Blog Post - The Graceful Boon

According To Greta: Why Greta’s Story Is One Every Teenage Girl Should See – And How It Chronicled The Realities Of Trauma, Depression, And Suicide

Hilary Duff recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of the release of her album, Breathe In. Breathe Out. It was her last album to date, and probably 4 people bought it in the entire world. It wasn’t bad. But it wasn’t great either, especially considering that there was already so much more competition in place even back then than when she started out in the 2000’s, with the likes of Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, and more. In more recent years, she’s concentrated on her acting career, but she’s always been an actress first, singer second. She’s been acting since her Lizzie McGuire days in the early 2000’s. Being a fan of Duff reminded me more of her lesser-known work, particularly the 2009 film, According To Greta, where she plays…Greta. Here, we break down the movie’s complete storyline. We explain why this little movie is actually one that every teenage girl should see, even now, 16 years after it was released. And we explore how it chronicled the realities of trauma, depression and suicide in the eyes of a young, rebellious teen who just wants to feel like she belongs. Let’s discuss…

Forget You Not: What Le-Le’s Journey Of Self-Discovery And Starting Her Life Over In Her 40’s Tells Other Women About Their Own Lives – And What Her Parents’ Past Mistakes And Choices Have To Do With It

Forget You Not is a 2025 Netflix Taiwanese drama series. It follows Cheng Le-le, a woman in her 40’s who’s rediscovering herself as she navigates her life as a caregiver to her aging father. In the midst of a new career path, Le-Le takes us on a trip through her life in the past and present, and we get to see how the two correlate with one another. We see the break down of her marriage, and we see her complex relationships with her parents through flashbacks and THEIR individual impact on her life in the present day. Her mother struggled with postpartum depression and left the family when Le-ale was 10. Her father was too busy working and providing for her to be the attentive father she needed. Here, we take a deep dive into Le-Le’s life as a woman in her way to rediscover who she is and start over in her 40’s. We explore what how her parents impacted her entire life’s story in more ways than she realized. And we explain what all women everywhere can take away from Le-Le’s journey. Let’s discuss…

Chappell Roan: Why Motherhood IS Actually Hell – And Why The Decision To A Live Child-Free Life Should Be Normalized

Chappell Roan recently said, ‘All of my friends who have kids are in hell. I actually don’t know anyone who’s like happy and has children at this age.’ Mothers everywhere were extremely unhappy with this comment. They shamed and scrutinized the singer for making such a bold statement. But… she was only speaking the truth: motherhood IS, in fact, hell. We’re here to break down all the reasons why. We exlplore how Roan was absolutely right in her opinion on motherhood. And we explain why living a child-free life should be normalized. Let’s discuss…

Kourtney Kardashian: The Real Problem With Today’s School System – And What We Can Do To Change It

Kourtney Kardashian recently appeared on her sister’s Khloe new podcast, Khloe In Wonder Land, where she spoke on her side of their shared home life, how she raises her 4 kids, and the school system. She asked Khloe, ‘Why do kids go to school?’ Khloe agreed, and said that she’s all for home-schooling. Many found this question almost offensive. But she actually had a valid point, and we’re here to help break it all down by analyzing the real problem with the school system and find solutions to what we can do to better our kids’ education. Let’s discuss…

Megan Fox: The One Who Told Women To Stop Listening To Patriarchy Because They Are ‘Eternal Light Beings’ – How Kim Kardashian Proved She Was Right

Megan Fox recently broke her social media hiatus when she posted an Instagram story, her first following the birth of her daughter with Machine Gun Kelly, born in March. The story read, ‘38 years old. Six weeks pregnant (unplanned but a happy surprise). Please stop listening to the patriarchy. Women are eternal light beings. Women don’t have an expiration date. Don’t let them take your power from you.’ In the video, made by a fan, Fox was seen giggling around and being silly, wearing a cropped shirt and pleated skirt. Fox’s ‘comeback’ was strong and empowering to women and girls everywhere around the world. It struck a chord with them. Her transparency took back the narrative that women are on a timeline. It was her addressing some of the negative comments she received, particularly those related to her age and the “unplanned” nature of the pregnancy. Though she was, for the most part, talking about becoming a mother in that particular post, the words could resonate with ALL women; not just those who eager to become mothers at a ‘later’ age. Fox’s words highlighted the broader concept of women’s power and autonomy, reminding women that they are not defined by their ability to reproduce or their perceived biological clock. She did more than tell women not to worry about the baseless timeline that was invented by society. She encourages women to trust their own instincts and not let external pressures dictate their lives; in more than just fertility and having children as a whole. It put an emphasis that women aren’t, or at least shouldn’t be, defined by their roles as mothers, wives, or any other societal label. Her message empowers women to define their own values and live their lives on their own terms. Here, we break down Megan Fox’s message to women to its entirety and relate to the historic worldviews on women. We explore what Kim Kardashian (and Kris Jenner) has to do with it all. And we explain what ALL women can take away from Fox’s message. Let’s discuss…

Shauna Rae: How The World Views Disabled Women In Their Reproductive Health And Motherhood Practices – And What Changes Need To Be Made In Oder To Make Disabled Lives Easier

Shauna Rae is a young woman in her 20’s; a reality star who went viral for her appearance. After having gone through growth hormones on-and-off, she was ultimately diagnosed with pituitary dwarfism at the age of sixteen, a side-effect of her brain cancer and subsequent chemotherapy. Rae had a form of cancer as a young child, which stunted the growth of her pituitary gland. It resulted in pituitary dwarfism, the condition that keeps her under 4 feet tall and appearing as a child. She’d been very open about the struggles she’s had to face in her day-to-day life due to the consequences of her illness. It’s hard to living and being part of a society that doesn’t fully accept your differences. It’s not so much as people’s unwillingness to learn; but more of the inability or lack of interest to unlearn something that they were made to believe for a long time. But one particular thing she’d had to grapple with is her inability to have children due to the treatments she underwent as a child; or better yet, due to the medical neglect she and her parents had endured. Here, we break down Shauna Rae’s life story of living with the disability. We explore how her infertility journey relates to the broken system of how the world views women with disabilities. And we explain what changes need to made in order to understand how the world can adapt to make lives easier for women with disabilities; not harder. Let’s discuss…

Lily Collins: Why Her Surrogacy Journey Was NOT Due To Her ‘Laziness’ To Get Pregnant – And Why One’s Personal Journey To Create Their ‘Dream Family’ Is Actually None Of Our Business

Women really can’t win these days. No matter what choice we make for ourselves, we’re going to get judged by society who views anything but the norm to be wrong. If we decide not to have children because we don’t want them, we’re judged. If we decide not to have children due to infertility, we’re judged. If we decide to go through IVF to help us get pregnant, we’re judged. If we decide to a surrogate, we’re judged. Lily Collins was one of those women to have been judged, when she and her husband, Charlie McDowell, announced the birth of their daughter in February, who was welcomed via surrogate. More than ever, we hear more and more women open up about going through IVF and surrogacy to have their children. Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Paris Hilton, Sarah Jessica Parker, Chrissy Teigen, Nicole Kidman, Rebel Wilson, Courtney Cox, Michelle Obama, Adrienne Bailon, Priyanka Chopra, Mariah Carey, Jamie Chung, Michelle Buteau, Erin Andrews, Kristen Wiig, Hilaria Baldwin, Olivia Munn, Gabrielle Union, Jordana Brewster, and more. A lot of these women have been open about their own personal choices and reasons as to why they went the scientific route into family planning. Collins herself never addressed the reason why she used a surrogate to welcome her daughter, and for that she’d been shamed and scrutinized. Here, we break down the exact reason why Lily Collins’ decision to use a surrogate was NOT due to her being lazy to be pregnant. We explore the subject of surrogacy and why it’s such a sacred process to have to go through. And we explain why it’s actually none of our business how others choose to love and create their dream families. Let’s discuss…

The Break-Up: Why The Breakup Between Brooke And Gary Was The Best Thing For Both Of Them – And Why They Weren’t Actually Meant To Be Together In The First Place

The Break-Up is a 2006 film starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston. It followed a couple, Gary and Brooke, in the aftermath of a messy breakup after years of being together. In a somewhat ironic twist of fate, Aniston was going through a real-life break up at the time of filming the movie in 2005, when she divorced Brad Pitt after he’d cheated on her with Angelina Jolie. She dated Vaughn for a short time thereafter. It was one particular scene between Brooke and Gary that was really cultivating; one where they break up. It was in the aftermath of them hosting a dinner party with their families. Gary came home, immediately sitting down on the couch to play video games. An exhausted Brooke walked into the living room, asking for Gary’s help to clean up the dishes. Gary, avoiding eye contact, continued to play his video games, insisting that they straighten up the kitchen in the morning because of how tired he was after work. In context, Brooke, had cleaned the entire apartment prior to the party as well as prepared the whole meal, all after a long day of working at an art gallery. Growing more frustrated, Brooke said, ‘Come on, Gary. You know I don’t like waking up to a dirty kitchen.’ Gary said, ‘Who cares?’ ‘I care,’ she responded. Rolling his eyes and tossing his controller, Gary said, ‘Fine, I’ll help you do the damn dishes.’ In defeat, Brooke said, ‘No, see? That’s not what I want,’ and walked off to do everything on her own. ‘I want you to want to do the dishes,’ she said, growing even more tired and frustrated with him. This was a pivotal moment right there. It was clear that this was an ongoing issue in the relationship between them. Brooke constantly taking care of Gary and giving her all to the relationship while getting nothing in return. Here, we break down Gary and Brooke’s entire relationship and what led to their breakup. We explore the mistakes both Gary and Brooke made in their relationship, as well as in the aftermath of their breakup, which ultimately resulted in them going their separate ways for good. And finally, we explain why Brooke and Gary weren’t meant for each other to begin with and why them breaking up was the best thing for them both. Let’s discuss…

Malec: How They Became The Most Powerful And Inspirational LGBTQ Love Story Ever Told On Television In Recent Years – And Why More Love Stories Such As This Need To Be Told

Malec – the fan abbreviation of the coupling between Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood, the LGBTQ coupling from Shadowhunters: Mortal Instrument, the TV series that was inspired by the book series by Cassandra Clare. The TV show, which originally aired between 2016 and 2019, was a spinoff series of the 2013 movie adaptation starring Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower. In the series, Malec is portrayed by Harry Shum Jr. as Magnus and Matthew Daddario as Alec. Personally speaking, Malec was the ONLY good thing about the show. In fact, the series was recognized for its positive LGBTQ portrayal by GLAAD Awards numerous times throughout its run, and rightfully so. The pairing challenged traditional views of gender roles and sexuality, showcasing a strong and loving relationship between two men. Additionally, their relationship provided a platform for exploring themes of prejudice and acceptance, as Magnus, a centuries-old warlock, navigated a world still grappling with Downworlder discrimination. Here, we break down Malec’s entire relationship from beginning to end, as seen in the series. We explore how they became the most powerful and inspiring LGBTQ+ pairing seen on TV in recent years. And we explain why more stories like theirs should be told in the future. Let’s discuss…

Anna Camp: A Deep Exploration Of The Newly High Rise In The Support And Acceptance Of The LGBTQIA+ Community – And Why Hate Crimes Still Exist To This Day

Anna Camp recently went public with her new relationship with stylist Jade Whipkey. This marks her first relationship with a woman, as she’d been previously only known to have been with men. She was previously married to Michael Mosley between 2010 and 2013 and Skyler Astin, her Pitch Perfect co-star, between 2016 and 2019. She was also in a 4+ year relationship with Michael Johnson. News of their breakup wasn’t ever confirmed until Camp went public with her new relationship with Whipkey. Camp, on her part, never came out as queer. She simply said during an interview released in February, that went viral three months later, that she wasn’t looking for anything in a man anymore because she was dating a woman. Camp’s fans around the world were excited for her, and showed their endless support on social media. Camp’s Pitch Perfect co-star Rebel Wilson, who will also be starring alongside Camp in the upcoming movie Bride Hard, like Camp, also went public with her queer relationship with Ramona Agruma in 2022 after only dating men publicly. Both Camp and Wilson were met with support after coming out with their same-sex relationships. Here, we break down the history of the prejudice that existed against the LGBTQ community. We explain why it still exists to this day. And we explore what Anna Camp has to do with all. Let’s discuss…