Each Monday, find the top ten art, articles, and opinions you’ve got to see this week. Missed a week? Check out past lists here.

1) How much of our expectations and desires in life are based off of unexamined cultural norms? How often do we set our bars at ‘this is the way it’s always been’ instead of ‘this is what, after critical thought and self-exploration, would actually make me happy.’ Where do we draw the line between a healthy and well socialized participant in society, and an unthinking stooge contributing to a culture of unhappiness fostered by unachievable and I’ll fitting goals? To that end: Dr. Habib Sadeghi & Dr. Sherry Sami on Conscious Uncoupling.


2) Craig Ferguson says that research shows that his fan base is the most rabid of that of any late night host. I shouldn’t have been surprised then, when first learning that he’d be stepping down from his post as host of the ‘Late Late Show,’ my own chest tightened and a single tear threatened my right eye. As much as the masses might love a well coifed and manicured brand (think Beyoncé), there is a group that responds as (or more?) passionately to a performer who is unapologetically honest about himself and the industry in which he takes part. He wanted to do the show for his own fun (‘People keep writing in complaining that they’re tired of Secretariat … SO LET’S BRING OUT SECRETARIAT!’), and he’s ready to move on. I’ll miss the puppets and the gay robot skeleton, but will continue to stalk him rabidly watch out for him in the future.


3) This one is for all my 80’s babies who devoured Baby Sitter’s Club books like they were cracky cracky crack. Have you ever thought about what your favorite sitters or ‘charges’ might be up to lately? No? Well you should! Here’s their current state of affairs, as imagined by Emily Weiss:

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4) I’ve asked again and again: Why is it that, when issues of inequity and injustice arise, the onus is put on the already marginalized to solve the problem? By definition, these people have less power toward change than the majority, but time and time again, everyone (EVERYONE) encourages the minority to pick themselves up by their nonexistant bootstraps and sacrifice (even further), while demanding nothing of those actually perpetuating the problem. Here’s a great read on this issue in tech.

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5) So, the Bible. Lots of folks have used it to cast aspersions at … men who are in love with men, women who are in love with women, women who have sex with anyone ever, the enslaved, immigrants, people who want universal healthcare, etc. etc. etc. So what happens when a young Harvard student decides to use the contents of the Bible to defend homosexuality? Dun Dun DUN?!


6) When you depart from the norm, it’s easy for people to forget about you when they’re making rules. At least that’s what seems to have happened in the US Army- where new regulations around how women are allowed to wear their hair disregard the many wonders and difficulties of Black hair.


7) As hip hop turns its sights and lyrics more and more toward the conspicuous consumption of the intentionally unattainable, where does that leave its audience? What shift in art and industry is indicated when Kanye West says “You ain’t accustomed to going through customs / You ain’t been nowhere huh?!” with his trademark loquacity? Quest Love ponders, in the second of his six part series.


8) Did it ever occur to you that access to viable work should be considered a basic right? As a means of combatting the growing divide between the haves and have nots (and the rapid shrinking of the middle class), Raúl Carrillo makes a strong argument for this. He also outlines recommendations for implementation. Three cheers for dismantling the dastardly false equivalence of poverty and laziness!


9) That 50% of all marriages end in divorce is a popular falsehood. In a given year, there are likely to be half as many divorces as there are marriages. Sure, but the people getting divorced are coming from a pool that is a number of years old. What we do know is that people are getting married later in life than they used to, and later in life marriages have a lower divorce rate. So let’s everyone just calm our tits about needing to find a perfect mate right now. (Especially if it seems like EVERY DAMNED DAY SOMEONE ON YOUR FACEBOOK WALL IS GETTING ENGAGED CHRISTALMIGHTY). Especially you, Princeton Mom. Stop spreading fear and lies when you admit you have ZERO facts to back them up. You’re giving girls crap attacks.


10) “A nonprofit in Queens taught people to write iPhone apps — and their incomes jumped from $15k to $72k” badass! More empowering people through knowledge and technology, please!

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