Vanderboom

And of course, The Young Turks weighed in on the Schmidt vs. McCain drama:

Jumi Bello's meta-plagiarism could almost be considered performance art; even her confessional article contained plagiarism. [Content warning: article includes discussion of suicidal thought patterns and mental health troubles]

Steve Schmidt is going off on Meghan in a thread calling her out on her behavior:

Especially with . . . that voice.

Teens don't always make the best choices, especially if they're dealing with emotionally fraught issues. Whoopi might not have known all the options available to her; I can't imagine what it must have been like for a middle schooler to try to self-administer an abortion. Whoopi's fear of this slippery slope makes sense, and I thought her point about being able to humanize people seeking abortions was a valid one.

I know. I don't want to see another season of Drew and Ralph's dysfunctional relationship. The vibe is much lighter this season; I hope the ladies don't overdo it on the drama. Sanya seems okay so far. Kenya's shade is relatively lighthearted, but already relentless. Maybe Marlo and Sheree can work together to produce a single fashion show WITH fashions AND models AND a clear purpose. I was hoping Marlo's spelling of Le'Archive was an intentional branding thing, but it looks like a mistake. I wasn't feeling the Muppet and Church Candy dresses, either. What's the point of having such costly clothing if it doesn't look good?

I've watched some of the earlier seasons on Netflix and Hulu, and the vibe is very different. I think there's too much Production Manipulation that makes this show less enjoyable. There's enough inherent drama in regular people getting married at first sight; there's no need to manufacture more by choosing and pairing off couples that have no shot at making this work. So instead of having a mix of couples, with at least one or two worth rooting for, they force (yeah, I know watching is optional, but still . . .) the audience to sit through hours of painfully unworkable relationships so that we all can't wait for these people to never have to see each other ever again.

I liked that this episode had different twists, but I don't like the 3-guest format. Accused witches, post-slavery family reunification, limited divorce that made headlines . . . HLG should have let these stories breathe. I'd like to hear more about the process, but I guess the producers feel that that information would bore the audience?

This is one of the things Meghan was right about last year when she complained about the Trumper Rehabilitation Tour, and how they'd end up on The View. I think this was when Bolton didn't testify against Trump because he wanted everyone to read the juicy details in his book instead. Birx isn't as nakedly opportunistic, but she might have done a lot more good if she and Fauci were a united front of medical expertise.

I'm pretty sure they only had about six hours of usable footage this season, and they're mercilessly stretching it out for 20ish two-hour episodes. If it wasn't her Life Plan, it would be Cooking or Travel or something. Olajuwan isn't feeling the marriage, which is fine, but he's trying to make it solely Katina's fault for "failing" him and his ongoing tests.

So true. This is an extension of what Mark was talking about when he said that everything turns into being about Lindsey. Last week, the "hyper" discussion turned into a thing about Lindsey's hurt feelings instead of being (as intended) about Mark's boundaries. Even Lindsey's emotional support is about how Lindsey, like Alison before her, is super-invested in being A Good Person and not about responding to Mark's needs. It gives her ammunition to hurl at Mark if he dares to complain about the way she acts. On the other hand, I have to wonder about Mark. Why is he still here? I guess he couldn't have predicted the loss of his apartment, job, and cat, but he knows that walking away is an available option. If Mark is worried about fallout, maybe it's good to leave while the cameras are still around?

Apparently, I'm a "lesser woman" because I a) try to respect others' personal space and privacy, particularly if they're grieving and b) would stop touching someone if they asked me to. Mark isn't perfect at all, but Lindsey's needy obnoxiousness makes it understandable why he doesn't want to get closer to her. Shallow note: Lindsey's eyelashes make her look as if she's slowly transforming into Janice the Muppet. She looked so much better on the aftershow.

Talk about an extremely niche product for people who care about how their hair looks, but don't care that much! [Gif: There are dozens of us. Dozens!]

I was surprised the cat guy got a deal. Aren't there similar products already? I'm glad for the Browndages couple; representation and visibility matters. I know there are darker brown bandaids, but it took too long to get even those.

A look at the psychological damage from ANTM: (Possible Paywall) https://www.businessinsider.com/americas-next-top-model-tyra-banks-contestants-mental-health-2022-4 The author goes through the highlights on this Twitter thread:

I did, too. Is making an offer as usual just for lesser Sharks? Stop trying to make fetch happen, Lori. You don't need a gimmick. The dog exercise machine looks cool, but seems like a high-end version of a flirt pole, which costs like $20.

I don't get Grisham's point that name-calling is the fine line that keeps hardcore Republicans from seeing the light. If calling MTG an idiot is more offensive to a prospective voter than MTG's actual reactionary rhetoric, then that voter was never going to change their mind.

Exactly. I'm not sure why Robert seemed puzzled by this. This was one of the best Shark Tank pitches in a long time. I was surprised that the seaweed bacon people got a deal. There's already multiple soy-based vegan bacon products, and while seaweed is a more sustainable source, is that selling point enough to differentiate their product? Didn't they say that the seaweed bacon had about as many calories as regular bacon? I just don't get it.

. . . So Lindsey's annoyed that Mark wants her to participate in the cat photo shoot that was her idea and she arranged? I don't understand.

You're absolutely right, but no one has said this. I'm actually pleasantly surprised that Whoopi hasn't tried to explain away Will Smith's actions. She's been critical of his actions, and she probably sympathizes with Smith because of her recent suspension and public apology.

Mine is wine for cats. Did the Noggin Boss people have a patent? I can see someone knocking off their oversized hats easily.

Simon Brett has a number of cozy mystery series. I used to like the Fethering series the best, but Carole's personality has begun to grate on me.

So far, the trio of Whoopi, Ana, and Eboni isn't that bad. I think Eboni does better on talk shows and news panels than on Real Housewives, where her lecturing is rather off-putting.

This site definitely needs to add an eye roll reaction, at least on this forum. But congratulations, Meghan. You're thisclose to self-awareness. 🙄

I'll scream even louder if the family business is a bed/breakfast or involves food. I love a good cozy mystery, but hate the cupcakification of the genre.