Gilmore Girls, Parenthood & more mothers in pop culture

When I was in elementary school, I fell in love with books and writing. I would fill notebook after notebook with stories and read most mornings while I ate breakfast, devouring any book I could get my hands on. So it's no surprise that one of the first signs of romance that I picked up on in pop culture is what I'll refer to as the when a man/woman encourages his/her love to write trope.

Although Aaron Sorkin struggles to write female characters (as previously discussed), one of the biggest shining stars of the show is powerhouse C.J. Cregg.

A few years ago, I began hearing about a live storytelling show called Pop-Up Magazine. Created by the team behind California Sunday Magazine, these events bring together writers, journalists, producers, actors, musicians and more to the stage to share stories. Each show features a different line-up, announced on a city-by-city basis, which means each performance is unique.

With the exception of Friends, I think New Girl is the best buddy hangout show created.

It's an old TV trope to pit women against each other to fight over a man. This can be detrimental to a series, when all the female characters focus on is the men in their lives and the rivalry that exists because of this romantic drama. But on occasion, this plot device can be used to create some of TVs best female relationships. What starts as a disagreement about a man, turns into life-long friendship for these five female duos.

It's the end of March and that means baseball season is here once again. I'm gearing up to cheer on the Cubs, eat plenty of hot dogs, sing loudly during the seventh-inning stretch and pretend the White Sox don't exist. To get you excited for the best sport of all (sorry March Madness, but my bracket is dead), I've put together a compilation of baseball moments in pop culture.

When I was in kindergarten, I watched The Parent Trap with Lindsay Lohan for the first time. I became obsessed with the story and its many tiny details. I painted my nails the same sparkly blue, bought a yellow duffel bag and fell in love with jean jackets. It wasn't until I was older that I realized this film was part of a larger library of work created by Nancy Meyers.

As most people did, I first discovered Mindy Kaling when I started watching The Office. But it wasn't until I read her book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) that I began to fully understand the brilliance that is Mindy

As someone who has a lengthy daily commute and a job that requires lots of work on the computer, listening to podcasts has changed and drastically improved by routines.

When I first stumbled across the whip-smart, imaginative, romantic, bookworm Anne Shirley (portrayed by the amazing Megan Follows), I was obsessed.

While we often discuss the acting, writing and direction of a TV show or movie, we rarely take the time to delve into the music choices that go beyond the score. I'm talking about when a popular song comes on in the background and completely transforms a scene into a piece of art or an iconic moment. Here are 10 scenes from TV or movies (no musicals though!) that are made by the accompanying music choices.

Like many of you, I first discovered the talented Lena Waithe in the Netflix original Master of None.

laying House is a show created by hilarious duo (and real-life best friends) Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair. It aired for three seasons on the USA Network (where you can watch it now).

Of course, now Greta's face and name is a must-know in the movie world, as she's gaining much-deserved acclaim for Lady Bird. But back in 2010, this was the first that I had heard of her.

I can't quite recall the first time I watched The Mary Tyler Moore Show, but I do remember always feeling deeply connected to the series. As I grew up and pursued a career in journalism and moved to a new city by myself, I always meant to re-visit the world of Mary Richards at WJM-TV in Minneapolis.