Profile for Josephine Ledger

Dealbreaker: He Brought His Grandma On Our Date

Josephine LedgerJanuary 26, 2012 //
Dealbreaker!
He ordered the cheese plate ... for dessert. Read More »
He Told Me To Lose Weight
When he told me to lose weight, I got rid of him. Read More »
Bachelor Liveblog!
Tune is as Amelia gets drunk and offers pithy commentary. Read More »

On the latest season of “The Bachelor,” contestant Brittney showed up armed with an escort to meet Ben Flajnik — her 72-year-old grandmother Sheryl, who hobbled out of the limo on crutches. An adorable little stunt for “The Bachelor,” where it’s customary for women ride in on horses or do back flips to win a rose. For the record, Ben and Sheryl seemed to like each other way better than Ben and Brittney. Sheryl may have helped Britney earn her first rose, but she left of her own accord on the third episode. Can you blame her? Watching Ben is like watching paint dry.

In real life, on real dates, these types of schemes are far less endearing. Now don’t get me wrong, I do love grandmas. Especially my own. But when Charles* asked if he could bring his “Bubbe” (Yiddish for grandmother) along on our second date, I wasn’t sure how to respond. Is there an appropriate way to turn down a man’s granny? Keep reading »

The Soapbox: Why I’m Keeping My Pubic Hair

Josephine LedgerDecember 14, 2011 //
First Wax
One writer shares about going completely bare. Read More »
Why Do You Wax?
Ladies, tell us why you wax. Read More »
A Man On Pubic Hair
naked woman photo
A dude gives his POV on the hair down there. Read More »

When pubic hair first appeared on my adolescent body, I was mortified. I wanted it gone as quickly as it sprouted. It just felt, for lack of a better word, bizarre to have it there. But at the age of 11, waxing was not option. Well, maybe it is nowadays, but in the late ’80s, that was not a something that happened.

By the time I got to college and started getting naked with boys, I felt mortified afresh when, after receiving oral sex for the first time, my boyfriend stepped back from my vagina, and pulled a long pubic hair out of his mouth. I thought I would never recover. He didn’t seem to mind one bit. It was 1996.

After we broke up, I started sleeping with an older guy who was absolutely wild about giving cunnilingus, full bush and all. His enthusiasm made me start to like my pubes. Keep reading »

Girl Talk: I Don’t Like My Brother’s Fiancée

Josephine LedgerJanuary 14, 2011 //

God help me for admitting this: I don’t like my brother’s fiancée. Phew. It feels so freeing to write these words. I can’t even bring myself to call her my future sister-in-law. It makes my skin itch. I would love to be able to give you a concrete reason for being irked by her. Like she kicks small dogs or steals subway seats from old ladies or physically abuses my little brother. None of the above. Keep reading »

Dealbreaker: He’s Saving Himself For Marriage

Josephine LedgerNovember 3, 2010 //

I sat at the airport, waiting to board Virgin Airlines flight 451 traveling non-stop to my sunny destination … to a friend’s wedding. I exhaled. It had been too long since I had been on a real vacation. All my vacation days seem to be designated to other people’s weddings. In the terminal, I replayed the fantasy I’ve always had that one lucky time in my life I would end up seated next to a hot man on a plane, all the planets would align, and we would join the illustrious Mile-High Club. Maybe I could even take him as my wedding date. Keep reading »

Girl Talk: My Brother Is Getting Married

Josephine LedgerAugust 3, 2010 //

My younger brother Dan used to sleep in a car bed with a GI Joe tent over it. He owned a skateboard, a boogie board, a BMX bike, a moped, and a scooter. His favorite movies were “Rad” and “Gleaming the Cube.” But underneath his little daredevil facade was a kid that worshiped me, his older sister who occasionally used him as a human Barbie doll. He did whatever he could to please me — even if it meant wearing a dress — whatever it took to be accepted by me — even if it meant watching “Annie” every day for a week. I embraced him as my apprentice, my little neophyte. As we got older, I tried to instill him with values and culture. I introduced him to indie films and alternative music. I dragged him along to parties with my artist friends and gave him books to broaden his perspective. I encouraged him to leave the state for college and travel, to grow as a human being. I supported him 100 percent when he decided to move to New York City post-college to pursue a career in finance. I was always there when he needed advice. Staring at the clean-cut, 26-year-old man sitting across from me at his engagement dinner, I barely recognized the person he had become. Keep reading »