Where's Rey? Best Heroine Ever Left Out of Some 'Star Wars' Toy Sets
In many of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” playsets, including the Millennium Falcon set, female lead Rey is missing even though she flew the ship herself in the movie. Instead, male characters like Finn, as well as BB-8 and Chewbacca are included. Her absence has spurred on the hashtag #WheresRey. [The Daily Beast]
Chocolate Makers React to Mast Brothers' "Unparalleled Hubris"
Food bloggers, artisanal chocolate makers and chocolate experts take aim at the Mast Brothers’ claim that their chocolate was always made from scratch. Originally, they made “remelted, mass-produced chocolate,” Quartz reports. One chocolate seller describes the initial Mast bars as “inedible.” All this evidence pokes a hole in the brothers’ story about being innovative “chocolate-making MacGyvers,” the story says. The takedown also delves into reviews from other chocolate experts who say Mast’s quality doesn’t match its hype, but that the brothers have executed a brilliant marketing strategy. [Quartz]
NBA Stars Step Into Fight Over Gun Regulations
Steph Curry, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul will appear in an ad for former Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s gun control group, Everytown, alongside victims of gun violence. The ad, set to air on Christmas Day, features Curry saying his 3-year-old daughter Riley — a fan favorite in her own right — is the same age as a little girl who died in one of the country’s many recent incidents of gun violence. The New York Times notes that the NBA’s involvement — apparently brokered by one of the league’s most high-profile fans, Spike Lee — is a dicey move, given that “millions of fans hail from places where Mr. Bloomberg and his approach to guns are viewed with deep suspicion.” But NBA officials told the Times the decision did not involve much deliberation. “We know far too many people who have been caught up in gun violence in this country,” Kathleen Behrens, the league’s president of social responsibility and player programs, told the Times. “And we can do something about it.” [The New York Times]
Great News for Women (Not) — There’s Not Just a Pay Gap, But a “Gender Tax”
Consumer goods geared towards girls and women cost an average of 7 percent more than products targeted to men and boys, a recent study by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs found. The agency surveyed 800 products sold across the city from toys and body products to clothing and found that 42 percent of the time, products targeted towards women were more expensive that products for men. [BuzzFeed]
Who Won 2015?
Grantland may be gone, but former Grantland writer Rembert Browne is still doing his “Who won the year?” articles. This year’s bracket can be found at New York magazine and is divided up into six categories: celebrities/entertainers, public figures/leaders, technology, Internet trends, sports and movements. It contains pretty much all of the heavy hitters from 2015 that you would expect — Donald Trump, Amy Schumer, #BlackLivesMatter — and should provide you with plenty of fodder for arguments as we wrap up the year. [Vulture]
Learning To Be OK with Not Winning Every Game
New York teams are expected to win championships, but hey: losing is a part of life. With the new year coming, take a tip from our bumbling hometown heros: sometimes a .500 average is worth a high five. Let it go, man. [New York]
See What David Bowie was Doing at Your Age, Feel Worthless
Just in case you were feeling good about your life and accomplishments, "Sup Bowie" has arrived to remind you that you’ve done nothing in your time on earth. For example, you may feel good about turning 30 with moderate success, you own an apartment and a great cat. But when Bowie was 30 he was singing his own made-up language on “Subterraneans.” [Sup Bowie]
Oh Hey, Cassette Tapes are Back
Some bands and record labels are releasing music on good old cassette tapes — but don’t let the nostalgia suck you in, the writer argues. Remember there’s a reason those plastic cassettes were made obsolete: they’re just not that good. [The New York Times]
Columbia House Seeks Revival as Vinyl Finds New Groove
Columbia House, the mail-order brand that once offered stacks of CDs, vinyl records and cassettes for as little as a penny, is staging a comeback, hoping to lure record-collecting millennials through social media and a membership model retooled for e-commerce, the Wall Street Journal wrote. [Wall Street Journal]
This column has been compiled by DNAinfo reporters Shaye Weaver, Emily Frost, Danielle Tcholakian, Gwynne Hogan, Eddie Small, Noah Hurowitz, Katie Honan, Irene Plagianos and Lisha Arino.
