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How are women stereotyped in Christmas movies? We found 47 hilarious examples.

Classic Christmas movies are aboys club.

Even a quick scroll through imdb reveals a canon full of Good Santas, Bad Santas, absentee dads who become Santas, Boy-like elves who fall in love with adult human women and little boys who ride trains to the North Pole, demand firearms, and, of course, sadistically abuse comically inept burglars.

Made-for-TV holiday films, on the other hand? That genre is all about the ladies.


Every December, thanks to the good folks at Hallmark and Lifetime (and occasionally, CBS and Ion and Freeform) lonely single moms, bitter women who "hate" Christmas, and hard-charging, New York career women can learn the true meaning of Christmas too. On the small screen, that is.

If you just glance quickly through the character descriptions for the female protagonists in these made-for-TV movies on IMDB and Netflix, these direct-to-living-room films almost seem revolutionary compared to their sisters on the big screen. Working class heroines? Women with unconventional views on the holiday? Single women without children? High-powered professionals? What could be so bad?

Of course, there is a catch. When it comes to women in Christmas movies, those character descriptions don't just tell you who the heroine is — more often than not, they tell you who she won't be by the end of the movie.

If she's a "lonely single mom," chances are she'll find a doting, wealthy suitor who passes out bikes to local orphans on Christmas morning. If she's a "woman who hates Christmas," chances are she'll become Mrs. Claus — figuratively or, perhaps, literally. If she's a "hard-charging, New York real estate mogul," best believe that, by the time the credits roll, she will have moved home to Maryville, Tennessee, married her high school sweetheart and had 97 babies.

It's formulaic, but understandable.

The holidays aren't exactly a time to reinvent the wheel, after all. Plus, it's hard to sell greeting cards if you're busy smashing the patriarchy.

[rebelmouse-image 19532704 dam="1" original_size="700x467" caption=""Something about this snow makes me forget all my goals and Earthly responsibilities." Photo via Max Pixel." expand=1]"Something about this snow makes me forget all my goals and Earthly responsibilities." Photo via Max Pixel.

To illustrate just what I mean, I combed through dozens of descriptions of protagonists from exemplars of the genre. I hereby present the fruits of my exhaustive research: the full compliment of lady scrooges, sad moms, and of course, hot messes who just need a man viewable on a 48" wall-mounted Vizio near you:

1. Spoiled woman
"Dear Santa" (Lifetime)

2. Woman who does not like Christmas
"Wrapped Up In Christmas" (Lifetime)

3. Aspiring romance novelist
"The Mistletoe Inn" (Hallmark)

4. Hard-working ad executive
"With Love, Christmas" (Hallmark)

5. Working girl
"A Christmas Kiss II"(Ion)

6. One of the most famous actresses in the world
"Christmas in Homestead" (Hallmark)

7. One of the biggest pop stars on the planet
"Catch a Christmas Star" (Hallmark)

8. Pop music superstar Mariah Carey
"Mariah Carey’s Merriest Christmas" (Hallmark)

9. Aspiring astronomy professor and Christmas enthusiast
"One Starry Christmas" (Hallmark)

10. Young angel
"Angry Angel" (Freeform)

11. Young woman who comes from a life of privilege
"Dear Santa" (Lifetime)

12. Struggling designer
"A Christmas Kiss" (Ion)

13. High-powered executive
"Love You Like Christmas" (Hallmark)

14. Recently engaged woman
"Merry In-Laws" (Lifetime)

15. From an upper class Los Angeles family
"Will You Merry Me?" (Lifetime)

16. Hopeful romantic
"Holiday High School Reunion" (Lifetime)



17. High-strung attorney
"The Spirit of Christmas" (Lifetime)

18. Loyal and hardworking manager
"Hats off to Christmas!" (Hallmark)

19. New York City ad exec
"Holly’s Holiday" (Lifetime)

20. Santa’s daughter
"Annie Claus is Coming to Town" (Hallmark)

21. Federal lawyer
"A Golden Christmas" (Ion)

22. Divorced, workaholic executive
"Christmas on the Bayou" (Lifetime)

23. English aristocrat
"An Old Fashioned Christmas" (Hallmark)

24. Event planner
"Christmas Magic" (Hallmark)

25. Charming free spirit
"A Golden Christmas 3" (Ion)

26. Got all a woman could want … except a fiancé
"Marry Me for Christmas" (Up)

27. Straight-talking cocktail waitress
"Undercover Christmas" (CBS)

28. Ms. Scrooge
"Ms. Scrooge" (USA)

29. Country music performer
"Unlikely Angel" (CBS)

30. Country/western singer
"A Smoky Mountain Christmas" (ABC)

31. Visionary and artistic young woman
"Everything You Want" (ABC Family)

32. Perfume saleslady
"The Christmas List" (ABC Family)

33. Magazine journalist who no longer celebrates Christmas
"Farewell Mr. Kringle" (Hallmark)

34. Holiday humbug
"Naughty or Nice" (Hallmark)

35. His wife
"The Christmas Box" (CBS)

36. Ruthless business woman
"Ebbie" (Lifetime)

37. Widowed mother with financial woes
"A Christmas Romance" (CBS)

38. Dying mother
"The Christmas Shoes" (CBS)

39. Single mother
"Secret of Giving" (Hallmark)

40. Busy single mom
"The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" (Hallmark)

41. Cute single mom
"A Holiday for Love"(CBS)

42. Cynical single mom
"My Santa" (Ion)

43. Hard-working single mother
"Borrowed Hearts" (CBS)

44. A busy mom with no Christmas spirit
"Help for the Holidays" (Hallmark)

45. Incarcerated mother
"A Season for Miracles" (CBS)

46. Humble seamstress
"A Royal Christmas" (Hallmark)

47. Optimistic love doctor
"Naughty and Nice" (Up)

You'd be forgiven for wanting storm the barricades, nationalize Lifetime, and demand justice on behalf of the contentedly agnostic, the happy single moms, and the ruthless business women who damn well like being ruthless business women.

Still, the holidays are a time to turn on the TV and turn off our brains. And after a year as fraught as 2017, we've all earned a little formulaic escapism.

[rebelmouse-image 19532705 dam="1" original_size="700x525" caption="Mmmm. Brain-deadening snacks. Photo by Deborah Breen Whiting/Pixabay." expand=1]Mmmm. Brain-deadening snacks. Photo by Deborah Breen Whiting/Pixabay.

Whether you're an incarcerated mother or an optimistic love doctor, that might not be such a bad thing. At least until December 26.

Happy viewing!

Identity

Celebrate International Women's Day with these stunning photos of female leaders changing the world

The portraits, taken by acclaimed photographer Nigel Barker, are part of CARE's "She Leads the World" campaign.

Images provided by CARE

Kadiatu (left), Zainab (right)

True

Women are breaking down barriers every day. They are transforming the world into a more equitable place with every scientific discovery, athletic feat, social justice reform, artistic endeavor, leadership role, and community outreach project.

And while these breakthroughs are happening all the time, International Women’s Day (Mar 8) is when we can all take time to acknowledge the collective progress, and celebrate how “She Leads the World.

This year, CARE, a leading global humanitarian organization dedicated to empowering women and girls, is celebrating International Women’s Day through the power of portraiture. CARE partnered with high-profile photographer Nigel Barker, best known for his work on “America’s Next Top Model,” to capture breathtaking images of seven remarkable women who have prevailed over countless obstacles to become leaders within their communities.

“Mabinty, Isatu, Adama, and Kadiatu represent so many women around the world overcoming incredible obstacles to lead their communities,” said Michelle Nunn, President and CEO of CARE USA.

Barker’s bold portraits, as part of CARE’s “She Leads The World” campaign, not only elevate each woman’s story, but also shine a spotlight on how CARE programs helped them get to where they are today.

About the women:

Mabinty

international womens day, care.org

Mabinty is a businesswoman and a member of a CARE savings circle along with a group of other women. She buys and sells groundnuts, rice, and fuel. She and her husband have created such a successful enterprise that Mabinty volunteers her time as a teacher in the local school. She was the first woman to teach there, prompting a second woman to do so. Her fellow teachers and students look up to Mabinty as the leader and educator she is.

Kadiatu

international womens day, care.org

Kadiatu supports herself through a small business selling food. She also volunteers at a health clinic in the neighboring village where she is a nursing student. She tests for malaria, works with infants, and joins her fellow staff in dancing and singing with the women who visit the clinic. She aspires to become a full-time nurse so she can treat and cure people. Today, she leads by example and with ambition.

Isatu

international womens day, care.org

When Isatu was three months pregnant, her husband left her, seeking his fortune in the gold mines. Now Isatu makes her own way, buying and selling food to support her four children. It is a struggle, but Isatu is determined to be a part of her community and a provider for her kids. A single mother of four is nothing if not a leader.

Zainab

international womens day, care.org

Zainab is the Nurse in Charge at the Maternal Child Health Outpost in her community. She is the only nurse in the surrounding area, and so she is responsible for the pre-natal health of the community’s mothers-to-be and for the safe delivery of their babies. In a country with one of the world’s worst maternal death rates, Zainab has not lost a single mother. The community rallies around Zainab and the work she does. She describes the women who visit the clinic as sisters. That feeling is clearly mutual.

Adama

international womens day, care.org

Adama is something few women are - a kehkeh driver. A kehkeh is a three-wheeled motorcycle taxi, known elsewhere as a tuktuk. Working in the Kissy neighborhood of Freetown, Adama is the primary breadwinner for her family, including her son. She keeps her riders safe in other ways, too, by selling condoms. With HIV threatening to increase its spread, this is a vital service to the community.

Ya Yaebo

international womens day, care.org

“Ya” is a term of respect for older, accomplished women. Ya Yaebo has earned that title as head of her local farmers group. But there is much more than that. She started as a Village Savings and Loan Association member and began putting money into her business. There is the groundnut farm, her team buys and sells rice, and own their own oil processing machine. They even supply seeds to the Ministry of Agriculture. She has used her success to the benefit of people in need in her community and is a vocal advocate for educating girls, not having gone beyond grade seven herself.

On Monday, March 4, CARE will host an exhibition of photography in New York City featuring these portraits, kicking off the multi-day “She Leads the World Campaign.

Learn more, view the portraits, and join CARE’s International Women's Day "She Leads the World" celebration at CARE.org/sheleads.


Health

Over or under? Surprisingly, there actually is a 'correct' way to hang a toilet paper roll.

Let's settle this silly-but-surprisingly-heated debate once and for all.

Elya/Wikimedia Commons

Should you hang the toilet paper roll over or under?

Humans have debated things large and small over the millennia, from the democracy to breastfeeding in public to how often people ought to wash their sheets.

But perhaps the most silly-yet-surprisingly-heated household debate is the one in which we argue over which way to hang the toilet paper roll.

The "over or under" question has plagued marriages and casual acquaintances alike for over 100 years, with both sides convinced they have the soundest reasoning for putting their toilet paper loose end out or loose end under. Some people feel so strongly about right vs. wrong TP hanging that they will even flip the roll over when they go to the bathroom in the homes of strangers.

Contrary to popular belief, it's not merely an inconsequential preference. There is actually a "correct" way to hang toilet paper, according to health experts as well as the man who invented the toilet paper roll in the first place.

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When the Philadelphia Eagles' season came to an unceremonious end last weekend, many fans were, understandably, more than a little pissed.

Take the rest of the night off to sleep in your shame, boys. Photo by Elsa/Getty Images.

After the final game, one fan allegedly commented on Facebook that the team had "played like they were wearing tutus!!!"

Photo by David R. Tribble/Wikimedia Commons.

...according to the Pennsylvania Ballet, which reported encountering the post on the social media site.

The Pennsylvania Ballet, whose company members regularly wear tutus, had a few choice words for anyone who thinks their light, frequently pink costumes mean they're not "tough."

Commence epic reply...


(full text transcribed under the post).

A Facebook user recently commented that the Eagles had "played like they were wearing tutus!!!"

Our response:

"With all due respect to the Eagles, let's take a minute to look at what our tutu wearing women have done this month:

By tomorrow afternoon, the ballerinas that wear tutus at Pennsylvania Ballet will have performed The Nutcracker 27 times in 21 days. Some of those women have performed the Snow scene and the Waltz of the Flowers without an understudy or second cast. No 'second string' to come in and spell them when they needed a break. When they have been sick they have come to the theater, put on make up and costume, smiled and performed. When they have felt an injury in the middle of a show there have been no injury timeouts. They have kept smiling, finished their job, bowed, left the stage, and then dealt with what hurts. Some of these tutu wearers have been tossed into a new position with only a moments notice. That's like a cornerback being told at halftime that they're going to play wide receiver for the second half, but they need to make sure that no one can tell they've never played wide receiver before. They have done all of this with such artistry and grace that audience after audience has clapped and cheered (no Boo Birds at the Academy) and the Philadelphia Inquirer has said this production looks "better than ever".

So no, the Eagles have not played like they were wearing tutus. If they had, Chip Kelly would still be a head coach and we'd all be looking forward to the playoffs."

Happy New Year!

In case it wasn't obvious, toughness has nothing to do with your gender.

Gendered and homophobic insults in sports have been around basically forever — how many boys are called a "pansy" on the football field or told they "throw like a girl" in Little League?

"They played like they were wearing tutus" is the same deal. It's shorthand for "You're kinda ladylike, which means you're not tough enough."

Pure intimidation.

Photo by Ralph Daily/Flickr.

Toughness, however, has a funny way of not being pinned to one particular gender. It's not just ballerinas, either. NFL cheerleaders? They get paid next to nothing to dance in bikini tops and short-shorts in all kinds of weather — and wear only ever-so-slightly heavier outfits when the thermometer drops below freezing. And don't even get me started on how mind-bogglingly badass the Rockettes are.

Toughness also has nothing to do with what kind of clothes you wear.

As my colleague Parker Molloy astutely points out, the kinds of clothes assigned to people of different genders are, and have always been, basically completely arbitrary. Pink has been both a "boys color" and a "girls color" at different points throughout history. President Franklin D. Roosevelt — longtime survivor of polio, Depression vanquisher, wartime leader, and no one's idea of a wimp — was photographed in his childhood sporting a long blonde hairstyle and wearing a dress.

Many of us are conditioned to see a frilly pink dance costume and think "delicate," and to look at a football helmet and pads and think "big and strong." But scratch the surface a little bit, and you'll meet tutu-wearing ballerinas who that are among toughest people on the planet and cleat-and-helmet-wearing football players who are ... well. The 2015 Eagles.

You just can't tell from their outerwear.

Ballerinas wear tutus for the same reason football players wear uniforms and pads:

Photo by zaimoku_woodpile/Flickr.


To get the job done.


This article originally appeared on 01.05.16

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Son tells mom that he's 'scared of her' and she responds with a great lesson in parenting

'I know this might be a little shocking but I do sometimes actually find you a little scary.'

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Samantha, a parenting content creator on TikTok under the name Raising Self, has been working hard to overcome generational trauma and parent her children differently. Recently she was doing a live video to interact with her followers when one of her children made a stunning revelation: he was scared of her.

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