Parks & Recreation: April Ludgate, The Secretly Optimistic Cynic

Millennials (aka people born between 1981 and 1996) seem to be aging at a slower rate than previous generations… but no one agrees on why. Some say it’s because they’re just immature, dodging responsibilities and spending too much time on nostalgia. Others blame the rise of cosmetic procedures and the increased focus on looks in our social media focused world combined with the lack of access to the old school markers of “adulthood.” So let’s take a deeper look at this perceived collective youthfulness of millennials, and how cultural shifts have changed our image of adulthood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

10 Juni 202411min

The myth of Yoko Ono destroying The Beatles has persisted for decades. Anytime something goes wrong with a group of male musicians, there always seems to be a woman that catches the blame. In the years since Yoko was accused of ruining the biggest band of all time, many other women – in real life and on screen – have gotten caught up in the same trope of the evil woman who slides in and breaks up the otherwise happy group. But, of course, there’s always more to the story. So let’s take a deeper look at the true story of Yoko and The Beatles, why the trope has continued to be so pervasive, and how we’re finally starting to leave it in the past. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 Juni 202411min

Euphoria’s Maddy Perez is the ultra confident queen bee of Euphoria High, and for two seasons the universe seemingly continually tries to destroy her sense of self. But Maddy has no problem fighting back against anyone or anything that tries to shake her confidence. Her story is a rollercoaster of ups and downs, and we can learn a surprising amount about staying true to yourself and not letting the hard times derail you from her refusal to give up. So let’s take a look back at Maddy’s outlook on life, loyalty, and confidence, and how in the end she was so right about pretty much everything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

6 Juni 202413min

Go to http://factormeals.com/thetake50 and use code thetake50 to get 50% off your first box plus 20% off your next month! Hit Man seemed to have all of the makings of a hit summer movie: a rising star leading man, a magnetic lead actress, a beloved director, a successful festival run, and great reviews. Then it got bought by Netflix and… completely fell off the radar. It was released in a handful of theaters this past weekend and is set to begin streaming this upcoming weekend, but… had you even heard about it before clicking on this video? Why is it that this film, with all of its great elements and mix of romance and action and comedy – all the kinds of things people love seeing on screen seems to have completely had the wind taken out of its sails right when it’s meant to be taking off? The problem, it seems, isn’t with Hit Man at all, but rather is a much larger issue keeping good movies from actually being able to find their audience. So let’s take a deeper look at Hit Man itself (including how much of it is actually based on the real life events of the story) and how the budding mid-budget movie renaissance could save Hollywood if studios would stop blocking their own bag. (And don’t worry, no major spoilers for the film!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 Juni 202412min

Gilmore Girls’ Rory is a beloved Smart Girl icon, and was the kind of girl so many of the girls watching at home wanted to be when the show began airing. But, given that Gilmore Girls follows Rory as she evolves through young adulthood, it’s not surprising that she had to learn the hard way that some of her outlook on life was totally wrong along the way. That doesn’t make her a bad person – messing up is a big part of growing up – but it does give us an interesting opportunity to take a look back and analyze what specifically about her personality and choices caused those issues, and how they affected her story (for better and worse.) So, let’s take a deeper look at some of the things even super smart Rory got wrong about life, love, and becoming your own person – and how they ended up being important lessons for Rory and viewers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

26 Maj 202412min

Being in your 30s used to mean that your life, finances, and job felt stable -- but things are often quite different nowadays. Movies & TV love showing the more secure side of things, but in recent years we've begun to see more characters on screen working to survive their very unstable 30s. Sometimes the lives of characters on screen in their 30s on screen can feel hilariously out of reach, but thankfully in recent years we’ve also started to get many more films and shows that are willing to get honest about what it’s like to be in your 30s now (the good *and* the less than stellar…) So what do movies and tv get right and wrong about life and finances in your 30s today? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

24 Maj 202411min

Go to http://zocdoc.com/THETAKE to download the Zocdoc app for free and book a top-rated doctor today. Amy Winehouse was a one-in-a-generation talent plagued by inner demons and tabloid-splashed controversy, but who through it all brought a spark of life and joy to the world and filled the airwaves with her incomparable voice and witty lyrics. The new biopic of the star, Back to Black, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and starring Marisa Abela was an opportunity to take a deeper examination of Amy’s inner life and her work, but instead seems mostly interested with a more surface level (and, in many cases, sanded down) look at the star’s life. So what did the film get right and wrong about Amy’s life and story? And why does it, in the end, totally fall flat as a biopic of such a larger than life, interesting person? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

21 Maj 202415min

From always having to look picture perfect even during the literal apocalypse, to “smartphone face” – aka actors who just look too modern to fit into period settings, to the rise of plastic surgery and other cosmetic procedures leading to so many people we see on screen starting to have nearly identical features, the effect of aesthetic trends has become more and more talked about in recent years. And while the expectation certainly isn’t that everything on screen has to be exactly true to real life all of the time – it is entertainment after all – it is interesting to take a deeper look at what drives these kinds of societal trends. The judgment is usually placed on the actresses themselves, but there is much more at play here. So let’s take a deeper look at the truth about these on screen trends, how they alter our viewing experiences, and can even affect how we see ourselves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11 Maj 202412min