There’s been many rumblings about younger millennials and Gen Z having less sex. Why? There isn’t a simple answer. There’s probably about a thousand reasons. Some don’t think sex is that important. Some want to be in love, but dating is hard. Sex comes with expectations of being this expert or fantasy and it feels unsexy.

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That’s what Summer is, Fun. A reminder that we’re out of school. More beach days. Cookouts with food so good it’ll make you question who is on the grill. Family reunions that you may or may not be excited for, but you are happy you went.

And if you didn’t go out of town for the summer you’re hanging out at the mall or the movies. I love going to the movies, but I loved going especially during the summer. I felt that’s when the best movies came out. Movies that stuck with me. Some that made me think “wow I want to do that.” Or scenes that would linger in my mind and made my imagination go wild thinking about a sequel to the story.

When I think of my first big summer blockbuster that gave me that feeling I’d say Transformers in 2007. I’ve never seen anything like that before. I grew up with Shia LaBeouf on Disney Channel so he was on track to make himself a “real actor.” Every Disney kid goes through a phase of trying to leave the mouse behind. LaBeouf was going the action/thriller route. He made a quick appearance in I, Robot (also another Summer Blockbuster that I loved but I was too young to understand it fully) and starred in thriller Disturbia. Transformers was a sci fi action film mixed with a coming of age story. Can you imagine your dad buys you your first car and it turns into an alien robot?

Transformers was cool, funny, action packed with a good story. I cared about these characters—not only the humans but the Transformers too.

That was my first big summer blockbuster. For some it was Jaws in the 70s, or E.T in the 80s or even Jurassic Park in the 90s. These movies had this other worldly magic to them and it made people want to see it over and over again.

That’s what movies are trying to do today. I noticed there’s been a pattern to the film releases the past couple summers vying for that number one spot.

• Dinosaur Movie or Alien Movie

• Action Movie

• Superhero Movie

• Pixar/ Disney Animated Movie

• Disney Movie

• Horror Movie

• Black Led Movie

• Rom Com

Some are hits, some are misses, but ultimately I think we’ve had a good lineup of movies this summer. I’ve seen about every major movie this summer so I’m just going to give my quick spark notes thoughts about them.

Dinosaur /Alien Movie

We had both a Dinosaur and Alien film this year. I would argue The End of Oak Street felt like a Spielberg film but it’s not his. I enjoyed this movie very much, it definitely felt like an homage to Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. I’m not going to say much because it technically comes out today, Aug 14.

Would I watch again? Yes.

While Spielberg’s alien movie Disclosure Day kinda fell flat for me. Which I’m disappointed about because he created the summer blockbuster phenomenon. He has a stacked cast and good premise, but didn’t make sense. Amazing performances from Emily Blunt and upcoming actor Courtney Grace.

Would I watch again? Not really. Maybe a cute boy can convince me.

Action Movie

I would argue that The Odyssey is an action movie. I have mixed feelings about The Odyssey. I loved watching the movie. I’ve seen it twice in IMAX 70MM and it’s beautiful to look at. I applaud Nolan for being ambitious by filming everything on IMAX cameras and having this magical film be predominantly practical effects instead of CGI. For me, it lacks the emotional depth. I know some people cried, I didn’t. I wanted more from the acting performances—maybe it’s the writing or direction. Overall it’s a great movie, not perfect but great. It deserves to be seen on the big screen.

Would I watch again? Yes.

Superhero Movie

Personally I’m not a fan of DC films. I did enjoyed Wonder Woman when it came out in 2017. It’s not perfect but it’s entertaining. I say all this because I didn’t see Supergirl. I really like Milly Alcock, she’s from House of the Dragon, but the trailers weren’t doing it for me. I couldn’t convince myself to go watch it. I know it flopped hard in the box office

Maybe I’ll watch it one day on streaming.

I’m not a comic book know it all but I do enjoy Spider-Man. I’ve really enjoyed Tom Holland as Spider-man. I think he has the physicality needed to embody the role and his Peter Parker has truly felt like a kid. Now he’s morphing into a man and we see that in Brand New Day. I liked that they tackled a very common theme of loneliness. It doesn’t matter what age you are, everyone knows that feeling. My only problem with the movie is they showed us all the fights in the trailers. Leave something for surprise! The fight scenes are done very well.

Would I watch again? Yes.

Pixar Animated Movie

Now did we need a fifth installment of Toy Story? No. But I appreciate the story they gave us about technology taking over and us losing connection with one another. I’m not a child anymore, but I feel like as adults we don’t have the same vibes anymore. It feels like connection depends on social media now.

I disliked the B-Plot and I wish we got more of the OG toys. Do I think we’ll get another? Of course! They’re gonna milk that franchise till it’s dry.

Would I watch again? Yeah, but not anytime soon.

Disney Movie

The live action Moana. No, I didn’t see it. Making a live action version 10 years after the original feels a bit soon. We just had Moana 2 last year. Let Moana rest.

Am I going to watch it? Probably not.

Horror Movie

There’s no doubt about what the horror film of the year is, Obsession. The film released mid May and word of mouth really pushed this movie out of the stratosphere. I saw it Memorial Day Weekend at 10:30pm, my theater was jammed packed. I usually don’t like horror films, but this one is really good. It took me by surprise. Obsession really depends on Inde Navarrette’s performance because if it’s bad, the film won’t work. There’s more comedy in this film than you’d expect.

Would I watch again? Yes…with the lights on.

Backrooms was an interesting idea. I know there is so much lore about the Backrooms and maybe that’s why I didn’t get it. I was excited for this movie, but the story didn’t have much weight. I think film is shot in a cool way and it does a great job of making you uncomfortable but the story itself is a miss.

Would I watch again? No.

Black Led Film

While we did get a couple of black led films in May, specifically I Love Boosters, but it didn’t have a big budget around them to make them a “Summer Blockbuster Film.” So…Scary Movie 6 made its return to the theater. The Wayans Brothers got their franchise back and everyone was so excited for them. They made so many spoof movie posters getting us prepared for what we will see then… it was not amazing. It was chuckle funny but not haha I’m crying funny. You can tell they did their research watching all these movies to spoof but the jokes weren’t clever. The timing of jokes were off as well. For some it was a hit, for me it was a miss.

Would I watch again? No.

Rom Com

I love me a romantic comedy. I’m the target audience for it. I did not like One Night Only. It’s such a weird premise and I was curious about how they functioned in a world where the government controls when you can and can’t have premarital sex. The movie felt repetitive and the comedy felt cheap. I think Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner had charming moments, but I didn’t believe they loved each other.

Would I watch again? Absolutely not.

I would say there’s three big movies this summer vying for that top spot:

• The Odyssey

• Spider-Man: Brand New Day

• Obsession

And I’m not talking about box office sales. I’m more so talking about the movie event of the summer that people will continue to talk about and watch post summer and this year. Being a summer blockbuster success isn’t easy, especially after 2023 when we had Barbenheimer. But I think the films this summer did step up to the plate. I hope movie studios continue to move in this direction—taking the risk in mixing familiar IPs with original stories because they made the movies feel exciting again. But most importantly, it felt like good summer fun.

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Now I love the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I never read the comics so I’m not fixated on the lore but, I’m a sucker for good fight scenes and having someone to root for. I get excited when I see something mind blowing. When we found out Steve Rogers is worthy to hold Mjolnir in Endgame and takes that hammer to fight Thanos I was part of that uproar in the theater. I couldn’t believe it! They’ve talked about holding Mjolnir and danced around the idea of who is worthy of holding this power, so much so we have a scene of The Avengers attempting to pick it up, but it’s not something everyone can do. It doesn’t require strength, it’s a gift from the gods.

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Elle, a prequel based on Legally Blonde, came out this week. Even before the release, Prime Video renewed the series for a second season so you would think, “Oh it’s really good.” When they released the trailer it looked like a different version of Legally Blonde. Elle is in high school, has to move to Seattle and she struggles to fit in. Sounds familiar? I admit I was pretty hesitant to watch because, based on the trailer, it looks less like a prequel but like a remake set high school with a different setting.

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I’m a Disney kid. I grew up watching everything Disney had to offer. Heck, I wanted to be a Disney star…it looked fun. Disney seemed to be with the times and not afraid of trying something new. They always talked about being kind to one another, standing up to bullies and injustice, and to believe in yourself. That was my childhood. I don’t think Disney is like that now.

In recent years, as the world has changed around us, you’d think the entertainment industry would change too. There has been a lot of pushback against the LGBT community and their rights. Some businesses refuse to service gay couples, people don’t want kids raised by same-sex parents, and even discussions about rolling back same-sex marriage. There’s all this vitriol toward the trans community. Forcing them to put their sex assigned at birth on their passports, along with debates of gender with bathrooms and sports. It’s ridiculous.

Most of that hate is coming from adults who fear what they don’t understand or can’t control. And while I do think some people can change, I think it’s important to let kids know that being gay, bi, and/or trans is okay. We can’t shy away from it. I’ve been thinking about how Disney has been playing it safe because they fear people won’t support financially.

You know the Toy Story franchise? It makes Disney a lot of money. They wanted to expand on this world through Lightyear and give Buzz an origin story. Lightyear is a movie about the hero that inspired the space toy that we’ve grown to love. Before the movie came out there were rumors that Lightyear was going to feature a same-sex kiss between two female characters. Lots of people were excited for it because representation matters, but there were others who felt it was inappropriate for it to be in a children’s movie. They said Disney was being too woke… *eye roll*

Let me set the scene for you, the year is 2022 and Disney is about to have their first theatrical release since the pandemic. Because of the controversial conversation around the idea of the kiss, Disney removed it from the film. I remember reading about this update and I was disappointed in Disney because they gave in. We have had countless movies and shows showcasing straight couples but one lesbian kiss is the dealbreaker? I know why they did it, it’s because the Toy Story franchise always strikes gold. But removing the kiss made me feel Disney didn’t really have a backbone. Stand by your movie.

I didn’t go out to see it.

After the uproar and after it became a huge conversation they did restore the kiss to the film before its theatrical release. By then, it just felt too messy. It was very wishy-washy and I think a lot of people stopped caring. The film didn’t perform well in the box office.

What’s very unfortunate is the subtle hints to a character having feelings for someone who is the same sex as them being removed. Everyone has a crush and at a young age you’re still figuring yourself out. They removed a lot of queer- coded stuff from Elio and that became a mess. But specifically with Inside Out 2, Riley goes to hockey camp and is trying to impress the older kids and her future coach. She’s going through puberty and we watch how these new emotions affect her. One of the older characters, Val Ortiz, invites Riley to eat with them during lunch and originally their relationship was written with romantic undertones, but that didn’t happen. A former Pixar employee said execs had many edits of the film because they wanted Riley to appear “less gay” and the relationship between her and Val to look platonic.

What would happen if Disney’s newer, most profitable franchises featured a gay protagonist? They say they didn’t want to put parents in an awkward situation of having to answer questions about girls having crushes on each other, but they’re highly implying a fox and bunny can like each other in Zootopia?

Sometimes it doesn’t make sense and it’s unfortunate that Disney is playing it safe. I’d rather have young kids take in age-appropriate content on Disney rather than find it in other places —or worse, online. Like I don’t think young kids should be watching shows like Euphoria. It’s too grown up.

I know the conversation is more nuanced because Disney is a big company that relies heavily on parents allowing children to watch their channel, their movies, and even go to the parks. But there has to be a time where they show same- sex crushes, couples, parents. It can’t just be a phase of a certain time. Disney had such strong values when I was a child and I want Disney to keep them, live up to them and have the courage to stand with future projects. We should be moving forward and making progress—not hiding or playing it safe for a buck.

Since June is Pride Month I wanted to highlight Pride Projects—a series on this channel.

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Since I’m on this journey of a tv and film content creator (maybe critic—but I don’t know if I want that label) I have been trying to broaden my horizons. I guess I’m trying to be fair. I want to be the best version I can be, so I have to swallow my pride and watch the scary movie. Even if it means I squirm in my chair.

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We’ve seen a lot of iconic female friendships in tv and film and I feel they have taught us the importance of sisterhood. You have my back and I’ll have yours. But unfortunately we all can’t be Thelma and Louise. Sometimes it gets messy. There are betrayals, most of the time for selfish reasons and we later reflect on the characters choices and ask “was it worth it?” 8 times out of 10 the answer is no.

Did you see Mother Mary? A ghost story about a pop star, Mother Mary, who is returning to the stage after a tragic on stage accident and needs a dress from former best friend & fashion designer, Sam. This movie was beautiful and daring film with its storytelling. It felt like I was watching a play because it’s mainly a duologue between the two characters trying to figure each other out again. Mother Mary is timid, holding her tongue, but you know she wants to say something. While Sam is very observant and can see through this larger than life star who she once called her best friend. Sam is not afraid to speak her mind.

We eventually find out that Mother Mary betrayed Sam by cutting her off after not wanting to wear her designs. Was it worth it? No. She’s back in Sam’s life saying she lost her identity and that Sam is the only person that can make a dress that makes her feel like herself.

Mid way in the film we enter the horror genre when Sam tells a ghost story and it doesn’t really have a “form.” It’s displayed as red fabric. In ghost stories we usually see face to identify the monster but in this film it’s artsy. This ghost was created from Sam’s pain, grief, anger, and her deepest feelings of betrayal. And that ghost goes to Mother Mary, taunts her and lives inside her.

Mother Mary shows female friendships and how they can always linger with us. Sometimes we don’t want to admit they hurt us, we want to bottle it down because we can’t be seen as “too emotional,” but deep down it’s a grief that can’t be shaken. Sam being left behind after building Mother Mary into who she is is a big betrayal because without saying it, it’s like she didn’t need her anymore. It wasn’t a man that got in between their friendship, it was the industry and fame.

I feel we’ve heard stories of former friends in the industry that didn’t make it. But what good is all that fame and money if you are surrounded by yes men and no one can really have your back?

Of course if these characters had a simple conversation earlier in life then we wouldn’t have the movie. But why didn’t they talk to one another? They were best friends, they should’ve felt that they can be open with each other.

I’m sure Mother Mary’s team told her she didn’t owe Sam anything. She’s an employed designer. That’s the business mindset, but I’m sure her human nature thought “I don’t want to hurt Sam’s feelings.” She decided to be avoidant because she didn’t want a fight with Sam…and honestly Sam maybe would’ve beat her butt. In the film we see Sam not afraid to hurt Mother Mary’s feelings. She’s not afraid to do the thing her friend was scared to do, which is be honest—even if that honesty comes from a place of resentment.

I don’t think it’s wrong to outgrow something or someone. Change is apart of being human. We crave to be dynamic, but at what cost? What makes us take the leap?

I’ve had my fair share of friendships breakups because I felt our journeys weren’t aligned anymore. Am I like Mother Mary? Are we all Mother Mary at some point in our lives? I fear I may have opened up some deep internal wounds inside. And maybe that’s the point of Mother Mary. Maybe we’ve all been Sam. Maybe we’ve all been Mother Mary.

I’ve been hearing whispers of Microdramas and Verticals for months. Brands are utilizing it to promote their new collections, and eventually Hollywood is going to release new projects this way. It’s new, fresh. It doesn’t require long shoot schedules like tv series or films, but it’s a way to connect to an audience that is always on their devices.

There are two distinct conversations about Microdramas and Verticals:

1. Brands/ Companies

2. Hollywood

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I can see why it’s known as one of the greats. They did a really great job focusing on Harry & Sally’s relationship as friends and watching their growth over time. There were moments when it felt like a play because it’s very honed in on these two characters. And like a play each character is important. The supporting characters helped their character development. There was no fluff, is what I’m trying to say. I think it’s very easy to get caught up and do too much with a story.

I also really enjoyed the documentary/interview style with couples. (Are those real couples or are those actors?) I felt like it was a nice touch. Everyone’s love story is different. You had some people who felt it was destiny because they were born in the same hospital and grew up with each other. A couple who were high school sweethearts but were separated, reunited in the city over 15 years later, and got together. A couple where they married the wrong people. The husband had about 4 wives before marrying his now love. It shows that sometimes love isn’t linear, it’s not perfect, but love can find you.

At the end we get Harry and Sally’s story in this documentary/ interview style which was a great button to the film.

While watching When Harry Met Sally I couldn’t help but think about other romcoms that probably took inspiration from it. I mean if it’s the greatest why not reheat their nachos? And you can see that in a lot of films, but I want to focus on two.

• He’s Just Not That Into You (2009)

• People We Meet on Vacation (2026)

I really enjoyed He’s Just Not That Into You in 2009. It had a star studded cast with multiple storylines.

I was 16 when this film was released. I was still figuring out my feelings for my body and who I wanted to be, but most importantly I was figuring out my feelings for my guy best friend. Was he just my friend? Did I like him? I was so in my head about everything very much like the main character Gigi played by Ginnifer Goodwin. She had her life together, except in the boy department. She was chasing men and overanalyzing every move. Eventually she meets Alex who is her “Boy Godmother” and helps her with her dating life. He says the title of the film about every guy she brings up. It’s funny and heartbreaking because it feels like when is Gigi going to catch a break. Every guy can’t not want her. Which parallels dating nowadays. They get together at the end of the movie.

How is it like When Harry Met Sally? (WHMS) Well they have the similar documentary/ interview style. Instead of couples talking about how they got together, they’re talking about their dating life. It happens just as often as WHMS. And I think the element of He’s Just Not That Into You is in WHMS. Harry thinks he’s this desirable man and Sally constantly reminds him that she doesn’t want him, but that women can fake enjoyment in bed. Those moments make Harry think and reflect on his love life. I think both films did a great job at making them feel like friends. Your friends aren’t afraid to humble you, but it’s those flaws that draw them together.

If He’s Just Not That into You echoes parts of it, then People We Meet on Vacation feels like a full-on distant cousin.

This Netflix book adaptation came out a few months ago and it’s uncanny how similar they are. They don’t do the documentary/interview style but they tell the story of Poppy and Alex through time, almost a decade long. Their initial meeting was a road trip where they discover they are polar opposites, but that opposition leads to a friendship. They don’t randomly meet up—they stay friends and vacation together every year. Very much like WHMS, it felt like a play focusing on their relationship. But I feel the documentary style helps the film not feel choppy which is kind of what I felt with People We Meet on Vacation. It was a little abrupt at times.

Both films have similar elements in how they view their friend in relationships and love confessions. It’s very natural to think about the person you like when you have your own partner. Is the grass greener on the other side? Or is it that you know that person so well that it doesn’t make sense they’re together? Which is fascinating because in WHMS it’s obvious they love each other but in People We Meet on Vacation, Alex confesses his love to Poppy and when it’s not returned he proposes to his girlfriend. Literally a few hours later. MESSY! They couldn’t be exactly like When Harry Met Sally they had to change things up, up the stakes!

And instead of the guy realizing his feelings for his girl, it’s switched. Poppy literally chases after Alex to confess her love but it’s how the love confession is. It’s talking about the messy things, things that would annoy people that make them lovable.

And all of this ties back to the central question When Harry Met Sally asks: “Can men and women be just friends?” This question is asked soooo many times in films. I feel like they try to show the characters having a friendship, but they always end up together. So is the answer no? Haha I mean I think it’s possible to be platonic with people, but in the film track record it’s quite the opposite.

CinemaCon took place this week in Las Vegas and it did not disappoint. It’s one of the biggest stages for upcoming films in the next couple months to next year. Actors come out to promote their films and it gets fans excited. Everyone showed out! Sony. Warner Bros. Universal Pictures. Disney/Pixar. The big dogs!

I unfortunately did not attend. I’m a regular person who got their updates from the outside. I kept refreshing my feeds to see what the latest announcement would be. Some were intriguing, but unless there’s a trailer that is released, it’s very hard for me to get too excited. I’m a visual person. I need to see it myself.

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As an actor, it’s disheartening because Broadway is already hard. You get up early to for open calls, stand in line to sing your 16 bars and do it over and over. It’s a hustle, so reserving those big roles for celebrities feels exhausting and like your career is stagnant. But as a business person, I get it. We need people to go out and fill seats. I’m not saying theater is dying, but it’s not like before.

I feel like the shift happened after Covid. Broadway was booming! It was a well oiled machine. Even though tickets were expensive, it was the thing to do in NY. You would see different generations of people all excited to go to theater. I remember Hamilton having their big crowds for the lottery. I was there a couple times. Never won, but it was so exciting with the idea that maybe, just maybe I’ll be the winner. Now it’s different. Some people still don’t want to be in a small close space with people because of their fear of getting sick.

Over the past 5 years Broadway has been trying to get back to what it used to be, but it’s not the same. Shows are closing faster. The economy has been shaky and ticket prices feel like they’re going up.

So if you’re going to have expensive tickets you need to make it worth it. What better way to do this than by having a celebrity?

It’s show business. We gotta keep the doors open because no one wants to lose their job. Or worse… act to an empty theater.

Now the “type” of celebrity has been up for debate in the theater community because Megan Thee Stallion has made her Broadway debut.

When I heard that Megan Thee Stallion was joining the cast of Moulin Rouge I didn’t have any negative thoughts. I feel Megan has been slowing integrating herself into the acting industry the past couple years. She guest starred on Marvel’s She Hulk: Attorney At Law playing a dramatized version of herself in 2022. And recently guest starred on NBC’s The Rise and Fall of Reggie Dinkins playing love interest to Daniel Radcliffe. She also working on her own anime series. She’s putting in the work and trying not to be a one trick pony.

So my stance for any celebrity going on Broadway is to put in the work and respect the craft. I’m not going to be a gatekeeper of theater. I feel that’s what most people try to do with anyone they feel is an “outsider.” It happens to a lot of black actors. We’re a theatre community and people tend to forget that.

Plus Moulin Rouge is a Jukebox Musical constantly changing songs to make it feel fresh. Adding Megan Thee Stallion is kinda perfect. She has this persona of being a party girl so what better way to have her host the ultimate party on Broadway? She is playing Harold Zidler, making her the first self identifying woman to play the role of the club owner. The Moulin Rouge is a state of mind!

She’s committed to the task. She made vlogs talking about rehearsals and learning her lines, choreography and music for the role. 8 shows a week is a bit different than going on tour. On tour you get to choose your off days. On March 4, she went to rehearsal, flew to Houston to perform with Cardi B on the Little Miss Drama Tour, then flew back to NY for rehearsal the next day. She’s doing both and isn’t slacking off on her priorities.

This is no way “Traditional Broadway,” but Megan is bringing something new and fresh to the game. Because she is a Grammy Award Winning Artist, she’s been performing a medley of her songs during curtain call. Which feels like a treat for the audience. Some theater purists are going to hate that, but you bought a ticket to see Megan Thee Stallion, so you’re going to get Megan Thee Stallion. Also the production made Megan Thee Stallion x Moulin Rouge merchandise with hoodies, shirts, tote bags and drinks named after her.

I don’t know about Moulin Rouge’s bank account, but they are cashing in.

One thing I love most is there are people who have never seen a Broadway show who are flying to NY to see Megan Thee Stallion. People coming from her home state Texas, flying from Atlanta, GA, and other southern states to see her. She’s opening the minds of people who wouldn’t think of going to the theater. That’s the pull production wants and to get butts in seats. It just takes one show to get to you interested and before you know it, you have 4 different shows to see on Broadway.

Hey Chicago has Whitney Leavitt from Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and TikTok. Moulin Rouge can have Megan The Stallion. That’s no shade to Whitney, just that she comes from the Reality TV/TikTok world. She is pulling in a crowd as Roxie Hart.

Now do I think this will be the norm for Broadway? For a bit. Right now it’s helping the business and it would be so sad if these big theaters closed. I think producers have to think of every angle to make money, but mainly to keep theater alive.

Every actor debates doing live theater. Some hate the idea because they get stage fright. Others do it so they can be taken seriously as an actor. What if this is Megan Thee Stallion’s way of showing that she’s serious about this new career endeavor? She’s putting in the work and honestly, I might have to hop on a flight and watch for myself.

Now I like Timothée Chalamet. I think he is a very versatile actor. He has the dream career a lot of young people in Hollywood want. For the past couple years, he gets to pick his projects. He doesn’t have to audition. He’s fashionable. He is a movie star. He has a pull at the box office and he’s done a great job at making himself seem like he’s one of us. Until his last film press tour with his Oscar campaign.

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Growing up I loved watching the show and after the results, I’d watch the movies that won. Now I try to watch the films before the show so I can predict who I think will win. Sometimes I succeed in that task or I fall a bit short. You don’t realize how many movies you have to watch until you commit to the task.

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When I say I live by this soundtrack I mean there are songs that I circle back to that help me get through tough times. Music was my first art form so I connect to the musicality of the songs and I love singing through it. It may not seem like it, but sometimes I don’t always have the words to explain how I’m feeling. Music helps me to feel my feelings and there is something about singing from the diaphragm, your gut, to get these emotions out and for some reason, that makes sense to me.

Living in Los Angeles and chasing a dream is really hard. I’ve been out here for many years. Covid certainly didn’t help either. I’ve had close friends move out of LA and it has felt very isolating. I feel like I’ve had to hold on to this dream and tell myself to keep going for it.

There are two songs on the Hamilton soundtrack that frequent my most played: “Wait For It” and recently "Room Where It Happens.” Both sung by Aaron Burr. I know the villain of the show and I’m not in a villain era of my life. I just understand his ambition, his longing to be apart of something. To matter.

Wait For It has been a song that I really lived. I have many many friends who have made it in the industry. I see them on Broadway, the West End, watch them on TV and in movies. And I’m happy for them, but I would always think, when is it my turn? Everyone has their own path of doing things and looking back at my life i feel like I was taking the safe route. Just waiting for my turn. Helping people get to their dreams and goals, hoping it would reciprocate, I’m just waiting. Like Aaron Burr says “I’m the one thing in life I can control.” Sometimes you think you can be doing everything right, but no one cares. Or at least no one can see you. You need to be a bit more bold like Hamilton. He doesn’t hesitate, he goes for it.

Since my dad’s passing I’ve been trying to be a bit more like that. Pushing myself to do things that scare me no matter the reward. I’ve said it many times, I didn’t come to LA to be a server. I came to be in the industry, acting specifically, but I love tv and film. I love talking about it. I love making commentary and analyzing the art presented. It’s fun. Hence why I created Bawdy Pop TV. A lot of people have asked me what are my goals with BPT or even my Substack and I can’t pinpoint the exact answer yet, I’m still figuring it out. I don’t want a podcast…I could go down that route but that’s not for me. Right now I want to create my content in my own way. Have it be fun and insight thoughts. How can I use my drama school knowledge and apply it to tv and film content?

Another thing I want to do is start putting myself out there. I live in Los Angeles there’s so many events that happen all the time. I want to start putting myself in rooms and meeting people that 2022 Georgia wouldn’t dare to do. I want to be in the Room Where It Happens. This has been my new motivation song from Hamilton. I don’t want to be life out of the conversation, I want to be involved. It’s funny these two songs go hand in hand. After Burr learns that Hamilton got more than what he gave, not only is he shocked, he’s impressed by it. Hamilton’s response is “when you have skin the game, you can play in the game. You can’t just wait for it.” Which is so true. How do expect to play the game if you’re too scared to play? You can’t do anything from the sidelines. You got to get in the game.

So that’s where my head is at. How can I get in the game?

It’s award season right now. There are a lot of events happening in LA. Some I find out a bit too late, or my lack of union status have kept me out, but when I find the right events I go for it.

My most recent event I attended was a panel for the Writer’s Guild Foundation where they hosted nominees for Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay. This was a really cool event. As I’m trying to be bolder in life I was scared out of my brain. I’m not a writer, I’m an actor. So I had a huge wave of imposter syndrome come over me as I was on my way to this event.

Aaron Burr doesn’t talk to much about the first time he tried to be in the room. Where is that song Lin Manuel Miranda?

However, I’m so happy that I went. I had a great time. I can admit I did not see all the movies that the panelist were nominated for. I only saw a few.

Best Original Panel:

• Marty Supreme - Ronald Bronstein

• Black Bag - David Koepp

• Weapons - Zach Cregger (Saw)

Best Adapted Panel:

• Frankenstein - Guillermo del Toro (Saw)

• Bugonia - Will Tracy (Saw)

• Train Dreams - Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar

It’s interesting knowing a lot about these movies and hearing these writers. I feel their personalities match their movie. You know how people say dog owners look like their dog? It was kind of like that. Ronald Bronstein was funny and all over the place, but very direct. Which is Marty Supreme. David Koepp was very still and precise, very much like his spy movie Black Bag. Zach Cregger had a dark comedy approach but you knew something was behind it, which is Weapons.

I really enjoyed the panel for Adapted Screenplay because hearing how they got the end result was fascinating . Guillermo del Toro talked about he loved Frankenstein as a boy but how he saw it as a story about fathers and sons. Monsters looking for belonging and how we don’t want to become our fathers monster. Which is an interesting way of viewing generational trauma. Plus he’s so cute and funny. He’s like a teddy bear.

As a creative I felt inspired and my biggest takeaway is to keep going no matter way. No matter the roadblocks, keep going. It’s also okay to step away from a project to take a walk, read, be a human being.

I had the chance to talk to Zach Cregger about Weapons. Now if you know me I am a scaredy cat. I don’t love horror films but Weapons was one of the biggest horror film of 2025. If I want to be in the game I gotta suck up my fear. Weapons shocked me. I laughed more than I expected. I told him how I loved the non linear story telling approach to the script. He also directed it, so it was nice to chat about those moments and how it builds the audience to the big bad. Which is Aunt Gladys. I might’ve told him in the future we’re going to be working together on set. I appreciate the boldness. I thought I should shoot my shot haha. He said hell yeah! I don’t think he was expecting me to say that but he was with it.

And also had the chance to talk to Will Tracy about Bugonia. I loved Bugonia. The idea of is she an alien or isn’t she an alien was sooooo good. Technically Bugonia is based on Korean film Save the Green Planet. I know most people can get lost in the idea in the original text but hearing Tracy say he only saw that film once, took notes and never went back was impressive. Not because I think he can’t do it, but I think that’s the trap some people get caught in.

If there’s one thing I’m gonna do, it’s shoot my shot. So I told him how I did a comedy spoof if Michelle was black and she woke up with her hair shaved off. He laughed so hard and told me it was a creative funny idea. I wanted him to remember me. I’m sure he met soooooo many people that night but definitely during this award season…I bet he’ll remember what I said. We had a ball talking about it.

So that’s where I’m at. Taking swings no matter the reward. I don’t want to wait anymore, I can’t play it scared, I want to be in the room. I believe in my content and I’m pretty cool. 2026 started a little shaky, but I’m feeling great about the journey. Like I said I’m not in my villain era… I’m stepping into a new version of myself that is not throwing away her shot.