Hey there, Meteor readers,

Happy Monduesday! That’s what I call a Tuesday after a 3-day weekend where I spend the entire day believing it’s Monday. Not to be confused with its more disappointing cousin Frursday (a Thursday that should be a Friday).

This week I am absolutely splenetic, irate, and other SAT words that mean angry over Logan Paul calling Bad Bunny a hypocrite. In case you missed it: YouTuber Paul, also low-key accused BB of tax fraud after BB’s latest music video, which mentions Paul as someone taking advantage of Act 22. The Act is a tax-incentive program that allows colonizers (like the Paul brothers) to move to Puerto Rico and not pay local taxes on certain kinds of income. The entire debacle is complex and might potentially be an orchestrated beef by the WWE. (Both LP and BB occasionally appear in matches.)

But at the end of the day, it’s opened up a real discussion on how many of these tax incentives harm the island.

Moving on from that: Today’s newsletter features an update on protests in Iran, a frightening forecast for one city in California, and a bear-y upsetting voting scandal.

Let’s get into it.

Watching El Apagón again,

Shannon Melero

WHAT'S GOING ON

Iran’s youth: Last week, we watched as young girls in Iran led the way in protests, and mourned the unexplained death of 16-year-old protestor Nika Shakarami. This week, the fallout continues and the situation is grim. Advocacy group Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) estimates that 185 people have been killed during protests following the death of Mahsa Amini, the young Kurdish woman detained by morality police in September. Of that number, at least 19 are children. In a statement detailing the findings, IHRNGO said, “In many cases, particularly those of young girls, security forces have subjected families to arrests, coercion, and duress to force them into announcing their children’s deaths as suicide on camera or to keep them quiet.”

In one particularly atrocious incident in the province of Zahedan, civilians gathered on Sept. 30 after Friday prayer to protest the rape of a 15-year-old girl by a local police chief. The protest was “bloodily suppressed by security forces” and has since been named Zahedan’s Bloody Friday. An activist group within Iran shared with IHRNGO that at least 90 have been killed in connection to that event so far. (These 90 have not yet been added to the official 185 total, as they are still being looked into by IHRNGO.)

The report concludes with a note that efforts to verify deaths have been delayed by security issues and the internet shutdowns across Iran. But the authors are certain that the precise number of civilians killed since Amini’s death is higher than the current report.

PROTESTORS IN ISTANBUL HOLD UP IMAGES OF YOUNG GIRLS WHO HAVE RECENTLY BEEN KILLED IN IRAN. (IMAGE BY ONUR DOGMAN VIA GETTY IMAGES)

AND: 

• In a reassuring move, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has terminated the contracts of Amanda Cromwell and Sam Greene, both of whom were on the coaching staff of the Orlando Pride, after complaints of “retaliatory conduct” against players who made misconduct allegations against coaching staff (as well as those who supported them). This is a big deal: Cromwell and Greene’s contracts have been terminated with the league entirely, which means they can’t just go to another team within the NWSL and find new jobs. This is a much-needed shift from previous misconduct incidents where coaches who were fired from one team simply started working for another (a phenomenon highlighted by the Yates Report).

• Charges have been dropped against Serial subject Adnan Syed. After his release from prison last month, prosecutors were given 30 days to either retry Syed or dismiss the case entirely; they’ve chosen the latter. The prosecution has not yet commented on what exactly drove the decision, but DNA testing on old evidence has played a key role in the prosecution’s reconsideration. Syed’s years-long ordeal certainly casts a shadow over the American justice system, and who (if anyone) it serves. Much praise to Radia Chaudry, who brought Serial Syed’s story, to begin with.

• After months of drought across the state, the city of Coalinga, California is expected to run out of water before the end of this year. If the city (which is home to 17,000 people in the western desert region) cannot find a solution to its water shortage, the local government will have to purchase water on the open market “at exorbitant prices,” which will affect residents who are already struggling. This shortage is yet another example of (say it with us) extreme weather changing the makeup of our everyday lives.

PLUS:

• Even though SOMEONE said Covid is over, it very much is not. Experts are anticipating a winter pandemic wave that may include new subvariants of Omicron unaffected by current levels of immunity. In the last month alone, there have been over 40,000 new cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and over 300 deaths. So consider getting that booster if you haven’t already. (And while you’re at it, get a flu shot!)
  

• Discouraging events coming out of Fat Bear Week. A voting scandal has been uncovered at Katmai National Park, the park responsible for handling the vote count for the fattest bear. In an appalling discovery during the semifinals, Katmai National discovered that ballot boxes had been stuffed in favor of Holly, a brown bear who mysteriously received an extra 9,000 votes in a very short amount of time. The fraudulent votes were discarded, and Holly was instead bested by previous winner Bear 747, who will now go head-to-head against “bunyanesque behemoth” Bear 901. After voting closes today (and barring any further scandal), the world will once again have its fattest bear.

• Tulsi Gabbard is leaving the Democratic party, which she believes is “under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers driven by cowardly wokeness” who have “[racialized] every issue” and “stoked anti-white racism.” Wow! So much word salad, Tulsi! What does it mean? Where do I even begin? Adding it to the discussion agenda for this winter’s cabal gathering for woke warmongers.

• Lizzo on the cover of Vanity Fair is giving Kinky-Boots-goes-to-Sesame-Street realness and we are LIIIVVIINNNGGGG.

Please share this newsletter with anyone who hasn't cast their vote for fattest bear yet. 

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Dear Meteor readers,

We’ve got a good one today, so let’s get right to it: The Yates Report, led by former Obama-appointed Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, was released this week. It’s a deep dive into 10 years of abuse in American women’s soccer—and the findings are horrifying. Don’t know much about soccer? Lucky for you, my colleague Shannon has the goods. She’ll be summarizing the findings and giving us some ways to support the players.

Also, of course, more on Iran.

Bending it like Beckham,

Samhita Mukhopadhyay

WHAT'S GOING ON

• Girls on the frontlines: This week, powerful images of young Iranian girls standing against the regime have gone viral. These students—at great personal risk—have been removing their headscarves, shouting down corrupt education officials, and chasing those officials out of schools. Their acts of bravery set a new tone for the protests as they enter their third week. Violence against the protestors also grows steadily, as at least 76 people have died at the hands of officials.

Also, in Iran: What happened to Nika Shakarami? In mid-September, 16-year-old protestor Nika Shakarami went missing after telling a friend Iranian police were chasing her. Days later, her family members appeared on Iranian broadcast news claiming Nika had died falling from a building. It turns out her family was forced to make these statements after what a source described as “intense interrogations [by police] and being threatened that other family members would be killed.” Her family ultimately took her body back to their hometown for burial, but before a funeral could be carried out, Nika’s body was taken by Iranian security forces and buried without ceremony in a different town 25 miles away. Her family believes that Nika was killed by Iranian police for her protest activity and have called for an investigation into her death.

AND:

• Details about an alleged abusive incident between Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, and their children came out this week as a result of a lawsuit over a winery they own together. The suit alleges that, while on a flight, Pitt choked one of the children and poured beer and wine on another. It also claims Pitt grabbed Jolie and shook her aggressively. His lawyers are denying all allegations.

• Extremely anti-abortion Senate candidate Herschel Walker allegedly paid for his girlfriend’s abortion back in 2009. But Walker claims he doesn’t even know the woman in question, which is super weird considering she claims to be the mother of one of his children. Herschel is now changing his tune on abortion saying, abortion is “nothing to be ashamed of.” Well isn’t that convenient!

• A new GAO Report on Latiné Representation in American Media shows that over the last decade, the amount of Latiné workers in televised media has only grown by one percent, to an abysmal total of 12 percent. Despite the paltry efforts of programs like HBO’s Pa’Lante or the “Latino Stories” rows on other streaming platforms, Latiné people make up 18 percent of the American population but only hold 10 percent of all media jobs, with only three percent of that group being women. Qué pena.

• More than 30 people were killed in a shooting and stabbing massacre at a daycare in Thailand. Approximately 22 children were stabbed to death by a former police officer who was at the daycare center to collect his child. This is one of the worst massacres against children carried out by a single suspect since the 2011 killings at a summer camp in Norway.

ON THE PITCH

What Exactly Is the Yates Report?

The biggest report into widespread abuse in American soccer is here, and it’s worse than we imagined.

BY SHANNON MELERO

MEMBERS OF THE NWSL'S NJ/NY GOTHAM FC HUDDLING BEFORE A RECENT GAME AGAINST THE CHICAGO RED STARS. (IMAGE BY IRA L. BLACK VIA GETTY IMAGES)

On Monday, the sports world was rocked to its core by the release of the Yates Report, an incredibly thorough investigation commissioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and conducted by former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates. The purpose of the investigation was to look into what the report called “allegations of past abusive behavior and sexual misconduct in women’s professional soccer,” namely within the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

The NWSL is America’s professional women’s soccer league, and it features some of the best players in the world, like Marta, Megan Rapinoe, Crystal Dunn, and other members of the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT)  along with scores of lesser-known young women who play for amazing teams like OL Reign, Racing Louisville, and the North Carolina Courage.

This investigation does include the full details a formal complaint filed by beloved USWNT member Christen Press, but the main subjects are some of those lesser-known NWSL players—both named and anonymous. The full report is over 300 pages long and details years of sexual misconduct and emotional/verbal abuse from several coaches across the top-performing teams in the league (including the Portland Thorns, Chicago Red Stars, and the Houston Dash).  “Abuse in the NWSL was systemic,” investigators write. At least half the League’s teams parted with coaches for alleged misconduct including “verbal and emotional abuse, sexually charged remarks, and coercive sexual contact.” Additionally, some of the allegations concern youth soccer leagues, programs designed for school-age children who are training to play at the college level.

The report also found that the USSF, individual teams, and the League as a whole failed to address known complaints submitted by players and staff. “They either minimized the reports—claiming players were trying to kill the League, or that a coach was ‘put in a bad position’—or they ignored them entirely,” the report reads. Both the league and the federation also “failed to establish investigation policies and protocols establishing how and by whom investigations of abuse would be conducted.”

Those who did come forward—most notably Mana Shim and Sinead Farrelly, who are both named in the report—were mistreated by their employers and the governing body that oversees their league. One player, listed only as Player B alleged that Coach Paul Riley “took control over [her]” in 2010 through sexual coercion and threats to trade her to a different team if she didn’t comply with his wishes and respond to his harassing text messages. That player eventually left the team for her own safety, and Riley continued in his position.

SINEAD FARRELLY ON THE PITCH IN 2015. (IMAGE BY RICH BARNES VIA GETTY IMAGES)

So the question now is: Where does soccer go from here? The Yates Report acknowledges that “the roots of abuse in women’s soccer run deep and will not be eliminated through reform in the NWSL alone.” The report goes on to suggest greater transparency and accountability within the League and the Federation. This is long overdue, of course, but it can only succeed with consistent outside pressure. Systemic abuse thrives in darkness and silence—silence from mainstream feminism, from casual viewers, from people who would rather look the other way because “no one cares about women’s sports” so why bother investing time or care into it?

You don’t need to be a soccer fan to care about what’s happening in the NWSL. But how we treat athletes says a lot about how we view them as people. If we can show up when they’re winning, we can show up when they need our support.

I’m a dedicated fan, and I plan to reassess how I can better support the players in this league going forward. And no matter your level of commitment, we can all be better advocates. Here are some easy ways to start:

• Find the team that represents your state or houses a player you already like and follow them on social media. (My team is Gotham FC, and they can be your team too!)

• To stay updated on what’s going on in the world of women’s soccer, follow Meg Linehan on Twitter; she’s probably the smartest, most dedicated soccer reporter in the game right now.

• Be bold! If you’re on your umpteenth rewatch of Bend It Like Beckham, try watching an actual soccer game. The USWNT faces off against their rivals, England, tomorrow on Fox and they will need all the support they can get as they try to perform under the immense scrutiny brought on by this report.

BEFORE YOU GO! 

This week on UNDISTRACTED, Brittany Packnett Cunningham spoke with Congresswoman Cori Bush about her new memoir, The Forerunner. Rep. Bush also shared what it was like to make her way to Congress as a grassroots organizer, mother, pastor, and survivor of sexual violence. It’s an intimate and compelling discussion between two absolute powerhouses. Give it a listen this weekend—after the England v. USA match obviously.

UNDISTRACTED IS SPONSORED BY:

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses provides business education, support services and pathways to capital for growth-oriented entrepreneurs. Participants gain practical skills to take their business to the next level, on topics such as financial statements, marketing, and employee management, and gain tools to develop a customized business plan for growth---for free. Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses has served over 12,800 businesses in all 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. Apply today. 

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Howdy, Meteor readers,

It’s been 100 days since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, and we’ve got reproductive rights on the brain. Maybe it’s the fall weather keeping some of us indoors or maybe it’s the absolutely wild anti-abortion scene in Blonde (the Marilyn Monroe biopic), but today we’re thinking about the ways abortion is portrayed in film and television.

In today’s newsletter, author Scarlett Harris looks at another recent Netflix movie that does a disservice to accurate abortion storytelling by pretending abortion simply doesn’t exist.

Before we dive head-first into the news, The Meteor wishes a blessed Yom Kippur to those who observe tomorrow. May your fasts be easy.

Glued to the screens,

Shannon Melero

WHAT'S GOING ON

• “It was a war zone”: Protests continue in Tehran following the death of Mahsa Amini in late September. On Sunday afternoon a group of students was holding a demonstration at the Sharif University of Technology when they were eventually surrounded and trapped by riot police. Violence erupted and several students were injured and arrested. (The exact number is unclear; there are many conflicting reports.) One student claims that the police started shooting into the crowd and even used gas to get the students to disperse. It’s just the latest incident in these rising protests: Despite efforts by the Iranian government to limit internet access and downplay the severity of the protests, the people have not been silenced, and protestors in England, the United States, Greece, Canada, Turkey, and Chile are all demanding justice on behalf of people just like Mahsa who have been oppressed—or even killed—by Iran’s long-ruling theocratic government.

• Talking. CGI. Fetus: If 2022 had a bingo card (and I’m sure somewhere it does), I don’t think anyone expected it to have a CGI fetus talking to Marilyn Monroe (Ana de Armas) in a film meant to explore the icon’s mental state. But alas, here we are, wondering what was going on in the writer’s room for Netflix’s Blonde. Seriously, who sat there and said, “Hear me out: what if before she tries to get an abortion, she has a coherent conversation with the fetus??” Well, whoever that person is, they’ve made an enemy of Planned Parenthood (not to mention everyone who lost an hour of their life watching that movie). The organization has come out strongly against the film, calling it “anti-abortion propaganda.” They say the film bolsters the message of anti-abortion extremists, stating “Planned Parenthood respects artistic license and freedom. However, false images only serve to reinforce misinformation and perpetuate stigma around sexual and reproductive health care.” More on another Netflix blunder below.

  AND:

SACHEEN LITTLEFEATHER AT AN EVENT WITH THE ACADEMY EARLIER THIS YEAR. (IMAGE BY FRAZER HARRISON VIA GETTY IMAGES)

• Actor and activist Sacheen Littlefeather died this week. Just this year, the Academy issued a formal apology to her for how she was treated during the 1973 Academy Awards, where she famously took the stage to decline Marlon Brando’s Oscar for his role in The Godfather. Littlefeather explained that Brando would not accept the award as a show of support for those protesting at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. Although she was blacklisted (“or, you could say, ‘redlisted,’” she observed) in Hollywood, Littlefeather did appear in several films, including Winterhawk, Shoot the Sun Down, and The Trial of Billy Jack.

• Country singer Loretta Lynn also died today. Known widely for her voice and relatable lyrics, Lynn risked it all in 1975 with her hit song “The Pill,” which was a feminist coup in the country scene at its time. Her later politics didn’t quite hit that high mark, but the song still slaps.

• Looking for material for your weekly cry? (No? Just me?) Well, here’s the latest trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. I’ll meet y'all at the theater.

• Let’s end this with something happy. IT’S FAT BEAR WEEK!!!

THE SMALL SCREEN

Look Both Ways Willfully Ignores Abortion

Has post-Roe Hollywood learned nothing? 

BY SCARLETT HARRIS

LILI REINHART, STAR OF NETFLIX'S LOOK BOTH WAYS. (IMAGE BY EMMA MCINTYRE VIA GETTY IMAGES)

Look Both Ways, the Lili Reinhart movie now on Netflix, was marketed as a sweet rom-com in the vein of Sliding Doors about a college senior who takes a pregnancy test. In one scenario, she has a pregnancy scare; the other, a life-changing positive result. The film follows Natalie (Reinhart) who plans to graduate college and move to Los Angeles with her best friend Cara (Aisha Dee). She has a five-year plan and having a baby is not part of it. “I did not see ‘single, unemployed, 22-year-old mom’ on my tarot card reading,” she laments.

In both scenarios, one thing is glaringly omitted: the option of abortion, legal or otherwise. Instead, the film glosses over the abortion conversation in a short, two-minute scene with Natalie’s casual hookup/baby daddy Gabe (Danny Ramirez), who weakly asserts that he’s pro-her choice.

Like Knocked Up, the odd-couple pregnancy comedy that preceded it by 15 years, Look Both Ways never utters the word “abortion.” Both Reinhart and director Wanuri Kahiu have said that the film is not an “abortion movie;” it’s a movie about “following your heart.” This seems like a cop-out. And it pales in comparison to more recent abortion-themed movies: Unpregnant (2020), Plan B (2021) and Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020) all engage with dwindling reproductive rights explicitly, and explore the lengths young women will go to in order to obtain them.

It’s true that screenwriter April Prosser’s script and Kahiu’s final cut were in motion long before the devastating Dobbs ruling that came in June. But the entertainment industry has an opportunity to grapple with the many ways people experience unplanned pregnancies and not doing so is downright irresponsible. Instead, Look Both Ways normalizes a post-Roe world, in which the only result of an unplanned pregnancy is a birth. Netflix and absolutely not chill.

ABORTION STORIES DONE RIGHT

Here are a few shows (and one movie) that stick out by addressing the topic of abortion with integrity and thoughtfulness. Light spoilers ahead! (But also some of this is old, so don’t @ me. Step up your TV game.)

Vida

The majority of people who seek abortions are Black—but over the last five years, 66% of abortions shown on television featured white characters. That’s one of the reasons Vida stands out. A STARZ television series following the lives of two Latine sisters, Vida includes a storyline about medical abortion in its third season. The show handles the entire thing with grace and tenderness and reminds us that abortions are not invasive, frightening procedures, even when they might be emotional.

Friday Night Lights

You may not remember it, but I vividly recall the abortion plotline in season four of everyone’s favorite Texas-based soap opera. Without giving too much away, this one has less to do with the procedure itself and more with accessing it (and helping someone access it) in an environment that prevents abortion seekers from making their own choices. It’s quite infuriating but newly relevant as Texas is once again at the center of a reproductive rights shitstorm. (Don’t worry, there is lots of Connie Britton to help you get through this watch.)

Happening

Did you know that only 34% of characters in abortion plotlines actually face any barriers to obtaining the procedure (as many real-life abortion-seekers have for years)? This French film, based on true events from the 1960s, shows a young college student navigating a maze of anti-abortion barriers—some of which still exist today. Be warned: It is graphic and unrelenting in its pace. Certainly not a relaxing watch, but a necessary one.

P-Valley

This one hits hard. In the show’s second season, released in 2022, a woman seeks an abortion in Mississippi from the Jackson Women’s Health Organization—the exact same organization at the center of the Dobbs decision. The episode is also a sweeping commentary on Black maternal health. Studies have shown that Black women in America are three times more likely to die during childbirth than white women, a statistic that one character on the show explains summarily by saying, “Pregnancy is life and death for us.”

(For an extremely full and comprehensive list of every mention of abortion onscreen since the beginning of time, visit ansirh.org.)

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Felicitations, Meteor readers,

Hurricane Ian continues to move inland after tearing a path through Cuba and Florida, with its sights set on Georgia and South Carolina before (we hope) slowing down. Floridians are waiting to see how long their recovery will take, but at least they’ll have the support of local and federal agencies. It still remains to be seen whether the same can be said for Puerto Rico, another U.S. territory waiting for aid from the powers that be—who are, in fact, profiting off of the devastation of Hurricane Fiona.

We’ve got something very exciting for today’s newsletter: Meteor editor-at-large Rebecca Carroll sat down with the one and only Whoopi Goldberg last week at our #SaytheWord event to talk about her long-time commitment to saying that word: abortion.

But first, some news.

Paciencia y fe,

Shannon Melero

WHAT'S GOING ON

AG on the run: No, this is not a John Grisham novel: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his wife actually fled their home earlier this week to avoid being subpoenaed in a federal lawsuit. (Many of the state’s non-profits are suing to be able to help pregnant people receive abortion care out of state.) Paxton later posted on social media that he ran because he felt threatened by the server of papers. But I’m with Jil Filipovic: The reality is that Paxton, like much of the GOP, doesn’t really want to face the music of his draconian law-making and the fact that more than half of Americans are pissed as hell about it. The subpoena was dropped, but the cowardice still stands.

About damn time: Renowned flutist Lizzo performed at the Library of Congress with a 200-year-old crystal flute belonging to prolific enslaver (and rapist) James Madison. As you can imagine, she killed. “I just twerked and played James Madison’s crystal flute from the 1800s,” she exclaimed to the crowd. While people who choose joy were celebrating this moment, other totally grown people like conservative columnist Ben Shapiro completely lost their shit. What exactly is “controversial” about a trained flutist and Black woman playing a former slave owner’s family heirloom, loaned to her by the first Black woman to run the Library of Congress? Oh, right, Ben—it makes you uncomfortable.

AND:

• Iranian women are adding music to the arsenal of ways they stand against their government. The World War II anti-fascist song “Bella Ciao” is now being sung in Farsi and it is incredible.

• An underwater gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea is now leaking methane after several acts of sabotage that officials believe were carried out by Russian agents. This won’t affect gas prices globally, but it does call into question the safety of NATO countries’ infrastructure as aggression from Russia escalates.

• Family members of Hae Min Lee, the woman who was believed to have been killed by Serial subject Adnan Syed, have filed an appeal with the court which recently vacated Syed’s life sentence. The family argues that the court “[violated] the family’s right to meaningfully participate” in the motion which eventually led to Syed’s release from prison.

• Ginny Thomas testified in today’s Jan. 6th hearing and she apparently still believes the 2020 election was stolen. Sure, Gin.

• Foundational second-wave feminist and author Meredith Tax died earlier this week. She was known for her class analysis of feminism and was the author of the recently re-released The Rising of Women.

SAY THE WORD

“Change the fucking playbook” 

Whoopi Goldberg can't believe she's still here fighting the same battles for abortion rights. 

BY REBECCA CARROLL

WHOOPI GOLDBERG ADDRESSES THE CROWD AT JOE'S PUB IN NEW YORK CITY. (IMAGE COURTESY OF THE METEOR)

Whoopi Goldberg has been making the personal political for a very long time. In 1983, she created her one-woman production The Spook Show because she hadn’t been unable to find acting roles as a Black woman. Combining razor-sharp humor and satire, the show featured five characters whose stories made poignant social commentary—a rehabbed drug addict with a PhD, a surfer chick, a physically disabled woman, a little Black girl who longs for blonde hair, and a Jamaican caretaker. The show started with a near-empty house until a rave review in The New York Times not only brought audiences in droves but landed Goldberg a Broadway production and TV special on a then-fledgling cable network called HBO.

I was 16 years old at the time and at the height of an intense relationship with my white birthmother, with whom I reunited at 11. One of the things we bonded over was our pure, unadulterated love of popular culture. But, the pop culture we most frequently consumed primarily centered white people. So it was oddly on the mark that when Whoopi’s one-woman show debuted, the character we honed in on was the (presumably white) teenage surfer girl.

The trill of Goldberg’s infectious voice, with its dizzying ease and unburdened youth (Uhkay, and I said Uhkay, and we said Uhkay, Uhkay?), buoyed the audience for a while until they realized what this story was actually about: abortion. And not just any abortion—a graphic description of a botched abortion.

Nobody with that kind of platform was talking about abortion in 1985, much less a Black female stand-up comedian. What Goldberg did in that sketch was elegant and genius: She made the subject of abortion nuanced at a time when the conversation around them was not.  Her now-iconic show left an indelible mark on my life as a Black teenager who grew up wishing she had long blonde hair (like the show’s little Black girl character who wears a shirt on her head), and who wanted desperately to see a Black woman express her love of Blackness while taking ownership of her resolute individuality.

So it was an honor to sit down and talk to her backstage at Joe’s Pub last week, where she was appearing in Say the Word, a night in support of New York Abortion Access Fund, about that sketch and this post-Roe world.

Rebecca Carroll: Your one-woman show changed my life. I just rewatched the Valley Girl sketch. And the way that it goes from this kind of beautiful lightness to this heavy-ass, harrowing wire-hanger description—I was not prepared, watching it again, to be so moved by it. What did it feel like to play that every night?

Whoopi Goldberg: Well, I loved her as a character. And for me, all of the work that I did was really predicated on stuff I wanted to talk about. And I knew I couldn’t talk about it without putting it in a context people could recognize, and they could recognize their teenage daughter.

And seeing the character go to the confession booth, and the priest says, “You’ve created a sin in the eyes of God.” And she’s like, “What are you talking about? I actually had a really good time.”

Yeah, because sex is really fun. If you don’t arm people with the information, they end up pregnant. And ss a little kid, I remember two women in Chelsea, where I grew up, at different times—one [being] taken out of a bathroom, and seeing…them pulling things out of the bathroom, and seeing them haul this bloody hanger. That’s how I know what it looked like.

The visceral reaction I had to watching it again, I just thought, “What must that have felt like?” Every time you acted it out, the slow untwisting of a coat hanger—this is, in a way, like what all actors have to figure out, what to leave behind and what seeps into your viscera and what stays with you. But to be here in this political landscape, what does that feel like for you?

Well, it’s annoying…because I did all this shit…so we wouldn’t have to again. But I realize you can’t be angry with people because no one ever thought this was really going to go backward…nobody thought people would cheat and lie and do the shit that they did because we weren’t prepared for that. Unfortunately…the consequence is going to be very, very bad.

Except that they’re so protected. 

Well, as it turns out, nobody’s protected… that’s the bottom line: When you have money, you can do whatever. But you know, you’re not as protected as you think. You can’t go and have a D&C now. You can’t even have your baby die in your body and get relief. That’s how much they don’t give a fuck.

Another thing that struck me about rewatching that sketch is that the language is the same [as it is now]—the shame, and the idea that “you have committed a sin.” How do we make new language?

Well, you change the fucking playbook. You get in a place of power where you don’t let that shit happen. You start to perform it, and you put it in the parts, and you do it on television, and you do it everywhere you can.

When you say “get in positions of power”—what are those positions? 

Become a mayor. Become a senator. Become a congressperson.

I’m trying to not be cynical, but do you still believe that those are positions of actual power?

Well, they were until everybody gave them up…I don’t know. I thought everybody was still kind of smart when Obama was in. And then suddenly, everybody’s stupid as fuck. And pretending that there are no civics lessons and that there are no morals that we all have to function with…

I often hold with me something that [the late civil rights activist] Julian Bond once said to me: “You find the ease in the struggle.” That’s all we can do. Because it’s hard to keep fighting.

It’s real hard. People talk about being woke. I always say, “I was never asleep”...because we [Black folks] always knew that nothing that has to do in particular with us is solid. Voting rights. Why can people fuck with voting? Why isn’t that sacrosanct? Why hasn’t that been made sacrosanct?

You know what’s coming, and yet you can’t find a way to get it together to make it sacrosanct.

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There’s a lot of pressing news in the world today, but before I get to it: Can we take a moment to bask in the fact that Rihanna will be performing at the Super Bowl halftime show next February?? Naturally, I have questions: Does this mean new music? A new tour? Will her baby come on stage as a special guest? Also, why did Taylor Swift turn down the performance? My synapses have been firing all weekend.

More soberingly, Hurricane Ian has made landfall in Cuba and is making its way toward Florida. We hope all of our readers and colleagues are staying as safe as they possibly can. Lots to cover today—including a potential government shutdown and the growing protests in Iran—so let’s dig into it.

Waiting for R9 and Midnights,

Shannon Melero

WHAT'S GOING ON

“What are you setting on fire?”: The unrest in Iran continues following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who was detained by the country’s morality police and died in their custody. Based on photos of Amini’s bruised, comatose body lying in a hospital, many believe she was severely beaten by police, but officials have denied this version of events. Iran’s foreign minister even went so far as to assert during an NPR interview that the protests in Iran are “not a big deal” and the noise around Amini’s death is being caused by “foreign media and outside agitation.” But videos on social media, showing thousands of people around the world—and, tellingly, within Iran itself—marching and demonstrating, tell another story.

PROTESTORS REMOVING THEIR HEADSCARVES OUTSIDE OF THE IRANIAN EMBASSY IN ISTANBUL. (IMAGE BY CHRIS MCGRATH VIA GETTY IMAGES)

The most profound symbols of this multi-national protest have been women (and a few men) removing their head coverings and cutting their hair in public—acts that are illegal under Iran’s theocratic law. As a Muslim woman living in the U.S., I have been reluctant to enter the debate about Islam’s role surrounding this tragedy. Hijab—which is an entire lifestyle, not just a scarf on one’s head—is often touted as a symbol of the oppression of women abroad, used to flatten the complexities of Muslim women’s experiences. Head coverings have been used to justify wars, invasions, xenophobic laws, and Islamophobic hate crimes. As women living in the West, we often feel the need to plant our feet firmly on only one side of the debate: We champion women who defy the laws forcing them to cover, but when it comes to those who want to cover—even if, just like the former group, their choices are being limited by the government—we adopt either silence or a sort of conversational waffling. (Yes we support you but that scarf is a sign of internalized patriarchy, so why cling to it?) But two realities can exist at once and both are deserving of more nuance than they get.

As a practicing Muslim in a country hostile to them, it’s difficult to both speak out against these oppressive practices and defend my faith without colleagues, employers, or strangers in general challenging whether or not I’m really a feminist.

PROTESTOR IN GREECE CUTTING HER HAIR IN SOLIDARITY WITH IRAN. (IMAGE BY MILOS BICANSKI VIA GETTY IMAGES, ILLUSTRATION BY THE METEOR)

But what is happening is not merely an issue of unclipping the shackles of a religion that’s already been demonized in the West. What is happening in Iran is a political uprising against a corrupt government—so let’s beware of conservative Western politicians who are jumping on board the “liberate Iranian women” train, while helping engineer one of the greatest losses of women’s rights in the U.S. for 50 years. Writer Mona Eltahawy puts it perfectly: “So successful has white supremacist patriarchy been at convincing you that you’re lucky to live in the U.S. and not Saudi Arabia or Iran, that so many of you did not pay enough attention to the theocracy that white supremacy was building right here, at home.”

The U.S. flavor of theocratic rule Eltahawy refers to is, of course, forced pregnancy, which is not that different from a nationwide dress code. Both stem from a willful misinterpretation of ancient texts and the desire to control women’s bodily autonomy. To be abundantly clear, hijab is not merely the scarf we see. It is a religious practice that comprises one’s dress, comportment, and language and is an outward manifestation of the relationship one chooses to have with their maker. It’s also not just for women.

PROTESTOR IN CHILE TOUTING WOMEN, LIFE, LIBERTY. (IMAGE BY LUCAS AGUAYO ARAOS VIA GETTY IMAGES, ILLUSTRATION BY THE METEOR)

While we can argue all night and day about whose god is right or wrong, the fact remains that there is no version of a god that is a politician. The fight ahead both here and abroad isn’t against personal beliefs, but the political structures that have allowed men of privilege to turn their own beliefs into laws and political policy. Iranians burning their hijabs are not committing an affront to Islam; they are saying loudly and proudly that choice and bodily autonomy are fundamental human rights.

So for anyone who’s been having strong feelings about what’s happening across the world but not about what’s happening in your backyard, I’m asking the same existential question Eltahawy is: What are you setting on fire?

University of Idaho’s newest gag order: The Intercept just released a communication between the University of Idaho’s general counsel and its staff, telling employees of the university how to talk to students about abortion. The short version? Don’t. “During all times that university employees are performing their jobs,” the letter says, “the law prohibits them from taking any action, and from using or providing institution funds or facilities, for any of the following…promoting abortion…providing or performing an abortion…counseling in favor of abortion,” and so on. The memo also notes that the school will stop providing birth control (an unusual move for a university), and that the consequences for breaking these rules could be firing.

It’s possible that other large public universities in states that, like Idaho, have largely banned abortion or are trying to also have similar policies, whether written or implicit. But these guidelines deprive students of crucial health information—and they’re especially disappointing considering that Idaho has in the past at least nodded to a more compassionate stance.  Last month, when The Meteor’s Talia Kantor Lieber asked 61 schools about their abortion travel policy, the University of Idaho told us that the university “does not provide money specifically for students to travel for an abortion. The university does have emergency funds available to students…While it is possible a student could use it for this, the university does not get involved in the medical decisions of our students….We provide information and resources that allow students to make informed and independent decisions.” Or maybe not anymore.

AND:

• The childcare crisis that blossomed during the early stages of the pandemic is only getting worse.

• Much like the average American living paycheck to paycheck, several federal agencies will run out of money on Friday, which may result in (another) government shutdown until Democrats and Republicans can agree on a spending plan for the next fiscal year. While there is a chance that some temporary measure will be implemented before the end of the week, it’s still worth learning what to do if there is a shutdown.

• Italy is set to install its first female prime minister ever. Too bad she’s a far-right extremist.

• In what’s being referred to as one of the worst sinkings in recent history, 77 migrants drowned off the coast of Syria last week, with more bodies expected to wash ashore. Officials are not certain how many migrants were on the boat when it sank but it appears that roughly more than 100 souls from Lebanon and Palestine were attempting to flee unrest in their countries.

• Today thousands of students across the state of Virginia participated in walk-outs to protest a new anti-transgender policy being enforced by Virginia’s Department of Education. The policy requires that all students use bathrooms and locker rooms based on their assigned sex at birth. Trans students who want to be addressed by their correct names and pronouns would have to obtain a court order to update their information with their school.

• Please enjoy this pleasant and uplifting story about a feminist bird-watching club in New York.

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Dear Meteor readers,

It’s officially the Fall Equinox which means summer is truly, truly over. But the silver lining is we can all start sporting our fall fashions—which, in my opinion, are the only good fashions. Also: leaf peeping!

In today’s newsletter we’re covering the latest on the growing unrest in Iran after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died under suspicious circumstances after being detained by Iran’s morality police.

Sitting under a sun lamp,

Shannon Melero

WHAT'S GOING ON

Burning their hijabs: Last Tuesday, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was arrested by morality police in Iran for allegedly failing to cover her hair in accordance with the law. Three days after “mysteriously” falling into a coma while in police custody, she died. Witnesses to her arrest say that Amini was beaten by officers on her way to a detention center (a story officials are refuting). But since her death, women have taken to the streets and the internet to protest Amini’s treatment and the restrictive law in Iran that states that women must fully cover their hair and wear loose-fitting garments.

Protestors—led by women but supported by men—have been cutting their hair in defiance, while others are burning headscarves in the streets. So far nine people have been killed in altercations with Iranian security forces. Videos and images from the protests have been moving, heartbreaking, and essential to our understanding of how dangerous the situation has become for those daring to protest.

PROTESTORS REMOVING THEIR HEADSCARVES OUTSIDE OF THE IRANIAN EMBASSY IN ISTANBUL. (IMAGE BY CHRIS MCGRATH VIA GETTY IMAGES)

But now the Iranian government is slowly but surely trying to silence the voices of protestors by blocking internet access in cities where demonstrations are happening. Residents of Tehran have reported issues with Instagram and WhatsApp, platforms used to share messages about what’s really happening on the ground. Back in the United States, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was scheduled for an interview with Christiane Amanpour where one of the topics would be the unrest in Iran. However, after Amanpour refused to comply with his request that she don a head covering for their conversation, President Raisi declined to speak.

It would be easy—lazy, even—to write off what is happening in Iran as a local issue of religious freedom. Instead, this is a huge opportunity for the international community to support women fighting for their bodily autonomy. We cannot allow Mahsa Amini to fade into another tragic hashtag. Here is a list of reporters and experts to follow and amplify as the situation unfolds.

PROTESTORS IN THE STREETS OF TEHRAN, CLASHING WITH IRANIAN SECURITY FORCES. (IMAGE BY ANADOLU AGENCY VIA GETTY IMAGES)

Justice for Shireen Abu Akleh: According to a new report conducted by human rights group Al-Haq and research agency Forensic Architecture, there is sufficient forensic evidence to prove that Israeli forces “deliberately killed” Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh earlier this year. Abu Akleh was shot by a sniper while reporting from the city of Jenin while wearing a vest that clearly identified her as a member of a press. The report confirms the long-held suspicion that Abu Akleh was targeted by Israeli forces, despite the Israeli government’s claims that she was struck accidentally during an exchange of fire. There is even evidence that after Abu Akleh was hit, the shooter continued to fire on a civilian who attempted to give aid. On Tuesday, the report was presented at The Hague and an official complaint was filed. The IDF has released no response. 

AND:

• Only 20% of Puerto Rico has had its power restored. Many smaller towns and municipalities remain without power and cut off from the rest of the island as connecting bridges and roads have been washed away entirely. While we continue to donate and keep an eye on the island’s recovery, The Meteor sends an extra dose of love to our colleague Bianca who is currently there (as well as the last living matriarch of my own family, Sofia.)

• In Tuesday’s newsletter, we told you about Robert Sarver, the owner of the WNBA Phoenix Mercury and NBA Phoenix Suns who was fined for using racial slurs when speaking to players and creating a misogynist, hostile work environment. After major outcry from players and fans about his punishment being insufficient, Sarver announced this week that he will be selling the teams. So to be super clear, the punishment he is inflicting on himself for calling people the N-word multiple times is to [deep sigh] profit billions of dollars and then go away to his vacation home.

• Four Black students are suing Denver Public Schools on the grounds that the school district actively worked to steal their social justice podcast, which the students had started after the death of George Floyd. Evidence shows that the school district attempted to copyright the show’s title and affiliated works after it had been developed by the students. The story is a fascinating and sad reminder of the lengths Black creators must go to in order to protect their work.

BEFORE YOU GO...THERE ACTUALLY WAS SOME GOOD NEWS THIS WEEK! 

The news cycle has been particularly bad this week, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few positive things going on in the world. Let’s get a quick hit of serotonin before the weekend.

• Something fun for our video game lovers out there: Ted Lasso and AFC Richmond will be included as a playable team in FIFA 23. And if that’s not enough to make you smile, the game’s soundtrack includes hits from Bad Bunny. (Husband, I hope you’re reading this and have your credit card ready.)

• Check out these stellar (ha) photos of Neptune and its rings captured by the Webb telescope. Fun fact: Neptune is currently in retrograde until December—which isn’t necessarily a bad thing! (Unlike Mercury, you mischievous devil.)

• Afghan journalist and founder of Rukhshana Media Zahra Joya was awarded the Changemaker Award by the Gates Foundation for her efforts towards advancing the Foundation’s sustainable development goals around the world. Congratulations, Zahra!

• ABBOTT ELEMENTARY IS BACK!!!

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