Category: EntertainHR

Posts focus on what not to do in the workplace, based on examples from television, film, and other popular media.

Mariah Carey Won’t Let Bipolar Diagnosis “Define” or “Control” Her

Mariah Carey, known as an iconic singer-songwriter and a dramatic diva, disclosed to People magazine last week that she has bipolar disorder.  Although she was first diagnosed in 2001, Carey says she finally sought treatment recently after “the hardest couple of years [she’s] been through.” (Among her recent personal and professional issues, you may recall […]

Desperate Housewives Case Addresses Wrongful Termination Based on Failure to Renew Contract

It should not be surprising that in California, prominent court cases involve the entertainment industry at times. In my last EntertainHR blog post, I discussed the 2006 California Supreme Court’s decision in Lyle v. Warner Brothers Television Productions, where the court held that within the adult-oriented situation comedy Friends writers’ room, conduct that might otherwise […]

Violence

Good Girls: Three Moms Channel Walter White

NBC’s new show Good Girls is far more Weeds and Breaking Bad than the comedy I expected, but it provides an interesting glimpse into the workplace through a trio of moms resorting to desperate measures to make ends meet. Our three anti-heroines are:

The Blessing of March Madness

March Madness is back and we’ve had a bit more madness this year. We saw the first 16 seed topple a 1 seed when UMBC shocked Virginia. Virginia’s early exit seemed to turn the South Region upside down, with upsets coming fast and furious. Eventually, upstart 11-seed Loyola University of Chicago stepped from the carnage, […]

Oscars Delve into Legal Territory with Two Words: Inclusion Rider

At the end of her Oscars acceptance speech for Best Actress this year, Frances McDormand, after having spoken about equality, concluded with the following statement: “I have two words to leave with you tonight, ladies and gentlemen: inclusion rider.” And with that, McDormand was done and making her way off stage, leaving the audience and […]

Women as Warriors: What Black Panther Teaches Us About Women in the Workplace

Coming off the heels of a fantastic Blockbuster first few weeks, nearly $900 million made at the box office globally, and premiering during Black History Month, there is no denying that Black Panther is just the start of a monumental cultural movement. Black Panther is being touted as not only one of the year’s best […]

Millennial

What We Can Learn from Black Panther’s Success: Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging in Your Workplace

Since Iron Man in 2008, moviegoers have poured into theaters to watch more than a dozen films in the superhero franchise known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel’s latest superhero blockbuster, Black Panther, is about T’Challa, prince of the fictional nation of Wakanda, who must return home to assume the throne from his deceased father […]

Why Can’t We Be Friends: Would Lyle Case Decision Be Same Today?

What if I told you that the California Supreme Court has ruled that under certain circumstances, an employee being exposed to lewd conduct in the workplace – including sexual discussions, sexually explicit pictures, and colleagues pantomiming masturbation – is not enough to sustain an actionable sexual harassment claim? In light of the recent spate of […]

Will & Grace: New Run, Same Naughty Karen

Back in March, I wrote about the revival of Will & Grace, though we all know it is really the Jack & Karen show.  Over the years, we have seen the softer side of Karen Walker, which lies far (really far) below the surface of her martini-swilling, insult-slinging, pill-popping, Botox veneer. In the series revival, […]