Good morning, Broadsheet readers! Theresa May makes it official, we get to know the most powerful woman at Airbnb, and Jennifer Aniston’s blog post puts me firmly on Team Jen. Have a wonderful Thursday.
EVERYONE'S TALKING
• Bump this, paps. We've all seen the endless stream of tabloid covers speculating about Jennifer Aniston's love life and scrutinizing her body—either in praise of her superhuman level of fitness or hunting for a supposed "baby bump." Now, it seems the star has finally had enough. In a blog post for the Huffington Post, Aniston writes artfully about the destructive power of paparazzi culture, which measures women "against some warped standard of beauty," which is then absorbed by "little girls everywhere."
But it's not just the blatant objectification that prompted Aniston to pick up her pen. She says the process has also taught her about society's persistent attachment to the idea that "women are somehow incomplete, unsuccessful, or unhappy if they’re not married with children."
While not many of us can relate to being hounded by photographers, I—and I assume many of you—can identify all too well with being judged by my appearance or with being the object of concern over my marital or maternal status. Thank you, Jennifer, for using your celebrity to stand up for yourself—and, in a way, for all of us. Huffington Post
ALSO IN THE HEADLINES
• May checks into 10 Downing. Theresa May officially assumed the office of British Prime Minister yesterday afternoon. The Washington Post ran the full and annotated transcript of her first speech as PM, delivered outside 10 Downing Street. Interestingly, some are comparing her remarks to those delivered by Margaret Thatcher—the only other woman to hold the position—after her 1979 election. Washington Post
• No White House for Warren? Hillary Clinton's campaign has invited Sen. Elizabeth Warren to deliver a prime-time address on the first night of the Democratic convention. Washington insiders are reading this a sign that Warren won't be tapped for vice president. Fortune
• The woman behind the man. Backchannel's Jessi Hempel writes about how Belinda Johnson, Airbnb chief business affairs and legal officer—and CEO Brian Chesky's unofficial No. 2—masterminded the company's collaborative strategy for dealing with hosts and regulators. That play nice approach is a big reason the startup has grown into a $25 billion business, writes Hempel. Backchannel
• Boards by the numbers. Sukhinder Singh Cassidy today launches theBoardlist Index, which tracks the number of private and public tech company board seats held by women on a quarterly basis. The current stats are yet another reminder of how slow progress has been: As of June 30, women accounted for just 6.8% of board members at private tech companies. Fortune
• Why Gretchen didn’t go. Critics have questioned Fox News host Gretchen Carlson’s motives for filing a sexual harassment suit against network CEO Roger Ailes, asking why, if the situation was so dire, she stayed—and asked for more opportunities—at the network. In an interview with the New York Times, Carlson explains that “it’s hard when you’ve been a victim,” and that she kept thinking "things are going to get better." Fortune
• Legally badass. Venerable law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, counsel to clients such as J.P. Morgan Chase, American Express, and IBM, has named Faiza Saeed as presiding partner. She is the first woman to hold the top job at the firm in its 200-year history and one of very few women at the top of the legal profession. Wall Street Journal
MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Deirdre Bigley, CMO for Bloomberg LP, has been appointed to Shutterstock's board. Senate confirmed Carla Hayden as the librarian of Congress. She is the first woman and African-American to hold the position.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
• What's in a name? Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, author of Ashley’s War, writes about the Marine Corps' decision to remove the word "man" from a number of job titles. "Words matter... And these new words make sure women know that they are not left out of their nation’s service, in title or in deed." Fortune
• Silicon Beach. The Hollywood Reporter's list of the 25 most powerful online players in Hollywood includes some interesting women, like Facebook head of entertainment partnerships Sibyl Goldman and YouTube head of original content Susanne Daniels. The Hollywood Reporter
• Diversity Inc. Is there an upside to Silicon Valley's dearth of diversity? Maybe—at least for the growing number of entrepreneurs who are launching businesses designed to help increase the ranks of women in minorities in tech. Fast Company
• Who's that girl? Why, after watching Hillary Clinton in public life for so many decades, do some voters feel like they still don't know her? Fortune
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ON MY RADAR
10 things we learned from Absolutely Fabulous WSJ
The idea that a woman's fertility plummets at age 35 comes from bad science Quartz
Erykah Badu donating concert proceeds to clear Detroit rape-kit backlog New York Magazine
Heather Havrilesky, "the best advice columnist of her generation," on the quirks of modern living. Esquire
QUOTE
Perfect never gets truly tested. Perfect never gets to silence its critics. Perfect never gets a shot at redemption.
UFC fighter Ronda Rousey, in her new Reebok ad
