We’re used to seeing articles such as, “The Technology Questions You’re Embarrassed To Ask... Answered!” or, “How To Boil Water & Other Cooking Basics You Somehow Never Mastered.” In the spirit of true honesty (this is a safe space), there’s something helpful for all of us in those articles. I personally have sent Refinery29’s technology editor so many questions about iPhone hacks that I’m surprised she hasn’t silently handed me a copy of iPhones for Dummies. Still, it was only after being asked “What shows should I be watching?” for the 3,534th time at a dinner party, by someone who just learned that I write about television for a living, that the epiphany occurred. The R29 Entertainment team is so enmeshed in the world of pop culture 24/7 that we can probably tell you where any Kardashian or Jenner is at any given time. For most people, though, that’s not a possibility. They have things called “school” and “jobs” and “lives” that require attention. Responsibilities, one might call them.
And so this series was born. We want you to be able to focus on your life and get your burning pop culture questions answered in one place. There simply aren’t enough hours in the week to comb through Kanye West's tweets to find out why he’s in the news. There are also way too many options on Netflix, and life is too short to spend most of your precious binge-watching time scrolling through titles trying to choose what to watch.
In the interest of freeing up your time and finding the answers you seek, please read on.
"Why does Kaley Cuoco have a crush on Ben the Bachelor? Is he not the most boring man alive?"
To be honest, inquirer, I’m not sure I like your tone. You might see current Bachelor Ben Higgins as the “most boring man alive,” but the women competing for his heart on the show seem to think he’s the most fascinating man alive. I mean, sure, he hasn’t made any of Barbara Walters’ year-end lists of Most Fascinating People, but fingers crossed for 2016 (his mother hopes).
Kaley Cuoco would probably agree with the aspiring Mrs. Higgins-es on this one, too. Not only has she Instagrammed a photo of herself wearing leggings that have Ben’s face on them, Cuoco gushed about her love for Ben on the red carpet at this year’s Screen Actors Guild Awards. She asked Brad Goreski, “Is [Ben] nominated for a SAG tonight? For the hottest Bachelor of all time?”
Cuoco also told Goreski that she’s “a little overly obsessed with [Ben],” and that he’s “the most interesting Bachelor we’ve had.” A regular Most Interesting Man in the World, if you will. Perhaps his post-Bachelor career prospects just opened up to include future Dos Equis spokesman. If this comes to fruition, Ben Higgins had best write Kaley Cuoco a thank you note — or wear some sweatpants with her face silk-screened all over them.
"Why does everyone always sleep with their nannies? Follow-up: Why do celebrity couples keep hiring attractive female nannies?"
Please allow me to present you with an explanation based on evolutionary biology, which might be slightly flawed because it relies on something I learned in a college class over 10 years ago now (Genetics & Heritability whattup), but that I hope is interesting nonetheless. From a purely evolutionary standpoint, males are programmed to spread their genetic material as widely as possible. This requires finding females to transform said genetic material into full-term babies and then nurture and raise them. All the male has to do is spread his seed, and it is beneficial to seek out females he believes capable of rearing healthy offspring.
When a man sees a nanny nurturing his children, that innate evolutionary instinct kicks in to breed with this person, because she seems like someone who will help propagate his genetic material into future generations. Now, modern-day society has placed the construct of monogamy on top of this evolutionary framework, and the two are kind of at odds. Men aren’t supposed to be running around spreading their genetic material to any nurturing female they see.
That, of course, leads us into the whole forbidden-fruit angle, which is another reason someone might have an affair with a nanny. Another might be that a nanny lives with the family and therefore may seem like an easily accessible partner for infidelity.
What’s important to remember here is that no one truly knows what’s going on in other people’s private lives, so I can’t speak to why celebrity couples keep hiring attractive female nannies.
Pictured: Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale
“I'm woefully out of touch with up-and-coming music stars. Who should I know about?”
Our very own Morgan Baila was kind enough to suggest some artists to watch in every genre. These recommendations come straight from her.
R & B: Bryson Tiller is the new The Weeknd — endorsed by Kylie Jenner, Kanye West, and Justin Bieber.
Pop: Halsey isn’t new, but “Colors” is great. For alt-pop, try Låpsley.
Rap: CL is just so cool.
Alternative/Soul: Leon Bridges has a voice like honey.
"Is Katy Perry JonBenét Ramsey?"
This conspiracy theory might be intriguing, but it just isn’t true. Katy Perry was born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson in Santa Barbara, CA, on October 25, 1984. JonBenét Patricia Ramsey was born in Atlanta, GA, on August 6, 1990. Unfortunately, she was murdered at the age of 6. Despite what YouTube user Dave Johnson claims in this video that he posted in 2014 and only recently started to gain traction, Perry and Ramsey are not the same person.
"What's the deal with that Netflix show Love? Are you watching it? Should I watch?"
I’ve watched three episodes, and my colleague Esther Zuckerman has watched the entire first season. If you like off-kilter romantic dramedies about two people finding one another, give this show a try.
I will warn you, though, that there are currently two offerings on Netflix called Love. One is this show; the other is Gaspar Noé’s Love. The latter is an extremely explicit movie with tons of real, non-simulated sex. So, be warned about which Love you put on.
Pictured: Paul Rust and Gillian Jacobs in Love
"What's the deal with Jacob Tremblay's parents? What do they do? Also, is he going to be in any other movies any time soon?"
Jacob Tremblay’s parents Jason and Christina have been accompanying him to various functions throughout awards show season, and everyone’s pointed out how attractive they both are. His mom now even refers to his father as “Hot Dad,” a nod to the internet’s preferred title for Mr. Tremblay.
On the Oscars red carpet, Jason Tremblay talked to ET about becoming an internet phenomenon. “I was sitting at the Golden Globes, and my phone started going crazy,” Tremblay said in a darling Canadian accent. “I checked it on commercial break, and it was family, friends, and a lot of coworkers...giving me a hard time. But it’s all in fun. It’s not a bad thing to be called!”
“I wasn’t surprised. That’s why I married him, right?” Mrs. Tremblay added.
Jason Tremblay is a police detective in Vancouver. It remains unclear what Christina Tremblay does. In addition to Jacob, the couple also has two daughters, Erica and Emma.
As for Jacob’s post-Room career, just yesterday, Entertainment Weeklyposted a clip of his upcoming cameo on Last Man on Earth. He’s starring in the horror movie Before I Wake, which hits theaters on April 8. He also has two other films in post-production:Burn Your Maps, which co-stars Vera Farmiga, and The Book of Henry, co-starring Lee Pace and Naomi Watts.
"Are there ANY movies coming out this weekend?"
But of course! Movies come out every weekend. The question is are there any movies worth seeing coming out this weekend? The answer to that is YES; both Zootopia and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot arrive in theaters today. Read our interview with Tina Fey about WTFright here.
"What did Justin Bieber do for his birthday?"
Justin Bieber turned 22 on March 1; can you beliebe it? (Sorry.) How did he ring in the big 2-2? According to a photo he posted on Instagram, the singer spent at least part of the day lounging on the couch in jammies, drinking Coca-Cola, and watching Law & Order. Basically the opposite of going HAM. Just kidding; this is my idea of going HAM.
"What happened with Eva Amurri Martino’s nanny?"
Eva Amurri Martino was forced to fire her nanny this week. We found out exactly what went down in an impassioned blog post on her blog, Happily Eva After. Apparently, her nanny “accidentally” texted the actress’ husband, Kyle Martino, “OMG. Girl, did I mention to you how hot and sex my Boss is. I would love to fuck his brains out ha haah. Too bad he seems not to like thick Latin women with lots to hold on to LOL.”
Kyle immediately told Eva about the text and then promptly fired the nanny, a conversation he recorded and played for his wife. Eva reported that the experience actually brought them closer together as a couple, although this is the second nanny she’s had to fire.
[Ed. note: This slide has been updated to reflect that Eva remained vague as to the reason she fired her first nanny.]
"Why should I care about Chrissy Teigen?"
Chrissy Teigen is awesome, that’s why. The outspoken model now has a best-selling cookbook full of recipes that are actually delicious. She’s also been extremely vocal about her struggle with infertility and how her daughter was conceived through IVF. Plus, Teigen is hilarious on Twitter and Instagram.
"What should I binge-watch this weekend?"
Well, season 4 of House of Cards drops today, so that’s an obvious candidate for your Netflix and chill time. If you’re not into Frank Underwood, though, we’ve got a whole slew of recommendations that might be more up your alley.
"What’s the deal with Viceland? What should I be watching on it?"
Viceland is Vice’s new TV channel. Yes, Vice launched a channel on television — how quaint! Well, it is a cross-platform channel. This is 2016, after all. You can tune into Viceland through your cable provider or on the internet.
As to what shows you should be watching, give Ellen Page’s Gaycation a try. On Gaycation, Page and Ian Daniel travel to different LGBTQ communities around the world to explore what it’s like to be gay all over the globe. On next week’s episode, which airs March 9 at 10 p.m., Page and Daniel go to Rio during Carnival, but their trip isn’t quite as celebratory as you might think. The Brazilian queer community lives with the highest LGBTQ murder rate in the world.
"Do people still say 'cool'?"
I focus-grouped this question with a bunch of high schoolers, who report that they are now saying “fire.” The more you know.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
19 Female Stand-Up Comedians You Need To Know
Watch Selena Gomez Get Rescued From A Broken Parisian Elevator
This Engagement Story Is Basically My Big Fat Greek Wedding