I’d like to raise a glass of home-infused vodka to a longstanding heroine of mine: Martha Stewart. As a child, I used to devour issues of Martha Stewart Living — this may give you an idea of the home I grew up in — and to this day, I fondly remember some truly aspirational cupcake decoration tutorials.
“But she went to prison for insider trading,” you say. Listen — she did her time! And she emerged still atop the throne of lifestyle brands. No one else can come close — as Martha, of course, will be the first to remind you. She is as much the queen of the ornamental gourd as she is the queen of shade. For this, I adore her now as much as I did as a child.
Martha is a living exemplar of never backing down — and this, I believe, should serve as inspiration for anyone pursuing a dream. One of my dreams is to have universally accessible reproductive health care! Another, slightly less important one, is to become the type of woman who includes “organizing the wine cellar (part one)” on her spring cleaning list.
Martha is also, incidentally, a modern poet — so this week, we will bask in the wisdom of some of her greatest tweets of the past six months.
SHOT: After months and months of attacks — both literal and figurative — on Planned Parenthood, the reproductive health clinic strikes back. This week, Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit against the so-called journalism outfit that released the videos that spurred these attacks.
CHASER: The blood moon a rarity tonight look outside! pic.twitter.com/xdF8xZcHyb
SHOT: As the Supreme Court gears up to hear a case challenging Texas’ highly restrictive abortion laws, women all around the country have gone on record — including in an amicus brief — to share their abortion experiences, emphasizing just how crucial a role these clinics play in women’s health.
This week, Wendy Davis, the former Texas state senator who successfully filibustered an anti-abortion bill for 13 straight hours in 2014, joined their ranks (although Mother Jones argues that Davis does herself a disservice by identifying the termination of an ectopic pregnancy as an abortion).
CHASER: Wow at the enormousKing of Prussia mall eating a hot dog at @shake shack prior to Appetizers book signing at Williams Sonoma 1 pm
SHOT: This week, Planned Parenthood officially endorsed Hillary Clinton as its presidential candidate of choice. Clinton, a longstanding advocate for reproductive rights, has pledged, for example, to repeal the Hyde Amendment.
In Refinery29’s joint interview with the candidate and Cecile Richards, the Planned Parenthood CEO discussed the September Congressional hearing/absurd witch hunt in which she testified: “It’s funny, as I was walking in, one of my friends texted me; she said, ‘Just bring the rage of centuries of women with you into the room.’”
Honestly, that’s pretty good advice for literally any room you walk into.
CHASER: — Martha Stewart (@MarthaStewart) August 27, 2015
SHOT: In the average American sex ed class, you can expect to learn plenty about everything that can go wrong with your vagina if you have sex, but almost nothing about how a healthy vagina functions. Martha Kempner for RH Reality Check goes in on everything that’s fucked up about how we teach kids about, well, fucking.
CHASER:
Name contest for new chow puppy going very well. Like the Mongolian names best but have to be able to say them!! Mirebptlease
— Martha Stewart (@MarthaStewart) July 25, 2015
SHOT: In an op-ed for The Guardian, George Monbiot points to a recent Lancet survey of abortion trends showing that abortion rates are lower in places where abortion policy is more liberal. This isn’t a new finding, but it can’t be restated enough.
CHASER: Rinze my trusted steed came to visit me in maine we have been touring Acadia pic.twitter.com/hhmWQkj4Ke
SHOT: The latest state jumping on the pharmacist-prescribed birth control bandwagon — a very good bandwagon to be on — is, surprisingly enough, Tennessee. And the latest state jumping on the let’s-defund-Planned-Parenthood bandwagon — a truly despicable bandwagon — is, rather unsurprisingly, Kansas.
CHASER: Befogged! Had to put down in the horse paddock So much fog and mist!!! pic.twitter.com/JtwpK8lIof
SHOT: For Broadly, Callie Beusman interviews a Japanese artist who’s trying to make vaginas a mainstream part of Japanese culture — by 3D printing her own, for example, and creating a human-size vagina costume. Apparently, Japanese authorities find free-roaming female genitals threatening: The artist has been arrested and had her work confiscated by police.
CHASER: Be sure to visit my blog today http://t.co/PaKhJ8WIq0 for an update on my wonderful cats.