Rethinking "Wine Mom"

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Any woman between the ages of 35 and 65 can and will be slotted into the category of “mom,” whether they claim that identity or not. Take, for instance, the “wine mom,” a phrase being used to describe a cohort of reliable midterm voters that honestly seem too important to belittle.

We don’t call men over the age of 35 “beer dads.” But “wine mom” – or soccer mom, or momboss – is frequently deployed as shorthand for a certain type. As Jessica Winter writes, “She is always embarrassing to someone, to some degree; otherwise, she takes so many forms that she may be formless…[this label] is a useful shorthand for a politically activated and well-organized cohort, one that votes for left-leaning candidates in much higher numbers than the working-class diner patrons or disaffected young men on whom Democratic leaders tend to fixate. The results of the upcoming midterm elections, in fact, may depend in large part on wine moms — whoever they may be, whatever they may drink.”

Girl on Girl author Sophie Gilbert points out that social media has given rise to a torrent of archetypes of women and girls. Girlboss, tradwife, wine mom, even hot girls or clean girls; all served up to divide and commodify.

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What makes a summer bag a summer bag? First off, there’s material: raffia, thick cotton canvas, lightweight nylon, woven leather, even terrycloth. There’s also size; totes for trips, weekends, and water-adjacent adventures. There’s also bold color, including bright yellows and blues. Below, we’ve rounded up more than a dozen summery bag contenders, from haul-it-all biggies to cute shoulder styles.

We’re excited about these limited-edition chocolates, available by pre-order only and gone once they sell out. They taste more like the dessert course at a great restaurant than a typical box of chocolates, and it’s one of the more interesting sweet releases we’ve seen in a while.

The new collection comes in three sesame roast levels paired with caramelized white, milk, and bittersweet chocolate, and skips the standard hard shell in favor of a coating of sesame seeds, which gives each piece a softer texture and a subtle savory edge. Pre-order here. #partner

TO WATCH Towards the end of his life, fitness fanatic Richard Simmons essentially became a hermit. Today, in an ABC special, Diane Sawyer goes into his house and speaks with his family and staff to share more about his final years. Also out: a second season of Stanley Tucci’s explorations of Italy, which is streaming now on Hulu and Disney+.

TO TRY Warm weather means getting extremely serious about deodorant, and right now we’re swearing by this aluminum-free one. The bergamot and hinoki scent smell is the best (in our opinion). There’s also a sampler, if you want to test a few others before landing on a favorite. Shop it here. #partner

TO LISTEN ProPublica is launching a podcast, Paper Trail, that reaffirms the value of original investigative journalism. The trailer opens with an anecdote about reporting that exonerated a man falsely imprisoned.

TO COOK This recipe for chipotle-honey chicken tacos is one of our fail-safes. You don’t need a pressure cooker to make it either.

People are injecting themselves with Botox? • The longevity world can’t stop talking about HRV (heart rate variability), and the beauty industry can’t stop talking about PDRN (Polydeoxyribonucleotide, aka DNA fragments derived from fish sperm). • Phoebe Philo’s attempting to make the walking sandal sexy. • PCOS has been officially renamed. • All about the new federal government website for moms and moms-to-be.

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