A Comprehensive History of Porn

The year was 1993: Bill Clinton had just been elected president, Tag Team's "Whoomp! (There It Is)" was climbing to the top of the charts, and the CD-ROM (compact disc read-only memory) had barely hit the market when a company called Interotica released the very first interactive porn CD-ROM. The adult game, called "Nightwatch Interactive," let players control a voyeuristic security guard who could navigate between TV monitors to peep on sexy scenes unfolding around the building.

‘Cowboys literally exist!’ Scottish comedian Daniel Sloss on why he loves Texas crowds

Comedian Daniel Sloss hasn’t reached the level of celebrity at which he’s recognized on the streets of Houston — yet. But whether or not Texans can identify the 31-year-old Scotsman from his critically acclaimed standup specials “X,” “Dark” and “Jigsaw,” his double-digit appearances on Conan O’Brien’s talk show or his hundreds of performances around the U.S. and worldwide, they tend to be delighted to meet Sloss, anyway. Mostly because of his accent.

The Deep, Evolutionary History of Monogamy

While traveling through the highlands of Papua New Guinea, biological anthropologist Helen Fisher, Ph.D., met a man with three wives. The three wives didn't faze Fisher. Polygamy—the practice of marrying multiple spouses—has been permitted in PNG's mountainous region for generations, provided a husband can cover the increasingly hefty going bride price of livestock, shells and cash. Instead, what struck Fisher was the man's answer to her question, "How many wives would you like to have?"

The Coolest Hotels To Book During the Summer of 2022

For reasons we probably don’t need to explain, we did very little traveling over the last couple of years. But after so much time spent baking bread and re-watching “How I Met Your Mother” in our apartments, we’re itching to hit the open road. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of worthy destinations in our very own backyard. From glittery metropolises to sunny island paradises to rolling national parks, the U.S. is a treasure trove of highly desirable travel destinations.

Channel Your Inner Betty Draper With This Midcentury Furniture

Cheekily dubbed by some critics as “The Pumpkin Spice Latte of Interior Design,” midcentury modern style is everywhere you look. It’s popping up on your Instagram feeds, it’s cushioning guests on TV talk shows, it’s peppering the pages of West Elm catalogs and — of course — it’s all over our homes. The design trend was mentioned by The New York Times in 1998, and — more than two decades later — midcentury modern is arguably more popular than ever.

10 Street-Food Dishes to Try in 10 Countries

There's a time and a place to eat at Starbucks while traveling abroad: it's after day 49 when you're hungry and lost and they won't give you the WiFi password unless you buy something. The occasional blueberry scone at Starbucks during a moment of weakness aside — travelin' meals are best served street-side, squatting on a plastic chair among locals beneath the cool night air, sipping from a dusty bottle of local lager as a grizzled Australian expat tells you the story of how he lost his left hand to a shark while sea kayaking.

Dreamy and Dazzling Euphoria Inspired Looks To Recreate Tonight

Like many of its millions of adoring viewers, I was hooked on “Euphoria” — HBO Max’s exhilarating teen drama — by the first three minutes of the pilot episode. I voraciously consumed the first two seasons, enthralled by the hallucinatory images, stirring soundtrack and ridiculously good-looking cast. I didn’t know if I necessarily wanted to be friends with the troubled characters I saw on screen, but I did know one thing: I wanted their makeup. From the imagination of head makeup artist Doniella Davy, “Euphoria’s” iconic makeup is bold, unconventional and enchanting. Characters wear tears of glitter, razor-sharp winged liner, daring eyeliner and artfully arranged gemstones.

Super Affordable Makeup Dupes for Cult Favorite Beauty Products

These days, scrolling through my Facebook and Instagram feeds means navigating a minefield of targeted ads for pricey, high-end beauty products. One ad for a Korean face mask claims to banish wrinkles and under eye circles. Another for a pair of magnetic eyelashes declares it will cut the time spent on my beauty routine in half, while still another ad for an at-home microdermabrasion wand promises to make me irresistible to hunky firemen.

If Hookup Culture Is Empowering, Why Am I Miserable?

While moralizers and the media tend to characterize hookup culture as chaos and abandon—a haphazard series of one-night stands—the hookup culture trend isn't really about young people having lots of sex or multiple sexual partners. Rather than an increase in sexual excess, the rise of hookup culture refers to a shift in sexual behavior—specifically, the movement of sexual activity outside of relationships, or a hookup.

The History of Disability Activism and the Fight for the Right to Have Sex

It's the understatement of the century to call 2020 a tough year, but it was especially troublesome for California-based singer-songwriter-slash-music-journalist Jake Kussmaul. In addition to being hindered by the same obstacles as the rest of us—that is, social distancing requirements and a decidedly unsexy sense of gloom and doom—Kussmaul's romantic prospects were limited further by the fact that he was born with cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair to get around.

8 of Our Favorite BIPOC Artists and Makers

It would be remiss to write a blog highlighting the work of BIPOC artists without taking a moment to reflect on the events and conversations of the year. Propelled by the momentum of protests following the horrific deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks, and Dominique “Rem’mie” Fell, the world is protesting, watching, listening, trying, speaking out, making mistakes, and — hopefully — changing.

Best Headphones for When You're Up in the Gym Workin' On Your Fitness

I’m an avid climber, devoted yogi and clumsy-but-no-less-determined kickboxer — but so help me, I’ll turn around and drive home if I arrive at the gym and realize I’ve forgotten my headphones. How can anyone expect me to be up in the gym just workin’ on my fitness without “Fergalicious” pumping into my ears? I’m a firm believer (and I know I’m not alone) that a solid pair of headphones is about as essential to a good workout as a hair tie and deodorant. But they can’t just be any old pair.

Macronutrients, to count or not to count?

From baby food to juice cleanses, diet trends rise and fall with time and scientific advancement. But while many nutrition fads have been discredited or forgotten, others have withstood the test of time and nutrition science scrutiny. Counting macros (short for “macronutrients”) is a nutritional strategy long favored by bodybuilders that has recently gained mainstream popularity.
Load More Articles

Get in Touch

Let's talk content. Fill out the form below, or shoot an email to maria@mariacristinalalonde.com and I'll be in touch soon. 

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.