Archives - Vennela Pandaraboyina
Not Vanilla
Not Vanilla: Fancy shoe obsession
The first pair of heels I remember buying was when I was in middle school. I had just joined my middle school’s speech team, and when I went to my first speech tournament I was startled to see my competitors decked out in business attire. Their hair was done, nails painted, ties ironed, and I […]
Not Vanilla
Not Vanilla: To binge or not to binge
Dear reader — I hope you got enough sun before Rochester plunges us into its 13-month-long winter. This summer, I was in desperate need of a new show to delve into — one with a lot of episodes and good reviews. I settled on the Netflix animated series “Voltron: Legendary Defender,” from the same animation […]
comedy
Not Vanilla: New tricks, old trade
The way me and younger generations consume has dramatically changed. A great example is with comedy. We are used to what I call “quick comedy” where the premise, set-up and punchline all happen within a matter of seconds. The quintessential example of this is the dear departed app Vine (may she rest in glorious peace). […]
red carpet
Not Vanilla: Award show season standouts
Well, reader, we’re finally done with awards season. I have mixed emotions about this. I’m glad I’ll stop being constantly deluged with press releases containing the same stories about the same six movies. But I’m sad that the time of semi-mandatory spiffily dressed celebrity appearances is over. I wanted to go over some of the […]
dogs
Not Vanilla: Jenna Marbles
Alright, reader. It’s time. It’s time for me to admit my maybe outdated slight obsession with Jenna Marbles. Maybe you’re wondering if I’ve time traveled from 2007 (I mean, she is 2007 hot), but no, reader. I’ve been watching Jenna Marbles for the better part of the last ten years. She is a venerated figure […]
Buzzfeed
Not Vanilla: Quizzes that tell you things about yourself
Hey reader! As you may already be aware, I’ve recently been trying to find a new way to procrastinate and discovered the hallmark internet location for wasting time — Buzzfeed quizzes. I’m not dishing out my opinion on Buzzfeed as a company, but I must admit that their quizzes are delightfully useless. There are different […]
fashion
Not Vanilla: Jewelry City
Reader, recently I’ve been delving back into my collection of jewelry. There are few feelings as exciting as donning the perfect pair of statement earrings or a bold necklace. Since I’m not a certified “baller” (I don’t have oodles of spending money), I’ve become somewhat savvy at finding good jewelry at an affordable price, whether […]
Death Note
Not Vanilla: The dark side of our media
Hello, reader! I spent my winter break delving into new series. I started the anime “Death Note” and completed HBO’s “Sharp Objects.” Both shows are known for their particularly dark content and some nights, they significantly affected my mood. I haven’t finished “Death Note” yet, but the premise is that an exceptionally conniving teenage boy […]
Cultural Cues
Not Vanilla: The cultural cues of year’s end
Reader, you already know that 2018 is coming to a close. I hope your year has been wonderful, despite the world’s current turmoil. I’ve noticed a lot of cultural cues that surface at the end of every year. The obvious ones are the holidays, like New Years, Hanukkah, or Christmas. But there are other cultural […]
Daytime TV
Not Vanilla: At the crossroads of sass and serious
Reader, these past few weeks I have been watching some daytime TV. I cable access where I live. Instead, I’ve been watching clips on YouTube. Specifically, I started watching the long-running daytime talk show “The View.” I’m not sure what got me to start watching “The View,” but once I started, I couldn’t stop. “The […]
