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(10/28/20 7:57pm)
Glee is a time capsule. After premiering over eleven years ago, Ryan Murphy’s break into the teen mainstream carries a bundle of throwbacks. Screencaps of the show reveal prehistoric iPhones, a hefty amount of skater skirts, and a deadpan style of humor that paved the way for shows like Riverdale. Set in a small–town Ohio high school, Glee follows a competitive show choir team of misfits to nationals and beyond, illuminating what it’s like to try to make it in the arts against stacked odds. Though its spontaneous musical numbers are what initially set it apart from the pack of teen dramedies popular in the early 2000s, Glee is better known for being socially progressive. By the time the show hit its hundredth episode in 2014, Vulture estimated it tackled over 294 unique societal issues. These include, but are not limited to, internalized homophobia, teen pregnancy, transgender acceptance, eating disorders, and the complexities of a sexual relationship with the mother who adopted the child you gave up for adoption.
(10/27/20 1:01pm)
The Bachelorette’s back this week with a largely uneventful episode that focuses on Clare getting to know the contestants better. Don’t worry, she’s still very focused on Dale. But at least we get a better look at the other guys—before she eventually rejects them all.
(11/02/20 2:08am)
At first, it's surprising that comedienne Amber Ruffin was hesitant to describe her new show as one. Upon further thought, however, variety shows have an antiquated reputation. The phrase “variety show” itself is not something one often hears these days. Many late–night talk show hosts have some “variety” over the course of their hour, with musical guests or appearances by stand–up comedians. But true variety shows, from the ones developed at the advent of television all the way through the wildly popular programs of the 1970s, swapped celebrity interviews for an hour of assorted entertainment. It's hard to imagine any show recapturing the magic of programs like The Carol Burnett Show, but The Amber Ruffin Show may prove us all wrong.
(11/02/20 4:18am)
It feels like Jim Parsons is everywhere and I, for one, am terrified. Maybe it’s my inability to separate him from Sheldon Cooper, or the fact that he plays hateable characters a bit too well. Yet, I sat down to watch the Netflix revival of The Boys in the Band, yet another collaboration between Ryan Murphy and Jim Parsons.
(11/23/20 5:45pm)
Months after the emergence of COVID–19, it's become easy to fall back into our usual habits and cease making a meaningful effort to understand how the pandemic has exacerbated issues of racism and discrimination in our society. For those who lament not having enough time to read an entire book or to intently watch a film, podcasts are a great way to stay informed on the go. Here is a list of podcasts that are taking on the issue of racism and the struggles surrounding cultural identities in America.
(10/26/20 10:13pm)
It was the fall of 2018, and like many high school juniors who end up at Penn, I was working overtime to build up my resume. The college application process is rigorous, stressful, and in many ways isolating. At my competitive, high–achieving public school, even though we were a year away from having to actually write an essay, my peers were already standoffish and anxious. In a way I was lucky—to some extent I could avoid the cutthroat atmosphere as my extracurriculars were mostly performing arts based rather than academic. But at the same time, most of my closest friends were a year older than me, already done with applications and dreaming of early decisions. I was on a different wavelength—stressed, stuck in the taxing moment, and although I was constantly surrounded by people as I bounced from activity to activity, lonely.
(10/26/20 10:43pm)
There’s no one in our generation who hasn’t heard of or enjoyed CollegeHumor. Though still active, the YouTube comedy channel peaked about five to ten years ago, when its comedy sketches and skits regularly went viral. Classic series like Hardly Working, Jake and Amir, and Adam Ruins Everything, as well as viral videos like "The Six Girls You’ll Date in College," were foundational to internet humor at the time and linger on in our comedic consciousness.
(11/02/20 2:39am)
Ratched, director Ryan Murphy’s original prequel–adaptation of ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,’ was recently released on Netflix in mid–September. Set at St. Lucia Hospital in Monterey County, California, the series follows the backstory of Nurse Mildred Ratched, the psychiatric nurse who was transformed into a symbol of monstrousness and institutional power abuses in the 1975 film. Murphy is known for creating the popular American Horror Story anthology series, and Ratched follows a similar framework—a compelling story full of chills, thrills, and grotesque yet delicate violence. Despite being widely consumed, the series has received mixed to negative reviews in terms of its story. But I thought the series was terrific: Sarah Paulson was spectacular in her portrayal of Mildred Ratched, and I was immersed in each chapter of Nurse Ratched’s dark origin story.
(10/21/20 10:45am)
In the final moments of the season three finale of GLOW, Debbie Eagan (Betty Gilpin) seems to have it all. She negotiated her way into the role as network president, securing the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW) a secure platform, and has gained back a sense of control she felt like she was losing all season.
(10/19/20 12:12pm)
It’s only been the very first episode, and there’s already somehow been both drama and confessions of love—but that is to be expected from any Bachelor show. This season of ABC’s The Bachelorette follows 39–year–old Clare Crawley from Sacramento on her journey to find love.
(10/26/20 10:28pm)
“Comments disabled for this video,” read the comments section on the first trailer for Star Trek: Lower Decks, only a few hours after it was first uploaded in July. The franchise’s fans are notorious for being hypercritical, pedantic, and obsessive with the maintenance of the Star Trek canon. They—very loudly and publicly—did not take kindly to the idea of the Star Trek universe being transferred to an animated show before it had even been released. To be fair to the fans, they had some reasoning in their fear that an animated show wouldn't do justice to a strong legacy of dramatic writing. However, this wasn't an excuse to judge the show before watching it.
(10/20/20 10:17pm)
It was recently announced that Jamie Foxx would be reprising his role as Electro in the upcoming Spider–Man MCU film. Last time Foxx played the voltaic villain was in Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), a film that was less than critically acclaimed in the world of Spider–Man movies. While a title has not yet been revealed, this upcoming film will be the third solo Spider–Man film within the MCU, and it will be released within Marvel’s ‘Phase 4’ slate of films and productions.
(10/17/20 6:24pm)
Editor's Note: Spoilers ahead.
(10/20/20 9:33pm)
What do you get when you cast Cher opposite Nicolas Cage?
(10/16/20 1:25am)
Back in 2016, the female Ghostbusters remake debuted in theaters, prompting a debate as to whether these remakes were warranted or truly reclaimed pop culture for a female audience. Of course, many of the disgruntled fans were misogynistic and their criticisms were ultimately ignored. Four years later, Hollywood has transformed the female reboot into a genre of its own—with mixed results.
(10/20/20 10:04pm)
Scooby–Doo holds a strong spot in my heart as my lifelong favorite cartoon character. Hanna–Barbera’s iconic Great Dane has been around since 1969 when the animated series, Scooby Doo, Where Are You! started airing on Saturday morning television. Since the inception of the crime–solving Great Dane and his iconic human companions, there have been numerous adaptations of Scooby–Doo on a variety of mediums. While some adaptations are more interesting than others (including the most recent atrocious adaptation, SCOOB!), they all find a way to put their own unique twist on the classic crime–solvers of Mystery Incorporated.
(10/13/20 11:11pm)
Disney’s 2020 Mulan once again reveals the futility of trying to adapt the magic of animation to live–action.
(10/08/20 3:28pm)
Season four of The Good Place has finally been released on Netflix, and, unfortunately for my midterm grades, I spent the last weekend binge–watching it. After being disappointed multiple times before by finales (I’m looking at you, Game of Thrones), I was worried that The Good Place would meet the same fate, especially considering how season four started off. However, it ended up hitting the mark and finishing with a near perfect ending.
(10/08/20 7:19pm)
MTM. These letters stand for the initials of television legend Mary Tyler Moore, her eponymous television show, and the production company that she founded with her then–husband Grant Tinker, MTM Enterprises. But most importantly, they stand for the legacy of how The Mary Tyler Moore Show set new precedents and standards for women.
(10/06/20 12:01am)
When I tuned into the new Netflix show Never Have I Ever, I was excited to finally watch a series with an Indian–American protagonist. I expected to see my complicated feelings about being Indian–American explored on screen.
