Our weekly recap highlighting the best feature stories from around the internet.
This week Buzzfeed examine the phenomenon of Fiona, the famous Hippo. Photo: Cincinnati Zoo/Kathy Newton
Here’s Why Everyone Loves Fiona, The Little Hippo That Could, by Harron Walker, Buzzfeed
“Fiona’s rise to fame had humble beginnings: The Cincinnati Zoo began to post photos and videos of her on Jan. 24, as it does with a lot of the newborn animals who join its growing brood. But Fiona wasn’t just any newborn; she was a tiny preemie, born about six weeks before her projected due date, whose survival was touch-and-go. As the zoo continued to post updates, Fiona quickly developed a fiercely loyal following that spans Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Instagram, and also, um, me. Fiona slowly took over all but the most hardened corners of the internet I hang out in, and I, hungry for any kind of imagery that even approximated what it means to thrive in these uncertain times, welcomed the internet’s reigning cutest animal with open arms.”
Darren Aronofsky says “Mother!” is about Climate Change, But he’s Wrong, by Richard Brody, The New Yorker
“The interview, the Q. & A., and the director’s statement serve another purpose altogether: to steer the reception of the film. They are, in effect, advertising aimed at a very narrowly targeted set of viewers—namely, film critics—and Aronofsky, even before this week’s round of interviews, engaged in an unusual form of that marketing at the movie’s press screenings. The photocopied press notes featured a poem on the front page, and then duplicated that poem on a small card, printed on heavy stock, that was handed to viewers by publicists, who added that it was being given to them at Aronofsky’s own request. It’s a version of The Lord’s Prayer, adapted by Rebecca Solnit, that opens, “Our mother who art underfoot.” I saw it; I read it, then I said to myself, “Whatever,” and I watched the movie.”
Snopes and the Search for Facts in a Post-Fact World, by Michelle Dean, Wired
“As pretty much anyone knows, the truth can be a slippery bastard. Getting to the bottom of something requires what you might generously call a fussy personality. Mikkelson possesses that trait. He spends hours writing a detailed analysis of a claim and feels frustrated when readers just want a “true” or “false” answer. He’s got the worldview of Eeyore, had Eeyore been obsessed with cataloging the precise history, variety, and growing seasons of thistles in the Hundred Acre Wood. He can even get pessimistic about whether his work makes a difference. “Since a lot of this stuff is really complicated, nuanced stuff with areas of gray, it requires lengthy and complex explanations,” he said. “But a lot of the audience, their eyes just tend to glaze over, and it’s just, they don’t want to have to follow all of that. So they just fall back on their preconceptions.”’
The Boy Who Killed – And the Mother Who Tried to Stop Him, by Gary Younge. The Guardian
“Shirley had him assessed again by CAMHS, but she says that after a 20-minute interview he was declared fine. “I’m not a professional,” she says. “But I don’t think you can assess in that short space of time.” Unable to move her family, she took the difficult decision of moving Sean after he and a friend were threatened with their lives unless they returned some stolen goods. She put him in care, asking for him to be placed outside London, away from temptation. Instead, he remained in London and started getting into more serious trouble, including street robberies. She complained and lobbied. Emails received no response. It was around this time she first appealed to her MP to HELP ME SAVE MY SON!!!!. Further emails to Brent council over the next couple of years carried subject lines including “I HAVE HAD ENOUGH” and “UTTER DISAPPOINTMENT”.”
Can Music Heal Trauma? Exploring the Therapeutic Powers of Sound, by Jayson Greene, Pitchfork
“If you are in a car accident, your neocortex will help you describe what happened to the cops, but your limbic system is where you keep the sound of the shrieking tires, the loud bang, and the crumpling of metal. It’s all mixed up there, along with your mother’s breath and your favorite song. This subliminal link helps explain why music therapy and trauma treatment often go hand in hand. Trauma survivors often have unbearably vivid fragmented images, sounds, or smells lingering in their psyche. For many, traditional talk therapy offers little relief, since those sensations are embedded beneath the language brain. The festering traumatic wound can also lead to learning difficulties, dissociation, physical ailments, and autoimmune disorders.”
'In One Day I Had Lost Everything That Mattered to Me': Stories From Inside the Child Welfare System, by Jezebel Staff and Rise Magazine, Jezebel
“I explained that I didn’t leave my husband despite his violence because I had no family support and nowhere to run. Besides, abuse was normal in my childhood. I witnessed abuse and more abuse. I was always told, “Cover up the bruises and keep walking, and don’t tell anyone.” I thought that my husband would end up in jail and my life with my children would return to normal. But I think being honest only made my situation worse. In the end, they charged me with “failure to protect” and placed my children in foster care.”
