Entertainment
‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3’ Fails to Serve Satisfying Sequel: Review on September 8, 2023 at 1:30 am Us Weekly

Courtesy of Yannis Drakoulidis / Focus Features
2 stars (out of 4)
Even delightful confections are sometimes best left at single servings. Like, say, Baklava. And My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
After a lackluster 2016 sequel, talented writer-director-star Nia Vardalos has reassembled her bustling onscreen family for My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. But if the second flick felt like a frustrating retread that failed to capture the charm of the 2002 original runaway hit, this outing just fails. Agreed that this is a shame.
There’s rich irony in that My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 features the thinnest of storylines. After the recent death of family patriarch Gus Portokalos (Michael Constantine, RIP), his daughter Toula (Vardalos) heads to the home country to give his journal to his childhood friends at some sort of reunion. (Though she speaks fluent Greek, we’re supposed to believe she’s never visited Greece until now.) Along for the trip: Her husband, Ian (John Corbett); teen daughter Paris (Elena Kampouris); wacky Aunt Voula (stand-out Andrea Martin); and her brother Nick (Louis Mandylor). Some jokes revolve around Nick’s habit of clipping his toenails at the dinner table. Other jokes poke fun at the declining memory issues of Toula’s mom (Lainie Kazan).
Once the group arrives at their destination, sitcom-like problems and hijinks ensue. Turns out Gus’ friends have all scattered. A few long-lost relatives appear with surprises in store, while others (hi again, Joey Fatone!) pop in late. A farm animal wanders into the living quarters. Voula gets drunk. (“I forgot there was alcohol in alcohol!”) And, of course, there is a wedding — this time with a Greek groom and Syrian bride. Without much comedic tension, the family happily returns to Chicago in under 90 minutes flat.
Courtesy of Yannis Drakoulidis / Focus Features
As the gloriously fun Mamma Mia!movie musicals have proven, sparkling material can indeed be mined from the confines of a beautiful Greek island. Vardalos knows this too, as her 2009 comedy My Life in Ruinswas set in Greece. But as a writer and director, she can’t quite deliver on that escapist fantasy. Instead of relying on a series of contrived subplots — in no world would the bright Paris fail her way out of New York University — she should have just let the cast relax, shine and play to their strengths.
Certainly, they all have the chops. Martin has been an ace improv singer and actress for decades, while Corbett just showed on that he can still make a woman swoon with his good-natured congeniality.(Curiously, he and Vardalos share few romantic moments.) Come to think of it, why not let Fatone pay a cheeky homage and belt out a few bars of “Dancing Queen”? It would have been funny, darn it! Or, at least, funnier than watching his Cousin Angelo and Cousin Nikki (Gia Carides) race to recline their airplane seats.
It’s worth repeating: My Big Fat Greek Wedding was a mega-successful crowd-pleaser that remains utterly relatable. Queue it up and watch it hold up. Not only did the Oscar-nominated Vardalos bring the snappy punchlines (“ew, please let that be the end of your story!”), she tapped into the deeply real issue of finding autonomy outside a close-knit family. Toula was an inspiration to all and a hilarious one at that. And while the character is still warm and well-intentioned, she’s lost most of that empathetic wit.
Alas, in 21 years, we’ve gone from Opa! to nope-a. What’s the Greek origin for the word “disappointment?”
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 opens in theaters on Friday, September 8
Courtesy of Yannis Drakoulidis / Focus Features 2 stars (out of 4) Even delightful confections are sometimes best left at single servings. Like, say, Baklava. And My Big Fat Greek Wedding. After a lackluster 2016 sequel, talented writer-director-star Nia Vardalos has reassembled her bustling onscreen family for My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. But if
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Entertainment
What We Can Learn Inside 50 Cent’s Explosive Diddy Documentary: 5 Reasons You Should Watch

50 Cent’s new Netflix docuseries about Sean “Diddy” Combs is more than a headline-grabbing exposé; it is a meticulous breakdown of how power, celebrity, and silence can collide in the entertainment industry.
Across its episodes, the series traces Diddy’s rise, the allegations that followed him for years, and the shocking footage and testimonies now forcing a wider cultural reckoning.

1. It Chronicles Diddy’s Rise and Fall – And How Power Warps Reality
The docuseries follows Combs from hitmaker and business icon to a figure facing serious criminal conviction and public disgrace, mapping out decades of influence, branding, and behind-the-scenes behavior. Watching that arc shows how money, fame, and industry relationships can shield someone from scrutiny and delay accountability, even as disturbing accusations accumulate.

2. Never-Before-Seen Footage Shows How Narratives Are Managed
Exclusive footage of Diddy in private settings and in the tense days around his legal troubles reveals how carefully celebrity narratives are shaped, even in crisis.
Viewers can learn to question polished statements and recognize that what looks spontaneous in public is often the result of strategy, damage control, and legal calculation.
3. Survivors’ Stories Highlight Patterns of Abuse and Silence
Interviews with alleged victims, former staff, and industry insiders describe patterns of control, fear, and emotional or physical harm that were long whispered about but rarely aired in this detail. Their stories underline how difficult it is to speak out against a powerful figure, teaching viewers why many survivors delay disclosure and why consistent patterns across multiple accounts matter.
4. 50 Cent’s Approach Shows Storytelling as a Tool for Accountability
As executive producer, 50 Cent uses his reputation and platform to push a project that leans into uncomfortable truths rather than protecting industry relationships. The series demonstrates how documentary storytelling can challenge established power structures, elevate marginalized voices, and pressure institutions to respond when traditional systems have failed.
5. The Cultural Backlash Reveals How Society Handles Celebrity Accountability
Reactions to the doc—ranging from people calling it necessary and brave to others dismissing it as a vendetta or smear campaign—expose how emotionally invested audiences can be in defending or condemning a famous figure. Watching that debate unfold helps viewers see how fandom, nostalgia, and bias influence who is believed, and why conversations about “cancel culture” often mask deeper questions about justice and who is considered too powerful to fall.
Entertainment
South Park’s Christmas Episode Delivers the Antichrist

A new Christmas-themed episode of South Park is scheduled to air with a central plot in which Satan is depicted as preparing for the birth of an Antichrist figure. The premise extends a season-long narrative arc that has involved Satan, Donald Trump, and apocalyptic rhetoric, positioning this holiday episode as a culmination of those storylines rather than a stand‑alone concept.
Episode premise and season context
According to published synopses and entertainment coverage, the episode frames the Antichrist as part of a fictional storyline that blends religious symbolism with commentary on politics, media, and cultural fear. This follows earlier Season 28 episodes that introduced ideas about Trump fathering an Antichrist child and tech billionaire Peter Thiel obsessing over prophecy and end‑times narratives. The Christmas setting is presented as a contrast to the darker themes, reflecting the series’ pattern of pairing holiday imagery with controversial subject matter.
Public and political reactions
Coverage notes that some figures connected to Donald Trump’s political orbit have criticized the season’s portrayal of Trump and his allies, describing the show as relying on shock tactics rather than substantive critique. Commentators highlight that these objections are directed more at the depiction of real political figures and the show’s tone than at the specific theology of the Antichrist storyline.
At the time of reporting, there have not been widely reported, detailed statements from major religious leaders focused solely on this Christmas episode, though religion-focused criticism of South Park in general has a long history.
Media and cultural commentary
Entertainment outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, Forbes, Slate, and USA Today describe the Antichrist arc as part of South Park’s ongoing use of Trump-era and tech-world politics as material for satire.
Viewer guidance and content advisory
South Park is rated TV‑MA and is intended for adult audiences due to strong language, explicit themes, and frequent use of religious and political satire. Viewers who are sensitive to depictions of Satan, the Antichrist, or parodies involving real political figures may find this episode particularly objectionable, while others may view it as consistent with the show’s long‑running approach to controversial topics. As with previous episodes, individual responses are likely to vary widely, and the episode is best understood as part of an ongoing satirical series rather than a factual or theological statement.
Entertainment
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Sydney Sweeney has decided she is finished watching strangers on the internet treat her face like a forensic project. After years of side‑by‑side screenshots, “then vs now” TikToks, and long comment threads wondering what work she has supposedly had done, the actor is now addressing the plastic surgery rumors directly—and using them to say something larger about how women are looked at in Hollywood and online.

Growing Up on Camera vs. “Before and After” Culture
Sweeney points out that people are often mistaking normal changes for procedures: she grew up on camera, her roles now come with big‑budget glam teams, and her body has shifted as she has trained, aged, and worked nonstop. Yet every new red‑carpet photo gets folded into a narrative that assumes surgeons, not time, are responsible. Rather than walking through a checklist of what is “real,” she emphasizes how bizarre it is that internet detectives comb through pores, noses, and jawlines as if they are owed an explanation for every contour of a woman’s face.
The Real Problem Isn’t Her Face
By speaking up, Sweeney is redirecting the conversation away from her features and toward the culture that obsesses over them.
She argues that the real issue isn’t whether an actress has had work done, but why audiences feel so entitled to dissect her body as public property in the first place.
For her, the constant speculation is less about curiosity and more about control—another way to tell women what they should look like and punish them when they do not fit. In calling out that dynamic, Sweeney isn’t just defending herself; she is forcing fans and followers to ask why tearing apart someone else’s appearance has become such a popular form of entertainment.











