The Graceful Boon

A Guide To Women's Issues

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Michelle Trachtenberg: How Her Death Could Be Compared To That Of Chadwick Boseman – And What Her Privacy Being Breached Following Her Death Tells Us Of Our Lack Of Empathy And Compassion Towards Women

Michelle Trachtenberg was a an actress most beloved by the millennial generations and audiences alike, with works of art such as in ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’, ‘EuroTrip’, and ‘Gossip Girl’ included in her resume. She had the IT factor in the 2000’s. And yet, it suddenly diminished in the 2000’s following her portrayal as Georgina Sparks on ‘Gossip Girl’. The actress was so busy at the time that she was forced to back out of two major projects – 2003’s ‘Thirteen’ and 2008’s ‘Twilight’. Following her stint on ‘Gossip Girl, nothing she ever did even compared to anything she did in the decade prior. Mostly, she did guest stints and television movies that never saw much success or acclaim. It was very obvious that Trachtenberg was nutritiously private. Throughout her entire career, she very rarely shared much insight about her personal life, let alone her health. There are many reasons why celebrities will share insights to their health struggles. In the last year of her life, social media users took notice of her changing appearance, and voiced their concerns for her health, to which she responded with, ‘Explain to me how I look sick. Did you lose a calendar and not realize I’m not 14. I’m 38. How sad for you to leave such a comment. Happy and healthy.’ We all wanted to believe it. But then, on February 26, she died. It was revealed that Trachtenberg underwent a liver transplant months prior. And suddenly, the privacy that the actress was trying so hard to maintain in her life was breached her death – by her friends and even those that barely knew her. Instead of focusing on her legacy and the great work she left behind, the details of her death and health struggles, as well as her Judaism, became the main focus of her story. Here, we compare Michelle Trachtenberg’s death to that of Chadwick Boseman, we explore the public scrutiny she went through in her life and death, and we explain her choice and need for privacy in her life, and what the breach of that privacy tells us about our overall lack of empathy and compassion for women. Let’s discuss…

Scarlett Johansson: How Her Time Portraying Black Widow Represented Sexism In The Workplace – And What We Can All Take Away From The Witnessed Time And Energy She Spent Fighting For Women’s Equal Rights

Scarlett Johansson has been working in the entertainment industry since she was 10 years old. Her most definitive role, however, was Black Widow in the MCU universe. This is a role that she played for over 10 years. Finally – after 11 years – Black Widow got her own solo superhero movie. Times were different. Hollywood was different. And most certainly, Marvel was different. Hollywood has only recently been investing in female-led superhero movies, which is actually so embarrassing. Other movies with female superheroes in leading roles are ‘Wonder Woman’, ‘Birds Of Prey’, ‘Supergirl’, ‘Elektra’, ‘Catwoman’, and ‘Kill Bill’. Fairly few of these movies failed to top box office charts. ‘Black Widow’, in particular, is considered to be a flop, as it generated only $379.8 million over a $288.5 million budget. Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow portrayal began at a time where female superheroes were the supporting characters. She was practically the only female superhero in the MCU. Between 2010 and 2019, she appeared in a total of 7 movies. Black Widow’s character has helped pave the way for other female superheroes. Historically, she was the first-ever female superheroes in DC Comics, and the most popular one. Ever since her debut in 1941, she’s been hailed a feminist icon. Her creator is William Moulton Marston, a psychologist and a feminist. He pictured her as an undisputed leader of the world, hence her portrayal as a woman of unparalleled power. Here, we breakdown the sexism Scarlett Johansson faced in her career, we explore what Black Widow represented to women everywhere, and explain what we can all learn from Scarlett Johansson’s fight for equality. Let’s discuss…

Shiri Bibas: Why Her Family’s Story Is So Significant In The Telling Of The Israel-Hamas Conflict And The October 7 Massacre – And What Ariel and Kfir’s Manner Of Death Says About Hamas’ Cruelty

In Canada alone, data showed in 2024 that the Jewish community victimized in 70% of all religion-motivated hate crimes in Canada. This is telling, especially considering the Jewish community represents only 1% of the Canadian population. This is since the October 7 massacre that left 1,200 people dead and 251 people taken hostage. Four of these people included the Bibas family – Yarden, Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas. Shiri’s parents, Yossi and Margit Silberman were murdered on October 7, with their bodies only being found 3 weeks later. The family dog was also murdered that day. Yarden was taken hostage separately from his wife, Shiri Bibas, and two children, 4 year old Ariel and 9 month old Kfir. Yarden was separated from his family after he was trying to distract his captors from taking Shiri and the boys away. For 16 long and agonizing months, the Jewish nation – in Israel and around the world – were hoping and praying that Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir were still alive. But on February 20 2025, all hope was lost as their bodies were returned to Israel. Everyone around the world should’ve been moved by the story of the Bibas family. Kfir’s face, in particular, became a symbol of the conflict because it represented a line that had been crossed and cannot be uncrossed. How much does one have to hate Jews to side with the monsters who kidnap and murder babies? A lot, and it’s become impossible for the rest of us to pretend that we didn’t see our society, whether in person or online, rush to cross that line and cheer the people who kidnapped and murdered a baby. Here, we break down the events of the October 7 massacre, explore the events thereafter, and explain why Shiri’s story is so significant in the telling of the Israel-Hamas conflict . This is OUR reality. This is OUR story. Let’s discuss…

Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds: Breaking Down Their Genius Marketing Strategy Throughout The Years – And How Their Cockiness Is Now Hurting Their Reputation And Legal Battle

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds recently made their first public appearance of the year at SNL 50. This also marked their first public appearance since Lively’s complaint and lawsuit filing against Justin Baldoni, her ‘It Ends With Us’ co-star, director and producer, as well as since Baldoni filed a countersuit against and Reynolds for a whopping $400 million. Justin Baldoni has been trying to clear his name since the accusations, all while Blake Lively is continuing to make accusations against him and editing out her evidence while she’s at it. And Ryan Reynolds – he’s just making jokes about the matter. Lively sued Baldoni in December 2024 and accused him of a toxic work environment, sexual misconduct and sexual harassment. Baldoni filed countersuits against Lively, Reynolds, and The New York Times. The thing about Lively is that she’s the type of woman who always wants to be in control. She always needs to be right. She always needs to maintain her ‘perfection’. She always needs to look good. And she needs to have everyone around her on HER side. Baldoni never had a history in his entire career of anyone complaining about his work ethic and professionalism. In fact, the opposite. All of his co-workers, peers and employees have done nothing but praise him. Lively, on the other hand, has been questioned time of her work ethic and professionalism in her entire 20-year career. We’re only now just seeing because of what we’ve witnessed throughout the ‘It Ends With Us’ saga. And yet, Lively has the upper hand in the case. She has powerful people around her. She has more connections. She has more reasons for people to want to be on her side as it would benefit their own businesses. Up until this very point, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively were considered to be ‘The Golden Couple’. The public couldn’t get enough of them. They were dreamy. They were fun. Here, we analyze Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ genius marketing strategy that they utilized in the past decade that helped them become a massive success beyond their work as actors. More so, we break down their entire business plan, explore the tactics used for ‘It Ends With Us’, and explain how this strategy is now hurting their reputation and ongoing legal battle against Baldoni.

Kim Sae-ron: How Her Suicide Represents The Harsh Truth Of The Sexist Public Scrutiny Women Face In South Korea For Simply Living – And What It Says About The Stigma Surrounding Mental Health In South Korea?

It was recently reported that Korean actress Kim Sae-ron passed away due to suicide. She was found deceased by her friend, who had plans to see her that day, on February 16. She was only 24 at the time of her death. And yet, the Korean community felt that they’d known her forever. After all, she’d been in the entertainment industry since she was 9 years old. Her first role was an orphan called Jinhee in the 2009 drama, ‘A Brand New Life’, which earned her international acclaim. She followed it up with another memorable performance in the action-thriller, ‘The Man from Nowhere’, which cemented her as a rising star. Some of her other memorable roles include ‘The Neighbor’ (2012), ‘A Girl at My Door’ (2014), as well as the drama series ‘Mirror of the Witch’, which first aired for 20 episodes starting in 2016. Sae-ron then stepped away from her acting career after she was caught driving under the influence of alcohol in May 2022. The once popular star crashed her car into a guardrail, trees and a transformer during the incident in southern Seoul, which caused a temporary power outage in the area. She was fined a sum equaling about $15,000 for the incident in April 2023. Simultaneously, Sae-ron attempted to resume her career and return to the limelight by starring in a play, ‘Dongchimi’, but after she was met with backlash, she dropped out of the project due to health issues. Her hiatus finally came to an end in 2023 with Netflix’s series, ‘Bloodhounds’. However, much of her screen time was edited out in the wake of her accident, as well as the surrounding controversy. More Korean public figures ended their lives in recent years, such as Jonghyun, Sulli and Goo Hara. as well as Moonbin and Lee Sun-kyun, These suicides that we’ve seen in recent years in Korea are not isolated incidents, Here, we break down Kim Sae-Ron’s entire career, beginning at the age of 9 up to her death, we explore reasons for her downfall following her DUI arrest that led to her untimely death, we analyze more celebrity death in the K-Pop world, and we compare the harsh world of South Korean’s entertainment industry to the lesser public scrutiny celebrities face at the hands of Hollywood. Let’s discuss…

Bridget Jones: How Her Love Story With Mark Darcy Could Be Compared To That Of Carrie Bradshaw And Mr. Big – And How Their Lives Are The Same, And Yet Different All At The Same Time

Earlier this month, Renée Zellweger graced us all with the fourth and final (hopefully) instalment of ‘Bridget Jones’ Diary’, a movie franchise based on the book series by Helen Fielding. The first book, and it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Since Zellweger was cast to play Bridget in the first film adaptation in 2001, the actress has since become the global face that everyone associates with the character. The actress took the role very seriously. She gained 30 pounds to play the role of Bridget in 2001’s ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’. The first ‘Bridget Jones’ film was a cult classic, but let’s just get one thing clear: Bridget Jones wasn’t fat. She was just a normal size that was scrutinized by society’s standards of what a woman should look like, especially during the time when the movie was made. Richard Curtis, who directed the films, has said that he was “stupid and wrong” to use fat jokes about Bridget. The films were criticized for perpetuating unhealthy diet culture and the idea that thinness is the only ideal. Some say that the portrayal of Bridget’s weight obsession was harmful and internalized by many young women. The entire premise of the first film was that Bridget was self-conscious and insecure about her weight, and labeled herself as unworthy of men because of it. She suddenly caught the attention of her boss, Daniel Cleaver. But then he cheated on her with a woman who was younger and thinner than the very lovable and kind Bridget. And then came Mark Darcy, the man she’d known since they were kids and never had anything kind to say to her nor about her. Suddenly, out of the blue, he told her that he liked her, just as she was. They embarked on a years long on-and-off romance. Here, we discuss why their romance wasn’t actually as glamorous as it seemed. In fact, we’re here to compare Bridget’s romance with Mark to that of Carrie Bradshaw and Mr. Big. We’re also here to explore Bridget’s entire character arc throughout the movie franchise, compare it to Carrie Bradshaw’s, and explain why stories like Bridget Jones’ and Carrie Bradshaw’s NEED to be told. Let’s discuss…

Charlotte York: All The Reasons Why She And Trey MacDougal Were Wrong For Each Other – And How Their Marriage Became The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Her

‘Cheers to the end of my desperate-to-be-married single woman phase!’ – exactly what Charlotte York would say when she finally met the man of her dreams – Trey MacDougal, the heart surgeon who had everything she ever wanted in a husband: the looks, the job, the money. In Trey, she finally found her ‘Prince Charming’. The couple got engaged within a month of meeting each other, and married by season’s end. Charlotte did everything that was expected of her by societal pressures of what it meant to be a woman and a wife, especially by such high class. Soon after, however, Charlotte realized that the life she’d always dreamed of and the life she’d always envisioned for herself wasn’t actually the life she wanted. Charlotte was so focused on finding ‘The One’ that she forgot about what actually mattered, which was the actual marriage and building a life with the person she loved. Her marriage to Trey seemed to be a matter of convenience. She was a woman in her 30’s and her clock was ticking. That being said, the process of having a child became an obsession for Charlotte in her marriage, and she was more focused on having a baby with Trey than making the marriage work. Trey was a heart surgeon in his 40’s who wanted to get married because it was what was expected of him by societal norms. Nevertheless, they truly tried to make it work; especially Charlotte. The thing about Trey is that he really wasn’t a bad guy. He just wasn’t right for Charlotte. Here, we talk about how her marriage to Trey MacDougal, and how it led Charlotte to the life she didn’t necessarily want, but certainly deserved; the life we see her now live with Harry, her divorce lawyer, and their two children. We break down Charlotte’s entire relationship with Trey, explore what and who led to their divorce, and explain why this marriage was actually exactly what she needed. We then try to figure out whether us, modern women, can learn anything from Charlotte’s marriage to Trey. For context, it’s to never force anything and always keep an open mind. Let’s discuss…

Jessica Alba: How Her Relationship with Cash Warren Was Doomed From The Start – And How It Could Be Compared To That Of Miranda And Steve From ‘Sex And The City’

Earlier this year, Jessica Alba announced that she was separating from her husband of 16 years, Cash Warren, an American film producer and assistant to ‘Fantastic Four’ and ‘Taxi’ director, Tim Story. He’s also the son of Michael Warren, a retired actor and former college basketball player. The former couple were together for 20 years and had 3 children. After news broke that the two were headed for a divorce, Alba released the following statement on her Instagram, ‘I’ve been on a journey of self realization and transformation for years – both as an individual and in partnership with Cash. I’m proud of how we’ve grown as a couple and in our marriage over the last 20 years and it’s now time for us to embark on a new chapter of growth and evolution as individuals. We are moving forward with love and kindness and respect for each other and will forever be family. Our children remain our highest priority and we request privacy at this time.’ To some, their break up was a surprise. But, in actuality, their relationship was doomed from the very start, and it’s very surprising that they lasted this long to begin with. In hindsight, their marriage is very similar to that of Miranda and Steve from the ‘Sex And The City’ franchise. Here, we analyze Jessica Alba’s marriage to Cash Warren, and compare it to that of Steve and Miranda, as well as contrast it to the likes of Carrie and Mr. Big and Samantha and Smith. We explore their relationship from beginning to end, break down their respective careers, and explain why they were doomed from the start – just like Miranda and Steve. And you’re probably wondering what Miranda and Steve have anything to do with Jessica Alba and Cash Warren. Actually, a lot. They’re practically the same couple, and they didn’t work out for exactly the same reasons. If there’s anything we can learn from the ‘Sex And The City’ franchise, it’s that there’s absolutely no such thing as a happy ending. Let’s discuss…

Natasha Naginsky: How She Became The Most Beloved Character On ‘Sex And The City’ – And Getting To Understand All The Reasons Why Mr. Big Chose Her Over Carrie

Natasha Naginsky was a recurring character on ‘Sex And The City’, played by Bridget Moynahan. Natasha was very much hated when her storyline first unfolded as she was the main antagonist in Carrie’s love story with Mr. Big, who married Natasha after a 5 month courtship even though he was adamant with Carrie that he was afraid of committing to anyone. In a recent interview with Swoon, Moynahan reflected on her Character arc on ‘Sex And The City’. She said, ‘Over the years, people have found when they first saw it, they were hating on Natasha. But as they grew up, they’re like, ‘We were all Carrie at the time, but we should have been supporting Natasha.’ That’s just interesting that fans grew with the show and matured with the show,” Moynahan continued. “I think that’s what’s kind of so great about the show coming back in a new form is that they’ve matured, and now you have a whole new set of fans coming up, and it’s just nice to see how it keeps growing.’ As viewers, we were meant to believe that Natasha was the villain. Mainly, it was because the story was told through Carrie’s point of view, and that was problematic in itself. Natasha was portrayed as a young, seemingly perfect woman who quickly married Mr. Big, a character many fans were rooting for Carrie to end up with. Natasha was an undeniable class act, and she had far more maturity, emotional intelligence, and confidence in herself at 25 than Carrie ever did at 35. Carrie knew next to absolutely nothing about Natasha except for the fact that Mr. Big married her when adamantly told Carrie he was afraid of commitment. And yet, she referred to Natasha as the ‘idiot stick figure with no soul.’ As soon as she saw Mr. Big with the much younger Natasha after he’d left her for Paris, Carrie’s view of herself was lowered, and she took it out on Natasha, when in actuality, it was Mr. Big who was to blame for all of this; NOT Natasha. She was merely a bystander. Here, we break down Natasha’s entire character arc from beginning to end, explore the drastic differences between her and Carrie, and thoroughly explain why Mr. Big chose Natasha over Carrie. Let’s discuss…

Gal Gadot: An In-Depth Analysis Of The Israel-Hamas Conflict Happening Right Now – And Can Two Coworkers With Different Political Views Still Have A Cordial Working Relationship?

Gal Gadot got her start in the entertainment industry when Vin Diesel hired her to star in the fourth instalment of ‘Fast & Furious’. Diesel initially hired her to play the role of Gisele for the reason that she served in the Israeli army. Since then, Gadot’s most notable one, though was Wonder Woman in ‘Justice League’, as well as her own two movies, which co-starred Chris Pine. While making ‘Justice League, Gadot had to endure working for Joss Whedon, the now disgraced writing genius who apparently hates women and all other minority groups. Gadot will also star in the newest adaptation of ‘Snow White’, which will also star Rachel Zegler in the title role. The movie will be released next month. When the trailer for the movie was first posted on social media, users were very divided, and so were the two actresses. And no, I’m not speaking on being divided on whether the movie will be a success or not. I’m talking about the war that is happening and the Israel-Hamas conflict that’s happening right now. Gadot is, of course, supporting Israel, and is very vocal of her support for her country; for our country. She previously wrote on Instagram, ‘My heart breaks. My country is at war. I worry for my family, my friends. I worry for my people. This is a vicious cycle that has been going on far too long. Israel deserves to live as a free and safe nation. Our neighbours deserve the same. I pray for the victims and their families, I pray for this unimaginable hostility to end, I pray for our leaders to find the solution so that we could live side by side in peace. I pray for better days.’ Gadot was one of the 700 entertainment leaders who wrote an open letter in support of Israel. Rachel Zegler, her co-star in ‘Snow White’ on the other hand, added a #FreePalestine tag in her promotion of the trailer, which had 4.7 million views. Here, we speak of rhetorical two actresses’ differences in their political views in the Israel-Hamas conflict that is happening right now. We thoroughly explain the conflict, from the very beginning to now, and explore whether success or failures in work is inevitable when two coworkers have two conflicting views in politics. Let’s discuss…

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