huffpost--2020-05-07--Mercedes Ruehl Won An Oscar. Then Hollywood Decided She Was 'Too Old.'

Yeah .
During the two or three weeks between getting the role and actually going to the first table read — it was in the ’ 80s , the time of big hair — I went and got this permanent that gave me this fabulous big hair .
Then I went upstate to visit friends in the country and I rolled down a hill of clover the way you do when you ’ re a child because I was so exuberant , and I got poison ivy from the roots of my hair to the toes .
And then on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t know how or why or what self-destructive thing was going on , but I was very late for the table read .
I get a call from then-agent Susan Smith , and she was a tough cookie .
She said , “ Listen , kid , they ’ re going to fire you .
You have to decide if you want this role or you don ’ t , and if you want it , you better straighten out quite right.
” So I called Jonathan .
Pretty understanding guy , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to doubt me .
I said , “ I ’ m just having a little bit of a conflict with my subconscious where there ’ s a lot of fear , but I ’ m going to overcome it by the first day of shooting , I promise you .
And we can contain the hair.
” I had met him sometime during the year before .
It was Thanksgiving weekend .
My then-agent was visiting friends in D.C. , and she invited me to come with her to an open house that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having .
Arnold was there , staying with them for the holiday , because he was married at that time to Maria Shriver .
So I go into this bastion of Kennedys , you know ?
I had gotten this tweed suit .
They all had this wonderful casual chic .
I looked down at this tweed suit , and I thought , “ This is just all wrong.
” Sargent Shriver was there in his pajamas and a smoking jacket , just looking fabulous .
Everybody was drinking and talking , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very out of place , and all of a sudden from a stairway comes this vision of Arnold in a salmon-pink Izod shirt , muscles blazing and big smile .
He came right over to me .
I don ’ t know what he had seen , maybe it was “ Fisher King.
” He was so kind and so complimentary and so , like , “ You ’ re the big actor in this room , not me , ” and I thought , “ What a delightful man.
” So we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and he saved my life at that party .
I ’ m not sure why he felt so strongly about me .
I ’ m very glad he did .
It was five days ’ work and fairly good money , et cetera , et cetera .
I was very impressed by the young writer/director [ Lorene Scafaria ] .
She knew her stuff .
It was interesting to me to see a young woman .
I mean , she looked like an undergraduate from Smith or Wellesley .
Very attractive , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a lot of strippers and a lot of T and A and everything , and boy , did she rule with an iron hand .
There was nobody on that set who was anything but entirely respectful of all the women .
In fact , the more they came out with less clothing on , the less the guys on set would look at them .
They didn ’ t even want to get caught ogling because there were a number of extras who were fired , whether it was remarks that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It was my first post-Harvey experience , and it was really interesting because this young woman kept a tight grasp on respect for the actresses .
I remember when I was doing “ Lost in Yonkers ” there was a young man , I think he was a gaffer .
This young man was a surfer , very blond , very good-looking guy , but he used to wear these really offensive T-shirts of girls with big boobs or asses sticking out — just really , really offensive .
I teased him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he didn ’ t like that .
Finally , I went to Martha and said , “ Martha , every time I look up when you say action , I see women ’ s tits and ass in my face .
Could you just ask the guy to wear a regular T-shirt ?
” And she said , “ Yeah , I know what you ’ re talking about .
Let me see what I can do.
” Within two days , the guy was off the set .
He didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of T-shirt to wear .
Now , he ’ d be tarred and feathered by women before he even made it to the set .
Night-and-day difference .
And the Me Too movement has not been welcomed by all directors .
I think Terry Gilliam said , “ Oh , it ’ s just mob psychology.
” And , boy , did they come down on him for that .
It ’ s been an across-the-board sea change and it ’ s still happening and we haven ’ t gotten there yet , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot closer to a greater sense of equality .

Film history is peppered with actresses whose moment in the sun shined blazingly bright, only to be revealed as just that: a moment. When Mercedes Ruehl roared into 1988’s “Married to the Mob” as a spitfire with olive skin, gaudy bangles and gigantic hair, a star was born. Ruehl had played small parts in “Heartburn,” “Big” and other hits, but this marked her true breakthrough. A Los Angeles Times critic called her “epically funny.” Ruehl was christened one of the industry’s most promising newcomers.
Ruehl’s anointment resulted in an Oscar for her flashy but grounded performance in “The Fisher King,” a surreal 1991 comedy featuring Jeff Bridges and Robin Williams. She was 44 when she won, and in almost no time Ruehl’s big-screen roles started drying up. Call it the Best Supporting Actress curse if you’d like. “It’s hard to get a job after that,” she told me last week. “People think you want more money.” Ruehl remained a Broadway fixture, but Hollywood didn’t have much use for her anymore.
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What kind of bullshit is that? Ruehl boasts a spirited, unforgettable screen presence, yet from 2004 until 2019, when she played a strip-club matron in “Hustlers,” she didn’t make a single theatrically released film. Her livelihood has been sustained by work onstage (“Torch Song,” “Occupant”) and on TV (“Entourage,” “Power”), and by the acting seminars she teaches in Manhattan (which she’s doing via Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic), but aging became something of a professional handicap.
Wanting to know how Ruehl views the arc of her career, I asked her to reflect on a number of her most interesting projects, including “Another You,” “Last Action Hero,” “Lost in Yonkers” and “Gia.” She’s currently quarantining in the Hamptons, working on tasks around the house but pausing to enjoy “chocolate or a martini.” At 72, she’s earned it. By phone, we talked about Ruehl’s big break, realizing how Hollywood treats women, working with “unacceptable” men, making “Hustlers” in the Me Too era, and what it was like to collaborate with Williams, Richard Pryor, Faye Dunaway and others.
“Heartburn” was your first substantial movie role. We’re talking about a Mike Nichols movie written by Nora Ephron and starring Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson. How did you feel when you got it?
I got a call to meet with the producer and Mike Nichols at his office apartment in the Carlyle Hotel, so I went and I was very nervous, of course. Mike Nichols, I mean, there are a million ways to describe him, but one way is just a true mensch. He put me right at my ease, and I read a number of small roles in the audition. He was nice enough to say, “Well, you’re good at every one. Choose which one you want.” At one point I said, “Well, how about I do them all in different wigs?” He loved that. He said, “It’s not that kind of movie, but I admire your chutzpah.” I just remember that being a hell of a lot of fun.
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Mercedes Ruehl in 1984. Aaron Rapoport via Getty Images
After “Heartburn” came “Radio Days,” the Michael J. Fox blockbuster “The Secret of My Success” and “Big” with Penny Marshall and Tom Hanks. Amid all of that, did you think, “I’m hitting the big time here”?
Not until “Married to the Mob” because I could have stayed down in that small-character-part division indefinitely. I had done some great roles in theater, particularly regional theater. I think the first break happened when I was about 29 and I got a role in a play by Albert Innaurato at the Public Theater [in New York City] called “Coming of Age in Soho,” which was a very apt title for what happened to my career after that because I was ready to give it up. I thought, “You’ve been at this now for almost a decade. Darling, you can’t live like a graduate student forever. I mean, you’ve got to get a real bookcase and get rid of those orange crates.”
I remember going to see my family at Christmastime and saying, “If something doesn’t happen for me in the next month or so, I’m going to have to reconfigure.” All of a sudden, after trying to get in the Public Theater for nine years, I get an invitation from Albert. He says, “You don’t even have to audition. Just show up on Tuesday.” So I did. Then that was the beginning of the subtle dominoes, just falling one after another. I remember some casting director saying, “Dear, you’ve got to resign yourself to the fact that at best you’re going to get the best-friend roles.”
Did you ask why you would be relegated to that?
Well, it was not a conversation I even wanted to pursue because I think the implication was you either don’t have the weight — the artistic weight, or the gravity — or the beauty to become a leading actress in a movie. So, just to accept that you’re always going to be, as [T.S.] Eliot says in “Prufrock,” “an attendant lord, one that will do to swell a scene or two.” I don’t know why I had this insane belief in myself, but I did.
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The day came when I was called to read for “Married to the Mob,” and I was so afraid that the woman was so vulgar and I didn’t want to pitch myself out there as this foul-mouthed character-actress type. On the other hand, the role was so good and I thought, well, I’m going to play it as a very real, vulnerable person. And for some reason Jonathan [Demme] said, “That’s just what I’m looking for,” so he hired me and I was thrilled. That was so big that I almost shot myself in the foot because I was so scared.
Wow, really?
Yeah. During the two or three weeks between getting the role and actually going to the first table read — it was in the ’80s, the time of big hair — I went and got this permanent that gave me this fabulous big hair. Then I went upstate to visit friends in the country and I rolled down a hill of clover the way you do when you’re a child because I was so exuberant, and I got poison ivy from the roots of my hair to the toes. And then on top of that, I don’t know how or why or what self-destructive thing was going on, but I was very late for the table read. I get a call from then-agent Susan Smith, and she was a tough cookie. She said, “Listen, kid, they’re going to fire you. You have to decide if you want this role or you don’t, and if you want it, you better straighten out quite right.” So I called Jonathan. Pretty understanding guy, but he also had some very strong reasons to doubt me. I said, “I’m just having a little bit of a conflict with my subconscious where there’s a lot of fear, but I’m going to overcome it by the first day of shooting, I promise you. And we can contain the hair.”
Mercedes Ruehl in "Married to the Mob." Orion Pictures
Your hair is still pretty big in that movie. How much could they have contained it?
I know, but you’re not supposed to change your appearance that radically from the time you get a role to the time you’re in the hair and makeup. So when they saw it, it was like, “What the fuck is this? It is not the person we saw in the audition.”
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But I had to do something about the poison ivy, and a wonderful producer whose name was Kenny Utt was possibly the nicest man I’ve ever met in our business. He said, “I’m going to take you to a doctor and you’re not going to have that poison ivy on the first day of shooting, I guarantee it.” I don’t know what I got. Steroids or something. Because of his kindness, I was able to get through the first day of shooting with a certain amount of confidence.
The best scene in that movie is the climax when you come in waving the gun. It’s showy in just the right way. I understand that Demme kept wanting you to go bigger.
I had a lot of visual help because of the fabulous guy who was doing hair on that movie. I mean, I look like Medusa. I had hair going out three feet in every direction. I had gradually moved into the state of mind that woman might be in, and the thing that made that appearance so big was that her focus was small. It was on [Dean Stockwell, who played her philandering husband] and shooting off his cojones. You didn’t have to shout that scene. You just had to be a quiet, scary missile. I think we both recognized that underplaying that moment was where the power was.
Richard Pryor, Mercedes Ruehl and Vanessa Williams in "Another You." Sony
A movie you did not long after that is “Another You,” which was one of both Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder’s final screen roles. They’d collaborated for quite some time. What do you remember about the two of them?
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I was closer to Richard than to Gene, though I liked Gene very, very much. I just had a natural rapport with Richard. In fact, he was very ill at that time [with multiple sclerosis], and I remember after the film was done visiting him in Bel Air a few times just to see how he was doing. He was so generous and so kind and funny, but very fragile at that time. [Peter] Bogdanovich directed that one.
But he was fired during the shoot, right?
Yeah, he was. You’re bringing all that back. I can’t remember the whole story. He was very involved with a young woman whose sister had also been somebody who was very close to Bogdanovich romantically. I think he was going through something very emotional at that time, and he was going through a transition as an artist at that time and he wasn’t quite grasping the material. It’s almost like the whole thing was a perfect storm. It sounded good on paper, but Richard was very ill and also Gilda [Radner, Wilder’s wife] had died not that long before. So Gene was going through something, and Bogdanovich was going through something.
Maybe this isn’t an apt comparison since they were at such different stages in their careers, but you worked with Richard Pryor, Gene Wilder and Robin Williams around the same time. How different were your experiences with those various improv masters who are known for always being quote-unquote on?
When I got to “The Fisher King,” that was the role I really, really wanted. I thought back many a time to that woman who said, “You’ll only do best-friend roles,” and I thought, “Well, hardy har har.” But that set was completely different. First of all, the script was not a leaky boat. It was written with a firm hand as to the plot and the ideas behind it by Richard LaGravenese. Terry Gilliam really had a strong instinct for directing the slightly surreal, Fellini-esque. Robin’s antic disposition had to be slightly held in check by Terry, and he was reminded from time to time to stick to the script. But whether the cameras were rolling or not, Robin was just entertaining everybody. There’s one long scene that we began filming at 6 at night and finished at 6 in the morning, the scene in the Chinese restaurant.
With Amanda Plummer.
Yeah, with Amanda, so you knew it was like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. During that whole night, every time the cameras would stop rolling to do a new setup, Robin would just start telling jokes. I have never laughed through a night for 12 hours the way I did that night. That was a dream. I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun.
It was very different because in “Another You” the whole fabric of the story was a little fragile. Sometimes it all comes together, and sometimes it all falls apart.
Robin Williams, Mercedes Ruehl, Jeff Bridges and Amanda Plummer in "The Fisher King." Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images
At one point you said, “I don’t want to have Barbara Stanwyck’s career in terms of playing tough-talking urban women.” Do you think you were typecast?
I was doing plays in which I did not play a tough-talking New Yorker: “Other People’s Money” and “I’m Not Rappaport” and a couple other things. But yes, I was afraid of and to some degree was typecast as a tough-talking New Yorker. But I have to say, look at the roles: “Married to the Mob,” “Fisher King.” Who’d turn them down? It wasn’t “I must remember to be a WASP in my next movie.” Nobody saw me that way, you know?
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You mentioned “Other People’s Money.” You weren’t hired for the movie adaptation. Penelope Ann Miller got that role. By the time “Lost in Yonkers” was being developed as a movie, did you do anything to ensure you wouldn’t miss out on another role you’d originated onstage?
Yeah, well, you have to fight for these things. I did “Other People’s Money” [off-Broadway], and then clearly they were throwing their nets out to different actresses. Who directed that one? Barry Levinson?
Norman Jewison.
That’s right. I got a message that he was finally coming around to thinking about seeing me [for the role], but at that point I had already agreed to do the Broadway version of “Lost in Yonkers.” My agent said, “You have committed to ‘Lost in Yonkers,’ so no, you can’t meet with Norman Jewison.” I thought, “But I want to do this.” But then I saw immediately the light. She was quite right. I went into rehearsals with “Lost in Yonkers,” and very glad I did because I chose the project that really had legs. Unfortunately the film version of “Other People’s Money” didn’t do that well.
The film version of “Lost in Yonkers” also didn’t do exceptionally well. How did you feel about it in terms of the quality and commercial performance?
The play was much more sure-footed than the movie for a number of reasons. People said often, and it was true, that Neil Simon’s plays by and large did not translate to the screen. “The Odd Couple”? “Barefoot in the Park”? Yeah. But the later plays, no. Martha Coolidge, wonderful director, but this classic New York story was not her bailiwick.It was a life-changer for me to do that role on Broadway. I felt a little badly that the film didn’t do as well, but I kind of suspected when I read the script.
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Mercedes Ruehl, Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster and Jack Palance with their Oscars on March 30, 1992. Ron Galella, Ltd. via Getty Images
Arnold Schwarzenegger specifically wanted you for “Last Action Hero,” right?
Yeah, and he was a lot of fun. That’s not a wildly memorable role for me, but it was very pleasant working with him and very funny.
Did you feel at the time that it was a big deal? He was considered maybe the biggest movie star in America when that project was being developed.
I had met him sometime during the year before. It was Thanksgiving weekend. My then-agent was visiting friends in D.C., and she invited me to come with her to an open house that Sargent Shriver and his wife Eunice were having. Arnold was there, staying with them for the holiday, because he was married at that time to Maria Shriver. So I go into this bastion of Kennedys, you know? I had gotten this tweed suit. They all had this wonderful casual chic. I looked down at this tweed suit, and I thought, “This is just all wrong.” Sargent Shriver was there in his pajamas and a smoking jacket, just looking fabulous. Everybody was drinking and talking, and I knew no one. I felt very out of place, and all of a sudden from a stairway comes this vision of Arnold in a salmon-pink Izod shirt, muscles blazing and big smile. He came right over to me. I don’t know what he had seen, maybe it was “Fisher King.” He was so kind and so complimentary and so, like, “You’re the big actor in this room, not me,” and I thought, “What a delightful man.” So we wound up talking for about 45 minutes, and he saved my life at that party. I’m not sure why he felt so strongly about me. I’m very glad he did.
In an interview with Charlie Rose in 1995, you talked about what you called the “virus” of Hollywood and how unreal the industry is, especially for women who want any kind of power. Everyone talks about it now, but in the mid-’90s, did you feel like people were talking about the fact that women weren’t treated fairly?
Yeah.
If people were talking about it, why was more not being done?
Because the people who were what you call machers in Hollywood — the important people, the big power brokers — had so much power. I mean, why have we not impeached Trump? I’d never been an ingenue, but by that time I was 40-ish, so I was not a dewy young thing that was a morsel for a monarch. I was never in that category to begin with, and now I was too old for it.
When I was very young, I found myself with producers and directors whose behavior was unacceptable. Let’s put it that way. But never with the Harveys of the world that much. But there was this feeling like, after you’re 30, but certainly after you’re 40, Hollywood really has no need for you, thank you very much. It was the land of Jaguars and Armani jackets and power lunches and power breakfasts and where you were seen and where you weren’t seen.
I remember I did a one-woman show about Peggy Guggenheim a few years later. I have these absolutely adorable gay uncles, and they came to see me from Florida. I wound up sitting at a table with them as the opening-night party wore into the night. A lot of people left, and I was just hanging out with them. My agent came up and said, “You must go.” I said, “What?” He said, “You can’t be the last to leave your own party.” I said, “Oh, but it looks like I’m going to be.” So it was that. Hollywood was not the place for me.
Elizabeth Mitchell, Angelina Jolie and Mercedes Ruehl in "Gia." HBO
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Only six years after you won an Oscar and a Tony in the same year, “Gia” positioned you and Faye Dunaway as elder statesmen to the younger stars. Were you conscious of that?
Yeah. First of all, working with Angelina [Jolie] was very delightful. She was only 21, and she was committed to playing this young model who destroyed her life with such a searing commitment that you had to admire and respect her. I remember reading the thing and saying [of Gia Carangi’s mother, whom Ruehl portrayed], “Who is this woman?” She didn’t really have a whole lot of color to her. When I read the biography of Gia that this was taken from, I saw that the mother was of no interest to that writer either, so I thought, “Well, I’ve got to give her some kind of personality or I’m going to lose my mind in this film. I’m going to make her from Minneapolis.” She’s just got that heart-of-the-country sound, and it’s well-meant but clueless.
The guy who directed it, Michael Cristofer, wrote “The Shadow Box,” which he won a Pulitzer for. I had done “Shadow Box” a year or two before on Broadway, and we had become friendly. So he called and said, “Do this as a favor to me. You can make something out of this.”
The two of you don’t share scenes, but Faye Dunaway was infamously difficult by that point.
I was on the makeup wagon when this whirlwind came in with a lighting crew and took up the other makeup table in the long trailer we were in. She put lights all around it. She was waiting to have a manicure, and the woman didn’t show up on time and she was losing her mind. She was like General Patton: “Now. I want it now. Now. I want those lights there. I want this woman here. Who has my makeup? Who’s going to be here? Where’s my assistant? Blah, blah, blah.” It had just been this kind of quiet, peaceful morning, and all of a sudden, there was this whirlwind.
Having a dramatic Faye Dunaway story is a rite of passage. Around that time, you were name-dropped in a great Sheryl Crow song, “A Change Would Do You Good,” before the two of you made a movie together.
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Yeah, I still don’t know if that was just a pun on Mercedes Ruehl because it’s almost like saying “Jaguars rule.” What was the name of that movie?
“The Minus Man” with Owen Wilson.
He was funny. Owen Wilson was the only person I’ve ever met who knew more Bob Dylan lyrics than I do. Interesting-looking little film.
After that, you did a few more movies, like “What’s Cooking?,” and a number of TV parts. But from 2004 until “Hustlers” in 2019, you don’t have any big-screen roles. Did that frustrate you?
It was frustrating. I didn’t have inspired representation at that point. Now I’m not represented by anybody in Hollywood and I feel much more comfortable. They were putting me in Hallmark Hall of Fame movies and Lifetime movies. I did a whole lot of them during that time.
By the time you’re doing “Mom at Sixteen” on Lifetime, is there ever a moment when you pause and say, “Um, I have an Oscar”?
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You know, I’d love to show you a picture of my Oscar. I have different costumes for my Oscar. The first one I ever found was a sombrero and a serape, and it fit him just perfectly. I’ll send you a picture of Oscar’s winter wardrobe. I keep the Oscar in a spare bedroom.
It becomes something that’s terrific when you’re identified as an Oscar and Tony winner. That sounds good, but you realize it doesn’t assure a lifetime’s work in film. As a matter of fact, the day after I won the Academy Award, I got a telegram from Terry Gilliam saying, “Well, you won Best Supporting Actress. You know what that means: You’ll never work again.” And I thought, “Well, that’s kind of mean.” But he could be that way. He just meant it to be a joke. But that was the curse of Best Supporting Actor or Actress. And by god, it’s hard to get a job after that. People think you want more money.
I think also I went through a period when I didn’t like a lot of writing that I was being given. I did a film called “Bad Apple” [in 2004], and I had a problem with that writing and a couple other things. I would be a squeaky wheel about the writing because I’m an English major. I would say, “If there’s no causal connection to what the characters are doing or their motivations, they’re just being used to prop up a shaky plotline.” I think I got a bit of a reputation for being difficult, and that probably didn’t help me at all. Then I started working with Edward Albee a lot on stage.
Mercedes Ruehl's Oscar in its "winter wardrobe." Courtesy of Mercedes Ruehl
Well, that’s no chump change.
Well, it was during this period when the film career was sort of sliding out of the picture, except for television films. I did “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” with Patrick Stewart, and then I did “The Goat” with Bill Pullman on Broadway. Then I did “Occupant,” a play about [sculptor] Louise Nevelson that Edward wrote. And even with Edward, a couple of times, I would get cranky about a sentence or something. In an interview, somebody said, “Oh, she can be a pain in the neck about the writing sometimes,” and he said, “Yes, she can.” And then he said, “She’s almost always right.” I think often I was right and people just didn’t know how to solve the problem and wished that I would just shut up or perhaps not have taken the role in the first place, and they were right on both counts. So I have learned the hard way a certain modesty about writers and have backed off that part of my career as a ghostwriter. But I did a lot of plays during that.
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How did “Hustlers” come along?
My agent tells me that Jennifer Lopez just wanted me. I don’t know if that’s true because people pump you a lot of sunshine.
It was five days’ work and fairly good money, et cetera, et cetera. I was very impressed by the young writer/director [Lorene Scafaria]. She knew her stuff. It was interesting to me to see a young woman. I mean, she looked like an undergraduate from Smith or Wellesley. Very attractive, very open, friendly. Obviously it was a lot of strippers and a lot of T and A and everything, and boy, did she rule with an iron hand. There was nobody on that set who was anything but entirely respectful of all the women. In fact, the more they came out with less clothing on, the less the guys on set would look at them. They didn’t even want to get caught ogling because there were a number of extras who were fired, whether it was remarks that they made or just ogling the girls. It was my first post-Harvey experience, and it was really interesting because this young woman kept a tight grasp on respect for the actresses.
Mercedes Ruehl and Jennifer Lopez in "Hustlers." STXfilms
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Having had that experience on “Hustlers” and recognizing that women are being respected in a way they weren’t a couple of decades ago, are you incentivized to get back in the movie game?
Yeah, but as I say, the roles are not there. The central story in theater and film from the beginning of time is boy meets girl. There is sexual tension in some way or another. It’s at the heart of the human story. It’s what peoples the earth: sex and the tension between man and woman. I heard one playwright say, “When the game is scarce, the hunter must trek for it.” And one does have that feeling. But yeah, it was a very different atmosphere on set, that’s for sure.
I remember when I was doing “Lost in Yonkers” there was a young man, I think he was a gaffer. This young man was a surfer, very blond, very good-looking guy, but he used to wear these really offensive T-shirts of girls with big boobs or asses sticking out — just really, really offensive. I teased him about them a couple of times, and he didn’t like that. Finally, I went to Martha and said, “Martha, every time I look up when you say action, I see women’s tits and ass in my face. Could you just ask the guy to wear a regular T-shirt?” And she said, “Yeah, I know what you’re talking about. Let me see what I can do.” Within two days, the guy was off the set. He didn’t want to be told what kind of T-shirt to wear. Now, he’d be tarred and feathered by women before he even made it to the set. Night-and-day difference. And the Me Too movement has not been welcomed by all directors. I think Terry Gilliam said, “Oh, it’s just mob psychology.” And, boy, did they come down on him for that. It’s been an across-the-board sea change and it’s still happening and we haven’t gotten there yet, but we’re a hell of a lot closer to a greater sense of equality.
That’s partly why I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to know how you viewed the arc of your career with the benefit of hindsight and the popularization of feminism. The business has changed drastically as you’ve aged, and it’s interesting to hear people — women in particular — reflect on that.
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Yeah, and I won’t name the directors I’ve worked with who I thought did not respect women, but there were some. But the great ones — Terry Gilliam, Jonathan Demme, Mike Nichols — behaved at that time exactly the way they would behave now. Whatever Terry said, he was respectful and kind.
I ask you this not because I want to goad you, but I’m curious: What is your motivation for not naming those men?
Because they’re alive and I don’t want to start dust-ups with anybody. Also because this was 20-odd years ago. These people may have changed. I mean, we do mature. We do become, in many cases, better people, wiser people. Our consciousness gets broadened about things, so that’s not something I want to rake up.


huffpost--2020-05-07--Neiman Marcus Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

The move by the 112-year-old storied luxury department store chain was announced Thursday and follows the bankruptcy filing by J.Crew on Monday .
Experts believe there will be more to come even as there are moves to reopen businesses in parts of the country like Texas and Florida .
“ Prior to COVID-19 , Neiman Marcus Group was making solid progress on our journey to long-term profitable and sustainable growth , ” said Neiman Marcus Group CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck in a statement .
“ However , like most businesses today , we are facing unprecedented disruption caused by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressure on our business.
” As part of the bankruptcy filing , Neiman Marcus says it has secured $ 675 million in financing — representing over two-thirds of the company ’ s debt — from creditors to keep operating during the restructuring .
The bankruptcy filing is a big blow to Ares Management and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board , which bought Neiman Marcus in 2013 for $ 6 billion .
The filing arrived after the department store , burdened with debt , had failed to make a payment to a key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help contain the spread of the virus .
More than 60 % of U.S. retailers have likewise temporarily shuttered since March , but department stores were already in a weakened state long before then .
Americans are no longer interested in doing all their shopping under one roof , instead picking and choosing items like shoes or tops .
When they do buy clothes , they head to T.J. Maxx and online retailers .
J.C. Penney , which had been trying to claw its way back after a disastrous reinvention plan in 2013 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 12 million debt payment .
That is setting it on the path of a potential bankruptcy .
Macy ’ s , the nation ’ s largest department store , confirmed it was looking to raise debt to add more liquidity to its balance sheet .
Macy ’ s CEO Jeff Gennette said on a conference call that it will be emerging from the pandemic as a “ smaller company ” and may accelerate store closures .
It opened nearly 70 stores on Monday and is looking to open its entire fleet of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blue Mercury and Bloomingdale ’ s , in the next six to eight weeks .
Even Nordstrom , considered healthy , recently warned that it doesn ’ t know when it will be able to reopen its physical stores and that prolonged closures could cause it to become financially “ distressed .
” U.S. retail sales went through an unprecedented collapse in March , plummeting 8.7 % as the viral outbreak forced an almost complete lockdown of businesses nationwide , according to the Commerce Department ’ s report .
The deterioration of sales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3.9 % that took place during the depths of the Great Recession in November 2008 .
Clothing store sales plummeted 50.5 % in March and has been worsening since then .
Discretionary spending by shoppers is expected to fall 40 % - 50 % in the first-half 2020 , according to Fitch Ratings .
And department stores lead a group of consumer companies that have seen their odds of defaulting spike over the past month , according to S & P Global Market Intelligence .
To preserve cash , a slew of retailers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They ’ ve cut executive pay , suspended cash dividends and stock buybacks or repurchases to preserve cash .
They ’ re drawing down their credit lines to make sure they have a bigger pile of cash on hand .
And they ’ re cancelling or halting production for fall orders at a time when they should be planning for the holiday shopping season .
Department stores currently account for over 250 million square feet at U.S. malls , or approximately 30 % of total mall square footage , according to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even before the pandemic , Green Street had projected that roughly half of all department stores that anchor malls would close over the next five years .
Now , it expect the closures to happen by the end of next year .
Filing for bankruptcy reorganization is particularly tricky during this time .
As part of the restructuring process , retailers have to predict a 13-week cash flow projection , but retailers can ’ t do that when they ’ re not sure when stores will reopen , according to Paul Steven Singerman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specializes in large and complex restructuring and insolvency .
Given so much uncertainty , retailers looking to restructure will have problems getting financing from lenders .

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NEW YORK (AP) — Neiman Marcus has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the first department store chain to do so and the second major retailer to be toppled by the coronavirus pandemic.
The move by the 112-year-old storied luxury department store chain was announced Thursday and follows the bankruptcy filing by J.Crew on Monday. Experts believe there will be more to come even as there are moves to reopen businesses in parts of the country like Texas and Florida.
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“Prior to COVID-19, Neiman Marcus Group was making solid progress on our journey to long-term profitable and sustainable growth,” said Neiman Marcus Group CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck in a statement. “However, like most businesses today, we are facing unprecedented disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has placed inexorable pressure on our business.”
The Dallas-based company, which operates 43 stores, said it expects to emerge from bankruptcy by this coming fall. A company spokeswoman said no mass closings are planned.
Like other non-essential retailers, Neiman Marcus temporarily closed its stores in mid-March. About 10 stores have been reopened for curbside pickup as some states have relaxed lockdown orders.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida on April19, 2020 mpi04/MediaPunch/MediaPunch/IPx
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As part of the bankruptcy filing, Neiman Marcus says it has secured $675 million in financing — representing over two-thirds of the company’s debt — from creditors to keep operating during the restructuring. The bankruptcy filing is a big blow to Ares Management and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, which bought Neiman Marcus in 2013 for $6 billion.
The filing arrived after the department store, burdened with debt, had failed to make a payment to a key bondholder as its stores went dark to help contain the spread of the virus.
More than 60% of U.S. retailers have likewise temporarily shuttered since March, but department stores were already in a weakened state long before then. Americans are no longer interested in doing all their shopping under one roof, instead picking and choosing items like shoes or tops. When they do buy clothes, they head to T.J. Maxx and online retailers.
“Department stores have been struggling for a long time,” said Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, a retail consultancy. “Now, it’s a blood bath. How many will survive is unclear.”
J.C. Penney, which had been trying to claw its way back after a disastrous reinvention plan in 2013, recently elected not to make a $12 million debt payment. That is setting it on the path of a potential bankruptcy.
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Macy’s, the nation’s largest department store, confirmed it was looking to raise debt to add more liquidity to its balance sheet. Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette said on a conference call that it will be emerging from the pandemic as a “smaller company” and may accelerate store closures. It opened nearly 70 stores on Monday and is looking to open its entire fleet of nearly 800 stores, which also include Blue Mercury and Bloomingdale’s, in the next six to eight weeks.
Even Nordstrom, considered healthy, recently warned that it doesn’t know when it will be able to reopen its physical stores and that prolonged closures could cause it to become financially “distressed. ”
U.S. retail sales went through an unprecedented collapse in March, plummeting 8.7% as the viral outbreak forced an almost complete lockdown of businesses nationwide, according to the Commerce Department’s report. The deterioration of sales far outpaced the previous record decline of 3.9% that took place during the depths of the Great Recession in November 2008.
Clothing store sales plummeted 50.5% in March and has been worsening since then. Discretionary spending by shoppers is expected to fall 40% - 50% in the first-half 2020, according to Fitch Ratings. And department stores lead a group of consumer companies that have seen their odds of defaulting spike over the past month, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.
To preserve cash, a slew of retailers have furloughed hundreds of thousands of workers. They’ve cut executive pay, suspended cash dividends and stock buybacks or repurchases to preserve cash. They’re drawing down their credit lines to make sure they have a bigger pile of cash on hand. And they’re cancelling or halting production for fall orders at a time when they should be planning for the holiday shopping season.
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Department stores currently account for over 250 million square feet at U.S. malls, or approximately 30% of total mall square footage, according to a recent report by Green Street Advisors. Even before the pandemic, Green Street had projected that roughly half of all department stores that anchor malls would close over the next five years. Now, it expect the closures to happen by the end of next year.
Filing for bankruptcy reorganization is particularly tricky during this time. As part of the restructuring process, retailers have to predict a 13-week cash flow projection, but retailers can’t do that when they’re not sure when stores will reopen, according to Paul Steven Singerman, co-chair of Berger Singerman, which specializes in large and complex restructuring and insolvency. Given so much uncertainty, retailers looking to restructure will have problems getting financing from lenders.
“Many of the retail cases will end up in liquidation,” he added.
Neiman Marcus had taken unprecedented steps to revive sales. Last year, it acquired a minority stake in Fashionphile LLC, an online seller of preowned accessories. The department store chain also opened its first store in Manhattan a year ago, including a lounge area where online shoppers could enlist the help of fashion stylists.
Early in March, Neiman Marcus said it was closing more than half of its remaining 22 Last Call stores, which sold designer brands at big discounts. The company had said the moves were designed to free up resources to better focus on high-end customers.


huffpost--2020-05-07--The Zen Of The Terrifying Foot Peel: Why You Should Try One Now

Living in a world of uncertainty during the coronavirus pandemic , something as simple as a grossly fascinating foot peel can encourage you to be present , giving you the power to control something on a micro level .
It forces you to create a nightly ritual of soaking your feet for a week , which is mandatory for achieving the ultra-cringeworthy results seen on YouTube and Instagram .
I personally have ignored the siren song of the mythical foot peel because I knew from reading reviews that I would have to wear the mask for a couple hours and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
Who has the time for that ?
What is a foot peel and how does it work ?
It ’ s a chemical peel for your feet that sheds layers of skin over time in quite an ugly manner , to be frank .
A kit comes with liquid-saturated booties ( they ’ ll remind you of a sheet mask ) that you wear for up to a couple hours , depending on the brand you use .
Baby Foot was the first popular foot peel to hit the market in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14,000 reviews on Amazon .
It ’ s all about a combination of acids that ’ ll break down your dead skin , according to Chris G. Adigun , a board-certified dermatologist based in Chapel Hill , North Carolina .
“ Alpha hydroxy acids like glycolic , lactic , citric and malic acids prevent the top layer of the epidermis from sticking together , ” she said .
“ Beta hydroxy acids like salicylic acid work to dissolve the adhesive holding thickened skin cells together.
” For the most part , yes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appropriate for everyone .
“ They are generally safe and effective , but if you have a history of diabetes , contact your physician first .
And if you have open wounds on your feet , I recommend delaying the peel.
” Adigun also said if you ’ re pregnant you should hold off until you speak with your obstetrician .
How should I prepare my feet for the peel ?
What should I expect while I ’ m doing the peel ?
Your feet will slip around in the booties , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to walk around .
Depending on which peel you choose , you will keep the booties on for one to two hours .
What should I do post peel ?
When will I see results ?
It ’ s different for everyone , though expect to start molting three to five days post peel .
On the fourth night of soaking , I finally got what I had been waiting for ― my first sheet of dead skin peeled off in slow motion .
Though Adigun warned me not to “ manually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skin is supposed to peeI naturally , there was zero chance I was following that advice .
I ’ m a peeler and a picker .
It ’ s in my DNA .
How long will my feet be a freak show ?
Give yourself at least two weeks post peel before walking the dog in flip-flops .
And if shedding a trail of dead skin isn ’ t enough incentive to skip the sandals , your feet will be super sun-sensitive , so wear sunscreen of at least SPF 30 .
Do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Need is a strong word .
Were my feet softer after the peel ?
Kind of .
The tops of my feet were like a newborn , but the stubborn callous was just softened like after a good pedicure .
For me , it was more about the journey than the destination .
I loved the ritual of soaking my feet in warm Epsom-salted water every night , and yes , I peeled with abandon every night and I don ’ t regret a flake of it .
My feet were unharmed and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

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Living in a world of uncertainty during the coronavirus pandemic, something as simple as a grossly fascinating foot peel can encourage you to be present, giving you the power to control something on a micro level. It forces you to create a nightly ritual of soaking your feet for a week, which is mandatory for achieving the ultra-cringeworthy results seen on YouTube and Instagram.
I personally have ignored the siren song of the mythical foot peel because I knew from reading reviews that I would have to wear the mask for a couple hours and soak my feet every night for a week. Who has the time for that?
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Apparently, we all do now.
What is a foot peel and how does it work?
It’s a chemical peel for your feet that sheds layers of skin over time in quite an ugly manner, to be frank. A kit comes with liquid-saturated booties (they’ll remind you of a sheet mask) that you wear for up to a couple hours, depending on the brand you use. Baby Foot was the first popular foot peel to hit the market in 1997, and it now has almost 14,000 reviews on Amazon.
Tatiana via Getty Images It’s different for everyone, but expect to start molting three to five days post peel.
How does a foot peel work?
It’s all about a combination of acids that’ll break down your dead skin, according to Chris G. Adigun, a board-certified dermatologist based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. “Alpha hydroxy acids like glycolic, lactic, citric and malic acids prevent the top layer of the epidermis from sticking together,” she said. “Beta hydroxy acids like salicylic acid work to dissolve the adhesive holding thickened skin cells together.”
Are foot peels safe?
For the most part, yes, but Adigun cautioned they may not be appropriate for everyone. “They are generally safe and effective, but if you have a history of diabetes, contact your physician first. And if you have open wounds on your feet, I recommend delaying the peel.” Adigun also said if you’re pregnant you should hold off until you speak with your obstetrician.
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How should I prepare my feet for the peel?
Remove nail polish and wash feet with soap and water. Then soak the feet prior to doing the peel for at least 30 minutes.
What should I expect while I’m doing the peel?
Your feet will slip around in the booties, so put socks over the booties if you need to walk around. Depending on which peel you choose, you will keep the booties on for one to two hours.
What should I do post peel?
Soak. Soak. Soak. The key to getting skin-coming-off-in-sheets results is soaking every night for a week.
When will I see results?
It’s different for everyone, though expect to start molting three to five days post peel. On the fourth night of soaking, I finally got what I had been waiting for ― my first sheet of dead skin peeled off in slow motion. Though Adigun warned me not to “manually detach the shedding skin” because the skin is supposed to peeI naturally, there was zero chance I was following that advice. I’m a peeler and a picker. It’s in my DNA.
How long will my feet be a freak show?
Give yourself at least two weeks post peel before walking the dog in flip-flops. And if shedding a trail of dead skin isn’t enough incentive to skip the sandals, your feet will be super sun-sensitive, so wear sunscreen of at least SPF 30.
Advertisement
Do I really need a foot peel?
Need is a strong word. Were my feet softer after the peel? Kind of. The tops of my feet were like a newborn, but the stubborn callous was just softened like after a good pedicure. For me, it was more about the journey than the destination. I loved the ritual of soaking my feet in warm Epsom-salted water every night, and yes, I peeled with abandon every night and I don’t regret a flake of it. My feet were unharmed and there was something cathartic about shedding skin.
Foot Peels To Try
The Powerful OG from Japan
Baby Foot
A luxurious option with a slew of fruit acids
Patchology
A natural foot mask infused with tea tree oil and other botanicals
Earth Theraputics
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huffpost--2020-05-07--Every Time A Celebrity Loses Weight I'm Reminded Of How Messed Up My Body Image Is

That sentence came to me via a group text Wednesday morning as I ’ m sure it showed up in thousands of other group chats and Instagram DMs after the elusive singer shared a photo of herself for her birthday on Tuesday .
It was her first Instagram post since December 2019 .
I ’ ve been trying to disassociate any feelings from the word “ skinny ” for many years .
I tell myself it ’ s just a word , and words don ’ t have feelings , right ?
Kind of like I ’ ve told myself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : They can ’ t be “ bad ” or “ good.
” Or that words like “ skinny ” and “ fat ” are just words and not identities .
Or that fat is just something you have on your body .
Or like I ’ ve told myself that I don ’ t want ― or need ― to hear that I “ look skinny.
” When I look at that photo of Adele , I feel something like jealousy or maybe just straight-up jealousy .
Well , first I feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private singer means there is new music coming .
But also jealousy .
I feel bad about it , but it ’ s true .
I ’ m also jealous of people who don ’ t feel the same way as I do ― who have somehow managed to truly feel at peace with their own bodies instead of just claiming that they do on the internet .
Even more frustrating is that I still feel this despite years of therapy to chase away a toxic relationship with food and my body , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ success ) to find acceptance and even happiness with what I look like .
The reality is we know nothing about the circumstances of Adele ’ s weight loss , just like we knew nothing about the circumstances of Lena Dunham ’ s highly publicized weight loss in 2017 ― at least , not when it happened .
It wasn ’ t until a year later that we began to learn exactly what had been going on in Dunham ’ s life , and none of it seemed very good .
“ On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all day and propositioned by men and on the cover of a tabloid about diets that work , ” the “ Girls ” creator wrote on a split-screen image of herself in 2018 .
“ Also , sick in the tissue and in the head and subsisting only on small amounts of sugar , tons of caffeine and a purse pharmacy .
On the right : 162 pounds , happy joyous & free , complimented only by people that matter for reasons that matter , subsisting on a steady flow of fun/healthy snacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifting dogs and spirits .
Even this OG body positivity warrior sometimes looks at the left picture longingly , until I remember the impossible pain that brought me there and onto my proverbial knees .
As I type I can feel my back fat rolling up under my shoulder blades .
I lean in.
” How lucky we are to have someone like Dunham in the public eye to speak honestly about her experience .
I thought of her , too , when my co-worker pointed out the psychological impact that drastic weight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ People who wouldn ’ t give you the time of day before can suddenly become obsessed with you , ” the co-worker noted .
“ And make you think if you gain the weight back you won ’ t be loved , which leads to dangerous eating/exercise habits.
” Logically , all of this makes sense .
But when I look at the photo of Adele , it isn ’ t logic that ’ s driving my thoughts or emotions .
Making the situation even more complicated is that because of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pedestal and view her as light-years wiser and more evolved than I am .
But then I remind myself that we ’ re nearly the same age and that she , too , is a human being .
We don ’ t know what ’ s going on in her mind or her life and ― as we all are constantly reminded but have to work hard to believe ― social media never tells the full story .
And yet here we are , communally congratulating her for being thinner than she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past eight weeks has drummed up many thoughts and emotions , including the notion that life is short .
Have you heard that ?
Yes , it ’ s a cliché , but it ’ s a cliché because it ’ s true !
And I ’ ve been feeling it more than ever lately .
Really , when will I just stop feeling bad about the foods that I eat or wondering what impact they ’ ll have on the able and healthy body that I am so lucky to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this photo of a celebrity , but maybe , hopefully , someday soon .

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“Adele got so skinny, she looks like a different person.”
That sentence came to me via a group text Wednesday morning as I’m sure it showed up in thousands of other group chats and Instagram DMs after the elusive singer shared a photo of herself for her birthday on Tuesday. It was her first Instagram post since December 2019.
In the caption accompanying the photo, Adele used the occasion of her 32nd birthday to thank front-line workers fighting the spread of the coronavirus. The masses used the occasion to comment on her apparent weight loss.
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“I mean are you kidding me,” Chrissy Teigen commented, which, without explicitly saying the same thing as the message in my group text, basically said everything.
Teigen’s comment has been “liked” by over 100,000 people.
I’ve been trying to disassociate any feelings from the word “skinny” for many years. I tell myself it’s just a word, and words don’t have feelings, right? Kind of like I’ve told myself that foods don’t have feelings: They can’t be “bad” or “good.” Or that words like “skinny” and “fat” are just words and not identities. Or that fat is just something you have on your body. Or like I’ve told myself that I don’t want ― or need ― to hear that I “look skinny.”
Except for the fact that I really, really do.
When I look at that photo of Adele, I feel something like jealousy or maybe just straight-up jealousy. Well, first I feel hope that a sighting of the notoriously private singer means there is new music coming. But also jealousy. I feel bad about it, but it’s true. I’m also jealous of people who don’t feel the same way as I do ― who have somehow managed to truly feel at peace with their own bodies instead of just claiming that they do on the internet.
Even more frustrating is that I still feel this despite years of therapy to chase away a toxic relationship with food and my body, and an extensive effort (with some success) to find acceptance and even happiness with what I look like.
Advertisement
The reality is we know nothing about the circumstances of Adele’s weight loss, just like we knew nothing about the circumstances of Lena Dunham’s highly publicized weight loss in 2017 ― at least, not when it happened. It wasn’t until a year later that we began to learn exactly what had been going on in Dunham’s life, and none of it seemed very good.
“On the left: 138 pounds, complimented all day and propositioned by men and on the cover of a tabloid about diets that work,” the “Girls” creator wrote on a split-screen image of herself in 2018. “Also, sick in the tissue and in the head and subsisting only on small amounts of sugar, tons of caffeine and a purse pharmacy. On the right: 162 pounds, happy joyous & free, complimented only by people that matter for reasons that matter, subsisting on a steady flow of fun/healthy snacks and apps and entrees, strong from lifting dogs and spirits. Even this OG body positivity warrior sometimes looks at the left picture longingly, until I remember the impossible pain that brought me there and onto my proverbial knees. As I type I can feel my back fat rolling up under my shoulder blades. I lean in.”
How lucky we are to have someone like Dunham in the public eye to speak honestly about her experience. I thought of her, too, when my co-worker pointed out the psychological impact that drastic weight loss can have on a person. “People who wouldn’t give you the time of day before can suddenly become obsessed with you,” the co-worker noted. “And make you think if you gain the weight back you won’t be loved, which leads to dangerous eating/exercise habits.”
Logically, all of this makes sense. But when I look at the photo of Adele, it isn’t logic that’s driving my thoughts or emotions. Making the situation even more complicated is that because of her talent, I often place Adele on a pedestal and view her as light-years wiser and more evolved than I am. But then I remind myself that we’re nearly the same age and that she, too, is a human being. We don’t know what’s going on in her mind or her life and ― as we all are constantly reminded but have to work hard to believe ― social media never tells the full story. And yet here we are, communally congratulating her for being thinner than she was before.
It’s maddening.
Being in self-isolation for the past eight weeks has drummed up many thoughts and emotions, including the notion that life is short. Have you heard that? Yes, it’s a cliché, but it’s a cliché because it’s true! And I’ve been feeling it more than ever lately. Really, when will I just stop feeling bad about the foods that I eat or wondering what impact they’ll have on the able and healthy body that I am so lucky to have? Maybe not today, looking at this photo of a celebrity, but maybe, hopefully, someday soon.


huffpost--2020-05-07--Insect Experts Bugged By Excessive Hype About 'Murder Hornets'

The Asian giant hornets found in Washington state that grabbed headlines this week aren ’ t big killers of humans , although it does happen on rare occasions .
But the world ’ s largest hornets do decapitate entire hives of honeybees , and that crucial food pollinator is already in big trouble .
Numerous bug experts told The Associated Press that what they call hornet “ hype ” reminds them of the 1970s public scare when Africanized honeybees , nicknamed “ killer bees , ” started moving north from South America .
While these more aggressive bees did make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they didn ’ t live up to the horror-movie moniker .
However , they also do kill people in rare situations .
The facts are , experts said , two dead hornets were found in Washington last December , a lone Canadian live nest was found and wiped out last September and no live hornets have yet been seen this year .
Looney has a message for Americans : These hornets are not coming to get you .
“ The number of people who are stung and have to seek medical attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an interview .
While its nickname exaggerates the human health threat , experts said this hornet is especially big — two inches long — so it does carry more and stronger toxin .
University of Illinois entomologist May Berenbaum said of the worry : “ People are afraid of the wrong thing .
The scariest insect out there are mosquitoes .
People don ’ t think twice about them .
If anyone ’ s a murder insect , it would be a mosquito.
” Mosquitoes are responsible for millions of yearly deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other diseases , according to the World Health Organization .
Asian giant hornets at most kill a few dozen people a year and some experts said it ’ s probably far less .
Retired University of Montana bee expert Jerry Bromenshenk said in an email , “ One nest , one individual hornet , hopefully , does not make an invasion .
... Do we want this hornet — surely not .
But the media hype is turbo charged.
” For bees and the people who rely on them for a living this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it is not one yet .
The number of U.S. honeybees has been dropping for years , with the winter of 2018-19 one of the worst on record .
That ’ s because of problems such as mites , diseases , pesticides and loss of food .
The new hornets would be different .
If they get into a hive , they tear the heads off worker bees and the hive pretty much dies .
Asian honeybees have defenses — they start buzzing , raising the temperature and cook the invading hornet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t .
Yet even for bees , the invasive hornets are far down on the list of real threats , not as big a worry as the parasitic “ zombie fly ” because more of those have been seen in several states , Berenbaum said .

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Insect experts say people should calm down about the big bug with the nickname “murder hornet” — unless you are a beekeeper or a honeybee.
The Asian giant hornets found in Washington state that grabbed headlines this week aren’t big killers of humans, although it does happen on rare occasions. But the world’s largest hornets do decapitate entire hives of honeybees, and that crucial food pollinator is already in big trouble.
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Numerous bug experts told The Associated Press that what they call hornet “hype” reminds them of the 1970s public scare when Africanized honeybees, nicknamed “killer bees,” started moving north from South America. While these more aggressive bees did make it up to Texas and the Southwest, they didn’t live up to the horror-movie moniker. However, they also do kill people in rare situations.
This time it’s hornets with the homicidal nickname, which bug experts want to ditch.
“They are not ‘murder hornets.’ They are just hornets,” said Washington Agriculture Department entomologist Chris Looney, who is working on the state’s search for these large hornets.
The facts are, experts said, two dead hornets were found in Washington last December, a lone Canadian live nest was found and wiped out last September and no live hornets have yet been seen this year.
Looney has a message for Americans: These hornets are not coming to get you. “The number of people who are stung and have to seek medical attention is incredibly small,” he said in an interview.
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While its nickname exaggerates the human health threat, experts said this hornet is especially big — two inches long — so it does carry more and stronger toxin.
“It’s a really nasty sting for humans,” said University of Georgia bee expert Keith Delaplane. “It’s like the Africanized bee ... A dozen (stings) you are OK; 100 not so much.”
University of Illinois entomologist May Berenbaum said of the worry: “People are afraid of the wrong thing. The scariest insect out there are mosquitoes. People don’t think twice about them. If anyone’s a murder insect, it would be a mosquito.”
Mosquitoes are responsible for millions of yearly deaths worldwide from malaria, dengue fever and other diseases, according to the World Health Organization. Asian giant hornets at most kill a few dozen people a year and some experts said it’s probably far less.
Hornet, wasp and bee stings kill on average 62 people a year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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In Japan, Korea and China, “people have co-existed with this hornet for thousands of years,” said Doug Yanega, senior scientist at the University of California Riverside Entomology Research Museum.
Yet bug experts across the country are getting worried calls from people who wrongly think they saw the Asian hornet.
“This is 99% media hype and frankly I’m getting tired of it,” said University of Delaware entomologist Doug Tallamy. “Murder hornet? Please.”
Retired University of Montana bee expert Jerry Bromenshenk said in an email, “One nest, one individual hornet, hopefully, does not make an invasion. ... Do we want this hornet — surely not. But the media hype is turbo charged.”
For bees and the people who rely on them for a living this could be yet another massive problem, but it is not one yet.
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The number of U.S. honeybees has been dropping for years, with the winter of 2018-19 one of the worst on record. That’s because of problems such as mites, diseases, pesticides and loss of food.
The new hornets would be different. If they get into a hive, they tear the heads off worker bees and the hive pretty much dies. Asian honeybees have defenses — they start buzzing, raising the temperature and cook the invading hornet to death — but honeybees in America don’t.
The worry for beekeeping in Washington is based on a worst-case scenario that officials have to take seriously, Looney said.
Yet even for bees, the invasive hornets are far down on the list of real threats, not as big a worry as the parasitic “zombie fly” because more of those have been seen in several states, Berenbaum said.
For people, the hornets are scary because the world is already frightened by coronavirus and our innate fight-or-flight mechanisms are activated, putting people on edge, said risk expert David Ropeik, author of “How Risky Is It, Really?”
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“This year is unbelievable in a horrible, horrible way. Why shouldn’t there be murder hornets?” Berenbaum said.
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Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter: @borenbears
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huffpost--2020-04-01--Sen. Kelly Loeffler Faces Renewed Scrutiny For COVID-19 Stock Transactions

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The husband of Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler recently acquired as much as $ 415,000 in stock in DuPont de Nemours , a chemical company that manufactures protective equipment in exceedingly high demand because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The transaction , detailed in a mandatory disclosure the Republican filed late Tuesday , comes as senators in both parties have faced questions about the stock transactions they made in the weeks before the coronavirus upended the U.S. economy , wiping out jobs and personal wealth .
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr , R-N.C. , whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million in stocks have come under the most scrutiny , requested an ethics review of his actions in the days before markets dropped in February .
The FBI has also contacted him about the sale .
He has denied trading on inside information .
Like Burr , Loeffler came under fire last month after she and her husband dumped substantial portions of their portfolio .
The transactions came after a series of private congressional briefings on the then-burgeoning pandemic .
The new purchases disclosed by Loeffler include the purchase of DuPont stock , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the sale of protective equipment as hospitals search for desperately needed supply .
Loeffler says she had no involvement in the trades .
“ Her stock portfolio is managed independently by third-party advisors , ” said spokeswoman Kerry Rom .
“ Sen .
Loeffler continues to operate with integrity and transparency –- following both the spirit and the letter of the law.
” Their latest financial moves are likely to give more ammunition to critics of the newly appointed senator , who is on the ballot this year .
Her top Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously accused her of “ profiting ” while “ people are losing their jobs , their businesses , their retirements.
” The mandatory disclosures senators must make do not detail specific amounts of stock sales or purchases .
Instead , they give a range in dollars of the value of each transaction .
Tuesday ’ s filing shows Loeffler ’ s husband purchased anywhere between about $ 166,000 and $ 415,000 in DuPont , spread across four transactions in late February and early March .
The company ’ s website says “ thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clock in all parts of the world to increase capacity of protective garments during this time of high demand.
” The purchase represented just a portion of their recent financial activity .
They also bought as much as $ 250,000 in Chevron , as much as $ 50,000 in Amazon and as much as $ 350,000 in CME Group , the new disclosure shows .
At the same time , they sold between about $ 100,000 and $ 250,000 in DocuSign stock , sold as much as $ 150,000 in Facebook stock and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , TJ Maxx and Lululemon .
Loeffler ’ s husband , Jeffrey Sprecher , is chairman of the New York Stock Exchange .
A separate disclosure made Tuesday reveals he recently sold between about $ 6 million and $ 30 million of stock in its parent company , Intercontinental Exchange , a significant portion of which the filing indicates he received as compensation .
Loeffler , who also worked for Intercontinental Exchange , also sold between $ 5 million and $ 25 million in stock from the company , while exercising an option @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 million more .
The couple ’ s new investment in DuPont drew notice from government watchdog groups , particularly because they also recently invested in a tech company that offers telecommuting software that could also benefit from the pandemic .
“ I think it deserves an extra amount of scrutiny because when she did the first round of sales after she got nonpublic information , she also bought a stock in a telecommuting company , ” said Jordan Libowitz , a spokesman for the group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Loeffler and Burr last month .
“ This would follow that pattern , which is why it does raise an eyebrow , and it ’ s one of those things that even if it doesn ’ t go to the level of breaking the law or any rules , it looks bad .
”

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The husband of Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler recently acquired as much as $415,000 in stock in DuPont de Nemours, a chemical company that manufactures protective equipment in exceedingly high demand because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The transaction, detailed in a mandatory disclosure the Republican filed late Tuesday, comes as senators in both parties have faced questions about the stock transactions they made in the weeks before the coronavirus upended the U.S. economy, wiping out jobs and personal wealth.
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Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., whose sales of as much as $1.7 million in stocks have come under the most scrutiny, requested an ethics review of his actions in the days before markets dropped in February. The FBI has also contacted him about the sale. He has denied trading on inside information.
Like Burr, Loeffler came under fire last month after she and her husband dumped substantial portions of their portfolio. The transactions came after a series of private congressional briefings on the then-burgeoning pandemic.
The new purchases disclosed by Loeffler include the purchase of DuPont stock, a company that could see profits soar from the sale of protective equipment as hospitals search for desperately needed supply. Loeffler says she had no involvement in the trades.
“Her stock portfolio is managed independently by third-party advisors,” said spokeswoman Kerry Rom. “Sen. Loeffler continues to operate with integrity and transparency –- following both the spirit and the letter of the law.”
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Their latest financial moves are likely to give more ammunition to critics of the newly appointed senator, who is on the ballot this year. Her top Republican primary rival, Rep. Doug Collins, previously accused her of “profiting” while “people are losing their jobs, their businesses, their retirements.”
The mandatory disclosures senators must make do not detail specific amounts of stock sales or purchases. Instead, they give a range in dollars of the value of each transaction.
Tuesday’s filing shows Loeffler’s husband purchased anywhere between about $166,000 and $415,000 in DuPont, spread across four transactions in late February and early March. The company’s website says “thousands of DuPont employees are working around the clock in all parts of the world to increase capacity of protective garments during this time of high demand.”
The purchase represented just a portion of their recent financial activity. They also bought as much as $250,000 in Chevron, as much as $50,000 in Amazon and as much as $350,000 in CME Group, the new disclosure shows.
At the same time, they sold between about $100,000 and $250,000 in DocuSign stock, sold as much as $150,000 in Facebook stock and unloaded holdings in retail stores like Ross, TJ Maxx and Lululemon.
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Loeffler’s husband, Jeffrey Sprecher, is chairman of the New York Stock Exchange. A separate disclosure made Tuesday reveals he recently sold between about $6 million and $30 million of stock in its parent company, Intercontinental Exchange, a significant portion of which the filing indicates he received as compensation. Loeffler, who also worked for Intercontinental Exchange, also sold between $5 million and $25 million in stock from the company, while exercising an option that gave her as much as $25 million more.
The couple’s new investment in DuPont drew notice from government watchdog groups, particularly because they also recently invested in a tech company that offers telecommuting software that could also benefit from the pandemic.
“I think it deserves an extra amount of scrutiny because when she did the first round of sales after she got nonpublic information, she also bought a stock in a telecommuting company,” said Jordan Libowitz, a spokesman for the group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which filed a Senate ethics complaint against Loeffler and Burr last month.
“This would follow that pattern, which is why it does raise an eyebrow, and it’s one of those things that even if it doesn’t go to the level of breaking the law or any rules, it looks bad.”


huffpost--2020-04-01--How To... Maintain Your Sanity While Social Distancing

People everywhere are trying to cope with the coronavirus , facing problems from the serious to the mundane .
We @ @ @ @ @ into one house or apartment and attempting to stay calm about an invisible virus all @ @ @ @ @ re trying to learn how to home-school our kids or make bread for ourselves .
@ @ @ @ @ new world , and HuffPost ’ s illustration series is about how to live in @ @

People everywhere are trying to cope with the coronavirus, facing problems from the serious to the mundane. We’re jamming full lives into one house or apartment and attempting to stay calm about an invisible virus all around us. We’re trying to learn how to home-school our kids or make bread for ourselves. It’s a whole new world, and HuffPost’s illustration series is about how to live in it.


huffpost--2020-04-01--Whoopi Bluntly Asks Bernie: 'Why Are You Still In The Race?'

That ’ s because Goldberg kept asking one question over and over : “ Why are you still in the race ?
” Sanders ( I-Vt. ) remains a candidate even as former Vice President Joe Biden has opened up a big lead among convention delegates and coalesced support from former rivals and other Democratic Party bigwigs .
Barring a dramatic turn of events , Biden ’ s advantages make it unlikely Sanders could overtake him .
“ I ’ m told that you intend to stay in this race because you believe there is a path to victory .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is , ” Goldberg said .
“ Because this feels a little bit like it did when you didn ’ t come out when Hillary Clinton ( who beat him in the 2016 Democratic race ) was clearly the person folks were going for , so can you explain why you ’ re still in the race , and what this path is that you see ?
” Sanders defended his support of Clinton , the former secretary of state .
“ That ’ s not quite accurate , I worked as hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton , ” he said .
“ But Bernie , just so we ’ re clear , ” she said .
“ You worked for Hillary , but it took you a very , very long time to hop in , and your people also took a very long time for them to hop in , so when I say that , that ’ s what I ’ m talking about.
” After Sanders said he didn ’ t “ accept that characterization , ” Goldberg snapped , “ Okay , why are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He added : “ And they have a right to vote for the agenda that they think can work for America , especially in this very very difficult moment.
” Sanders told Goldberg he and his staff are assessing their campaign , but he ’ s also working on an additional stimulus legislative package for working Americans .
Goldberg wondered if it might be “ smarter ” to focus on the stimulus measure than the presidential race instead of splitting his time on a presidential campaign .
“ Well , we are doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ I ’ m sitting in my house right now .
I ’ m not holding a rally in Wisconsin because of the nature of campaigns.
” The Democratic National Convention is scheduled for July 13-15 in Milwaukee , but the coronavirus pandemic has raised questions about whether it may need to be postponed or adhere to the traditional format of a mass gathering .

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Matters got testy on “The View” between Whoopi Goldberg and Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday’s show.
That’s because Goldberg kept asking one question over and over: “Why are you still in the race?”
Sanders (I-Vt.) remains a candidate even as former Vice President Joe Biden has opened up a big lead among convention delegates and coalesced support from former rivals and other Democratic Party bigwigs. Barring a dramatic turn of events, Biden’s advantages make it unlikely Sanders could overtake him.
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Goldberg pressed Sanders on exactly what sort of scenario could culminate in the presidential nomination for him.
“I’m told that you intend to stay in this race because you believe there is a path to victory. I want to know what that path is,” Goldberg said. “Because this feels a little bit like it did when you didn’t come out when Hillary Clinton (who beat him in the 2016 Democratic race) was clearly the person folks were going for, so can you explain why you’re still in the race, and what this path is that you see?”
Sanders defended his support of Clinton, the former secretary of state. “That’s not quite accurate, I worked as hard as I could to, for Hillary Clinton,” he said.
Goldberg was skeptical.
“But Bernie, just so we’re clear,” she said. “You worked for Hillary, but it took you a very, very long time to hop in, and your people also took a very long time for them to hop in, so when I say that, that’s what I’m talking about.”
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After Sanders said he didn’t “accept that characterization,” Goldberg snapped,“Okay, why are you still in the race?”
Sanders responded, “Last I heard, people in a democracy have a right to vote.”
He added: “And they have a right to vote for the agenda that they think can work for America, especially in this very very difficult moment.”
Sanders told Goldberg he and his staff are assessing their campaign, but he’s also working on an additional stimulus legislative package for working Americans.
Goldberg wondered if it might be “smarter” to focus on the stimulus measure than the presidential race instead of splitting his time on a presidential campaign.
“Well, we are doing it, believe me,” Sanders said. “I’m sitting in my house right now. I’m not holding a rally in Wisconsin because of the nature of campaigns.”
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Goldberg continued her line of questioning, asking, “So your plan is to stay in, yes?”
“Well, for the fourth time,” Sanders said, sounding exasperated. “We are assessing the campaign.”
Here’s the complete exchange below.


huffpost--2020-04-01--Royal Photographers Mark Harry And Meghan's Royal Exit With Sweet Posts

Royal photographers looked back at some of their favorite moments with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on Tuesday , which marked the Duke and Duchess of Sussex ’ s official step back from the royal family .
Chris Jackson , royal photographer for Getty and a royal family favorite , shared two posts about Harry and the couple .
He also promised to share photos of all the royals going forward for escapism purposes .
“ Today marks the day The Duke and Duchess of Sussex officially step down as senior members of the Royal family , ” Jackson said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more pressing issues on our minds at the moment I thought a flashback to the first photograph I took of them together at the @ invictustoronto wheelchair tennis in 2017 would be maybe provide some momentary light relief.
” Alongside the black-and-white shot of the couple , Jackson also shared a picture of Harry greeting a 95-year-old fan at the Invictus Games in 2016 .
The photographer declared the moment “ just one of a multitude of those special ‘ Harry ’ moments that make for great pictures.
” Jackson also shared a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post and wished the couple well in their next stage of life .
“ I ’ m looking forward to what that holds , not only for them , but for everyone ’ s role in the Royal family moving forward , ” he added .
Samir Hussein , the royal and entertainment photographer who recently took one of Harry and Meghan ’ s most iconic pictures , also shared a post commemorating the Sussexes .
The picture he posted is from the couple ’ s engagement announcement in 2017 , taken in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Today marks the end of Harry & Meghan ’ s role as working royals .
I ’ ll miss photographing them in this capacity but hope to get to shoot them again before long , ” he said .
“ I wish them well in the next chapter of their lives.
” The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sent fans a message Monday ― one day ahead of their official royal exit date ― and promised an update in the next few months .
A spokesperson for the couple said they hoped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic at present .
“ The Duke and Duchess of Sussex would prefer that in the immediate weeks and months , the focus remains on the global response to COVID-19 , ” the spokesperson said in a statement released by Buckingham Palace .
They later added that Harry and Meghan “ will spend the next few months focusing on their family and continuing to do what they can , safely and privately , to support and work with their pre-existing charitable commitments while developing their future non-profit organisation .
”

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Royal photographers looked back at some of their favorite moments with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on Tuesday, which marked the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s official step back from the royal family.
Chris Jackson, royal photographer for Getty and a royal family favorite, shared two posts about Harry and the couple. He also promised to share photos of all the royals going forward for escapism purposes.
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“Today marks the day The Duke and Duchess of Sussex officially step down as senior members of the Royal family,” Jackson said. “Whilst we all have many more pressing issues on our minds at the moment I thought a flashback to the first photograph I took of them together at the @invictustoronto wheelchair tennis in 2017 would be maybe provide some momentary light relief.”
Alongside the black-and-white shot of the couple, Jackson also shared a picture of Harry greeting a 95-year-old fan at the Invictus Games in 2016. The photographer declared the moment “just one of a multitude of those special ‘Harry’ moments that make for great pictures.”
Jackson also shared a solo shot of Harry in a separate post and wished the couple well in their next stage of life.
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“I’m looking forward to what that holds, not only for them, but for everyone’s role in the Royal family moving forward,” he added.
Samir Hussein, the royal and entertainment photographer who recently took one of Harry and Meghan’s most iconic pictures, also shared a post commemorating the Sussexes. The picture he posted is from the couple’s engagement announcement in 2017, taken in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace.
“Today marks the end of Harry & Meghan’s role as working royals. I’ll miss photographing them in this capacity but hope to get to shoot them again before long,” he said. “I wish them well in the next chapter of their lives.”
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sent fans a message Monday ― one day ahead of their official royal exit date ― and promised an update in the next few months.
A spokesperson for the couple said they hoped the focus would remain on the coronavirus pandemic at present.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex would prefer that in the immediate weeks and months, the focus remains on the global response to COVID-19,” the spokesperson said in a statement released by Buckingham Palace.
They later added that Harry and Meghan “will spend the next few months focusing on their family and continuing to do what they can, safely and privately, to support and work with their pre-existing charitable commitments while developing their future non-profit organisation.”
Subscribe to HuffPost’s Watching the Royals newsletter for all things Windsor (and beyond).


huffpost--2020-04-01--6 Self-Care Tips For Asian Americans Dealing With Racism Right Now

1 .
Reach out to friends who can validate your experiences .
( Online friends count , too ! )
If you see or hear about another person who ’ s been targeted , reach out and validate their experiences .
For instance , if you see a social media post about someone being verbally abused , make a point to comment .
( It could be something like , “ Hey , we don ’ t know each other , but we ’ re mutual friends through Lauren ; I just want to tell you I ’ m so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you were walking your dog .
I ’ ve had some experiences like that myself recently , so please let me know if you want to talk.
” ) 2 .
Pull yourself away from the TV and headlines once in a while .
3 .
If you have to go to the grocery store , steel yourself .
4 .
If you ’ re discriminated against , put your safety first .
“ Connecting and expanding into our bodies helps us remain as calm as we can and as open as we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ options , ” she said .
“ When you were faced with a threat , your breathing probably became more shallow and your vision narrowed because you were readying yourself [ for ] rapid action .
Taking a breath and staying connected to our bodies also allows us to remain present rather than relying on our immediate impulses.
” 5 .
Lean into literature written for and by Asians .
6 .
Remind yourself that this is part of a larger story .

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The last few years have been especially difficult for Asian Americans: The COVID-19 pandemic has infiltrated almost every aspect of daily life for all of us. Unfortunately, racially motivated violence against Asian Americans spread just as quickly as the coronavirus itself.
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Since the shootings, attacks on Asian Americans — especially women — have continued across the country, increasing fear and concerns for safety among the community. The reporting forum Stop AAPI Hate has tracked nearly 11,000 hate incidents against AAPI between March 19, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2021, and the FBI has reported a spike in such hate-motivated violence as well.
Whether you’ve been subjected to discrimination or not, simply hearing about the widespread xenophobia can affect your mental health. We asked therapists who work within Asian American communities to share their best self-care advice for these stressful times.
1. Reach out to friends who can validate your experiences. (Online friends count, too!)
Because we’ve spent so long physically distancing, social bonds are more important now than ever, especially if you’re emotionally exhausted from this current wave of xenophobia and racism. (Maybe you’ve experienced a glare or rude comment yourself at the market or on a walk.)
“I think the need for connection is particularly important when we’ve encountered a micro or macroaggression,” said Gabrielle Zhuang-Estrin, a clinical social worker who works in the Asian American community in Los Angeles. “We should be sharing the burden of our experience. Let family and friends know what’s happening.”
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If you see or hear about another person who’s been targeted, reach out and validate their experiences. For instance, if you see a social media post about someone being verbally abused, make a point to comment or DM them a message of support. (It could be something like, “Hey, I know we haven’t spoken since college but I just want to tell you I’m so sorry about what happened to you when you were walking your dog. I’ve had some experiences like that myself recently, so please let me know if you want to talk.”)
“Oftentimes with things like this, you need someone to witness, listen and affirm what we’ve seen,” Zhuang-Estrin said. “I’d also suggest joining a POC or Asian American/APIA online community or advocacy organization to hear more voices that are dealing with this right now and to find larger supportive networks that are mobilizing outreach or action. ”
The more popular online communities ― NextShark.com or the Facebook group Subtle Asian Traits — can serve as a good jumping-off point when looking for specific advocacy groups.
10'000 Hours via Getty Images Find online communities you can lean into during these difficult times.
2. Pull yourself away from the TV and headlines once in a while.
You want to be as informed as possible during an international health crisis like this ― especially when there are local threats to your community. You might feel like you can’t take a break and it’s not until you’re overwhelmed and hit with a wave of exhaustion that you stop. Don’t let it get that far, said Zhuang-Estrin.
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“I tell my clients that while watching or reading the news, keep track of your personal experience, your feelings and emotions as well as your bodily reactions,” she said. “Check to see if there’s sadness, grief or anger coming up. If so, maybe you need to take a pause and metabolize that for a moment before moving forward.”
Zhuang-Estrin said to notice sensations in your body ― a tightening in the chest or belly, for instance, or a quickened heart rate ― and let that inform your decisions on what you can take in, content-wise, and when it’s too much.
“We each have our own tolerance levels of what we can absorb and what is too overwhelming and it takes some mindfulness to be aware of when we become overwhelmed with distressing stories,” Zhuang-Estrin said.
When you do take a break, try some mindfulness-based relaxation, go on a walk or do something you love, said Therese Mascardo, a psychologist of Filipino descent who works in the Asian American community.
If you’re constantly overwhelmed and are struggling to self-soothe, consider seeing a therapist — over FaceTime or Zoom, that is.
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“Professional mental health support from culturally sensitive licensed therapists can be an effective way to process the emotions related to the trauma, and to learn coping skills for resulting depression, anxiety or hypervigilance,” Mascardo said.
fanjianhua via Getty Images When the headlines about bigotry and xenophobia get to you, therapists say to lean into your friends.
3. If you’re worried about mask harassment, prep how you might respond in advance.
For many Asian Americans, there’s heightened concern about being confronted for still wearing a face covering as mask mandates lift across the country. It’s easy to be wary when you hear stories from others. Take, for instance, this experience novelist Elaine Hsieh Chou tweeted about in April.
“Walking home just now, three men yelled, ‘Coronavirus is over’ at me because I was wearing a mask and then proceeded to make ‘Chinese sounds,’” she said.
“What hurts even more is, as I turned around to stare at them, they were laughing while they walked away,” she added. “They looked like they were going out for the night. They are probably having a great time as we speak. They have certainly forgotten me. Meanwhile I am crying, triggered by all the other times people have shouted at me in public for no reason, when I was minding my own business and just EXISTING.”
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Walking home just now, three men yelled “Coronavirus is over” at me because I was wearing a mask and then proceeded to make “Chinese sounds.” — Elaine Hsieh Chou (@elainehsiehchou) April 9, 2022
It’s likely that you’ll be totally fine going out maskless, but Hsieh Chou’s story is hardly an outlier. To mentally prepare, you might consider what you’d say in the event that someone confronts you about your face covering.
″[It’s] worth actually practicing with a friend now for how you’re going to respond to mask harassment,” author S.E. Smith tweeted recently. “Seriously. Practice. Out loud. Easy to write a mental script, harder in the moment.”
It’s also worth talking through your feelings or experiences with such harassment with your friends and family.
“Ask them what they’ve done to feel OK in situations where they felt like they might be potentially at risk of attack,” Mascardo said. “If it helps when you’re at the market, be on a call or FaceTime with someone who can serve as an emotional support and ‘witness’ if something were to happen.”
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gahsoon via Getty Images For many Asian Americans, there’s heightened concern about being confronted for still wearing a mask
4. If you’re discriminated against, put your safety first.
If someone confronts or profiles you because you’re Asian ― whether it’s a dirty look, a racial slur or something worse ― safety should be your first concern. Typically, the best self-defense is to ignore and walk away from a provocation.
“It’s important to remember that by doing so, you are not saying that racism or the racist act is OK,” Mascardo said. “Walking away from a racist encounter is simply choosing to not engage in a lose-lose situation. Then, after you’ve secured safety, it can be valuable to seek immediate emotional support from a friend or loved one.”
If you want to make a complaint ― or just need immediate emotional support ― seek out staff at the market and let them know what happened.
How do you calm down in the moment? Zhuang-Estrin said to breathe in and out and to feel your feet.
“Connecting and expanding into our bodies helps us remain as calm as we can and as open as we can so we can access different action options,” she said. “When you were faced with a threat, your breathing probably became more shallow and your vision narrowed because you were readying yourself [for] rapid action. Taking a breath and staying connected to our bodies also allows us to remain present rather than relying on our immediate impulses.”
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However you act, don’t judge yourself for it later. Accepting how you handled the encounter is important, Zhuang-Estrin said, because you don’t want to deal with that “pang of guilt or concern that you haven’t handled the situation ‘right’ on top of everything else.”
5. Lean into literature written for and by Asians.
Now is a great time to grab your Kindle and check out books by Asians and Asian Americans. In this difficult hour, hearing how others in the community have persevered can be heartening, Zhuang-Estrin said.
“I always tell my clients to lean into our ancestors, social justice elders or beloved spiritual figures in hard times,” she said. “It allows us to bring in different models that can help lead how we can think and act during this time. Read Grace Lee Boggs, Maxine Hong Kingston and Thich Nhat Hanh.”
6. Remind yourself that this is part of a larger story.
Try to keep a wide lens when you consider the current wave of xenophobia and racism that Asian Americans are dealing with. These microaggressions and macroaggressions feel painfully personal, but they’re reflective of a larger legacy of oppression against Asians in the U.S., Zhuang-Estrin said.
“Historically, Asian Americans are either exalted (model minority) or vilified (red scare),” she said. “In our current context we are seeing fear and blame being inflamed by a leader who seeks to scapegoat the pandemic so the problem is institutional in nature.”
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Recognizing that this is bigger than you isn’t meant to minimize your current experiences. They’re still very valid.