

The Truth About Dating And Unrealistic Expectations
The "Men Are Trash" movement bothers me. As a feminist, I should be joining the marches and making posters for the movement. But, I'm not though. And the reason being is that I believe men are a lot more complicated and sensitive than we give than credit to be. Allow me to explain to you how I got here.
I am a listener and lover of the wildly popular podcast, The Read. Every week, there is a letter about a guy with great penis that a girl doesn't want to let go. Crissle and Kid Fury would begin their rants on trash men and saving yourself from heartbreak.
I would, nine times out of ten, agree with the advice; but as I laughed, I couldn't help but feel like a hypocrite.
The truth is, I know a ton of good black men.
The type who have been in relationships for five plus years. With no real drama or outside babies. You know, guys who hang out with their fathers on a regular basis. Or the type of men that spend Saturday mornings on three-way phone calls with their mom and sister.
Clearly, these types of men aren't trash. In fact, they have the qualities that we should all look for in a man. But, what if I told you that those exact same men, have attention issues and it plays out as them flirting with other women?
See, men are EXTREMELY sensitive and human.
They leave this vulnerable side for women they deem worthy, and as such, they treat personal things as something a woman must earn. Which makes me think, why aren't we doing the same? Why are we dying to bring the guy we just met to our family reunion?
We might have laughed at Tasha in Insecure, but some of us have been on date number one with a guy, thinking about future kids. This led me to the self-reflective question: Could it be that women have unrealistic expectations that leads us to thinking that a man has trash behavior?
When Jay released 4:44, I was obsessed with everything about the album. He came out and said that he's been leading us astray. This album was the manifestation of his motto, "Hov did that, so hopefully you don't have to go through that."
He told us he was trash, and the steps he had to take to overcome it. He even brought in more men with different points of views to show us, "Hey, men are complicated as f-ck."
They don't know what they are doing when it comes to love (any more than women). See, what I have come to realize is, traditionally, men aren't expected to figure out the "love shit." They must get money, provide for the family, be the protectors. AND, they can't cry or bitch about how hard it is.
With something as rare as this album (and the footnotes), there should be pieces celebrating vulnerability. You would think we would all talk about how some of the most powerful men in the industry discussed their shortcomings in love. Instead, it was the exact opposite. people were downing him for revealing his deepest secret. They even went so far as to say that Beyoncé wasn't a true feminist and she was DUMB for sticking around.
Can we just stop and laugh at that?! Has no one heard "Ring the Alarm"?
Bey put in years... Shit, a decade with this man. She made it clear she wouldn't just walk away from something she built. Plus, they have a MARRIAGE, not a relationship that doubles as a situationship. I'm ranting, but the point is, I found myself frustrated and disgusted by the public response.
It made me realize that men are not trash, we just have a distorted mentality when it comes to men in relationships.
Movies have ruined us all. They have us thinking that relationships are just a matter of finding the right person, who's attractive, makes you laugh, possibly gives you "leg-shaking orgasms," or, at the very least, has money. Then BAM, we're all set. Life falls into place, cue the happily ever after music. But, like Jerrod Carmichael said, there's a reason fairy tales don't have sequels.
The truth is, no one wants to see what it takes to sustain that level of happiness.
People see Michelle and Barack Obama now and laugh at their cute little love story. "Oh my gosh! A hole in the floor board of the car!"
But no one thinks about the constant internal debates Michelle probably went through during the "in between" period of her man becoming the love of her life that he grew to be. Sure, he was charming. Had swag too. But shit, he wasn't on her level. She was placing her bets on potential and her heart. I can just imagine the phone calls with her girlfriends back then: "A hole? His broke ass! Run Chelly, run!"
If you haven't been in a serious relationship, let me be the first to tell you, they are HARD. It's no fairy tale and there damn sure isn't a rule book to get it right.
So instead of saying, "Men are trash," let's say that men are complicated emotional human beings with penises.
Let's agree, they don't always get it right. Let's applaud a man when he reveals a weakness. Let's show some compassion and patience. Remember that even with money and #lifegoals, there are still real things to overcome in relationships.
- What Women Mean When We Say 'Men Are Trash' | HuffPost UK Life ›
- A History Of The Term “Men Are Trash” ›
- Men are trash and there's no arguing against it | News24 ›
- It's Time To Take Out The Trash Men In Our Lives ›
- How, if You're a Man, to Deal With the Fact That You're Probably Trash ›
- Men Are Trash Viral Twitter Thread Feminism ›
- Women banned from Facebook for saying 'men are trash' | Dazed ›
- Are men trash? ›
- Why 'Not All Men Are Trash' is no different than 'All Lives Matter ... ›
Honest Am is a Detroit-based writer and podcaster. She co-hosts Dear Showrunners and is the creator of the Honestly, Sis newsletter. She prides herself on her knack for finding life lessons in television, movies and celebrity drama. Jay-Z is her godfather and Kanye West is her spirit animal.
Keep up with her on social @AmBee and join the Honesty Circle here!
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Try This “I Am” Manifestation Technique To Make Your Desires A Reality Faster
We all have a dream life that we spend our free time daydreaming about. You know, the one with a loving partner, high-rise apartment, thriving career, and endless abundance. But as much as we can dream about it, there has to be a little extra sprinkle of “magic” to make it become a reality, and that’s when manifestation comes in.
The uptick in manifestation techniques is nothing new to the internet. Since The Secret and the Law of Attraction became available on YouTube in the early 2010s and fast forward to today, where #manifestationtok and #spiritualtok surging in popularity, it’s clear that there are a number of different ways to get what you want out of life with the right action, affirmation, and visualization.
Still, with so many ways to manifest, from scripting to the 3-6-9 Method, it can be hard to know which one to lean into. But there’s one new technique that’s promising to yield “instant results,” and we’re curious about it.
The "I Am Sure" Manifestation
@hothighpriestess Replying to @A I M E E 🖤 lG: hothighpriestess 🤍 this is the “I am sure” method #iamsuremethod
The “I Am Sure” manifestation gained traction this summer by TikTok creator Sara Perl of @hothighpriestess, who initially introduced the method.
In her original video breaking down the concept, she detailed the steps to use the technique for those looking to “manifest overnight.” To do so, start by stating “I am sure,” followed by “your desired manifestation in the present tense.” If there’s a job, promotion, or text from a crush that you want, then you’d say, “I am sure that I got X job,” or “I am sure that I make a $100K salary.” Repeat this out loud 10 times, or for faster results, write them down on a piece of paper and say it back to yourself whenever the desire comes up.
Using your words and speaking in the present tense, affirmatively, “puts you in the frequency that has that desire,” as Perl states. “We know our thoughts create our reality, but our words create our reality even faster.”
No matter how you choose to manifest your dream life, there’s nothing like channeling a powerful affirmation and some faith to get what you desire. In every instance, though, allow yourself to dismiss any doubt that may try to cloud your hopes in good things coming into your life, and don’t hold too tightly onto the “how” or “when.” Trust the process and know that the “thing” that you desire is just waiting for the perfect time to enter your life.
Happy manifesting.
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