Use code THETAKE at monarchmoney.com in your browser for half off your first year! Why is it so hard to make friends as an adult now? There’s been lots of talk in recent years about the difficulty of making new friends in our modern era once you’re out of college, and about the loneliness epidemic at large. There are, of course, many causes for this, but one major one is actually financial. While money (or lack of it) affects so much of our day to day lives, you might be surprised at just how much of our current financial issues (individually and societally) are contributing to our friendship woes. So, what’s really going on here? And… is there anything we can do about it?! Let’s take a closer look at four of the biggest money-related obstacles to building friendships in adulthood, and then we’ll dig into some ways people are finding solutions! 00:00 Intro 00:47 Crushed for time (& energy...) 04:39 Can't afford to do anything 07:14 The loss of third spaces 09:31 The good & bad of social media... 11:07 We can't afford *not* to have community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Big Bang Theory’s Penny and Friends’ Rachel Green actually had a lot in common, though one of their most surprising similarities is actually the way that their stories treated their growth – and, unfortunately, their endings. So let’s take a closer look at how both of these characters found their own ways out of the ‘sitcom ditzy hot blonde’ box, why their stories of growth were so important to their shows as a whole, why their shows decided to throw wrenches in their plans at the last second, and what it all means… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The “Gen Z stare” has become a huge topic of conversation on TikTok and the internet at large, and the real problem is actually a lot deeper than you might expect! Gen Zers say it’s just a logical reaction to the illogical world they’re confronting, Millennials say there’s more to it than that. A large part of the issue stems from the fact that in many cases, people aren’t actually talking about the same thing. So what’s *really* behind this “Gen Z stare”? Is it really a problem? (And, if so, what’s the solution?) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While so many of us might dream of building our lives around our creative passions, often the financial reality of being an artist can be a major hurdle. In film and television this isn’t always seen as a bad thing, however – often, struggling is in fact seen as proof of an artist’s true commitment to their craft. And indeed suffering has been so intertwined with the idea of creativity that it’s often seen as a necessary part of the journey. But why is the idea of suffering for your art such a major part of pop culture? And how does it affect our views of artists and their work in the real world? Let’s take a closer look… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Sabrina Carpenter’s new album cover to Sydney Sweeney’s bathwater soap and beyond, a spate of recent controversies have some people questioning if pop culture is not only signaling but aiding in the backtracking of female empowerment. But while these recent issues might be new, this conversation certainly isn’t… So, why are people mad at Sydney and Sabrina? Where does it fit into the larger conversation? And is it all really a problem? Let’s take a closer look… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://greenchef.com/50thetake use code 50THETAKE to get fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent off for two months with free shipping. James Gunn’s new take on Superman was up against the odds from the beginning – and initial reviews weren’t very kind to it. But now that it’s been released to the public, it’s become a smash hit! While the film has already sparked a lot of discourse, the reasons that it’s connected with audiences actually make a lot of sense. So, how does this take on Superman measure up? And why has it really been so controversial? Let’s take a closer look. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A recent viral TikTok of a woman who believed her grey couch was actually blue has people yet again thinking about how color plays a huge role in our lives, and how differently we can all see the same thing. Colorblindness and monochromatic-ness have long been used symbolically in film and TV as metaphors for larger ideas. And as we’ve all become more and more connected to visual mediums, many people are beginning to realize the impact it can have in their everyday real lives as well. So, what’s really going on with our perception of color and color vision deficiencies? And what does it all mean? Let’s take a closer look… Check out the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/ThSaP6FCk2I Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://greenchef.com/50thetake use code 50THETAKE to get fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent off for two months with free shipping. Money has long equaled power – but does it also equal intelligence? Many people seem to think so, regardless of any evidence to the contrary… Both in movies and TV and in real life we’ve seen a number of recent examples of the problems big and small that can arise when immense wealth comes to dominate views of what it means to be smart, productive, and capable. Let's take a closer look at this trend via recent releases like Jesse Armstrong's Mountainhead, the two OceanGate Titan disaster documentaries & more... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While work has never necessarily been fun, recently the “grind” has been truly grinding us down – and, terrifyingly, trapping us in. As the world of employment has become ever more dire, we’ve begun to see this total imbalance between work and a healthy, safe life play out on screen in a variety of ways – from the psychological in Severance, to the physical in Mickey 17 and Paradise, and beyond. So, what do these kinds of stories tell us about the dangers of the total fracturing of our lives for work – and can they give us a map to escape? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While Summer Roberts may have began The O.C. as a ditzy mean girl, she quickly became a beloved fan favorite (and even found the smart girl persona she had been forced to hide for so long!) In this video, we're unpacking how Summer went from a stereotypical side character to a multifaceted star! The O.C.’s Summer first appeared on the show as a stereotypical mean rich girl ditz – she wasn’t even a part of the main cast but instead just intended to be a glorified extra, a friend of Marissa Cooper’s with minimal impact to be essentially forgotten after the pilot. But even with the minimal screentime she got in the beginning, she quickly became a fan favorite and an integral part of the show. And over time, as her character was given room to grow, she broke free from those 'mean girl' confines and ended up getting one of the best arcs on the show. Summer is the perfect showcase of what can happen when a smart girl doesn’t have that side of herself fostered by her environment, but is instead pushed in the total opposite direction. She’s also a very underrated example of how we don’t have to be trapped in the boxes we’re put in as kids forever – and how learning to embrace our full selves can help us build a life even better than we could have ever dreamed of. So let’s take a closer look at how Summer evolved from a miserable mean girl into a successful smart girl! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Modern Family’s Cameron Tucker was criticized for dramatic, over emotional, and generally over the top. But as melodramatic as he may have been, Cam provided a very important counter to the Pritchett family’s more uptight, closed off ways. He’s a dreamer that’s unafraid to go after what he wants, try new things, and think big. Cam’s mindset might cause him (...and others) some problems here and there, but it also allows him to build the life he wants (while also helping those he cares about achieve their dreams, too!) So, let’s take a deeper look at the really important lessons Cam teaches us about living your life your way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sinners has become the surprise smash hit of the year, breaking records and raking in over $300 million dollars so far at the box office. Starring Michael B. Jordan, Miles Caton, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell and more, and directed by Ryan Coogler, the film has managed to take things that are usually seen as harbingers of low audience turnout (like an R rating and the horror genre) and mold them into a film that’s wildly successful. And it could possibly even save Hollywood – if the studios are willing to take the right lessons from this triumph. So, what does Sinners tell us about how to make a winning film in our modern era? Let’s take a closer look! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The new Lilo & Stitch live action remake has been a huge box office hit, but reviews have been mixed... While it’s definitely a cute film with some bright spots that (at least attempts to) stay true to the original film, it falls flat in some important areas. While some of the changes to the film are minor, others seem to lose sight of the entire point of the story itself. One major change to the ending of the film has people particularly unhappy. So, let’s take a look at how this new film grapples with the story’s most important theme: family – and if the changes have really forgotten what 'ohana truly means. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Click our link https://www.paired.com/thetake25 to get a 7 day free trial of the Paired app and 25% off paired premium! There’s one big fear hiding at the heart of many relationships: that you love your partner more than they love you... We all want our relationships to feel equal, but so often it seems that one person ends up more dedicated to the relationship. This can happen for a number of reasons – from fear of commitment to lack of care and beyond – and lead to strife and even tragedy. But there’s more to lopsided love than meets the eye. So, what’s really behind unequal love matches – and is there any hope for a happy outcome? Let’s take a closer look at the trope on screen, from How I Met Your Mother's Lily and Marshall, to Anora and Vanya, to Friends' Chandler and Janice and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://greenchef.com/50THETAKE and use code 50THETAKE to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping! There’s a problem that’s become more and more prevalent across social media, popping up in nearly every comment section and thread... it seems that personalized algorithms have caused people to forget that not everything they encounter online is made exclusively for them. From the Bean Soup controversy and beyond, people have noticed what feels like a drop in critical thinking skills dovetailing with an uptick in self-centeredness. And it seems that a lesser-known culprit might be at the root of the problem: covert narcissism. So, how is this different from the regular narcissism we’re used to, and why has it seemingly taken over online? (And… is there any hope of things changing for the better?) Let’s take a closer look! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thunderbolts has become a hit with audiences because it went back to what works and managed to meet the moment. In this episode, we're unpacking what it got right about one of the biggest battles of our time: mental health. Thunderbolts is a welcome change of pace from recent MCU fare. One of the biggest reasons it resonates so much is that it wasn’t afraid to actually be about something. While a lot of superhero films and shows across the board have felt like they’ve lost their way and their connection to their human elements over recent years, Thunderbolts has found success by going in the opposite direction. It confronts the humanity of its characters and their situations head on – unafraid of exploring the dark while also remembering to find the light. So, let’s take a closer look at what Thunderbolts really has to say and why audiences have connected so much with it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are dating apps and the internet (and now AI) really the reason why dating is often so miserable now? Many people have been wondering if the apps we use to help us in the arena of romance - like Tinder, Bumble and Hinge - might actually be ruining everything. There are some aspects of dating that are just miserable now, and many of those problems do seem to stem from how we use technology to connect. But in reality, the problem is a lot more complex than it first appears. So, what’s actually gone wrong with dating? Are the internet and apps really to blame? Let’s take a closer look at the whole problem to figure out what’s really going on here – plus unpack some silver linings that actually give us some hope about the future! In this episode, we unpack how computers and the internet became such a big part of dating from Operation Match to Match.com and beyond, how that evolved into the apps we use today like Bumble, Tinder and Hinge, and how this form of dating has affected all of us - both bad *and* good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sinners, the new horror movie from director Ryan Coogler starring Michael B. Jordan, has completely blown expectations out of the water. While everyone knows that Coogler is an adept director who makes great movies, no one quite expected just how successful his R-rated vampire horror would turn out to be. And the film isn’t just great because of its well done horror, it also packs some really deep messages into the 24 hours of its story. So, what is Sinners really about? Let’s unpack the film’s meaning and key symbolism, plus analyze what that ending really means. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://zocdoc.com/thetake to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today! A Minecraft Movie, starring Jack Black, Jason Momoa and Danielle Brooks, has completely upended expectations – it not only didn’t flop, it’s become a huge success (pulling in over $700 million in just a couple of weeks!) While not everyone loves the movie (and it’s already caused its own share of issues,) the film and its success does actually tell us some pretty important things about modern movies. So, what was it that allowed A Minecraft Movie to overcome the ‘videogame movie curse’? Is it really as bad as some people are saying? And what does it tell us about the future of big-budget movies? Let’s take a closer look… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Desperate Housewives' Edie Britt was shamed for her sexual confidence and freedom (by audiences and the other characters) back when the show premiered in 2004, but from a modern perspective, her story looks a lot different. And what’s more, Edie was… kind of a badass, if we’re being honest! So, let's take a look at why Edie got so much hate at the time, and why she might just be the secret hero of Desperate Housewives! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices