Courtesy of Focus Features.

Last week I screened The Zookeeper’s Wife, a Holocaust-themed film directed by Niki Caro. The Holocaust is a very personal issue for me. My feelings have very deep roots, stemming back to my childhood and it often fuels my writing. I’ve interviewed survivors, written about my recent visits to concentration camps, talked about why my being a mother makes the connection even deeper, and why we must #NeverForget. I also gravitate towards Holocaust films and review them as often as possible.

Holocaust films are not easy to make and I’ve watched my share of them. The film does its best to stay faithful to the subject and to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. While the details of life in the ghetto and camps is not brought to life as vividly in films such as Schindler’s List and The Piano, it very quietly brings in the horrid details of what happened to life through a story focusing on the heroism and bravery of just some of the many selfless, righteous gentiles who saved Jews during the war. These are vital stories that demand to be told.

The film is based on a book with the same name by Diane Ackerman about a couple who hid Jews in the Warsaw zoo during World War II and used it as a point of passage and escape during the Nazi reign. Jessica Chastain, playing Antonina Żabińska, leads an ensemble cast in beautiful performances, bringing a tender portrayal of a time in our history that is hard to comprehend, but one that is important and remains relevant.

Caro, who directed WhaleRider and is expected to direct the new live-action version of Mulan, recreated the Żabińska’s with so much compassion. She has brought a story to the screen about a woman of bravery who helped save lives during a dangerous, turbulent time. Antonina Żabińska ran a zoo circa 1939, when the film starts, and related to her animals in ways that are so honorable, so much so that the first scene we witness her saving a baby elephant. After war breaks out in Poland, she and her husband, played by Johan Heldenbergh, started to see what was happening to the Jews and quietly joined the resistance, They saved more than 300 Jews during the course of the war, rescuing them from the Warsaw Ghetto where Jews were dying and being taken to concentration camps, by bringing them into the zoo secretly by hiding them under trash and pig food in their truck. Had they been caught, their lives would have ended, leaving their son behind. Antonina gets pregnant with another child near the end of the war. That child, Theresa Żabińska, is alive today.

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Director Niki Caro on the set of THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Anne Marie Fox / Focus Features

I was lucky to spend time with Chastain and Caro, two fierce Hollywood players  during the publicity tour for the film. My interest was heightened in their work due to my own personal experiences studying and reading about the Holocaust.

Chastain spoke very highly of her experience working on this film. She really appreciated playing a heroine who saved so many lives. “I want to celebrate women in the past who have made great sacrifices to help others,” she said. “I don’t think we acknowledge women in history as often as we should. I’m excited to be part of this story that gets to share it with a larger audience.”

To research her character, Chastain went to great depths. “When we talk about Holocaust films we rarely see the light. With people like Antonina, it’s important to celebrate that lightness.”

She started with the book. “By reading the book, you feel like you know her, because you hear her words; you read her words,” she added. “There was a quality that she had, where she would not disappear, but she would put the caring of others ahead of herself. For her, it was all about others – animals, people, or whatever it was, in terms of healing. I related to that. I was raised by a single woman. My grandmother raised her family, and my mother raised three kids. I am where I am today because of the sacrifices they made. It wasn’t hard for me to find examples of a woman who – not sacrifices herself, but in a way, gives of – gives herself to others.”

Then she took her research to Europe. “I went to Warsaw to meet with Theresa (Antonina’s daughter),” she said. “She took me to the Warsaw Zoo, and I got to ask her secrets that weren’t in the book. I also went to Auschwitz. Of course, Antonina wouldn’t have known what was happening there, but I just wanted to feel the energy of the space. In addition, I met with a lot of people who spend their lives dedicated to animals, which was helpful when approaching this film, because the thing that I learned most from everyone was not to impose your energy onto an animal; not to treat an animal as though it’s your possession, or it’s an object.”

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Jessica Chastain stars as Antonina Zabinski in director Niki Caro’s THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Anne Marie Fox / Focus Features

The film is very much a woman’s film. The two producers were women. The screenwriter was a woman. There’s a lead actress. The director is a woman. They broke records for the hiring of female crew members to make the film.

When asked about her role in bringing a Holocaust film to fruition, Caro said, “I had to think very hard about what I could bring to this genre. I recognized that it was femininity. I could take my inspiration from Antonina and be very soft and strong with this material.”

Caro also touched on the responsibility of making yet another Holocaust film, adding that it was one that she took quite seriously. “Authenticity and specificity has always been really, really important in my work,” she said. “But this represented a much bigger challenge – to honor all of those souls that died, whilst celebrating 300 that didn’t, as well as the amazing work of the Żabińska’s. I was trying to move the genre on a little bit; to make a Holocaust movie that expressed healing in some measure. I thought we were making a historical drama. It’s only now that I realize we’re making a contemporary film – sadly.”

An oppositional character was written into the film in the form of a Nazi soldier, played quite genuinely by Daniel Lutz. He and Chastain had a few very tough scenes, which were written into the film based on Antonina’s diaries. “There is evidence from his letters that he greatly admired Antonina. There was definitely something there, Caro said. “The two actors had a great relationship and a tremendous amount of trust. So we could really go there. He loved her. She just didn’t love him. When you have trust between the actors, and everybody feels safe, and confident in the material, it doesn’t need to be a traumatic experience. On the contrary, it can be amazing, and you can get amazing material out of it.”

As someone who takes the Holocaust very seriously, as someone who sees the value of bringing the history to mass audiences, so that we truly never forget what can happen under the ruling of a dictator, I am personally grateful to these two women for taking their jobs so seriously.

The Zookeeper’s Wife is an achievement that should not be underestimated. It’s a film that has compassion for the six million that died. It comes to theaters nationwide on March 31st.

Disclosure: I was invited to attend a preview of the film and to a press junket with Caro and Chastain. As always, all opinions stated are my own.

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I was lucky to attend the sixth annual Women in the World Summit in New York City last week. Words can’t quite capture the experience of being at an entire event wrapped around the narrative on issues affecting women from Washington to Uganda, discussing the setbacks and successes of the women’s movement. With the potential for a female to run as the next President of the United States, the event was even more empowering than previous years.

This year, Women in the World partnered with The New York Times, as well as Georgetown University, for research on girls and war. During three days of programming, audience members, both at the event and those watchig online, were exposed to both brutal and positive realities from around the world. From the missing girls in Nigeria to ISIS to India’s female empowerment movement to an Israeli mother teaming up with a Palestinian mother, to the daily battle over cyber-bullying, to a session on climate change, the conference concentrated on women’s rights around the world and educated thousands in the audience (mostly women but some men!) about these issues through the use of multi-media story-telling, live speakers, interactive sponsors and social media.

There were simply too many highlights to mention (you can find more great quotes at hash tag #WITW on Twitter), so here’s a wrap-up of 10 of my favorite quotes from the event. These defined great moments of both reality and encouragement on the state of women’s affairs around the world:

“The most important thing to teach our daughters is financial independence. It gives you freedom.” – Helen Mirren

“There has never been a better time in history to be born female.”- Hillary Clinton 

“Technology has democratized the idea of who can be an advocate.” – Jon Stewart

“Society must take responsibility.” – Leslee Udwin defending her role in interviewing rapists in her film, India’s Daughter 

“Education will set you free” – Empowering words by Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe of Uganda

“As hardened as your children seem, never ever give up on them.” – Edit Schlaffer on the Girls as Weapons of War panel

“Being a girl doesn’t limit me in any way and I don’t want it to limit anyone either.” – Tavi Gevinson on feminism

“You can’t just say ‘The world is hard, I need a nap.’ Your job is to save who you can, support who you can.” – Samantha Power, U.S. Ambassador from the United Nations

“For the first time in my life, I own me, I own myself:” North Korea defector and activist, Yeonmi Park

“When we know that educating a girl can change the world, why wait?” – Freida Pinto

Tina Brown is very passionate about Women in the World and she wants participants and people who are passionate about social good. Volunteers can take on the causes spoken about at the conference directly at https://witw.catchafire.org .

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Source: CBS

I’m a sucker for Jewish stories that revolve around women, particularly going back to Biblical times. Anita Diamant’s The Red Tent was such story story that took the route and appeared on Lifetime a few years ago. It wasn’t the best adaptation but I give the network credit for even trying to tackle such a complicated, brave story (particularly as a former Lifetime staffer).

CBS is bringing another feminist, Biblical tale to the screen as a 4-hour mini-series callled The Dovekeepers (based on a book by Alice Hoffman). It premieres on Tuesday, March 31 and Wednesday, April 1, 2015 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT).

Just in time for Passover, the story is about a group of women whose lives intersected during the siege of Masada. The film is based on true events at Masada in 70 C.E. when Jews were forced out of their homes in Jerusalem by the Romans and then ensconced in a fortress at Masada, a mountain in the Judean desert. Besieged at Masada, the Jews held out for months against the vast Roman armies.

Of the 900 Jews who were captive in the fortress at Masada, holding out for months against the vast Roman armies, it is alleged that only two women and five children were said to have survived the siege. And as this story goes, it was Shirah, a powerful mystic and healer who was trained by Egyptian priestesses to be a faith healer and reader of omens who helps them escape through a system of subterranean cisterns.

For the first time in history, this story is being told from the female perspective. The women at Masada worked together as dovekeepers and shared a bond, all withholding deep secrets. We see flashbacks and hear stories about their mothers, their childhoods, what brought them to this point in history. While the film is a melodrama full of tension, violence and sex (perhaps a bit too much), it’s refreshing to see a major network bring a Jewish, feminist tale to the screen.

This story is a story of survival. It brings to mind the anti-Semitism that exists today and the fights that are ongoing in France and around the world. The main character tells us, “I’m not a woman. I’m a warrior.” It’s this kind of fierce ambition that will push us forward. And it comes from a woman.

Here’s a clip:

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I’m working with the folks at Role Mommy but all opinions are my own.

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A while ago, I wrote about Hello Flo, a company whose idea to send tampons through the mail to young girls via subscription went viral last year. They had two videos that hit You Tube to promote a Period Starter Kit for girls:

The company has had two hilarious viral successes in advertising its Period Starter Kit for girls— “Camp Gyno” and “First Moon”. I interviewed founder Naama Bloom about how she’s helping kids grow up last year and was so impressed with her goals – they’re so genuine.

And now she strikes again with a genuine mission – to help moms, but this time it’s something akin got Postpartum: A Musical. Her latest video is called “New Mom Kit” and it’s about a new mom who’s so traumatized by the first few months of motherhood that she writes a mini musical about it.

“No one even warned me about cracked nipples,” the main character in the video,”The blood, the pus, the pain. I wanted to stick my nips in a tub of Chapstick and stay there. Forever.”

The video is to promote their New Mom Kit, which includes nipple cream, heavy pads, leak-free underwear, a postpartum survival guide, and more for $49.95.

Seriously, why didn’t anyone tell me any of this before I had kids? It would have been nice to know in advance of my breasts leaking in meetings, having to squeeze my nipples to ease the pain whilst breastfeeding, avoiding vaginal leakage at various times post-partum and so much more.

So, thanks, Naama. Not only did you help little girls around the world with your period starter kit, but now you’re helping future moms. Better late than never!

Disclosure: This article is not sponsored.

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Last night my dear friend and fellow blogger, Aliza Worthington, invited me to join a group on Twitter called “AskHerMore”. At first, I was confused by its meaning, but once I figured it out, I was overjoyed.

For years, women have been complaining about news reporters the red carpet, having primarily been asked about their gowns rather about the hard work they’ve put in to make it where they are.

It looks like times are changing, and E’s Fashion Police should be very interesting tonight! Last night Reese Witherspoon posted the image above on Twitter with these words:

What’s the biggest risk you’ve taken that you feel has paid off? What accomplishment are you most proud of? What potential do filmmakers and characters have to make change in the world? If you could play any character in the any move, who would it be? What’s your favorite TV show? #askhermore

Hence #AskHerMore was born.

According to Time.com, she told Robin Roberts of GMA, “This is a movement to say we’re more than just our dresses. There are 44 nominees this year that are women and we are so happy to be here and talk about the work that we’ve done. It’s hard being a woman in Hollywood, or any industry.”

And so the conversation changed. Here are some tweets from the night:

shonda rhimes ‏@shondarhimes: Stop asking women questions about what they wear to cover the containers they carry their brains around in. #AskHerMore

TakePart ‏@TakePart : .@abc7 hosts analyzing Keira Knightley’s “baby bump” fashion. Why not #AskHerMore abt maternity leave policy reform 4 working moms? #Oscars

Maria Shriver ‏@mariashriver: My friend Nadine said red carpet reporters should change the line “What are you wearing?” to “What do you care about?” #AskHerMore

AmyPoehlerSmartGirls ‏@smrtgrls: The #Oscars red carpet is open! Let’s #AskHerMore and re-direct the conversation!!

Lena Dunham ‏@lenadunham: Ask her about the causes she supports, not her support garments #oscars #AskHerMore: http://aol.it/1BuIvNj 

The conversation started is very exciting. So was Patricia Arquette’s call for equal pay for women when she said:

“To every woman who gave birth to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else’s equal rights,” Arquette said. “It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all, and equal rights for women in the United States of America.”

Women have a lot to say. And we love hearing them say it. And we love their reactions, especially this one, which spoke for all of us.

Let’s keep the conversation going.

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I’ve just spent three weeks completely glued to an Israeli show called Srugim.  To be honest, I’ve been completely obsessed and of course, now wish I had spread it out over a longer period of time.

Srugim was broadcast in Israel between the years of 2008-2011. The plot revolved around a group of friends in Jerusalem — Yafit, Amir, Nati, Reut and Hodaya– all in their 20s, all single, all Orthodox Jews, all looking for meaning of life and love but with Jewish rituals in mind. Kind of Friends, kind of Sex and the City with a Jewish slant.

I first became aware of the show after reading a post by Slate TV critic Willa Paskin about the show in which she described it like this:

Srugim’s characters are far less conflicted than their American sitcom peers about what they want—a family—but this is not as retro as it sounds. (The women in Srugim are also, relatively speaking, feminists: They have careers they care about, want to be able to read Torah, and have equal if not greater say in their romantic relationships.)

Religious feminists? I had to see what it was all about so I immediately downloaded it and subscribed to Hulu and sat down to view the show, not knowing what to expect. Having once lived in Jerusalem in my 20s, I was enamored with the characters’ lifestyle and conversations, in addition to getting a glimpse of a city I once lived in and adore, along with the dynamics of seeing Israeli life played out on TV.

But even more so, I was interested in the three main female characters, Yafit, Hodaya and Reut and how they each dealt with real life issues – from work to romance to religion. For each of them, whether they were aware or not, feminism played a real role in every decision they made – despite their religious or traditional beliefs, and it was played out in different ways. I would expect that if you asked each one if they are a feminist, they would have been indifferent, but for me, I was able to read between the lines and find the silver lining.

Three Feminists

Yafit, who serves as the group’s voice of reason and backbone of the group, is the most observant of the three, having been raised quite religious and has adhered to her strict views of kashrut, halachot and Jewish law as an adult most strictly in her home (which is also where the characters meet up most of the time). She is the first to marry, the first to have children, the first to make sure her house is completely Kosher. But after marrying a grammar school teacher (in season 2), who struggles financially and is more interested in serving the world than making a fortune, she takes a full-time job (she’s a graphic artist) and continues to work after having a baby. Work is important to her and she’s not willing to give it up to play the traditional role as mother and wife.

Hodaya, her best friend, goes from being religious to non-religious during the first season. She spends the course of the show’s next two seasons sorting out her career, going from one boyfriend to another, trying to figure out the meaning of life. She’ was actually my favorite character as she was most relatable to me personally. She falls deeply in love with Avri, a non-religious man, early on and when they finally get together and decide to marry, she backs out last minute, basically jilting him at the alter. At first, I was mortified by her decision. He was the full package – handsome, smart, successful, loving. But after she confides in Yafit that she can’t get married until she figures out who she is, I understood. Who wants to stand in the shadow of a successful man for the rest of her life? The path she takes to find herself is extraordinary and it’s done completely on her own terms. She goes from being a Biblical Studies Masters Degree studier to working in a pub to teaching in a religious school for girls to becoming a radio show star in Tel Aviv. Along the way, she picks up a tattoo, moves in and out of her own apartment for financial reasons, and accidentally finds herself along the way.

Reut makes kiddush at Shabbat dinner, something traditionally done by men.  She learns how to read Haftorah to recite at her father’s memorial, something also traditionally recited by men.  She works at a very successful accounting firm, where she is boldly working her way up to partner. She turns down a marriage proposal in the first episode of the first season by a guy who declares his promotion is putting his salary in front of hers. She buys her own apartment in season 3, paying the deposit all in cash. Determined not be outdone by a man, she is waiting for real love and isn’t willing to compromise. She wants to meet someone and settle down but isn’t willing to settle, and in the end, her destiny has been standing in front of her all along.

The show’s feminism is subtle and not overt, but it’s extraordinary in what it is trying to tell us about Israeli society today. If you look between the lines while watching the show (which I hope you do), you will see what I see: a depiction of times that are changing for women in Israel and in our Jewish society.

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No, this isn’t a book review. I just felt like the image above sums up how I feel about where I am right now. I’m actually on a press trip in the Bahamas at the Grand Lucayan. I decided not to bring any members of my family on this trip largely for financial reasons. I yearned for a trip where I could not only focus on my writing but also seeing things through a different lens.

I first became aware of the beauty of solo travel many moons ago while backpacking through Europe after college, when, as Journalism major, I carried a notebook and pen and wrote about my many experiences. Traveling alone, I met people, had intimate conversations with strangers, wandered down alleyways, discovered places off the beaten track and became something of an intrepid traveler. I could change my plans on the fly and hop on a train to Berlin instead of Munich.

Fast forward twenty years later, and I now have both work and family obligations and rarely have time to think, yet alone travel on my own. I admit I’m one of those moms who needs “me time” – time to stop and think about what I’m doing, time to breathe, time to be myself. Life gets so frenzied with the day to day chaos and sometimes I just want to step out of my oyster for just a brief moment.

I’ve been called selfish right here on this blog, and I’m sorry if people feel that way. For me, a step out of my everyday existence brings be back to my core. I think about my family a lot when I go away on my own, which seems more often than it actually is, and most likely, I’ll return to the destination with them in tow in the near future. It’s happened many times.

The Beauty of Solo Travel

When I travel alone, I don’t stick to a schedule. This morning, I woke up at my leisure. After breakfast, I was planning to take an exercise class but instead I opted for a bike ride. Then I waded in the ocean for an hour, had lunch and got a facial. Then I spent time by the pool. In all honesty, would that plan have happened exactly like that with my kids in tow? No, it would have been different, and probably fantastic. But the point is that I got to spend an afternoon of my choosing on my own. After I am done writing this, I will head to the beach for a cocktail. Why not? When I travel with my husband and kids, I can’t leave the room at night. So, I will tonight.

When I travel alone, I meet the most interesting people both natives and non-natives. Last night I sat at the bar on the beach with a single mom who talked about her challenges. I’ve been talking to shop keepers (there’s an open-air market across the street). I’ve met some interesting folks by the pool. I’ve made lifelong friends while traveling and it’s also given me a glance into other lives and how people live.

When I travel alone, I can plan activities that aren’t necessarily cut out for my family or are too expensive for all of us to do. Tomorrow I’m going swimming with the dolphins, something I’ve been itching to do for years. I do feel a tinge of guilt that my kids aren’t here to go with me or watch for that matter, but I see this trip as an opportunity to fulfill a few items on my own bucket list.

While I’m here, I’m taking inspiration from Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild. It’s my main read on this trip and it’s one of strength, courage and reflection. She spent several months hiking on her own in the Pacific Northwest. On her travels, she looked back on her past to come to terms with what had happened to her in her life. I have a bit of that going on this weekend, and reading about how she handled it and persevered is encouraging (although I’m not about to jump on the trails). She and I actually have similar backgrounds, but I’ll review the book in a future post.

I do think of my family often when I travel alone. They’re at the forefront of my mind, but I know that upon my return, I’ll be rested and possibly a better mom for it. And on the journalistic side, I’ll also have generated content for new stories, and my mind will be buzzing with creative energy.

Do I feel funny traveling alone? Not at all. When I got picked up at the airport, the driver had an incorrect reservation for two. Restaurants constantly ask me if anyone is joining me. They don’t seem used to solo travelers.

They need to get over it. How about you? Do you like to travel alone?

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I always worry about Disney movies, as much as I love them. The female characters always seem to need me. Or to be saved by men. Of they need to be kissed by men in order to live. That has been the story of several of their fairytales, including the very popular Sleeping Beauty. In that story, a handsome Prince breaks a spell cast on the Princess by Malifecent and not only are they reunited, she is saved and the palace awakens. Everyone lives happily ever after as a result of the Prince’s actions, even though he is a minor character in the story.

Oh, but how Disney has changed, giving us the indomitable Frozen in the past year with two very brave female protagonists. Both Anna and Elsa are fabulous role models for my children and it’s a story that has impacted them in ways that go beyond words – with the strong message that girls can do anything they want and amazing music that I find myself singing even when they are not around. And need I mention Brave, another film with an extremely strong and fearless female character who ultimately saved her own mother and ended up alone?

Malifecent, a Movie for All Ages

Maleficent is another movie that will leave a lasting mark on my mind, and that of my daughter’s. It’s based on a story we know all too well, Sleeping Beauty, of course, but it has a very 2014 feminist twist. Instead of the Prince saving Aurora from her own deadly spell that she cast upon her, it is Maleficent herself who saves her. Angelina Jolie, cast as the evil Maleficent, at first swears revenge against King Stefan for taking her wings to achieve his own fame in the Kingdom: “This curse will last until the end of time!” But as the movie progresses, so does her attitude against the young girl. While in the original story, she battles the Prince at the end to ensure her death by turning into a dragon, in the film she turns her sidekick into a dragon to make sure that no one further hurts her. While unable to love anyone after being betrayed by Stefan, Maleficent transforms herself and surprises everyone in the Kingdom, along with the rest of us sitting in the audience.

The movie is typical Disney – lots of magic, big digital effects, elaborate sets, amazing costumes. Jolie in particular wears garb that seems to translate and define her performance, along with dark red lipstick and a horned helmet. Her already gorgeous cheekbones and green eyes seem to be accentuated and her smirks, smiles and pouts work in more ways than I can describe. The role could not have been more perfectly cast.  The movie also stars Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Imelda Staunton and many more film and stage greats.

Now there are some things I didn’t like about the movie. I don’t like the fact that the King had to lose his daughter in order for Maleficent to realize her true love for the little girl.He gave her up as an infant to be raised by three fairies in the woods in order to save her, and as a result, his wife died, most likely from a broken heart and he never got to know his little girl. The little girl was essentially reunited and raised with the evil villain who put a curse on her. In order to make the main character strong and resilient, others had to suffer.

But I must admit, I love movies that bring strong women to the screen and instill the idea that female bonding and leadership are important and possible. When my daughter told me at the end of the film that she’d never seen a female save another female before, I was thrilled. Kudos to Disney for bring more films like this into my daughter’s world.

Disclosure: I attended a preview of Maleficent but no opinion was asked of me.

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Don’t hate me. I know you love Orange is the New Black as much as I do. Not only am I about to tell you that I’ve seen the first episode of season two of the series, set to premiere on Netflix on June 6th, but I also got invited to the NYC premiere party at the Ziegfeld Theater!

Okay, now you really hate me. What can I tell you about the evening? It was surreal – from watching the actors walk down the red carpet to viewing my favorite show in a room full of passionate OITNB watchers to attending the party where I saw my favorite characters standing in line for the toilet (yes, I saw Laura Prepon there) and mingled with them happily for several hours over cocktails and gorgeous food. To say that it was a dream is an under-statement. I met Jenji Kohan, the amazing creator and writer (I’m a big fan of Weeds, too). I saw Taylor Schilling (she’s a goddess in real life) and took photos with Danielle Brooks, Alysia Reiner (my real life friend) and Uzo Aduba.  I loved meeting Natasha Lyonne, Lea LeLaria, Laverne Cox, Yael Stone and others. They were all in the room and they were all dazzling inside and out. Most — not all — were happy to hear my words of praise. There were Netflix executives floating around the room, no doubt proud of their achievement with this show, crew members and, of course, other writers like me.

Spoiler Alert

Don’t read beyond this line if you don’t want any spoilers for the first episode. I am not revealing much, but if you are a die hard fan, the show is worth the wait and it’s better not knowing so you can BINGE the second season in one full sweep.

When we last left Piper at the end of season one, she was in a pretty frightening place, having just severely beaten up another character, Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett (played by Taryn Manning). As far as we knew, she killed her. At the beginning of the first episode in season two, Piper is leaving Litchfield  and doesn’t know where she’s being taken to. At this point in time, she is not sure whether she killed Pennsatucky and there’s a lot of regret and pain on her part when she lands in…yes, solitary. She has a lot of time to think while she’s there so a lot of the episode is dedicated to flashbacks to her childhood, and we find out grueling details about her childhood. I don’t want to give away too much, but I will tell you that Piper isn’t in prison for killing Pennsatucky. It has something to do with her first love, Alex, and that there is betrayal involved. Your mouth will be wide open at the end of the episode, I can tell you that.

OITNB returns to Netflix next week!!!!!. Hang on to your seats, it’s going to be a glorious, bumpy ride.

Disclosure: I’m a member of the Netflix Stream Team and receive complimentary Netflix to faciliate monthly posts but all content is original and unbiased.

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Image: © Visual/ZUMAPRESS.com

(This post recently appeared on BlogHer.)

We haven’t had a profound shortage of female bonding orientated programming as of late. Girls on HBO, for example, is a gritty, realistic show about the real life jealousies and issues that develop between friends as they navigate the waters of young adulthood. But as much as I love it, it’s about women much younger than myself, and as much as I try to relate to Hannah, Marnie, Jess and Shoshanna, I realize that that the similarity factor can only go so far. They don’t have the most functional of relationships, as witnessed in their constant altercations and dismissive exchanges.

That’s why I’m kind of in love with two shows that debuted this season. One is a new HBO show called Doll & Em. Real life best friends Emily Mortimer and Dolly Wells, two brilliant actresses who hail originally from the UK, star in the show. Mortimer plays Em, a TV/film star whose career is taking off after the demise of her show (Newsroom, which in real life is going off the air after this upcoming season). She hires Doll, played by Wells, as her assistant to take her away from a bad break-up in London. After Em flies her beloved BFF over to L.A. to work with her side-by-side things start to unravel, and it’s really interesting to watch them deal with the new rifts in their friendship.

Growing up together, they had always turned to each other to cry, celebrate and get advice, whether it be in person or on the phone. But when Doll is in the roll of to getting Em coffee and depending on her for a paycheck, feelings change. When Doll gets asked to audition for the same roles her friend is in consideration for, feelings change. When they are both interested in the same guy (the beautiful Jonathan Cake), feelings change.  When Doll gets friendly with the likes of Susan Sarandon, Chloe Sevigny and John Cusack whilst on various film sets when Em is working hard to stay in character, feelings change. As a viewer, you know realistically that it’s only a matter of time before pent-up feelings boil over (and they do in the season finale, but I don’t want to give too much away!).

Image via Comedy Central

Doll & Em isn’t the only realistic portrayal of a friendship between two women with honesty, true grit and genuine love.  Comedy Central’s Broad City Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson play two college graduates in NYC, both trying to figure out their direction and place in life.  The show is produced by the fabulous Amy Poehler (who sometimes appears in the show as do other well-known comedians).  Jacobson and Glazer are Amy’s fellow Upright Citizens Brigade alums and are clearly good friends in real life. The show doesn’t neglect to show how hard life can be living in NYC, but the girls’ friendship is the backbone of their existence. Whatever their mishap, they get through it together, side-by-side.

In a recent Vanity Fair article, Glazer said this about the show’s plotlines: We base most plotlines in reality. We start with something that has happened to us or a friend of ours, or a friend of a friend, and now with the writers’ room for the TV show, we have the writers’ experiences available to us, as well as their friends’ experiences, so we like to start from a real place.

The plotlines are crazy at times but completely relatable. It’s hard not to get enjoyment out of how the two girls handle the bizarre situations that they get into together. In the show’s premiere (available in its entirety in segments on the Comedy Central website) we watched as Ilana and Abbi attempt to desperately raise money for tickets to a Lil Wayne concert. One of them attempts to steal office supplies at work and they both tryto sell them back to an office supplies store. When that fails, they try street busking. Then, as a last effort, they take a job cleaning a nutter’s apartment in their underwear. Fred Armisen playsthe pervert, and his portrayal will make you squirm as he stands behind doors watching the girls clean. When the girls realize that he is convinced he’s a baby (wearing an actual diaper under his robe) and has no money as well as never having an intention to pay them, they are furious and start throwing his stuff all over the apartment, making him laugh harder. But then they just laugh and laugh and laugh..because that’s what friends do.

I salute Comedy Central and HBO for airing fiery shows about friendship, and I say these are the shows women should be watching now.…while we wait for the premiere ofOrange is the New Black, another show that takes the concept of female friendship to a whole new level.

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The post Two Fiery Shows About Women and our BFFs appeared first on The Culture Mom.