Why Everyone is so Mad About Sydney Sweeney's Newest Ad

Last year, women's sports really had a moment. We all suddenly realized we hadn't been paying enough attention (and that the systems that pay athletes hadn't been paying nearly enough money) to female athletes and their athletic achievements and events. Thanks to this shift, people finally began to take women in sports more seriously.

Unfortunately, a new Sydney Sweeney ad is moving things in the wrong direction. The ad, which is for sports predicting market Novig, is hyper sexualized, to say the least. In it, Sweeney poses nude and covers her body with various sports equipment (think basketballs and football pads). She makes a few comments about how this service is all about "sports"...and so many people, especially women, have been rubbed the wrong way by this.

Women have historically struggled to be taken seriously in the world of sports — not just professional athletes, but all the way down to young girls who play at school or in rec leagues. Why does Sweeney's ad take us in the wrong direction? Because it leans into the idea that the value of women's bodies lies in the way they look, not in what they can do. Juxtaposed by the sports equipment used as props to add to the male gaze-i-ness of the images, this just feeds into that narrative.

Female athletes are sharing why this feels personally insulting. For example: One woman pointed that even now, when she mentions that she's a gymnast, people's first response is often "oh, so you're flexible?" in a suggestive way.

Listen, this doesn't all fall on Sydney Sweeney — though, let's not forget...she has a history of starring in ads that miss the mark. Obviously, there's a team behind the scenes that came up with the concept for the sake of shock factor and, again, fulfillment of the male gaze. But let's not pretend she isn't complicit here.

Some argue that we applaud some women for owning their sexuality and choosing to pose nude, and yeah. It's a fine line between what lands correctly and what simply doesn't.

Here's the thing: Sweeney's ad isn't just about the skin she shows or the suggestiveness of her poses. It's about the larger concept...and the way it disregards all the progress female athletes have made.

Ask Clara:

"What barriers do female athletes face?"

The Wellness Industry is Booming. Why Are We Surprised?

I recently came across a brilliant post on Instagram. In it, creator Jess Britvich calls out wellness influencers for constantly fearmongering about "big pharma", all while selling their audiences both ideas and products as alternative solutions.

She's right: Influencers and wellness brands make money — lots of money — by exploiting the rising fear and distrust people feel towards medical institutions. But here's my hot take: A huge part of why they're able to exploit that distrust is because that distrust is already well-established.

So many of the people who distrust medical institutions don't do so because wellness influencers convinced them to. They distrust medical institutions because they've felt failed by them. They've experienced medical gaslighting. They've been taken advantage of by a broken system. They've been ignored, dismissed, and more...and so they turn to the places where guidance doesn't come with a co-pay or a long wait or a healthcare provider who rushes through an appointment. They turn to the internet.

And on the internet, information — or, more often, misinformation — is everywhere. The thing is, even for someone with a solid base of knowledge, it can be impossible to untangle the two. A wellness influencer may rave about a product that worked for them, and you may ask a qualified professional about the validity of said product...and that professional may tell you there's no evidence to support the effectiveness. and while that's true, a lack of current evidence doesn't mean it won't or can't work.

This gap — the space between or need for solutions and answers and the availability of those answers and our own access to information — that's where wellness BS thrives. And clearly, it's a gap large enough to fit an entire industry worth billions.

So what are we supposed to do? It's complicated.

I think we need to start by understanding that health and wellness are different things. We need to remember that even when medical experts feel inaccessible, they still hold more knowledge than a wellness influencer. We ought to always keep in mind that if a provider is making us feel unheard, gaslit, or dismissed, it doesn't mean every other professional will do the same. We can always find a new doctor.

And we can apply a level of discernment to the things we see online. Sure, there may be no evidence to support the effectiveness of something that works really well for us on a lifestyle level (like this little guy? a gamechanger for my migraines). Ultimately, though, we're better off seeking out credible answers and solutions rather than believing everything we see online.

Ask Clara:

"What is medical gaslighting and how does it affect women?"

What Does it Actually Mean to be a Good Wife?

Somehow, I found myself on the side of TikTok that features "high-effort wife" content. Here, women proudly go above and beyond for their husbands. Think: Waking up at 4 am to make and pack their lunch. Laying out their clothes every morning. Making all the appointments so their partners don't have to think about it. Handling all the cleaning, cooking, household shopping.

To this, a few creators have responded to say it's "weird" that these women are treating their husbands like...well, children. And those creators? Well, they're being eviscerated. Others online are calling them bad wives, questioning if they even like their husbands.

But here's my take: Why are we so quick to question whether a wife actually likes her husband, and so hesitant to question whether a husband actually likes, respects, and cares for his wife?

If you want to pack your partner a lunch or go above and beyond, I think that's great. I love doing things for my partner too! But here's what I want to call out: Why do we think women need to exhaust themselves in order to be considered "good" to the people in their lives? Waking up in the wee hours of the morning just so you can pack a lunch, for example? Handling all the chores at home? That sounds exhausting.

I asked my own husband if he would even like it if I woke up to make him breakfast and/or lunch on the days he wakes up super early to travel for work, and just as I expected, he said no. He would rather I stay asleep and be well rested.

Now listen. I'm not a morning person, so that's why I won't be doing some of the specific "high-effort" stuff these ladies are calling out. Maybe some of them are actually awake super early and genuinely want to do this stuff. I don't know.

What I'm more concerned with is the policing of what makes someone a "good wife". Just like the "good mother" ideal, it needs to be unpacked. Because contrary to what these narratives suggest, there are so many ways to be "high effort" as a partner, good to your spouse, and a loving wife that don't involve performing constant domestic labor....and literally losing sleep to do so.

Ask Clara:

"Do women take on more household labor?"

The Forgotten Piece of Gloria Steinem's Feminism

Last week, Gloria Steinem, feminist icon, died at 92. It's yet another crushing loss of 2026.

In the wake of Steinem's death, social media has lit up with tributes to her legacy. But here's a piece of that legacy we often neglect to honor: Steinem's version of feminism has always included respect for care work, and an insistence that the rest of the world finally sit up and take notice of the social and economic value of this work.

On social media, there's a real distortion of what feminism truly is. Many say they aren't feminists because they don't want to work; they "just" want to be moms. My take? Focusing on motherhood doesn't make you any less of a feminist. What does, in my view, make you less of one? Playing into the constant cultural and systemic devaluation of care work — the work women have historically shouldered.

Steinem never had children of her own, yet she understood how essential it is to support mothers. Because ultimately, it's not just about motherhood: It's about caregiving. Caregivers in the United States are routinely under-supported. We lack paid leave, affordable childcare (and accessible elder care), economic value assigned to care work (yes, it is work), and cultural recognition of caregiving. Many people view feminism as anti-family, when in reality, causes that support caregivers are inherently feminist because they help women most of all.

Gloria Steinem, the obvious face of the feminist movement, often hailed as the mother of feminism, is proof of this. We often forget this part of her legacy, but she routinely championed caregivers. She partnered with maternal activism organizations. She spoke, loudly and openly, about the need for economic recognition of care work. She lived the caregiver experience as a caregiver to her mother...and she paid it forward. She worked to create a version of feminism that honored family life, not lured people away from it, as some like to suggest.

To truly honor her legacy, we must remember this.

Ask Clara:

"What is the economic value of caregiving?"

Miss Uganda Brings C-Section Awareness to the Runway

If you're a C-section mom, chances are you've heard that you "took the easy way out" or that you "didn't actually give birth".

I don't know if this happens so often because people feel the need to weigh in on every single thing a woman does with her body...or because people fundamentally misunderstand what a C-section actually entails. Probably some of both.

But now, a major fashion moment has entered the building to give the world a real look at what C-section actually is and what it truly does to your body. And it's about time.

Muhoza Trivia Elle, who is Miss World Uganda 2025, walked the runway in a gown by KEESHA, a modest couture brand by Keesha Abdallah. The gown is called "The Layers of Life" and represents the layers that must be cut through during a C-section. The dress has a gorgeous silhouette and vibrant color palette (you can see the photos here), but it's more than meets the eye.

The colors represent the seven surgical layers of C-section childbirth: Skin, fat, peritoneum, fascia, abs, uterus, and amniotic sac. I love this artful C-section representation.

Somehow, even though I've been through this type of birth, I've never fully wrapped my head around what a physical ordeal it truly is. This type of representation matters: It shows women what they've done. It challenges the idea that this is "an easy way out of giving birth the real way". And it shies away from depicting this type of birth as ugly, undesirable, or a last resort.

For so long, we've been told that the details of how women give birth are "gross". Part of why nobody really knows how a C-section actually works is because of this. This type of creation challenges all that in the most beautiful, artful way.

Ask Clara:

"What happens during a C-section delivery?"

Ms Rachel & the Power of the Midlife Pivot

At 38 years old, I often find myself falling into this "it's too late" trap.

It's too late to have a third baby. It's too late to go back to grad school (again). It's too late to pivot in my career.

But it's not too late: As we enter this phase, millennial women are rewriting the rules of midlife. See: Ms Rachel, the musician who built a whole empire around connecting with kids, who recently put it into perspective.

A woman (@bwhite_) posed a question on threads: "Y’all think 35 is too late to consider changing careers completely ?". Ms Rachel had the best response. "I had the idea for Ms Rachel at 36 years old", she replied.

It's such a powerful reminder: We can use the tools we've gained in new ways — or we can build a new toolbox completely — at any age. We hear the reassurances, of course, but nothing really shows us it's possible like a real life example. And here, Ms Rachel is giving us one: She came up with an idea at an age at which so many women are told it's "too late". That idea blew up.

Not everyone will be Ms Rachel, of course. We can't all be moguls, but we can pivot and change our minds and start new things and learn new skills. Those things don't stop being true when we exit our 20s, contrary to what so many narratives suggest.

I think so many of us have always felt that men were given endless permission to try new things, to start new companies, to change lanes or occupy multiple lanes at once. Women, on the other hand, were always encouraged to stay small.

But as people begin to live longer, technology changes the career game, new industries pop up, portfolio careers become more and more popular, and more lead by example, we have the opportunity to make these midlife pivots. And you know what? That's pretty awesome.

Ask Clara:

"What does midlife feel like for women?"

I'm So Tired of the Supermom Narrative

I recently came across a post from a female physician talking about how she returned to work at four weeks after her C-section.

As a C-section mom myself, I know what the must have felt like: At four weeks postpartum, I was still bleeding. My breasts were leaking milk. I was exhausted, hormonal, completely unmoored by my new reality. My goal each day was to simply get through it.

So when commenters on the post called the moms who posted a "superhero", I understood it. But I didn't like it.

This is in no way me downplaying how impressive it is, what modern-day moms do. It's just me asking: Why do we glorify mothers doing things that should have never been asked of them? Why do we praise them the most when they do the things that are the most exhausting, the most detrimental to their well-being? Why do we call them superheroes instead of demanding that the system just humanize them?

The idea that doing motherhood "right" means doing it exhausted, overwhelmed, unsupported and at the expense of your own health is nothing new. We receive so many messages as moms (and as women) that tell us we're at our most praise-worthy when we're struggling the most. We're taught to valorize things like sleep deprivation, pushing through pain, and suppressing our own needs in service of everybody else's. Instead of being told "hey, you're being asked to do things that are not good for you", we're told "look at you doing it, Mama! You're supermom."

I've been covering motherhood as a journalist for 11 years now, and here's what I have learned: The way we speak about motherhood and womanhood culturally has the power to move needles. So let's rethink the narratives. Let's unpack the messages and see them for what they really are. Let's stop perpetuating the supermom narrative and remember that expecting mothers to be superhuman in the way they function isn't cute. It's actually harming them in so many ways.

Ask Clara:

"Why is paid leave so important?"

There's One Example Dolly Parton Set That We Shouldn't be Following

There are so many things about Dolly Parton I would love to emulate. Her kindness. Her wisdom. Her formidable talent. Her activism. Her commitment to improving literacy rates. Her quick wit.

But there's one example Parton set that I don't want to follow...and I don't want other women to either.

Parton's death has truly rocked our world, and in the wake of it, we've had so many important conversations about her legacy.

Just ten months before her death, Parton put out a video giving fans a bit of information about her health. "I've got some problems, as I've mentioned," she said. "Back when my husband Carl was sick, that was a long time, and then when he passed, I didn't take care of myself. So I let a lot of things go that I should have been taking care of. So anyway, when I got around to it, the doctor said 'we need to take care of this, we need to take care of that'."

It was revealed after Parton's death that she had been sick with cancer.

So many caregivers, myself included, can relate to this. When you're responsible for someone else, it is so easy to fall into the trap of self-neglect. If someone like Dolly Parton fell into this trap, even with all her resources and all her access, of course everyday people are as well.

But it's imperative that we find a way out of this. We've been conditioned to believe self-care is having your nails done or going to the gym. But what about actually taking care of ourselves? What about going to our appointments? Not ignoring our worrisome symptoms? Getting enough sleep? Eating well?

Those are the things that actually make a difference in the long run.

So let's live like Dolly. Let's remember the best parts of her legacy. But let's also learn from her mistakes.

Ask Clara:

"What is caregiver burnout?"

What the Pumpkin Spice-ification of August is Really About

I sit here in a tank top and shorts, not because it is unseasonably warm today, but because it is, in fact, still the month of August. A month that falls squarely, entirely in the summer season. We still have nearly a month to go before fall officially begins...yet somehow, pumpkin spice lattes are on menus. Halloween decor is everywhere you look. And I'm calling it as I see it: The pumpkin spice-ificiation of August has gone way too far.

Now, listen. I'm a summer girlie over a fall girlie, always. Give me a fresh tomato over a crisp apple. A cold brew with lots of cold foam over a pumpkin spice latte. A strawberry glaze over anything maple-flavored. Give me sun and long days and breezy little dresses.

But that's not all this is about.

I've noticed that we feel this constant need to rush onto the next thing. Halloween decor is out in July, Christmas stuff dominates the shelves in October. Yes, this is about capitalism and overconsumption. There's more to it though: It's also about our need to just look to the next thing instead of stopping to enjoy what's right here, right now.

And right now, I don't want to pretend it's fall and sip a pumpkin-y drink. I want to savor this particular moment. I want to squeeze in a few more pool days and get ice cream for the fourth day in a row. I want to take long evening walks and watch the sun set. I want to be present.

And sure, I can just not order the PSL, or not buy the Halloween decor, or not start saying things like "the summer really flew by" (It is flying by, but why are we speaking about in past tense?). I can mentally stay in summer.

But what I can't change the culture that constantly tells us it's time to move on to the next thing. All I can do is comment on it. So drink the PSL if you're ready for it. But maybe, I don't know, join me in questioning why this is a thing?

Ask Clara:

"When does seasonal depression strike?"

Oreo-Gate is About More Than Just a Kids' Lunchbox

Maybe it's a mom thing, but my algorithm has been full of Oreo-gate content this week. If yours hasn't, a quick breakdown: Oreo-gate refers to this mega-viral video series about a mom group chat. As the name suggests, Oreo cookies are at the center of the drama.

Essentially, the text exchange features a mom requesting that the fellow moms in her group chat stop sending their kids to school with Oreos in their lunchbox. Her own daughter, Ava, isn't allowed Oreos. According to the text exchange, Ava sometimes comes home crying because her friends have Oreos and she's not allowed to have this treat.

As a mom of elementary school kids, I get that it can be hard when your friends are around people who are allowed to do things they're not. As parents, it's tough to reiterate for our kids that we don't all have the same rules.

Unfortunately, this mom decided to take it in a different direction: She continued to harp on her friends for sending Oreos with their kids lunches, even though — last time I checked, at least — what somebody else (or somebody else's kid) eats is actually not something you can dictate.

In the Oreogate videos, the moms ask "why Oreos?" — they wonder why the mom is so insistent that her daughter avoid this specific treat. We never really get a clear answer.

And while most people on the internet are talking about what an absolute Karen the mom is being (which is fair, TBH), I think there's something else at work here. Because maybe it isn't all the mom's fault, even though yeah, she's likely going to pass some weird views about food down to her daughter.

But when we're navigating a world that puts messages about health and wellness and "toxic chemicals" and "junk food" and whatever other moralizing language we're using to describe food these days right in our faces...well, why are we surprised that this particular mom, (just like so many other moms, women, people across the country) has gone a bit off the deep end here?

Is it any wonder that someone is clearly fearful of Oreos when we live in a world with so much fearmongering around food?

Listen, this drama is kind of hilarious, especially because many of the moms involved in it are legitimately funny. I'd encourage you to watch the multi-part series. But also: It's worth thinking critically about what's going on here.

Yes, this mom is acting an absolute fool. But also...maybe we can look to the larger culture to gain a better understanding of why so many people have become so controlling and restrictive where food is concerned.

Ask Clara:

"What's the danger of having a restrictive diet?"