j swift

Lenz has never publicly spoken about any particular cult, though she did previously appear to allude to cult-like behavior at the Mosaic Church in Los Angeles, sharing that she attended the church on and off for two years and calling it out for alleged abuse on Instagram in 2021. "The level of control displayed, particularly by [leader Erwin] McManus," she wrote, "was disturbing to me and to many other people who have left Mosaic for that very reason."

https://ew.com/tv/bethany-joy-lenz-reveals-cult-10-years/?utm_campaign=entertainmentweekly_entertainmentweekly&utm_content=manual&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=64add5995cb8af0001aa62be&fbclid=IwAR3oiJsSxnAi2xMm4ygVb6lLFRpkopTK0CjdxEtghn-cw4myEUCUBgN7gYQ

I think it makes sense that there are a lot of cults in the entertainment business because they depend on others for success and careers, actors are attracted to the idea that they could control their destiny, so that are easy prey for these types of organizations.

10 minutes ago, carolineg said:

There really isn't a good reason to just let Gwen in on the plan. 

That's just what I was thinking yesterday when Dimitri was trying to convince Leo.  Leo's got nothing to lose from telling Gwen everything and using it to sell newspapers.

She recycled her Valentine's blazer? 

I surprised at the sensitivity of Crappie Lake.  I expected a replay of The Simple Life, where small town residents are mocked for their lack of sophistication and rich women learn to respect people who struggle to make ends meet.  But, this show seems to have learned the lessons of why Paris and Nicole would not be celebrated in 2023 (not that they were that popular in the 2000s, given that Fox cancelled the show and sold it to cable within the first season), and it is a much more balanced and sweet show which was not what I imagined given the promotional materials. 

27 minutes ago, Michael said:

It's one thing for him to make a comment to Gwen about how hot Xander is, but the constant sexual harassment is a bad look.

I was intrigued that they sort of addressed this issue yesterday when Leo was in bed with Dimitri and being told to keep it a secret, he lamented that every man he goes after is either straight or otherwise attached, which actually made me pity Leo a bit.

27 minutes ago, Michael said:

too many fake-outs where he seems to learn a lesson and then regresses with no explanation.

27 minutes ago, Michael said:

"This man is 45 and should know better."

However, these are two strong points.  If Leo was saying, "I'm not getting any younger and I need to find a mutually loving relationship", I would sympathize with the character and applaud the creativity.  Yet, writing him as 30something slacker is disingenuous and alienates the audience who sees that is not what he is.

It is amusing to me that Marlena has a blazer for every occasion.  Today's gingham number was perfect for deprogramming someone during the summer.  It says, "I like hypnosis and picnics in the park."

I like the Wendy and Li dynamic.  I think it would be strengthened if we got to know their father and the rest of their family a bit more.  I thought it was clever to use Li's obsession over Gabi to inspire Wendy to make a choice between Tripp and Johnny.  Even though it is entirely predictable that she'll choose Johnny and then pine over Tripp until they get together, like every other love story in Salem (see Xander, Chloe, Sarah, Rex, Nicole, EJ, and Eric for examples).

Can we talk about Rafe's use of Botox?  Those dyed eyebrows are permanently angled in the most distracting directions.

Finally, today, I liked the Gabi/Stefan scenes.  I could see where they are attracted to each other's fiery nature.  It's lost the contrived nature that they dated a few years ago and now are trying to rekindle their relationship.  Unlike Nicole and EJ who make no sense to me, and seem to have completely forgotten about their shared past, Gabi/Stefan are a dynamic duo, and it only took one Spanish pejorative to convince me.   

That's a bizarre story.  It's like buying a car and finding out five years later that it doesn't have a radio.  Reading the entire story makes it more believable, but it is remarkable.

I'm still not used to his new face, but the body is on point - Zac Efron in Cote de Azure

4 hours ago, Bright Eyes said:

Some people have all the luck. He's not bad looking, definitely easy on the eye when you know how much he's got in the bank. 

This inspired me to do a quick Google search, prior to Senior Del Vacchio, whose family owns the largest manufacturer and licensures of sunglasses in the world, she was engaged to Kaan Gunay, the billionaire owner of the Firefly ad agency, Milutin Gatsby, a billionaire film producer, James Packer, the billionaire Australian media owner and former flame of Mariah Carey, Logan Paul, and Ed Westwick.  So, 4/6 of her engagements were to billionaires.  And she was married at 17 to her baby's father.  Thus, she has seven diamond engagement rings, one for every day of the week.  But, considering her history of serial monogamy, I'd hold off on buying her a wedding gift just yet...

45 years and one week, to be exact

The double entendre that Leo had been down on his knees was amusing.  But, as Dimitri was both assuring Leo of his affection and trying to get him to keep their dalliance a secret, it was obvious to me that Leo has nothing to lose by exposing Dimitri.

I'm still hoping that he and Gwen join forces to get all the cash that they can get from the Von Leushners.

Sex scenes, gay or straight, aren't that sexy anymore.  These days it is usually just a kiss, and then they talk while covered with a duvet, except for one foot sticking out for the fetishists in the audience.  I still recall when Brad & Cassandra went at it on Y&R in the 90s, and they showed them tousling in the sheets for an entire episode.

Meanwhile, I was distracted by the visual that Dimitri's head is twice the size of Leo's cranium. 

RIP Andrea Evans

https://deadline.com/2023/07/andrea-evans-dead-actor-one-life-to-live-young-and-the-restless-1235433386/

45 years after her debut on OLTL

1 minute ago, DaytimeFan said:

The alternative is they're going to try living in Malibu or Santa Monica or Santa Barbara for a year and see how they like it and, if so, sell in Bel-Air. Each of those areas is far enough away from the Bel-Air lifestyle/commute that you might consider trying before buying. 

Yes, except you can't get permits to film a reality show in Malibu or Montecito unless your last name is Bell. So, unless she's planning on the leaving the cast, one would wonder why she would consider moving away from the westside?

I understand that Keke Palmer's boyfriend was wrong for criticizing her for dressing too sexy on social media.  I also get, after reading the tweets from Jonah Hill's ex that this type of behavior may indicate larger concerns about boundaries and control. 

However, I think there is room for a discussion that it seems ridiculous to break up with the father of your child because they tweeted something stupid.  I mean, which is worse publicly shaming a celebrity spouse, or abandoning a relationship because of what social media followers may perceive about your lover?  I'm just saying, it seems like a rather immature response to bend so easily to social pressure when there are children involved.

17 minutes ago, DaytimeFan said:

BH

Crystal is renting out her house...

https://www.dirt.com/gallery/entertainers/reality-tv/crystal-kung-minkoff-rental-house-bel-air-1203649484/crystalminkoffhouse_ba2/

I read this story yesterday.  My first thought was that the decor was so specific that it couldn't have been their original plan to use it as a rental, which made me question if it is a money issue.  Then, I read her reasoning that she wants something like a fresh start, which made me question if they are getting a divorce.  Finally, as a RHoBH fan, I wondered if they ever finished their basement reno.

I never realized that they bought a tear-down in upper Bel Air, and then built their home from scratch.  Taste is subjective, and I don't appreciate theirs, yet that is an impressive amount of wealth. I guess she didn't only marry Rob for his good looks...

I wonder if this means we'll see less of Sloan in the future (which would be a shame because she was growing on me).

https://pagesix.com/2023/07/09/leonardo-maria-del-vecchio-pops-question-to-jessica-serfaty/

We hear Del Vecchio, 28, one of the world’s youngest billionaires, popped the question while they were vacationing at the five-star Borgo Santandrea Luxury Hotel on Italy’s Amafi coast. - sounds nicer than spending time in Burbank...

Jeffrey Carlson (zoe) has passed

https://twitter.com/FeldmanAdam/status/1677862081545003009?s=20

Leo & Gwen working together to turn the tables on Dimitri would at least give them some agency.  They both get abandoned or ignored by every crush that they have in town.  They've got to use those journalism skills for something.

Also, unpopular opinion, I get that many of you don't like the show.  I mean, you say it every single day.  But, perhaps we can find more unique ways of announcing your displeasure?  There's some irony that those who denounce the quality of the writing the most are often the least creative in their critiques.  I'm not trying to gatekeep or silence anyone, I just want a bit more amusement when reading the posts.  May I suggest a pun or a poem? 

But, to anyone who would take personal offense to my feedback, I didn't mean you.

Unpopular opinion (maybe), but I hope Leo rejects Dimitri in an effort to maintain his friendship with Gwen.  I enjoy Leo and Gwen's banter, and even a suspected mother-killer needs at least one alliance.  Although I don't understand why Gwen and Xander can't just be friends, she got over her crush on him rather quickly and their office animosity seems unjustified. 

58 minutes ago, AbcNbc247 said:

I knew it the second I heard Peter Porte was coming back

The character was definitely coded as gay, he's close to his mother, fascinated by jewelry, enjoys strapping guys to chairs, not married by 40, and, European (tee hee).

But, his prior flirtation with Billie and number of times that he's had sex with Gwen are definitely misleading.  I just hope that we are not being set up with a story of a straight man "pretending" to be gay in order to maintain his con.  Or, more regressive, a nefarious bisexual character who uses intimacy with either gender as a means to an end.  But, I wouldn't put anything past Jamey, whose knowledge of sexual liberation seems stuck in the first season of Queer Eye.

The makeup department is doing the most when it comes to making Shawn's eyes look bloodshot and drunk.  Meanwhile, the hair department is doing the least when it comes to Nicole and that ponytail.

The Von Leushners make no sense whatsoever.  Why would they randomly choose Dimitri's 40th birthday as the date for him to be married?  And, why would they write it down for Leo to find?  BTW, in the US these types of codicils where people have to be married or have a baby to inherit property aren't legal, but I guess the will was written in the mythical land of Soap-Europa, where every small town business has a foreign office. 

Also, Lani's been let out jail to go to the funeral, but she's been everywhere but the memorial this week.

16 hours ago, TVFAN1144 said:

Hard to believe it’s been 24 years since this show went off

Did Another World even make it into the High Def era?

12 minutes ago, Joseph said:

Aren't The Von Leuchners Frankie and Carly's Family???

Yes, in the Beyond Salem episodes, Dimitri was introduced as a member of that family.