Even if you don’t watch Bravo’s “Real Housewives,” you know about the franchise built around ridiculously rich women and over-the-top drama. Recently, fans uncovered six months’ worth of racist social media posts from “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jennie Nguyen. And in a surprising and unusual move, Bravo fired Nguyen and publicly acknowledged the decision via social media.

But with all of the scandalous moments that have gone down on screen, does it really surprise us when the Housewives behave badly off screen?

Right now, the network seems to be going through something of a reckoning around racist comments and other bad behavior on its shows, many of which thrive on the drama of the rich elite getting messy on camera. We can’t help but wonder: what does Nguyen’s firing mean for other Housewives and the future of the franchise?

You’ll hear from:

Alex Abad-Santos, senior culture reporter at Vox

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Skimm'd by Senior Producer and Host Bridget Armstrong. Produced by Alaisha Key. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s senior director of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

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When Carrie Underwood sings about taking a Louisville slugger to the headlights of a cheating ex’s car, does anybody assume she actually did it? What about when Johnny Cash said he shot a man in Reno? 

Violent lyrics show up in a lot of music. But when it comes to rap and hip hop, it’s not unusual for those lyrics to show up in court. Prosecutors continue to use them as evidence to convict artists of crimes. A bill in New York, which has the backing of Jay-Z, Killer Mike and other rappers, would make it harder for artists’ words to be used against them in a criminal case. We take a look at the history of rap lyrics on trial, and talk to a media attorney about what would change under the new law. 

Then, we throw it back to the early aughts with 2000s queen Christina Milian, who joined us for a game of “This or That.” See if you can guess what trends she’d bring back.

You’ll hear from:

J Christopher Hamilton, entertainment attorney, author and professor

Christina Milian, actress and singer

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Skimm'd by Senior Producer and Host Bridget Armstrong. Produced by Alaisha Key. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s senior director of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

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We’re all a little obsessed with “Buffy.” The demon-hunting, vampire-slaying heroine captured our attention in the late 90s — along with the man behind the series, Joss Whedon. His Whedonverse of hits includes everything from “Angel,” “Firefly” and “Dollhouse” to the DC and Marvel universes. But in recent years, the person we thought of as a feminist icon in Hollywood has been accused of toxic and inappropriate behavior. 

Recently, he addressed the various allegations in a Vulture article, and he admitted many things that we can’t unread. Now that we know what we know, should we look at the Whedonverse differently?

Then, we remember Andre Leon Talley, the cape-wearing fashion icon who taught us about style.

You’ll hear from:

Caroline Framke, chief TV critic for Variety. 

Robin Givhan, senior critic at large for the Washington Post.

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Skimm'd by Senior Producer and Host Bridget Armstrong. Produced by Alaisha Key. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s senior director of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

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Season two of “Euphoria” is here, and episode one broke HBO records with 2.4 million viewers tuning in to watch. So, yeah — we’re obsessed with the high school drama, which stars actress and Disney alum Zendaya as teen addict Rue.

Known for its gritty — and often uncomfortable — storylines portraying drugs, sex and addiction, “Euphoria” is the latest in a long list of shows pushing the boundaries of what's acceptable to see when watching teenage characters. And that has us asking the question: who are teen dramas actually for?

You’ll hear from:

Bethonie Butler, TV and pop culture reporter for the Washington Post.

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Skimm'd by Senior Producer and Host Bridget Armstrong. Produced by Alaisha Key. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s senior director of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

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Last week, a new season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” kicked off. The show has opened doors for many drag performers to sashay their way into mainstream culture and educate us on the art of drag. One of the most famous queens to grace the show’s stage: Shangela Laquifah Wadley (aka D.J. Pierce, when out of drag) — after RuPaul, one of the most influential drag performers in America. 

We talk with Shangela about the history of drag, how it’s evolved, and how she’s using her spotlight — and her HBO show, “We’re Here” — to expand our ideas about who does drag and who it’s for.

You’ll hear from:

Shangela (aka D.J. Pierce), American drag Queen, reality TV star and actor

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Skimm'd by Senior Producer and Host Bridget Armstrong. Produced by Alaisha Key. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s senior director of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

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We're kicking off 2022 right with a mini episode! We chatted with the one and only Cynthia Erivo. You know her as an award-winning actress and singer, but one thing you may not know is that she’s super serious about her wellness and exercise routine (she’s even part owner of a new workout wear line). 

And we play a little musical game that's all about getting pumped up! Can you guess what’s on our workout playlist? 

And speaking of wellness, check out the How to Skimm Your Life Challenge. It’s all about getting happy, and each day you’ll get a prompt that aims to help you get joy out of your daily routine.

You’ll hear from:

Cynthia Erivo, award-winning actress, singer and part-owner of Omorpho

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Skimm'd by Senior Producer and Host Bridget Armstrong. Produced by Alaisha Key. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s senior director of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

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It’s hard to believe that 2021 is almost over. But before we ring in the new year, let’s take a look back at all of the stories that entertained us — the things we watched, the celeb moments we couldn’t stop talking about, the music that topped our Spotify Wrapped lists and the industry shakeups that we’ll still be talking about next year. Can you guess what made our list?

And stay tuned, because we also talk with Tan France from “Queer Eye” about fashion, his fave iconic style moments and the Now Me campaign he’s working on.

You’ll hear from:

Tan France of Netflix’s “Queer Eye” 

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Skimm'd by Senior Producer and Host Bridget Armstrong. Produced by Alaisha Key. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s senior director of audio is Graelyn Brashear. Special thanks to Alex Carr and Ciara Long.

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“Insecure” made us laugh, cry, yell and argue with strangers on Twitter for five years, but now it's time to say goodbye. Issa Rae’s award-winning series broke the mold and portrayed young Black people as more than stereotypes — signaling to Hollywood that creators can tell their authentic stories and be successful. But what will the show's cultural impact mean for the next generation of creatives?

You’ll hear from:

Taryn Finley, editor HuffPost Black Voices and senior culture reporter who contributed to “Inside the ‘Insecure’ World"

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Skimm'd by Senior Producer and Host Bridget Armstrong. Produced by Alaisha Key. 

Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s senior director of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

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"The Bachelorette’s" Michelle Young is making "Bachelor" nation history. For the first time since the franchise premiered in 2002, the man who'll soon be handed that final rose is guaranteed to be a man of color. It may seem like reality dating shows are making some slow progress on diversity. But why aren’t they keeping up with our IRL views on love and relationships? 

You’ll hear from:

Bethonie Butler, TV and pop culture reporter for the Washington Post.

Joanna Weiss, Editor-in-Chief of Experience magazine and contributing editor to POLITICO Magazine

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Skimm'd by Senior Producer and Host Bridget Armstrong. Produced by Alaisha Key.

Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s senior director of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

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Meghan Markle won the latest battle in her privacy lawsuit with British tabloid The Mail on Sunday over its printing a private letter written to her father back in 2019. And the Duchess of Sussex is calling for changes to the tabloid industry. But could this ruling in the UK courts affect how the media covers celebrities?

Then, we remember famed designer and style icon Virgil Abloh, and explore the impact of his life and death. 

You’ll hear from:

K.J. Yossman, international correspondent at Variety and former entertainment lawyer

David Dennis Jr., senior writer at The Undefeated

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Skimm'd by Senior Producer and Host Bridget Armstrong. Produced by Alaisha Key. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s senior director of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

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