Why is it okay for women to ask for “the Rachel,” but bad for men to ask for a “Johnny Depp?” — Flashback to the earlier part of this decade, when my husband went to a party and met my two exes-turned-friends for the first time: Dean* and Adam*. Brig had just broken up with his latest ex, a gorgeous blonde named Sasha*. Adam, at this point, had partied a bit too…

Grief, a swarm of suitors, and other weird things that happen when you lose someone you love. — I was on Reddit while doomscrolling during my mental breakdown, and I saw a thread (I lost it) about the most awkward thing someone saw. One of the entries involved a guy who walked in on his best friend’s widow banging someone he knew. It seemed like an egregious show…

Are we really ready to admit how much of a catastrophic failure America’s school system is? — I grew up surrounded by academics — and that’s just how I was raised. By 12, I was sitting in on college courses. By 14, I was taking them for credit. School was my primary focus and life purpose for the longest time. Hell, even my high school was famous…

Cultural appropriation or cultural diffusion? — As a food critic, I love eating sushi. It’s actually what got me interested in Japanese culture, bento box making, and even studying the Japanese language. Sushi opened my eyes up to a culture I absolutely, positively adore. So, when I heard about the massive controversy surrounding a new restaurant…

The online magazine that got me into feminist reading just shuttered. — You know, it’s rare that I talk about the magazines I read — the media that really changed my route on thinking. It’s with a very heavy heart that I have to say one of the magazines I always aspired to write for just shuttered. Yep. After 16 years, Jezebel…

Or, how I learned to stop panicking and get shit done. — With my earnings tanking, the past couple of months were pretty rough on me. I’ve been debating my worth as a writer and honestly, it’s been hard for me to focus on anything. Even my current workload has been harder to do. I’m not the only one who has this…

Tinder: “Please ignore that man behind the curtain!” — The other day, I was watching YouTube on my TV, and all of a sudden, a Tinder ad popped up on the screen. Ho-hum, I thought. Tinder is struggling. We all know that Tinder’s now approximately 80 percent men, so it’s not surprising to see an ad or two. I’m…

Let’s start with the most obvious elephant in the room. — If you are a follower of mine, then you already know that I am a writer by trade. This is what I do to survive. As in, this is my field. I have over 15 years of SEO experience, magazine experience, PR experience, and have covered almost every single part…

Speaking as someone who works as a journalist in the scene, let me give you some advice. — So, I’m writing this as I relax after Exxotica NJ’s Saturday. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s one of the largest adult conventions in America. Exxxotica holds a very special place in my heart. It’s a place where I can actually hang out and see old friends, talk to…