This influence was perhaps most formally acknowledged at the Democratic National Convention in early August. The national party’s nominating convention welcomed five influencers to speak at the convention: Deja Foxx, Nabela Noor, Carlos Eduardo Espina, Olivia Julianna and John Russell. Combined, they have a total of more than 24 million social media followers.
American reality dating show “The Bachelorette” debuted over 20 years ago; the series, a spinoff of “The Bachelor,” follows a single woman and a panel of men vying for her affection until the season finale, in which the final man standing proposes to her. Typically, the lead of “The Bachelorette” is a well-liked contestant from a previous season of its counterpart show. Despite running for over two decades, the franchise had never cast an Asian lead –– until this spring. Jenn Tran, the Vietnamese American star of the 21st season of the show, seemingly made history. At the time of the announcement, Tran had expressed enthusiasm over her casting, saying she felt “so grateful and so honored to be the first Asian Bachelorette in this franchise” and that she was excited “to see Asian representation on TV.”
In 2015, Pixar Animation Studios released “Inside Out,” an animated coming-of-age film centered around the mental landscape of Riley, a young girl who just moved from Minnesota to San Francisco. The protagonists are the personification of Riley’s basic emotions: Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness; whichever emotion was controlling the central console determined what emotion Riley was feeling. The film was considered a massive success, grossing $858.8 million at the box office against its $175 million budget, cementing itself as one of Pixar’s most influential and successful children’s films. At the end of the movie, the emotions gather around a large button that appears on the central console labeled “Puberty” to which Joy dismisses, saying “Things couldn’t be better! After all, Riley’s 12 now. What could happen?”
This year, 49 students are graduating from Tufts with a degree in film and media studies — 36 with a major and 13 with a minor. What is currently the largest humanities program at Tufts, interestingly, didn’t even exist 10 years ago. Branching off from a communications minor, the program was created due to a high interest in the sphere of film and media. In its first year, FMS only had six students. Now, it has over 170.
IPad kids have become somewhat of an internet meme — the children who can’t seem to go a few hours without gluing their eyes to a screen have become the latest laughingstock of the internet. However, beyond the comical nature of watching a child pull out Nickelodeon at a fancy dinner, there is a fundamental question to be raised: What impact has technology had on child development?
“I feel like people just have a consensus that I’m still nine years old, and it’s crazy because I’m turning 18 this year. I feel like people still think of me [as that age] because I’ve been so young for most of my career,” actor Mckenna Grace said, referring to her growth as an actor in the public eye. Grace, who has been acting since she was five years old, starred in several prominent movies and TV shows in her youth — including “Gifted,” “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” and “Young Sheldon.” Grace frequently plays younger versions of other characters, which is perhaps part of the reason many find it difficult to grasp the concept that she is growing up. But beyond that, she is a victim of the difficult pipeline of transitioning from a child star to an adult personality.
Reality TV has long been critiqued for its false presentation of authenticity. The genre, which rose to popularity in the 90s, has raised several concerns in the eyes of the public. Some argue that the genre’s true purpose lies in deceiving viewers through misleading editing, coaching participants and concocting inauthentic storylines.
Kate Middleton, also known as Princess Catherine of Wales, is dead, and Kensington Palace is trying to cover it up. At least, that’s what several royal conspiracy theorists proposed in the weeks after her public “disappearance.” When a photo released by Kensington Palace of the princess with her three children showed signs of being touched up, the public was sent into a frenzy. Either she was missing, dying or already dead. One X user wrote, “KATE MIDDLETON IS PROBABLY DEAD,” and followed it up with skull face emojis and crying faces. Aptly put by The Atlantic’s Helen Lewis, “The situation quickly turned into a ‘QAnon for wine moms.’”
Hit reality TV show “Love is Blind” released its first season in February 2020. Like most reality television, the show is predominantly known for its intense drama, messy breakups and overall entertainment factor. Marketed as a “social experiment,” the show’s purpose lies in ...
“I chose the trad lifestyle because I believe that women have drifted far from our roots,” Estee Williams, a Tiktok creator and self-described “tradwife,” recently stated. Taken from the name “traditional wives,” “tradwives” are the latest Western aesthetic involving a subculture of women who believe in advocating for ‘traditional values.’
