The Take

Is female representation in film and TV actually getting any better? Did the Me-Too era resurgence of interest and attention around the Bechdel Test and female representation make a difference in what we’ve seen since? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time to ask: how does House of the Dragon stack up against the original Game of Thrones? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maddy Perez is the Queen Bee of Euphoria High, but unlike the other on screen mean girls we’re used to, she has something special: a heart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bridget Jones is smart, successful, and... deeply insecure. *Why* does Bridget have such low self-esteem? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Quiet Quitting" itself is probably overblown and not enough of a solution to our collective burnout, but this craze does signal an opportunity to, as a culture, find a more enlightened understanding of the role work should take in our lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Was charismatic mean girl and queer icon Santana Lopez ever really a villain, or a secret hero all along? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Has the Marvel Cinematic Universe held Elizabeth Olsen back? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The sad girl is having a moment. And her sadness isn’t a heavily politicized rage; it’s an internalized burden — a directionless angst that’s being filtered through music, film and literature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The British Monarchy is facing a long-dreaded question: what is the future of the Royals in the public’s eyes and hearts? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is feminism going out of fashion? And is it possible to channel all of the recent setbacks to reignite our passion for women’s rights with a more meaningful feminist framework for our times? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cady Heron’s journey in Mean Girls showcases how *seductive* peer pressure can feel, and in the end illustrates that adolescence is about figuring out who you are, not who other people think you should be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Drama ostensibly comes from problems and obstacles—so why do we love watching people who seemingly have none? Here’s our take on our love-hate affair with the socialite and whether the voyeurism of watching her is really hate or rooting for her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it a problem that Hollywood’s stars are too beautiful – especially when they’re playing real people? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For most of the Modern Family's run, Hayley was pigeonholed as the pretty, dumb, popular character – but did the show let her down by not letting her be more? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What would it cost to buy your soul? In The Devil Wears Prada, Andy gets the kind of opportunity people dream of. But in order to benefit from it, she needs to give up part of herself... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are five main types of red herring male love interests – and each represents a particular type of guy to be wary of, with a good reason: he’s not Mr. Right. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve all been watching the rise of Gen Z as they replace millennials to dictate the rules of today’s cultural capital – but what comes next? It won’t be long before members of Gen Alpha are driving youth culture and popular media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is everyone on Gossip Girl so obsessed with Serena, and is her “nice rich girl” persona just an act? Gossip Girl encourages us to strive to be rich and gorgeous like Serena, while it reminds us there’s no way we’ll ever truly be like her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When does a person stop being a person and become a symbol? Marilyn Monroe as an idea has taken on a meaning all its own—the blonde bombshell, and the ultimate embodiment of a certain type of mythic femininity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Con artist is all over today’s film and TV – so are we supposed to be appalled by this figure, or are we actually… impressed? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So often stories resort to lazy, easy shortcuts we’ve seen a million times before. When are they effective or timeless, and when is this just a boring lack of imagination? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Roman Roy is an exhibitionist, but his kinkiness doesn’t just make him a memorable treat of a character. His particular perversities outline the Roy family’s psychological pitfalls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sydney Sweeney is putting a Gen Z stamp on the sex symbol. Here's our Take on how Sydney has deconstructed and rebuilt the sex symbol in a more serious way: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The damsel in distress character has fallen majorly out of fashion – and for good reason – but have we overcorrected against her? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is Hollywood so against women being in charge? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices