Month: April 2024

A petroglyph created by the ancient North American Anasazi people, who inhabited what is now Utah from approximately 150 B.C. to 1200 A.D.

Found within the Natural Bridges National Monument, this petroglyph has earned the moniker of the “dinosaur petroglyph” due to its resemblance to a dinosaur, specifically a Brontosaurus, with its long tail and neck, and small head. However, interpretations of the carving vary among scholars and visitors.

Situated in a region abundant with ancient rock art crafted by Indigenous communities centuries ago, the petroglyph ignites both curiosity and debate. Despite extensive study, the precise meaning and origins of this intriguing artwork remain elusive

In the first episode of The Handmaid’s Tale, a group of young women are told, “this will become ordinary.” The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian television series based on Margaret Atwood’s 1984 novel that follows fertile women, known as Handmaids, who are forced to bear children.

The most terrifying part of this dystopian world is that it is all based on real-life events. As Margaret Atwood said herself, “One of my rules was that I would not put any events into the book that had not already happened… nor any technology not already available. No imaginary gizmos, no imaginary laws, no imaginary atrocities. God is in the details, they say. So is the Devil.”

Here, we take a look at all the historical events The Handmaid’s Tale is based on, in the hope we can learn from our past mistakes to ensure the plot of the novel and show doesn’t become a reality.

1. The persecution of women in Gilead is partially inspired by the Salem witch trials

In 2017, Atwood gave an interview to PRI’s The World and said that The Handmaid’s Tale borrows heavily from the story of Mary Webster. Before the Salem witch trials, Webster was the most infamous “witch” from Hadley, Massachusetts.

After Philip Smith – a prominent member of Hadley, Massachusetts – fell ill, town members assumed a witch must be involved. They decided that Mary Webster must be the witch responsible and physically assaulted and hung her as a punishment. However, Mary Webster ended up surviving, and her story was told in detail in 1689’s Memorable Providences.

Margaret Atwood has stated that The Handmaid’s Tale is dedicated to Mary Webster because “she is an example of a female person wrongly accused, but she is slightly a symbol of hope because they didn’t actually manage to kill her. She made it through.”

2. Giving birth in public used to be royal protocol

In The Handmaid’s Tale, Handmaids are forced to give birth in front of dozens of other women, including their fellow Handmaids and “Aunts” on the show, making birth a very public affair.

Royal births in Europe throughout the 1600s and 1700s followed a similar custom. Royal women giving birth often did so in front of an audience for several reasons. Witnesses were needed to assure that babies were not switched at birth, especially during the birth of an heir to the crown.

3. American history inspired the rise of the Christian right in The Handmaid’s Tale

The extremely religious right runs the authoritative world of Gilead in The Handmaid’s Tale. When creating the 1985 book, Margaret Atwood drew on both 17th-century Puritan theocracy in America and the political climate in America during the 1980s.

4. Decree 770

5. The history behind the Handmaids’ outfits

6. The Handmaids of New Jersey

In 1975, a New York stockbroker named Robert Gallic and an ordained Catholic priest named Rev. James Ferry started a group known as People of Hope. The wives in this group were known as “The Handmaidens of God,” but unlike Atwood’s Handmaidens who were forced to have children, these wives closely resembled the Wives of Gilead. It was up to these “Handmaidens of God” to set a good example to other women, as well as police one another to make sure they were following their designated “rules” – such as being subservient to their husbands.

People became concerned with the group, stating that the People of Hope “subordinates its women, discourages social contact with non-members, arranges marriages, and moves teenage disciples to ‘households’ for indoctrination.” However, even today, the People of Hope maintains an active presence in central Jersey.

7. Prisoners in the Soviet Union also had to clean up radiation

8. “The Indian Adoption Project”

In The Handmaid’s Tale, the character June (Offred) has a daughter named Hannah. Hannah was taken away and adopted by a Commander and his wife because the government of Gilead claims that Handmaids were unfit as single mothers.

The Gullah are an African American ethnic group who predominantly live in the Lowcountry region of the U.S. states of Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina, within the coastal plain and the Sea Islands.

The Gullah Geechee people are descendants of Africans who were ens|aved on the rice, indigo and Sea Island cotton plantations of the lower Atlantic coast. Many came from the rice-growing region of West Africa. The nature of their enslavement on isolated island and coastal plantations created a unique culture with deep African retentions that are clearly visible in the Gullah Geechee people’s distinctive arts, crafts, foodways, music, and language.

Gullah Geechee is a unique, creole language spoken in the coastal areas of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. The Gullah Geechee language began as a simplified form of communication among people who spoke many different languages including €uropean s.lave traders, s|ave owners and diverse, African ethnic groups.

The vocabulary and grammatical roots come from African and European languages. It is the only distinctly, African creole language in the United States and it has influenced traditional Southern vocabulary and speech patterns.

King Charles is in the middle of his cancer treatment after receiving the diagnosis following his enlarged prostate checkup in January. The same day as his enlarged prostate treatment was announced, the statement of Kate MIddleton undergoing her abdominal surgery was also released to the world, and both the king and the princess spent time at the London Clinic.

Today, we know that both King Charles and Kate Middleton are undergoing cancer treatment. Exactly what kind of cancer Kate has been diagnosed with is being kept private by her, but the fact that she revealed that it was cancer appears to have had a significant impact on the public. That also went for King Charles, who announced his diagnosis.

Over the years, Kate Middleton has become one of the most popular royals, if not the most popular. Meanwhile, she and Charles have formed an extraordinary bond, and today, as they both go through treatments, their bond has, in one way, become even stronger. However, even though the king and the princess both undergo cancer treatments, it appears that King Charles isn’t thinking of himself at all. New reports suggest that he is highly concerned about Kate Middleton.

After Christmas, about nine months after King Charles officially was crowned king at his May coronation in Westminister Abbey, it appeared that the royal family was on its way to move into a new era. King Charles and Queen Camilla – who have not only been accepted by the public but also very much liked – have taken the reign after the late Queen Elizabeth.

At the same time, Prince William and Kate Middleton’s popularity has continued to grow and it seemed like this year was to become the best in many. However, things changed quickly.

In mid-January, royal fans worldwide were left in shock as Kate Middleton underwent what Kensington Palace stated was a “planned abdominal surgery. At the same time, the Princess of Wales decided not to disclose any details about her medical condition, which she is entitled to but wasn’t quite as appreciated by royal fans and experts.

Further, King Charles went through enlarged prostate treatment – and doctors found that he had cancer. Luckily, it was announced that it was found in an early stage, and the monarch will hopefully be back to full speed in a while.

As Easter approached, many believed the world would soon see Kate Middleton back on royal duty. However, on March 22 – not long after Kate had posted the Mother’s Day photo, which turned out to have been manipulated – she revealed that she had cancer.

The Princess of Wales explained that at the time she underwent the abdominal surgery, it was thought that her condition was non-cancerous, and the surgery was successful. However, when undergoing tests after the operation, doctors found that cancer had been present.

Exactly how long Kate Middleton will be away from royal duty is yet to be seen. However, the most important thing right now is to recover from the preventative chemotherapy and spend time with her beloved family.

King Charles canceled several engagements while undergoing cancer treatment, and instead, Queen Camilla stepped in. The same goes for Prince William, who took on many duties in his father’s absence.

King Charles and Kate Middleton have always had an exceptional bond. Over the years, as Kate Middleton was not only William’s girlfriend but also the future king’s wife, their bond grew stronger and stronger.

Over the years, the two have spent much time together, not least as the Prince and Princess of Wales welcomed Prince George and later Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, with Charles becoming a grandfather.

They have been caught sharing some lovely moments in public. For example, when Prince William and Kate MIddleton arrived at St. Paul’s Cathedral for the thanksgiving service marking Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, then-Prince Charles blew Kate a kiss, which was adored by royal fans.

The royal family has experienced some callous times recently. However, the members have had plenty on their hands for years, not least because Queen Elizabeth passed away and because of the feud between them and Harry and Meghan.

While that has continued, King Charles and Prince William’s relationship has been on and off for years. Kate Middleton has played an essential role in bringing her husband and father-in-law closer together.

Speaking on The Royal Beat, royal commentator Victoria Arbiter explained that Prince William and King CHarles’ relationship “hasn’t always been the easiest.”

Moreover, she stated that Kate Midleton has been the key person in helping them establish a tighter bond, as she acts as a “healing balm.”

“I think we can look at Kate – she’s so close to her own family, family is so important to her. [The Princess of Wales has been a really wonderful healing balm for Prince William and his father as well. Because that relationship hasn’t always been the easiest,” Arbiter said.

Every day, the female body is exposed to more and more judgment from society. Social media feeds are full of unrealistic photos that can really make someone feel uncomfortable in their own skin. For women with postpartum bodies, this topic can be the most sensitive. To support others, this proud mother decided to stop hiding behind filters or pieces of clothing and embrace the flaws that truly make us special.

Most mothers aren’t prepared for the challenges that come after childbirth.“I didn’t know that I would have as much loose skin as I do now, and stretch marks. No one ever discussed it, my doctors didn’t discuss it,” the mother explained. “I didn’t know that my body just wouldn’t look the same anymore.

But I want to embrace my body, and I’m happy where I’m at.”Seeing tons of celebrities and models posing with their pregnant bellies can give us the wrong image. They can make us believe that perfection can exist and that something might be wrong with our own bodies, even lowering our confidence to the point that we forget to love ourselves.In one of her Instagram posts, she pointed out to other moms that they are loved, saying, “Don’t let society trick you into believing you need to be ’fixed.’ Your body is not wrong, society is!”Society expects a different image of the female postpartum body.Women are expected to quickly bounce back to their pre-pregnancy bodies.

For many mothers, this can feel like they’re strangers in their own their skin. Fighting against your body means losing the battle in the end, but knowing how to accept it and start loving yourself from all angles is a different type of pure love that can only occur if the mother is 100% ready to do it.

The brutal honesty behind Danisha’s posts makes her even prouder of who she is. “Our body is meant to evolve and change, that is what happens with growth, not everyone’s body will change the same and that’s okay,” she admitted. “My wonderful body carried 4 beautiful blessings, my belly is a reminder of that and signifies growth. It has taken me a long time to accept her, love her, and appreciate her.”

Amidst the chorus of criticism and boycotts against Bud Light, American singer-songwriter Kid Rock has made a bold move. In a decisive act of defiance against what he describes as “woke beer,” Kid Rock has declared an outright ban on Bud Light from all of his concerts. This decision not only reinforces the growing distaste among a portion of the public for what they perceive as performative social activism by brands but also signals a potential new front in the ongoing culture war.

Kid Rock, known for his brazen, unapologetic persona, announced his decision via his social media platforms, articulating his stance against Bud Light’s recent controversial marketing campaign. Bud Light, an Anheuser-Busch product, faced immense backlash over the campaign featuring Dylan Mulvaney, which many have criticized as an attempt to capitalize on social progressiveness for profit.

The musician’s post read: “No interest in spending money on woke beer. Bud Light is banned from all my concerts.” This statement echoes the sentiments of many consumers who feel disillusioned with Bud Light’s recent branding strategy. The ban is a stark embodiment of the growing divide in society over how corporations should engage with social issues.

The fallout from Bud Light’s marketing misstep has been substantial. The brand has seen a significant drop in sales, notably recording its worst holiday weekend sales in history over the 4th of July weekend. The brand that once held a secure spot in the beer industry now faces an uphill struggle to regain consumer trust and rebuild its tarnished reputation.

Kid Rock’s ban on Bud Light at his concerts adds to the brand’s woes. As a popular figure in the music industry, Kid Rock’s influence could lead to further boycotts. The ban also sends a clear message to other brands about the risks of perceived inauthentic social activism. It’s a lesson in how quickly a misjudged campaign can turn into a PR disaster, damaging brand reputation and alienating a significant portion of the consumer base.

So, what does Kid Rock’s Bud Light ban mean in the broader context? It’s symbolic of the rising skepticism toward corporate involvement in social issues, particularly when such involvement seems superficial or profit-driven. This sentiment is increasingly evident among consumers, who are calling for greater authenticity from the brands they patronize.

The Bud Light fiasco also highlights the complexity of aligning brand marketing with social issues. Navigating these waters requires a genuine commitment and understanding of the causes being supported. Brands must go beyond performative actions to earn consumer trust and respect, as hollow gestures can result in damaging backlash.

In conclusion, Kid Rock’s ban on Bud Light from his concerts is more than just a stance against one brand. It’s a commentary on the evolving relationship between corporations and social issues. As the Bud Light controversy shows, consumers expect more from brands – they want authentic engagement with social issues, not performative marketing strategies. Kid Rock’s ban serves as a potent reminder of the consequences when brands fall short of these expectations.