What I love about Netflix is how sometimes they really don’t care. Take My Life With The Walter Boys for example: tacky plot, bad acting, no relatability…but a smash hit nonetheless. Sadly, these cheesy teeny bopper plotlines are all the rage. I’m looking at you, Emily in Paris.
You see, I didn’t catch Emily in Paris at first. I didn’t want to. I knew what was coming and I didn’t like it one bit.
But, at the end of the day, I’m not fully a free thinker. If something gets mentioned enough on social media — whether it’s a positive or negative review — I have to watch. And I was even far more interested when it seemed like people loved and hated Emily with equal fervor.
Starring nepo baby Lily Collins as Emily, this car wreck of a show follows an American actually making it in the Parisian fashion world. On the surface, this sounds great. But once you watch, you realize it’s a disaster.
We rarely follow a plot line. For a good part of the show, the main character Emily is torn between moving home and staying in Paris. She left her humdrum fiance in the American dust and moved on to a bunch of hotties in Paris. What a dream.
Not only does Emily win over these Parisian dreamboats — Alfie, I would treat you better — she does it wearing the worst possible outfits. Paris, France is the fashion capitals of the world…and with a show about working in fashion, you’d think Emily’s style would eventually mirror that.
It doesn’t.
Four seasons in and Emily is still trying too hard, mixing heinous prints, and applying bright red lipstick on her drab little lips. These past two seasons, she’s even added bangs.
I get angrier as I write this…but season four of Emily in Paris is out on Netflix.
Emily in Paris - Season 4, Part 1 Review
Honestly, going into this season, I remember nothing. I don’t know the characters’ names except for Alfie (and this seems to be the right choice). I forget most of the plot (if there ever was one). And it’s like I’m watching a whole new, awful show. Fun!
But this season, the writer’s decided to throw in every single plot line they could possibly think of and cram it into four episodes. If you don’t want spoilers, skip ahead.
We’ve got Emily’s boss — Sylvie — accusing industry titan Louis de Leon of sexual assault. There’s Camille — who got dumped by her girlfriend and moved next-door to her ex, Gabriel — only to find out she isn’t pregnant with his baby and he’s actually back with Emily.
Then, of course, we have Emily who has to forge a relationship with Alfie in the name of business. What a hard life she lives, truly. Imagine I wore the most atrocious outfits and had all the attractive men in France still think I’m cute. I, too, would never leave.
All the while, Emily’s boyfriend Gabriel is aiming to add a Michelin Star — or 3 — to his restaurant. There’s a lot to keep track of here, especially since the Netflix writers are trying to tie up a bunch of loose ends. Even they know there are far too many plots, but I’m not done.
The other crazy plot line they’ve decided to throw in there is a corporate issue: the marketing firm is selling a viral glass skin face mask…The only catch? Emily finds it’s actually just lubricant packaged in a fancy container.
This is one of the times I outwardly groaned. Seriously? This is what they could come up with? Was the Writer’s Strike really that bad?
On August 15, I sat down to watch the first four episodes of the season. If you think that means Netflix left us on a major Bridgerton-esque cliffhanger, you’d be wrong. We’re currently left wondering what’s going to happen to the lube face mask.
Why Emily in Paris is so bad it’s good
The phenomenon is that social meida has come together and collectively agreed: the show is so bad…but we won’t stop watching.
Maybe it’s for lack of better television right now, I know my options are bleak. Or maybe we crave a disastrous series that distracts us from our real life problems. But no matter about that, it’s working.
For those of you saying that Emily in Paris is a Golden Globe-nominated show — honestly, all that does is make me question the legitimacy of the Golden Globes.
Either way, unfortunately, I’ll be seated when Emily in Paris Season 4, Part 2 comes out on Netflix on September 12.
There’s a lot to be said about the new Zac Efron romantic comedy on Netflix (and when it comes to Zac, I’ll always say it), A Family Affair.
First of all, the press tour has revealed a wealth of information about my dear Zac — and unlike with many movie stars, the more I know, the
better. Just weeks ago, the internet was set ablaze when Zac revealed that his seminal, star-making performance of the hit “Bet On It” in High School Musical 2 was completely improvised. Beyond his critically acclaimed performance in The Iron Claw (famously snubbed by The Academy Awards), this info finally clued people into Efron’s true acting prowess.
He also revealed that “Get Your Head In The Game” from the original
High School Musical was shot in one take. Is there anything this man can’t do? Mastering choreography while sinking baskets and giving us some of the most iconic Disney scenes of all time? Olivia Rodrigo, watch your back, Zac Efron is coming for the crown of Disney’s biggest musical success story. It’s also refreshing to hear a male movie star speak fondly of the projects he did in his youth for younger fans — Jacob Elordi, take note.
But beyond the revelations about the beloved
HSM franchise — and the hints that Efron is itching to do another movie musical to recapture the magic of Hairspray and Greatest Showman — the most surprising thing about A Family Affair is that it’s kind of … good?
Let me be clear, I watched it purely because
I’ll watch anything with Zac Efron. I watched the recent Amazon Studios film Ricky Stanicky starring Efron and John Cena, after all, and it certainly wasn’t for the plot. I can only watch The Paperboy so many times to get my fix of him and Nicole Kidman together (I’m an Evangelist for that movie — if you haven’t seen the underrated Lee Daniels masterpiece, run, don’t walk). But I didn’t have high hopes for A Family Affair. That was my mistake. Imagine my surprise when the film wasn’t merely tolerable but quite charming.
The reviews prove I’m not the only one who thought so.
Don't get me wrong, it’s not a cinematic masterpiece. Yet, I have no doubt that I’ll be returning to it as comfort entertainment many times in my future. It’s funny! It’s delightful! The acting is good enough to buoy the unfathomable plotlines. And it has enough heart to justify its more outrageous elements.
A Family Affair has officially joined the ranks of classic romantic comedies. But more notably, it’s joined the ranks of Hollywood's latest obsession: hot young dudes paired with fabulous older women. It's like The Graduate got a glow-up and decided to call itself feminism. And I’m all for feminism in mainstream movies — thank you, Barbie — I wonder about the limits of this genre and if it can deliver the promises it purports to make.
What is the A Family Affair movie about?
A Family Affair is not the 2009 Mary J. Blige song, much to my dismay. Rather, it’s Netflix’s latest rom-com effort starring Nicole Kidman and Disney Channel alum turned thirst-trap Zac Efron. At the center of their unconventional romance is Joey King, who you might know from The Kissing Booth or her awful accent in Bullet Train. Apparently, Joey’s graduated from Netflix teen rom-coms to... Netflix mom-coms (you heard that term here first!)
The premise? Kidman finds herself in an entanglement with Efron — her daughter's famous boss. Honestly, the most unbelievable thing about this is that King’s character goes from being a pretty terrible assistant to managing a company. Some ex-assistant definitely wrote this screenplay.
Semantics aside,
A Family Affair is unexpectedly funny, engaging, and poignant in many ways. Just not the way it probably thinks. King goes from being wholly insufferable and selfish to learning that the world doesn’t revolve around her. Frankly, a lot more of these proto-girlboss characters need to experience the same harsh reality checks that King does in this film. Imagine if one of the characters in Lena Dunham’s Girls was told to their face that they were the worst. That’s what King goes through, and it shows a shift in the zeitgeist of narcissistic female characters paraded as simply chaotic yet relatable feminists. However, the film takes another would-be-feminist angle: the romance between Kidman, a 50-year-old writer, and Efron, a 34-year-old movie star. It’s played as a feminist milestone. But is it?
Watch the A Family Affair trailer here:
A Family Affair is not the only film pushing this take. In the past year alone, multiple movies are tapping into this leatest fantasy. It's like Eat, Pray, Love, but instead of finding yourself through travel, you find yourself through... Zac Efron's abs. Hey, whatever works, right?
It’s not just Netflix. Welcome to the boy-toy boom
At the core of this sexy storyline, there’s a deeper message that's been largely ignored by mainstream media: the idea that women can rediscover their sexuality and sense of self at any age.
Wasn’t that the same message of the early-summer smash,
The Idea of You, featuring Anne Hathaway getting her groove back with a character based on Harry Styles? It seems the fantasy of dating a One Direction member isn't just for teenagers anymore. Moms can have their fan fiction-esque y/n moment, too.
And lets not forget that Gabrielle Union, queen of 90s rom-coms, starred in her
own version of this too in last year’s The Perfect Find. Alongside Keith Powers, she played an ambitious 40-year-old career woman making a comeback while falling in love with a younger man. Based on the book by Tia Williams, it was poorly received by critics but beloved as a comfort movie by its target audience.
And it’s easy to understand why. There's something undeniably empowering when women — who society often tries to make invisible — take center stage in these romantic fantasies. It's a celebration of female sexuality that has no expiration date. It's saying that desire, passion, and yes, even silly, giddy infatuation aren't just the domain of the young.
There’s been a market for this kind of story for decades. Hollywood just kind of … forgot? The essential
Eat, Pray, Love is the epitome of the post-divorce drama. Under the Tuscan Sun is for all the women who dream of leaving it all behind and buying a house in Italy, then finding love, of course. But the real blueprint is How Stella Got Her Groove Back, in which Angela Bassett goes on a restorative vacation and falls for the younger Taye Diggs.
Real-life seems to provide a plethora of examples of older women in recent relationships with younger men. However, from Jada Pinkett Smith’s entanglement with August to Cher and Madonna’s 39 and 35-year age gaps respectively, these might not be the greatest examples.
Yet, we take what we can get. Let's be real, in a world where women are constantly bombarded with messages about how to stay young, how to combat aging, and basically how to apologize for daring to continue existing past the age of 40 (which is
not that old?), these movies feel like a breath of fresh air. They're saying: You're not past your prime, honey. You can still snag one of the internet’s boyfriends.
Subverting the genre
In a way, these “reverse” age-gaps are refreshing. For decades, we've been force-fed the tired narrative of older men with younger women. From Bond Girls to Woody Allen's entire filmography, Hollywood has been telling us that men age like fine wine while women don’t exist beyond 25 — just ask
Leonardo DiCaprio.
Even now, looking at the age difference between many actors and their co-stars gives me the ick. Some of our favorite rom-coms are guilty of this too. Kiera Knightly was just
17 in Love, Actually. That says more than enough.
In that sense, these new films are giving a big middle finger to that tired old trope. They're saying, "Hey, women over 40 are still sexual beings! They can be desirable! They can desire!" And honestly? It's about damn time. They're starting conversations. They're challenging norms. And, as Hathaway asserted when taking the controversial role in
The Idea of You, just because a woman isn’t in her twenties, doesn’t mean she can’t have interesting roles. And-so. This genre is giving actresses over 40 complex, sexy roles.
It’s also important to note that many of these films are written or produced by women. Gabrielle Union’s production company was behind both
The Perfect Find and The Idea of You. And many of these storylines are sourced from books. So these are real women’s voices — and there’s clearly a market for it. But does that make it feminist?
To be or not to be a feminist narrative
While I champion the idea of women exploring their sexuality and finding themselves, why does a woman's journey of self-discovery have to revolve around a man? Are we still saying that to be fulfilled, a woman needs to be desired? Does her journey of self-discovery need to involve a man — even if it’s a younger, hotter one?
The problem isn't that these movies exist. Like any sweet treat, they’re easy and comforting and scratch a specific itch. There will always be a place in my heart for Zac Efron doing anything. The problem is that this genre is being touted as the apex of feminist cinema — which is taking up space that could be used for actual feminist art. Just like
Barbie’s fickle feminism (which I loved, but barely said anything), we’ve seen how feminism-lite can get in the way of actual radical ideas.
Real feminism isn't just about flipping the script — it's about rewriting it entirely. It's about telling stories about women who are fully realized human beings, with lives, interests, and passions that exist independently of their relationships with men (or anyone else, for that matter).
So where does that leave us? These age-gap movies can be celebrated for giving us fresh narratives, but they're a starting point, not an end goal. We need stories that celebrate women's sexuality and desirability at all ages, yes. But we also need stories that celebrate women's intellect, ambition, friendships, and personal growth — stories that recognize that a woman's worth isn't tied to those who need or desire her but to who she is as a person.
So go ahead and enjoy A Family Affair and The Idea of You. Swoon over Zac Efron's abs and Nicholas Galitzine's accent. But remember, this is only the beginning.
The first installment of Bridgerton Season 3 left me wanting. Namely, wanting more from Colin (Luke Newton), wanting more for Penelope (Nicola Coughlan), and wanting more groveling. Thankfully, part 2 delivered on all but the groveling — but I’ll take it.
SPOILER ALERT: The rest of this article contains spoilers for Bridgerton Season 3: Part 2
The moment the trailer for part 2 dropped, I set my hopes for the season on those final four episodes. After a lackluster start and the tepid union between the main couple — sorry, no amount of Pitbull could make that carriage scene interesting and no amount of charm could make that proposal romantic — the season was riding on its second part for redemption. But did it wholly deliver?
What promised to set the second half apart from part 1 was higher stakes. The season opened with an inexplicably still-lovelorn Penelope and hot-pirate Colin engaged in a Cyrano plot. Though it felt like lots was happening, none of it really moved the characters forward. Season 1 saw Simon wrestle with the weight of his father’s legacy while Daphne confronts the truths of life and marriage. Season 2 saw Anthony wrestle with the weight of his duty as Kate also wrestled with hers. While Penelope has the real challenge of trying to find a husband so she can escape her family, what does Colin want? To be a pirate? Even should-be momentous events like their first kiss did nothing to push them closer to each other.
Penelope remained cripplingly insecure, and Colin’s remained aggravatingly inept. There was the makeover — which didn’t really work on anyone but Colin — the useless courtship lessons — which also didn’t work on anyone but Colin — and the almost-proposal from Lord Debling to the tune of Nick Jonas’s “Jealous.” Yet, the characters never experienced any major growth in these moments. Penelope was once again crying because a man didn’t want her, and Colin failed to even risk telling her his feelings until after the ball. That Debling didn’t propose was just sheer Bridgerton luck, making it easy for him to propose to Pen competition-free.
With the marriage proposal secured, Penelope and Colin have to create a life together as a couple — with the secret of her authorly identity looming over them. Like the balloon in episode 3, this was surely going to go haywire. But, like the balloon in episode 3, I was along for the ride. Especially with the promise of a Lady Whistledown hunt spurred by Queen Charlotte herself.
Does Colin find out Penelope is Lady Bridgerton in Season 3?
Finally, Colin finds out that Penelope is Lady Whistledown in Season 3, part 2. But it’s not how Penelope wishes it to come about. After proclaiming all season that he despises Lady Whistledown and wants to see her pay for what she has said about his family (and a particularly cutting passage about his own transformation), Colin is thrilled at the prospect that someone will root out the writer thanks to the Queen’s challenge. But when he discovers his own soon-to-be wife is herself the scribe, he has an existential crisis.
Gone are his sanctimonious claims of concern for his family and the dignity of the Ton — or whatever. Poor Colin Bridgerton is just embarrassed his fiancée is a better writer than he is. Plus, since we’re primed to choose Penelope’s side, having known her secret for two seasons, Colin’s ire just doesn’t hit. Especially since it comes from a place of jealousy.
But this revelation does have one surprising consequence: how it changes Penelope. For a moment, it seems like Penelope is going to give up her column. “Women don’t have dreams,” says the iconic (for better or worse) Lady Featherington. “They have husbands.” So, while she didn’t cease her writing even when she lost her best friend and even when the queen was hunting her down, she vowed to stop for Colin — after all, wasn’t he her biggest dream?
But after speaking to Madame Delacroix, fellow girlboss and lowkey scammer (we have to stan), she realizes that Whistledown isn’t separate from her, it’s part of her. Not even a clandestine kiss with her husband-to-be can change her mind this time. So, instead of cowering in front of Colin after the Queen crashes their wedding breakfast, she refuses to give up.
This is the first time we see Penelope standing up for herself in real life, not just in her column. Prior to this, she oscillates between people-pleasing and lashing out in bitterness — a vicious cycle and a clear sign of low self-esteem. Now, she’s finally found herself. And she did it without Colin’s help.
While this season has its share of girlboss and Barbie feminism, this quiet change in our female lead is the most impactful moment of the season. Because it lasts. From this moment on, Pen metamorphoses before our eyes. More than her makeover in part 1, her self-acceptance and refusal to give up her identity even for Colin transforms her from a wallflower to the powerful, capable woman she’s been all along.
In this moment, I see a future for Pen where she is the “girl husband.” Colin might be a nepo-baby, but Pen is the one bringing home the bacon and clocking in with her column. She’s the problem solver. She’s the one with power and personality — something Colin lacks. Like Zendaya in Challengers, I picture her cradling Colin on her lap and telling him to step it up. I picture her leaving vicious — but loving — notes on his book. I picture her telling that man to stop whining and step it up. Quite simply: I picture her replicating Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) in her relationship with Viscount and Chief Simp, Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey). Girl husbands for the win!
How does Bridgerton Season 3 end?
Bridgerton Season 3, ultimately, starts and ends with a whimper. It feels like an unfulfilling heist movie, where the stakes are high, the expectations raised, but the characters get out fine without any surprises or obstacles. The show felt as though it was going through the motions: introduce a problem, have the characters fight, have them make up and make out, repeat.
Even with the introduction of actual problems, Penelope gets through them unscathed — with everything she’s ever wanted in tow. And, in the end, she achieves it simply by telling the truth … which she could have done the whole time? I do appreciate, however, the writer’s refusal to paint Penelope as a damsel in distress. Though Colin tries to save her, he fails. And ultimately, the biggest-best love confession in this season comes from her. “Just love me,” she pleads. Although personally, I’d rather fall to ruin than beg my husband to love me — but that’s just me.
In the end, Penelope fixes her problems and everyone else’s: she comes out as Lady Whistledown (happy Pride, I guess?), throws the fraud investigators off her mother’s scent, and prevents the ruination of the Bridgerton name. In a flash forward to a year later, she has a baby, Colin writes his book, and Lady Whistledown is allowed to continue in the light. Happy, yes. Boring? Also, yes.
What’s more interesting is the development of the secondary characters. As Polin plods along, the other Bridgertons and members of the Ton grow more rounded as characters than the season’s protagonists. While all these extra storylines felt like distractions in the first half of the season, in the second half, they relieve the pressure off Polin’s lackluster love story and give us other characters to root for — or against.
Cressida’s arc from villain to sympathetic heroine to villain again makes me curious about what’s next for her. Eloise’s adventures in the Scottish Highlands promise to let her finally go beyond talk and actually live her life. Benedict really was having a jolly pride, and I am excited to see his newfound bisexuality explored in upcoming seasons. But I’m most excited for the invisible Bridgerton, Francesca.
After disappearing for most of the previous seasons, Francesca was a nonentity at the beginning of Season 3. Played by the exquisite Hannah Dodd, Francesca was constantly away visiting relatives in Bath and always playing that damn pianoforte. But over the course of the season, we watched her blossom from the Queen’s reluctant sparkler, waiting passively for an acceptable match, to standing up for herself and declaring her love for the equally awkward Lord Kilmartin.
And while some may be confused — does Francesca’s marriage in this Season mean she won’t have one on her own? — eagle-eyed viewers will have noticed the instant romantic spark with her husband’s cousin, Michaela. The introduction of another queer relationship is surprising and highly anticipated for many viewers. Especially fans of the book who might recognize this character as “Michael” in the Julia Quinn novels.
Bridgerton has already been renewed for Season 4. All that’s left to do is wait.
At the end of the workday, I like to shut my laptop screen and transition to my other screen times. Yes, as embarrassing as it is to say that, we all do it. You spend all day staring hard at your computer, just to end up looking at your phone and TV all night.
It’s not the healthiest way of living, but if I’m being honest it’s what we do. While we should aim to minimize our screen time as much as humanly possible, it’s tough when the entire planet is run by Apple. Suddenly, we’ve all developed an emotional attachment to our screens.
During the pandemic, documentaries soared in popularity. We’d run out of shows to watch, tired of the endless reality television loop, and turned to true crime. Podcasts like Serial, Morbid, and Crime Junkie all followed famous cases of serial killers, thieves, and grotesque examples of inhumanity.
And, as someone with FOMO who’s fallen victim to the grip of pop culture and constantly needs to stay in the know, I’ve done my due diligence, my field research. I’ve combed through days worth of documentaries searching for the best of the best.
A good documentary contains at least one of these elements: shock factor, eye-witness testimony, and at least one moment worthy of a viral clip. Take Netflix’s Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened…which became an overnight meme thanks to Fyre Fest producer Andy King detailing how he was willing to offer oral sex in exchange for Evian Water to save the festival.
What’s The Best Streaming Service For Documentaries?
It’s about getting the people talking, and no streaming service makes a better documentary than HBO Max (more recently known as just “Max.”). Max somehow knows exactly what the people want to see and that’s…drama.
Since there are so many documentaries out there, you’ve got to find a way to keep people interested. We already know many of the infamous serial killers like Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer, so it takes true storytelling to get our attention.
HBO Max does something special: finding lesser known stories, nabbing exclusive interviews, and catching the story at the right time. Sure, Netflix shows you what’s already happened, but somehow Max gets ahead of the story every time.
The most shocking and relevant docus are on HBO Max, so if you’re ready to binge watch something that will have your jaw on the floor…I’ve got you covered.
Here are my top 4 documentaries on HBO Max that you can stream right now!
Love Has Won: The Cult Of Mother God
Have you ever witnessed such ludicrous, outlandish behavior that it almost makes you laugh? Welcome to Love Has Won, a cult led by the late Amy Carlson known as “Mother God,” “Mother” for short.
Mother claimed she’d been reincarnated 534 times as notable figures like Jesus, Marilyn Monroe, and Cleopatra. She promised to lead 144,000 people into the 5th dimension. Not only that, but Donald Trump was her father in a past life and she frequently speaks to Robin Williams…who’s no longer present in the “physical.”
In May 2021 Amy Carlson died due to: anorexia, chronic colloidal silver ingestion, and acute alcohol abuse. But the cult believed she had finally ascended. Even pushing colloidal silver as the magic elixir, this documentary truly has everything.
BS High
This documentary answers the question: “What if you went to high school and it wasn’t real?” From 2019-2021, Bishop Sycamore High School advertised themselves as a sports training academy that would forge young men into 5-star D1 recruits for football.
The team went on to play some of the best high school football teams. But after mounting hype around their players…people soon realized that these boys were far from D1 recruits. During the 2021 season, they somehow landed the fourth toughest schedule in the nation…and none of the teams they played were in Ohio.
Led by coach and BS High founder Roy Johnson, BS High was slated to play the best: IMG Academy. After facing odd scheduling and huge blowouts, IMG romped BS, 58-0. From there, Roy Johnson was exposed for hundreds of lies: essentially creating a fake high school and none of the players received even a GED.
Featuring first-hand interviews from Roy Johnson and the players themselves, this docu is both crazy and sad.
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths Of Robert Durst
If you’re going to watch one documentary on this list, make it this one. Robert Durst is a real estate heir who had never cooperated with a journalist before. Durst was so enamored with director of The Jinx Andrew Jarecki’s work that he offered to sit down and do an interview with Andrew.
Durst’s story is intriguing because he was surrounded by death. His wife, Kathie, had been missing since 1982. His friend, writer Susan Berman, was killed execution-style in 2000. His neighbor, Morris Black, was found dismembered in 2001. The one common denominator? Robert Durst.
As Durst is interviewed over the years, you see the conniving mega-millionaire evade any consequence as evidence piles up against him. Clearly this guy is guilty…which was solidified when he was arrested a day before the finale came out. But the final twist will have shocked to the core.
Plus, The Jinx part two comes out April 21.
Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV
One of the most recent viral documentaries hits close to home. Growing up, I was a devout Nickelodeon viewer. My nights ended with The Amanda Show, Drake & Josh, iCarly, and more. Over the years, fans have closely watched as many former beloved child actors have had very public breakdowns. And it’s all being explained now by HBO.
Quiet On Set exposes Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider’s treatment of employees and cast members throughout his tenure at the network. It includes horrifying accounts from cast members such as Drake Bell, who details the sexual abuse he encountered from dialogue coach, Brian Peck.
Dan Schneider’s downfall has been building since the glory days of Nickelodeon, and it all peaks with this documentary.
WANTED: Kate Middleton, The Princess of Wales, presumed kidnapped by King Charles and the Royal Family unless returned to our TV screens immediately.
I'm not one to follow the
Royal Family -- all I know is that Queen Elizabeth may be reincarnated into Trisha Paytas' baby, Malibu Barbie, and they presumably disappeared Princess Di. And while my phone didn't scream with a missing persons report, my Twitter (X?) timeline is all ablaze with conspiracies about what happened to Kate.
Amidst confirmation that King Charles III is battling cancer, followers of the Royals have noticed a peculiar missing piece at certain public events: Prince William's wife, Kate. While William made a last-minute appearance at Greece's King Constantine II's funeral, Kate was noticeably absent. According to
Vanity Fair,
Middleton, 42, has been recovering from her procedure at Adelaide Cottage, the couple’s residence at the royal family’s Windsor Castle estate, since she was discharged from a London hospital after a week-plus inpatient stay following the surgery.
And while we hope the Princess of Wales is in good health, the people of the internet have been making their own assumptions about what happened to Kate Middleton. Since we can't help but speculate, social media users have tossed about ideas like she's waiting out a bad haircut, she's gotten plastic surgery, she's run away to live in America, the list goes on...
Across the pond at Buckingham Palace, sources claim it was planned abdominal surgery (and we hope she's safe and healthy)...but if we chose to believe everything the Royals said, we wouldn't have
The Crown.
In 2020, pretty much every industry went through a crisis. Yes, partly because of the pandemic. But, after the murder of George Floyd and the international Black Lives Matter playlists, everyone looked around and realized: their Black representation was abysmal.
From corporate offices to movies, people were forced to reckon with the institutionalized racism at the center of their industries. Promises were made. Copies of bell hooks's All About Love were sold out. DEI executives were added to C-Suites. And everyone swore to look inward and make changes outward. But now, all those promises have been forgotten.
DEI leaders are being fired across the board in record numbers, and companies are proving that all their talk in 2020 was just that — talk. According to a report by Revelio Labs, a data analytics company analyzing workforce trends, DE&I roles have been diminishing faster than non-DE&I positions since 2021.
The entertainment industry is also reneging on its promises. Despite having loyal audiences and critical acclaim, Black titles that were greenlit during the BLM fervor have now been cast aside by executives. In 2023, a record number of Black-led titles were canceled. Some of the axed titles include: HBO MAX's Love Life starring Jessica Willims; Grown-ish, the Hulu spinoff of Black-ish starring Yara Shahidi, Trevor Jackson, Luka Sabbat, and Marcus Scribner; the beloved political comedy series Ziwe starring Ziwe; AMC's Damascus; FX's Kindred; and the reality show Sweet Life: Los Angeles.
Even powerhouses in the industry are worried by this trend. Issa Rae, showrunner of Insecure and the President in Barbie spoke with Net-A-Porter about this trend. “You’re seeing so many Black shows get canceled; you’re seeing so many executives – especially on the DEI side – get canned. You’re seeing very clearly now that our stories are less of a priority.”
If even Issa Rae worries about the state of entertainment, it must be dire.
So this Black History Month, support Black titles — before they get axed. Maybe by showing our support to Black stories, we can get more of them made. Here's to wishful thinking.
Rye Lane
Forget Anyone But You, Rye Lane is bringing back the rom-com. Starring David Jonsson andVivian Oparah, this lighthearted romantic comedy follows two heartbroken singles who spend a day together in South London.
They Cloned Tyrone
Starring John Boyega, Teyonah Parris and Jamie Foxx, this science fiction comedy and mystery follows an unlikely trio as they delve into the heart of a neighborhood conspiracy.
The Kitchen
Directed by Daniel Kaluuya (of Nope and Judas & the Black Messiah), The Kitchen is a dystopian commentary on class in London. Set in a future without socialized housing, The Kitchen follows a community determined not to leave their home.
American Fiction
Head to the theaters for this one — it's one of Jeffery Wright's best performances. It follows an author who parodies the mainstream expectations of Black writers and is caught in a trap when his parody book skyrockets in popularity. A commentary on American culture and the publishing industry, follow this outrageous tale — which also features Issa Rae.
Chevalier
Kelvin Harrison Jr. stuns in this biographical portrayal of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges — who was the illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation. It tells the insane but true story of his rise into the upper echelons of French society as a celebrated violinist-composer and fencer, including his love affair and falling out with Marie Antoinette.
Abbott Elementary
Abbott Elementary is back for Season 3 this month. Celebrate the Emmy award-winning sitcom by binging the first two seasons in preparation for its great return. Fingers crossed it never gets canceled.
Queen Charlotte
From the Bridgerton family comes Queen Charlotte, which emerged from the fun and fanciful world of Bridgerton as a force of nature. Dramatizing the real-life story of Queen Charlotte and George III, this surprisingly sharp and smart drama explores themes of race and mental health while retaining Shonda Rhimes's addictive approach to romance.
Top Boy
Speaking of British dramas, Top Boy is London's answer to The Wire. Every few years it goes viral when it comes back on Netflix. Catch up now and don't be surprised if you find yourself incorporating London slang into your day.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
The Spider-Verse animated Spider-Man movies follow Miles Morales, the Black, Brooklyn spiderman, as he travels across multiple dimensions. The most recent 2023 installment is a heart-wrenching journey that will thrill and surprise you, then leave you begging for part three.
Swarm
Donald Glover's partnership with Amazon Studios is bringing us a TV remake of Mr & Mrs Smith this year. Until then, enjoy Swarm, starring Dominique Fishback. Fictionalizing the fervor of Beyonce's Beyhive, it's a satirical thriller about fandom.
Black Cake
Based on The New York Times-bestselling book by Charmaine Wilkerson, Black Cake is a generational-spanning family drama wrapped in a murder mystery about a woman whose children unravel the mystery of her life from the Caribbean to America.
High Fidelity
Zoe Kravitz, the ultimate cool girl, stars in one of my favorite shows ever — another Black-led show that was canceled after one season. A rework of the novel by Nick Hornby and the 2000 movie starring John Cusack, High Fidelity is a tumultuous story about one girl, the music she likes, and all her exes. It also stars Da'Vine Joy Randolph, who is currently nominated across the awards circuit for her recent role in The Holdovers.
Genius: MLK/X
After the hit that was Hulu's Genuis: Aretha, the series is back with a story about Martin Luther King and Malcom X. This docu-series explores the work and personal lives of these two civil right figures without shying away from their personal figures and spotlighting the contributions of the women in their lives and in the movement.
The Color Purple
A cinematic feat, this 2023 musical adaptation features a powerhouse cast of: Halle Bailey, Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, and more. You're going to want to see this in theaters.
The Little Mermaid
Halle Bailey brought new life to this fairy tale and its soundtrack. Balance the heavier content you consume this month with this tale (no pun intended) of hope and love.
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