! That psychedelic learning feast!extolls its joys above all else. But not all found the life of a stay-at-home parents so straightforward. Another writer explores the challenges of balancing a frowned-up writing career with being mother and stepmother to five boys. On occasions when an unexpected visitor appeared at the door, the writer notes, she felt obliged to hide her typewriter and assume her position by the ironing board.

In all honesty, we are not always completely satisfied with our lives as housewives.

The group behind this issue of the journal were emphatically not against men, Mormonism, or the value of a structured family unit, but a strong sense of questioning the status quo comes through nonetheless. Far from calling for mass abandonment of husbands or burning of bras, many of its writers advocate for women to have more choice and a less prescribed role. In all honesty, we are not always completely satisfied with our lives as housewives, Bushman wrote. And even among those who were, it seemed a shame that women with strong career orientations faced terrible pressure to marry, and disapproval if they pursued their special interests outside the home.

The churchs leadership, however, was moving in almost precisely the opposite direction. In 1978, recognizing some of these countercurrents, apostle Ezra Taft Benson spoke out about these feelings of discontent among young women who wanted more exciting and self-fulfilling roles than to be wives and mothers. Church policy, he argued, leaves little room for that: This view loses sight of the eternal perspective that God elected women to the noble role of mother and that exaltation is eternal fatherhood and eternal motherhood. Like Kimball before him, Benson was setting down scripture. That eternal perspective might not have always been so explicitbut it was now.

Ordinarily mostly apolitical, the church applied its clout in 1979 to wage an out-and-out war against the pro-gender equality Equal Rights Amendment, on the grounds that it did not recognize the vital differences biologically, emotionally, and in other ways between men and women, as one church elder put it. Sonia Johnson, an LDS woman who campaigned in favor of the Amendment, was summarily excommunicated on the grounds of teaching false doctrine.

In the decades since, the church has grown still more conservative in its stance on womens roles. In 1987, Mormon prophet Ezra Taft Benson gave a sermon in which he encouraged women to quit their jobs. Then, in the early 1990s, six high-profile Mormon intellectuals, many of whom were outspoken LDS feminists, were excommunicated. Next, in 1995, the church published its official view on how family should be composed, noting the divine design of a one-income family. The following year, church president Gordon B. Hinckley reiterated the message at the annual General Conference, an annual gathering of members: It is well-nigh impossible to be a full-time homemaker and a full-time employee. (Only women, it was strongly implied, could be the former.)

Nearly two and a half decades later, many of the same arguments about managing work and domesticity are still being thrashed out. Though many LDS women find motherhood to be empowering and spiritually fulfilling, plenty of others struggle to live up to that Mormon ideal of divine, domestic bliss. Those who seek professional goals instead, or as well, often find themselves marginalized from the LDS community in the process. Kellys LSAT cohort at BYU had maybe two women in a class of over 50, she remembers; at law school, she discovered that only men were permitted to be leaders in the Mormon lawyers association, the J. Reuben Clark Law Society. At the associations meetings, she was directed to a separate room where all the wives were, despite being a member in her own right. In her most intimate community, these professional choices were very frowned upon, especially by her then in-laws.

Online, LDS feminism has surged in popularity, with the internet providing a forum for hundreds of young LDS feminists to congregate, share links, or question commonly held assumptions about how Mormon women should behave or live their lives. Forums such as Im a Mormon Feminist or Young Mormon Feminists have become places where womens voices have primacy. Often, these explore the best way to be a liberal feminist and follow Mormon teaching. The group blog Feminist Mormon Housewives, for instance, is only very barely tongue-in-cheek, if at all. At the same time, a majority of LDS women still dismiss the feminist movement as irrelevant to their lives or even hereticalon Twitter, one young Mormon woman self-identifies as not a feminist in her bio, while another notes: Anything that can convince women to kill their own babies and pursue something as fleeting as career over family cant be of God.

Despite this curiosity, church leadership shows no sign of updating its perspective from the one stated some decades ago. Suggestions that women enter the leadership, for instance, have been shot down vehementlyin 2013, Kelly and a group of LDS women started the organization Ordain Women, the foundation of which eventually led to her excommunication on charges of apostasy. But, in what might be read as a conciliatory spirit from the leadership, smaller challenges have been more successful. In late 2012, a group of Mormon feminists launched the first Wear Pants to Church Day; since then, female church employees and missionaries have had the right to sometimes wear dress slacks while working. In 2015, women first gained the right to serve on high-level church councils.

LDS women seeking to make ends meet tend to look for the gray area, working inside the home, by selling products on Etsy or monetizing being a blogger or influencer. Multi-level marketing schemes, in which people sell products to their friends or neighbors, are also hugely popular as a way to follow church policy while contributing financially. Theres so much pressure in LDS culture to be a stay-at-home mom, Mormon mother and Lipsense lipstick consultant Alyx Garner told the Utah CBS affiliate KUTV. Direct sales isnt the most lucrative way to make a livingGarner might make $1,250 in a monthbut its a compromise between her need to have an income and her desire to adhere to church policy.

Its a miserable situation.

Even as the church remains steadfast, Mormon households are still subject to larger economic forces. Throughout the US, only the very wealthiest families can easily get by on one salary. Now in her 80s, Bushman has spent the last decades of her life in academia, specializing in domestic womens history. She encounters many women who would like to follow church policy, but simply cant afford to. Its a miserable situation, she told Quartz, Theres very little support for at-home mothers, and families can now hardly get along with less than two incomes.

Its not hard to see how this failure to modernize places undue burden on women. If they dont work, their families may struggle economically. And if they do, they face tremendous social pressure, or the implication that they are bad mothers. Women who rely on childcare, for instance, must tolerate the shame of literally going against the word of their religion, which considers motherhood a divine service [that] may not be passed to others. Its a bindand one that many women struggle to disentangle.

For the LDS leadership, the challenge is also tremendous. Having adopted such a cut-and-dry approach to womens roles, it is hard to argue that God has changed His mind, or that earlier prophets were mistaken. But with more Mormon women continuing their education, marrying later, and embracing mission work, some leaders are making moves toward a more permissive approach. Speaking in 2011, church elder Quentin Cook praised stay-at-home mothersbut added that those sisters who worked outside the home were not necessarily any less valiant.

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The Brigham Young University wage gap tells the story of Mormon feminism - Quartz