Culture + Politics

The Friday Five

By Role/Reboot Staff

August 24, 2012

This week's roundup of our favorites from across the interwebs to help you make sense of men and women.

1. How Risky Is Oral Sex? by Tracy Clark-Flory of Salon.com says a CDC report reminds us that it can be dangerous—but the risks are more complicated than we think.

2. Why Feminists Should Be Wary Of The Obsession With The Glass Ceiling by Laura Gottesdiener of Alternet.org asks: Is the goal of breaking the glass ceiling preventing feminism from achieving its larger goals?

3. Mattel’s Buzzy New ‘Drag Queen Barbie’ Is No Cross Dresser by Kevin Fallon of The Daily Beast says the latest iteration of the doll might draw some flak, but the Blonds, the design duo who created ‘Drag Queen Barbie,’ say their doll is not a cross dresser—though Mattel acknowledges it may spark ‘conversation.'

4. Boys On The Side by Hanna Rosin of The Atlantic says the hookup culture that has largely replaced dating on college campuses has been viewed as socially corrosive and ultimately toxic to women, who seemingly have little choice but to participate. Actually, it’s an engine of female progress—one being harnessed and driven by women themselves.

5. Should A Mother Tell Her Child He Was Conceived In A Rape? by Brian Palmer of Slate.com offers what psychologists recommend.