Does it matter where Hollywood celebs stand? How spousal roles have evolved over the centuries, saying farewell to the VCR and other obsolete technology.
What to look out for on Day 3 of the DNC
History was made yesterday as Hillary Clinton became the first woman to win a major party nomination for president.
Representing the state of California during the roll call vote was Governor Jerry Brown, who officially cast 330 votes for Clinton and 221 votes for Bernie Sanders.
.
announces the CA roll call vote. Some Sanders supporters challenge the vote but are ignored.
— Scott Shafer (@scottshafer)
.@JerryBrownGov announces the CA roll call vote. Some Sanders supporters challenge the vote but are ignored. pic.twitter.com/Fl46suWlob
— Scott Shafer (@scottshafer) July 26, 2016
After Hillary Clinton's nomination became official, delegates for Bernie Sanders walked out.
Hundreds of Sanders supporters storm the media center in protest of
nomination.
— Scott Shafer (@scottshafer)
Hundreds of Sanders supporters storm the media center in protest of @HillaryClinton nomination. #DemsInPhilly pic.twitter.com/mTFvNUIoOy
— Scott Shafer (@scottshafer) July 26, 2016
Scott Shafer, Senior Editor for KQED's California Politics and Government Desk, joined Take Two to recap Day 2 of the convention and preview today's events.
Speakers today include:
- President Barack Obama
- Vice President Joe Biden
- Senator Tim Kaine (Virginia), Hillary Clinton's running mate
- Former Congressman and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta
- California Governor Jerry Brown
- U.S. Representative Adam Schiff (California)
- U.S. Representative Maxine Waters (California)
'Each day people are walking into the convention hall feeling more on the same page,' Congresswoman aims to unify Democrats
The theme at the Democratic convention is working together. Which may be easier said than done considering some of the rancor and frustration emerging from Bernie Sanders supporters. How do you get attendees to overcome their differences?
Congresswoman Barbara Lee has some ideas. The Representative of California's 13th district - up in Northern California's East Bay - put her ideas into action yesterday in Philadelphia, she joined us to discuss her plan.
To hear the full interview, click the blue play button above.
Super spouses: Examining the evolution of presidential plus-ones
Former President Bill Clinton gave a long speech in Philly Tuesday designed to introduce voters to a side of his wife the country doesn't know.
https://youtu.be/8RchVnIn_-Y?t=1m4s
The former President has stumped for plenty of other candidates, but now he faces a new challenge: going to bat for his wife of more than 40 years.
Candidate spouses and the role they play on the campaign trail has evolved in recent decades: each must find a balance between personal and political.
For more on how that role has changed over the years, Take Two spoke to Kate Andersen Brower, author of the book "First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies."
Press the blue play button above to hear the full interview.
How real women on Wall Street helped shape 'Equity'
There's been a lot of talk lately about the lack of strong, leading roles for women in Hollywood; about how women often play the same types of parts — moms and wives, teachers and nurses; about how few women ever sit in the director's chair.
The new film "Equity" is a game changer. It stars actress Anna Gunn as a powerful investment banker, named Naomi Bishop, who's fighting to rise to the top of the corporate ladder at a competitive Wall Street firm. One of Naomi's underlings, Erin, is also trying to get on equal footing with the men of the firm.
"Equity" features lots of women, both in front of and behind the scenes. Director Meera Menon and Sarah Megan Thomas, who played Erin and also helped write and produce the film, recently dropped by Take Two to talk about the film.
"Equity" opens this week. Actress Anna Gunn will attend a Q&A session at screenings at the Arclight in Hollywood this weekend. Click here for more information.
Why this isn't your typical film about Wall Street
Sarah Megan Thomas: "It takes place in a post-financial crisis world, and in the world of new regulations, and in the world of IPOs, a la Facebook going public, and these are sides of Wall Street we've never seen before, and it explores the women who work in this world, and how strong and powerful they are, and the gray lines of how far you'll go to get what you want on Wall Street."
Meera Menon: "We see those kind of stereotypes or those archetypes in those worlds as the traders on the trading floor shouting at each other or those aggressive scenes on the trading floor and most of the scenes that took place in 'Equity' had a kind of, subtler quality to them that kind of explored salesmanship specific to investment banking: being good in a room, to be able to sell an idea, to be able to pitch an idea to a client. The scenes kind of felt, actually, more reminiscent of the type of scenes you'd see in 'Mad Men' and the world of advertising or something like that. And so, just tonally it was very different as it was written and I thought that was really cool as well."
About the women on Wall Street they worked with:
SMT: "First is how difficult their job is, the amount of traveling, how difficult it is to have a family. What stood out to me most, which is something that we actually put in my character, was that women on Wall Street still feel that they're not at a certain level when they get pregnant, they have to hide their pregnancy for as long as possible, or they will be paid less, or won't get that promotion. If they're at a certain level, they feel like they can have that kid… And the other thing that's really interesting is a lot of these women, they take like seven days off and come straight back, because they're scared that the men will take their accounts."
The surprising thing they learned about a woman’s experience on Wall Street:
SMT: "The one that was actually most surprising to me, which again we incorporated in the film, was how women dress. How, because even investment banking is sales, and you're selling, and you're selling largely to men, and you're a woman. You don't have to hide you're a woman, and you have to be attractive to these men. And what crosses the line between professional, and sexy, and too high-heel? And even the men we interview talking about that in a way that’s like, 'Well I advised her not to wear that skirt, that skirt was way too tight.' And they’re talking about that without realizing we're thinking, 'Huh?'"
MM: "I think that was part of the process of me understanding how to visual this film. It started from that conversation of understanding how their daily routines involve a deep amount of thinking into what they're going to wear and how to present themselves, and I just think it's a whole chapter and category of thought process that women in this world have to engage with that men don't have to in as much depth."
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above.
Hollywood out in full force at the DNC, but do celebrity endorsements really matter?
The Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia has been a star-studded event, last night brought appearances from Meryl Streep, Lena Dunham, America Ferrera and actress Elizabeth Banks.
For more on the role celebrities are playing in the presidential election, Ted Johnson who writes about the intersection of politics and entertainment for Variety, joined the show to discuss.
Interview Highlights
What do funny and fame bring to a campaign?
"It's entertainment and what we're seeing, especially in this presidential campaign is, that's the way that a lot of people seem to be digesting their politics. It gets people to listen to the candidate it gets people to listen to what they say about the issues and in this case it probably got some people to take note of the democratic convention. For the people in the arena, it was kind of a relief last night, in between a lot of professional politician speakers, something that they tend to do at these conventions but I think we're seeing more and more campaigns try to use humor as a way of really hooking the audience and getting people to pay attention."
Does the message register to delegates or the public differently when it's coming from a celebrity?
"It probably does a little bit, but nothing is going to be as powerful as Bernie Sanders endorsing Hillary Clinton and asking the delegates to approve her nomination by acclimation, as we saw last night. I think what celebrities can do is kind of the bandwagon effect. 'This is the way I'm leaning, there are these other celebrities who are also leaning this way, maybe you should get on board.' I still don't think it is as powerful as having a friend or a neighbor or a family member say, 'I like this candidate, maybe you should as well.' but I do think there is some impact because we see campaigns use celebrities, cycle after cycle and it's not just democrats..."
Do you see anything different when it comes to use of celebrities in this election cycle as opposed to those in the past?
"Yes, in past cycles, Democrats have always been a little bit hesitant in how much they use celebrities, and which celebrities they are. I don't think they have the same worry in past cycles probably for the biggest reason being, they're facing a celebrity, Donald Trump. He embraces showbiz, he's a reality TV star, so if the Republicans were to say 'Oh, they're just part of the elite,' I think the Democrats can come right back and say 'Well, listen, your candidate is someone who likes mingling with celebrities. He loves their adulation, so what are you talking about?'"
To hear the full segment, click the blue play button above.
The Binge: 4 summer beach movies to watch
Streaming entertainment is great right? So much content that you can check out - whether it's on your computer, tablet or even phone!
But there's just one problem - too many choices!
But we've got the solution - our monthly segment we call, The Binge. Our guide for the best movies and television shows you should be streaming.
Take Two contributor
joins us for his picks this month. And since the heat has been breaking records this summer, we thought we'd look at some awesome beach movies!
- DEEP WATER (2006) Netflix
This gripping and intense documentary chronicles the fascinating story of Donald Crowhurst, a sort of British everyman who impulsively decides to enter the first non-stop sailing race around the world. It's a fascinating study of men under incredibly stressful and dangerous conditions.
- OPEN WATER (2004) Netflix
This low budget film based on a true story was a surprise hit. Made for only $500,00, it made close to $60 million at the box office. A young professional couple goes on a vacation in the Caribbean, but through a screw-up with the head count, they are left behind.
- THE ENDLESS SUMMER (1966) Netflix
This low budget surfing flick absolutely changed pop culture. The film played throughout the world and was hugely responsible for the sudden, explosive popularity of surfing.
- BEACH PARTY (1963) Amazon Prime
This is the film that started it all – Frankie & Annette would go on to appear in five more beach movies together, but this was the first pairing. The crazy plot has Robert Cummings as an anthropologist studying the American teenager as one would a foreign culture.
It’s goofy and cheesy and everyone from Morey Amsterdam to Vincent Price show up. And after a real day at the beach, it’s a fun little tonic to kick back with. Needless to say, the surfing in this doesn’t hold a candle to Endless Summer.
Recycling centers are closing, so how can you still be green?
The Golden State has a lot to be proud of because we have one of the best recycling rates in the nation.
But it's not easy being green.
That's because of some changes within California's recycling industry have shuttered about one-fifth of the state's recycling centers over the past year.
Lawmakers are rushing for a solution, but to explain what's happening – and what this means for you at home – Take Two chats with Susan Collins, executive director of the Container Recycling Institute.
The Styled Side: Democrats or Republicans - who wore it better?
Hail to the chic!
Last week, The Styled Side examined the fashion sense of Republicans at their national convention. This week, we turn our eyes towards the Democrats.
"The show belonged to Michelle Obama politically and sartorially," says Michelle Dalton Tyree from Fashion Trends Daily, "and, from a style perspective, she really cemented the idea that you can 'sew' a great deal of meaning into a dress."
The patriotic cobalt blue Christian Siriano dress was paired with a pair metallic Jimmy Choo pumps, a designer brand Ms. Obama has worn many times before.
"The choice of Siriano conveys that Democrats are inclusive, and Americans should strive to be inclusive, too," she says.
Siriano is most recently known for stepping in to outfit "Ghostbusters" star Leslie Jones who was frustrated that she couldn't find a designer willing to dress her larger frame.
Deserving of some attention, too, is another political spouse: Bill Clinton.
Fashion tends to focus on current- and potential-First Ladies, but as the first possible First Gentleman, it's worth noting how Mr. Clinton looked when he took to the podium to deliver his speech.
"He looked elegant and very much like the seasoned former president that he is," says Tyree, "but no labels were confirmed. No brands sent out press releases on what HE was wearing!"
"The few news outlets who did report on his outfit agreed that a potential First Gentlemen's manner of dress should come under the same scrutiny as a First Lady’s clothing choices would."
Comparing what conventioneers wore, Tyree says there's a definite winner.
"I have to give it to the Republicans for most outrageous style on the RNC floor," she says. "There was some for the Democrats in the form of big hats, but I was really hoping for more style antics on the DNC floor."
Democrats do have an edge when it comes to collaborations with high-profile designers.
"Designers love Hillary! Just shop her site to see," says Tyree, where you can find t-shirts by designers Diane von Furstenberg, Tory Burch, Marc Jacobs and more.