Challenging Gender Roles in China, an All-Girl Boy Band

The boy band Acrush is made up of five members—all of whom are girls. They’ve already accrued a substantial following (even before releasing any music) of primarily young female fans who call the band members “husbands.” While Acrush is challenging conservative Chinese beliefs and concepts surrounding gender, the band’s manager Wang Tianhai says, it’s neither political nor gimmicky, “They just enjoy the male appearance, the …

Language is Alive

NPR’s interview with lexicographer Kory Stamper (who is also an associate editor at Merriam-Webster) is a must-listen for word nerds. Stamper delves into the idea that language is “a living thing,” which means that working on a dictionary is an ever-evolving and constantly growing entity. “A lot of times people assume that English as we speak it is something that was curated maybe by some …

Philip Johnson Glass House Sculpture Gallery Reopens

Built in 1970 to house his personal art collection, Philip Johnson’s Sculpture Gallery at the Glass House has been under renovation for the last two years. Today, as the entire property opened for the season, guests were once again able to enter and see works by Robert Rauschenberg, George Segal, John Chamberlain, Frank Stella, and Bruce Nauman, among many others. The Sculpture Gallery is one …