Entertainment
Bridgerton Recast Concerns Explained After Show’s Onscreen Book Changes
Bridgerton has gone through some onscreen recasts and book changes, which has caused some fans to worry that more main characters will look different in future seasons of the hit Netflix series.
Based on Julia Quinn‘s book series, the Regency show follows different members of a wealthy family as they each search for love in 19th century London. After the show premiered in 2020, Bridgerton went through cast changes when Regé-Jean Page left the show after season 1 and his onscreen love interest Phoebe Dynevor‘s screen time was cut as a result.
Other former leads had significantly less scenes from season to season while one member of the Bridgerton family — Francesca — was recast with Hannah Dodd taking over for Ruby Stokes. With there being eight seasons planned in total and multiple years before seasons, some have questioned whether more cast changes are coming up.
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of the recasting concerns:
The Key Players

Season 1 of Netflix’s Bridgerton centered around Daphne Bridgerton (Dynevor) and Simon Basset (Page), who were the leads of the first book, The Duke and I.
Season 2 took inspiration from The Viscount Who Loved Me, which followed Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) as he found love with Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley). Despite Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) being the subject of the third novel — An Offer From a Gentleman — his love story with newcomer Sophie (Yerin Ha) wasn’t explored until season 4.
The third season instead focused on Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) as seen in Quinn’s book Romancing Mister Bridgerton.
The Gist

Showrunner Jess Brownell confirmed in January 2026 that Eloise (Claudia Jessie) and Phillip Crane (Chris Fulton) or Francesca (Dodd) and Michaela (Masali Baduza) are next in line.
With the long filming schedules causing years between seasons, some fans have expressed concern that Fulton could be replaced as Phillip after being gone since season 2. There were also questions about whether younger Bridgerton siblings Hyacinth (Florence Hunt) and Gregory (Will Tilston) will be played by other actors despite being cast in the show as kids.
What Has Been Said

Quinn broke her silence in February 2026 on possible changes in future seasons.
“I don’t necessarily know how they’re gonna spin it or write it or what they’re going to keep and change,” Quinn exclusively told Us Weekly while teasing Eloise’s upcoming season.
Quinn also weighed in on Hyacinth and Gregory’s respective seasons.
“It’s funny because they were, like, 12 and 13 when they started. If you asked me that back then [about the same actors playing them as adults], I’d be like, ‘I don’t know.’ But when I saw them again at the premiere, they were both drinking wine,” she told Us. “They’re both 18 now and Will was there with his girlfriend.”
The author pointed out that there were still a few years before It’s In His Kiss and On the Way to the Wedding will be featured with their own seasons.
“[Showrunner] Jess [Brownell] has said the next two seasons will be either Eloise and then Francesca or Francesca and then Eloise, which makes sense. It takes a few years to film, so by the time we get to Hyacinth and Gregory, the actors are going to be well into their 20s,” Quinn explained. “So I think it’ll probably be OK. Will it be weird that we knew them when they were 12? We see child stars grow up all the time.”
She continued: “As a writer, it was hard to write those two books at first. I really had to let them grow up in my mind a bit and that was hard for both of them. I was really glad it took several years — but even so — I can’t remember how much time passed in the writing. I really had to let them grow up. It was tough.”
Brownell, meanwhile, confirmed that Eloise’s romantic future won’t change. “I think we are interested in honoring the love interest from Eloise’s book. I can dispel, she’s not ending up with Theo. She’s ending up with the love interest from her book,” she told Swooon.
The showrunner also shut down other possible recasting — such as Daphne and Simon. “We are not interested in recasting the characters,” Brownell told Variety in February 2026. “I think it would feel like a disservice to everything Regé and Phoebe set up in season 1, and all the beautiful work they put into those characters.”
What’s Next

In addition to Eloise’s To Sir Phillip, With Love and Francesca’s When He Was Wicked, Hyacinth’s It’s In His Kiss and Gregory’s On the Way to the Wedding are the only remaining books left to bring to life.
Entertainment
Carole Radziwill Rejoining ‘RHONY’ as a ‘Friend’ for Season 16
‘Real Housewives of New York City’
Carole Radziwill’s Back in the Mix for Season 16!!!
Published
Major reality TV shakeup — Carole Radziwill is heading back to “The Real Housewives of New York City” … but pump the brakes, she’s not reclaiming her apple full-time.
TMZ has confirmed Carole — who held court from S5 through 10 — is returning as a “friend” for Season 16, with cameras firing up in NYC this week.
During her OG run, Carole was no wallflower … locking horns with Bethenny Frankel, Ramona Singer, Sonja Morgan and Luann de Lesseps in some of the franchise’s messiest moments.
This time around, she’ll mix it up with Erin Lichy, Sai De Silva and Jessel Taank — the only trio sticking around from the reboot era.
Bottom line? The women from the city that never sleeps are clocking back in … and it’s gonna be bigger and better than ever!
Entertainment
10 21st-Century Oscar Wins That Keep Getting Better
The nominations have been announced, and the stage is almost set for the 98th Academy Awards, which takes place at the Los Angeles Dolby Theatre on March 15. Paul Thomas Anderson’s politically poignant One Battle After Another, Ryan Coogler’s acclaimed vampire flick Sinners, and the quietly stunning Danish-Norwegian drama Sentimental Value lead the way as favorites, although, as the recent BAFTAs have proven, anything can happen on awards night.
Of course, taking home a gold statue is certain to cement someone’s legacy in the annals of cinema history. However, as years pass, the respect and reputation of any given win can fluctuate, with many now being considered to have aged like milk. Instead of focusing on those negatives, here’s a look at ten 21st-century Oscar wins that keep getting better with age, proving the Academy very often gets it really right.
10
Peter Jackson – Best Director for ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ (2003)
Nominated, but not winning, for The Fellowship of the Ring, and being entirely snubbed for The Two Towers, director Peter Jackson went into the 76th Academy Awards in 2004 as the overwhelming favorite to take home the Best Director prize, with many seeing a triumph as collective adulation for the trilogy as a whole.
As one of Return of the King‘s record-tying 11 Academy Awards that night, Jackson’s victory for Best Director was arguably the most deserved, the long-overdue recognition for one of modern cinema’s most impressive visionaries. Over 20 years on, as shown by the trilogy’s recent hugely successful box office re-release, love for the Lord of the Rings franchise hasn’t faltered, making Jackson’s win all the sweeter.
9
Christoph Waltz – Best Supporting Actor for ‘Inglourious Basterds’ (2009)
Twice Christoph Waltz has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards, and twice he has won. His first victory, three years before triumphing for Django Unchained, came at the 82nd Academy Awards in 2010, as he swept aside the competition to take home a golden statue for his intelligently deceptive portrayal of S.S. Colonel Hans Landa in Quentin Tarantino‘s revisionist WWII epic, Inglourious Basterds.
Oozing with charisma and frighteningly evil, Hans Landa is one of Tarantino’s best creations. As time has passed, it has become evermore clear that no one could’ve nailed this duplicitous and challenging role quite like Waltz. The Austrian actor’s methodical approach to the art of acting is able to squeeze every last ounce of menace out of an already wicked character.
8
‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ (2004) – Best Original Screenplay
In the past 27 years of cinema, there’s perhaps no better screenwriter than Charlie Kaufman. Despite being involved in some of the most intriguing philosophical movie musings in modern memory, the genius behind the likes of Being Jon Malkovich and his directorial debut, Synecdoche, New York, has only ever won one Academy Award.
For his simply stunning screenplay for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Kaufman carved a story that was ahead of its time. The film itself has become iconic, a defining piece of 21st-century romance that has inspired waves of creatives and become a masterpiece in the eyes of audiences. It is because of this that the Academy’s choice to declare it as the best in class at the 77th Oscars in 2004 is so impressive, and it has aged like a fine wine.
7
J. K. Simmons – Best Supporting Actor for ‘Whiplash’ (2014)
Few actors could turn a bitter jazz instructor into one of the scariest villains in modern movie history. That’s exactly what J.K. Simmons did with Terence Fletcher in Damien Chazelle‘s pulse-pumping masterpiece Whiplash, as he goes head-to-head with budding young drumming prodigy Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller).
Against a stacked 2015 line-up, Whiplash entered the 87th Academy Awards unsure of victory in any category. However, if anyone deserved a golden statue, it was Simmons, with this most likely his career-best work. A decade on, and no Supporting Actor winner can really come close to this stunning performance from Simmons, and thankfully, the Academy recognized it.
6
‘Spirited Away’ (2001) – Best Animated Feature
The success of an anime at the Academy Awards might not look so surprising today, especially in light of The Boy and the Heron‘s 2024 win, but back in 2003, it was unheard of. Against tough competition in the form of Treasure Planet, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Ice Age, and Lilo & Stitch, Spirited Away left the 75th Academy Awards as the surprise winner of the Best Animated Feature prize.
Today, anime has boomed from a niche interest to a global phenomenon, and, through that simple fact, this win for Spirited Away back in 2003 is truly one of the best the Academy has ever awarded. It goes without saying that Hayao Miyazaki’s modern fairytale masterpiece is worthy of this Oscar and many other accolades.
5
Charlize Theron – Best Actress for ‘Monster’ (2003)
Of all the 21st century Best Actress victories, none have proven as enduring as Charlize Theron‘s in Patty Jenkins’ 2003 crime drama Monster. Completely unrecognizable as serial killer Aileen Wuornos, Theron’s performance is the epitome of an actor losing themselves to a role, with people still shocked to this day to learn that it is the Bombshell star behind the dental prosthetics.
The best performance in a career stacked with great turns, Theron’s work is simply spectacular. The Academy’s choice to award Theron the victory might’ve been unsurprising given the star’s victories at the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, and Critics’ Choice Awards, but let that take nothing away from how well this has aged. If Roger Ebert calls it “one of the greatest performances in the history of the cinema,” who are we to argue?
4
Bong Joon-ho – Best Director for ‘Parasite’ (2019)
There are few superlatives left to attribute to Parasite. Ever since the genius South Korean thriller debuted in 2019, it has been praised to the highest degree by anyone with even the slightest interest in film. Despite all that acclaim, director Bong Joon-ho‘s win for Best Director in 2020 is an easy choice for this list.
Although Alfonso Cuarón won Best Director for the Spanish-language film Roma in 2019, Joon-ho’s win a year later will forever be heralded for ushering a new Academy appreciation for non-English language filmmaking. There is plenty more to be said about the movie itself, although that should be saved for later in the list.
3
‘Moonlight’ (2016) – Best Picture
For a few moments on February 26, 2017, the winner of the Best Picture Oscar was the colorful, romantic musical La La Land. Thankfully, although La La Land is an excellent movie, the mistake made by Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway was quickly rectified, Barry Jenkins‘ Moonlight was announced the winner, and the rest is history.
One of the best coming-of-age drama tales of all time, Moonlight won three of its eight Oscar nominations, with Mahershala Ali‘s Best Supporting Actor triumph almost worthy of a place in this list. However, given the film’s minuscule budget of just $4 million and the impressive success of small-budget indie flicks since, it is fair to say that today’s film landscape would look considerably different without Moonlight‘s Best Picture win.
2
Daniel Day-Lewis – Best Actor for ‘There Will Be Blood’ (2007)
Daniel Day-Lewis is undeniably one of the greatest actors of all time, and his Best Actor win for There Will Be Blood is the best of his three Academy Award victories. As the misanthropic oil baron Daniel Plainview, Day-Lewis combines with the genius of Paul Thomas Anderson to craft one of modern cinema’s greatest performances.
Many actors go to extreme, seemingly performative lengths to prove their ability. Day-Lewis’s two-year isolation in Ireland to prepare for this role is one of the only times such radical methods paid off. Earning a plethora of best actor nominations from various award boards for this performance, There Will Be Blood is Day-Lewis’s magnum opus, and his Best Actor win is one of the best decisions the Academy has ever made.
1
‘Parasite’ (2019) — Best Picture
As the first non-English language film to win Best Picture, Parasite‘s win at the 2020 ceremony marked a huge shift in the Academy. Today, the likes of The Secret Agent and I’m Still Here are easy considerations for Best Picture nominations, and the Academy itself now boasts a much more international blend of members.
Whether you believe it is one of the greatest movies of all time or not, the film undeniably changed Western attitudes to international filmmaking for the better. Reported to be the most-logged movie on Letterboxd, Parasite‘s popularity continues to grow thanks to the increase in attention to non-English language films — a movement the movie itself helped propel forward.
Entertainment
Eric Dane’s Official Cause of Death Released
Actor Eric Dane, best known for his roles in “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Euphoria,” passed away on Thursday, February 19. The 53-year-old actor had announced in April 2025 that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS.
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Eric Dane’s Official Cause Of Death Has Been Confirmed

According to a death certificate obtained by PEOPLE magazine, the actor passed away from respiratory failure. ALS was listed as an underlying cause of death.
The actor is survived by his wife, Rebecca Gayheart, and their two children: Billie Beatrice, 15, and Georgia Geraldine, 13.
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Dane ‘Spent His Final Days Surrounded By Dear Friends’

On February 19, the actor’s family shared a brief statement with the publication confirming his passing. “With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS,” the statement read. “He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world.”
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“Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight. He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always,” the statement continued. “Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received. The family has asked for privacy as they navigate this impossible time.”
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Eric Dane Announced A Memoir In December 2025
In December 2025, only a few months before his sudden passing, the actor revealed that he would be releasing a memoir containing highlights from his life and legendary acting career. The memoir, set to be titled “Books of Days: A Memoir in Moments,” was set to be published by Maria Shriver’s imprint, The Open Field.
In an Instagram post announcing the memoir, Shriver said that it was “an honor to publish” his story, writing, “It is indeed an honor to publish @realericdane’s new memoir about his account of being diagnosed with ALS and how he is dealing with it. I’m so humbled and honored that he chose @openfieldbooks to publish his important story, an imprint known for publishing bestselling books that rise above the noise and move humanity forward.”
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She continued, “I cannot wait for the world to read his story and learn more about his intention and his goals. Thank you for entrusting me with your story, Eric!”
In his own statement, Dane added, “I want to capture the moments that shaped me — the beautiful days, the hard ones, the ones I never took for granted… If sharing this helps someone find meaning in their own days, then my story is worth telling.”
Patrick Dempsey Paid Tribute To His Late ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Costar
On February 20, Dempsey had a guest appearance on “The Chris Evans Breakfast Show,” only one day after Dane passed away. The actor said that Dane already had difficulty speaking and that some friends had been visiting him amid his health struggles.
“He was bedridden and it was very hard for him to swallow, so the quality of his life was deteriorating so rapidly,” Dempsey shared. He described Dane as a funny man who was “such a joy to work with” and looked back on their days on “Grey’s Anatomy” fondly.
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“First scene was him in all of his glory coming out of the bathroom with a towel on, looking amazing, making me feel completely out of shape and insignificant,” Dempsey recalled, adding, “There was this wonderful mutual respect. He’s wickedly intelligent, and I’m always going to remember those moments of fun that we had together and celebrate the joy that he did bring to people’s lives.”
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Creator Shonda Rhimes Pays Tribute
On February 20, “Grey’s Anatomy” creator also took to Instagram to pay tribute to the late actor with a carousel of photos showing the two posing together at various events. “Eric Dane was a beloved member of the Shondaland and Grey’s Anatomy families,” she wrote. “He was truly a gifted actor whose portrayal of Dr. Mark Sloan left an indelible mark on the series and on audiences around the world.”
She went on to say, “We are grateful for the artistry, spirit, friendship and humanity he shared with us for so many years. Our hearts are with his family, loved ones, and all who were touched by his work.”
Rebecca Gayheart commented on the post, writing, “That you Shonda — I am still unable to speak on our loss. Appreciate this.”
Entertainment
How Men Were Destroyed By The Most Popular Movie Of A Generation
By Joshua Tyler
| Updated

During World War 2 millions of American men were forced to march in lockstep to their death. Whether you think the cause was just or not, the truth is that for years these men had no say, no agency, and no independence. When the war was over, those who survived were released from bondage and returned home. They responded by doing what men have always done in those circumstances: by getting away from those who would control them.
The result was the rise of the American suburb, as returning soldiers left the city life of reliance on government apparatuses like public transportation and cramped apartment regulations for a place that promised more breathing room, your own home that you controlled, and the ability to hop in a car and go anywhere you want, anytime you like. The elites who’d been ordering them around during the war were soon unsettled by this shift in American culture and launched a campaign to demonize those returning soldiers and their suburbanite quest to get the hell away from them.
This pushback against suburban flight culminated in a cultural trend that would last for decades, but it first clicked into place with a singular movie that’s still persuading impressionable minds today. This is the story of how The Graduate screenwashed Americans into redefining success as a prison and failure as the real key to happiness.
Sympathy For A Spoiled Brat

The Graduate is about a recent college graduate named Benjamin Braddock. He’s played by a young Dustin Hoffman who, in addition to being a great actor, is also naturally sympathetic. The movie begins as he’s returning home after completing college. Once home, he’s supposed to figure out his next steps, and he hates every minute of it.
We follow Braddock everywhere, and the film makes sure you sympathize with him, even when you shouldn’t. That’s important because Benjamin Braddock acts like an asshole throughout almost the entire movie.
He bails on a party his parents threw to show him how proud they are of him. He mopes around their house, freeloading, and refuses to get a job. He complains when his Dad offers to help him or when his parents say nice things about him. He’s presented with reasonable choices and opportunities, and treats them like an attack on his soul. He stalks and harasses a woman he barely knows, ruins a marriage, and uses everyone around him.

The Graduate excuses Benjamin’s behavior as if it’s everyone else that’s the problem, even though they’re doing nothing to him at all. On paper, Benjamin Braddock is a total tool, but as the Simon & Garfunkel music swells and he slinks through the flatly shot airport, the movie frames him as a victim entering a trap.
The Graduate frames Benjamin as its surrogate, creating a situation where hating him means hating yourself. You won’t do that, so with a little help from creative camera work, your brain assumes Ben’s in the right, even though he’s clearly a passive-aggressive jerk.
How Moral Reframing Turns Bad Into Good
The movie makes that ridiculous flip happen using a persuasion technique called Moral Reframing. Moral Reframing is the persuasive repositioning of behavior, motives, or outcomes so that actions widely seen as harmful, selfish, or unethical are interpreted as virtuous, principled, or necessary by shifting the moral lens through which they are judged.

The Graduate pulls off that reframing because of the way director Mike Nichols shoots and constructs his film. Nichols frequently aligns the camera with Benjamin’s POV, making the audience experience situations from his perspective. Every shot frames him behind glass, water, plastic, or some kind of architecture.
Benjamin often says very little, even when asked questions. In the real world, that behavior would be rude, but Nichols lets pauses linger, making his confusion and anxiety feel authentic and earned rather than what it really is, which is lazy and passive-aggressive.
Affected By Affect Heuristics
Early scenes show adults crowding him, speaking at him rather than to him. The camera stays close to Benjamin, trapping the viewer in his discomfort. Everything Nichols does makes sure you FEEL that he’s trapped by the world around him, and that world is the suburbs. In doing so, he’s taking advantage of something called Affect Heuristics.
Affect Heuristics are a mental shortcut all humans take, in which immediate emotional reactions, such as fear, liking, disgust, or comfort, are substituted for deliberate analysis. That means judgments of things like risk, value, or truth are guided more by feeling than by evidence.

So The Graduate never outright says the suburbs and success are evil. It doesn’t even show most of them (with one big exception, and we’ll get to HER in a minute) doing anything bad. Instead, Nichols uses reframing to make you FEEL his message. And he does it indirectly, so you’ll never notice what he’s doing to you. So while on screen you see nothing but paradise-like suburbs filled with mini mansions, swimming pools, and supportive parents and friends, The Graduate’s director subtly manipulates the audience into FEELING that, despite all evidence, this place of success is actually one of festering rot.
That’s where Mrs. Robinson comes in.
Mrs. Robinson Gets The Blame

Even if you’ve never seen The Graduate, you know who Mrs. Robinson is. An older woman who has known Benjamin since he was a baby decides to seduce him, and she does so aggressively.
She’s played by Anne Bancroft, who was actually only thirty-five at the time. Hoffman, by the way, was twenty-nine. But the movie goes out of its way to age her, while simultaneously de-aging Dustin Hoffman.

Nichols shoots Bancroft in hard, shadow-casting lighting that accentuates cheekbones and facial lines. Heavy eye makeup, dark liner, and sculpted hair add severity rather than youthfulness. In real life, Anne Bancroft was a smokeshow, but in The Graduate, nothing about her is attractive.
I know the movie’s reputation is that she’s some kind of hot MILF seductress, but that’s a marketing distraction. It’s not what the movie wants you to FEEL. The reality is that, compared to Benjamin, she looks much too old, and their entire relationship is a creepy, creepy betrayal.

What’s more, the movie puts all the blame for their creepy relationship on Mrs. Robinson and almost none on Benjamin. The Graduate never says this overtly, but she’s consistently filmed looming over Benjamin, emphasizing power and experience. Low angles and dominant framing make her imposing and authoritative. She’s always placed in adult spaces like dim bars, bedrooms, and cocktail settings that reinforce her status and power as being superior to Benjamin.
The Power Of Symbolic Guilt Transfer
Mrs. Robinson must be creepy, and she must be to blame, because she represents the movie’s true motives. Mrs. Robinson exists in the film to be the chief representative of suburbia, and it’s suburbia that The Graduate is out to destroy. This is Symbolic Guilt Transfer.
Symbolic Guilt Transfer is a persuasion effect in which negative moral judgment or blame attached to a person, image, or symbol is psychologically shifted onto the broader group, place, or idea that the figure is made to represent, causing audiences to condemn the larger target through its symbolic stand-in.

Mrs. Robinson is the rotting, putrid core at the heart of the suburbs. She’s there to make you FEEL negatively about a place, not a person, and it’s all hidden beneath a veneer of smoky-voiced, granny panties seduction.
Boring Is The Worst
But what are the suburbs really? Everyone has a nice house, they have friends, and aside from Mrs. Robinson, they seem happy and well-adjusted. The suburban lifestyle is so obviously superior to the crowded, restrictive, crime-ridden city alternatives people were familiar with in 1967 that there really was no way to attack that honestly.

So instead, The Graduate makes them dull. Boring. It makes you think BORING is the worst. That boring rots the soul, that boring turns you into Mrs. Robinson. The camera lingers on beige walls, manicured lawns, polite smiles. It sells the idea that nice things are inherently empty and creates an inverted morality in which good is bad and bad is good.
Things snowball as the movie goes on, with Benjamin basically going insane. He becomes a full-on stalker, harassing Mrs. Robinson’s daughter, who behaves like a brain-dead zombie and follows his commands for basically no reason.

Through it all, the movie’s groovy Simon & Garfunkel-powered soundtrack blares, and to audiences back then, that music felt hip and cool, a signal that Benjamin is on the right track. Seen through a modern lens, that endless 60s soundtrack sounds haunting and disturbing, and the film takes on the form of a horror movie as Benjamin increasingly acts irrationally, violently, and abusively.
Because the film was stylish, funny, and backed by a soundtrack that felt modern and restless, the teenage Boomers who piled into its audience didn’t see it as a horror movie. It felt edgy, it felt cool. It felt right. And so The Graduate spread a message of insanity and irresponsibility as optimal, based entirely on feeling and vibes. It packaged and sold a ridiculous anti-suburb, anti-responsibility lie that made success look cowardly and respect look like conformity.
Hollywood Provides Impressionable Minds Social Proof That The Graduate Is Right

The Graduate worked, and the Hollywood elite rewarded it for pushing exactly the right message. Mike Nichols won the Academy Award for Best Director, while the film earned additional Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Dustin Hoffman, and Best Actress for Anne Bancroft.
It exploded into one of the era’s biggest hits, grossing over $100 million worldwide, an extraordinary figure for the late 1960s, and becoming the highest-grossing film of 1967. It’s still regarded by the modern-day press as one of the greatest films of all time, and if you ask most average Boomers about it, they’ll probably tell you The Graduate changed their entire life.
Perhaps more importantly, The Graduate’s runaway success signaled a shift toward youth-oriented propaganda and helped usher in the New Hollywood era, which led to even more manipulative films, like The Stepford Wives, which you can learn more about right here on this channel.
The Ultimate Straw Man

The powers that be couldn’t argue against the Greatest Generation’s post-World War II success, so they constructed a straw man and made people hate it. The Graduate was that straw man, a symbol of everything that stood in opposition to America’s post-War prosperity. You can’t fight a symbol.
Mike Nichols claims his intent was only to show the confusion of youth, but it’s unlikely he’s being honest. That being his only goal doesn’t explain Mrs. Robinson, or the movie’s over-the-top finish, in which Benjamin wards off suburbanites with a giant cross, as if they’re daywalking vampires.
Permanently Implanted With Catharsis

In that finale, by the way, which is the film’s propaganda masterstroke, The Graduate hard-codes all the bad ideas it’s been planting in its audience’s brains by giving them catharsis. Catharsis is an engineered emotional purge that converts built-up tension into relief, binding the audience to whatever action, character, or idea triggered the release.
So when Benjamin storms a wedding, releasing all the tension the movie’s been building up by thumbing his nose at everything, it’s like The Graduate just hit the “save program” button in your brain. It’s why The Graduate still lives rent-free in your Boomer grandparents’ heads, and why there’s no shaking them out of it.

The last we see of Benjamin, he’s boarding a bus with the girl he stalked, Mrs. Robinson’s daughter. He’s abandoned the freedom with responsibility of the suburbs and set out on an uncertain journey into nothingness. For Benjamin, oblivion is better than opportunity.
For the audience, freedom of choice is now a prison, and basic level responsibility is a curse. Congratulations, future welfare moochers, you’ve been Screenwashed.

Entertainment
Social Goes IN On Clip Of His Boxing Jabs (WATCH)
Social media users are goin’ IN on a clip of Blueface showin’ off his boxing jabs.
RELATED: Karlissa Weighs In As Folks Think Blueface Shaded Chrisean Rock While Sharing How He & Nevaeh Akira Plan To Have A “Great, Healthy Pregnancy”
Blueface Shows Off His Boxing Jabs
Over the weekend, Blueface apparently took to his Instagram Story to share a new deleted clip showing him practicing his boxing jabs. To note, Blue appears to be gearing up to hop in the ring with Rooga on March 14.
Additionally, it appears that Blue also has a match against Swaggy P, reportedly occurring in May.
Peep the clip of him practicing his boxing jabs below.
Social Media Is Goin’ IN
Social media users started goin’ IN on the clip of Blueface showing off his boxing jabs in TSR’s comment section.
Instagram user @saucybanks wrote, “He wanna do everything Chrisean do 😂”
While Instagram user @_imaniexchange_ added, “Something fruity here… can’t quite put my finger on it tho”
Instagram user @tattoomanpaige wrote, “Bro boxing like he gotta pee pee”
While Instagram user @_____breana_____ added, “He wanna be Chrisean so bad”
Instagram user @diimpz2sweet wrote, “Nothing attractive about blue”
While Instagram user @alexusbriona added, “He look like a chipotle bag that’s been ran over in a parking lot”
Instagram user @daishajefferson wrote, “Ion think his legs supposed to be doing that .”
While Instagram user @kdubbss_shawty added, “The legs are SENDING ME 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂”
Instagram user @aashw__ wrote, “why he doing the pee dance”
While Instagram user @justvonte_ added, “Throw some bachata music over this I’m tryna see sum😂😂😂”
Instagram user @lovebeingteka wrote, “He missing rock & trynna give her a sign 😂”
While Instagram user @_londyn.brother added, “Nobody in the comments can do this or even come close. Only real fighters know what’s going”
Amid Blueface Showing Off His Boxing Jabs, He Also Shared The Gender Of His Next Baby
Amid Blueface showing off his boxing jabs, he also shared a special moment with the world. As The Shade Room previously reported, on Sunday, March 1, Blueface and Nevaeh Akira streamed their gender reveal after recently announcing their pregnancy. During the latest stream, Blue and Nevaeh learned that they are awaiting a baby boy, and are planning to name him Solar Porter.
RELATED: It’s A What? Blueface & Nevaeh Akira Reveal Their Baby’s Gender & Name During Livestream Celebration (VIDEOS)
What Do You Think Roomies?
Entertainment
After 30 Years, ‘Resident Evil’ Star Reveals Why Zach Cregger’s New Movie Is Exactly What the Franchise Needs [Exclusive]
The Resident Evil franchise has survived three decades of constant reinvention, evolving across games, animated projects, and multiple live-action adaptations. According to modern Leon Kennedy actor Nick Apostolides, that willingness to hand the series over to new creative voices is exactly why it continues to endure. As anticipation builds for the next chapter of the franchise — including a new film directed by Barbarian and Weapons filmmaker Zach Cregger — Apostolides says experimentation has always been part of Resident Evil’s DNA.
Speaking with Collider’s Hannah Hunt ahead of Resident Evil Requiem’s release, Apostolides reflected on his long personal history with the series, which began decades before he ever stepped into Leon’s shoes.
“I’ve been around for 28 years with this franchise as a fan. I’ve seen it all. And I remember the first time we saw a live-action Resident Evil movie trailer… I was so blown away. I was in for it.”
Since that first film announcement in the early 2000s for Paul W.S. Anderson’s Resident Evil, the franchise has expanded far beyond its survival horror origins, embracing different tones, timelines, and storytelling approaches across mediums. For Apostolides, that flexibility isn’t a weakness, but one of the franchise’s greatest strengths. “They keep trying new things. They let their IP be utilized by different creatives with different visions,” he explained. “And I just love it. It creates fandoms, and it’s continuously giving the community material. It grows the canon, and it’s just fun to see where it goes.”
Reinvention Has Always Been Part of ‘Resident Evil’s Identity
Few gaming franchises have maintained cultural relevance as consistently as Resident Evil, which continues to balance nostalgia with experimentation. From reinvention-heavy remakes to animated series and upcoming film projects, the series has repeatedly shifted creative direction while maintaining its core survival horror identity. Apostolides views that openness as essential to keeping the franchise alive for new generations of fans. Allowing filmmakers and developers to reinterpret the world through their own perspectives, he says, ensures the series never becomes stagnant. Rather than preserving a single definitive version of Resident Evil, each adaptation adds another layer to the franchise’s growing mythology — something Apostolides believes strengthens the community surrounding it.
With new games, adaptations, and creative teams continuing to explore the universe, Resident Evil shows little sign of slowing down, and if Apostolides is right, its future success may depend on continuing to evolve in unexpected directions.
- Release Date
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September 18, 2026
- Director
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Zach Cregger
- Writers
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Zach Cregger, Shay Hatten
Entertainment
‘The View’ Welcomes Back Former Cohost Elisabeth Hasselbeck
“The View” has been a staple of daytime television since its premiere on ABC in 1997. In the decades since, the show, which was created by Barbara Walters, had seen many cohosts come and go, with one of the most notable being Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who began her tenure on the series in 2003. She then exited in July 2013. Now, almost 13 years later, she’s returned as a guest cohost.
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Elisabeth Hasselbeck Complimented The Current ‘View’ Co-Hosts
Hasselbeck appeared on the March 2 episode of “The View” as a guest co-host. Whoopi Goldberg introduced her before the former “View” host said, “I’m so thankful to be here with you all. This is really a gift. Whoopi, we go way back. We go way back, and it’s a blessing to be near you anytime that I can, so that is great.”
She went on to highlight the ladies who currently host the show. According to Hasselbeck, “Ya’ll do a great job and significantly so to just have voices as women in the world right now. Forever reminded of the gift of our freedoms particulrlly in light of what’s going on with Iran.”
Hasselbeck went on to say that the cohosts on “The View” prove that “women can be beautiful, voiced, respected.
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The Former Daytime Host Says Civil Discourse Is Not Dead

Hasselbeck drew controversy throughout her years on the show due to some of her more conservative beliefs. She subtly hinted at her opposing beliefs to most of the women on the show during her return to “The View,” saying, “And listen, civil discourse is not dead.”
Hasselbeck went on, “We might have differences of opinion, but we love eachother and we’re stronger for it. I actually think for the young people watching, it’s important to see that you can have, and Whoppi, you’ve said it before, we can hold our positions in one hand, and each other’s in the other.”
She teased her upcoming appearances on the show, saying, “So we get to do that all week. It might get a little spicy at times, but we do not hate each other. We love eachother. We have the freedom to do it.”
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Fans Are Reacting To Hasselbeck’s Return

Fans of “The View” are responding to the show’s official X account after they posted a clip of Hasselbeck’s return. While some fans welcome conservative media personality, others aren’t too fond of seeing her back on the show. One person said, “This woman was on Hannity bashing Joy and The View, and now she’s invited onto the show as a host. What hypocrisy! No thanks!”
Another person wrote, “I’m not welcoming her. As far as I’m concerned, whether she was fired or left the show, that was the best day this show ever had.” In support of Hasselbeck’s return, a different X user said, “Make Elisabeth permanent! She fits in seamlessly and can disagree while being respectful!”
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Someone else said, “Elizabeth Hasselbeck can hold her own, and she is the best guest ever. The witches on the View think they are the only ones with an opinion. Whoopi is so disrespectful, she can’t even say the President, and calls him “you know who.”
Finally, a different “View” fan complained, “Sick of her already! Over-talking everyone and yapping, yapping, yapping!”
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The Former ‘View’ Star Recently Pubished A Best-Selling Book
Hasselbeck has done quite a bit since leaving “The View” in 2013. Immediately after, she joined “Fox & Friends” as one of the cohosts, where she remained until 2015. She has made sporadic guest-hosting appearances on “The View” since her official departure.
However, she also published a book, God’s Masterpiece: An Adventure in Discovering Your Worth,” in 2025. She then announced in April of that year that it had become a New York Times Bestseller. Hasselbeck said on Instagram, “May God be Glorified! GOD’s MASTERPIECE is #4 on the @nytimes best seller list – praying the truth of God’s promise and His message continues to bless little readers with this book that He allowed me to write.”
‘The View’ Guest Cohosts Explained

Many non-regular “View” watchers may wonder why there have been so many guest cohosts on the show recently. This comes after regular cohost, Alyssa Farah Griffin, is on maternity leave after giving birth to her first child in February 2026. Savannah Chrisley was first, with Hasselbeck now following.
Entertainment
Michael B. Jordan’s Co-Star Breaks Silence on BAFTA Racial Slur
The 2026 BAFTAs remain unforgettable for many, and not in a good way. For Michael B. Jordan‘s “Sinners” co-star Wunmi Mosaku, that February 22nd night is like a bad memory she cannot shake.
What was meant to be a celebration turned sour when Tourette’s activist John Davidson shouted the N-word at Jordan and Delroy Lindo as they presented an award.
The shocking moment sparked backlash and left the audience unsettled. Mosaku has now spoken out, criticizing the BBC for how it handled the broadcast.
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Michael B Jordan’s ‘Sinners’ Co-star Wummi Mosaku Doubts She Can ‘Forgive’ BAFTAs Racial Slur Saga
On the red carpet at the 2026 Actors Awards, Mosaku described how deeply the incident affected her, while questioning if she can move past it.
“I was there, and it was painful to have that celebration, kind of, really tainted for me,” Mosaku said to Entertainment Tonight reporters, as seen in a video shared on Facebook.
While acknowledging Davidson’s condition and insisting she had no “hard feelings” towards him, she feels that the event organizers failed to prepare for the show adequately.
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“I feel like BAFTA has a lot of lessons to learn,” Mosaku said. “I think (Sinners costar) Jayme Lawson said it yesterday, it felt like exploitative and performative to have someone there without the full protection of everybody, including him and anyone in that audience. There were children in that audience.”
What disturbed her most was the BBC’s decision to air the show with the insult intact despite a two-hour delay.
“That’s the bit that kind of kept me awake at night and brought tears to my eyes,” Mosaku admitted. “I was like, ‘You really chose to keep that in.’ I can’t understand it, and I’m not sure I can forgive it.”
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How Michael B. Jordan Reportedly Felt After Offensive Word Was Thrown At Him

Mosaku’s comments come after reports that Jordan was shaken by the event. Sources said he felt “disgusted and repulsed” after experiencing the racial abuse.
As The Blast reported, insiders said the moment was particularly difficult for the “Creed” actor, given he had studied the psychological effects of racism to perfectly portray his role as Smoke and Stack in the horror film.
The insider said the incident reminded Jordan of the ongoing need to confront and end racism. The timing of the outburst was also hard, as Jordan had already been dealing with upsetting news from Atlanta earlier that day, and the slur added to his distress.
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BBC Breaks Silence on BAFTA Controversy, Says Other Offensive Language Was Taken Out
Delroy Lindo says him and Michael B. Jordan did “what we had to do” to continue presenting at the BAFTAs after John Davidson shouted the N-word in an involuntary tic.
He said he wishes “someone from BAFTA spoke to us afterwards.”
(Source: https://t.co/CetXlW2PDv) pic.twitter.com/QM425fPt2M
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) February 23, 2026
Following the shocking incident, BBC Chief Content Officer Kate Phillips addressed the situation, noting that the team had tried to avoid any controversy from the event.
Per The Blast, Phillips apologized to employees for the oversight in an internal memo, explaining that while one offensive remark was not edited out of the broadcast, the editing team had successfully removed another racial word.
While apologizing, Philips noted that the network took responsibility for the incident. She added that even as they had warned about the possibility of involuntary verbal tics due to Tourette syndrome, the warning doesn’t erase the emotional impact of what happened.
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John Davidson Apologizes For His BAFTAs Outburst

Davidson, on his part, has since issued an apology, highlighting his disorder and how unintentional his words were. The 54-year-old suffers from coprolalia, a condition that causes the involuntary use of socially unacceptable words.
In his statement, he thanked the organizers, explaining that the warm applause he received after the announcement of his condition made him feel “welcomed and understood.” He also pushed back against claims that he deliberately used the word.
“I am, and always have been, deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning,” Davidson shared, per The Blast.
The ‘I Scream’ Actor Explains His Condition, Says It is Hard To Control

The advocate went further in explaining how the ailment works way out of his control and is unstoppable.
According to The Blast, Davidson described his tics as something that erupts without warning, comparing suppression to shaking a soda bottle until pressure forces it open.
He added that in his case, he has very little ability to hold tics back, especially in high-stress situations like the award night.
He emphasized that the offensive words he blurts out are not a reflection of his values, and the BAFTAs incident took an emotional toll on him.
Entertainment
Jim Carrey Finally Addresses ‘Clone’ Conspiracy Theories
Speculations that it wasn’t the actor at the event intensified after drag queen Alexis Stone, famous for her celebrity impersonation, shared a photo of the actor on Instagram.
Jim Carrey previously talked about quitting the movie industry but seemingly walked back the comments after joking that he was acting again cause he needed the money.
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Jim Carrey Responds To ‘Clone’ Conspiracy Theories

Carrey set tongues wagging about his new look following a rare appearance at the César Awards on Thursday, where he was given an honorary César.
Within hours of him accepting the award, social media was flooded with pictures of his old and new look, causing many to speculate that he’d gone under the knife, while others wildly claimed he had been replaced by a clone.
However, the rumors have been laid to rest as his representative told the Daily Mail that the 64-year-old funnyman indeed attended the show in person.
César Awards boss Gregory Caulier also squashed the rumors that Carrey was replaced by a made-up impersonator, telling Variety that the controversy was a “non-issue” while also testifying to Carrey’s involvement in the buildup to the event.
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“From the outset, he was extremely touched by the Academy’s invitation,” Caulier noted. “Eight months of ongoing, constructive discussions. He worked on his speech in French for months, asking me about the exact pronunciation of certain words.”
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César Awards Boss Highlights The Actor’s ‘Generosity’ As He Brands The Cloning Fears A ‘Non-Issue’

Describing Carrey’s César award as “a historic moment,” Caulier went further to note that he was in the company of his partner, daughter, grandson, publicist, and a further 12 “close friends and family members.”
“His old friend Michel Gondry, who has made a film and two series with him, was there, and they were delighted to see each other again,” he noted.
Caulier continued, “For me, it’s a non-issue. I just remember his generosity, his kindness, his benevolence, his elegance.”
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Fans Were Left Stunned By Jim Carrey’s Appearance At The Event
Netizens were having a field day with the speculations, as some pointed out that his eyes appeared lighter, while others noted that he signed autographs with his right hand, despite reports that he is left-handed.
“Nobody is talking about his voice change & also that he is a lot more calm now,” one user wrote, while another said, “It’s just a face-lift… even his side bands are shorter most likely because of the face-lift… leave the man alone. No one would pull off being a fake Jim Carrey… no way.”
Someone else wrote, “That is not Jim Carrey. The eyebrow structure, nose, and cheekbones are completely different.”
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“That’s not him. Not his essence. His spirit. His facial structure. I’m not sure if he’s doing this as performance for a movie like Juaquin Phoenix did years ago by attending interviews and acting strange. Because that’s not him,” a stunned fan penned.
Drag Queen Complicates Issues Amid Claims The Actor Was Cloned
Rumors that Carrey had been “cloned” gained momentum after drag queen Alexis Stone shared photos of facial prosthetics and a wig that looked like the actor’s on Instagram, captioning it, “Alexis Stone as Jim Carrey in Paris.”
The makeup artist has gained notoriety over the years for similar stunts after attending several fashion week shows, passing off as some famous celebrities.
The post, which appeared AI-generated, seemingly fooled many, including celebrities like Megan Fox, who wrote: “I can’t handle any more stress right now. I need to know if this is real.”
Lisa Rinna said, “You blow me away,” while “Love Island” alum Malin Andersson asked, “Is this legit??? Or is this a distraction?”
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Jim Carrey Initially Stepped Away From Hollywood

Carrey has cut a reclusive figure in the past couple of years, as rumors that he’s retiring from Hollywood continue to trail him. According to the Daily Mail, he told reporters in 2022 that he was “probably” stepping away from acting, as he wanted a quieter life.
“Well, I’m retiring. Yeah, probably. I’m being fairly serious,” Carrey said at the time, adding that he was going to draw the curtains unless “the angels bring some sort of script that’s written in gold ink.”
“I really like my quiet life, and I really love putting paint on canvas, and I really love my spiritual life,” he continued. “I feel like – and I feel like this is something you might never hear another celebrity say as long as time exists – I have enough. I’ve done enough. I am enough.”
He, however, reprised his role as Dr. Robotnik in “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” and joked that he did it because he “needed the money.” Meanwhile, reports indicated that he moved to Maui, Hawaii, to lead a quiet life and to be away from the never-ending demands of Hollywood following the 2024 film.
Entertainment
Hate Mail Over Nicki Minaj Jokes At NAACP Awards
Deon Cole kicked off the 57th NAACP Image Awards with spicy jokes and name-dropping! His opening prayer had the audience gasping, laughing and clapping it up. But not everyone found his jokes sweet! Late Sunday, Deon shared some reactions to his comments, namely about Nicki Minaj and Tourette’s. And spoiler alert: it’s all hate mail with lil’ extra hate sprinkled in.
RELATED: NAACP Image Awards 2026: The Best Dressed Stars Who Owned The Night (PHOTOS + VIDEOS)
Deon Cole Let The Jokes Fly At The NAACP Image Awards
The jokey jabs that landed Deon Cole in hot water with the Barbz (Nicki Minaj fans) and Tourette’s advocates happened right at the start! The comedian opened the show with a non-serious prayer. He started by asking the Lord to bless Teyana Taylor, and to keep her single and away from extremely handsome men so the “average man…woman” can get a chance. Taylor was in the audience, cracking up!
Later in his prayer, Cole asked God to bless Nicki Minaj. The audience immediately laughed as her picture appeared on the stage screen.
“She’s been going through a lot lately Lord…hasn’t been herself Lord. I believe whatever’s in her a** is affecting her brain Lord. Take it out her a** Lord, we bind that spirit in her a** Lord.”
Afterward, Cole joked about how anyone with Tourette’s in the audience should read the NAACP Image Awards room before a tic. As previously reported, Tourette’s campaigner, John Davidson, recently caught heat after shouting the n-word as Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo took the stage at the BAFTA Awards. Cole’s joke was a reference to that firestorm!
RELATED: Tourette’s Advocate John Davidson Breaks His Silence After Shouting N-Word During BAFTA Awards (UPDATE)
Comedian Reveals Hate Mail In His DMs
After his prayer jokes, Deon Cole hopped on Instagram to show how folks behind IG pages were poppin’ off in his DMs. Some of the responses appeared to come from Barbz, per their word choices while others seemed offended by the comment about people with Tourette’s reading the room. From calling Deon the n-word (hard -er at times) to wishing death on him, his DMs put the HATE in hate mail. He didn’t caption the post, but nearly 8,000 people weighed in on the multi-slide insults, including Jamie Foxx, who wrote: “Bro I love you! You are brilliant.”
BET Releases Statement In Support Of Deon Cole
As the hate mail went viral, BET stepping in to show Deon Cole some love! It shared a post on Instagram, tagging accounts for the comedian, the NAACP and the NAACP Image Awards. All the photos featured Cole on the stage, or posing with other celebs.
“Comedians are truth tellers. Tasked with making the hard parts digestible, bringing laughs to our darkest days, equal parts intelligence and humor, @deoncole, what you did last night was a lesson in showmanship. Thank you for being our #NAACPImageAwards host for the second year in a row. We see you.”
The post received over 1,800 comments and more than 16,000 likes, even Jamie Foxx slid by that comment section, too. He wrote, “Incredible job!!!” See additional comments below.
RELATED: Delroy Lindo Addresses BAFTA Incident At NAACP Image Awards After John Davidson Speaks Out (VIDEOS)
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