1. Sarah Shahi Show Gets a Pass Because It’s “Too Female”

Soooo... CBS passed on The Nancy Drew reboot we've all been waiting for, even though it was reported to have tested well with audiences. Womp womp. But why!? Well, according to Deadline, the main criticism from executives was that the show was “too female.” Please cue Michael Scott for our reaction.

We’re (not) sorry, but whhhat? Is being “too female” a thing? We’re pretty sure (100% sure) that criticism is never used for male-centric programming (aka most programming). If Nancy Drew is too female, can someone please explain to me why Entourage was a thing for 8 seasons? Can y'all lmk why every female character in a Marvel movie is a brooding/moody girl who doesn’t know how to use her powers, or a blonde smart girl who doesn’t talk much? Think pieces of the world, unite and fill in the blanks, here! I digress.

**Sarah Shahi in Rush Hour 3, New Line Cinema**

Our girl Nancy Drew was going to be played by Sarah Shahi, a Persian-American actress currently on the CBS drama Person of Interest__. Shahi would have been the first woman of color to play Drew on screen, and was looking forward to the shows impact. She took to her Twitter to express her disappointment. “Thank you for the <3 <3 <3. I believe we need strong female role models. She def could have been one.” Since the show’s pass, #nancydrew and #toofemale have been trending on Twitter, and fans are disappointed that they won’t get to see their childhood hero all grown up, kicking ass for the NYPD. We hope that next time, executives will think twice before deeming something too female- how about female and crushin’ it?

2. Hayden Panettiere Speaks Out About Postpartum Depression

On May 12th, Hayden Panettiere announced on her Twitter that she will be returning to rehab for the second time to battle postpartum depression.

She stated: “The postpartum depression I have been experiencing has impacted every aspect of my life. Rather than stay stuck due to unhealthy coping mechanisms I have chosen to take time to reflect holistically on my health and life. Wish me luck!" 

Her announcement is coming shortly after the cancellation of her show, Nashville. Panettiere is taking this time to get the help she needs and to bring awareness to her struggle since having her daughter, Kaya, in December 2014.

In September 2015, she spoke with Kelly and Michael Live and opened the discussion on her ongoing battle. Regarding the stigma and taboo around postpartum depression, she said, “There's a lot of misunderstanding. There's a lot of people out there that think that it's not real, that it's not true, that it's something that's made up in their minds, that 'Oh, it's hormones.' They brush it off. It's something that's completely uncontrollable. It's really painful and it's really scary and women need a lot of support."

Despite efforts made by public figures like Brooke Shields and Drew Barrymore, postpartum depression is still considered taboo in mainstream media. Panettiere is not only showing us that there is no shame in getting help, but that we need to create a public support system for women who are battling this and cannot afford the luxury of treatment. We support you, Hayden! (Now time to go sob over Nashville cancellation, brb.)

3. Susan Sarandon Speaks Out Against Woody Allen

Queen of our hearts/cleavage of our dreams Susan Sarandon has spoken honestly on her thoughts regarding accused sexual assaulter (and director) Woody Allen. When asked about the Allen at the Cannes Film Festival (where he was promoting his new movie Cafe Society, and she was promoting The Meddler), she responded “I have nothing good to say about Woody Allen so I don’t think we should go there. I think he sexually assaulted a child and I don’t think that’s right … It’s gotten very quiet in here, but that’s true.”

Woody Allen was accused by his then seven-year-old daughter, Dylan Farrow, of sexual abuse in 1993. In 2014, Farrow wrote an open letter to the New York Times regarding the aftermath of the abuse, and how Hollywood's continued warmth and acceptance of Allen silenced her for a long time. “Woody Allen is a living testament to the way our society fails the survivors of sexual assault and abuse”, she wrote.

Kristen Stewart, who is in Allen’s film and was also at Cannes, has defended her decision to work with him. “We don’t know any of these people involved. I can personalize situations, which would be very wrong. At the end of the day, Jesse Eisenberg and I talked about this,” Stewart told Variety Magazine. “If we were persecuted for the amount of shit that’s been said about us that’s not true, our lives would be over.” (We don’t remember Stewart ever being accused of sexual assault- sounds a bit different to us.)

Sarandon refuses to be silenced by Allen’s powerful influence over mainstream Hollywood, and is speaking openly and honestly regarding his abuse. By speaking honestly, Sarandon is acting as an advocate, and showing survivors like Dylan Farrow that she has not forgotten their stories. Slow clap for Sarandon, plz.

4. Laverne Cox Will Be the First Transgender Person to Star on a Broadcast Series

Okay, can we set our DVR’s now? Is that still a thing? Either way, we’re jumping for joy for Doubt, a new CBS drama starring Laverne Cox and Katherine Heigl. Doubt is the first broadcast series starring a transgendered actor playing a transgender actor. Helllllls yes.

Doubt was a pilot in last season’s roundup, but did not go to series. A little tailoring was done, and 2 main characters were replaced by Katherine Heigl and Steven Pasquale, and the series has now been officially picked up. Cox was in the original and updated pilot, and will now be gracing us with her presence, erry week. 

This is a big deal, ya’ll!  GLAAD produced a report in 2015 called “Where We Are On TV”, and reported that 84% of respondents "learn about trans people through what they see in the media." They also found that only “three recurring trans characters were counted on cable.”

Not only is Cox a fantastic actress that deserves this role, but she will be bringing exposure and awareness to trans characters and trans actors in mainstream media. We hope this show will pave the way for more trans actors and characters in television. (Three cheers for inclusivity! Whoop Whoop!)

**5. WE'VE GOT A NEW AD CAMPAIGN FOR YA. :)**

Today’s Pop Culture Tuesday falls on a #Fempowering day in the THINX community--our newest ad campaign is up in NYC! We are all over the Union Square station, and for our peeps that don’t live in NYC, we wanna share them with you! A few of our faves are below--let us know what you think! Here's Bustle's take. xox

by Team Thinx