If you’ve ever been inside a women’s restroom in an older office building, department store or theater, you may have wondered why there is a full living room (complete with couches, end tables, etc) attached to the room with the toilets. Turns out, it’s a curious combination of of Victorian culture, class and race divisions, retail marketing, and what men thought women needed when they ventured out in public (hint: it’s a couch). This visual presentation will explain why these lounges were built in the first place, what they were used for, where they went, and whether they have a place in today’s evolving public bathroom culture.
Dr. Elizabeth Yuko is a bioethicist and writer specializing in sexual and reproductive health and the intersection of bioethics and popular culture. She is also an adjunct professor of ethics at Fordham University and has written for print and online publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, CNN and Playboy. Yuko has given a TEDx talk on The Golden Girls and bioethics, and has appeared on The Travel Channel show Mysteries at the Museum.
You can find Elizabeth here:
Twitter: @elizabethics
Instagram: @elizabethyuko
Website: elizabethyuko.com
This presentation is from Nerd Nite New York City.