The Take

Thunderbolts has become a hit with audiences because it went back to what works and managed to meet the moment. In this episode, we're unpacking what it got right about one of the biggest battles of our time: mental health. Thunderbolts is a welcome change of pace from recent MCU fare. One of the biggest reasons it resonates so much is that it wasn’t afraid to actually be about something. While a lot of superhero films and shows across the board have felt like they’ve lost their way and their connection to their human elements over recent years, Thunderbolts has found success by going in the opposite direction. It confronts the humanity of its characters and their situations head on – unafraid of exploring the dark while also remembering to find the light. So, let’s take a closer look at what Thunderbolts really has to say and why audiences have connected so much with it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are dating apps and the internet (and now AI) really the reason why dating is often so miserable now? Many people have been wondering if the apps we use to help us in the arena of romance - like Tinder, Bumble and Hinge - might actually be ruining everything. There are some aspects of dating that are just miserable now, and many of those problems do seem to stem from how we use technology to connect. But in reality, the problem is a lot more complex than it first appears. So, what’s actually gone wrong with dating? Are the internet and apps really to blame? Let’s take a closer look at the whole problem to figure out what’s really going on here – plus unpack some silver linings that actually give us some hope about the future! In this episode, we unpack how computers and the internet became such a big part of dating from Operation Match to Match.com and beyond, how that evolved into the apps we use today like Bumble, Tinder and Hinge, and how this form of dating has affected all of us - both bad *and* good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sinners, the new horror movie from director Ryan Coogler starring Michael B. Jordan, has completely blown expectations out of the water. While everyone knows that Coogler is an adept director who makes great movies, no one quite expected just how successful his R-rated vampire horror would turn out to be. And the film isn’t just great because of its well done horror, it also packs some really deep messages into the 24 hours of its story. So, what is Sinners really about? Let’s unpack the film’s meaning and key symbolism, plus analyze what that ending really means. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://zocdoc.com/thetake to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today! A Minecraft Movie, starring Jack Black, Jason Momoa and Danielle Brooks, has completely upended expectations – it not only didn’t flop, it’s become a huge success (pulling in over $700 million in just a couple of weeks!) While not everyone loves the movie (and it’s already caused its own share of issues,) the film and its success does actually tell us some pretty important things about modern movies. So, what was it that allowed A Minecraft Movie to overcome the ‘videogame movie curse’? Is it really as bad as some people are saying? And what does it tell us about the future of big-budget movies? Let’s take a closer look… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Desperate Housewives' Edie Britt was shamed for her sexual confidence and freedom (by audiences and the other characters) back when the show premiered in 2004, but from a modern perspective, her story looks a lot different. And what’s more, Edie was… kind of a badass, if we’re being honest! So, let's take a look at why Edie got so much hate at the time, and why she might just be the secret hero of Desperate Housewives! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Handmaid’s Tale is back for its sixth and final season after a long break. The story’s dystopia always felt unnervingly close to our modern era, and that continues to hold true as we’re dropped into the first three episodes of its final run. Over the show’s previous five seasons, some viewers felt that the show had lost its spark – so does it seem like it’s finally getting it back now for this final round? Let’s unpack what’s happened so far in season six, what it all means, and where things might be going next… Here's our Handmaid's Tale season 6 recap for episodes 1, 2, and 3 (plus a quick catch up on where The Handmaid's Tale season 5 left off,) and what happens to June, Serena, Moira, Nick, Luke and more in the new season so far! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Disney’s new live action remake of Snow White was hit with problems from the very beginning, and its problems have only grown since its release. In many ways it seemed set up to fail, and was never able to overcome the various hurdles in its way. Many fingers are being pointed at star Rachel Zegler, but the real problems with the film are much deeper. So, how does this film actually compare to the original? And what really went wrong with this version of Snow White’s story? Let’s take a closer look… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most all of us like to be nice, but some people just feel like they were born to help others. They’ll take any chance to provide assistance, big or small – unasked for (and, often, unthanked…) While being helpful is a good thing, it can also evolve into a people-pleasing attitude that can have surprisingly negative effects on the helper themselves (and sometimes even the people being “helped”!) So let’s take a closer look at what’s really going on with Helpers and People-Pleasers, what makes them different, the problems they can encounter, and what we can really learn from these tropes. Unpacking the difference between the Helper Trope and People-Pleaser Trope on screen, people who are forced to be helpers, the *negative* side effects that can come from being a people-pleaser, and beyond. Featuring Parks and Recreation's Leslie Knope, Black-ish's Rainbow Johnson, New Girl's Jess Day, Shōgun's Toda Mariko, Friends' Monica Geller, Superstore's Amy Sosa, and more! We take a look at people pleaser syndrome / why some people are people-pleasers, what a people-pleaser is, how it's different from just being a helpful person, and how being a people-pleaser can cause you problems Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How I Met Your Mother is a sitcom filled with all kinds of drama – miniscule to major – but one big fight that’s stayed a topic of conversation even all of these years later is the blowup between Lily Aldrin and Ted Mosby. It’s not necessarily the most dramatic or consequential fight of the show but it is surprisingly important. Taking a second look at their battle after some time allows us to see it in a new light, and gives us insight into the deeper, more important layer to their problem. (And this also gives us some pretty useful pointers for our own lives, too!) So what’s the truth about Lily and Ted’s big fight? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://zocdoc.com/thetake to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today! Do you ever find yourself finishing a rewatch of a favorite show and wishing you could find more to watch that had the same vibe? Us too! That’s why, in this new series, we’re going to be taking a look back at some of our favorite shows to break down the key elements that keep us coming back, and branching out to find other shows that also match that energy. First up is one of our favorite shows of all time: Sex and the City! It’s very of its time in many ways, but there’s also so much about it that continues to resonate even all these years later. So let’s unpack the major factors that made Sex and the City so great – and explore some other shows that tap into that same essence! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Electric State, Netflix’s astoundingly expensive new movie starring Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, managed to take a very interesting concept and… ruin it. Though it technically has all of the parts that should, at the very least, make for a watchable big budget flick – star power, good visual effects, etc. – nothing about this movie seems to work. And in that, it’s ended up becoming the exact thing it was meant to skewer. So, what all went wrong with The Electric State? Why did The Electric State get such bad reviews? (And what’s up with that ending??) Let’s take a closer look… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://factormeals.com/factorpodcast and use code FACTORPODCAST to get 50% off your first box and free shipping. Of all of the characters on Community, Britta Perry had the weirdest – and in many people’s eyes worst – arcs on the show. Starting out as the tough as nails idealist, over the show’s run she turned into someone that at times felt almost unrecognizable… But if we take a closer look at Britta’s story, we see that she isn’t the worst – and her journey actually makes a surprising amount of sense! So, why was Britta… the way that she was? And what made us love her anyway? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://hellofresh.com/hellofreshpodcast to get up to 10 free meals and a free high protein item for life! While awards season always has its fair share of ups and downs, some have begun noticing that a very particular trend seems to be happening with recent Best Actress Oscar winners – namely Mikey Madison for Anora and Emma Stone for Poor Things. But… it’s actually not a new trend at all – but instead seems to be a resurgence of an old school problem. So, is it actually a signifier of a problematic shift backwards, or just a bit of coincidence? Let’s take a closer look at these roles, the larger context, and what it all really means! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://zocdoc.com/thetake to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today! Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is the brand new installment in the story of the beloved heroine. While everyone was initially excited to hear that there would be a fourth movie in the series, its release has seemingly not had the mega-romcom sparkle we might have imagined. So, what’s really going on with the film? Why is there an age gap romance? Why is it so sad?! (And… why did the studio fumble what should have been a big hit?) Let’s unpack all of that, plus analyze the actually important message the movie and series as a whole is trying to send, and what the ending really means! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://factormeals.com/thetake50off and use code thetake50off to get 50% off your first box plus free shipping! We’re so often told to be nice, to try to meet everyone with kindness even when they aren’t kind to us. But sometimes… being a hater is the right answer. Superstar Kendrick Lamar has been running a masterclass on the power of strategic hate, culminating in his showstopping performance headlining this year’s Superbowl Halftime. And his success, and the collective enjoyment of it, is a sign of a larger shift of people no longer being willing to play nice with people who wish to do harm to us and our communities. So let’s take a closer look at what we can learn from Kenrick and other world class strategic haters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://hellofresh.com/thetake10fm to get up to 10 free meals and a free high protein item for life! Awards darling Emilia Pérez has been getting a lot of attention since it made a splash at Cannes – but in addition to all of the accolades (including 13 Oscar nominations,) the film has been mired in controversy its entire run. Surprisingly, it hasn’t just been the type of backlash everyone might have expected (though there has, unfortunately, been some of that as well.) So, what really has so many people who should be the target audience upset with the film? Let’s unpack all of that, and how it’s part of a much bigger problem in Hollywood… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anora analysis and ending explained, unpacking the controversy around the film, & shining light on the truth about "Cinderella Stories" Anora, Sean Baker’s new film starring Mikey Madison, has been getting heaps of praise since it won the Palme d’Or at Cannes. It takes a new look at a very old profession via a careening few days in the life of a vibrant young woman, and attempts to confront some very harsh realities about her and all of our lives. But some have questioned if it really manages to subvert those old cliches… So let’s take a deeper look at the film to figure out what it all really means. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stop leaving yourself vulnerable to data breaches. Go to my sponsor https://aura.com/thetake to get a 14-day free trial and see if any of your data has been exposed My partner Aura just launched their new "Are you smarter than a scammer?" quiz. Take the quiz and see if you’re as savvy as you think: https://bit.ly/aurasts The looming possibility of a TikTok Ban in the US has been causing chaos online – but the problem is actually a lot deeper than just the loss of a random social media app. It’s easy to brush off the TikTok ban since, to many, it’s just seen as a goofy app for annoying youths, but it’s actually part of a long history of using popular media – and our access to it – as a means of control. Looking at the ban within the larger context of history can provide us with a better framework with which to engage with it, and possibly even some hope for the future… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://zocdoc.com/thetake to find and book a top-rated doctor today.💍 Unpacking First Wife Tropes, First Wife Syndrome, and the First Wives who are taking back their power The first wife trope on screen often sees married woman learning that her marriage was just her husband’s trial run, and now he’s moving on to someone else (who he often plans to treat a lot better.) Being the “first wife” was long seen as a major loss – but in recent decades many have started turning it into a win. Let’s dig into this trope to learn more about who the First Wife is on screen, how she’s taking back control, and why being first might not always be such a bad thing in the end. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Being the ‘baby’ of the family is usually seen as a major win, scoring you all of the attention and none of the consequences. But it turns out that being the youngest sibling isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. For all of the many positives that can come with being the youngest, there are also some surprising downsides that don’t get talked about nearly as often. So let’s take a deeper look at Youngest Child Syndrome in movies and tv versus real life to get a better understanding of the full reality – good and bad – of being the last born child. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Girl’s Jessica Day always quietly believed in herself, but over the course of the show we got to watch her find her own kind of strong, quirky confidence. It wasn’t always an easy road – while she never lost her positive demeanor for long, she definitely had to deal with her own fair share of ups and downs. But no matter how much the world tried to drag her down, she always found a way to come out on top and turn it into a great lesson for herself and her friends. So let’s take a look at Jess’s confidence journey and see what she has to teach us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Make sure to check out cyclingfrog.com and use our code THETAKEHOLIDAYS to get 20% off of your order! The leadup to the new year is often filled with a range of emotions, from joy to dread, anticipation to full on anxiety. And there’s one New Year’s Eve tradition that can pull all of these emotions together at once – getting a kiss as the clock hits midnight. A superstition with a surprisingly long history, it’s become the way to greet each new year for many, but that doesn’t mean that things always go as planned… Let’s take a deeper look at the pressure to get the perfect midnight kiss, the variations that have arisen over time, how even securing that smooch doesn’t mean things will play out the way you had hoped, and how this tradition is changing today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://factormeals.com/50thetake and use code 50thetake to get 50% off your first box plus free shipping! From writers to singers to actors and beyond, there’s long been a trope that creatives are so filled with passion and emotion that they just can’t help but spread their love around... Sometimes this takes place in acknowledged, consensually open relationships, but often it seems to come through cheating – cheating that they then often find ways to put into their art for all to see. Of course, people of all kinds can and do cheat, but artists have spearheaded this trope to some degree in the popular culture because they keep making art about them doing it. So… why do artists seem so obsessed with this rather destructive form of love (and telling us all about it?) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://zocdoc.com/thetake to find and book a top-rated doctor today! ❄️Romantic comedies set around the holidays have been criticized for being formulaic, but their big problem isn't that they replay beloved tropes, it's something deeper (that they have been actually working to fix! Kind of...) Romantic comedies are a beloved genre any time of year, but they’ve got a particularly strong hold on the holidays. From classics like Love, Actually and The Holiday, to modern hits like The Merry Gentlemen and Hot Frosty, these movies are generally very formulaic escapism that promises the audience an amusing love story unfolding during the happiest time of the year. With that being said, even fans have started to notice and comment on how glaring some of the genre’s problems still are even today. So let’s take a closer look at how holiday rom-com’s longtime dedication to old-fashioned messages about gender roles and lack of representation held the genre back, and how it’s finally changing to meet the times and we’re getting even better, more enjoyable rom-coms as a result! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://ro.co/take to find out if you’re covered for free. || Nightbitch is a searing, painful portrait of motherhood – where the titular character just happens to lose herself so dramatically in parenthood that she winds up turning into a dog. It was a hit book in 2021 and has been adapted for the screen by Marielle Heller, with Amy Adams in the lead role. So, does the film live up to the gritty, surrealness of the book? And what does it really have to say about the experience of trying to hold onto your own individual personhood while being consumed by motherhood and societal expectations? (And could this finally be Amy Adam’s Oscar moment?!) Here’s our Take! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The eyes are the windows to the soul, and on screen, from blue eyes to brown eyes to green eyes and beyond, the color that adorns those eyes can tell you a lot about the soul within. So, let’s take a deeper look at what each eye color has come to represent on screen, and how that’s changing! Watch the visual episode here: https://youtu.be/6f9wpdNcoFY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://factormeals.com/50thetake and use code 50thetake to get 50% off your first box plus free shipping! The Godfather Part II was released fifty years ago – and in the half century since it and the first film debuted, they’ve influenced film and television in innumerable ways. This story of a mafia family, and one initially reluctant member’s blood-soaked ascendancy to the top of the empire has continued to draw in audiences with its sprawling, epic nature and deep intimacy and drama because at its core is a tale that remains relevant, even all these years later. One of its most compelling modern echoes is found in Succession – another story of a powerful scion in a changing world and the family members vying to take his place. Connecting these two threads across time allows us to really analyze the true danger that lurks in the dark heart of greed, and how it consumes everything and everyone in its path. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Make sure to check out cyclingfrog.com and use our code THETAKEHOLIDAYS to get 20% off of your order! Being around family can be a lot of fun, but… it can also be very chaotic. And what time of year does that chaos really start to heat up? The holiday season, of course! It's a feature of so many hilarious episodes of our favorite shows, from Friends to Modern Family to Blackish to Brooklyn Nine-Nine and beyond (and some very *stressful* ones, like The Bear and Heartstopper), to some of the most beloved holiday movies, like Home Alone, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and more! This on screen trope arose from a real life issue to many of us can relate to: when the family comes together, chaos ensues. Let’s take a closer look at the Holiday Family Chaos trope to unpack why, at its core, it’s actually surprisingly heartwarming and encouraging. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://uncommongoods.com/thetake to get 15% off your next gift! With siblings, there’s usually the responsible older child, the gets-away-with-everything younger child, and then… there’s the middle child. Born too late to be the first born and too early to be the baby of the family, middle children often get stuck in a kind of limbo – loved but… forgotten or ignored, no matter how much they might try to make themselves an equal part of the family. Being the middle child can lead to one becoming a bit of a black sheep, their outcast nature at home bleeding out into the rest of their life. Many middle children on screen are actually the geniuses of their families (a surprisingly pervasive subtrope!) And, even given all of their struggles in childhood, middle children can actually have a good shot at ending up the most well adjusted adults out of their siblings. It’s time to give middle children their moment in the spotlight – so let’s unpack this trope! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://zocdoc.com/thetake to find and book a top-rated doctor today! Susan Mayer was Desperate Housewives’ ‘anchor character’ – the everywoman who show creator Marc Cherry designed to be loveable and relatable. But although on paper Susan was inoffensive, there was something about her that audiences loved to hate. Over the course of eight seasons, the Housewives met with murder, fraud, bribery and so much more – so… what exactly was it about Susan, a seemingly innocent girl next door type, that made her the show’s unintentional villain for so many? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://ro.co/take to get a membership starting at just $99 for your first month. Gilmore Girls is of course the story of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore both figuring out how to grow up into the people they want to be – but there’s a third Gilmore woman who provides a very different perspective to the show with her own biting wit: matriarch Emily Gilmore. Emily was constantly at war with daughter Lorelai, over everything from major life decisions to the minutiae of her outfits. She is uptight and close-minded, the total antithesis of the fun and free Lorelai, and she can often come across as suffocating and even straight up mean. But, if we take a closer look, we can begin to better understand why Emily behaved the way she did, and why her evolution was actually just as important as Lorelai and Rory’s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://factormeals.com/thetake50 and use code thetake50 to get 50% off your first box and 20% off your next month! The Penguin’s Sofia Gigante (formerly Falcone) is a departure from her comic book and animated film counterpart. Showrunner Lauren LeFranc gave the character depth and complexity, turning her into a more than worthy adversary for titular Oz Cobb. Both are strategic, observant, and know how to appeal to other peoples’ egos. Sofia sees people for who and what they are, and often isn’t afraid to confront hard truths head-on. Along with her controlling family, Oz knows this highly intelligent, chillingly calculated woman is usually right, prompting them to do whatever they can to minimize her power. In this show about villains and criminals, LeFranc views Sofia as “the closest thing we have to a hero”, but also knows that she can be just as cruel and ruthless as her enemies and allies. So let’s take a look at Sofia’s evolution from mafia don’s daughter to empowered mob boss, and how she stayed true to herself despite many attempts to make her into someone else Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://uncommongoods.com/thetake to get 15% off your next gift! 🍿When you’re a teenager, every emotion is dialed up to a hundred, but fortunately, the teens aren’t alone! Enter teen movies, especially teen movies geared toward teenage girls – capturing so many of the issues and emotions that teen girls find themselves experiencing, including romance, comedy, angst, friendship, awkwardness, anxiety, and desperately wanting life to be a little less complicated (preferably with a happy ending!) Let's take a look at three particularly iconic eras for teen movies and go through some of our favorite movies from each! (And we definitely couldn't fit *every* great movie into this video, so if we missed your fave let us know in the comments so we can make sure that it's in part 2!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s so much talk about how different generations are, about how we’re all constantly at war with one another… but, for as much as we may disagree about hair parts and sock heights, Millennials and Gen Z have actually come to have a lot in common. The next, younger generation coming in and taking over is par for the course because… that’s how the forward movement of time works; but, underneath the aesthetic differences between these generations, there are a lot of commonalities both in how they approach the world and how the world tries to bring them down. So what are some of these big similarities, and are there some actually useful lessons that Gen Z could take from Millennials’ struggles? Let’s take a closer look! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Make sure to check out cyclingfrog.com and use our code THETAKEHOLIDAYS to get 20% off of your order! Weeds’ Nancy Botwin began the show as a very sympathetic figure – newly widowed and left to figure out how to keep her family afloat while struggling with her own grief. But over the course of the show’s 8 seasons, a different, darker side of Nancy made itself more and more apparent. She remained entertaining to watch, but became harder and harder to side with. By leaning into her anti-hero nature, instead of pulling back and softening her edges, the show managed to create a portrait of a complex, messy woman and the more sinister sides of her personality that cause her to harm everyone around her in her quest for more. So, what does Nancy’s story really reveal about the reality of diving into the darkness to chase a high you can never really catch? Let’s take a deeper look. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://zocdoc.com/thetake to find and book a top-rated doctor today. || Wondering what else is out there is a core part of the human experience – whether it’s taking a peek into a dark forest or looking out into the cosmos, we can’t help but imagine what we might be missing. And in this world of ghosts, cryptids, aliens, and all other sorts of phenomena, there’s a big emphasis on belief. This, of course, has led to a split: the true believers and the skeptics. But while skeptics are often thought of as wholly against accepting any sort of otherworldly phenomenon, when we look a little closer we often find that isn’t the case at all – they just want proof. And that drive to disprove, or maybe even possibly prove, these seemingly unexplainable things often means that some skeptics can’t help but get drawn into this world. So, what keeps pulling us skeptics in? And… could we even be the key to unlocking the truth about these kinds of mysteries? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a decade since David Fincher’s adaptation of Gone Girl hit our screens and sent waves through society. Amy Dunne was villainous, vengeful, and… also kind of relatable. And while the story was grounded in its era, it’s in many ways even more relevant today. So let’s take a look back at the film, how its commentary on splits of the self, existing in the public eye, and the problem with the media all fit into our current world, and why Amy’s wrath still connects with audiences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first 500 people to use our link https://skl.sh/thetake10241 will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare premium! From Wednesday to The Wilds to Euphoria to Stranger Things and beyond, the 2020s have already been filled with awesome Scary Teen Girls across the spectrum. Sometimes she's still a tyrant, or based on adult's fears of what teens are like, but no matter what, these modern portrayals have a new level of sensitivity and introspection, and have ramped up the horror to match the terrifying world these girls are up against. So join us in analyzing the newest crop of Scary Teen Girls in movies and TV to find out what makes their stories so impactful! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 2000s & 2010s, the Terrifying Teen Girl - from Jennifer's Body's Jennifer to Mean Girls' Regina George to Thirteen's Tracy & Evie and beyond - started taking back her power in movies and tv by getting to tell her *own* story. The teen girl had become a rather terrifying force in movies and tv at the end of the 20th century – adults just couldn’t understand what was going on with teens, and so this fearful, outsider perspective informed on screen portrayals. But as the 2000s and 2010s rolled around, the terrifying teen girl on screen began to enter a new, more powerful phase. These stories actually grappled with the harsh, conflicting realities that teen girls have to deal with (and many felt much more real because now they were actually written by people who had, y’know, actually experienced being a teen girl instead of just outside observers. From lack of control to oversexualization to the intricacies of war in Girl World, these teens were constantly being pushed to the edge – but they were always up for the challenge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good For Her has evolved from a hilarious Lucille Bluth quote-turned-meme into a powerful Horror and Thriller subgenre, initially focused around a few select films: The Witch, Midsommar, Us, The Invisible Man, Knives Out, Gone Girl, Ready or Not, and the Suspiria remake. But not everyone agrees on what *really* makes a good Good For Her film. So let's take a deeper look at the subgenre's origins, the different ways it's been defined, and the real reasons that we all love Good For Her stories so much! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fight Club, David Fincher’s cult classic film starring Edward Norton and Brad Pitt, was released a quarter of a century ago. It’s deeply rooted in the end-of-the-millennium Gen X malaise of the era of its release, but it’s also managed – even through decades of misinterpretation and misreadings – to continue to feel connected to our current world and experiences. So looking back now, 25 years after it originally hit theaters, what lessons can we take from the Narrator and Tyler Durden about surviving in our modern day? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://ro.co/take to get a membership starting at just $99 for your first month. Modern Family’s Haley Dunphy was seen in a rather negative light by those around her, as a beautiful but empty package. And, okay, sure, she might not have been the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but over the course of the show we got to see how her outlook on life actually helped not only her but everyone around her. Not just a shallow airhead, Haley had a lot of tenacity and confidence, which helped her keep moving forward even when things didn’t go her way. So let’s take a closer look at how Haley was actually right about so many things. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://factormeals.com/thetake50 and use code thetake50 to get 50% off your first box and 20% off your next month. Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to 2019's Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix as the titular mad clown and Lady Gaga as Harleen “Lee” Quinzel, has surprised viewers, but… not for great reasons. It’s all led to audiences having a lot of questions. Like, why is this a musical (and why did they try to hide that fact?!) And, who is this even for? Let’s take a deeper look to uncover the answers to these questions and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first 500 people to use our link https://skl.sh/thetake10241 will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare premium! From Twin Peaks to Heathers to Teen Witch to Beetlejuice's Lydia Deetz to The Craft to Buffy and beyond, we're taking a look at the scary teen girl and... *why* she became so scary. There are certain characters who are iconic villains and monsters, but one scary figure in pop culture doesn’t outwardly appear so terrifying at all. She’s vengeful and ruthless, cold and cunning. She has the tactical prowess of a political mastermind and the calculating mind of a killer – and she does it all from behind a sweet, innocent facade. The teenage girl is at the heart of so many shows – and she’s only getting scarier. So when did Hollywood turn her so terrifying – and what’s driving the shift? In this three-part series, we’re going to take you on a trip into the history of the terrifying teen girl onscreen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let’s unpack Agatha All Along, what the new series tells us about the infamous mage and how it explores long held misconceptions about witches. WandaVision was a huge hit that kept audiences coming back week after week – and one of the most talked about and shocking moments was the reveal that Wanda’s quirky sidekick neighbor wasn’t at all what she seemed. Now it’s Agatha’s turn in the spotlight in the new series Agatha All Along, where we’re finally getting the opportunity to learn more about Agatha’s past, and maybe even her future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://zocdoc.com/thetake to find and book a top-rated doctor today. | Gossip Girl’s Dan Humphrey made his way to the very top of the elite society of New York City’s Upper East Side. In the finale, it was revealed that this upward climb wasn’t just a fluke of fate and circumstance but all part of a twisted bid to help him cement his place in this elite world. If we ignore the parts of his story that don’t make a whole lot of sense (like all of the times he was surprised by his own Gossip Girl blasts…) we can see that while Dan was shady, he wasn’t really wrong about how the world works and what one has to do if they really want to break their way into those kinds of insular, exclusive social circles as an outsider. So, let’s take a deeper look at the pretty dark lessons we learn from Dan’s story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Netflix's KAOS has become a huge hit by pulling some very old stories into the modern day: ancient Greek mythology. In this telling, some of the most recognizable names from the ancient legends are everyday people, and the Greek gods are still worshiped and revered. Whether you’re familiar with Greek mythology or not, KAOS is loaded with clever nods to the enduring stories that shape the trials and tribulations each character faces, while still creating a brand-new plot. Let’s dive into our Take on the Greek myths that inspired KAOS, how they were updated to fit our world, and, of course, that cliffhanger ending. Use THETAKE55off to get 55% off your first month at Scentbird https://sbird.co/3ZpvWTY This month I received... Not a Perfume by Juliette Has A Gun https://sbird.co/3XHo0Mx Roses Vanille by Mancera Paris https://sbird.co/3TrI8Qa Moonlit Nights by Judith Ripka https://sbird.co/4embPKr THIS IS NOT A BLUE BOTTLE 1/.7 by Histoires de Parfums https://sbird.co/3z8Z5rQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Perfect Couple was hyped as the next big murder mystery miniseries, and while it has pulled in viewers, it ended up being quite different from what many had expected. Starring Nicole Kidman, who has dominated the prestige drama mini- and limited series game for a while now; Meghann Fahy, who shot to stardom thanks to her turn on The White Lotus; and a number of other stars, it at first seemed like it was going to be another serious murder mystery, but… the show had other plans. So let’s dive in and unpack what’s led to such mixed reviews from viewers and explain what really happened in the ending! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Category fraud has become a big topic of conversation around award shows nowadays (aka, "Wait, how is The Bear a comedy?!") Awards season is a great time to look back at all of our favorite films, shows, and performances of the last year – but every time the Emmy Awards in particular roll around and nominations are announced, there’s so much confusion about the seemingly random categories that some shows and actors are slotted into. So… what’s really going on here? Let’s take a closer look at the full Emmy process and the awards culture that drives it to figure out what’s really behind ‘category fraud’ and if there’s anything that can be done to fix it! Click here to watch the video version of this episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://factormeals.com/thetake50 and use code thetake50 to get 50% off your first box plus 20% off your next month. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, starring Jenna Ortega, Winona Ryder, and Michael Keaton and directed by Tim Burton, has become a huge box office smash (already pulling in more in its first weekend than the original film did in its entire box office run!) Like the original, this film deals with some pretty dark, depressing concepts – but does its desire to keep things more surface level and wacky serve the story or bring it down? Let’s take a closer look at what the film is really about to unpack its true message. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices