Tess Barker

sexual assault

What Does Consent on a Porn Set Look Like?

The rape accusations against porn performer James Deen have raised important questions: how is sexual consent defined on a porn set? Is a signed contract between performers and producers enough to keep people safe?
Tess Barker
3.6.16
PROFILES

Charo's in Charge: An Afternoon with the Queen of the Cuchi-Cuchi

Few other women have had a career as prolific and expansive as Charo's: a flamenco guitar prodigy, a sex symbol, a Las Vegas comedy icon, and jewel of reality TV. We can't wait for what's next.
Tess Barker
2.7.16
reproductive rights

The New Reality: Women Charged For Murder After Self-Inducing Abortions

The laws once used to protect pregnant women are now being used to prosecute them.
Tess Barker
1.24.16
Stuff

How to Attend a Wedding in Your 20s

Here's a rundown of everything you'll experience at a modern wedding when you're just old enough to believe you're way too young for this stuff.
Tess Barker
6.17.15
Stuff

My Hearing Loss Felt Normal, Until I Tried to Fix It

I've been half-deaf my whole life. But when I finally heard sound with a hearing aid, my hearing loss started to frustrate me more than it ever had before.
Tess Barker
5.27.15
Stuff

Gold Mining, Hope, and My Long, Fruitless Pursuit of Fame

To mine gold, you have to sift through piles of dirt for hours, in the hope that you'll be the one in a million who strikes it rich—which is not unlike being an aspiring actor.
Tess Barker
5.12.15
Stuff

Teachers Talk About Their Most Embarrassing Classroom Moments

Teachers are people too, and sometimes they make mistakes. We asked real-life teachers for their most embarrassing moments.
Tess Barker
4.27.15
Travel

I Went to Denver's Illicit 4/20 Celebration

Denver's Civic Center Park was technically a no-smoking zone on 4/20, but that didn't stop people from gathering for an impromptu toke.
Tess Barker
4.21.15
Travel

Chasing Adrenaline and Childhood Memories at Six Flags Magic Mountain

After my parents divorced, my dad was a twitching nerve who constantly smoked, didn't sleep much, and brought us to amusement parks every other weekend.
Tess Barker
4.7.15
Sports

Grace Gundrum Is a 12-Year-Old Grappling Prodigy Who Can Kick Your Ass

The jiu-jitsu champion is "all business" on the mat, but at home she's just a little girl who likes to play Minecraft.
Tess Barker
3.30.15
Sports

​I Spent St. Patrick’s Day in Las Vegas Watching a 'Leprechaun Wrestling' Match at a Strip Club

Last night, Larry Flynt's Hustler Club in Las Vegas celebrated St. Patrick's Day by dropping a wrestling ring in between the its stripping stages and inviting a group of "leprechaun wrestlers" to duke it out.
Tess Barker
3.18.15
Stuff

In Defense of Bachelorette Parties

Weddings are basically your first funeral, and a bachelorette party is your last good bye—a chance to get some closure before another one of you crosses over the great divide to talking about mortgage rates and going off the pill.
Tess Barker
3.18.15
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