Men Whose Wives Died During Childbirth, The Incredibly Dumb Raptors/Monster Energy Lawsuit and a Spirited Defense of ‘Dad Rock’

If loving “dad rock” — and, by the transitive property, dad-rock darling Fleetwood Mac — is considered wrong in some circles, then you know what? I don’t want to be right. You might not like it, but let’s face facts: “Tusk” still slaps.

Must Read

“The Men Who Lost Their Wives During Childbirth”
In the U.S., more women die from pregnancy-related complications than in any other developed country, with an estimated 26.4 deaths for every 100,000 live births. That’s left a lot of new dads grappling with what to do next while stuck on an emotional rollercoaster. C. Brian Smith examines the confluence of disturbing trends that have led to hospitals being “woefully unprepared” for the realities of childbirth, and speaks to the widowers left to pick up the pieces from what should have been the happiest day of their lives. READ MORE

Rummage Sale

Oliver Lee Bateman has been collecting T-shirts for as long as he can remember. Not necessarily on purpose, but over the years, Bateman has amassed hundreds, if not thousands of shirts — wrestling shirts, shirts from former jobs and hand-me-downs galore. So when he was forced to give up 12 garbage bags-worth of shirts (a mere third of his total collection) in an effort to “downsize,” it was almost like a piece of him was being bagged up, too. In a piece that has no business being as touching as it is, Bateman ruminates on what his lost tees have meant to him over the years, and talks to other men for whom losing a portion of their wardrobe has been equally heartbreaking.

Raptors v. Monster

Tonight the Toronto Raptors will take on the Golden State Warriors for the NBA Championship in a battle of wills on the basketball court. But on the fringes, the Raptors have been fighting another war entirely, and unlike their matchup with the Warriors, this one’s for keeps:

Yup, you read that right: Monster, the ubiquitous energy drink brand and quite possibly the most litigious company in America, is suing the Raptors over their logo. Here, then, is the story of what might be the dumbest legal battle of our time.

Breaking The (Co-)Habit

Earlier this week, Gwyneth Paltrow made waves when she revealed that she and her TV writer husband, Brad Falchuk, don’t live together. Many were aghast that a loving couple could live their lives this way, while others just found it odd. But un-cohabitation is nothing new. For many couples, the “Living Apart Together” lifestyle is what keeps their relationships strong.

Sweaty Palms Guy

Continuing with this week’s coverage of all things “sweat,” Ian Lecklitner takes a look at the curse that is sweaty palms, and whether there’s hope for the social pariahs stricken with the dreaded “clam hand.”

Maybe You Can Drink It?

Oh, you’ve got sweaty palms? Our condolences. But perhaps there’s a silver lining?

Yelp!

When L.A.-based writer Euno Lee first tried the Argentinian asado served bossam-style at his father’s Korean bar restaurant, he hated its chewy texture. In fact, he hated it so much he went on Yelp and warned other potential customers about it, which, naturally, made his dad furious. Furious, because the younger Lee was missing a key bit of info, which was that older Koreans preferred the chewiness. And so, what began as hate turned into love, because the experience sparked Lee’s exploration into his Korean food roots — and brought him closer to his father in the process.

We’re Going Streaking

Snapchat might be a mystery for anyone not 25 or younger, but some guys are finding a heartwarming use for it: maintaining their long-distance friendships. Snapchat, you see, keeps track of your “streaks,” i.e, an unbroken chain of snaps, and users will send snaps back and forth to keep those streaks alive. Ironically, though, for many of these “friends,” it’s their only means of communication.

Leave ‘Dad Rock’ Alone

When you think “dad rock,” you think whatever your dad played in the car growing up; you think “safe” rock music; you mostly think, though, of music made by old dudes hanging around longer than we think they have any right to.

If you find this type of music boring, old and lame, you might be right. That’s because, for many of us, we see dad rock as a metaphor for our anxieties about growing old. But as Tracy Moore argues, what we really should be doing is embracing a “genre” that acts its age, not pretending it’s something it isn’t.

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Jeff Gross

Jeff Gross is MEL’s senior editor for social media and content marketing. His daily ICYMI column, which chronicles all things meta on the site, is the quickest way to catch up on MEL, and the funniest thing you’ll read all day. Follow him on Twitter.