August, 2024 - The Graceful Boon

Justin Baldoni: What Are The Things That Shape A Man To Become A Real Man And Man Enough?

With the release of the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel, ‘It Ends With Us’, all people are talking about is Blake Lively’s mean girl tactics, her and Hoover’s tone deaf promotional tour, and her rumored feud with director and co-star, Justin Baldoni. The two have been doing two separate promotional tours for the film, and it feels as though they had two totally different films come out. But Baldoni is the only one who’s doing his job right in bringing advocacy and awareness to the movie’s subject matter. But it’s not just an act for the film. He’s always been an activist for important matters such as disability, illness, sexual assault, and more. His 2018 TED TALK presentation was all about what it is that really makes a man man enough, and it got me thinking of my own son’s future. Let’s discuss…

It Ends With Us: When Greed Takes Over And The Real Message Of Your Art Is Lost

‘It Ends With Us’ is a new movie starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. The two actors were also heavily involved in making the film come to life. Lively produced. Baldoni directed. The movie is an adaptation of the book of the same name by Colleen Hoover. She initially wrote the book to understand her mother, as to why she didn’t leave her abusive father. The intention was pure in creating such art, but greed took over and turned it into a Barbie fest promo-mania. Hoover and Lively were on the same page. Baldni, on the other hand, went on an entirely different path to promote the film. Instead of tagging it as a typical girly rom-com movie, he tagged it as a movie for all the Lily Blooms. It became a battle, and that’s when everything went downhill from there. Let’s discuss…

Dan Schneider: What Having A Male Leader Who Brings Toxicity And Abuse To The Workplace Can Do To Children, Women, and Men Alike

Dan Schneider created Nickelodeon TV shows that seemed to be absolutely timeless. ‘iCarly’, ‘Zoey 101’, ‘Victorious’; you name it. He was on top of the world; but it all came crashing down in 2018 when he was fired from the kids network. And earlier this year, ‘Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV’ aired, and we learned more of Schneider’s unacceptable behaviour in the workplaces; more specifically, towards children and women. Things weren’t rainbows and sunshine behind-the-scenes when Schneider was in leadership, and it had big effects on those involved. Though Schneider was eventually fired, it proved to be too late. Careers were destroyed. Lives were crushed. Nothing was ever the same, and there wasn’t a chance to repair any of it for anyone involved – children, women, and even men alike. Let’s discuss…

Jennette McCrudy: The Long-lasting Effects Parent-To-Child Abuse Can Have On You

When you think of Nickelodeon, you probably think of Dan Schneider, the man behind shows such as ‘Zoey 101’, ‘Victorious’, and ‘iCarly’. But you could also think of Jennette McCrudy, who played Sam Puckett on ‘iCarly’ between 2007 and 2012. McCrudy has since quit acting to peruse her love of writing. She released her autobiographical book, ‘I’m Glad My Mom Died’ in 2022. The title is pretty self explanatory. It’s a tale of the former child star’s troubled childhood at the hands of her mother, who died of breast cancer in 2013. It’s a tale of how McCrudy was forced into doing something she didn’t love because it was something her mother selfishly wanted for herself. It’s a tale of what parent-to child abuse can do to someone in adulthood and beyond. Let’s discuss…

Vanessa Hudgens: A Hardworking Woman Only For Others To Be Invested In Anything But Her Work

Vanessa Hudgens is a force to be reckoned with. She’s a singer, actress, businesswoman, a wife, and a new mother. She’s been working since she was 9 years old, and her career is thriving. She got her big break in 2006’s ‘High School Musical’, and her filmography is growing without any sight of stopping. But instead of being recognized for her talent and work ethic, the public has concentrated more on invading her privacy and personal life. With that said, I wanted to dispute the notion on why this should ever be changing, for her and all women around the world, famous or not. Let’s discuss…

Bella Thorne: How The Mind Of A Sexual Trauma Survivor Really Works

Bella Thorne is an American singer and actress, and yes, a Disney alum. Those who grew up in the 2010’s will recognize her from ‘Shake It Up’. During her Disney days, as a 10 year old young girl, she’d already been sexualized. But that’s not the worst thing that ever happened to her, according to Thorne herself. Between the ages of 6 and 14, she’d been sexually abused by someone who she and her family thought of as practically one of their own. THAT was the worst thing that happened to her. Since opening up about her trauma, she heavily spoke about how that part of her life affected her entire being.
It’s something all sexual trauma survivors should read. Let’s discuss…

Dove Cameron & Ryan McCartan: The Real Toxicity (And Fakeness) Of The Girl and The Dreamcatcher

Dove Cameron and Ryan McCartan were Disney’s It couple between 2013 and 2016. Kids loved them. Kids wanted to have what they had. Kids wanted to be them. But it was all fake. The love wasn’t fake, but their perfection was fake. It was all brought to you by the Disney Machine. They were anything but perfect, both as individuals and as a couple. They were toxic, but not because they’re bad people. They might’ve been the definition of ‘right person, wrong time’. Dove McCartan previously said her ex was horrible to her, and I believe her. But he’s not a horrible person. Let’s discuss…

Jenn Fredericks: Did You Know That Stressed Is Dessert Spelled Backwards?

The Graceful Boon is all about women’s issues, but more specifically, it’s all about women’s health. But health isn’t just about physical health, but emotional and mental health as well. And did I mention chronic too? Chronic health correlates with both emotional and mental health, and I’m here to tell you exactly how with the help of our wonderful guest writer, Jenn Fredericks. I’d gone through a health hiccup in the last few months that affected all three aspects of my health, and stress, or rather my response to stress triggered it. When Jenn told me she had this wonderful idea for a blog post, I saw it as the perfect opportunity. So without further ado…