Greta Gerwig Is the Top-Grossing Female Director of All Time, and Other News From the Week

We’re pleased to bring you “While You Were Out”—Verily's quick takes on the happenings of this week

Barbie passes $1 billion, a first for a female director

It’s been a good summer for the girly girls: While Taylor Swift and Beyonce are touring the country, the Barbie movie has been a smash hit at box office, and it just broke another record. This week, Barbie became the first movie by a solo female director to break $1 billion in sales.

After the Barbie movie’s debut weekend was the biggest of the year, Barbie director Greta Gerwig told the New York Times, “I wanted to make something anarchic and wild and funny and cathartic, and the idea that it’s actually being received that way, it’s sort of extraordinary.”

Barbie also benefited from a one-of-a-kind, internet-driven phenomenon: “Barbenheimer,” the weekend when two totally different movies, Barbie and Oppenheimer, were released. (I, for one, dressed up in black for Oppenheimer on Friday and pink with my girlfriends for Barbie on Monday!) Barbie has received overwhelmingly positive reviews (it has an 88% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes), but it also got swift backlash from conservative commentators. Ben Shapiro branded the movie “woke” and even burned Barbie dolls on his show.

I thought Barbie could’ve been more positive toward womanhood, but it’s certainly not worth burning any kids’ toys over. Check out Verily editor-in-chief Mary Rose Somarriba's take on the film in Fairer Disputations. For her part, Gerwig took the criticisms in stride.

“My hope for the movie is that it’s an invitation for everybody to be part of the party and let go of the things that aren’t necessarily serving us as either women or men,” she said. “I hope that in all of that passion, if they see it or engage with it, it can give them some of the relief that it gave other people.” —Madeline Fry Schultz.

Maui wildfires cause at least 80 deaths, Lahaina destroyed

Beginning on Tuesday night, wildfires erupted across Maui, Hawaii—the initial cause has still not been determined. Both residents and visitors were forced to evacuate the island during the disaster.

Now, in some areas, a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. has been installed, according to a statement made by Maui county. Residents who show identification, and visitors with proof of hotel reservation, were allowed to return to West Maui at noon on Friday, August 11.

The wildfires destroyed most of Lahaina, a town of 12,000 people, and the former historic capital of Hawaii. The Lahaina fire is one of four that have broken out in Maui this week. Only one of the fires was fully contained by Saturday morning.

As the fires began to break out, disrupted phone and internet lines hindered the ability to determine how many people went missing. Many people were left stranded on the island.

Though the cause of the fire is still undetermined, winds from Hurricane Dora helped to fuel flames in the dry climates, according to the National Weather Service.

In the past two days, thousands of people have fled the island. Close to 15,000 people flew out of Maui on Thursday, according to Maui County. On Friday, the United States Coast Guard said in a statement it had rescued 17 people that fled into the ocean to escape the wildfires. Currently, there are no confirmed missing people in the water. — Hannah Cote

Rihanna drops new maternity line

We already knew that Rihanna was the queen of maternity style (and pregnancy announcements), but now she’s helping her fellow moms out with her very own maternity collection. Her Savage x Fenty line just debuted clothes for “for moms and moms-to-be.”

The collection includes three nursing bras, modeled by Rihanna herself along with her 15-month-old son, RZA. We love to see a woman unapologetic about motherhood and breastfeeding!

The bras are both pretty and functional; according to Vogue, they “feature one-hand functionality, a full nursing sling (with a neckline-to-underarm opening), adjustable front-facing straps, and a set of nursing clasps.”

Gone are the days of old, boring maternity bras; adorned with lace and coming in a variety of colors, these are “Not ur mama's maternity bras.”

“The new maternity capsule is about bringing that confidence and comfort to moms at every stage of their journeys,” says Rihanna. “I want to remind people that you can still channel sexiness and feel good while being a parent.”

Rihanna’s maternity line wouldn’t be complete without a sassy slogan; she’s also selling a t-shirt that reads, “Make More Babies.”

Rihanna has been rocking mommy style since she became pregnant with her first baby, and after a dramatic pregnancy reveal earlier this year at the Super Bowl, she has reportedly given birth to her second child. We can’t wait to see Rihanna’s postpartum style, and we applaud her for showing that motherhood doesn’t have to mean being boring! —MFS

FDA approves new treatment for postpartum depression

The Food and Drug Administration approved Zurzuvae, a new drug to help moms recover from postpartum depression. It’s an oral, pill version of a medication that previously was only available via IV injection. The hope is to make effective treatment more available to the one in 7 women who develop a mood disorder after giving birth.

The agency says two double-blind studies showed that patients using Zurzuvae once a day for a 14 day period experienced significant improvement in depressive symptoms, compared to those using a placebo. The positive effect was maintained at least four weeks after the last dose. The new medication is related to allopregnanolone, a naturally occurring byproduct of progesterone hormones. It’s another example of the medical establishment waking up to the role of hormones in women’s health.

The new medication does come with a host of side effects like diarrhea and drowsiness. Most troublingly, it can cause harm to a developing baby, and the FDA warns mothers to use contraception during the two week treatment period and for a week afterward. Some forms of birth control, like the Pill, can cause depression all by themselves.

It’s also important to note the drug isn’t a fix-all that will make moms bounce out of their postpartum beds, no longer needing rest or community care to adjust to their new baby. Postpartum depression is complex, Judite Blanc, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Miami, told the Washington Post. “We need to provide better social support to women,” she said. “We need longer maternity leave, more flexible work schedules and universal child care.” —Margaret Brady

Good News of the Week

Italy’s “Path of Love” re-opens after more than ten years

Travelers can once again enjoy one of Italy’s most romantic, and iconic, hikes: Part of the Via dell’Amore in Cinque Terre in the Italian Riviera has reopened to visitors after closing for more than a decade due to the risk of landslides.

After an extensive, 21.9 million euro restoration, would-be walkers will be able to pay five euros to stroll a 555 foot stretch of the original path as part of a timed group tour. It’s a three-month experiment that will hopefully prove effective before the planned 2024 completion of the entire Via dell’Amore project. Afar reports that the goal is to limit the effects of overtourism, ensure visitors’ safety, and preserve the area in a sustainable way.

Extensive measures have been taken to address the landslide issue, including a high-tech monitoring system that tracks rock movement and more than 28,000 square feet of steel mesh installed to keep rocks from falling on the pathway.

The path was originally carved out of the cliffside in the 1930s, a change in the landscape for 11th century seaside villages whose pastel-colored buildings were originally only accessible by water. Journalist Paolo Monelli gave the lover’s lane its name in the 1950s, and Rick Steves put Cinque Terre on his “must visit” list in the 1970s, bringing millions of visitors and inspiring a movement to ensure the area benefited from responsible tourism. Today, Cinque Terre is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

“Via dell’Amore is a jewel for our region, not just for those who visit,” Giovanni Toti, president of the Liguria Region said at a press conference announcing the re-opening. —MB

Watch of the Week

Would you ever take your mom to outer space? A mother-daughter pair became two of the first passengers on Virgin Galactic’s tourist space flights this week. Check out their joint interview with the Today show after returning to Earth.