Emily McCombs

Bio

Emily McCombs is a writer, editor, and general Internet Lady. Previously the Executive Editor of xoJane, she now works as a freelance writer and editor and digital media consultant. She will never stop oversharing.  

Emily McCombs Articles

I’m sure the Pokemon Go phenomenon will fade before long, but for the moment it’s just plain FUN that might even be good for you. Image: Eduardo Woo/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0).

6 Touching Stories From People Who Are Alleviating Mental Health Issues With Pokemon GO

I’m sure the Pokemon Go phenomenon will fade before long, but for the moment, it’s just dumb FUN that might even be good for you. The game cannot fix and should not distract us from the shit-fucking terrible goddamn week we’ve had in the world, but it can remind us that we all need to practice self-care, whatever package it comes in.

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image credit: Thinkstock

I Froze Up During An Assault And That’s Completely Normal

When you get a massage somewhere “nice,” they often have a little box to check regarding the gender of your masseuse.

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The damage can be treated, but it can never be undone.

What '20 Minutes Of Action' Does To A Rape Survivor's Life

According to Suicide.org, about 33 percent of rape victims have suicidal thoughts, and 13 percent of rape victims will attempt suicide. Often this happens many years after the assault. Rape isn’t a crime that ends when the physical act is over — it is a crime that lingers.

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"This is a blowjob Pokemon, right?" Image: author

The 7 Most Sexual Pokémon (Tell Me You Don't See It!)

It’s getting pretty serious between me and Pokemon GO... The deeper into the game I get, the more I notice that things are getting a little weird. Like, sex weird.

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I went to the pet store, peered into some glass bowls, found a reasonable facsimile of the original fish, and voila: Boonga Two-nga. Image: Thinkstock.

On Killing And Replacing My Kid's Fish

My son is particularly anxious about death. He’s generally sensitive — he’s yet to make it through a full movie because anytime there’s a minor conflict he gets too upset and we have to turn it off. We left Zootopia in the theater when the big animals were being too “mean” to the rabbit. We left a screening of Toy Story in the park because he got too anxious when Woody and Buzz got left at the gas station. (We didn’t make it to the genuinely terrifying broken toy hybrids.)

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"Sexual assault isn’t something that can be chalked up to our immature teenage brains, or something most teens dabble with, like drinking. It isn’t a youthful mishap or a misunderstanding." Image: Unsplash, Luke Porter

9 Stupid Things I Did In High School, That Were NOT RAPE

18-year-old high-school student David Becker got probation for assaulting two unconscious classmates while they lay in bed after a house party. But that was just a youthful mistake, according to his attorney. “We all made mistakes when we were 17, 18, 19 years old, and we shouldn’t be branded for life with a felony offense and branded a sex offender. Putting this kid in jail for two years would have destroyed this kid’s life,” said attorney Thomas Rooke.

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A woman's place is in the White House.

Hillary Clinton: Dolls, Books, And Hair Ties, OH MY

This may sound weird, but I want my own Hillary Clinton doll. I want to have her give State of the Unions on what’s in my fridge. I want to dress her up in tiny pantsuits. (I’ll place them over the one she’s already wearing.)

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I somehow manage to forget from one summer to the next just how frustrating it can be to merely exist in public spaces when it’s warm outside. Image: Yegide Matthews/ Unsplash.

Summer Shouldn't Be Open Season On Women's Bodies

I decided to spend a few hours running errands in the summer sunshine while audaciously wearing a loose-fitting baby doll dress, comfy flats, and a denim vest. Apparently my need to keep my legs ventilated served as a Bat-Signal to the fine men of Gotham, who were drawn by its golden glow to yell stuff at me every five minutes.

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The ladies

6 Ways To Stop Hating Other Women

We were at a karaoke bar on a weeknight. I was sitting near a wall-length mirror, and I felt self-conscious about my body. 

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Image Credit: Flickr/Katjusa Cisar

I'm A Recovering Sex Addict; Here's Why I Don't Judge Anthony Weiner

Snickering at Anthony Weiner masks the brutal and difficult reality of coping with sexual addiction.

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