The presidential candidates will tell you that it’s tough out there for women. Between holding down a job (to pay for her child), needing to take time off (to cater to her child), and leaving work early (to make dinner for her child), there seems little time available for a…

Once you pass age 13, it’s pretty easy to find faults in your parents. Some of us outgrow the “Ugh, mom. You’re so stupid!” phase in our 20s. But for many more of us, the things we learn about our parents as we grow into adults begin to stick. They’re…

“Halloween” and “dance” are two words no grown adult wants to hear together. If you made your way through junior high school, you likely can conjure up some excruciating memories to remind yourself why. While you probably thought your Mary Katherine Gallagher costume was da bomb back in 1999, a…

Back when you were a kid, your friend’s mom skinned a few grapes, turned out the lights and called it a Halloween party. And it was awesome. The next year, she dropped some dry ice in the pool and told you to go at it. It’s no wonder you need…

The real-life mysteries that creep into our drab day-to-day existence are far more mundane than mystery tehater’s two favorite themes: death and deception. But they aren’t the only things worth investigating. That’s why we all have a bit of detective in us, whether we’re finding the source of that leaky…

When you start to feel the season changing in the air, it’s a time for renewal. And for Phoenicians, it’s a time to stop feeling so damn sweaty. The sweet, sweet smell of fall can never come soon enough for us, and it turns out that other cultures feel the…

Hating on vampires officially has become more annoying than the Twilight-loving teeny-boppers themselves. People make a point to subtly say, “I’m so not one of them,” with a scoff at sparkly skin and a roll of the eyes at vampire vegetarianism. So much so that vampires have gotten a bad…

High school guidance counselors will ask you to “define normal” when you feel out of place among your peers. Growing up in suburbia, you’re pretty sure being normal doesn’t consist of a family dealing with mental illness, drug abuse, and suicides. But, you’re pretty sure telling the counselor about all…

It’s hard to imagine that just five decades ago, racism wasn’t just tolerated, but, in some areas, legislated. African-Americans across the country found themselves disenfranchised by the government that freed their ancestors a century earlier. But what is freedom, really? Author and playwright August Wilson explores these themes in his…

As an adult, it’s easy to look back on our truly traumatic experiences as children fondly. “Oh, me,” you think. “How could I ever be so silly?” But when you’re convinced a demon from another dimension is staring at you through the cracked doors of your bedroom closet, it’s difficult…

Getting the Oprah bump isn’t always a prestigious honor. After all, the “O” of approval comes from a woman who lists things as simple as kids’ alarm clocks and soft sweaters among her must-haves. Plus, she nearly killed hundreds of people in one shot by telling them they’re all owners…

Once, your conservative uncle told you that nothing good could come from drinking. Those words have probably played back in your head dozens of times after coming down with the post-libation flu. But now that you’re a full-fledged adult, you recognize that not only can you get your buzz on,…

There’s something about Brazilians that draws less-vibrant cultures to the South American way of life. Maybe it’s their colorful mode of traditional dress or their delicious food, but we’re willing to bet it’s mostly because Brazil’s the sexiest place on the planet, period. The country totally monopolizes international runways with…

The concept of the “circle of life” perpetuates throughout a multitude of cultures (popular and otherwise). It famously appears in Disney’s The Lion King, but also commonly crops up in Native American works of art. Instead of appreciating the circle, the Western mindset usually skews egocentric. After all, life ends…

The internet has ruined us. As far as fetishes go, once freaky-deaky bedroom fun that included whips, chains, and body suspension have begun to look tame when compared to the likes of 2 Girls 1 Cup. But if the classic kinks are what you dig, there’s totally something your speed…

Let’s be honest. Bud Light Lime is the stereotypical drink of choice for Nickelback and Lifehouse fans everywhere — not that there’s anything wrong with that. But from Budweiser’s standpoint, the beer is a bit stigmatized. You can’t blame them for wanting to try to make the classic label cool…

Come July, Phoenicians forget about the kindness and good will and the holiday spirit, swapping those cheery things for uncomfortable amounts of sweat and heat-induced grumpiness. For every degree the temperature rises above 100, we become five percent more likely to flip off our fellow man. That’s not us, Phoenix,…

We’re onto you, you bunch of bars hosting ladies’ nights. When you say “ladies get in free!” and “bottomless margaritas!” you really mean: “We don’t have enough women to even draw men into the bar at this point. Please bring your hoo-ha in and drink for next to free as…

In these dog days of summer, any interaction with the outside world is just a foggy, sweaty blur that will break your spirit if you can’t find a way to break from the mundane. You stay inside. You go crazy. Maybe you look through the spare closet of sweaters, coats,…