Photo by Hatice Uyar on Pexels

Megan Freeman

Welcome! I’m Megan😊
I’m an independent journalist and editor with roots in Cal Poly Pomona. Feel free to check out my work below!

Don’t forget to subscribe to my Substack!🤗 Head over to my “Contact” page for more details.

My Latest Work

I Was Alive for 9/11. I Just Don’t Remember It.

I was barely one when it happened. An unthinkable tragedy: two of America’s most iconic skyscrapers were demolished for evil. Of course, I heard about it growing up; I lived in the era of knowing what a terrorist was when I was 7. It wasn’t until March of 2025, months before I turned 25, that I began to research. And, boy, did I cry.Too young to remember, I began asking my family what they remembered: different stories, but all of them had an undercurrent that they'd never forget that day for as...

Why Is Blue So True?

I opened up a Warheads sour candy pack last night and was eager to pull out the most delicious flavor in the pack: blue raspberry. I found it, ate it through puckered lips and immediately looked for another.There was only one. This candy travesty then spurred the natural question: why would they do that to me? But underneath: what makes blue raspberry such a coveted flavor for me and others? It’s not a naturally colored fruit, and raspberries are red… so what gives? Believe it or not, there’s a...

Please Stop Playing Detective

We, as a society, need to talk about something that’s increasingly forcing its way across the internet: the rise of “TikTok detectives,” otherwise known as strangers who insert themselves into people’s final moments or investigate mysteries behind individuals they don’t know. While this might not seem like an obvious problem, I believe the general public should acknowledge it, not only for themselves but for their community. It is crucial to understand how and when that line blurs, potentially d...

The Modern Campfire

Whenever I write, something is on the TV. Whenever I go to sleep, the TV’s on; lately it’s SNL Vault. Sometimes I tune in; sometimes I want it around. I still can’t cleanly put my finger on why, though. Is it because I keep coming back for David S. Pumpkins, and secretly have a question? Is it Kenan Thompson’s comforting, funny nature not only on “What’s Up With That?” but as himself? I think it’s something much deeper.  The weird ritual I have of clicking into the vault, seeing Christmas videos...

The Blueprint in Rhinestones

Imagine that it’s 2006 and you’re sitting down about to get ready to watch your favorite show, Hannah Montana—but there’s something different, or rather someone. Big blonde hair, glamorous acrylics and a comfort you can’t quite place, something you’ve never felt with someone you’ve never met.That, of course, was because it was Dolly Parton. Now, that’s how I got introduced to Dolly, and every time since, she’s made me feel the same. An unexplainable comfort, a guiding light, sometimes wrapped in...

The Big, Hairy Purple Monster and Me

COVID ruined it. What, you ask? The last pieces of fabric that loosely tied me to 19, then 20 then 21—those years did a number on me. Still, I’m nostalgic today—why? There’s something so uniquely bittersweet about one’s late adolescence and early adulthood being marred by thousands of deaths daily due to a vicious disease. Civilians and politicians alike turned people’s final moments on this earth into debates about vaccines and conspiracies. To combat this, I did my due diligence: I wore my mas...

When a Black Woman’s Pain Becomes Content

This is a message for women who have been there—any woman who is navigating their way back to their own power, whatever that looks like. It’s a message for one beautiful, truly deserving woman who may need just a moment to exhale, right here, Nevaeh Williams, the expectant mother of rapper Blueface’s child. Nevaeh and Johnathan, better known as Blueface, first met in 2021 at his studio, where Nevaeh was invited. They began to date on and off, mostly kept private until Blueface’s release from pri...

Why Are We So Obsessed With People Who Commit Horrible Crimes?

Hybristophilia—some may be familiar with the name; others might exhibit it without realizing. The term generally refers to romantic or sexual attraction to people who have committed crimes. It can manifest in “groupies”: flocks of people, mostly women, seeking a connection with criminals, searching for a spark in their eyes. Rock stars have them, sure, but so do serial killers.But hybristophilia is not the same thing as ordinary true-crime consumption. So why does true crime—and, at its most ext...

Why Are We So Obsessed With People Who Commit Horrible Crimes?

Hybristophilia—some may be familiar with the name; others might exhibit it without realizing. The term generally refers to romantic or sexual attraction to people who have committed crimes. It can manifest in “groupies”: flocks of people, mostly women, seeking a connection with criminals, searching for a spark in their eyes. Rock stars have them, sure, but so do serial killers.But hybristophilia is not the same thing as ordinary true-crime consumption. So why does true crime—and, at its most ext...

mxdwn's Top 10 Shows of 2024 -

2024 ushered in a TV year free of any industry-halting delays. No pandemic. No strike. But, ramifications from those cultural shifts and the bursting of the peak TV bubble found a new word to define the year: contraction. The need to save impacted what shows were greenlit and canceled as the TV business continued to morph.

Playing it safe, nostalgia remained king as studios, networks, and streamers relied heavily on established IPs or formats. While some found success (Apple TV’s Presumed Innoc...

mxdwn's Top 10 Shows of 2024 -

2024 ushered in a TV year free of any industry-halting delays. No pandemic. No strike. But, ramifications from those cultural shifts and the bursting of the peak TV bubble found a new word to define the year: contraction. The need to save impacted what shows were greenlit and canceled as the TV business continued to morph.

Playing it safe, nostalgia remained king as studios, networks, and streamers relied heavily on established IPs or formats. While some found success (Apple TV’s Presumed Innoc...

'Critical Role's' Sam Riegel Divulges He Is Recovering From Cancer -

Sam Riegel (Sofia the First, Redline), most well known for his voice acting in Critical Role as Fresh Cut Grass, has announced that he is recovering from cancer. A video was posted by the Critical Role YouTube channel, titled “It’s Been A While,” in which Riegel said he was recovering from oropharyngeal carcinoma, a type of cancer that disrupts the tongue, tonsils and soft palate.

Riegel divulged that he had undergone surgery in which they took a part of his tongue and removed his tonsils, alon...

'Critical Role's' Sam Riegel Divulges He Is Recovering From Cancer -

Sam Riegel (Sofia the First, Redline), most well known for his voice acting in Critical Role as Fresh Cut Grass, has announced that he is recovering from cancer. A video was posted by the Critical Role YouTube channel, titled “It’s Been A While,” in which Riegel said he was recovering from oropharyngeal carcinoma, a type of cancer that disrupts the tongue, tonsils and soft palate.

Riegel divulged that he had undergone surgery in which they took a part of his tongue and removed his tonsils, alon...

Jessica Biel Aspired To Leave Hollywood If Drama Series 'The Sinner' Was Not Sold

According to Deadline, Jessica Biel (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) opened up about her battle with getting her thriller series, The Sinner, sold—it even led her to want to quit Hollywood. Biel recently sat down for a podcast interview with The Bright Side, where she discussed the series securing its home on USA Network, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination and an Emmy win.

Deadline notes that Biel stated, “Doors did not open at all, even being in the business for so long. “I’ve had this pr

'Grey's Anatomy' Alum Sarah Drew Set To Star In New Hallmark Series 'Mistletoe Murders'

A new series entitled Mistletoe Murders is coming to Hallmark Media, with Grey’s Anatomy alum Sarah Drew (Everwood, Mom’s Night Out) slated to star. According to TVLine, the series is an adaptation of a fictional Audible podcast series by the same name that stars Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother, Secret Invasion). However, Drew will take Smulders’ place in the series as she will star as lead character Emily Lane.

Mistletoe Muders chronicles Drew, as portrayed by Emily, the owner of the sma

Prime Video Renews 'The Boys' For Season Five

The sensational Emmy-winning drama series The Boys is returning for season five! According to an Amazon MGM Studios press release, the news was revealed during Prime Video’s inaugural Upfronts presentation. As previously reported, the network is set to debut the series’ fourth season on June 13 with three episodes. After its initial release, a new episode will debut weekly until the season concludes on Thursday, July 18.

The Boys’ fourth season will feature eight episodes and is slated to be st

Reba McEntire-Led Comedy Series 'Happy's Place' Coming To NBC

The previously untitled Reba McEntire (Big Sky) comedy series has just received a series order! According to Variety, the series, which was first greenlit in January, is entitled Happy’s Place and is set to be a multi-camera production. Happy’s Place is also anticipated to premiere sometime during the network’s 2024-25 broadcast season.

As reported prior, Happy’s Place features Bobbie, as portrayed by McEntire, who has her world turned upside down when she inherits her father’s restaurant and f

Tom Selleck Hopes CBS Reconsiders 'Blue Bloods' Cancellation

According to Deadline, Tom Selleck (Magnum, P.I., Las Vegas) is hoping CBS will overturn its decision to close the doors on the hit drama series Blue Bloods and that fans will be able to enjoy the Reagan family for many more years to come.

Deadline notes that Selleck recently sat down for an interview with CBS News and said, “I will continue to think that CBS will come to their senses. We’re the third-highest scripted show in all of broadcast. We’re winning the night. All the cast wants to come

NBC Renews 'Night Court' For Season Three

NBC’s Night Court is coming back for a third season! According to TVLine, the series, which is a sequel to the original Night Court of 1984, will have 18 episodes in total for its third season.

The courtroom sitcom follows Judge Abby Stone, as portrayed by Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory, Batman and Harley Quinn), who oversees the same night court in New York City as her deceased father, Harry Stone, portrayed by Harry Anderson (IT, Dave’s World) in the original Night Court. Anderson passed

Nabeel Muscatwalla Joins Max's 'The Sex Lives Of College Girls' Season Three

Max’s The Sex Lives of College Girls has picked Nabeel Muscatwalla (Good Trouble) to join its third season. According to Deadline, Muscatwalla will have a recurring role in the dramedy series by Justin Noble (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Mindy Kaling (The Office).

The Sex Lives of College Girls chronicles the first-year experiences of four roommates at Essex College, a prestigious college in New England. As the series returned for its second season, the girls came back after fall break to be met wit

ABC's Medical Series 'Dr. Odyssey' Welcomes Sean Teale As Series Regular

The anticipated ABC series, Dr. Odyssey, has added a series regular to the mix, Sean Teale (Rosaline, Little Voice). According to Variety, Teale is set to star beside cast lead Joshua Jackson (Fatal Attraction, The Affair), Phillipa Soo (Hamilton, Moana) and Don Johnson (Miami Vice, Knives Out).

Variety notes that, while the character details and plot have not yet been revealed, the series will be a medical procedural that takes place on a cruise ship. Additionally, Dr. Odyssey is set to debut

Roku Greenlights New Comedy ReImagining Of 1950s Drama Series 'Tightrope!'

Roku has just announced a comedy reimagining of a popular 1950s drama series named Tightrope! According to Deadline, Ty Burrell (Modern Family) is slated to star, and Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) will serve as executive producer.

As per Deadline, Roku stated that the new Tightrope! “reshapes the drama of the vintage 1950s series into a slapstick comedy, where Burrell plays a lone wolf detective following cases city to city, while he searches for his long-lost love who got away.”

Deadline note

HBO Drops 'Last Week With John Oliver' Season One On YouTube

It’s finally happening! According to Deadline, HBO gave the green light to release the first season of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver on YouTube in its entirety. HBO decided not to premiere a new episode today, Sunday, April 28; alternatively, the network unleashed all of season one to watch for free.

Deadline notes that a post on Friday from the Last Week Tonight X (formerly Twitter) account states, “There’s no new episode this week! But we still have current events. From 10 years ago. Thi

'The Conners' Lands New Wednesday Night Airtime On ABC

ABC’s Roseanne spinoff, The Conners, is getting an all-new airtime. According to TVLine, starting this Wednesday, May 1, new episodes of the network’s most-watched comedy series will now premiere at 9:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET, just after Abbott Elementary.

TVLine notes that another show is expected to swoop in to take the former 8 p.m. slot, season two of Jeopardy! Masters, which will stay on that same airtime for the rest of the network’s 2023-24 broadcast season.

Also on Wednesday nights, the
Load More