pop culture
Female pop-culture icons, women in the media and the depiction of women in the entertainment and pop culture sphere.
Reviewing the Ninth Annual Women's Royal Rumble
Before I went to bed last night, I decided to go to Netflix and relive the 2018 Women's Royal Rumble Match, the very first Women's Rumble. Amazing. A Women's Royal Rumble Match seemed like just a pipe dream. Now, not only did it come true in 2018, but we are now in Year Nine of the Women's Rumble. On Saturday, January 31, 2026, the 39th annual Royal Rumble event took place, and for the first time since the very first one in 1988, they left the country, as the Saudi capital of Riyadh hosted the event.
By Clyde E. Dawkins2 days ago in Viva
Thinness, TikTok, and the Algorithm: The Revival of Harmful Beauty Ideals in the Digital Age. AI-Generated.
Scrolling through social media today, it’s hard not to notice echoes of the early 2000s, when the ‘heroin chic’ aesthetic dominated fashion magazines and ultra-thin bodies were widely celebrated. Back then, women above a size two were frequently mocked in headlines, and intense scrutiny of female bodies was considered routine. As we fast-forward to the present day, similar attitudes are making an unsettling comeback—particularly on platforms like TikTok, where viral trends and algorithm-driven content cycles often spotlight a narrow, unrealistic version of beauty.
By Sarah Xenos12 days ago in Viva
Recapping an Amazing Night for the Knockouts on Impact's AMC Premiere
The broadcast history of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling has always been quite interesting. TNA started in 2002, but it wasn't until 2004 that they had an actual TV deal. I remember their days on Fox Sports Net, but it was in the fall of 2005 that TNA moved to what was then known as Spike TV, moving there just days after the network aired WWE's Raw program for the final time. It was around that time that I started watching TNA, and they were on Spike for nine years. After that, it was years of being on a lot of different channels. Destination America and Pop, two channels that no one would know without TNA. It's similar to how TruTV airs the earliest March Madness games. I still remember the brief time when they were on Twitch in 2019, but that ended that fall when they moved to AXS TV.
By Clyde E. Dawkins18 days ago in Viva
Beyoncé’s Billionaire Triumph Redefines Power, Ownership, and Modern Creative Excellence
Beyoncé’s ascent to billionaire status is not merely a personal milestone—it is a cultural verdict. When Forbes affirmed on December 29, 2025 that the Houston-born artist has officially crossed the ten-figure threshold, the acknowledgment resonated far beyond balance sheets and brand valuations. It signaled that disciplined excellence, artistic sovereignty, and strategic patience can coexist in an industry long hostile to creators—especially Black women—owning the fruits of their labor.
By Victor Trammellabout a month ago in Viva
Never Laugh at Woman's Pain
This story involves a life lesson learning experience for all women that they need to know and understand why they should never laugh at a woman’s pain because when she deals with it you will endure what she has. This story involves reality star and business Miss Nikki, former NBA basketball player/ wannabe rapper Gelo Ball, and Wild n Out gal Rashidia Nicole. Before I start to address this whole story and this is not a diss towards anyone, honestly, I was never involve in their lives and it is not my business to tell so. This is just a epitome of never laughing at woman’s pain.
By Gladys W. Muturi2 months ago in Viva
The joy of Christmas movies
When Christmas rolls around, there’s nothing I look forward to more than sinking into the lounge for a good holiday movie. These festive films hold a special spot in my heart, and every year I feel a tingle of anticipation, eager to choose which new Christmas flick will kick off the season. The latest Netflix releases always catch my eye—even though, let’s be honest, most of them follow the same tried-and-true recipe as a classic Hallmark movie.
By Sarah Xenos2 months ago in Viva
Boston Baked Betrayal: A Look at Nikki Bella's Villainous Turn. Top Story - November 2025.
The November 10, 2025 edition of Monday Night Raw will forever be remembered as one of the most magical Raws in WWE history. It started off on a magical note already. John Cena, for the first time in his storied and iconic career, finally... finally captured the Intercontinental Championship. He did it! He completed the Grand Slam, joining the prestigious list that includes Edge, Jeff Hardy, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio, and someone who we are still mourning 20 years later, Eddie Guerrero. Raw kicked off with something that I had been waiting at least a decade for.
By Clyde E. Dawkins3 months ago in Viva
"The Woman or the Girl You Knew the night before...."
"Girl... ..... you'll be a woman, soon." Neil Diamond sang those lyrics circa 1967, the same year Aretha Franklin was belting out "Natural Woman". Bob Segar recorded the song "Turn the Page" in 1971 with the lyrics "You can think about the woman, or the girl you knew the night before." And "She's Always a Woman" is a song by Billy Joel from his "Stranger" album of 1977, while the BeeGee's sang "More than a Woman"also in the 70s. People also loved John Lennon's song "Woman" from the album "Double Fantasy" released in 1980. After that, the 80s and 90s did not produce any big titles with the word "Woman" as the main theme. So? Why all this history of "Woman" themed songs? What's my point? What does it mean to be a woman? VIVA community wants to know. I think Neil, Bob, Billy, The Gibbs, and John, have all tried to answer the question for women, but how many women have written a song about Women? We might bark up Melissa Etheridge's tree or the Indigo Girls, but as far as I've heard of their songs, I've not found one focused completely on the word or theme "Women" --- which has me believing that neither straight or lesbian women really know what to say about the word "woman" or "women" yet I have just thought of one artist who did come up with something in the 90s: Shania Twain. "Man, I feel like a Woman." Oh, wait. Another artist just came to mind - Whitney Houston (in the 80s) did do a remake of "I'm Every Woman" which was a Pop Hit for her.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman3 months ago in Viva
Envy is a product of the unloved
I love the photograph above. Two women, plus sized, at the beach, smiling, embracing each other without fear, and modeling their bikinis like Vogue models. Yes, I absolutely adore this photo. The women in the photo don't care if you think size 20 is "obese" or if you think they are "too big" to rock a bikini. They are not jealous of the women who get to walk the big city runways or get paid to wear the newest fashion design. They're not mad that they had to spend $80 for the right bikini because no one bought them an outfit to show them off like a trophy or to pursuade them into some rendevous. This is not a photograph about "fat shaming" or envy. This a photograph about love, beauty, and power. Real power. The power to rise above "popular opinion" and the power to find and feel love regardless of how the world tries to deny you of it.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman3 months ago in Viva
