Latest news with #Gretchen
The Guardian
19-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Goethe immortalised the shaming of German women 200 years ago – we're still at it
Every nation has literary classics that shape its cultural identity. Germans have Faust, Goethe's play about the successful but dissatisfied scientist Dr Heinrich Faust, who makes a deal with the devil. Faust has been performed, referenced and read in schools for more than two centuries now. Interestingly, the most tragic character in this tragedy is not the protagonist, but his 'love interest', Gretchen – a teenage girl groomed by the old man, impregnated and socially ostracised. Her solution? She drowns her 'illegitimate' newborn child, accepts her death penalty and rejects Faust's offer to save her from prison. In God's mercy, the Christian girl seeks salvation and off goes Faust with the devil to new adventures in Faust, Part Two. What would Gretchen do today, I wonder. Her fate is not only a result of sexual abuse and an inherently misogynistic morality, but also nonexistent reproductive rights. In today's Germany, abortion is still illegal under the criminal code. It is nonpunishable under certain conditions, particularly during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, but nonetheless, in practice a modern-day Gretchen might have difficulty finding a doctor willing to perform a termination, depending on where she lives. Moreover, Gretchen might be intimidated by the stigma, which is not just societal but enshrined in German law. For decades now, the so-called paragraph 218 that criminalises abortion has been subject to political debate. Poland and the US are living proof that, even if not prosecuting anyone for carrying out or procuring an abortion is the accepted practice, that can be toppled quickly when ultraconservatives are in power. The last German government, under the Social Democratic party's (SPD) Olaf Scholz, made an attempt to reform paragraph 218 before losing power, but failed. Obviously, nobody expects the current German government, led by the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), to take any progressive decisions on the right to physical self-determination. But what is now happening at the Bundestag goes further than preserving this outdated law – which must surely fall foul of international human rights standards. After weeks of an orchestrated rightwing social media campaign, the election by the Bundestag of three new judges to the constitutional court (Germany's highest court) was unexpectedly cancelled last week. The reason: one of candidates, Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, a 54-year-old jurist and professor, stands accused of holding extremist leftwing positions, because she supports the decriminalisation of abortion. Anyone who has listened to or read Brosius-Gersdorf's judicial reasoning knows that she fully relies on the German constitution in her arguments and carefully evaluates the rights of the mother and the embryo depending on the phase of pregnancy. In the early phase, according to Brosius-Gersdorf, the mother's rights predominate. In the later phase, as soon as the embryo is viable, the embryo's right to life has to be protected. Claims that Brosius-Gersdorf is in favour of abortions until the ninth month of pregnancy are blatant lies, spread by rightwing media as well as far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) politicians. The fact that Brosius-Gersdorf, who was nominated by the SPD, also argues for a ban on the AfD due to the classification of it by German intelligence as rightwing extremist might have been the real trigger for the propaganda campaign against her. Other accusations have circulated around the jurist's recommendation for compulsory vaccination during the pandemic, and allegations that her PhD thesis was plagiarised (which were proven to be false). But not until the focus fell on her allegedly radical views on abortion did the mobilisation succeed. Parts of the governing coalition – 50 to 60 Christian Democrat MPs – raised doubts about her nomination, which led to postponement of the vote, which will probably now be delayed until after the summer recess. Appointments to the constitutional court require a two-thirds parliamentary majority in a secret ballot. Her critics now expect Brosius-Gersdorf to withdraw, although the SPD, Greens and the leftwing party Die Linke continue to uphold her nomination. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion Now, all of this might sound very familiar to those who have followed the US culture wars of the past decade. Some commentators speak of the 'Trumpification of German politics', since the whole debacle is founded on fake news and defamation. But the stigma of abortion itself is not an imported phenomenon. It is part of German cultural identity, perpetuated by the Gretchen tragedy, which has never really gone out of date. Paragraph 218, by the way, is a relic from the 1871 criminal code and almost as old as Faust. Gretchen would certainly be surprised that so little has changed when it comes to bodily autonomy. Fatma Aydemir is a Berlin-based author, novelist, playwright and a Guardian Europe columnist
Tom's Guide
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
Last chance! TikTok's favorite Stanley cup water bottle is 27% off for Prime Day — must end tonight
Today is the last day of Prime Day. The bumper event has lasted four days — twice as long as any previous Prime Day. We're vetting the best Prime Day deals live so check out our live blog for the best discounts on TVs, laptops, and more! I'm the kind of girl who doesn't go anywhere without her emotional support water bottle. Gym? Let me just grab. my water bottle. Quick walk around the block? Water bottle in hand! Taking the trash out? Ooh, don't let me forget my water bottle! Well, that last one was a bit of artistic license, but you catch my drift. One of the best Prime Day deals I've seen so far is the Stanley IceFlow water bottle in plum, just $25 on Amazon right now! This 30-ounce water bottle is perfect for summer. It's got a flip straw lid for on-the-go sippin' and the handle is just chefs kiss for portability. You can throw it in your backpack worry-free too, as the lid is completely leakproof! There's no surprise that the IceFlow is currently TikTok viral. It's on sale in this gorgeous plum and orange color. To quote Gretchen from Mean Girls, this water bottle is so fetch. She's an icon. I love the purple and orange shade — it reminds me of fall in the best way possible. I'm a huge fan of dark orange (my Owala water bottle is also in the "FreeSpice" colorway) and the complementary purple is just the cherry on top. The IceFlow water bottle has a hidden straw inside the lid so it won't spill in your backpack, but you can also sip away on the straw easily. The 18/8 stainless steel construction ensures your water (or iced tea, or matcha, I'm not judging) will stay cold for two whole days. No, that's not a typo. Two. Whole. Days. And the best part? It's completely BPA free! Wait, no, that's not even the best part. You wanna hear the real best part? The Stanley IceFlow has a lifetime warranty, even when discounted. This is the coolest Prime Day deal for fellow emotional support water bottle girlies. We're running our Amazon Prime Day live blog until the end of the sale, so be sure to check that out for last minute savings. Make sure to check out what freebies you can get this Prime Day before it's too late!
Extra.ie
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Irish chart-toppers cancel major show over Palestinian flag ban
Irish indie-rock band Somebody's Child has announced the cancellation of their upcoming show in Leipzig, Germany, due to the venue forbidding a performance with a Palestinian flag on stage. 'Unfortunately, we are cancelling our Leipzig performance on 18th November,' the band said via Instagram. 'In light of what happened at recent shows in Germany regarding the display of a Palestinian flag on stage, it was brought to our attention that we might be faced with the same issue at our shows in Berlin and Leipzig,' their statement read. Since the venues in both Berlin (Gretchen) and Leipzig (Naumanns) would not allow the group to display a Palestinian flag during their performances, Somebody's Child decided to move their Berlin show to a later date and cancel their Leipzig show entirely. Their Berlin show will be held at a new venue, Hole44, on November 18, the date on which the Leipzig show was set to take place. Somebody's Child said that being allowed to perform with a Palestinian flag on stage is 'a very basic requirement for us as musicians with a conscience.' 'It's the absolute least we can do in light of the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people,' they further explained. The group said they were 'unable to find another venue in Leipzig that would allow a Palestinian flag on stage.' They apologised to fans who had already bought a ticket, saying, 'We hope to see you at a show at some point.' Refunds for tickets to the Leipzig show will be available at the point of purchase. The announcement comes only a month after The Murder Capital cancelled a gig at Club Gretchen in Berlin on May 10, as they too were told they could not display a Palestinian flag. A second concert in Cologne on the following night was called off by the rock band for the same reason.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The Real Housewives Of Orange County' Season 19 Cast Photos, Trailer & Premiere Date Set At Bravo
The longest-running Real Housewives franchise is back with The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 19 premiering on Thursday, July 10 at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo. Shannon Storms Beador, Heather Dubrow, Tamra Judge, Gina Kirschenheiter, Emily Simpson, Jennifer Pedranti, and Katie Ginella return this summer to heat up the screen with the drama sizzling in the OC. More from Deadline Paige DeSorbo Leaving Bravo's 'Summer House' After 7 Seasons 'Project Runway Canada' Adds Spencer Badu As Judge & Aurora James As Mentor 2025 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming Former RHOC star Gretchen Rossi returns to the mix as a 'friend of' the cast and to relive some old feuds. Viewers may remember Rossi holding an orange from Seasons 4 through 8. RELATED: Bravo released the trailer for the new season of RHOC, which centers around a lie detector test and putting the ladies in the hot seat about rumors surrounding them. Heather, who resides in the L.A. area, is questioned about wanting to switch from The Real Housewives of Orange County to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Shannon, also the star of Bravo's Love Hotel, is asked if she made out with multiple men in Newport Beach. RELATED: In her second season, Katie continues to struggle to form genuine connections with some of her co-stars. Tamra deems her a 'silent assassin,' and Shannon accuses her of doing something illegal. Tamra and Gretchen's feud gets resurrected with Tamra saying, 'Twelve years you've been going after me,' and Gretchen adding, 'It's not the same thing.' Things escalate when Gretchen seemingly brings up that Tamra had an affair. Bravo fans of Million Dollar Listing also get a tease of Josh Flagg and Josh Altman reuniting as Heather recruits them to sell her L.A. home. The trailer also previews the RHOC stars' taking several trips, including to New Orleans and Amsterdam. RELATED: Watch the trailer for Season 19 below. RELATED: Scroll through the photo gallery below to see the cast of Season 19. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 'Stick' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear In The Apple TV+ Golf Series 'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out?
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Real Housewives of Orange County Trailer Teases Shocking Affair Rumor
Originally appeared on E! Online The weather forecast for SoCal this summer? Not so sunny. The Real Housewives of Orange County is rocked by lies and a shocking cheating rumor in the Bravo series' explosive season 19 trailer. "There's a snake in this group," Shannon Beador warns in the preview, released June 5, before Tamra Judge notes, "No one likes a liar." adds, "She is not telling the truth." It's not long before Tamra and returning RHOC alum Gretchen Rossi—who costarred seasons four to eight—are at each other's throats amid their decade-long feud. During a tense reunion showdown, Tamra yells, "Twelve years you've been going after me!" to which Gretchen fires back, "It's not the same thing!" Meanwhile, Gretchen's fiancé Slade Smiley labels longtime foe Tamra "captain evil" amid their bitter battle. The drama only intensifies when Gretchen and Slade tell Emily Simpson about an alleged cheating scandal involving Tamra. Emily relays the rumor back to Tamra by telling her, "Gretchen said that you had an affair," before Emily exclaims, "There's audio of them having sex?!" Tamra's reaction to the gossip? "She's lying!" From trips to Amsterdam and New Orleans to Emly and Gina Kirschenheiter getting candid about heart wrenching family problems, see everything to come in the trailer above. The Real Housewives of Orange County returns Thursday, July 10, at 9 p.m. on Bravo. In the meantime, keep reading to see the stunning season 19 cast photos and to learn more about the new season. More from E! Online Sean "Diddy" Combs Trial: Judge Threatens to Remove Rapper for Interacting With Jurors Love Island USA Announces Yulissa Escobar's Sudden Exit From Show Paige DeSorbo Leaving Summer House After 7 Seasons But Gretchen isn't Tamra's only point of contention this season. She and former BFF Jennifer Pedranti are still on the outs after their falling out over Tamra trashing Jen's fiancé Ryan Boyajian. "I don't want Tamra at our wedding," Jen declares in the teaser. "That f--king woman caused so much pain!" Meanwhile, Shannon and Katie Ginella are at war as well. After Tamra says, "Katie's like a silent assassin," Shannon confronts her costar and tells Katie, "What you did is illegal. We're done!" But it's not all drama. The women all sit down for a lie detector test where Shannon makes a hilarious PDA confession. When the polygraph examiner asks, "Did you make out with multiple men in Newport?" the embarrassed 61-year-old confirms, "Yes." And Gretchen drops a NSFW bombshell about her sex life with Slade: "I broke his penis for real. It went like this." From trips to Amsterdam and New Orleans to Emly and Gina Kirschenheiter getting candid about heart wrenching family problems, see everything to come in the trailer above. The Real Housewives of Orange County returns Thursday, July 10, at 9 p.m. on Bravo. In the meantime, keep reading to see the stunning season 19 cast photos and to learn more about the new season. Shannon Storms BeadorHeather DubrowTamra JudgeEmily SimpsonGretchen RossiGina KirschenheiterJennifer PedrantiKatie Ginella(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family) Check out Peacock to binge your favorite NBCU TV shows and movies, live sports and more!
