behind

10Dec

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

TELEVISION

The Story Behind ‘Star Trek’ Actress Nichelle Nichols’ And The Iconic Interracial Kiss

On a 1968 episode of “Star Trek,” Nichelle Nichols, playing Lt. Uhura, locked lips with William Shatner’s Capt. Kirk in what’s widely thought to be first kiss between a Black woman and white man on American television. The episode’s plot is bizarre: Aliens who worship the Greek philosopher Plato use telekinetic powers to force the Enterprise crew to sing, dance and kiss. At one point, the aliens compel Lt. Uhura and Capt. Kirk to embrace. Each character tries to resist, but eventually Kirk tilts Uhura back and the two kiss as the aliens lasciviously look on. The smooch is not a romantic one. But in 1968 to show a Black woman kissing a white man was a daring move. The episode aired just one year after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loving v. Virginia decision struck down state laws against inte...

10Dec

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

MOVIES

The Story Behind ‘Star Trek’ Actress Nichelle Nichols’ And The Iconic Interracial Kiss

On a 1968 episode of “Star Trek,” Nichelle Nichols, playing Lt. Uhura, locked lips with William Shatner’s Capt. Kirk in what’s widely thought to be first kiss between a Black woman and white man on American television. The episode’s plot is bizarre: Aliens who worship the Greek philosopher Plato use telekinetic powers to force the Enterprise crew to sing, dance and kiss. At one point, the aliens compel Lt. Uhura and Capt. Kirk to embrace. Each character tries to resist, but eventually Kirk tilts Uhura back and the two kiss as the aliens lasciviously look on. The smooch is not a romantic one. But in 1968 to show a Black woman kissing a white man was a daring move. The episode aired just one year after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loving v. Virginia decision struck down state laws against inte...

Crystals: What’s Behind The Enduring Popularity?

14Dec

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

MENTAL HEALTH

Crystals: What’s Behind The Enduring Popularity?

As New York City mayor Eric Adams attends ribbon cuttings, marches in parades and bulldozes dirt bikes, he wears an energy stone bracelet that his supporters gave him. In a recent interview, Adams discussed his belief that New York City has a “special energy” because it sits atop a store of rare gems and stones – the so-called “Manhattan schist,” which is over 450 million years old and contains over 100 minerals. Adams isn’t the only one imbuing rocks with metaphysical significance. During the first year of the pandemic, the crystal industry boomed, with customers hoping the gems might relieve their anxiety. Some people might be confused about the allure of these stones. But crystal enthusiasts aren’t deviants. Current ideas about crystals come from a larger tradition called “metaphysica...

A Food Safety Researcher Explains Food Expiration Dates Don’t Have Much Science Behind Them – Here’s Another Way To Know What’s Too Old To Eat

9Dec

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

NUTRITION

A Food Safety Researcher Explains Food Expiration Dates Don’t Have Much Science Behind Them – Here’s Another Way To Know What’s Too Old To Eat

Florida’s outbreak of listeria has so far led to at least one death, 22 hospitalizations and an ice cream recall since January. Humans get sick with listeria infections, or listeriosis, from eating soil-contaminated food, undercooked meat or dairy products that are raw, or unpasteurized. Listeria can cause convulsions, coma, miscarriage and birth defects. And it’s the third leading cause of food poisoning deaths in the U.S. Avoiding unseen food hazards is the reason people often check the dates on food packaging. And printed with the month and year is often one of a dizzying array of phrases: “best by,” “use by,” “best if used before,” “best if used by,” “guaranteed fresh until,” “freeze by” and even a “born on” label applied to some beer. People think of them as expiration dates, or the...

13Dec

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

RELATIONSHIPS

Behind The Belief In A Soulmate

The United States appears to be in a romantic slump. Marriage rates have plummeted over the last decade. And compared to previous generations, young single people today are perhaps spending more time on social media than actual dating. They are also having less sex. Despite these trends, a yearning for a soulmate remains a common thread across the generations. Most Americans, it seems, are still looking for one. According to a 2017 poll two-thirds of Americans believe in soulmates. That number far surpasses the percentage of Americans who believe in the biblical God. The idea that there is a person out there who can make each of us happy and whole is constantly conveyed through portrayals in films, books, magazines and television. What accounts for the persistence of the soulmate ideal in ...

Police violence in the United States: what lies behind the ‘bad apples’ narrative

2Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

VIDEO REELS

Police violence in the United States: what lies behind the ‘bad apples’ narrative

The May 25 video of George Floyd’s death sparked outrage and demonstrations across the United States as well as around the world. The direct responsibility of police officer Derek Chauvin is reflected in the charges – on June 3 were upgraded to second-degree murder, while three other officers were charged with aiding and abetting Floyd’s death. However, the interpretations of what lies behind Chauvin’s behavior and the underlying racism differ greatly, and frequently along political lines. Structural vs individual racism A frequent interpretation is that George Floyd’s death was an isolated incident by a “bad cop”. This is the prevalent view in the Trump administration and more generally among conservatives. It was clearly expressed by Robert O'Brien, the president’s National Security Advi...

The Real Cast of the Brady Bunch Led Extremely Tragic Lives Behind The Scenes

10Dec

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

TELEVISION

The Real Cast of the Brady Bunch Led Extremely Tragic Lives Behind The Scenes

The Brady Bunch cast won the hearts of America with their poignant family relationships, '70s style and timeless life lessons. They are the TV equivalent of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on white bread, chased with a glass of milk. Has there ever been a show as wholesome, as precious and as widely loved? The Brady family certainly may be timeless – we've all caught the reruns on TV Land nearly 50 years after the fact – but it turns out, the real-life Bradys arent' so wholesome at all. In fact, they're straight up Jersey Shore wild, but sadly, it's not reality TV, it's real life (unless you're Peter Brady, and in that case, thank your lucky stars for VH1). Behind the scenes of The Brady Bunch, Brady brothers and sisters found themselves embroiled in high school love triangles or trad...

Meet the mom behind #WhatBlackPantherMeansToMe

10Dec

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

AMPLIFYING DIVERSE VOICES

Meet the mom behind #WhatBlackPantherMeansToMe

Black Girl Nerds was on to something again. The site, a place created to give women of color a place to express themselves, was popping with chatter on its Slack channel about the “Black Panther” movie. (Slack is a virtual workspace where writers and staff of the site can talk about what to write for the site.) There, Kayla Marie Sutton, who is the director of online marketing for Black Girl Nerds (or BGN, as its followers know it), announced a Twitter campaign. It was a hashtag: #WhatBlackPantherMeansToMe. The purpose was to engage BGN followers and channel the excitement around the film that comes out Friday. The conversation ended up doing so much more. Sutton is the Afro-Latina mastermind behind last year’s BGN Playlists on Spotify, engaging the collaboration of BGN followers, incl...