We are all part of a global community, and in that spirit we take each Friday to spread the love to others who’ve inspired us. In our Great Discoveries series, we feature the most interesting articles, a must-watch video and the most inspirational quote we discovered this week. Please spread the love and enjoy your day!
 Rental Prices in NYC — by Subway StopThe Manhattan Subway Rent Map plots out the median rent, per bedroom, near every Manhattan subway stop. [Read on via Thrillist] And here’s a more recent map via neighborhood. |  There’s a Luxury Apartment Inside the Eiffel TowerYeah. You read that right. [Read on via Slate] |
| Amy Schumer being schooled on how Hollywood dictates what women are valued for: | |
 The Problem is the Media, Not False Rape AllegationsIs the real issue getting lost along the way? [Read on via Feminist Current] |  Pack for a PurposeHelp out schools, hospitals and charities by bringing supplies for them when you travel. This charity will make it super easy for you. |
| |
Hollywood in our day is normalizing sexual objectification of both men and women. In pretty much every movie, there’s a sex scene, and naked people like that’s how it should be.I went to the movies with my 13 year old nephew the other day, and he said he hopes we see some “boobs” in the movies. That’s what Hollywood and the media are turning our new generations into.
Even landlords know rents are too high in New York. Life IS so expensive in New York. Part of why NYC is so expensive simply has to do with the sheer number of people living here. With 8.5 million people and growing, space is tight. And when space is tight, rents and housing costs are high.
I kindly disagree.
The only thing expensive about New York is the rent. Otherwise, it’s an absurdly cheap place to live. Food is cheaper than anywhere I’ve ever lived (if you know where to look), transportation is cheap and walking (which is feasible and enjoyable) is free, and entertainment is frequently free.
The city offers so much for so relatively little that I think that we as New Yorkers are getting an incredible deal. It’s a privilege to enjoy so many luxuries close to home.
Upeople are social creatures, and all people care deeply about other people’s perceptions of them. That desire to be liked and respected by peers is universal. In this context, an “obsession” with beauty is as simple as an “obsession” with having other people like you and think highly of you.
Looks are the very first thing that people notice about a girl or a woman, and sometimes the only thing. It’s also the first and often only thing people complement girls on, and it determines how people treat them. I deliberately almost never tell my nieces how gorgeous I think they are. I’ve told them once or twice so that they know, but I want them to understand that I value them for WHO THEY ARE as people. I also want them to VALUE THEMSELVES for who they are as people, rather than for how they look. In order to break the image of beauty Hollywood and the media forces up on us, we NEED to teach our children values, and the things that matter.
As far as I know the only way you can prevent obsession with an ideal standard of beauty is to temper that standard itself. Once you have several ideals of beauty in your repertoire it’s a lot easier to accept the form of beauty you may possess and not feel the need to strive for an ideal that isn’t achievable or compatible with what you are. 🙂