Alani Vargas
The Daily Beast
Chicago, IL, United States
Contact Alani
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by Alani:
‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3: The Backstory You Need to Know
“The Mandalorian” returns on March 1, and it’s heading to a planet fans have waited years to see: Mandalore. But there’s decades of history already out there to catch up on. → Read More
‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Ends With a Battle We’ve Waited 17 Years For
We already know how Obi-Wan and Anakin’s story ends. But their reunion on the battlefield was heartbreaking all the same. → Read More
What Fans’ Response to Love Quinn Says about Our Male Killer Obsession
Despite viewers’ desire to “fix” the fictional male serial killer, Love Quinn’s murderous heel turn didn’t get the same reaction from fans after Season 2. → Read More
Halloween Is the Gayest Holiday — and Everyone Is Finally Catching Up
Halloween and LGBTQ+ community history go way, way back. → Read More
Netflix’s “Fear Street” Trilogy Slays Homophobic Horror Tropes
“Fear Street” refuses to prioritize straight, white leads like the slasher films of the past. → Read More
Batwoman finally answers what it means to be a hero
The season 2 finale explores Ryan's struggle with power, Alice's allegiances, and Kate's mind → Read More
Batwoman’s “Rule #1” is a bit of a letdown, but at least Ryan Wilder is coming into her own
Kate Kane may be alive, but in "Rule #1," Ryan Wilder stakes her claim as the new Batwoman. → Read More
Batwoman’s season 2 premiere answers the question, “What Happened To Kate Kane?”
The Batwoman season-two premiere reassures viewers that the show will go on without Kate Kane. → Read More
"O, Mouse!" creates significant momentum for Batwoman season 2
For a second there, it seemed like the finale of Batwoman wasn’t going to happen. But it’s here, and it’s a pretty fitting end to the first season. → Read More
The "Mad Tea Party" flips all of Batwoman on its head
In the lead up to the crossover event, Kate Kane really starts to fall apart. → Read More
Trust remains a major obstacle for Kate on Batwoman
Loneliness is Kate Kane’s most frequent emotional state. She’s felt it since she returned from her training, before she even took on the mantle of Batwoman. And she’s feeling it tenfold now that she is the vigilante. Kate’s touched on it before, especially when she had to stop seeing Reagan, but it seems like it’s just catching up to her more in “Tell Me The Truth.” The need to connect with… → Read More
Today in feel-good stories: An acorn, a mall, and a lost-and-found
Acorns aren’t common lost-and-found fodder, which is perhaps why this wholesome story out of Japan feels so magical. Twitter user Kiyo Yamauchi tweeted a translated summary of a story originally posted by user @mrmehoso11, who did, in fact, turn in an acorn at a mall’s lost-and-found, one that truly had been lost. A mom and daughter were waiting in the office, hoping that someone, somewhere… → Read More
Batwoman's official entrance into the Arrowverse is full of grit and pacing issues
Batwoman is the newest addition to The CW’s strong lineup of superhero content. The series, overseen by Caroline Dries, will introduce audiences to the network’s first lesbian-led superhero show (the honor of its first female-led superhero series goes to Supergirl). The show has big boots to fill with its place in the Arrowverse, just as Kate Kane (Ruby Rose) has a big cape and cowl to fill as… → Read More
This wild sketch about Amber Alerts just blew up Twitter
Phone notifications are a part of life, some more exciting than others, and most so disconnected from your day-to-day that you glance at your screen for two seconds, tops. That includes weather updates, but also Amber Alerts: You never think you’re going to be the one to catch a perp, so it’s just another license plate lost in the wind. A new viral comedy sketch, however, posits a different,… → Read More
Awkward dudes on the dance floor, the Bill Hader Dancing To meme is for you
For all you awkward lads trying to get down on the dance floor, your new hero has arrived in the form of Bill Hader. There’s no shortage of “they can dance to anything” memes—hi, Pennywise!—but this one takes the cake. The old SNL clip resurfaced earlier this month with the creation of the Bill Hader Dancing To Twitter account, with first pairing finding Hader grooving to the 2010 party hit… → Read More
Move over Joanne, 'cause Lady Gaga says her next album's called...Adele
Naming an album after someone is fairly common—whether it’s a parent, an ex you wish was still your lover, or a role model, it’s certainly been done. And even though Lady Gaga used that as a model for her fifth album, Joanne, no one could have guessed what her next work would be called. On Tuesday, Mother Monster dropped a bomb on Twitter: “I’m calling my next album ADELE.” Gaga is one eccentric… → Read More
Midsommar is filled with creepy subliminal faces, apparently
[Spoilers for Midsommar below.] Midsommar is a bright, terror-ridden film that’s scary enough without the fucking faces hidden in the trees we just learned about. Vigilant Twitter user @danielgaylewis tweeted a screenshot from Ari Aster’s film that draws our eyes to a very disturbing face in the background that you probably missed in the theater. In the woods behind the procession celebrating… → Read More
Stone Cold Steve Austin thinks The Good Place's Eleanor is a "legit snack"
Holy mother forking shirt balls! If you’re a fan of The Good Place and Stone Cold Steve Austin, you’ll be pleased to know the former pro wrestler gave a shoutout to Kristen Bell’s Eleanor Shellstrop, who, as fans know, cited the Rattlesnake as one and only crush. USA Network, home to Austin’s current interview show Straight Up Steve Austin, tweeted a video of Austin sending a nice message to… → Read More
It's a smokin' hot day in the neighborhood thanks to this Sexy Mr. Rogers costume
Cinematic masterpiece Mean Girls declared that Halloween is when you can let your freak flag fly by dressing in lingerie in public. There’s some truth to that, of course, but that surely doesn’t give one permission to smut up the squeakiest of our squeaky clean icons. Alas, the popularity of last year’s Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and the upcoming A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood, have led the… → Read More
Whitney Houston creepy hologram tour kicks off in January
Granted, Whitney Houston is one of the most well-known musicians in recent memory and her hits like “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and “I Will Always Love You” are legendary—generations to come will continue belting them out in cars, showers, and on dance floors. But is Houston’s legacy appeal so strong that fans would go out to see a holographic performance of the late singer? → Read More