Okay, BuzzFeed. We know. You like to make fun of everything. Especially the vagina. But are these men being serious? Do they really not know how female anatomy works? If this is really the case, that guy’s “Jurassic Park” t-shirt is like, predicting the fate of the human species. Ladies, please sit down with the men in your lives. Help them not be so embarrassingly clueless…do it for our future.

Find Jill (but not her vagina) on Twitter @jillettinger

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All Together Now…’VAGINA’

The post Men Do Not Know How the Vagina Works! Seriously, Someone Help These Pathetic People [Video] appeared first on EcoSalon.

If you’ve spent any time on BuzzFeed, you know you need a calculator to tally up the number of amazing kitty videos and celebrities with sexy abs on any given day. (It’s a lot!)

The articles with lists, better known as listicles, are paramount to the success of sites like BuzzFeed (and, yes, even EcoSalon). But why? Why are there so many numbers in our articles? And why are they so compelling and frustrating at the same time?

MediaBistro reported that BuzzFeed’s editorial director Jack Shepherd said, “At their best, lists are just scaffolding for stories: The list format grabs the attention because it’s an easy way for people to process information and for readers to know what they’re getting, but that’s not even close to half the battle. A great list that people share everywhere has to be an experience.”

Right. “An experience.” Well then, what about the rest of it? Why are we so hooked on numbers?

1. According to news syndication company Mobiles Republic, we’re on a steady diet of “news snacking”, which is just what it sounds like. You may bookmark that 10,000 word article in The Atlantic, but chances are you’d rather read 20 shorter articles in the same time period. It’s easier for us to digest smaller bits of information, and a listicle guarantees us just that. We know we’re getting 3, 11 or 311 pieces of information, which just seems more doable in the modern world.

But who likes being labeled a “news snacker?” Erudite or not, many people still want to digest real news as if having a real meal in France where savoring and enjoying are the real stars of the meal. Fast food day in and day out isn’t very appetizing, even for the frequent consumers. In the same sense, the lure of the list robs us of that holistic experience. Instead of reading the New Yorker cover to cover, you just read another one of Cosmo’s “10 Ways to Keep your Man Satisfied.” Chances are, one of those ways is to be well-read. Makes you feel kind of icky.

2. Lists are practical, sort of. If looking for the hottest trends or best recipes, sometimes seeing our options can be really helpful. Aggregation beats endless searching. Except, there’s an arrogance there, too. Who decided on the 19 best smoothies in the world? Was there a panel of judges? Were they taste-tested? Who was in charge of quality control?

3. We’re also genuinely curious creatures. Forty-six Beyoncé hairdos? Well we’ve got to see which ones made the cut, of course! But the downside is that once you start down the list, you can’t help but wonder what’s after? If those are the 46 best hairdos, what was number 47? Was there a 47? What if I like that one better?

4. They’re also kind of genius. After Bono’s lavender-tinted appearance at the Golden Globes on Sunday, BuzzFeed published “The 25 Most Iconic Moments In Purple Tinted Sunglasses History.” Not only does this pique my curiosity, but if I’m cool (which I’ve got lists both for and against), I can share this with my preferred social network and let the list of comments (another list!) entertain me for hours. Yes, BuzzFeed and their lists help break down barriers with our lists of friends we may or may not have actually met in real life, but are willing to engage in witty online conversations with.

5. But, of course, lists are also super annoying. They suck us in. Do we really care about Beyoncé’s hairdos when we have other more important things to worry about (like cute kittens)? It’s easy to feel rather lame and unaccomplished when you’ve spent your morning clicking through list after list.

6. They’re clickbait, too, which means that because it’s widely known that the human brain can’t resist the lure of the numbered list, once you’re there, you’re more likely going to be bombarded with ads, some of which use lists to lure you further.

493. It seems that we live in a list-vortex. It’s like a black hole with a lot of numbers in it; ergo, we get a glimpse into the inner workings of the universe, which upon further contemplation, appears to be just an eternity of lists, is it not?

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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The post 493 Reasons (Approximately) BuzzFeed Style Listicles are Super Annoying and Totally Addictive appeared first on EcoSalon.

A round-up of what we’re reading right now. 

Science proves that fall is in fact the season of sex. [Via Business Insider]

Ralph Lauren’s first plus-sized model asks: What’s so great about being a size 0 anyway? [Via The Daily Beast]

Your hip new iPhone with iOS 6 is cool and all, but where the hell is the public transit option on the maps? [Via Ecorazzi]

Haiti makes a revolutionary move and bans plastic bags and foam containers, including manufacturing and marketing them. [Via The Miami Herald]

Can someone explain to us why Facebook won’t take down the “12 year old sluts meme” page? Really? [Via Buzzfeed]

If you have ever debated on keeping a food journal, here are 10 helpful tips to get you started. [Via Organic Authority]

All that nasty stuff they put in microwaveable popcorn can give you “popcorn lung”… as well as $7 million. [Via LearnVest]

“I was nauseous and tingly all over. I was either in love or I had smallpox.” —Woody Allen. This and 40 other of the funniest things ever said about love, sex and relationships. [Via How About We]

Image: greencandy8888

The post Link Love: Fall is the Season of Sex, Apple Maps Doesn’t Have Public Transit Option and How to Keep a Food Journal appeared first on EcoSalon.

A round-up of what we’re reading right now. 

Summery cocktails? Yes please. Here are 12 perfect summer drinks that only require having four different bottles of booze on hand. Easy! [Via LearnVest]

On the Road isn’t the only book you should be reading if you’re road tripping. Here’s a list of the 9 literary essentials. [Via Adventure Journal]

Because it’s Shark Week and you have always wanted to know: do menstruating women attract sharks? [Via Mother Jones]

Air fresheners can be full of chemicals and super toxic. Try these natural alternatives, as simple as taking out the trash and opening a window. [Via Organic Authority]

Vintage mascara looked a little different than it does today. 9 photos of the beauty product from when it didn’t come in a tube but was a brush in a box. [Via Buzzfeed]

A new solution to pollution in cities? An artist in Italy paints a mural that is able to clean the air of photochemicals, like smog. [Via PSFK]

Renaissance women were more feminist than you might think. [Via Science 2.0]

Don’t put an egg on it; eating eggs can be as bad for you as smoking according to a new report. [Via Ecorazzi]

Cities are great and all, but they are making natural disasters deadlier. [Via Atlantic Cities]

Here’s a shocker: kids who don’t get junk food in school don’t gain as much weight. Now proven by science. [Via Food Politics]

Image: zaqi

The post Link Love: A Mural That Cleans the Air, Why Eating Eggs is Worse Than Smoking and Whether or Not Menstruating Women Attract Sharks appeared first on EcoSalon.