Skinni-tok, the Box Office, and P-Diddy

1. Skinny culture: problematic or brutally honest?

Everybody knows that thinness has long been the beauty standard for almost all women, especially in recent years with the rise of social media. Such trends have led to huge uptakes in anorexia and eating disorders in women, especially those who are fairly young. For the past few years, the body positivity movement that sprung during 2020 has been on the decline, and prioritizing one's weight over all else has started seeping into all corners of media. Through social media, many women are choosing to share how they maintain their seemingly impossible bodies, and not shying away from the fact that it comes from extreme food restriction and discipline. So, people are wondering, is sharing this lifestyle enabling more people to develop eating disorders, or shedding light on the pains people take to be skinny?

2. The Movies

Movies are returning in 2025, with Memorial Day weekend breaking box office records. Disney's live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch stunned with a $183M domestic debut, and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning brought in $79M. Audiences came out in support of mature franchises with emotional or action pull. The contrast with Disney's last flop Snow White shows that consumers like authenticity, not forced reboots. Hollywood's wins show that nostalgia works best when paired with actual storytelling, and not just corporate branding.

3. Sean Combs Trial

Sean "Diddy" Combs is on trial on sex trafficking, abuse, and kidnapping charges, with complaints from former assistant Capricorn Clark and former girlfriend Cassie Ventura describing years of abuse, threats, and violence. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all the charges, stating that the encounters were consensual. The case immediately raises questions about how celebrity and power can allow abuse and delay accountability. It highlights the need for justice systems to resist being swayed by celebrity status.