TV Archives - Page 2 of 54 - So About What I Said

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Why Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello Are the Couple We Need Right Now

It’s been a summer full of not-so-happy news (hi, Trump), which has left so many of us feeling like the world is about to crumble. But there’s been one shining glimmer of hope getting me through and their names are Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello.

Yes, this is the couple the world needs now!! And, yes, I’m such a giddy teenager at the possibility that these two crazy kids might actually be a couple!! I ship these two so hard, as the young people say!

First, we need to talk about their Señorita music video for a hot minute. Emphasis on the hot, obviously, because my glasses kept fogging up from all that steam!!! The passion! The fire! The intensity! I dare you to watch that video and not almost have a heart attack.

It was all too much to handle.

If I wasn’t convinced by their passionate on-screen chemistry, then their steamy duet of the tune during the MTV Video Music Awards certainly put me over the edge!! It was that same passion and fire and intensity come to life on the stage, in real time, only magnified and amped up one million billion degrees! Honestly, it was love on steroids and I’m so here for that, obviously! Am I the only one who thinks that Shawn and Camila just told the world “Yes, we’re dating” on the VMAs stage??

Trust me, I’m as shocked as you are about my unexpected fascination with pop’s new It couple. I came of age in the late ‘90s when two doe-eyed teens named Britney and Justin were pop’s reigning power couple; the world followed their every move, even down to those classic matching denim outfits! We were all transfixed watching young love blossom right before our very eyes and I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only one who shed a tear when they called it quits.

So maybe there’s a hint of nostalgia here when it comes to Shawn and Camila? I may be 38, but these two are still #RelationshipGoals!! They give me hope that love is possible — that it can be fun and exciting and real. Yes, I said real because unlike the cynical people of the world, I refuse to believe that theirs is some manufactured PR relationship just to boost record sales. You will never be able to convince me that their love is anything but pure and sweet and REAL.

And speaking of real, there’s one thing that’s bothered me as I’ve followed their relationship: I’m seeing so many people saying “Shawn Mendes can’t possibly be in a relationship with Camila Cabello because he’s gay.” As if you can’t be both. FYI, it’s 2019…why are we still saying things like this?? It doesn’t have to be one or the other! Sexuality can be fluid. Relationships aren’t black or white and they can exist in every color of the rainbow. You love who you love.

Indeed, I’m rooting for Shawn and Camila to be the next great love story for the ages and I will sit here and firmly wave my Team Shawmila flag until the end of time! Maybe the love gods are listening and will hear my plea: The world is a mess and we could really use some happiness in the form of Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello together.

What’s your verdict, friends? Are you a fan of these two? I mean, you can’t deny how deliciously catchy their songs are, can you? Plus, even the iconic Vogue is weighing in on the are-they-or-aren’t-they debate, asking the very important question: “Are Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello the Couple of Summer?” We may never know, but at the very least, watching their relationship unfold has made this old Millennial very, very, very happy! xoxo

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

My Essay on CNN Opinion: “Why Seinfeld Is Superior To Friends”

I’m beyond giddy that I got to write this ode to Seinfeld for CNN Opinion!! In honor of the show’s 30th anniversary, I shared how it was such a huge part of my teen years, the impact on pop culture…yada, yada, yada. This was a super fun one to write!! Turns out, the show about nothing was really about everything!!

My obsession with Jerry and his friends goes way, way back — we’re talking all the way back to the ’90s during the show’s heyday!! You see, for me, Seinfeld was never just a show. My family and I bonded over watching episodes together every night, over my mom’s classic dinner of chicken and white rice; to this day, those sense memories are still incredibly powerful.

Here’s an excerpt of the piece, in which I firmly assert that Seinfeld is far better than Friends could have ever hoped to be…

Where “Friends” is that show about a specific time in your life (your late 20s and early 30s), “Seinfeld’s” eccentric characters speak to all phases of life — and, as such, is the show I can always go back to, no matter how many years have passed. Once I aged out of that “Friends” demographic, I began to see the characters and their lives differently. In fact, I tried re-watching the series a couple years ago, and I couldn’t get beyond the first episode. They all seemed to spend so much time complaining about romantic relationships that would never amount to anything — and I just didn’t have patience for this kind of kvetching.
Indeed, the older I get, the more relatable “Seinfeld” becomes. Jerry and company were talking about the banalities of life that we all struggle with, like regifting and double dipping, ridiculous haircuts and close talkers.
While we may have wanted to be as cool and chic as Rachel Green in Friends, in reality, we were all much more similar to awkward Elaine from Seinfeld. If Rachel were a real person living in 2019, she would be an Instagram influencer posting her #OOTD full of #sponsored clothing from hip places like Madewell or J. Crew. If Elaine were a real person living in 2019, she would probably swear off social media.

And, yessss!!!! I’m watching the entire series again…not that there’s anything wrong with that!! I just started re-watching over the weekend and I’m almost done with season two, so that should give you a little idea about just how much I’m still obsessed with this show!!!

You can read the full piece here and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to email me anytime at mellow1422@aol.com and let’s chat! And of course, feel free to share my essay on Facebook, Twitter or even your local refrigerator. If you share on Twitter, be sure to tag me @melissablake so we can connect! I can’t wait to hear from you! Love you all… xoxo

Friday, July 26, 2019

My Essay on Family Minded: “The Best Moments to Expect From Netflix’s Baby-Sitters Club Reboot”

Say hello to your friends (Baby-Sitters Club)
Say hello to the people who care
Nothing’s better than friends (Baby-Sitters Club)
‘Cause you know that your friends are always there

At long last, my ode to The Baby-Sitters Club is out in the world. This piece had quite the journey from pitch to publication! In March, it was accepted and then rejected by The Washington Post, so I retooled it a bit and then it found a home on Family Minded!! I’m so glad I didn’t give up on this one and it was such an honor to write about a series that was such a huge part of my childhood. So, fellow writers, NEVER GIVE UP on those stories you believe in!

Here’s an excerpt of the piece, in which I thoroughly analyze the world that Kristy and her friends live in and their rightful, prominent place in pop culture history…

No one in the group is the same, and there was a character for every personality type: There’s Kristy, whose bossy leadership skills helped The Baby-Sitters Club become the go-to sitting service in fictional Stoneybrook, Connecticut. There’s artistic Claudia and fashion-loving Stacey. Mary Anne is shy and reserved, while cool, California-bred Dawn is outgoing. And while Mallory prefers to spend the day reading, Jessi loves practicing her ballet routines.
Growing up, the series was such a defining part of my childhood, and it was the first series I remember that got my whole family involved, even before we started the first chapter. I’d bond with my father as he’d spend time with me at the library, helping me reach the BSC books and listening as I carefully debated the merits of each one to decide which one to check out.
I’d also bond with my mom every night, as I’d huddle under the covers and listen in wonder as she read each book aloud, usually asking her if we could read “just one more chapter” night after night.

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

My Essay on CNN Opinion: “Why Lilly Singh Is What Late Night Comedy Needs Right Now”

Ahhh, friends! I can’t believe that I forgot to share one of my CNN op-eds with you! This one is all the way back from the end of March about YouTuber Lilly Singh breaking the glass ceiling of late-night TV. Bye bye, boys’ club!!!

I’ve been forever frustrated by the landscape of late night, haven’t you?? Especially in our current political climate and the #MeToo era, we’re seeing men telling us the news of the day — from their perspective. We’re in an age right now where we need better inclusion and representation when it comes to who is telling these stories, and I’m hoping that Lilly Singh hosting a late night show will be the first in a very long line of glass-ceiling-breaking female hosts.

Here’s an excerpt of the piece, in which I even take the writers’ rooms of late night to task for not employing nearly enough female writers…

It’s easy for someone like Leno, an older white male, to say that late-night comics should stay out of politics, but the fact is it’s 2019 — and it would be tone deaf to ignore the political and social challenges facing Americans. In fact, I would argue that it’s even more critical that Singh have a show, so she can start national conversations around marginalized communities.
Late-night television often provides the fodder for the water cooler (or Slack thread) conversations the next morning. So, Singh will soon have a powerful platform to kickstart a conversation on a host of issues, especially as we near the 2020 presidential election.

Thursday, June 6, 2019

My Essay on The Independent: “Watching Elizabeth Warren Debate With Meghan McCain on The View…”

My third op-ed for The Independent is live!! Yes, I know that I haven’t posted the first two, but this one is particularly timely, so I wanted to get it up ASAP. I got to write about The View (fan!), the power of women’s voices (super fan!) and why the exchange between co-host Meghan McCain and Senator Elizabeth Warren was so powerful.

It’s no secret that I’ve been a fan of The View for YEARS — I mean, I even wrote an entire blog post about how I’d make a great co-host. That, my friends, is how dedicated I am! So when I heard that The New York Times magazine recognized the show as “most important political TV show in America,” I about screamed for joy! But, of course, I wasn’t surprised! The View has been redefining the genre of daytime talk for more than 20 years. It’s put strong, powerful women at the forefront of smart, relevant and engaging television.

And when it comes to the looming 2020 elections, those smart women are going to be on the front lines! I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the show is more visible than ever right now. In a time when women are continually being silenced and made to feel like they don’t matter, a female-led show being recognized like this is groundbreaking — it says that, yes, women have a voice and we’re going to use it. It says that, yes, women are allowed to have strong opinions, and those strong opinions aren’t “being hysterical.” This says a lot about women, power and being vocal, especially in a time when so many aspects of our lives are being threatened. The hosts of The View are coming to the table, literally, and showing women that’s it’s OK to speak up and to have a voice. For a long time, I was insecure and afraid to voice my opinion, but that show has taught me the power in being vocal and not apologizing for it.

Here’s an excerpt of the piece, which Meghan McCain herself retweeted and commented on, so basically, I’m living my best life this week…

In fact, this isn’t the first time The View has sat down with a 2020 Democratic candidate. Warren’s interview marks The View’s 13th Democratic candidate on the show, meaning the hosts have interviewed half the candidates who have announced their run. Candidates see the show as a must-stop on the campaign trail – a legitimate forum to talk about the issues that matter most. The show has become a key player in our national political conversation, and it says a lot that an all-female program is having such an influence on the 2020 election.
At a time when women’s rights are being threatened across America, such a show isn’t just refreshing: it’s nationally necessary, for all of us.

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