Author: Stacie Kiselman

Michelle Buteau is an actress, comedian, and the voice behind Netflix’s ‘The Circle’. Her hit series, ‘Survival Of The Thickest’, will soon be available for a second season. And she recently made history when she became the first ever woman in history to host a comedy special at Radio City Hall. This special is now available to stream, also on Netflix. During the special, Buteau spoke heavily of being a mother to her kids, twins Otis and Hazel, who were born via surrogacy. What stood out the most, though, during her special was her slamming Dave Chappelle for his previous anti-trans stance during his own two previous Netflix Specials, 2021’s ‘The Closer’ and 2023’s ‘The Dreamer’. Chapelle spent a significant amount of time in each routine railing against trans people for existing and comparing the plights of Black people and LGBTQ people — as though Black LGBTQ people didn’t exist. And in her own Netflix special, after telling a raunchy joke about her lesbian friend, whom she calls the oracle, she paused to reflect on what she’d just done. Buteau exclaimed, ‘For the most part, we laughed. What I’m saying is it can be done. It can be done. We can tell jokes and stories and not disparage a whole community. We can do that; we can make it funny. You just have to work at it, right? So, if you guys ever run into Dave Chappelle, can you let him know that sh*t? I can’t believe somebody would make millions and millions of dollars for making people feel unsafe.’ This sparked a conversation on numerous topics of discussion, such as representation, minority groups, segregation, and toxic masculinity – and everything that that they have to do with one another. Here, we down Buteau’s slamming Dave Chappelle’s anti-trans jokes, explore the meaning behind the joke for people who are part of minority groups, and explain what it has to do with toxic masculinity and segregation. Let’s discuss…

Janel Parrish recently reprised her role as Margot, Lara Jean and Kitty Covey’s eldest sister Margot, on ‘XO, Kitty’, the spin-off series to the ‘To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before’ movie trilogy, when she made a cameo appearance in season 2’s 8th episode. The actress also starred in ‘Pretty Little Liars’, its spin-off series, ‘Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists’, as well as 2007’s ‘Bratz’. The movie was originally panned by critics and viewers alike, and is only now being recognized as a classic by Gen-Z. Not much was ever known of Parrish’s personal life. She married Chris Long in 2018, and that was all there was to it – until recently. Parrish made headlines in recent months when she revealed that she was diagnosed with endometriosis and underwent surgery. She then appeared on Sasha Pieterse’s, her co-star on ‘Pretty Little Liars,’ ‘Women In Nude’ podcast, where they shared their struggles with endometriosis and PCOS respectively. They shared their differences in how they were diagnosed with the illnesses. Parrish was diagnosed fairly quickly after she and her husband started trying for a baby, whereas Pieterse saw 17(!) specialists to get answers for her drastic 70 pounds weight gain at age 17 before being diagnosed with PCOS. This opened doors so many questions, such as the drastic gender bias in healthcare and the difference in how men and women are treated in healthcare and how men are actually the ones to blame for it. Here, we break down Parish’s words on mental health, explore how health is gender-biased, and explain how it compares to emotional rape. We do so by comparing Parrish’s journey of being diagnosed vs. her co-star, as well as analyze Brooke Shields’ own struggles in a society that doesn’t take women’s health seriously. Let’s discuss…

‘XO, Kitty’ is the new #1 hit series on Netflix. It’s a spin-off series to the ‘To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before’ movie franchise, and follows Kitty Song Covey, the youngest of the Covey sisters, as she moves to Korea to attend the fictional school KISS, Korean Independent School of Seoul, to be close to a boy, as well as to feel closer to her mom, who died when she was 3 years old. Kitty is the polar opposite to Lara Jean. Lara Jean is considered a nice, quirky and shy girl and who enjoys scrapbooking, fashion, especially Korean and vintage clothing, and baking. Kitty is described as being sharp, blunt, and loving. It was, in fact, Kitty, who challenged Lara Jean to face her fears in opening up in her relationship with Peter when Lara Jean was terrified to face the consequences had he rejected her. When Kitty arrived at KISS, she’s still that brave and confident young woman that she’s always been. Over time, however, she starts questioning her entire being as her relationships with those she loves and cares about at the school start to crumble due to her actions and words. Here, we break down her characterization and what makes Kitty so lovable, we explore the reasons why she was, in actuality, more intriguing than Lara Jean, as well as explain the significance of her relationship with Peter throughout the entire ‘To All The Boys’ franchise and its spinoff series. In Peter’s own words to Kitty, ‘You’re not minding your business landing me the love of my life.Kitty, you have this killer instinct.It is literally your superpower.So you gotta stop second guessing yourself. You are Kitty Song Freakin’ Covey. Don’t you forget it.’ Let’s discuss…

Tara Maclay was a fictional ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’ character that was first introduced in season 4. She was played by Amber Benson, and unintentionally, became the groundbreaking and beloved character that paved the way for the LGBTQ community and the way they’re portrayed in media today. Willow and Tara were one of the first lesbian couples seen on TV. They were seen at a time where lesbianism was seen as something to be ashamed of and needed to be hidden. It was at a time where Ellen DeGeneres payed a huge price in coming out as a lesbian on TV. Initially, Tara wasn’t meant to be Willow’s long-term girlfriend. She was initially supposed to be written as Willow’s new friend; a replacement to Oz after he left her, so to speak. Seth Green, who played Oz, wanted to leave the show early to concentrate on other opportunities. Tara became much more than just a fling and just a casual college girlfriend after Joss Whedon saw the undeniable chemistry between Alyson Hannigan and Amber Benson, the actors behind Willow and Tara. Tara was included in AfterEllen.com’s Top 50 Lesbian and Bisexual Characters, ranking at No. 15. As she became one of the most beloved and groundbreaking characters in the entire series, as well as an alie for the LGBTQ community, Tara was killed off in season 6, and Willow’s new girlfriend, Kennedy, became the most hated person in the entire series as soon as she was introduced. Whedon received a lot of backlash for the decision to kill Tara off, but he continually said that killing her off was necessary for the development of Willow’s character arc…And he’s actually right! Here, we break down Tara’s characterization from beginning to end, explore her relationship with Willow and its impact on the LGBTQ community and beyond, and explain why her death and Kennedy’s introduction made perfect sense, and not just for Willow’s character development. Let’s discuss…

Ted Hughes was a well-established writer and poet. To this day, he’s ranked as one of the best poets of his generation and one of the twentieth century’s greatest writers. The Times ranked Hughes fourth on its list of “The 50 greatest British writers since 1945, and was appointed Poet Laureate in 1984, a position he held until his death Though he was married to Carol Orchard for 28 years until his death, Ted Hughes’ personal life had endured many triumphs and tragedies. His first wife was Sylvia Plath, also a legendary writer that was ahead of her time. Her most notable work was her semi-autobiographical novel, ‘The Bell Jar’. The two separated after Hughes left Plath for another woman, Assia Wevill. Plath committed suicide in 1963 after suffering from a clinical depression for many years. Wevill ended up with the same fate 6 years later. She committed suicide in what is described as a ‘copycat suicide’ to that of Plath, as she chose the same exact manner of death as her. Not only did Wevill kill herself, but her daughter, Shura Hughes, as well. Though his daughter, Frieda, and his widow continually defended Hughes over the years, Hughes was seen as a murderer in the eyes of feminism. His daughter certainly had something to say to that. She labeled that as abuse in itself. She said in a 2015 interview with BBC, ‘I was appalled that something that happened in 1963 could be carried forward. What an easy way out for somebody to think, ’Yes, we’re right, we have got the real story, we know what really happened, and we are going to punish this complete stranger for something we weren’t around to witness, we know nothing about, but we’re the ones with the answer.’ For outsiders – because that’s what they are, outsiders – to make judgments that affect somebody in their life, for all of their life, is a sort of horrible form of theft. It’s an abuse.’ Here, we break down Ted Hughes’ 2 most defining relationships, explore how feminism almost destroyed him both in life and death, and thoroughly explain why he’s not to blame for their deaths. Let’s discuss…

Allison Holker is a dancer, social media personality, advocate, and the widow of Stephen ‘tWitch Boss, who unalived himself in December 2022 after a secret lifelong struggle with mental health. The entire world, including Holker herself, was shocked. No one ever knew that he was suffering. In the two years since his passing, Holker became an advocate for mental health, and in a way, she became the face of widowhood. Her resilience and strength became her mantra and part of her new public image. That all changed, however, when she did an interview for People magazine to promote her book, ‘This Far: My Story of Love, Loss, and Embracing the Light’. Since the interview aired, tWitch’s immediate family and friends have bashed Holker for the way she spoke of her deceased husband and the father of her children, including her older daughter, Weslie, who was adopted by twitch after he and Holker got married in 2013. This the question, is there a right or wrong way to grieve the loss of a spouse? The answer to this is very complex; as in there is no right or wrong way to grieve someone, but rather the right way to respect someone following their death and keeping their legacies alive. We answer this question by breaking down tWitch’s relationship with Holker, exploring Holker’s advocacy following his death, and explaining why she’s actually a venomous snake.

Dana Reeve was an actress, performer, and author. But she was also a mother and wife. She was married to ‘Superman’ actor, Christopher Reeve. Following his 1995 horse-riding accident that left the actor paralyzed from the neck down, Dana put her career on hold to care for him full-time. It’s weird to refer to Dana Reeve as just Christopher Reeve’s wife. She was so much more than that. Despite becoming his full-time caregiver, they were very much in love, and Dana said herself that she never felt like his nurse. She was still his wife. If there’s anyone in the world who took the saying ‘For better or worse; in sick and in health’ seriously during her wedding vows, it’s Dana Reeve. She’s the epiphany to the definition of love and care when life isn’t as bright as you thought it might be. She once said, ‘I learned a long time ago life just isn’t fair, so you better stop expecting it to be.’ And that’s true. Life ISN’T fair. When Christopher Reeve was ready to give up on life when he was at the hospital, it was the 7 simple words Dana said that changed his mind and his outlook on life. Following the accident, Christopher and Dana became advocates and brought much awareness to spinal cord injury. Following Christopher Reeve’s death in 2004, Dana created The Christopher Reeve Foundation, which was renamed The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research, and improving the quality of life for people living with paralysis through grants, information and advocacy. Here, we break down Christopher and Dana’s marriage, explain how they redefined ‘‘in sickness and in health”, and explore what their unconditional love means to couples today. We also bring you up-to-date on how Christopher and Dana’s kids are keeping their legacies alive 20 years later. Let’s discuss…

Shannen Doherty was an acclaimed actress of the 1990’s. Even if you never watched a single episode of ‘Beverly Hills 90210’, you know her as Brenda, the girl who got her heart broken by Dylan and Kelly. She then went on to star on ‘Charmed’ in 1998. Most of all, Doherty was known for her endless efforts in advocating and bringing as much awareness as she could to cancer, a deadly disease which eventually took her life on July 13, 2024. 1 day after her death, Doherty’s divorce from her photographer husband, Kurt Iswarienko, was finalized AT LAST. They were married for 11 years following his infertility. Her divorce being finalized after her death was a victory – to her, to her family, to her friends. It was a victory to her legacy. Getting divorced was something she tirelessly worked so hard for. She never stopped. She never stopped working on her goals. She never stopped working on her dreams. She always looked ahead for the future. She wasn’t ready to give up her fight with cancer. She wanted to do more. Now that she’s gone, it’s great to see that her work in advocacy and raising awareness hasn’t stopped. Her family, friends, and peers are keeping it alive through her podcast, ‘Let’s Be Clear With Shannen Doherty’. Here, we break down her life, career, and illness. We explore the demise of her marriage through the lens of an illness, and explain why it’s so crucial for women to protect themselves in a marriage. Let’s discuss…

Demi Moore recently won her first Golden Globe for her role in ‘The Substance’. This also marked to be her first EVER award in her career that’s spanned over 45 (!) years, with roles in movies such as ‘’Ghost, ‘G.I Joe’, ‘A Few Good Men’, and more. She was the highest paid actress in the 1990’s, and yet, she wasn’t ever recognized for her massive success. The same couldn’t be said about her ex-husbands. Specifically, about Bruce Willis and Ashton Kutcher. They won an endless amount of awards and received a huge amount of recognition for their work. They both even won Raspberry awards. Moore’s win was a pivotal moment in her career, and her speech was even more so pivotal. It highlighted a defining moment, and not just in the actress’s career, but in all women’s lives, especially ones in the workforce. It marked an understanding that Moore had become a victim of what too many women go through in their lives – being suffocated by the narrow and rigid stereotypes of how they should behave at work and that these outdated stereotypes hold them back. It also marked a truthful reality in why Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig weren’t recognized for their work on ‘Barbie’ at the 2024 Oscars despite the fact that Robbie was the producer of the mega film and Gerwig was the director, whereas Ryan Gosling, who played Ken, did. Here, we in the entertainment industry that’s spanned over 45 years. We break down Moore’s entire acceptance speech, explain what the acceptance speech means to women in the workforce, and explore what her win means to women everywhere – no matter what age. Let’s discuss…

Sharpay Evans was probably the most hated character amongst teens of tweens of the 2000’s era who loved ‘High School Musical’ when it first came out in 2006. Now almost 19 years later, we revisit the character of Sharpay and see her in a much different light. Instead of seeing her as the villain of the story, we now see her as merely the victim, where instead, Troy and Gabriella, and even her twin brother, Ryan were the real villains of the story. Take the fact that Troy and Gabriella were never even sure if they wanted to be a part of the musical they were in competition for with Sharpay, whereas that was all that Sharpay ever really wanted for herself. They even ditched the high school play for other endeavours, and it was Sharpay who saved the day, not them, in the end. Troy and Gabriella had other interests that weren’t musical theatre. For them, it was all just a hobby. For Sharpay, it was her LIFE. With all that being said, the ‘High School Musical’ trilogy robbed Sharpay of achieving everything that she deserved. Luckily, she was redeemed in her own spinoff movie, ‘Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure’, which really put a depth into her character arc, and show med just how strong-minded she really was. Here, we break down Sharpay Evans’ character arc throughout the entire ‘High School Musical’ movie series, explain why she’s not your typical pretty, blonde, spoiled rich girl, and instead, a girl who’s not to be messed with, and predict why Peyton from the spinoff series was so important to Sharpay’s story. We then also compare Sharpay’s story to that of Rachel Berry’s from ‘Glee’, analyze what the two have in common, and what the two characters, as well as the actresses behind them, represent. Let’s discuss…