The Graceful Boon

A Guide To Women's Issues

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Millie Bobby Brown: The Societal Pressures For A Woman To Stay Young And Beautiful Forever – And How The Scrutiny She Faces Can Be Compared To That Of Michelle Trachtenberg

Millie Bobby Brown just revealed to Chris Pratt, as well as the rest to the world, that her real name isn’t actually Bobby. But that’s not the only reason why the young starlet made headlines in recent weeks. You see, she walked the red carpet at the Oscars, and she…was scrutinized for her looks. Particularly, for looking ‘old’. Brown then took to Instagram amid the controversy, criticism, and backlash surrounding her new ‘do’. Brown went on to call out Matt Lucas, who starred in 2012’s ‘Bridesmaids’. He previously described the actress as having a ‘Mommy makeover’. He apologized thereafter. Many of her co-stars and friends showed Brown their support and words of encouragement, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Mckenna Grace, and Louis Partridge. Grace, for her part, said as she commended the ‘Stranger Things’ actress, ‘No young woman or person deserves to feel pressure or cruelty for simply existing. You are so well spoken and so beautiful. Very well said, thank you for making this video.’ Brown has done more than just acting. She’s done so much good for the world that goes unnoticed at times, such as participating in the ‘World’s Largest Lesson Live’ virtual event alongside UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore to inspire children and youth to learn about and take action for the United Nations Global Goals. And yet, we still continue to put an emphasis on her changing appearance. She’s a 21 year old blossoming woman who we’ve seen grow up since she was a 10 year old child. But she’s not a child anymore. She’s ever so changing; ever so evolving; ever so growing. Here, we break down Millie Bobby Brown’s entire career, accomplishments, and all the good she’s done to make the world a better place. We explore the realities of journalism and the hardships women face in a world where they’re not allowed to be ‘ugly’ or old. We compare the scrutiny Brown faces to the scrutiny Michelle Trachtenberg up until her death. And finally, we explore what we, as a society can change all that. Let’s discuss…

Mikey Madison: Why She DID Deserve To Win The Best Actress Oscar Over Demi Moore – And How ‘Anora’ Showcased The Realism Of Womanhood And Sexuality Compared To ‘Pretty Woman’

It’s pretty safe to say that this year’s Oscars ceremony was…interesting and filled with questions. It saw us scratching our heads and rolling our eyes. The Oscars marked the first time that Jewish actors won the Best Actor and Best Actress Awards. Adrien Brody won Best Actor for his role in The Brutalist. He famously took his gun out of his mouth and threw it at his girlfriend, Georgina Chapman, who was previously married to Harvey Weinstein. Brody’s acceptance speech was a whopping 5 minutes and 40 seconds in length – marking the longest ever acceptance speech in history. The award for Best Actress went to Mikey Madison for her role in ‘Anora’. The movie is often described as what ‘Pretty Woman’ the cult classic starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, was afraid to be. That’s because the original script for ‘Pretty Woman was a much darker take, much like ‘Anora’ was. It had to be heavily revised after production was taken over by Disney. Overall, the movie won 4 Oscars, including Best Actress, of course, Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Original Screenplay. In her acceptance speech at the BAFTA Awards, Madison said of sex workers, ‘I just want to say that I see you.’ Then, in her Oscars speech, she said, ‘You deserve respect and human decency. I will always be a friend and an ally, and I implore others to do the same.’ She won the award over Demi Moore, which was ironic, and even somewhat cosmic. ‘The substance’ was a horror film about a woman battling ageism. ‘Anora’ was about a woman expressing her sexuality in the modern world in her work. Catherine Shoard wrote an article for The Guardian following Oscars night titled, ‘Anora has swept the Oscars. I can’t help feeling that shouldn’t have happened’. Is it a fair statement? Most people in the entire universe agreed. But…here, we explain why she did, in fact, deserve to win an Oscar over Demi Moore for ‘Substance’, we explore the title character of Ani, and we break down what she and her character mean to women everywhere – not just sex workers. Let’s discuss…

Selena Gomez: What Her Relationship With Benny Blanco Tells Us Of Her Willingness To Learn – And The Importance Of Knowing How To Use Social Media Wisely Without It Hurting Your Career

Selena Gomez is a force to be reckoned with. She’s been in the entertainment industry since she was 7 years old. We were first introduced to her when she appeared on ‘Barney & Friends’ with Demi Lovato, and she’s come a long way since those days. She’s singer, actress, entrepreneur, philanthropist and so much more. She’s starring in ‘Only Murderers In The Building’, with Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Meryl Streep, as well as ‘Emilia Perez’ with Zoe Saldana and Karla Sofía Gascón. Both shows were critically acclaimed. With that said, Gomez had a very busy awards season in recent months. She, of course, had her fiancé, Benny Blanco, by her side at practically every awards ceremony, and flashed her stunning engagement ring where she could. But instead of focusing on her immense talent, the general public focused more on her appearance as she drastically lost a lot of weight. After her appearance at the 2025 SAG Awards in February, The Daily Mail posted an article with the title, ‘Selena Gomez’s dramatic weight loss shocks fans at 2025 SAG Awards’. The article itself stated that Gomez ‘appeared more slender and was glowing.’ Was she not glowing before? Gomez has openly battled lupus since 2013, but no matter the case, no matter what the actual cause for her weight gain really shouldn’t f*cking matter. It didn’t make her any less beautiful. It didn’t make her any less of a woman. It didn’t make her any less worthy. She looked like a princess at the 2024 SAG Awards with her white dress, glowing makeup, and long, grateful black hair. And still, social media users were focusing on her weight gain. For a community that takes pride in advocating for body positivity, it sure does seem to be the exact opposite. We’re here to talk about not only the general public’s perception of Gomez based on their social media activity, including that of Gascón when she called her a rich rat. but HER social media activity as well. We’re here to break down what she’s been great at, as well as what she hasn’t been great at and needs to work on. We’re also here to explore her relationship with Blanco, and what it tells us of her willingness to learn. Let’s discuss…

Nobody Wants This: Breaking Down Joanne And Noah’s Entire Interfaith Relationship In Season 1 – And Whether Or Not Noah Lives Up To Adam Brody’s Dave Rygalski From ‘Gilmore Girls’

‘Nobody Wants This’ became one of the most beloved Netflix shows last year as soon as it came out in September 2024. I know I couldn’t get enough of it. It starred Kristen Bell and Adam Brody in lead roles. Bell played Joanne, a sex and dating podcaster, and Brody played Noah Roklov, a rabbi introduced to Joanne by her best friend Ashley, played by Sherry Cola. D’Arcy Carden, who previously starred in ‘The Good Place’ with Bell between 2016 and 2020, also appeared in a guest-starring role. The show was created by Erin Foster, who based the premise of the series on her own life. She converted to Judaism after she married Simon Tikhman in 2019. The show should’ve really been called ‘EVERYONE Wants This’, because quite literally, everyone wanted this. It holds a 7.9 rating on IMDB, and 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Joanne and Noah were a couple facing a major challenge due to their vastly different lifestyles, as well as different religious backgrounds. These factors led to significant tension around Joanne’s potential need to convert to Judaism if they wanted to be together; despite their seemingly incompatible backgrounds, they shared a strong connection and were navigating the complexities of their relationship throughout the show. This interracial couple was so important to witness, especially during a time like this; a time that we’re now facing following the October 7 massacre and the Israel-Hamas war. Their relationship explores the complexities and complications that could arose in love while facing significant differences, particularly regarding religion, as Joanne wasn’t Jewish and Noah was a Rabbi aspiring to become Head Rabbi, which created a major obstacle in their relationship and forced them to confront personal growth and societal pressures around faith and commitment. Here, we break down Joanne and Noah’s entire relationship, compare Noah to Dave Rygalski, Brody’s ‘Gilmore Girls’ character who was Lane Kim’s boyfriend for a short time, and explain why there’s actually no such thing as ’the perfect boyfriend’, but rather a boyfriend who’s perfect for you – the Joannes and the Lanes of the world. Let’s discuss…

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…