gender

EA Games and Maxis are ending all gender restrictions in the latest version of The Sims 4. According to Associated Press, over 700 pieces of content were locked based on gender before this change. That includes hairstyles, clothing and voice options and apparently a lot more. 

Maxis worked with LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD on the update. The game mechanics as well as the cosmetics of characters will be a little more gender fluid. Now characters can look however players choose AND change gender at any time and decide whether they can reproduce with other characters or not. Gender symbols will also be removed from the game's gallery feature. 

So far, the response has been mostly positive: 


via @tha_rami, @JamesTurnerYT, @Campster, @BeaTheCraftian

Dolls—they're not only for girls!

In a first for toy company Mattel, a advertisement for a new Barbie features a boy.

The limited edition Moschino Barbie is outfitted in the fashion design house's clothes, and is a parody of an ad that ran in the 1980s. The young boy, who proclaims the doll "So fierce!" represents American fashion designer Jeremy Scott.

Scott told CBS News why a boy was chosen for the ad:

"When I dreamed up the concept for the Moschino Barbie fauxmercial, I felt it was natural to have a little boy representing for all the little boys like myself who played with Barbies growing up," Scott said in an emailed statement. "Barbie was more than a toy -- she was a muse!"

Boy or girl, Moschino Barbie ain't cheap. The fabulous dolls are going for $250+ on eBay.

We know you were planning a lot for the 10th anniversary for the greatest love story ever told. Well so was Stephenie Meyer.

Apparently, her plans were to make more money by 'reimagining' the 10-year-old Twilight through trading the genders of the two main characters.

Sure. Whatever.

All this, according to Entertainment Weekly

In honor of the 10th anniversary of her best-selling vampire romance, Twilight author Stephenie Meyer has written a 442-page reimagining of the novel that made her a publishing sensation. This time around, she's switched the genders of her protagonists. Yes, it's true. In the new tale titled Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined, Bella Swan is now a boy named Beau (short for Beaufort) and the brooding Edward Cullen is now Edythe. Meyer is expected to discuss the project in more detail during an appearance Tuesday morning on Good Morning America.

Meyer explains in her foreword to the anniversary edition of the novel that she decided to go with the gender bending to underscore her position that Bella isn't a "damsel in distress" as certain critics have charged. Rather, the author insists, the character is a "human in distress," or as Meyer calls her, "a normal human being surrounded on all sides by people who are basically superheroes and supervillains." Meyer also takes issue with the criticism that Bella was "too consumed with her love interest, as if that's somehow just a girl thing." The author mentions, too, that Beau is "more OCD" than Bella was and that he's "totally missing the chip Bella carries around on her shoulder all the time."

Based on this, it sounds like the mystical, master class of writing that can only be found by using 'Replace All'.

Just please, PLEASE, don't make more movies to reflect this 'reimagining'.

Stephen Colbert took a break from making random cable access shows in Michigan with Eminem to write an opinion about gender equality in Glamour magazine.

Ever since he left The Colbert Report to take over for David Letterman's The Late Show, which begins September 9, Colbert has been staying in the headlines through both hilarious stunts like the one above and drawing attention to his personal causes.

His editorial in Glamour combines his irreverent, often silly, humor with real questions about the state of gender equality:

And mine is not the only field that lacks enough women. Where are all the lady blacksmiths? What about the bait-and-tackle shopkeepers, pool maintenance professionals, building superintendents, or CEOs of Fortune 500 companies? Why are all those minions shaped like tiny phalluses? Why did Mad Max get top billing in Fury Road when he was essentially just a grunting tripod for Charlize Theron's rifle? Of course, historically, our thriving U.S. president industry definitely skews male—but that could change in 2016. Carly Fiorina, all eyes are on you.

Even when women do succeed, their stories often aren't told. Did you know that the first computer, ENIAC, was programmed by six female mathematicians? If it weren't for those pioneering women, we might not have computers at all. And then how would people read empowering listicles like "20 Hot Actresses Without Makeup! (#5 Will Make You Question God!)"?

And through out it all, despite falling into some strange tangents, he presents a promise for how The Late Show will function under his hosting.

Point is, I'm here for you, and that means I'm going to do my best to create a Late Show that not only appeals to women but also celebrates their voices. These days TV would have you believe that being a woman means sensually eating yogurt, looking for ways to feel confident on heavy days, and hunting for houses. But I'm going to make a show that truly respects women, because I know that there's more than one way to be one. Maybe you're a woman who likes women. Maybe you like women and men. Maybe you're a woman who's recently transitioned. Maybe you're a guy who's reading this magazine because your girlfriend bought a copy and it looked interesting.

It's just another example of how proactive Colbert is about his influence and how he chooses to use his promotional time.

If you're a man's man, you're probably freaking the f*ck out over the fact that July 15 is 'No Sports Day', at least according to this tantalizing piece of unnecessary gender politics nabbed by Jezebel.

On this of all days, there will be no sports on television.

You're probably hyperventilating already. If you are a dude, that it.

Netflix's PR, from the MLS Group, wanted everyone to know that there was a way to continue reflecting all of the anthropological archetypes that were popularized in 1990s stand up comedy.

Men be warned: girlfriends and wives around the U.S. are going to take "no sports on TV" as an invitation to gain some serious TV power – whether by recommending a favorite rom-com or multiple episodes from a favorite drama series. And, women be empowered! Sports will not be there to save him this time.

It offered suggestions for how you should continue to fulfill those engrained cultural archetypes for one day before everything can return to normal, hyper-gendered, everyday tranquility. The way to achieve that paradise can only be found in Netflix of course. It made sure to provide a separate list of alternatives for both the men and the women.

For the men, Netflix has put together a list of content that will help you and your girlfriend compromise on your entertainment:

It suggested Silver Linings Playbook, saying "Satisfy her need for romance, and you'll get the added opportunity to view Jennifer Lawrence the entire time."

Or prompted you to watch Rudy, saying "Get her to realize that everyone loves a good underdog story so you can watch some football..."

Or, don't worry because "just as an FYI - there's more than 50 of ESPN's 30 for 30 titles on Netflix if you plan to just stream on your phone or laptop while she takes over the living room."

It also gave comforting and scheming suggestions for all you sports-hatin' ladies out there.

For the women, this is your day, ladies. Get him hooked on some of your favorite TV shows or get him to finally watch that romantic comedy you've been dying to share with him. Netflix has put together a list of some of the best content to share with your guy on the one day a year the TV is yours, no excuses.

Though it just gave a list of films like One Tree Hill, Scandal, Grey's Anatomy, Parenthood without seeing the need to justify any of the picks.

Oooooof.

Al Ewing, the author of the soon to be Loki: Agent of Asgard confirmed on Tumblr today that he will be exploring the Norse villain's fluid sexuality.

"lady-loki-odinson: Do you think COMIC Loki is Bisexual ? Loki is the Norse IS Bisexual . [Loki is a bisexual, shape-shifting norse God].

Ewing: Yes, Loki is bi and I'll be touching on that. He'll shift between genders occasionally as well."

Good on Ewing for being accurate to the mythology, but expect to see an increase in Tom Hiddleston slash fic in the coming months.

Professor C. Bodin, newly released in LEGO's 11th series of Minifigures, is the first woman Scientist LEGO has produced. A definite step in the right direction, however, LEGO still has some catching up to do as male minifigs outnumber their female counterparts 4-to-1.