Sincerest apologies that this list, which usually comes a day or two before the upcoming month, is arriving two weeks late, but I’ve been very busy trying to force the guy I’ve been hooking up with to date me so that I can do something other than shrivel up and die on Valentine’s Day. No such luck, so here I am with the February edition of must-watch movies and shows on Netflix. You’re welcome.
Some months, I can’t wait for my flaky-ass friends to cancel our weekend plans so I can stay in and binge all of the newly added movies and shows I once loved and had since forgotten about, but other months, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that a bunch of interns pick movie and show titles out of a hat and put them on Netflix. This month is the latter. Before you decide that nine different anime shows are not worth 13 of your dollars and cancel your subscription, know that there are plenty of classics and goodies coming to Netflix this month, so if you, too, have no plans on Valentine’s Day, this list is for you!
‘To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You’
The only time I ever felt like I have become my mother was when my editor suggested I add this movie to the list and I had no idea what she was talking about, so I gave it a Google to find out that it is the sequel to like, the biggest and best rom-com of 2018. Great. Already missing out on pop-culture references. So, if there are any others under the age of 54 who don’t know what this movie is, allow Netflix to explain. “When her secret love letters somehow get mailed to each of her five crushes, Lara Jean finds her quiet high school existence turned upside down.” Yikes! So apparently this is the sequel to that cinematic masterpiece, and it bears the same name plus “P.S. I Still Love You.” Sorry, but is the girl naming this movie the same person naming nail polishes? However, the cheese stands alone (I am the cheese) because everyone else seemed to love the first one, and will prob love the sequel. Lmk how it is, k?
‘The Stranger’: Season One
Based on the best-selling novel by Harlan Coben, this dark thriller will keep you guessing until the end. One day, a mysterious stranger shows up in Adam Price’s life out of nowhere, and she spills a secret that could have some major consequences for everyone involved. The book is one of the best thrillers to come out in the last few years, and the show has also gotten rave reviews. Maybe don’t watch this alone in the dark, because you will want to stay up all night to finish it, and then you won’t sleep for a month.
‘A Little Princess’
Before you skip this blurb because of the dumb movie name, wait! As a 26-year-old woman, I am proud to admit that A Little Princess is one of my favorite movies. I used to watch it with my grandfather every time I went to visit my grandparents and then I started to feel like eight viewings was seven viewings too many, so we stopped watching it. However, I saw it for the first time in like 13 years when it appeared on my Netflix homepage a few days ago, and let me just say, it’s still a great f*cking movie.
It’s about a little girl, Sara Crewe, who is quite possibly the most beautiful child in existence, but that isn’t important, I guess. Anyway, she and her dad (who are both American and f*cking loaded) are forced to leave their amazing life in India so that her dad can fight for his country in WWI and she can attend the world’s scariest boarding school. Anyway, her dad allegedly dies and she is left penniless, so bebe Sara becomes a servant at her boarding school. I’m already crying.
‘Love Is Blind’: Season One
Guys, this show sounds so stupid and I cannot wait to watch it. If you thought The Bachelor was unrealistic, just wait until you get a load of this sh*t. Netflix says, “Nick and Vanessa Lachey host this social experiment where single men and women look for love and get engaged, all before meeting in person.” Sooo it’s a Married At First Sight rip-off? There is so much to discuss in this very short sentence, so let’s start with the hosts. Is this Nick and Vanessa Lachey’s attempt to become relevant again? Based on this description alone, I assumed the psychos participants getting engaged before meeting were at least, like, skyping before tying the knot, but no, I assumed wrong! I watched the trailer to discover that the men and women are locked in what Nick and Vanessa are calling “pods” and talking to each other on telephones. Alrighty. I would never marry someone who calls me on the phone. Like, are your fingers broken? No? Then f*cking text me.
Just because all five of my friends were either out of town or had plans last Saturday night, I spent that time online stalking the cast to find that they are all local Atlantans and ~aspiring~ Instagram models. I kid you not, every male on the show has a fitness account on Instagram and every female concludes her captions with “use my name as the promo code for 20% off!” Here for the right reasons, though, right?? Lol.
‘Elizabeth: The Golden Age’
If I relate most to any member of the royal family, it’s OG Elizabeth. That bitch ruled a kingdom without assistance or permission from men. Slay, Queen. Anyway, there have been and will continue to be many biopics about our girl Liz, but this one is by far the best. It stars Cate Blanchett, who makes a serious case for elaborate collars and red hair. A lot happened during her lifetime and reign, but this movie’s main focus is how she handled the Spanish Armada and her complicated relationship with Sir Walter Raleigh. It’s a good watch if you’re in the mood to learn something.
‘Who Killed Malcom X?’
What a question. Three people were charged in the human rights activist’s murder, but no one really knows who actually did it. This docuseries explores what happened when an activist “embarks on a complex mission seeking truth in the name of justice,” says Netflix’s description. I’m definitely intrigued because I live for true crime documentaries and this is one of the country’s biggest mysteries. Sold.
‘Sex And The City 2’
This movie was so horrible, but I mean that in the best way possible. The clothes are as amazing as Samantha’s dried-up one-liners, and it’s worth your time if you haven’t seen it. To sum it up in one sentence: Carries wrote a few books, Samantha hasn’t changed, Charlotte is still a whiney hag, Miranda’s taste in clothes has improved, and they all go to Abu Dhabi. The end! It’s a good movie if you’re expecting it to be pure garbage, but it definitely didn’t get robbed at the 2010 Oscars, if ya know what I mean.
‘Narcos Mexico’: Season Two
I’m going to keep this short since I did not watch season one, but I did watch the original Narcos and it was great. This spin-off is probably even better because it explores the drug wars in Mexico during the 1980s. Also, Jason Bateman isn’t in this one, which I count as a plus. It’s a show about Felix Gallardo, who heads the fictional Guadalajara cartel, and DEA agent Kiki Camarena, who moves with her family to Guadalajara. Sounds cool; I’m officially interested.
‘The Pianist’
If you want an antidote to Sex and the City 2, definitely give The Pianist a watch. This is by far the saddest movie I’ve ever seen and it’s so factually accurate that we watched it in my AP European History class in high school. It’s about Wladyslaw Szpilman (played by Adrien Brody), a Jewish Polish radio station pianist, and his story of survival throughout the course of the Holocaust in Germany. It’s truly heartbreaking, but it’s done so well that you’d be remiss to skip it.
‘Jerry Maguire’
Believe it or not, there was once a time when Tom Cruise didn’t absolutely suck, and that time was in 1996 when Jerry Maguire came out. If you don’t know, this is a rom-com starring Tom and Bridget Jones. Long-story-short, Tom is a sports agent who gets himself fired by having a conscience. He teams up with a single mother and together, they start their own management firm, but not before they swiftly fall in love. Simpler times, amirite?
‘Dear John’
I am pretty sure Nicholas Sparks wrote all of his sappy male leads for Channing Tatum, and I’m 110% here for it. Not only did I read this book, but I saw the movie…in theaters. Obviously, it was terrible, but it did way better than I thought it would on Rotten Tomatoes, scoring a whopping 29%. Honestly, that’s pretty impressive. Just watch the trailer and you’ve basically already seen the movie, minus a subpar sex scene that takes place in what looks like a barn. K. It’s Channing Tatum at his hottest, so this is another good reason to cancel your plans.
Images: Bettina Strauss / Netflix; Movie Coverage, Movieclips Classic Trailers (2), Netflix (2), Movieclips, End Time News, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Movies & Shows, Sony Pictures Entertainment / Youtube
There are literally hundreds of celebrity couples, and as hard as I try, I can’t remember all of them. Of course, there are certain famous couples that literally everyone knows (George and Amal, Kim and Kanye, etc.), but there are just as many random celebrity couples that I can never remember, no matter how many times I’ve seen them together.
I feel like everyone talks about random celebrity couples from the past (the ’90s were WILD), but right now I’m more interested in the couples that are still together. I had trouble even writing this article, because I couldn’t remember which couples I couldn’t remember! But I pushed through, and here are six of the most random celebrity couples you might not remember.
Austin Butler & Vanessa Hudgens
This week, when it was announced that Austin Butler will be playing Elvis Presley in an upcoming biopic, it took me a second to remember who he is. In particular, I had completely forgotten that he and Vanessa Hudgens have been together since 2011. That’s a long time! She started dating Austin soon after breaking up with Zac Efron (RIP Zanessa), and they’ve been together ever since.
Dua Lipa & Anwar Hadid
Dua Lipa and Anwar Hadid are one of the newest celebrity couples, so rather than forgetting they’re together, you probably just didn’t know yet. Gigi and Bella’s brother has dated actress Nicola Peltz in the past, as well as being linked to Kendall Jenner. Dua Lipa recently broke up with chef Isaac Carew, after dating him on and off for years. It remains to be seen if this new couple will last, but they’re both very pretty, if nothing else.
Bella Hadid & The Weeknd
Everyone knows about Bella Hadid and The Weeknd’s past relationship, but I always have to double check whether they’re still a thing. The Weeknd famously dated Selena Gomez for a hot minute while they were broken up, but they’ve been back together since last year.
Leighton Meester & Adam Brody
For some reason, I can never get it through my head that Seth Cohen and Blair Waldorf are married to each other. Leighton and Adam met while filming a movie in 2010, and got married in 2014. They seem like a great, drama-free couple, which is probably why I never remember that they’re together.
Taylor Swift & Joe Alwyn
Taylor Swift has had many famous boyfriends in the past, but she’s never kept a relationship private like her current one with Joe Alwyn. Joe is an actor who has been steadily working on some acclaimed movies for a few years now, but he’s yet to really hit it big. This is probably nice for Taylor Swift, who has barely talked about their relationship since they first got together in 2016. If they ever do break up, she’s going to write one hell of an album about it.
Channing Tatum & Jessie J
When Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan announced their divorce last year, it sort of felt like the end of an era. I love Step Up, okay? Well, Channing moved on from Jenna with someone who…looks a lot like Jenna. Jessie J and Channing have kept their relationship pretty under the radar since getting together in late 2018, but they’re photographed out and about together all the time.
Which random pairings did I miss? Which celebrity couples can you just not wrap your head around? Let me know in the comments, because I could talk about this all day.
Images: Vanessa Hudgens; Shutterstock (9)
Gather ’round children, I’d like to tell you a story. Once upon a time, in a land far far away, there were celebrities that became famous after lots of hard work, years of failed efforts, and many sh*tty jobs, and not because they were a pre-pubescent performer with a YouTube channel. I know! It’s hard to believe, but it happened. That time was known as the dark ages the 90s. Some famous people had to waitress or bartend, and the idea of an Instagram model was just a twinkle in Kevin Systrom’s eye. I myself had to work at the movie theater on my way to the top middle management, where the Icee machine constantly exploded on me and I spent hours explaining that I did not set the prices of the food and I too thought that $9 for a small popcorn should be illegal.
But this is article not about me. This is not even about Kim Kardashian, who we all know spent her early days arranging the underwear in Paris Hilton’s closet. It’s not even about Channing Tatum, who was the real life Magic Mike before he gyrated to “Pony” on the big screen. No, this is about the other celebrities. The celebrities that had surprising jobs before they hit it big, the ones we rarely hear about because we’re busy reading about another basketball player that cheated on poor, innocent Khloé Kardashian. So today I’m here to tell you about your favorite celebrities that had surprising jobs before getting famous.
Rachel McAdams Worked At McDonald’s
The Patron Saint of Mean Girls herself, Regina George, actually deigned to ask “would you like fries with that,” for three years straight when she was in her teens. At the time she was also directing kid’s theater which “didn’t pay the bills.” I’m sure! It didn’t pay the bills and she probably ended up with the poop of a tiny human on her hands at least once (the kids I know poop everywhere). Thankfully she has been quoted saying she was an obsessive hand washer, so we know they were clean by the time she got to Ronald McDonald’s house. A major relief to all of you who frequented Canadian McDonald’s in the mid-90’s, I’m sure!
Taylor Swift Worked On Her Family Christmas Tree Farm
Taylor Swift grew up on a farm in Reading, PA, and just like with my parents, they didn’t give birth to her because they wanted her to become an international popstar, they just wanted the free labor. Taylor’s family had a Christmas tree farm on the property, and she has said it was her job to get rid of the praying mantises that resided in the trees so they wouldn’t hatch their babies in customers’ houses. It would be better for my jokes if her job was to remove snakes from the trees, but I’m sure I can come up with something about bugs too. How about this one: I’m sure Taylor just kindly asked the vermin to exclude her from their narrative, one she never asked to be a part of, and they got tf out of those trees. Okay that was bad, but I’ve only had one coffee today so please take pity.
Hugh Jackman Worked At 7-11
Everyone’s favorite X-Men (or is it man?) once worked at a 7-11. I feel like this job has its pros and cons. On the one hand, you get unlimited slurpees. On the other hand, every time I’m in a 7-11 I get the feeling that I’m 90 seconds away from a meth addict robbing the place with a sawed-off shotgun. Thankfully that never happened to our friend Hugh, probably because he was in Australia and not in Florida, but also because he’s chattier than the girl that sits next to you talking about her Keto diet, and it got him fired. That’s right, some lady complained that Hugh talked too much and 7-11 would NOT stand for that. Good to know they draw the line somewhere. My male boss just volunteered to search the ladies’ bathroom in the event of a fire, and everyone laughed. Brb going to 7-11 to fill out an application.
Miley Cyrus Cleaned Houses
This one is a little perplexing, since Miley Cyrus has been getting that Disney paper since her Hannah Montana days, but the internet says she used to clean houses. And obviously everything on the internet is true. Word on the street is that she used to work for a company called “Sparkles Cleaning Service.” Are we sure this was not a plotline on her show, because it certainly sounds like a company an 11-year-old would make up. It’s a good thing she got that experience, though, because years later she offered herself up as a naked maid for charity. God, I forgot there was that period of time where Miley was imitating in real life everything she saw in a porno. Liam and I are glad we’ve moved past that.
See, celebrities are just like us! That is, until they make enough money for their own private jet and the closest they ever get to a McDonald’s again is when their assistant forgot to fast-forward through that commercial on their DVR. Here’s hoping we all get that rich one day!
Images: Shutterstock; Giphy (2); taylorswift/Instagram
It’s been six months since Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan announced their divorce, which means it’s officially time to move on. Channing has kept a pretty low profile since the divorce news, but he’s back in the news this week, and that’s because Channing Tatum and Jessie J are dating, apparently. If you don’t think you know who Jessie J is, you’re wrong, because she’s iconic. She’s a way bigger star in the UK than she is here, but you definitely know her from songs like “Bang Bang,” “Price Tag,” and “Domino.” She’s a very intriguing choice for Channing Tatum, and I’m here to break down what details we know so far.
On Saturday, Channing Tatum and Jessie J were spotted playing mini golf together. Okay, so their choice of date activity is giving me major high school flashbacks, and not in a good way. My ideal date these days is suffering through boring conversation whilst I black out on overpriced cocktails, but whatever floats your boat I guess. Thankfully, we got the details on their putt-putt excursion directly from an employee at the mini golf course:
Who knew a mini golf job could be so crazy. Tonight I had to watch one of my asshole ex professors make out with his fiancé, then my coworker cut his hand open and had to go to the hospital, and finally Jessie j and Channing Tatum came in to play a round.
— medium (@mpower172) October 6, 2018
Okay, so it sounds like this person had a very rough day, but thank God they’re still coming through with the deets. Not all heroes wear capes.
Lol they were hella nice. Jessie came down and I was shook and then when I went to get them to play, Channing turned around and I was like ????. We hugged and got a pic and then I got to hear Jessie singing somebody to love with the radio at the end of the course.
— medium (@mpower172) October 6, 2018
Okay, so a few things. First of all, POST THE PIC OR IT DIDN’T HAPPEN. Second, I’m glad they were nice, and I’m really not surprised. Channing Tatum is pretty physically intimidating, but I’ve always imagined he’s kind of a teddy bear when you actually get to know him. I’m also obsessed with the fact that the employee heard Jessie start singing while on the golf course, because of f*cking course. People who can sing will literally never miss a chance to remind you that they can sing, even if they are already famous for being able to sing.
An anonymous source confirmed the relationship to PEOPLE, but also said that “it’s very new.” PEOPLE sources tend to be pretty reliable, and of course we have the added evidence of the mini golf employee tweets.
This relationship might seem kind of random, and it totally is in a lot of ways. While Channing met his ex-wife Jenna on the set of Step Up, it doesn’t really seem like he would cross paths with Jessie J in a natural setting. They’re both pretty famous, but it doesn’t seem like they’d be working together. Maybe they were introduced through a friend, or maybe Channing is just a big fan of “Bang Bang” and decided to slide into Jessie J’s DMs. It wouldn’t be that strange, considering that Jessie actually looks a little bit like Jenna Dewan. They’re not twins or anything, but they both have similar dark coloring and piercing eyes. Clearly, Channing Tatum has a type.
If this relationship is going to be a lasting thing, Channing Tatum is going to have to get used to some distance. These days, Jessie J is spending a lot of her time in China, for literally the craziest reason. Earlier this year, she went on a Chinese reality show called The Singer. It’s kind of like The Voice, except it’s meant for people who are already famous. Before Jessie J, only Asian people had ever gone on the show, but for some reason they brought her on, and she won every single week. Like, the people of China went f*cking insane over Jessie J singing covers of Whitney Houston and Celine Dion songs, week after week. So now, she’s like, the biggest star in China, so she’s spent the last few months touring there nonstop. Good for her, but is Channing Tatum down for that? At this point, who knows.
So for now, Mazel Tov to Channing Tatum and Jessie J on their new relationship, and I can’t wait to see where this goes. Will Jessie J sing the theme song for Magic Mike 3? Will Channing Tatum move to China, never to be seen again? So many possibilities!
Images: @mpower172 / Twitter (2); @jessiej / Instagram
On Monday evening, Jenna Dewan Tatum broke both the internet and our hearts with some tragic news: she and Channing Tatum are separating. It’s a big loss. Their fairytale romance started on the set of Step Up back in 2006. Channing was Tyler, the sexy bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks, and Jenna was Nora, the beautiful dancer who was definitely a virgin. Their chemistry was obviously amazing, and the movie was a lovely example of what can happen when gentrification dance comes into your life.
After finishing Step Up, things seemed perfect. Channing Tatum went on to become one of the biggest movie stars in the world, and Jenna Dewan Tatum appeared in some TV shows here and there. They got married in 2009, and had a daughter, Everly, in 2013. They’ve always been pretty open about showing their love for each other, which makes it even more shocking that they’re splitting up. They announced the news in a typed letter that they both posted to Instagram but, let’s be honest, it sounds like something Siri could have written. Not only was the content of the statement lame AF, but it was also on a bizarre purple and yellow gradient background that looks like an invitation to your Grandma’s annual Easter egg hunt.
It’s okay not to air all your dirty laundry for the public to see, but that doesn’t mean we can’t read between the lines and of this situation.
Hey world! – Um, how do we do this? Like, we want to get people’s attention but we don’t want to sound too excited. Hey world! Yeah, I guess that works.
It feels odd that we have to share this kind of thing with everyone – We really don’t want to be fucking posting about this, but if we don’t then sites like Betches will probably just speculate about our relationship…oh wait.
It’s a consequence of the lives we’ve chosen to lead, which we also happen to be deeply grateful for – Ugh why did we have to get famous this is so annoying but also we love all our fans please don’t think we’re not grateful!!
It’s also a time where truth can easily get distorted into “alternative facts” 😉 – Ooh yeah, do a Trump joke, that’ll get ’em on our side! Ha ha ha this is so awkward, fuck.
We have lovingly chosen to separate as a couple – We cannot stand being in the same room as each other for more than five minutes.
We fell deeply in love so many years ago and have had a magical journey together – Step Up was fun and all but it’s been like 12 years and we are so damn tired.
Absolutely nothing has changed about how much we love one another, but love is a beautiful adventure that is taking us on different paths for now – Everything has changed about how much we love one another and this shit is not fun anymore right now. Again, we cannot stand being in the same room.
There are no secrets nor salacious events at the root of our decision – We’re not like, getting bad divorced. It’s good divorced. Like, cool divorced.
Just two best-friends realizing it’s time to take some space and help each other live the most joyous, fulfilled lives as possible – Fuck, is “best friends” supposed to have a hyphen? Jenna, I need your help, I dropped out of college. Oh, and also, if I have to do the “Pony” dance routine for you one more fucking time, I’m gonna scream.
We are still a family and will always be loving dedicated parents to Everly – Our daughter will be fine and we can afford all the nannies and therapy we could ever possibly need.
We won’t be commenting beyond this, and we thank you all in advance for respecting our family’s privacy – We’re not like, gonna have to talk about this, right? Let’s just say this and hope no one asks us anything.
Sending lots of love to everyone – God this is shitty. These leeches better stay the fuck away from us.
