Entertainment
My Little Pony, Transformers inducted into Toy Hall of Fame, alongside Phase 10
My Little Pony finally made it to the winner’s circle.
After years as an also-ran, the pastel-colored ponies were enshrined in the National Toy Hall of Fame on Tuesday, along with Transformers action figures and the Phase 10 card game.
The honorees rose to the top in voting by a panel of experts and the public from among 12 finalists. This year’s field included: the party game Apples to Apples, balloons, “Choose Your Own Adventure” gamebooks, Hess Toy Trucks, Pokémon Trading Card Game, remote-controlled vehicles, Sequence, the stick horse and trampoline.
“These are three very deserving toys that showcase the wide range of how people play,” Christopher Bensch, vice president for collections and chief curator, said in a statement. “But for My Little Pony in particular, this year is extra validating. The beloved toy was a finalist seven times before finally crossing the finish line!”
Hasbro’s mini-horses, distinguishable by different “cutie marks” on their haunches, were introduced in the 1980s and reintroduced in 2003, outselling even Barbie for several years.
The collectibles were recognized for encouraging fantasy and storytelling — the kind of creative play the Hall of Fame demands of inductees — along with popularity over time.
“The My Little Pony line has endured for decades because it combines several traditional forms of doll play with children’s fascination with horses,” said Michelle Parnett-Dwyer, curator of dolls and toys. “The variety of figures promotes collecting as a pastime, too.”
Transformers
Transformers came along in the 1980s, when Hasbro bought the rights to several existing Japanese toy lines featuring transforming robots. They were first marketed with a cartoon and have since graduated to a series of live-action films. Social media sites allow for debates over which figures are must-haves, as well as demonstrations of the sometimes complex process of manipulating them from robot to vehicle or other alternate form.
Regular new Transformers characters keep collectors coming back, Bensch said, “but the toys are also popular because they are so suited to the ways kids play. The toy line feeds kids’ imaginations and fantasy play.”
Phase 10
Also inducted was Phase 10, which was introduced by inventor and entrepreneur Ken Johnson in 1982. Today, Mattel sells 2 million decks of the card game annually in 30 countries and more than 20 languages. That makes it one of the bestselling card games in the world, according to the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, where the Toy Hall of Fame is housed.
In the style of rummy, the game challenges players to collect groups of cards to complete 10 phases in sequential order before their opponents.
“Whether played in its original form or in one of its variations, Phase 10 has become an iconic game title that continues to encourage multigenerational social and competitive play,” said Mirek Stolee, the museum’s curator of board games and puzzles.
Anyone can nominate a toy for the Hall of Fame. Museum staff narrows the field to 12 finalists each year. Fans can cast votes online for their favorites and their results are counted alongside ballots from a national advisory committee of historians, educators and others with industry expertise.
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The family of Chanel Maya Banks, the Gossip Girl actor who vanished without a trace two weeks ago, is insisting she is still missing despite authorities confirming she was found safe and sound.
Following a two-week search, the Los Angeles Police Department announced on November 12 that after receiving a tip they were led to a home in Texas, where a woman identified herself as Banks. It was reported that no foul play was suspected in her disappearance, and the case has since been closed.
However, after being informed of the LAPD’s update, Banks’s cousin Danielle-Tori Singh said it was “fake news” and vowed to continue distributing flyers describing Banks as missing, ABC 7 reported.
Hours after the police announcement, an Instagram post shared from Banks’s verified Instagram account claimed that she had not gone missing and had instead voluntarily left to “escape my cage.”
She accused her family of sexual abuse and “manipulation” – it is unclear whether Banks has made the allegations in the past or whether police have investigated them.
“I have met with the Police and verified that I am not only OK, but I’m finally free,” she continued. “They say once, you’re free in Christ Jesus, you’re free indeed, so I told my husband six days ago I was going to get baptized by one of my favorite pastors Pastor Robert Clancy.”
According to his Instagram, Clancy, a revivalist pastor, was indeed in San Antonio, Texas, hosting a three-day Repentance Revival Movement Conference from November 8 to 10.
“So I made my Exodous and took my Freedom Ride first class (on Spirit air no less) to the Promised land,” she said, adding that she now just wants freedom not only for herself but for everyone “suffering in silence.”
Singh, who flew in from Toronto to help with the search, has called the woman found in Texas an “imposter.”
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“I have the still from Texas PD body cam footage that was shown to us on Monday Nov 11 at the Pacific Police Station in LA,” she wrote in an Instagram Story. “This is the woman they’re telling us is Chanel. We have told them this is not Chanel. They didn’t listen to us and closed the case. That’s why @ohhheychanel won’t post a video saying she’s safe because it’s not Chanel.”
The Independent has contacted LAPD for comment.
In a subsequent Story, Singh included a side-by-side picture of the “imposter” woman found in Texas and “our Chanel.”
Banks was initially reported missing by her family, who said they hadn’t seen or heard from her since October 30. Her relatives said it was very unusual for the actor to be out of touch with them for longer than a few days.
“Five days without hearing from my cousin is red flags and alarm bells,” Singh previously told KABC. “She doesn’t go more than 48 hours without speaking to me or her mom… That girl is more like a big sister to me.”
Police conducted four welfare checks at her home in the Playa Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles, two on November 7 and another two on November 8, according to a now-defunct GoFundMe page launched by Singh to aid in their search.
Banks has warned followers not to “donate to any GoFundMe that says I’m missing. I am not missing.”
During those checks at the apartment – where Banks lives with her husband of one year – authorities found her dog and her belongings, but not Banks, it was reported.
Banks “does not go anywhere without her little dog, which also has been left behind. She also does not have her vehicle because it’s parked in her garage. She would NEVER go anywhere without telling her mom or myself,” Singh wrote on the fundraising page.
Singh also accused Banks’s husband of not cooperating with law enforcement and of helping with the search.
“He’s not willing to help LAPD. He’s not willing to help me or her mom find her,” Singh told KABC. “He is removing flyers off of posts and cars.”
TV
MAFS fans ‘work out real reason’ Adam stayed on show despite not fancying Polly and accuse him of secret hook up
MARRIED At First Sight UK fans think they’ve worked out the “real reason” Adam Nightingale stayed on the show.
Adam‘s MAFS UK marriage to Polly Sellman came to a dramatic end in episodes aired this week after she branded her groom a “c***” and launched a glass of red wine at him.
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Their relationship was rocky from the start after he almost immediately confessed he wasn’t attracted to Polly.
Despite this fans were left baffled when the former couple chose to stay in the experiment during each commitment ceremony.
Now they’ve insisted it’s because Adam had his eye on another bride, Amy Kenyon.
Adam and Amy were paired together during partner swap week and were seen shopping for lingerie together.
More on Married At First Sight
At the time fans couldn’t help but notice Adam “had never looked happier” while on the show.
This week they also appeared very close in snaps on social media, with one showing him pretending to propose to her.
And viewers think there is much more to the story. Writing on Reddit, one said: “With Adam and Amy seemingly flaunting their ‘close friendship’ all over social media, I reckon something must have happened on wife swap week other than sharing a bed – especially with all the lingerie and sex toys shopping.
“Can’t help but think Adam continued to write ‘stay’ to secretly get closer to Amy, especially as she said she was close friends with him (and Polly) and always in their apartment.
“Otherwise there was literally no need to stay to the end after constantly voicing his dislike (attraction and friendship) to Polly.”
Fans were previously left convinced Amy had feelings for Adam amid her disastrous marriage to Luke Debono.
In the penultimate episode of the series, the remaining newlyweds had gathered together for the last dinner party.
Before they sat around the table, Amy quietly told Polly that Adam had suggested she “model some underwear” during partner swap week.
One wrote on social media: “Is it just me or does it look like Amy is absolutely loving telling Polly about Adam’s comments?”
Another added: “So. Do we think Amy fancies a bit of Adam and is trying to sabotage??”
Entertainment
Actress Kasthuri to be arrested? High Court denies anticipatory bail to TV presenter for ‘defaming’ Telugu people- The Week
The arrest of actress Kasthuri seems to be impending after the Madras High Court on Thursday denied her anticipatory bail for her alleged derogatory comments against the Telugu community in Tamil Nadu. A single judge bench of Justice Anand Venkatesh dismissed the anticipatory bail plea filed by the actress.
The outspoken actress made the controversial remark last week during a Brahmin meet in Chennai. The actress claimed Telugu-speaking people in Tamil Nadu were descendants of courtesans who came to serve the kings 300 years ago and now were claiming to be of Tamil race.
Her comments sparked criticism and an FIR was filed by the Naidu Mahajana Sangam State Executive Committee member against the actress.
Kasthuri, however, issued an apology on X, where she said the false news were being spread by Tamil Nadu’s “Goebbels and anti-Hindu DMK network”. “People of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will never fall for their lies. No one dares to insult my love and loyalty for the Telugu land that has given me love and acceptance,” she clarified.
However, the court rejected her bail petition, stating orally that her comments were “unwarranted”. Stating that Kasthuri should have refrained from speaking against the women of the Telugu community, the court said Kasthuri’s apology does not address the comments made against the women.
Kasthuri argued before the court that the complaint against her was filed upon DMK’s instigation and accused the state government of “intolerant and vindictive attitude.” She said that no riot or provocation happened in any community in the light of her speech.
On how she could make such comments against the women of the community, Kasthuri said her remarks were not against the women of the Telugu community but a general statement based on facts. She denied that her statement carried any imputation on the character or morality of Telugu women.
Meanwhile, local reports claimed that the actress is currently missing. Her house in Chennai is locked and her phone is switched off. Her whereabouts are also currently unknown.
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Fellow YouTuber-turned-boxer KSI has predicted that the forthcoming fight between boxing legend Mike Tyson and Jake Paul “will not be close at all.”
KSI, real name Olajide Olayinka Williams “JJ” Olatunji, shared his thoughts on the fight, which will be live-streamed on Netflix on Friday (November 15).
The fight had originally been scheduled for July 20 but was ultimately postponed after Tyson suffered an ulcer flare-up on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles.
“Jake Paul will knock out Mike Tyson. This will not be close at all,” KSI tweeted. “Boxing is a young man’s game and Mike is 58 years old. They’re sending a lamb to the slaughter and it’s disgusting.”
KSI, 31, previously fought Paul’s older brother, Logan, to a draw in an amateur bout in 2018. The two later reunited in the ring in 2019 with KSI beating Logan, 29, via a split decision in a professional contest.
The British YouTuber had also challenged 27-year-old Jake to a fight at the time; however, KSI ended up taking a three-year hiatus from the ring. He returned to boxing in August 2022 and appeared to receive an agreement to fight Jake, but that fight still has yet to happen.
In June, KSI issued his “final offer” to fight Jake in May 2025, sharing that it would give him “all the time in the world to be ready.”
He went on to suggest that the fight be held in the U.S. “just to make you that bit more happy.”
“But that is it when it comes to giving you advantages,” KSI said in a video posted to X. “I mean, first of all, we agreed to fight at 180 lbs, but then you decided to run away and fight Nate Diaz instead.
“Jake, I’m tired of this bulls***. Get off the cycle, and let’s make this work. We’ve got weight to lose, and we’ve both have plenty of time to do it. 185 lbs is my final offer. Take it or leave it,” he added. “If you come back with some bulls*** on social media, I will sleep good knowing that deep down you never really had the balls to fight me in a fair fight. You were never actually about it. You were just trying to save face online.”
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Jake responded to KSI last month on an episode of his B/S with Jake Paul podcast, countering that they meet in the middle at 192.5 lbs.
In a tense press conference ahead of his fight with former heavyweight champion Tyson, Jake mocked his competitor’s silence, saying: “It’s cute. I fear no man, so I want him to be that old savage Mike.”
“I’ve said everything I had to say,” Tyson responded to one of Jake’s several attempts to get him to say more. “I’m just looking forward to fighting.”
Actress Genelia Deshmukh, who is a mother of two, said that her children are the reason she has become more compassionate. Genelia and actor Riteish Deshmukh have been married since 2012, and have two boys, Riaan (10) and Rahyl (8).
In a recent interview with Times of India, Genelia said, “Parenthood is the most wonderful thing that’s ever happened to me. The responsibility of raising children is like no other job. I have become the best version of myself because of my kids, Riaan and Rahyl. They have made me more compassionate and opened my eyes to things I was once blinded to.”
She advises her kids to never compare themselves with another person, and their main priority should be their own well-being. “I remember not liking comparisons when I was younger and I genuinely believe every child has a unique personality that’s special. We don’t need to be anyone else. That’s how I approach competition. Every morning, we begin with a prayer of gratitude and a simple message to them – Be the best version of yourself.”
The Tujhe Meri Kasam actress also reminisced about her own childhood and how her parents always made Children’s Day special. “My parents celebrated it beautifully. They would wake us up, make us feel special, and give us whatever we wanted that day. We try to emphasise to our kids that they’re the best thing that’s happened to us. While we have 365 days to tell them that, this particular day is extremely special and significant for us.”
Genelia said that although her parents were stricter, with old-school values, they did an “amazing job” with her and her brother Nigel. But she acknowledges that parenting styles are different now and require a more blended approach. “We try to merge old-school values with new-age parenting, which I feel makes a significant difference in raising our children.”
Genelia will be seen next in Sitaare Zameen Par, a sequel to 2007 film Taare Zameen Par. The film is slated for a Christmas release.
Entertainment
Billy Bob Thornton takes on oil industry in new series, “Landman”: “I don’t take things that I’m not right for”
Oscar-winning actor Billy Bob Thornton joined “CBS Mornings” to discuss his new role in “Landman,” the latest Paramount Plus series from “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan. Thornton stars as Tommy Norris, a man tasked with managing land and people in the oil-rich landscapes of West Texas.
Thornton’s character works in the world of oil rigs, securing land and overseeing everyone from workers to billionaires who fuel the oil industry. The role was made with Thornton in mind since Sheridan wrote the role specifically for him.
“He said, ‘I’m going to write it in your voice.’ So when I read the first script, sure enough, it’s like, yeah, if I were a landman, I think I’d try to be like that,” said Thornton.
Thornton said he prefers to stick to roles within his strengths.
‘I don’t take things that I’m not right for,” Thornton said. “If I read something and it fits like a glove, then those are the things I do if I’m interested in the subject.”
When it comes to describing what a landman is, Thornton said that a landman is a middleman between the oil company owners and the workers in the fields. His job is to protect the workers while making sure they do their tasks to extract oil, because he needs to earn money for his employer.
“The show is really about how the people who work in and around the oil business are affected, how relationships are affected. It’s a dangerous business, and it’s a gamble also,” Thornton said.
“Landman” premieres Sunday, Nov. 17, exclusively on Paramount+.
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