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This week’s chat came about after we watched Netflix's Tinder Swindler. Some felt Simon Leviev was very clever, and adored online. Others gave the victims "asking for it" status. The rest of us were shocked he wasn't in prison. So what does it take to get taken in by someone? Is being a con artist an art form in itself? To this day Simon is only being sued by the real Leviev family for identity theft.

This spurred a wider conversation about finding love online.

Emotional entrapment (not always romantic) can occur via exploitation and preying on vulnerability... similar traits to how cults work. Not always illegal, but always very grey. We'd all like to think we'd never be gullible enough to fall for online scams - easy to say when you've not experienced such emotional deception.

In the age of Love Is Blind, people are desperate to be seen for who they are inside, in direct conflict with the visual medium of a reality show or online profile. To quote The Mask "it's about the masks we wear as faces and the faces we wear as masks"... persona is a very murky world...

Mirror mirror on the wall... who is the most authentic of them all? 
Mistakes make us human, to be flawed IS to be human. It connects us, makes us empathetic. Does editing our profile disconnect with this theory? By selecting what we want to show the world, reframing how we see ourselves, can we even reflect if we always deflect in this visual way? Has cancel culture come about because we've become intolerant of mistakes?

Dial in and join us down this week's rabbit hole to see if we’ve been slowly entering the Gotham era of our times…

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After the Groundhog gang watched (and didn't cry at 😉) J.Lo's Halftime on Netflix, the Dames discuss a multitude of both positive and sometimes problematic branches that grow from the mighty tree that is The Block's very own Jenny. 

Jennifer Lopez - goddess or false idol? With an ever-present career spanning dance, music, TV and film her reach is global, but is her brand aspirational or impossible?

And is a documentary really a documentary if the person behind it is the star of the show? It's becoming more common, but is clearly biased filmmaking.... isn't this also called propaganda? And propaganda + J.Lo = J.Lo-ganda

Delving into the influence of celebrity, we discuss body image, that trendy term "body positive", society’s expectations on image, the line between a healthy mindset vs physical health and representation. Why are we looking to celebrities for answers on our own bodies? Expectations in society stem from those we put on pedestals.... if we put them there should they have any responsibility to those that look up to them?

And the reverse - if you work in a visual medium and the work is being judged by aesthetics, is this ok? Should the public have the right to an opinion when it comes to celebrity bodies? #RebelWilson had backlash from her own team when she wanted to have her 'year of health'. #KumailNanjiani got 'fit' provoking negative remarks from his so-called fans. 

A film about strippers for example is inviting you to look.... cue sexy spotlight on 2019's all-female Hustlers, starring J.Lo and directed by #LoreneScafaria (Coherence fangirling over here!). Is Hustlers cusping two worlds? Is it a sexy music video with cameos from recognisable pop stars (hey #Lizzo and #CardiB 👋); or gritty commentary on the Haves and Have Nots, showing the lengths women have to go to for a 'better' life?

Women in front and more importantly behind the camera is a very positive thing.... but does this save the storyline? Female empowerment has turned into female saviour (with J.Lo as the sexy mother hen). Is this actually a film we've been waiting for where those on screen are behind it and taking control.... of their bodies and the narrative?

Delving into some heavy topics but never feeling like it, is what your friendly neighbourhood Dames do best 👌

Through what could be described as some uncharacteristic celeb gossip, we meander into the most personal chat to date, which has maybe surprised us all with where this led to!

Join us down this evocative rabbit hole.... Don't be fooled by the rocks that we've got, this episode is a heavy (but fun) hitter.…

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You've probably got an opinion on it, whatever side of the fence you're on.... "Amber Heard's a liar, Johnny Depp's the victim" or vice versa, this trial has put some bigger questions on the stand; who did that poo on Johnny's side of the bed? Who smelt it dealt it?....Or who denied it supplied it and where can we drink mega pints? 🍷

But we think there's something else here that is far more fascinating... with the rise in popularity of true crime documentaries and the 'docu drama' have we gone too far? Why is this an issue? What does it say and do to our culture as a whole? To watch a live trial, celebrity or not we have moved into a new, perhaps disturbing realm of turning other people's trauma into entertainment. What does your culture do for you? @russlebrand
 
When real courtrooms feel like a film, when we don't know what's real anymore, have we gone right past 'too far' and can we get back? Are we escaping from reality or are there so many realities we don't know what's real and who to trust any more? @adamcurtis

Many are arguing that the outcome of this trial is the end of the #metoo movement and a big step back for victims of domestic abuse. But is this judging purely on gender? And shouldn't we be talking more about mental health issues and addiction? We created the girl boss, now feel her wrath.... we also created the megastar, but now it's time to look behind Oz's curtain and realise everyone is human and we are all equal - yes Johnny ☠️ and Elizabeth 👑 looking at you....

In our current climate of the strong reign of individualism, people are more obsessed with themselves and reality based anything has soared in popularity in recent years. Watching a real-life courtroom in real-time on YouTube no longer feels weird. And perhaps this is our biggest issue that we need to address with ourselves. Are you happy to be here or is this addiction? If so, why is this addictive viewing? And do we have any integrity or morals where empathy is concerned?....

Spoiler Alert! We cover plot points from the Good Fight and Netflix documentary Our Father.

Trigger warning: we delve into topics including domestic abuse, sexual abuse and mental health.

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We're back! And this time we're journeying on the Woke train to Female Empowerment. Have we finally perfected the representation of women on screen, or is it now too perfect to be real? 

We tackle Promising Young Woman vs I May Destroy You; CardiB and Megan Thee Stallion vs Russell Brand; and round it all off with a Marvel showdown! 

Expect huge spoilers ahead. 
Trigger warning: we delve into topics including sexual assault and rape culture. 

For all our rabbit hole sources, head to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GroundhogDames 

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It’s been a while since we’ve taken you down our rabbit hole discussions and we've missed you guys!

This week we're focusing on international films, their American remakes and how we feel about them. Do you see subtitles as a 'one-inch tall barrier'? Do you really have an unbiased opinion when you watch a remake if you already know the plot? Is it the language or is it the cultural differences that make it all so "foreign"…

Cue very dramatic music...

For all our rabbit hole sources, head to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GroundhogDames 

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We’re extremely excited about this mind-bending episode. 

What makes a 'reality' alternate? It doesn't necessarily need to be in the 'Sci Fi' genre, so is it more about a tone, feeling or vibe? 
We've homed in on The Truman Show Delusion, informally known as Truman Syndrome, a type of delusion in which the person believes their life is staged & scripted. 
Films like Bliss, The Congress, The Matrix, The Truman Show, Coherence and many more have acted as gateways for us to experience the world of alternate realities. With the Information Age giving us possibilities as well as problems; is ignorance bliss? Which pill would you take, Red or Blue?

Disclaimer... 
Without getting too philosophical, our common understanding is that we are all in our separate realities with individual perceptions of our one shared physical reality. We’re not physicists so these are just our views on it. 
We’ve based our discussions on films where characters live in the same reality as us but are thrown into an alternate separate reality. Changing what is considered real for the character and their world. 

 See you down there Neo 💊 🐇 🕳 

For all our rabbit hole sources, head to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GroundhogDames 

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What a rabbit infested hole we have for you this week!  

With Netflix's "The Crown" surging in popularity in its fourth season, why are people fascinated with the Royals? Are we telling the media this is what we want? Is it a conspiracy between those in power and the media, just to keep the status quo? 

The Crown has stirred up many feelings, for good or for worse they are being talked about, kept in our thoughts and best of all... being questioned. 

See you down the royal rabbit hole!  

 
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In the famous words from Sleepless in Seattle (heavy Boston accent here) "you don't wanna be in love, you wanna be in love in a movie." 

Are they good for us? Is this simply a rom con? Are you fooled and do you care?

Join us down the rabbit hole as Theo realises she's been living in a Rom Com...

For all our rabbit hole sources, head to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GroundhogDames

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To go out with a bang and to mark the end of 2020, we’re taking you down a glittery sing-song rabbit hole on why we think people love (or hate) musicals, why we may need them or if we need them at all? Join us on this week’s episode on our heated discussion on all that jazz! 

Spoiler alert! We’ll be talking about the latest Netflix musical film ‘The Prom’ 

For all our rabbit hole sources, head to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GroundhogDames

Music credit: Oh, Christmas Tree by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4156-oh-christmas-tree
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

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Gangsters, why are they so alluring? From fun depictions like Mickey Blue Eyes to more gritty connotations of Peaky Blinders, nostalgia to modernity, they capture us all for good or for worse...but why?
Join us while we pick this beloved (or begrudged?) subject apart like a wild pack of groundhogs!

For all our rabbit hole sources, head to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GroundhogDames

Music credit: Gothamlicious by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5741-gothamlicious
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/