Sunday Reads: Reflecting on Pride, the Wage Gap Making Health Care That Much Worse and a Day on Thick Water

You know what sounds refreshing on this hot summer day? A nice tall glass of thick water. Allegedly a product for people with disabilities hindering their ability to swallow (that many experts believe doesn’t actually work), thick water is what it sounds like: water, with thickeners. Quinn Myers gave it a try, and, well, the GIFs speak for themselves.

Must Read

Pride 2020 Was the Protest It Was Always Meant to Be

The Week in Long(ish) Reads

The Guys Hitting the Road in Their Own ‘Dumb and Dumber’ Sheepdog Vans

A Wrenching Novel Resurrects the Story of AIDS in Rural America

My Attempt to Cook the Dreaded Viral ‘Beef Hand’

The Medical Wage Gap Is Helping to Torpedo American Health Care

The Sisyphean Quest to Bring Back Discontinued Foods

Women of Action

Every Great Director Needs a Gale Anne Hurd, the Engine Behind ‘The Terminator’ and a Bold New Era of Action Movies

What Women Want: With ‘Point Break,’ Kathryn Bigelow Gave Action Fans a Different Kind of Eye Candy

‘Æon Flux’ Was a Disaster — And Revealed How Much Harder It Is for Female Directors to Escape Movie Jail

‘Punisher: War Zone’ Director Lexi Alexander Never Met a Hollywood Obstacle She Couldn’t Roundhouse Kick

With ‘Wonder Woman,’ Patty Jenkins Didn’t Just Make the First Good DCEU Movie — She Gave Us an Empathetic Superhero

No Stupid Questions

Why Are Noise-Canceling Headphones So Freaking Expensive?

How Much Strength Have I Lost After Months Away from the Gym?

More People Over 50 Are Running Their First 5Ks. How Do They Do It?

How Often Can I Eat Cereal?

Wait, I Can’t Use Cleaning Products on My Fridge?

Scorching Hot Summer Takes

If You Roll Down My Window in the Car for Me, You’re an Asshole

Black Is the Perfect Summer Color

Pour Yourself a Drink

The New York Sour Is My Bittersweet Drink of the Summer

Have Yourself a Picnic

‘Trunk Picnics’ Will Save Your Summer

But Don’t Just Take Our Word For It…

I can’t be courteous while you are choking down your rosé bc I’m panicked that we will die because you are DINING on SIDE OF THE ROAD in NEW YORK CITY during a PANDEMIC(?!) https://t.co/cYknuKybhQ

— Paige (@foghornIeghorn) July 17, 2020

Perfect story @WeAreMel is so good always it brings a tear to my eye https://t.co/iOz2jZyVmk

— Summer Anne Burton (@summeranne) July 16, 2020

I’m always sweating from how fast I click on every link to a new @madeleinecholia piece. One of my favorite writers and favorite people. Almost every piece Maddie writes, I think to myself, “I’ve never seen anyone cover this topic this way.” Go read every piece she’s ever written https://t.co/39EPWeeWuW

— hoping stephen sondheim has a good day (@GraceSpelman) July 15, 2020

Black Queer Revelations as it pertains to #UncleClifford #PValley ⁦@PValleySTARZ⁩ Thank you ⁦@WeAreMel⁩ for the inside looks into the Valley https://t.co/qIdj1zwuhE

— Nicco Annan (@AllDayNicco) July 15, 2020

Thanks Tim, this was really well done, much appreciated. https://t.co/wUdozwjuuO

— Alex Winter ? (@Winter) July 14, 2020

Magdalene Taylor

Magdalene Taylor is a staff writer at MEL. She covers internet culture, sex and the online adult industry. She lives in Brooklyn but is from God's Country, Western Massachusetts.