Saturday, March 1, 2008

Starbucks, Morning-After Pills, Internet Stardom..etc,etc.

Earlier in the week, I came across an article in the New York Post regarding a mini 3-hour vacay that Starbucks went on from 5:30pm-8:30pm on Tuesday (peep the article here). Two people were interviewed and from their responses, I could've swore that something earth-shattering had just occurred. Did the world's water supply suddenly diminish, leaving us with no way to hydrate ourselves? For many people (including myself), coffee holds the same importance as water..so this may actually have been the case. Let me focus on the article though. I personally feel that the highlight lies within these quotes:

"What am I supposed to do, make it myself? I am shocked. Shocked and appalled," fumed NYU student Mallory Drew, 18, at the always-packed Lafayette Street and Astor Place location.

Alba Morales, 22, a student at BMCC, noted, "A lot of people come here to make out, read, sleep. I can't imagine how lost people will be tomorrow."

Do they allow coffee makers in the NYU dorms? I could dip into Mallory's quote a little more, but I feel like her helplessness/spoiled demeanor is self-explanatory. I'm not going to hate though. Go on, girl..freak out all you want. I sometimes don't feel like making my coffee at 6am either. Wasn't this in the late afternoon though? Way different circumstances. Anyway, let me get to Morales. Two thoughts, or questions rather, popped into my head after reading dude's quote. "Is making out in Starbucks just an NY thing because I'm pretty sure this doesnt happen in Chicago..but if it does, where are these locations at?" was the first question... followed by, "Are you fucking kidding me?" Morales (and my girl, Mallory) HAD to have known that their words were going to end up in print for thousands of people to read..so why would they say something so ridiculous/borderline ignorant?

Who the hell am I to judge, though. Let me dig deep into the Bernal archives for a minute, specifically August 26, 2006. I was in Brooklyn with my best friend Jessi and we were on the hunt for both black and brown versions of the Gucci fannypack (before they became so readily available.) A woman from The New York Times approached us and asked for our opinion regarding the whole "Morning- After pill Controversy"..whether or not it should be available over the counter, if we had any previous experiences with it, etc. etc. Jessi was very general with her answers. I was not, of course, in true "Mica fashion." I literally told this woman my entire life story..or would that be sex-life story? I didn't take into account that she was a writer for yes...The New York Times and that she had the power to manipulate my words as she saw fit for her article. A few days later, Jessi receives a phone call from her mother regarding my
new found celebrity status. Here's an excerpt from the article (in which your girl makes her debut) entitled, "Easier Access To Plan B Pill Evokes Praise, And Concern"

Micaela Bernal, 20, who was shopping in the Boerum Hill section of Brooklyn, said she had used the pill once before, but had to wait three hours at an emergency room to get it because the Planned Parenthood clinic was closed. The visit cost her $300 and she felt nauseated for nearly a month after taking the pill. Knowing a backup is available over the counter, she said, might make her more likely to have unprotected sex. ''Some girls are probably going to get careless,'' she said. ''If I didn't get so sick I would use it more often.''
My favorite line has to be the last, in which I'm basically proclaiming to the world that I would have way more promiscuous sex if I could legally pop the Morning-After pill like it was Tylenol and not have any side effects. The writer obviously misconstrued everything I told her...but maybe she didn't. I was definitely in my prime during those days.

In conclusion..

-Morales and Mallory: You can live without Starbucks and your caramel frappalappas for 3 hours...not hating, just saying.
-Everyone else: Next time you and your significant other make a "mistake" and have to run to Walgreens to buy the pill, you can thank me..one of the pioneering women whose (newspaper proclaimed) promiscuity made that option a reality.