tv review
Female-centric TV reviews; television series that depict women doing everything a man can do, and then some.
A Shocking Detour in the Women's U.S. Championship Tournament
Last Friday, the road to crowning WWE's first-ever Women's United States Championship kicked off with the first bout in a 12-woman tournament, with the first round consisting of Triple Threat Matches. In the first match, Bayley defeated Candice LeRae and B-Fab to advance to the Semifinals, and regarding this week's SmackDown, the second Quarterfinal match pitted Bianca Belair (one half of the Women's Tag Team Champions), Blair Davenport, and Chelsea Green. Blair hasn't held a title in WWE yet, but Chelsea has been one half of the tag champs before. As for Bianca, well, she's done it all in quite a short time, and she enters this tournament just three wins away from accomplishing yet another first.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Viva
The Road to the WWE Women's United States Championship Begins
On the evening of November 8, 2024, we finally got what we had been begging for. Well, half of it. On that night's SmackDown, Nick Aldis, the blue brand's General Manager, announced the addition of the Women's United States Championship, unveiling the new title during his presentation. We fans had been clamoring for this for years. The female population in WWE's roster was growing rapidly. It was time for mid-card championships for the women's division. This should have happened much sooner, but at least it's happening now.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Viva
The Tale of Pretty Privilege and How It Influences Women
How familiar are we with the concept of Pretty Privilege? It's common to think that individuals considered conventionally attractive—whether male or female—have an easier life than those who don't meet societal beauty standards. This perception is supported by evidence that beautiful people often receive better grades, have favorable job interview outcomes, enjoy increased opportunities, and grow up with greater self-esteem and confidence, as they frequently receive compliments about their looks. However, the implications of pretty privilege extend beyond mere superficial advantages. Often, it stems from internal biases and societal perceptions. This article explores the complexities of pretty privilege and its connections to longstanding issues of sexism and patriarchy, as well as its ongoing discussions in today's social media landscape.
By Hridya Sharmaabout a year ago in Viva
Impressions from Watching Wicked Little Letters
When I was about seven, I wrote down all the curse words I knew on little pieces of paper and carried them with me in my tiny purse. I’d pull them out and share them with my friends, and we’d laugh hysterically. We knew it was forbidden to say them, which made it all the more thrilling.
By Lola Senseabout a year ago in Viva
Reviewing Raquel Rodriguez's Villainous Return at WWE's Bad Blood
We all saw it coming, but what we did not see was how slightly messy it was. Even so, it was pretty cool and I loved it. So the first Bad Blood event in 20 years featured, among other things, the Women's World Championship contest between Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan. It's been a long uphill battle for Rhea ever since she returned from injury. Liv's sinister Revenge Tour saw her succeed in taking everything from Rhea: her faction, Dom, and in Liv's mind, her title, but Rhea never lost that title.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Viva
The complexity of feminism and representation in Hulu's "The Other Black Girl"
The Other Black Girl is a 2023 series based on the 2021 book of the same name by Zakiya Dalila Harris. It explores black representation in the workplace as well as the complexities of it through the story of Nella Rogers (Sinclair Daniel) intertwined with others. She is an assistant and becomes an editor. On the way, she learns the value and misfortune of representation at Wagner Books. Nella is inspired by Kendra Rae Phillips (Cassi Maddox) who is the only black person and black woman pictured in the "hall of white people". She worked at Wagner as the editor in 1988 and inspired Nella, especially with her work on "Burning Heart" with her best friend, Diana Gordon(Shakirah DeMesier). She wants to be able to edit books and tell stories someday so that "a nerdy, little Black girl who didn't grow up with kids who looked like her could imagine a bigger world" to "feel less alone". Nella worked as Vera Parini's (Bellamy Young) assistant and Vera valued her. However, their relationship turned sour as they continuously clashed about her opinion of Shartricia, a black female character in Colin Franklin's (Brian Baumgartner) book. Shartricia is the only black character within the crack epidemic and she is written in a way that includes every harmful stereotype. Nella believes she is unfavourable, especially from a white author. Vera receives her feedback but orders her to keep it hidden because they need to be diplomatic to save the company as his work contributes to a large portion of the company's profits. This represents the silenced and underrepresentation of diverse voices at Wagner where there had been only one black person in an influential position in history.
By 'Vive Akugha2 years ago in Viva
The feminist episode of 2024's 'Good Times'
Netflix took a chance to create a spin-off of 1974's beloved sitcom, Good Times. This 2024 series created by Stephen Curry, Seth MacFarlane and Norman Lear is called the same name or "Good Times: Black Again" according to the title sequence. Instead of James, Florida, James Junior, Thelma, and Michael, we get Reggie, Beverly, Junior, Grey, and Dalvin. Reggie is James Evans's grandson and the series explores the Evans descendants through a modern adult comedy series. There are 10 episodes and in the 3rd episode called "Grey's Anatomy", they explore feminism. In this 3rd episode, Grey (Marsai Martin)gets her first period and it's a big deal. Her mother, Beverly(Yvette Nicole Brown) is anxious about what this means in Grey's life as this marks the beginning of her adulthood. She informs Grey of what she can expect now while making her opinion of tampons known. Grey mentions the white girls in commercials saying it makes you feel like you don't have a period but Beverly believes tampons are a gateway to other activities and exploration. She wants to prevent Grey from sexual curiosity at a young age as her mother did for her.
By 'Vive Akugha2 years ago in Viva
Palm Royale's realistic feminism problem
Kristen Wiig is Maxine Simmons in Apple TV+'s 2024 show, Palm Royale. Maxine is dedicated to joining the distinguished Palm Royale club and The Shiny Sheet to improve her social standing to where she believes she and her husband belong. Maxine tries to seamlessly include herself in the upper class by associating with the 4 ruling ladies of Palm Beach. This includes Evelyn Rollins (Allison Janey), Dinah Donahue (Leslie Bibb), Raquel Kimberly-Marco(Claudia Ferri), and Mary Jones Davidsoul(Julia Duffy). However, she encounters issues along the way. Maxine utilizes a weak moment of Dinah's to get closer to her. She concocts a car jam between them which startles weeping Dinah still sad about her lover's quarrel. Dinah's determination to compensate Maxine leads them to Dinah's physician. In the clinic, Dinah and Maxine talk. Dinah's poor opinion of Maxine is made known before she opens up to Maxine about her affair and pregnancy. Maxine views Dinah's need for a speedy abortion as an opportunity to gain her help for entry into the Palm Royale. She needs one initial sponsor and a payment to pass the first round which motivates her to help Dinah.
By 'Vive Akugha2 years ago in Viva
Review of The Mother of the Bride: Climax clichés and gorgeous settings mask a generic plot.
Review of The Mother of the Bride: Climax clichés and gorgeous settings mask a generic plot. Ever wanting to escape in the picturesque beauties of nature while aimlessly wandering in the darkness with no mobile phone or a torch, sounds like a morbid plan without thoughtful execution behind it. While it is a celebratory year as this year is marked as a renewal of the cherish of romantic comedies with movies like Anyone But You, Idea of You, Players and many more, Netflix's most recent romantic comedy released in the week of Mother’s day, The Mother of the Bride tries to sell the second chance romance in the exotic location of Phuket, Thailand, yet its formulaic plot and half baked characteristic execution makes it dull and cliched. Let's dive deeper into the nuances of the plot.
By Hridya Sharma2 years ago in Viva
The detrimental impact of aesthetic norms on emotional wellness
What are beauty standards and where do they stem from? Beauty standards are cultural beliefs that influence social power and dictate how individuals should look to be socially accepted. These standards encompass physical features like facial appearance, skin, and body shape, and can be either innate or alterable. Terms like "attractive," "pretty," and "good looking" are used to describe adherence to these standards. It can be challenging to determine which features can be changed and which cannot. Not conforming to societal beauty standards by refusing to alter one's appearance is often viewed as a moral failure. For instance, wearing makeup is not a natural or biological choice, but rather influenced by current trends.
By Hridya Sharma2 years ago in Viva
