Can You Really Change Your Personality as an Adult?
When I was in middle school, I was so quiet that I secretly looked forward to exams: At least no one would expect me to talk. I dreaded recess and found relief in ballet class, where silence was the rule. Two decades later, the necessity of spending hours alone is my least favorite thing about being a writer. But I have occasionally wondered: Is my 12-year-old persona the 'real' one? Am I somehow faking my enjoyment of parties? I found some consolation in Olga Khazan's new book Me, But Better: The Science and Promise of Personality Change (Simon & Schuster, March 11), which argues that our personalities evolve over the course of our lives — whether through concerted effort or just through growing up.
When we meet Khazan, she is 36 years old and lucky in both love and work: She has a patient, doting boyfriend and a creatively fulfilling job. Yet she struggles to enjoy her bounty, and crumbles in the face of minor setbacks. When an unflattering haircut and a bout of rush hour traffic leave her weeping into a glass of wine, decrying her life as 'nonstop stress and torture,' she resolves to tackle her self-defeating tendencies.
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Tom's Guide
19 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
7 best drag movies to watch during Pride Month
"We're all born naked, and the rest is drag," RuPaul famously said. That latter medium has become a global phenomenon thanks to its powerful self-expression, cheeky genderplay, highly stylized social critique, and emphasis on creativity and community. As we enter Pride Month, some of the best LGBTQ movies around happen to be focused on the drag experience. Well before "RuPaul's Drag Race" brought drag queens into the homes and hearts of TV fans each week, the fabulous, flamboyant art form has been immortalized on the big screen via groundbreaking documentaries, star-studded comedies and acclaimed indie flicks. From essential drag movies like "Paris is Burning" and "The Birdcage" to more recent genre-bending titles like "Solo," here are seven great drag movies to watch during Pride Month, all available on some of the best streaming services, including Hulu, Prime Video and Tubi. The 1995 cult classic "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar" sees a trio of against-type turns from lead actors Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo as three New York City drag queens who embark on a road trip to Hollywood to compete in the "Drag Queen of America" pageant and end up stranded in the small (and small-minded) Midwestern town of Snydersville. Though the fiercely funny film certainly isn't considered a critics' darling. It only has a 46% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with commendation for its efforts to "celebrate individuality" but criticism for being "too timid and predictable to achieve its admittedly noble aims." "To Wong Foo" did receive wide acclaim for its three stars, with both Swayze (playing the wise Ms. Vida Boheme) and Leguizamo (as the hilariously sassy Chi-Chi Rodriguez) earning Golden Globe nominations for their performances. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Rent or buy "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar" on Prime Video now Written and directed by Sophie Dupuis ("Family First"), this 2023 Canadian drama stars Théodore Pellerin as Simon, a young emerging drag queen in Montreal who is dealing with dueling personal conflicts. Firstly, there's the passionate but complicated romance he shares with Olivier (Félix Maritaud), the newest drag performer at his club, which Simon must juggle while simultaneously navigating a reunion with his opera-singer mother Claire (Anne-Marie Cadieux), whom he has been estranged from for the past 15 years. "Fully rendering its protagonist's personal and artistic crises, 'Solo' both honors and transcends its subject matter in its widely evocative, deeply affecting character study — while also happening to have an absolutely banging soundtrack," praised Todd Gilchrist in his review for Variety. Watch "Solo" on Prime Video now Drag may have sashayed its way into the pop-culture mainstream in the past few decades, but for many filmgoers, their first exposure to the artform was Jennie Livingston's groundbreaking 1990 documentary "Paris Is Burning," which pulls viewers into the drag ball culture of '80s-era New York City and the vibrant, varied personalities (voguers, strutters, trans icons and the like) involved in it. The pioneering film — which was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" in 2016 — centers on four figures of the underground ball scene: Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey and Venus Xtravaganza. Together, they helped paint a portrait of not only the fierce fashions and fiery rivalries of New York City drag balls but also, more largely, of queer life in America, including how their worlds were changed by the AIDS epidemic. Watch "Paris Is Burning" on Max now In this Blake Edwards-directed remake of the 1930s German film 'Viktor und Viktoria', legendary star Julie Andrews is Victoria Grant, an out-of-work soprano in Depression-era Paris whose employment struggles take a turn when she begins posing as a female impersonator named Victor (get it?), with gay performer Carole "Toddy" Todd (Robert Preston) posing as her manager. Victoria's alter ego is a sensation on the city's cabaret scene, so much so that her performances catch the attention — and amorous feelings — of Chicago gangster King Marchand (James Garner), who rightly doesn't believe that the drag queen he's falling for from the stage is actually a man. Though parts of the 1982 musical comedy feel outdated these decades later, "Victor/Victoria" was a forward-thinking film for its time, challenging gender norms and sexual attitudes with great humor. It was nominated for a whopping seven Oscars, including for Andrews's lead performance and Edwards's screenplay, with composers Henry Mancini and Leslie Bricusse wing for Best Original Song Score. Rent or buy "Victor/Victoria" on Apple TV now There are few '90s movies with as many quotable lines per minute as "The Birdcage" ("Actually, it's perfect, I just never realized John Wayne walked like that"), the Mike Nichols-directed 1996 remake of the French farce "La Cage aux Folles. " In the beloved queer comedy, Robin Williams stars as Miami club owner Armand Goldman, whose life partner Albert (Nathan Lane) is the star performer in his club's drag revue. The couple's flamboyant South Beach lifestyle, however, is upended when Armand's son Val (Dan Futterman) announces he's going to marry the daughter (Calista Flockhart) of ultra-conservative Republican Senator Kevin Keeley (the late, great Gene Hackman) and his wife Louise (Dianne Wiest). During a planned dinner between the soon-to-be in-laws, Armand and Albert pretend to be straight in an attempt to hide their romantic relationship. Unsurprisingly, hilarious hijinks ensue. Watch "The Birdcage" on Hulu now Beauty pageants are a storied part of drag culture, a world that the seminal 1968 documentary "The Queen" explores. Directed by Frank Simon and narrated by Flawless Sabrina, the non-fiction flick chronicles the experiences of drag queens participating in the 1967 Miss All-America Camp Beauty Contest held at New York City's Town Hall. As the contestants rehearse, perform and are scored for their walk, talk, gowns, beauty and more by a judges' panel that includes Andy Warhol and Larry Rivers, they share discussions on everything from sexual identity to the war draft. But soon that backstage chumminess turns into bitter jealousies, most memorably showcased in a fiery speech delivered by future House of LaBeija founder Crystal LaBeija. Jerry Portwood of Rolling Stone called the film "extraordinary because it captures so much, doubling as a time capsule of a generation's innocence and fashion-forward sophistication. You can tell why it functioned as a template for many future gender-nonconforming people looking for some sort of pre-internet guide through the confusing maze of sexuality and gender." Watch "The Queen" on Prime Video now The titular "Priscilla" isn't even a person at all, but a pink bus, one that shuttles two drag queens (played by Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce) and a transgender woman (Terence Stamp) across the Australian Outback to perform a drag show at a remote desert resort. Along the ABBA-soundtracked journey, the trio encounters several colorful characters, from homophobic gangs to friendly Aboriginal Australians. Heartwarming and uplifting, "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" was a surprise hit when it debuted in theaters in 1994. In the thirty years since, the Stephan Elliott-directed road-trip comedy has become an essential title of queer cinema. "While its premise is ripe for comedy — and it certainly delivers its fair share of laughs — 'Priscilla' is also a surprisingly tender and thoughtful road movie with some outstanding performances," reads the critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes, where the movie holds a 94% approval rating. Watch 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' on Tubi now
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Key moments from the third week of Sean ‘Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial
Some of Sean 'Diddy' Combs ' ex-employees took a central role in the third week of his sex trafficking trial, including personal assistants who testified that the hip-hop mogul was capricious, controlling and violent. The week began with Capricorn Clark, a personal assistant who was later a global brand director for Combs' company. She recalled witnessing Combs beating his longtime girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, and said he raged about wanting to kill rapper and romantic rival Kid Cudi. It ended with another ex-assistant, testifying under the pseudonym 'Mia,' who alleges Combs raped her during a torturous eight-year tenure working for the rap star. She is the second of three women expected to testify that he sexually assaulted them. Combs has pleaded not guilty. The trial resumes Monday in federal court in Manhattan. Here are key moments from Week 3: Former employees of Combs' Bad Boy Entertainment described repeatedly witnessing him beat Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, but said they didn't report the abuse to law enforcement because they feared Combs would harm them. Clark testified that the day she started as Combs' personal assistant in 2004, he threatened he would kill her if her previous work for rival rappers interfered with her work for him. Then, she testified, she watched in shock as Combs viciously assaulted Cassie, his on-again, off-again girlfriend for more than a decade, in 2011 after learning she was dating Cudi. Clark said her 'heart was breaking from seeing her get hit like that,' and neither she nor Combs' bodyguard intervened. She said she called Cassie's mother and told her: 'Please help her. I can't call the police, but you can.' Weeks later, Clark said, she reported what happened to Cassie to the president of Bad Boy Records. She also testified about her own run-ins with Combs, telling jurors that he kidnapped her at gunpoint and took her to Cudi's house as he fumed that he was going to kill the rapper. Cudi testified that he believed Cassie and Combs had broken up. He said his relationship with Cassie only lasted a few weeks. Clark said she stayed in Combs' SUV while he broke into the home. She said she was fired weeks later for what she contends was a trumped-up reason. One of the week's biggest developments came outside the courtroom. Cassie, 38, delivered her third child less than two weeks after testifying for four days as the prosecution's prize witness. The news of her son's birth Tuesday reached the jury the next day when Cassie's longtime stylist, Deonte Nash, testified that he was still close to Cassie and had sent her well wishes after the birth. Cassie, known for the platinum-selling 2006 hit single 'Me & U,' married personal trainer Alex Fine in September 2019 — about a year after breaking up with Combs for good. Their first daughter, Frankie Stone Fine, was born in 2019. They welcomed a second daughter, Sunny Cinco Fine, in 2021. Jurors heard from a Los Angeles police officer who responded to the December 2011 break-in at Cudi's home and an arson investigator who spoke about his efforts to solve the firebombing of Cudi's Porsche 911 weeks later. Officer Chris Ignacio said he found Christmas gifts, some opened, with luxury watches and purses. Cudi has testified that his dog was traumatized after being locked in a bathroom by intruders. Ignacio said he saw a car with tinted windows registered to Bad Boy outside the house but didn't approach it because he had no proof a crime had occurred. Prosecutors are trying to prove that Combs was behind the break-in and the subsequent firebombing, which involved a Molotov cocktail dropped through a hole sliced in the convertible's fabric roof. Lance Jimenez, a Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigator, said the explosive was made from a 40-ounce Olde English 800 malt liquor bottle and a silky designer handkerchief. 'I personally felt it was targeted,' he said of the Jan. 9, 2012, attack. Celebrity stylist Deonte Nash was a witness like no other, adding flair and humor within seconds of taking the stand on Wednesday. Asked if he wanted to testify, he declared: 'Absolutely not!' Nash said he knew Combs as 'Puff' and Cassie as 'Cass.' He said he responded to a Craigslist ad and started working at Bad Boy Entertainment as an intern and then a stylist from 2008 to 2018. Prosecutor Maurene Comey put a picture of Nash in front of him and asked, 'Is it a glamour shot of you?' 'Yes. I look amazing,' Nash responded, drawing laughs. Asked what he had heard Combs call Cassie over the years, Nash answered 'Um, Baby Girl, CC, Cass' and then listed a number of slurs against women. Asked how often Combs used one particular slur, Nash said: 'Um, quite a bit. That was his fave.' Nash later testified that Cassie had confided in him that she didn't always want to go along with Combs' demands that she have sex with other men during his drug-fueled 'freak-off' marathons. Mia testified that Combs sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions: forcibly kissing her and putting his hand up her dress at his 40th birthday party, forcing her to perform oral sex as they packed for a trip, and raping her after he climbed into her bed at his Los Angeles home. Mia said she thought her sexual abuse was sporadic enough that each time it occurred, she thought it would never happen again. She said she put on a brave face and continued to work for Combs, in part because she felt shame, blamed herself and feared what would happen if she reported him to authorities. Cassie testified previously that Combs raped her after she broke up with him in 2018. Mia said she witnessed Combs physically attacking Cassie 'all the time' at his houses, her apartments, hotels, events and while traveling. She said Combs also turned his wrath on her, throwing her into a swimming pool, dumping a bucket of ice on her and hurling a bowl of spaghetti in her direction. Prosecutors insisted all week that they are ahead of schedule in presenting their case and said they could be done calling witnesses by mid-June. But Combs lawyer Marc Agnifilo said the defense's presentation might take longer than expected — particularly after prosecutors revealed they were making 'fairly substantial changes' to their plan. 'It may be that because of witnesses the government is not calling, we might have more on the defense case,' he said. As a result, he added, the trial might run to the start of July. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
Tom's Guide
2 days ago
- Tom's Guide
New on Paramount Plus in June 2025 — all the new shows and movies to watch
Paramount Plus adds tons of new shows and movies every month, and this June is no different. Well, it's maybe a little different. The slate of new original shows and movies is very light this month. The science-fiction love story "Love Me" is the big movie hitting the streaming service this month, making its streaming debut on June 16. But aside from that, it's all about the older, licensed shows and movies that Paramount Plus is adding this month. The good news is that the movies Paramount Plus is adding to its library this month are excellent. There's "Reservoir Dogs," "No Country for Old Men," "Whiplash" and more. You could just watch Paramount Plus movies this month and be content — the list is that good. Here's everything new on Paramount Plus this month, starting with our top picks. When I say "Love Me" features an intimate cast, I'm not exaggerating. This post-apocalyptic romance movie stars just two incredible actors: Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun. This sci-fi romance takes place long into the future, and humanity has gone extinct. But when a weather buoy (Stewart) comes across a passing satellite, it becomes self-aware, declaring itself "Me" and naming the passing satellite "Iam." They then, at Me's insistence, form a friendship and develop personas based on the social media channel of an influencer named Deja and her husband Liam. This relationship then turns into something more, but that brings complications. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Premieres June 16 on Paramount Plus The Tony Awards recognize the best in the world of Broadway theater. This year, the 78th Annual Tony Awards will kick off on June 8 at 8 p.m. ET, hosted by "Wicked" star and Tony winner Cynthia Erivo. Leading the pack with 10 nominations are "Buena Vista Social Club," "Death Becomes Her" and "Maybe Happy Ending," all three of which are competing for Best Musical. But I'll be keeping an eye on the Best Performance categories to see if Sarah Snook can win for her performance as every character in "The Picture of Dorian Gray". Premieres live on June 8 at 8 p.m. ET on Paramount Plus "Reservoir Dogs" has an incredible ensemble cast. The crime drama stars Harvey Keitel as Mr. White, Tim Roth as Mr. Orange, Michael Madsen as Mr. Blonde, Chris Penn as "Nice Guy" Eddie Cabot, Steve Buscemi as Mr. Pink, Lawrence Tierney as Joe Cabot, Edward Bunker as Mr. Blue and director Quentin Tarantino as Mr. Brown, the final of the eight bank robbers whose heist goes horribly wrong. You never see the heist, though. In fact, you only see this group of men together once. After breakfast at a diner, the heist goes off and only Mr. White and Mr. Orange make it to a warehouse rendezvous with Mr. Pink. This is Quentin Tarantino's best movie, so don't miss it now that it's on Paramount Plus. Premieres June 1 on Paramount Plus ORIGINALS, EXCLUSIVES, PREMIERES & EVENTSJUNE 8 "The 78th Annual Tony Awards"** Cynthia Erivo will host the 2025 Tony Awards, which honors the incredible artistry of the 2024-2025 Broadway season. This year's ceremony will return to the legendary Radio City Music Hall in New York City. JUNE 16 "Love Me"* In a story that spans billions of years, a buoy and a satellite meet online long after humanity's extinction. As they learn what life was like on Earth, they discover themselves and what it means to be alive and in love. JUNE 20 "Noah's Arc: The Movie"* premiere Fans and new audiences will reunite with the beloved chosen family following the events of 2020's 'Noah's Arc: The 'Rona Chronicles' special. In this next installment, Noah and Wade are expecting twins and must shift gears when each is offered their dream job, forcing one of them to assume the traditional stay-at-home parental which one? JUNE 4 "SpongeBob SquarePants" season 14 JUNE 11 "The Really Loud House" season 2 JUNE 22 "Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards" (on-demand) JUNE 25 "The Patrick Star Show" season 3"Ice Airport Alaska" season 5"The Last Cowboy" season 5 JUNE 1 "3:10 to Yuma"*"12 Years a Slave" "Bad News Bears" BlacKkKlansman""Boogie Nights""But I'm a Cheerleader""Call Me By Your Name""Carol""Carriers""Center Stage""Changing Lanes""Chasing Amy""Cloverfield""Crawlspace""Daddy Day Camp""Dance Flick""Dog Day Afternoon""Double Jeopardy""Eagle Eye""Elf""Enemy at the Gates""EuroTrip""Everybody's Fine""Extract""First Blood""Heatwave""How She Move""How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days""Imagine That""In & Out""Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull""Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade""Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark""Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom""Jawbreaker""Kinky Boots""Law of Desire""Layer Cake""Light of My Life""Like a Boss""Marathon Man""Masterminds""Military Wives"*"Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult""No Country for Old Men""Orange County""Overdrive""Pretty In Pink""Pulp Fiction""Racing with the Moon""Rambo III""Rambo: First Blood Part II""RED"*"Reservoir Dogs""Risky Business"'"Road Trip""Run & Gun""Saturday Night Fever""Save the Last Dance""School Ties""Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse""She's All That""Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow""Stand By Me""Teen Titans GO! To the Movies""The Autopsy of Jane Doe"* "The Crossing Guard""The Dictator""The Fighting Temptations""The Gambler""The General's Daughter""The Girl Next Door""The Godfather""The Godfather Part II""The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone""The Hunt for Red October""The Ides of March""The Kings of Summer""The Last Samurai""The Lovely Bones""The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear""The Naked Gun: From The Files of Police Squad!""The Nice Guys""The Other Woman"*"The People vs. Larry Flynt""The Running Man""The Shootist""The Space Between Us"*"The Untouchables""Tigerland""Tommy Boy""Tootsie""Total Recall" (1990)"True Grit""Whiplash""Without a Paddle""xXx""Zola" JUNE 5 "Lions for Lambs"* JUNE 1 Formula E – Hankook Shanghai E-Prix*PGA Tour – the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday (Final Round Coverage)* JUNE 6 NWSL – Racing Louisville FC vs. Utah Royals FC JUNE 7 NWSL – NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. Kansas City Current*PGA Tour – RBC Canadian Open (Third and Final Round Coverage)*WNBA – Indiana Fever @ Chicago Sky* JUNE 8 PBR – Knockout Kansas City*PGA Tour – RBC Canadian Open (Third and Final Round Coverage)*NWSL – Washington Spirit vs. North Carolina Courage JUNE 13 NWSL – Houston Dash vs. San Diego Wave FC JUNE 14 WNBA – Los Angeles Sparks @ Minnesota Lynx*BIG3 Basketball* JUNE 15 WNBA – Chicago Sky @ Connecticut Sun*LPGA – Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give (Final Round Coverage)*NWSL – Portland Thorns vs. Washington Spirit* JUNE 21 NWSL – Utah Royals FC vs. Seattle Reign FCSailGP – Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix*PGA Tour – Travelers Championship (Third and Final Round Coverage)* JUNE 22 Formula E – Jakarta E-Prix*PGA Tour – Travelers Championship (Third and Final Round Coverage)*BIG3 Basketball* JUNE 27 "Pulisic" episodes 8-9 premiere JUNE 28 PGA Tour – Rocket Classic (Third and Final Round Coverage)* JUNE 29 BIG3 Basketball*PGA Tour – Rocket Classic (Third and Final Round Coverage)* Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made. Here's what he's been watching lately:
