<p><em>This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.</em></p>
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<p dir="ltr">Dating back to the first Thanksgiving, Americans have formed community around the shared enjoyment of food. While ours is not the only country that does so, Americans’ traditional enjoyment of the <span class="il">potluck</span> is in many ways characteristically democratic — the medley of tastes and textures shared at a <span class="il">potluck</span> speaks to a national character that is less concerned with aesthetic refinement and a hefty price tag than with full bellies and good conversation.</p>
<p dir="ltr">If you are unfortunate enough to never have enjoyed a hearty <span class="il">potluck — </span>unlikely if you were raised as an evangelical, particularly Baptist — it’s important that you envision the most opulent hodgepodge of sides and mains and desserts you have ever seen. The dishes are as diverse in tastiness as the loving hands that prepared them are diverse in personality and life story. Some people bring a bag of chips and salsa. Others bring their grandmother’s famous chili. Still others bring the dishes that will be wiped clean before second-rounders jostle their way to the front of the line with Costco-sized paper plates in hand.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Dessert comes in two courses: first, the cookie you teeter on the edge of your mountain of dinner food, and second, the more serious dessert helping. It&#8217;s the one you grab after throwing out your paper plate and making your way back to the <span class="il">potluck</span> line after allowing a polite pause following everyone’s first helping. Every Sunday that a church hosts a <span class="il">potluck,</span> no electrical outlet is left unused as the church’s mothers line the halls with steaming crockpots of barbecue meatballs and seven-layer Mexican dip. The intriguing medley of smells makes its way to your nose just as the final hymn’s refrain is sung.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The seminal 2000 book &#8220;Bowling Alone&#8221; by Robert D. Putnam could easily have a companion volume titled &#8220;Eating Alone.&#8221; For many Americans, even many who live with spouses and children, food is eaten over phones or across from TVs. The attention of the eater is split between screened entertainment and the food itself, rather than his own family and the food itself. Faced with a culture where enjoyment of food is no longer a social activity, individuals, particularly mothers and homemakers, are less likely to spend time cooking a meal that is consumed with such casual dismissal. From this, the culture of Uber Eats and single-serve microwave dinners has taken hold, further cementing our lonesome culture of eating. The American <span class="il">potluck</span> bucks the trend of eating alone.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In a world where social gatherings, when they do occur, are built around the coming Instagram post about the event, the idea of setting up white folding tables and mismatched crockpots for your friends to eat a delicious meal that has no common theme may seem out of place. And it is. We are starved for socialization, but the perfection thrust upon us by curated lives on Instagram can make it seem like only people who have their lives, homes, and cookbooks in order can socialize around food that isn’t bought at a restaurant.</p>
<p dir="ltr">But the American <span class="il">potluck</span> allows you to socialize with a large crowd in a low-pressure environment. You can contribute to the gathering without the entire planning and execution of the event falling on you. With the <span class="il">potluck</span>, your only task is to bring one dish, a dish you would probably have cooked anyway if you had stayed home (assuming you weren’t planning to order in again). Maybe your house really is way too tiny to host, and your cooking skills really are too lacking to draw a crowd. Even so, the <span class="il">potluck</span> lets you form community around food while only contributing a cheese, salami, and cracker platter from the grocery store.</p>
<p dir="ltr">For those who can cook, or who are interested in learning how, the <span class="il">potluck</span> fosters community around home-cooked food. It is different in this way from a group of friends who make a habit of trying the best Thai restaurants the city has to offer every Thursday night. It’s not that this might not be a great way in itself to avoid a culture of lonely eating, but it is too expensive for most and unrealistic for families with young children. The democratic genius of the American <span class="il">potluck</span> lies in the fact that every income level, family size, and age can enjoy what it has to offer with equal vigor.</p>
<p dir="ltr">What’s more, the <span class="il">potluck</span> fosters a community of recipe-sharing, a phenomenon that is dying out with older generations of parents. There is something far more personal and friendship-inducing about asking Mrs. Johnson for the recipe for her au gratin potatoes than asking her for the name of the restaurant you saw her at on Instagram. Recipe-sharing expands our abilities as cooks while encouraging a community that offers distinct food options that we have created ourselves in our own home kitchens.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Churches are perhaps the most obvious place where potlucks can and should happen. But any group can host a <span class="il">potluck</span>. The host need only provide some plastic cutlery and paper plates, instructing each guest to bring enough to feed his or her family and a few more. If you have never enjoyed a <span class="il">potluck</span>, let me be the first to assure you that it is the most low-risk yet high-reward way to begin investing in real relationships that build lasting communities in a uniquely American way.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p><em>Sarah Wilder is a wife and mom living on a small homestead in Michigan. She is a cultural commentator and a writer, and her work is regularly published in outlets such as Chronicles Magazine, 1819 News, and American Mind.</em></p>
<p><em>The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.</em></p>


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Grandma’s Favorite After-Church Tradition Might Be The Cure For America’s Loneliness

Church

Food

Friends

Upstream

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although we are living in an around-the-clock, digitally connected world, we sometimes paradoxically find ourselves disconnected from each other. But it hasn’t always been this way. People in generations past — Boomers, for example — would drop by unannounced to visit friends on Sunday afternoons or host family dinners regularly to bring everyone together and catch up on life. Today, the art of true friendship has torn apart at the seams, leaving Gen Z as a whole ill-equipped to maintain meaningful relationships. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This was not a problem that showed up overnight, nor can it be linked to just </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">one</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> cause. We were the first generation raised online in a world of social media, we were locked down in a months-long pandemic on the cusp of adulthood, and we live in a time when lifestyles are as fast-paced as they’ve ever been. In general, Gen Z is made up of inside kids, so we grew up accustomed to socializing very differently than other generations.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Objectively, this is less healthy because we don’t have as much face-to-face communication in real life, and we all know that is important to a healthy, happy, and long life. We have been called </span><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/generation-genz-loneliness-problem-mental-health-1877013" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">the lonely generation</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a generation who tends to </span><a href="https://ballardbrief.byu.edu/issue-briefs/isolation-among-generation-z-in-the-united-states" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">isolate</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Gen Z simply doesn’t interact with people as much as generations before us, including Millennials. But regardless of the reasons, Gen Z not only has difficulty maintaining friendships, but they also voice concerns about even being able to find friends. And sometimes, the online world can make it appear as though everyone else has tons of friends, which just leads to more feelings of isolation and loneliness.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now, Gen Z is reaching adulthood, moving out, living alone, and asking a serious question: How do I make friends? I resonate with this question because, even though I wanted female friends as I was growing up, making girlfriends was a challenge for me. Part of this was because we moved quite often. I would make friends, keep them for about a year, and then move, so the friendship just withered away. I could never seem to make and keep solid female friends. I also had brothers so I grew up primarily around boys, and I was never much of a girly girl. Plus, I always found it easier to hang out with guys.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There was, however, another reason making girlfriends was difficult for me, though I didn’t realize it at the time. Even though I wanted female friends, I had a rather negative view of femininity. The traits I primarily noticed about girls were traits I didn’t like, especially the promiscuousness, gossipiness, and silliness. I didn’t want to be associated with those qualities, and I allowed them to taint my perspective in general.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now, however, I have learned those traits are not true of the gender as a whole. I’m no-nonsense by nature, but I realized I can embrace my femininity and be open to female idiosyncrasies. That change in perspective had to start with me, and when it did, I could see I had superficial ideas of what friendships were. I had to become more open and vulnerable, because in truth, being friends with women requires significant vulnerability.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Having learned all this, my first suggestion to the question of how to make friends is: Say yes to everything. If there’s an invite, accept; if there’s an event, go; and if there’s coffee, drink. Join a running club, go to trivia nights, and attend work-sponsored happenings. Even if you think you would not be friends with the person doing the inviting, go anyway. You probably don’t know them well enough to make that decision yet, and you could also meet other potential friends at the events they’re inviting you to. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Be willing to put yourself in situations that allow you to meet people. In order to get out there, you must put yourself out there. It’s worth acknowledging this creates some discomfort, but if the desire for friends and struggle against loneliness outweighs being uncomfortable — which it absolutely should — then say yes. Be open. Be agreeable.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Second, take initiative. Girls love doing fun activities together. If you’re at a farmers’ market and there’s a girl standing next to you, strike up a conversation. If there’s a girl at work you think you’d like to be friends with, ask her to get lunch. As much as saying yes is a great attitude to begin with, reaching out and being the first to take initiative to connect is even more productive when it comes to making friends.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I met one of my bridesmaids by randomly messaging her one day. She was a co-worker, and I had spoken to her exactly one time in the breakroom, but something about her made me think we could be friends. One weekend, a rodeo was going to be in town about an hour outside Nashville, so I just messaged her and asked her to go with me. That led to another rodeo and eventually a true friendship. She stood by me on the day of my wedding as one of my best friends.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I don’t have sisters, so I had always assumed I wouldn’t have bridesmaids. But on the day I got married, our wedding party included six sweet friends of mine — only one of whom I have known longer than two years. Those six bridesmaids are proof that I was able to find friends and create meaningful relationships with them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our fast-paced lifestyles aren’t always conducive to an afternoon meet-and-greet, and we scramble to even be able to FaceTime or send a quick text. Add to that the fact that fostering meaningful relationships is (and always has been) challenging, but even finding friends with whom to engage in those relationships can prove difficult. But friendship starts with you. It may require a perspective change, an open attitude, or a move with initiative, but the friends are out there — and they are looking for friends too.</span></p>


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How To Make Friends And Create A Sisterhood

Brett Cooper

Dating

Gen Z

Opinion

Readers Pass

Women

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s been six months since “</span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/friends"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Friends</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">” actor </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/matthew-perry"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Matthew Perry</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> was discovered dead from a ketamine </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/overdose"><span style="font-weight: 400;">overdose</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Now, the Los Angeles Police Department is launching a joint criminal investigation with the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) to determine how the actor had so much of the </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/drugs"><span style="font-weight: 400;">drug</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in his system.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Perry was discovered dead at his home, in a hot tub, at the age of 54 on October 28, 2023. The sitcom star was determined to have died from an overdose. “At the high levels of ketamine found in his postmortem blood specimens, the main lethal effects would be from both cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression,” the report said, per </span><a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/matthew-perry-death-dea-lapd-criminal-investigation-ketamine-1235905358/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Hollywood Reporter</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Contributing factors to the cause of death included drowning and buprenorphine, a drug used to treat opioid addiction. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Perry had been vocal about his struggle for sobriety. He published a tell-all memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” one year prior to his death. The book went into detail about Perry’s excessive drug use over the years.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He also discussed using ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic with hallucinogenic properties, in the book. These experimental treatments are often used to assist with depression, anxiety, PTSD, addiction, chronic pain, and other mental health struggles. “I often thought that I was dying during that hour. Oh, I thought, this is what happens when you die. Yet I would continually sign up for this sh** because it was something different, and anything different is good,” Perry wrote. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The “Friends” star said the treatments made him feel like he was “hit in the head with a giant happy shovel.” He also claimed to get a hangover from the ketamine infusions, saying the aftermath of treatment often “outweighed the shovel.”</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The “Friends” star had been undergoing ketamine infusion therapy before he died, the outlet noted. Despite Perry having a ketamine session just over a week before his death, the autopsy said this particular visit was not responsible for the overdose because “the ketamine in his system at death could not be from that infusion therapy since ketamine’s half-life is three to four hours or less.”</span></p>


Matthew Perry

LAPD, DEA Launch Criminal Investigation Into Matthew Perry’s Death

LAPD, DEA Launch Criminal Investigation Into Matthew Perry's Death

Drugs

LAPD

overdose

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“</span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/friends"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Friends</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">” actress </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/courteney-cox"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Courteney Cox</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> said she believes her late co-star </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/matthew-perry"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Matthew Perry</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> still comes around to visit her.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 59-year-old made the remarks while reflecting on her career during an </span><a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/video/courteney-cox-designing-woman/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">interview</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> with CBS Sunday Morning.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;I think he’s probably one of the funniest human beings in the world. He’s just so funny,&#8221; Cox said. “He is genuinely a huge heart. Obviously struggled.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She continued, &#8220;I’m so thankful I got to work so closely with him for so many years. He visits me a lot, if we believe in that.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Emmy-nominated star said she believes Perry and her loved ones are still around in spirit. &#8220;I’ve talked to my mom, my dad, Matthew. I feel like there are a lot of people that are … I think they guide us. I do sense, yeah, I sense Matthew’s around for sure,&#8221; Cox told the outlet.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The actress reflected on working with her “Friends” co-stars on the award-winning sitcom. &#8220;I’m just so grateful that I had that opportunity to work with such wonderful people. To live the life that I have now. That was my family. We went through everything. Those 10 years were everything… they’re my family,&#8221; she said at another point in the conversation.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Perry died in October 2023 at age 54. His cause of death was later ruled to be &#8220;acute effects of ketamine.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The actor’s former castmates, including Cox, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, and Matt LeBlanc, released a statement shortly after his death. &#8220;We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,&#8221; they <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/five-remaining-friends-break-their-silence-on-the-unfathomable-loss-of-matthew-perry">said</a> at the time.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the CBS interview, Cox reflected on how much being cast on the show changed her life.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;That show, thank God for that show,&#8221; she said. &#8220;That was at the tail end of when I was really running out of money. I got an audition, I went in, I read the pilot, I said this is great, but you didn’t know how special it was. But then when you put this cast together, our incredible writers, it was like lightning in a bottle.&#8221;</span></p>


Courteney Cox and Matthew Perry

Courteney Cox Says Her Late ‘Friends’ Co-Star Matthew Perry Still ‘Visits’ Her ‘A Lot’

Courteney Cox Says Her Late 'Friends' Co-Star Matthew Perry Still 'Visits' Her 'A Lot'

Celebrities

Courteney Cox

Entertainment

U.S.

<p>Jewish &#8220;Friends&#8221; star David Schwimmer called out the anti-Israel and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/anti-semitism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anti-Semitic</a> nature of the recent &#8220;pro-Palestinian&#8221; protests that have taken over parts of college campuses across the country, saying that especially in the face of open anti-Semitism, &#8220;silence is complicity.&#8221;</p>
<p>Schwimmer has spoken out <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/where-is-their-outrage-jewish-friends-star-torches-people-still-denying-hamas-rapes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">several times</a> about the rising <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jewish-friends-star-marks-somber-one-month-anniversary-of-october-7-hamas-attacks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anti-Semitism</a> — in America and worldwide — since the brutal and unprovoked terror attacks Hamas perpetrated against Israel on October 7 last year. This past week, he shared video of Jewish students who have faced verbal and even physical attacks from protesters on their college campuses.</p>
<p>&#8220;Jewish students across America are experiencing the worst attacks on their rights, dignity and safety in my lifetime,&#8221; Schwimmer began his caption. &#8220;While some of the protests are peaceful, the atmosphere is one of pervasive harassment, intimidation, segregation, hate speech, threats &amp; acts of real violence.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;If this were any other minority group the response would have been immediate outrage and action. And yet this antisemitism grows, spreading from middle school to high school to college campuses nationwide … Please show your support for your Jewish neighbors, friends and colleagues,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Silence is complicity.&#8221;</p>
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<p>Schwimmer included comments and testimony from Columbia University student Eden Yadegar, who said that the anti-Jewish sentiment had been there long before the protests erupted.</p>
<p>When asked during another interview to respond to the excuses being made by school administrations and officials — namely that any anti-Semitic attacks were outliers and the actions of &#8220;outside agitators,&#8221; Yadegar fired back.</p>
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<p>&#8220;There are stages of grief, right, so like at first there&#8217;s sadness and then there&#8217;s these different coping stages,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We are all LIVID to a degree that we have not been before because people are gaslighting us and telling us that our experiences are invalid and they are not real and that we&#8217;re misunderstanding them when we are the ones that have experienced these things.&#8221;</p>
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The Rape Foundation’s Annual Brunch – Arrivals

‘Silence Is Complicity’: Jewish ‘Friends’ Star Unloads On Campus Protests

'Silence Is Complicity': Jewish 'Friends' Star Unloads On Campus Protests

Anti-Semitism

College

Hamas

Jewish

October 7

Protests

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">NBC “</span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/television"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dateline</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">” correspondent Keith Morrison spoke candidly about the loss of his stepson, “Friends” actor </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/matthew-perry"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Matthew Perry</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and the months leading up to his shocking death.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Perry was discovered dead in his California home in October 2023 at the age of 54. His death was ruled </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/matthew-perrys-official-cause-of-death-linked-to-non-fda-approved-depression-treatment"><span style="font-weight: 400;">accidental</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and linked to ketamine, a drug used to treat opioid addiction.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Morrison has been married to the late actor’s mother, Suzanne, since 1981. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“As other people have told me hundreds of times, it doesn&#8217;t go away,” the TV personality </span><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keith-morrison-opens-up-about-dateline-his-career-in/id1585499926?i=1000649027782"><span style="font-weight: 400;">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of his grief while speaking during a podcast appearance this week. “It’s with you every day. It’s with you all the time, and there’s some new aspect of it that assaults your brain.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s not easy. Especially for his mom,” Morrison, 76, added. “I don’t think I’m giving away too much if I say that toward the end of his life, they were closer than I had seen them for decades, and texting each other constantly and him sharing things with her that most middle-aged men don’t share with their mothers.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The “Dateline” correspondent also described Perry’s overall demeanor leading up to his death.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;He was happy, and he said so. And he hadn&#8217;t said that for a long time. So it&#8217;s a source of comfort, but also he didn&#8217;t get to have his third act, and that&#8217;s not fair,&#8221; Morrison said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;It was the news you never want to get, but you think someday you might,&#8221; he said when asked if his stepson’s death surprised him. &#8220;Yes and no, I guess is the answer to that.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Morrison also called the “Friends” actor &#8220;a larger-than-life person.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“In a way our personalities were, as they say, chalk and cheese,” he said, per </span><a href="https://ew.com/keith-morrison-stepson-matthew-perry-happy-before-death-8608531"><span style="font-weight: 400;">EW</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. “He was loud and out there and funny and aggressive.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He continued, “He had that kind of very fiery personality. And mine is not like that, as you can imagine. But we got along fine. I never tried to replace his dad, but I was there for him, and he knew it. We were close.”</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Perry had spoken candidly about his struggles with substance abuse and alcohol addiction, which he detailed in his 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He came to understand he’d get to a certain point, and then he knew he had to go and get treatment. And he’d accept help when he needed it,” Morrison said of Perry’s struggles with sobriety. “But as he said himself, it just kept happening, and it was it was a big bear. It was a tough thing to be — big, terrible thing.”</span></p>


Matthew Perry’s Stepdad Says Late Actor Was ‘Happy’ Before His Death

Matthew Perry's Stepdad Keith Morrison Says He Was 'Happy' Before His Death

Death

Television

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The stats are in, and classic TV shows like &#8220;Seinfeld,&#8221; &#8220;Friends,&#8221; and &#8220;Suits,&#8221; crushed the new, more expensive shows in 2023 that were driven by Hollywood’s desire to focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) rather than storytelling.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Audiences love a good story. Thus, success in movies and television has always been the result of great storytellers writing great stories — regardless of whether the writers were male or female, white or black or any other minority. But according to </span><a href="https://www.thefp.com/p/hollywoods-new-rules" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Free Press</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, those times appear to be changing.</span></p>
<div id="attachment_704435" style="width: 386px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-704435" class="size-large wp-image-704435" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/GettyImages-138360746-376x576.jpg" alt="SEINFELD -- &quot;The Frogger&quot; Episode 18 -- Pictured: (l-r) Jason Alexander as George Costanza, Jerry Seinfeld as Jerry Seinfeld (Photo by Joseph Del Valle/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)" width="376" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/GettyImages-138360746-376x576.jpg 376w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/GettyImages-138360746-196x300.jpg 196w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/GettyImages-138360746.jpg 668w" sizes=" (max-width: 376px) 100vw, 376px" /><p id="caption-attachment-704435" class="wp-caption-text">Joseph Del Valle/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images</p></div>
<h3><strong>Streaming Platforms</strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Streaming companies like Amazon, Netflix, and Disney+ have been shelling out millions of dollars to create shows that will please the DEI gods, but those are losing out to old shows, also known as acquired shows, </span><a href="https://www.frontpagemag.com/why-old-tv-shows-are-beating-hollywoods-billion-dollar-dei-machine/?fbclid=IwAR3ZJCvGZkDZm429rlKqlZmuv-JTr8HkPjOdmVfrqzd1dNVjNsVYuIZsKYY" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Front Page magazine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> noted.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to </span><a href="https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2024/streaming-unwrapped-streaming-viewership-goes-to-the-library-in-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nielsen&#8217;s</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Streaming Viewership from 2023, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">which tracks what people listen to and watch, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">more than 57 billion minutes were spent last year watching “Suits,” a legal drama that premiered in 2011. That was more than any other show last year.</span></p>
<div id="attachment_704439" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-704439" class="size-large wp-image-704439" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/GettyImages-1088051728-864x576.jpg" alt="SUITS -- &quot;Whale Hunt&quot; Episode 812 -- Pictured: Gabriel Macht as Harvey Specter -- (Photo by: Ian Watson/USA Network/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/GettyImages-1088051728-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/GettyImages-1088051728-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/GettyImages-1088051728-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/GettyImages-1088051728.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /><p id="caption-attachment-704439" class="wp-caption-text">Ian Watson/USA Network/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images</p></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In fact, of the top 10 streamed shows of 2023, more than a handful are all shows that were made more than a decade ago.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Shows like “Gilmore Girls,” and “Friends,” which have been off the air for years, were watched in 2023 billions of minutes more than the new ones like “Ted Lasso” or “Ginny and Georgia.”</span></p>
<div id="attachment_704433" style="width: 865px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-704433" class="size-large wp-image-704433" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/GettyImages-140631535-855x576.jpg" alt="FRIENDS -- &quot;The One With The Rumor&quot;-- Episode 9 -- Aired 11/22/2001 -- Pictured: (l-r) Brad Pitt as Will Colbert, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller-Bing, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller -- Photo by : Danny Feld/NBCU Photo Bank" width="855" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/GettyImages-140631535-855x576.jpg 855w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/GettyImages-140631535-300x202.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/GettyImages-140631535-768x518.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/GettyImages-140631535.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 855px) 100vw, 855px" /><p id="caption-attachment-704433" class="wp-caption-text">Danny Feld/NBCU Photo Bank</p></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Netflix spent $168 million on shows like “Bridgerton” for the first three seasons and lost to shows like “Suits” which it paid a reported estimate of $200,000 per episode, </span><a href="https://deadline.com/2023/09/streaming-residuals-explained-suits-netflix-1235552804/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Deadline</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> noted.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In addition, Disney spent $25 million an episode for its woke “Star Wars” series “Ahsoka” in 2023 but ended up losing in the ratings war to shows like “Suits” with a budget of $3 million, Front Page magazine noted.</span></p>
<h3><strong>TV Shows By The Minutes</strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In an article titled, “How Comfort Shows Conquered Streaming TV,” the </span><a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/top-streaming-shows-most-watched-1235816555/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hollywood Reporter</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> noted that the top 10 overall titles in Nielsen’s year-end rankings for 2023 are all acquired shows.” It’s also reported that it’s “the first time that’s happened in the four years streaming rankings have been publicly available.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Acquired shows had a massive showing in 2023, with the top 10 accounting for 339.5 billion minutes of viewing, that’s up almost 41% from 2022 when 241.4 billion minutes were viewed, THR noted.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We definitely had a lesser number of originals [in 2023],” Brian Fuhrer, Nielsen’s senior vp product strategy and thought leadership, told the outlet. “As a result, the introduction of huge new blockbuster originals that we’re used to, that really wasn’t the case this year.”</span></p>
<p>Speaking of originals, looks like the &#8216;show about nothing&#8217; still has what it takes. <span style="font-weight: 400;">According to <a href="https://tv.parrotanalytics.com/US/seinfeld-nbc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Parrot Analytics</a>, &#8220;&#8221;Seinfeld&#8221; has 32.9 times the audience demand of the average TV show in the United States … This exceptional level of demand puts &#8220;Seinfeld&#8221; in the top 0.2% of all TV shows.”</span></p>
<div id="attachment_704407" style="width: 933px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-704407" class="size-large wp-image-704407" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/GettyImages-138359792-923x576.jpg" alt="SEINFELD -- &quot;The Frogger&quot; Episode 18 -- Pictured: (l-r) Jason Alexander as George Costanza,áJerry Seinfeld as Jerry Seinfeld (Photo by Joey Delvalle/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)" width="923" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/GettyImages-138359792-923x576.jpg 923w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/GettyImages-138359792-300x187.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/GettyImages-138359792-768x479.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/GettyImages-138359792.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 923px) 100vw, 923px" /><p id="caption-attachment-704407" class="wp-caption-text">Joey Delvalle/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images</p></div>
<h3><strong>How We Got There</strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Following the death of George Floyd and the subsequent Black Lives Matter riots in 2020, which destroyed towns and divided the country, the pressure was on to make changes in our society. Those included the characters we saw on the small screen and those working behind the scenes, the outlet noted.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In response, there’s been a huge drive for &#8220;inclusivity&#8221; in Hollywood, regardless of whether those hired are the best to get the job done, something that seems to be happening in every aspect of our society.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And the problem isn&#8217;t just woke issues woven into a story for the sake of DEI. Hollywood has always been eager to tackle those kinds of things. Take the example of the 1967 classic movie “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” with Sidney Poitier and Katherine Hepburn, which tackled interracial marriage or on the small screen with shows like “All in the Family” (1971-1979) which dealt with race issues head-on.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The DEI push, on the other hand, seeks to influence every aspect of show business, but audiences are making it clear, they are only interested in great stories, regardless of how old.</span></p>
<h3><strong>Writers&#8217; Room</strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In an effort to be seen as “inclusive,&#8221; legendary networks made massive changes to who was telling the stories and writing the shows. At CBS, the company </span><a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2020-07-13/cbs-racial-diversity-effort-writers-development-bipoc#:~:text=CBS%20wants%20at%20least%2040,producers%2C%20the%20network%20announced%20Monday" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">mandated</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that writers’ rooms have at least 40% minority representation for the 2021-2022 broadcast season with 25% of its script development budget to fund projects from creators, writers and producers who meet their diversity qualifications, the Free Press noted.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">ABC Entertainment issued a detailed series of “inclusion standards,” the outlet noted. </span><a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/abc-unveils-ambitious-set-of-inclusion-standards-exclusive-4069409/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ABC</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> also committed to making sure 50% of its showrunners, writers, producers, crew, performers check a BIPOC representation box by the 2022-23 season, </span><a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/abc-unveils-ambitious-set-of-inclusion-standards-exclusive-4069409/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">THR</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> noted.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’m all for LGBT and Native Americans, blacks, females, whatever minorities that have not been served correctly in the making of content, whether it’s television or movies or whatever, but I think it’s gone too far,” Howard Koch, who has been involved in the production of more than 60 movies and is the former president of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts &amp; Sciences, said, the Free Press noted.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I know a lot of very talented people that can’t get work because they’re not black, Native American, female or LGBTQ,” he added.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Writers Guild of America West </span><a href="https://www.wga.org/uploadedfiles/the-guild/inclusion-and-equity/Inclusion-Report-2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Inclusion and Equity Report</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of 2022, found that in 2011 64% of staff writers had been men, but by 2020, only a third were. It also found in 2011 71% of staff writers were white, but by 2020 less than half were.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Diving into the report further, the number of “white producers by 2020 fell by 24%, the number of male producers by 25%&#8230;white executive story editors fell by 26% and male executive editors by 27%,” according to the report.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A </span><a href="https://x.com/Scientific_Bird/status/1759700304725971342?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">chart</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in the report showed that, ”</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">between 2011 and 2020, staff writers moved from 35% to 63% women, and 72% to 44% white.”</span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Large demographic shift in American TV series staff.</p>
<p>According to Writers Guild of America West data, between 2011 and 2020, staff writers moved from 35% to 63% women, and 72% to 44% white. <a href="https://t.co/FU2HuB00CW">pic.twitter.com/FU2HuB00CW</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Inquisitive Bird (@Scientific_Bird) <a href="https://twitter.com/Scientific_Bird/status/1759700304725971342?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<h3><strong>Acting Roles</strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Findings in the </span><a href="https://socialsciences.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/UCLA-Hollywood-Diversity-Report-2022-Television-10-27-2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">UCLA</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Hollywood Diversity 2022 Television report were similar with the “White share” of top broadcast scripted roles, top cable scripted roles and in the digital scripted arena decline in 2020-21 compared to those same areas in 2019-20.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While “Black (18.6%) and multiracial (14%) persons were actually overrepresented” across the board,” the report noted.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The report showed women made huge gains during the same time frame, with “women’s share of top digital scripted roles increased and actually surpassed that of their male counterparts.” In the report, women now accounted for 50.3% of these roles in 2020-21, compared to only 49% for males.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2020, the Emmy awards </span><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2020/06/18/emmy-nominations-rule-change-aims-more-diversity-and-inclusion/3213111001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">announced</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> changes to its nomination process which it said were </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">intended to &#8220;align the nominations selection process across all awards categories and to allow for more inclusiveness in the recognition of excellence,” </span><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2020/06/18/emmy-nominations-rule-change-aims-more-diversity-and-inclusion/3213111001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">USA Today</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> noted.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As The Daily Wire </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-hollywoods-new-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-executives-are-shaping-whats-on-your-screens" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">noted previously</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, this DEI push in Hollywood means network, executives, and studios no longer care about making sure to pick the scripts, actors and directors and best people for a show. It’s now all about representation.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All the changes, however, have not translated into success for entertainment companies. So, the question remains: will Hollywood change course now that audiences have spoken?</span></p>


Seinfeld

‘It’s Not You, It’s Me’: Why Old Shows Like ‘Seinfeld’ Are Crushing New, Expensive Shows

Amazon

Disney

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Hollywood

Jerry Seinfeld

Netflix

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/he-wasnt-struggling-jennifer-aniston-recalls-texting-matthew-perry-the-day-he-died" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matthew Perry</a> fans slammed the 2024 British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) show for ignoring the star&#8217;s film work in its In Memoriam segment, causing show executives to respond to the backlash.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the BAFTA Awards show on Sunday, the annual ceremony aired a clip honoring stars who had passed away over the last year, including Richard Roundtree, Tina Tuner, Michael Gambon, and Carl Weathers.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, &#8220;Friends&#8221; fans noticed that Perry was noticeably absent in the video and took to social media to blast the awards show for not including the late star, who died in October at the age of 54, </span><a href="https://www.tmz.com/2024/02/19/matthew-perry-bafta-awards-left-out-in-memoriam-friends/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">TMZ</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> reported.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">No mention of Matthew Perry in th</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">e</span><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BAFTAs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1759309274918830421%7Ctwgr%5E422d1477e71280aa93347e3ae87ce0089874a84b%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tmz.com%2F2024%2F02%2F19%2Fmatthew-perry-bafta-awards-left-out-in-memoriam-friends%2F&amp;src=hashtag_click"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> #BAFTAs</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> memorial?!” one person wrote on X. &#8220;Bad form</span><a href="https://twitter.com/BAFTA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1759309274918830421%7Ctwgr%5E422d1477e71280aa93347e3ae87ce0089874a84b%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tmz.com%2F2024%2F02%2F19%2Fmatthew-perry-bafta-awards-left-out-in-memoriam-friends%2F"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [BAFTA</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&#8221;</span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The British Academy of Film and Television Arts will honor Matthew Perry at its Television Awards following backlash over his omission from the In Memoriam segment of the Film Awards ceremony Sunday evening, according to a spokesperson. <a href="https://t.co/bbN3R1pTwR">https://t.co/bbN3R1pTwR</a></p>
<p>— NBC News (@NBCNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/1759756033004601660?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another added, &#8220;No Matthew Perry in the #BAFTAs memorium?? Feels a tad disrespectful. Did they just forget?&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While a third said, &#8220;[</span><a href="https://twitter.com/BAFTA"><span style="font-weight: 400;">BAFTA</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">] Not content with forgetting Richard Beckinsale in &#8217;79, the legendary Bernard Cribbins last year, they have now forgotten the beloved Matthew Perry! Who makes these decisions?!&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;</span><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BAFTA?src=hashtag_click"><span style="font-weight: 400;">#BAFTA</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Why do you celebrate absolute nobodies and forget those who special souls we truly love?&#8221; the account added.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">BAFTA senior executives explained that the late star would be memorialized in an upcoming TV awards show, </span><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/bafta-will-honor-matthew-perry-television-awards-omission-memoriam-spa-rcna139464?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma&amp;taid=65d404234d595a00019dc3f8&amp;utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter"><span style="font-weight: 400;">NBC</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> noted.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;We can confirm Matthew Perry will be remembered in our forthcoming BAFTA Television Awards in May 2024,&#8221; the spokesperson told the outlet.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is also a tribute to Perry on the BAFTA </span><a href="https://www.bafta.org/heritage/in-memory-of/matthew-perry"><span style="font-weight: 400;">website</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the late star is probably best known for his TV role, he did <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001612/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1">appear</a> in numerous movies throughout the 90s and 2000s, such as &#8220;Fools Rush In,&#8221; &#8220;Three To Tango,&#8221; and &#8220;17 Again.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In December, the actor&#8217;s cause of death was ruled &#8220;accidental&#8221; and determined to be due to </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">the &#8220;</span><a href="https://www.tmz.com/2023/12/15/matthew-perry-cause-of-death-ketamine-drowning-drugs/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">acute effects of ketamine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,&#8221; which resulted in &#8220;cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression,&#8221; as previously </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/matthew-perrys-official-cause-of-death-linked-to-non-fda-approved-depression-treatment"><span style="font-weight: 400;">reported</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Perry, who appeared in all 234 episodes of &#8220;Friends&#8221; during its 10-season run, had been open in the past about his long struggle with addiction to alcohol and prescription painkillers, as previously </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/friends-star-matthew-perry-dead-at-54-report"><span style="font-weight: 400;">reported</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>


Matthew Perry Fans Slam Awards Show For Ignoring Star During In Memoriam Segment, Executives Respond

<p>&#8220;Friends&#8221; alumnus <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jewish-friends-star-marks-somber-one-month-anniversary-of-october-7-hamas-attacks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Schwimmer</a> took to Instagram on Friday to call out people who continued to deny increasing reports and evidence that the terror group Hamas used sexual violence as a weapon against Israeli women — both during the October 7th attacks and on hostages in Gaza.</p>
<p>Schwimmer is Jewish in real life in addition to playing a Jewish character (Ross Geller) on the decade-long NBC sitcom, but he also has a long history of working as an advocate for victims of sexual abuse and sexual violence — and he voiced his concern that Hamas&#8217; victims were being &#8220;re-traumatized&#8221; as they were ignored.</p>
<p>&#8220;I served on the Board of Directors for The Rape Foundation for almost 20 years, and have been an advocate for child and adult survivors of sexual violence for almost 30,&#8221; Schwimmer said, praising the bravery and the resilience of the people he&#8217;d been privileged to work with – some of whom had survived unimaginable horrors.</p>
<p>&#8220;With the right treatment and care, refused to let their trauma define them and went on to lead incredibly loving, healthy and productive lives,&#8221; Schwimmer continued — and he pointed out that the most important aspect of working to turn victims into survivors was simply believing them when they shared their experiences.</p>
<p>&#8220;Regardless of age; Regardless of race; Regardless of gender; Regardless of religion; Regardless of sexual orientation; Regardless of nationality; Regardless of education; Regardless of economic status,&#8221; he clarified.</p>
<p>Schwimmer went on to note that while there were many he would consider &#8220;allies&#8221; — &#8220;Who for years have stood up and fought for survivors of rape and sexual assault, demanding justice&#8221; — many still would not accept the testimony of so many witnesses and survivors who have documented the sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas.</p>
<p>&#8220;Why do so many REFUSE TO BELIEVE — despite all the evidence on camera and in testimony — the women, children and men brutally assaulted by terrorists on Oct. 7th?&#8221; he asked. &#8220;Where is their outrage?&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;In the weeks and months that followed, it became clear that their activism, their advocacy, is conditional. They’ll fight like hell for ALL victims of sexual violence — unless they’re Jews,&#8221; he said. &#8220;For many of them, denying it even happened is a convenient way of avoiding compassion and personal responsibility.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;As they know better than most — their refusal to believe the survivors has RE-TRAUMATIZED them, as well as their families, friends, and those of us who did believe them,&#8221; Schwimmer concluded. &#8220;It would be great to know who the real allies are.&#8221;</p>
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‘Where Is Their Outrage?’: Jewish ‘Friends’ Star Torches People Still Denying Hamas Rapes

'Where Is Their Outrage?': Jewish 'Friends' Star Torches People Still Denying Hamas Rapes

Rape

Sexual Violence

terrorist attack

<p><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/george-clooney"><span style="font-weight: 400;">George Clooney</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> said he doesn’t believe the late actor </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/matthew-perry"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Matthew Perry</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> was truly happy working on the hit NBC sitcom “</span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/friends"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Friends</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Perry was best known for his portrayal of Chandler Bing on the popular </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hollywood"><span style="font-weight: 400;">series</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which many consider to be one of the greatest television comedies of all time. But Clooney claims that his colleague wasn’t fulfilled by the work, despite thinking he would be. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;I knew Matt when he was 16 years old,&#8221; Clooney told </span><a href="https://deadline.com/2023/12/george-clooney-the-boys-in-the-boat-matthew-perry-150m-sagaftra-gesture-brad-pitt-sequel-wolfs-1235677436/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Deadline</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in an interview published Tuesday. &#8220;We used to play paddle tennis together. He’s about 10 years younger than me. And he was a great, funny, funny, funny kid.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The “Ocean’s 11” star went on to recall how Perry had dreamed of starring in a TV series since he was young. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;All he would say to us, I mean me, Richard Kind and Grant Heslov, was, I just want to get on a sitcom, man. I just want to get on a regular sitcom and I would be the happiest man on earth,&#8221; Clooney continued. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The actor said Perry “wasn’t happy” even after scoring the role of a lifetime as Chandler on “Friends.” Despite always wanting to be a TV star, he said the role &#8220;didn’t bring him joy or happiness or peace.&#8221;</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Clooney was starring in “ER” at the same time Perry was on “Friends.” The two shows were filmed close to each other, plus the two actors saw each other when Clooney made a guest appearance on “Friends.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;And watching that go on on the lot — we were at Warner Brothers, we were there right next to each other — it was hard to watch because we didn’t know what was going through him,&#8221; he said of Perry’s struggle with drug and alcohol addiction.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;We just knew that he wasn’t happy and I had no idea he was doing, what, 12 Vicodin a day and all the stuff he talked about, all that heartbreaking stuff,” Clooney said. “And it also just tells you that success and money and all those things, it doesn’t just automatically bring you happiness. You have to be happy with yourself and your life.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Perry was found dead at his Los Angeles home on October 28. He was 54.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The “Friends” star died from acute effects of ketamine, according to an </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/matthew-perrys-official-cause-of-death-linked-to-non-fda-approved-depression-treatment"><span style="font-weight: 400;">autopsy report</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> from the Los Angeles County Coroner. The drug is often used to counteract the effects of depression. Contributing factors <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/matthew-perry-cause-of-death-ketamine/">listed</a> were &#8220;drowning, coronary artery disease and buprenorphine effects.&#8221;  </span></p>


George Clooney Said Matthew Perry’s ‘Friends’ Role ‘Didn’t Bring Him Joy Or Happiness Or Peace’

George Clooney Said Matthew Perry's 'Friends' Role 'Didn't Bring Him Joy Or Happiness Or Peace'

actors

George Clooney

<p>The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner&#8217;s Office has concluded that &#8220;Friends&#8221; star Matthew Perry died on October 28 as the result of the &#8220;<a href="https://www.tmz.com/2023/12/15/matthew-perry-cause-of-death-ketamine-drowning-drugs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acute effects of ketamine</a>,&#8221; which resulted in &#8220;cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression.&#8221;</p>
<p>Despite the fact that it is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9970333/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not FDA-approved</a> for the treatment of any psychiatric conditions, <a href="https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/ketamine/risks-benefits/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ketamine infusion therapy</a> has been used to treat depression and anxiety — and according to the medical examiner&#8217;s report, <a href="https://pagesix.com/2023/12/15/celebrity-news/matthew-perrys-official-cause-of-death-revealed/?_gl=1*1i15l3t*_ga*MTkzMTkwODE1Ni4xNjY3OTUyODk2*_ga_0DZ7LHF5PZ*MTcwMjY3NjY0NS4xMzY2LjAuMTcwMjY3NjY0NS4wLjAuMA..&amp;_ga=2.177679980.838433179.1702315883-1931908156.1667952896" target="_blank" rel="noopener">entertainment site Page Six</a> noted that Perry was undergoing that particular type of therapy for treatment of depression. His last treatment, according to the Associated Press, took place about 1 1/2 weeks prior to his death.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Matthew Perry died from the acute effects of the drug ketamine, according to the results of an autopsy on the 54-year-old “Friends” actor. <a href="https://t.co/lPUBAybWGq">https://t.co/lPUBAybWGq</a></p>
<p>&mdash; The Associated Press (@AP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AP/status/1735781013190578530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Perry&#8217;s death was ruled &#8220;accidental,&#8221; and other contributing factors listed on the autopsy report included drowning, coronary artery disease, and buprenorphine — an FDA-approved drug used for the treatment of opioid addiction.</p>
<p>The &#8220;Whole Nine Yards&#8221; actor had struggled with addiction to both alcohol and Vicodin for decades, but was reportedly clean and sober at the time of his death.</p>
<p>&#8220;Friends&#8221; costar <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/he-wasnt-struggling-jennifer-aniston-recalls-texting-matthew-perry-the-day-he-died" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jennifer Aniston</a>, in a recent interview for Variety, said that in addition to being clean and sober, Perry had been in a much better place — and had been absolutely dedicated to getting his life back on track.</p>
<p>&#8220;He was happy. He was healthy. He had quit smoking. He was getting in shape. He was happy — that’s all I know. I was literally texting with him that morning, funny Matty. He was not in pain. He wasn’t struggling. He was happy,&#8221; Aniston said.</p>
<p>&#8220;I want people to know he was really healthy, and getting healthy. He was on a pursuit. He worked so hard. He really was dealt a tough one,&#8221; Aniston continued. &#8220;I miss him dearly. We all do. Boy, he made us laugh really hard … His way of speaking created a whole different world. We went with his lead, in a way. It just added something to our joy.&#8221;</p>


Matthew Perry’s Official Cause Of Death Linked To Non-FDA-Approved Depression Treatment

Matthew Perry's Official Cause Of Death Linked To Non-FDA-Approved Depression Treatment

<p>Actress <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jennifer-aniston-posts-heartfelt-tribute-to-matthew-perry-rest-little-brother" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jennifer Aniston</a> said in a recent interview that she texted with Matthew Perry the day he died — and that he had seemed to be doing well and was working hard to get healthy and get in shape.</p>
<p>Aniston made the comments during a <a href="https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/jennifer-aniston-reese-witherspoon-the-morning-show-season-3-1235829651/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joint interview</a> that was published Monday by entertainment site Variety — her first since <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/five-remaining-friends-break-their-silence-on-the-unfathomable-loss-of-matthew-perry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Perry&#8217;s death</a> on October 28th — with &#8220;The Morning Show&#8221; co-star Reese Witherspoon.</p>
<p>&#8220;He was happy. He was healthy. He had quit smoking. He was getting in shape. He was happy — that’s all I know,&#8221; Aniston said of her late &#8220;Friends&#8221; costar. &#8220;I was literally texting with him that morning, funny Matty. He was not in pain. He wasn’t struggling. He was happy.&#8221;</p>
<p>Aniston said several times during the interview that Perry, who had spent decades — and millions of dollars — battling addictions to alcohol and Vicodin, had really been working hard and was in a good place for the first time in a long time.</p>
<p>&#8220;I want people to know he was really healthy, and getting healthy. He was on a pursuit. He worked so hard. He really was dealt a tough one,&#8221; Aniston continued. &#8220;I miss him dearly. We all do. Boy, he made us laugh really hard &#8230; His way of speaking created a whole different world. We went with his lead, in a way. It just added something to our joy.&#8221;</p>
<p>Witherspoon also recalled her brief stint on the decade-running smash sitcom — two episodes in which she played the spoiled, bratty sister Jill to Aniston&#8217;s Rachel — and said that she had been blown away by the talent and cohesiveness of the entire cast.</p>
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<p>&#8220;You all were so close. It’s incredible what was born of those friendships, and how you guys have always taken care of each other for years and years. It’s really beautiful and set standards for our business, as well, with the way you respected each other,&#8221; Witherspoon said.</p>
<p>&#8220;I feel lucky that I got to be on that show and I walked in like Alice in Wonderland, watching the most popular cast do this whole thing. I remember going home and going, oh, they’re in another league. They’re on another planet on comedy levels that I’ve never seen my entire life, pivoting on a dime and working on each other’s energy and it was extraordinary,&#8221; she added.</p>
<p>Perry died on October 28th after reportedly drowning in the hot tub at his California home. He was 54 years old.</p>


‘He Wasn’t Struggling’: Jennifer Aniston Recalls Texting Matthew Perry The Day He Died

Jennifer Aniston

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