Unplanned Sparks Controversy and Conversation
It’s often said that all publicity is good publicity. Unplanned seems to be proving that axiom this week. Controversy began to swirl before the film was even released. This dramatization of former Planned Parenthood director Abby Johnson’s decision to leave her clinic received an R rating, prompting many to wonder if the film had been […]
Culture Clips: Do Chubby People Ever Find Love Onscreen?
I identify as average. Here’s what I mean: I’m not beautiful, not hideous. Not tall, not short. I’m not the kind of person who stands out in a crowd—at least, appearance-wise. And like most average Americans, I could stand to lose a little weight. (Which is why I’m munching on little cheesy crackers as I […]
A Plugged In Conversation With Unplanned’s Ashley Bratcher
The new movie Unplanned hits theaters this weekend. This riveting, sobering drama tells the true story of Abby Johnson, a Planned Parenthood clinic director in Texas who eventually had a change of heart regarding abortion. In the film, Abby is portrayed by actress Ashley Bratcher. This week, we had a chance talk to Ashley and […]
Culture Clips: When a Shooter Streams a Massacre
The world was horrified last week when news spread of the horrific shooting that claimed the lives of 50 people at two New Zealand mosques on March 15. And though similar mass shootings around the world have become a terrible recurring story over the last couple of decades, such wanton carnage increasingly has a disturbing […]
When Stars Get Depressed
Young people are stressed out, anxious and often depressed. In a recent study by the Pew Research Center, some 70% of teens surveyed reported that anxiety and depression are the biggest issues that they see among their peers. Another study published in February in the journal JAMA Pediatrics found that about one in seven children […]
Culture Clips: How Dirty Is Your Phone? Dirty. REALLY Dirty.
So much to cover this week. So let’s dive in with some nasty news about the device many of you are probably using to read these words right now: your phone. If you’ve ever wondered how dirty it is—as in, how much bacteria calls your precious smartphone home—the answer is really dirty. In fact, experts […]
Culture Clips: Ariana Grande, Meet The Beatles
All these decades later, The Beatles are still the measuring stick. When you want to say some new musician is a big deal, do you say, “They’re bigger than the Rolling Stones?” Or, “They’re bigger than the Beach Boys.” No. You say, “They’re bigger than The Beatles!” And when we talk about longstanding music sales […]
Culture Clips: Justin & Hailey Talk Abstinence & Marriage
Justin Bieber has headlined Culture Clips (and other Plugged In blogs and articles) many times in the last decade. His wildly zigzagging trajectory has often ricocheted between affirmations of faith and reckless behavior. The 24-year-old singer married model and TV presenter Hailey Baldwin last July. And the couple recently sat down for an interview with […]
What Netflix Shows Are Your Family Watching?
Here at Plugged In, we do our best to cover the TV shows everyone’s talking about, whether they’re on broadcast TV, cable networks or, increasingly, on streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon and Hulu. Typically, we cover one or two new shows each week, as well as two-to-four episode reviews of series we’ve looked at […]
Culture Clips: Kylie Gets Egged
Move over Kylie Jenner. You’ve been egged. On Instagram. No, the social media star isn’t wearing slimy yellow protein on her face. Instead, an image of a lovely brown egg has become Instagram’s most-liked image ever. As of this writing, it has secured a whopping 46,113,472 likes (and counting) since being posted on January 4. […]