*By Alyssa Caverley*
When your approach to life is to always look for the joke, you're bound to find the funny things along the way, even on the bumpy road into the Hollywood Boys Club, said Nell Scovell, a comedy writer and the author of a new memoir.
"My story is kind of like this 'Lean In' case study, but with this pop culture background," said Scovell, a writer for "The Simpsons" and creater of the teen comedy "Sabrina the Teenage Witch."
"I tell people 'come for *The Simpsons*, stay for the feminism'," she said in an interview Wednesday with Cheddar.
Scovell helped Sheryl Sandberg write her book, "Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead." In Scovell's new memoir, "Just the Funny Parts: And a Few Hard Truths About Sneaking into the Hollywood Boy's Club," she details her experiences navigating the entertainment industry at a time when she had to fight to be heard as a woman. The #MeToo movement and TimesUp campaign have made some of her experiences more resonant, she said, and easier to tell.
"I went from being anxious to tell my story and then October hits and just all the stories are exploding and then I was like, I couldn't wait for my book to come out at the end of March," she said. "Because I wanted to add my voice to that chorus because I know not everyone can speak out, but I feel like those of us who can have a responsibility to do it."
Scovell, who has also written for publications such as Vanity Fair, is sharing her experiences in the hope that other women will find inspiration from her story and strive to help one another succeed.
"I do share a #MeToo story, but I think it's funny and I did work with some of the funniest people on the planet," she said.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/nell-scovell-is-combatting-sexism-in-hollywood-with-humor).
Jay-Z's Roc Nation is teaming up with The Reform Alliance to host a job fair at Madison Square Garden later this week. The event is aimed at helping disadvantaged people in NYC, including single parents and the formerly incarcerated, get jobs in the city. Participating companies include Zara, Amazon, Live Nation, VICE, and a slew of others. Dania Diaz, Managing Director, Roc Nation, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss what attendees can expect.
Cases of covid-19 are climbing in the Upper Midwest, Southwest, and parts of the Northeast. The seven-day national average is sitting at roughly 82,000 new cases which is an 11 percent jump from the week before. Dr. Amesh Adalja, Infectious Disease, Specialist, Sr. Scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss this recent uptick ahead of the holiday season.
Jill is joined by Baker Machado to talk all things infrastructure: where will the money go and who’s in charge? Plus, Sesame Street has its first Asian-American muppet. And a trailer for the trailer for Spiderman. Huh?
New York has always been home to some of the world’s tallest towers, but in the last 10 years the city has seen an influx of super skinny buildings towering over Central Park, built exclusively for the ultra-rich. With demand for luxury high-rise vistas being higher than ever, building developers are using every zoning opportunity they can to push height limits – and there’s one loophole that’s helping make that happen.
Ignacio Meyer, Executive Vice President of Music and Non-Scripted Entertainment at Univision, joins Cheddar News to preview the 22nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards.
Even prior to the pandemic, the United States had already been seeing a shortage of qualified teachers staffing its schools, but COVID-19 stress added to the burdens educators faced leading to burnout and early retirements. Steve M. Matthews, superintendent of the Novi Community School District in Michigan, joined Cheddar to discuss the lack of available teachers to keep kids educated. "I think the pandemic just exacerbated some of the issues and kind of pushed the momentum forward for a teacher shortage," he said.
According to ValuePenguin survey, 45% of insured Americans are considering health insurance changes during open enrollment. Derrick Kinney, Host of the 'Good Money' podcast, joins Cheddar to break down everything you need to know about open enrollment, and how inflation is having an impact on health insurance.
Ahsaki LaFrance-Chachere, Founder of Ah-Shí Beauty, joins Cheddar to discuss what inspired her to launch this beauty brand, how the brand is staying true to her tribe's culture and traditions, and what makes it stand out in the crowded beauty space.
