The Round Up: April 27th 2025
Welcome to the Round Up. Digestible mainstream and pop culture news.
News
A quick summary of Pope Francis’ Passing and What Comes Next
Pope Francis passed away on April 21st from stroke and heart failure at age 88. He served as pope for 12 years and made it through one last Easter service before passing the following day. Every major and minor journalist and instagrammer has covered this story, so here are some key points to take away from Pope Francis' legacy and what is to come.
Who was Pope Francis:
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Yes, popes all change their name)
Born and raised in Argentina by his Italian immigrant parents
He became a catholic priest in his early 30s
He slowly rose through the ranks. Priest -> Bishop -> Archbishop -> to Cardinal by John Paul II.
He became pope at age 76 in 2013
Contraversies:
Francis at first defended the Chilean Bishop who was accused of covering up a notorious sexual abuser.
Francis eventually apologized to suvivors of the sexual abuse and took steps to reform the church, but some felt it was not enough and it was.
Francis’s statement that he wouldn’t judge homosexuals sparked controversy.
His openness to blessing same-sex couples, although there was no official change to church teaching, also drew criticism.
Francis appeared more open to the question of whether divorced and remarried Catholics could receive Communion, leading to strong reactions from both sides.
Francis was progressive on social justice issues and made statements about climate change that sparked controversy among conservative Catholics.
How does the Conclave Work:
After the pope has died they begin the Conclave- the secretive voting ceremony among the cardinals in the vatican inside the Sistine Chapel.
The Cardinals are locked in without connection to the outside world (kind of like some Jury duty)
There are currently 252 cardinals but only 135 will be eligible to vote as it is a rule you must be under 80 to vote.
Everyday multiple votes take place where the Cardinals cast their votes in secrecy.
After each vote the ballots are burned in a special oven. The smoke released is a signal to the world:
Black smoke indicates the cardinals have not yet reached a two-thirds majority.
White smoke signifies that a new Pope has been elected.
Once elected the new pope accepts the position, choses his papal name, and then emerges on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
What to do now:
Catholic or not, this is a time for prayer. Roughly 17% of the WORLD is Catholic. The pope is very important to the Catholic faith. He is directly under God and the leader for all the leaders of the church. Let’s pray for the decision process and pray for the new leader. As he will shape the culture, the laws, and be a part of history forever.
Entertainment
Blake Lively is one of TIME 100 Most Influential
Love her or hate her an argument could be made that by putting her in this article, we are talking about her. The recent scandal surrounding Blake Lively and her “Girl who cried sexual harassment” is a case the public can’t get enough of.
Each 100 persons are divided into a different swanky category: Innovators, Titans, Artists, Icons, Leaders, and Pioneers. Is she alongside actors like Kristen Bell, Scarlett Johansen, and Adam Scott in the “Artists” section? Nope. Blake Lively is a Titan of course!
A blurb is written for every influential person by guest contributors. Example: Hoda Kotb wrote for Snoop Dog, Amy Poehler for Rashida Jones, Laura Trump for Megyn Kelly or Hillary Clinton for Muhammad Yunus. - I appreciated seeing people on the list that were on both sides of the political aisle!
Who wrote for Blake Lively? Sherrilyn Ifill. A civil rights lawyer who was put in touch with Lively in 2019 when she and husband Ryan Reynolds asked if they could give a substantial donation to the NAACP. Ifill wrote about how the actress was a “serious person” who was concerned “that so much of our nation’s history was not part of the instruction she had received as a student”. Read the full blurb here
Now why would someone donate to the NAACP? Just so happens there was a bit of a PR crisis just before this donation was made. Lively and Renyolds married in 2012, but in 2019 as racial tensions began to rise in the US, internet sleuths found out their wedding location was the site of an old plantation in South Carolina.
Lee Snider//Getty Images
The Boone Hall Plantation. It is a beautiful historical site that is both a wedding venue and a tourist stop. Beyond the beautiful main house and pristine grounds, still standing are nine slave cabins preserved for tours and education purposes. While the site itself does not glorify slavery- it actually serves as a historical reminder of our nation's history and even states on its website while uncomfortable, our country’s history with slavery should be remembered and spoken about.
Joe Sohm / Visions of America // Getty Images
The internet was enraged when they discovered this so a good PR manager sent them over to the NAACP, meanwhile another outrage occurred and the internet moved on.
Fast forward to 2025, Lively is in trouble and it’s time to call in another favor. Lively is in a hot legal battle with Justin Baldoni over their latest film with Lively getting the blunt of the internet hate. While she has starred in two big movies this year, “It Ends With Us” and “Another Simple Favor” her negative PR is so bad there was an article written about a nice thing she did 6 years ago.
The court case is set for March of 2026 but this isn't the last stunt we will see from the Lively team.
Silly
Fyre Festival 2 Is Canceled And Up For Sale
In an instagram post on April 23rd. Billy McFarland has announced that Fyre festival 2 is canceled and is selling the festival's brand, including intellectual property, trademarks, social media accounts, email, text lists, and documentary coverage.
The latest event was supposed to take place from May 30 to June 2 (of this year!) in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, but it was just announced that it was canceled (or never scheduled in the first place, depending on who you ask).
Just a few weeks prior organizers of the event announced they were looking for a new venue location. Things were not looking good. It’s almost like they were repeating themselves.
In 2017 the original Fyre festival had a massive social media campaign and yet no actual event planning or execution resulting in a cultural moment of memes, two major documentaries, and a 6 year prison stunt for McFarland (He served almost 4 years). Apparently 4 years and $26 million in restitution has not taught him his lesson. Best to keep your eye on what McFarland will come up with next.
