A K-pop crisis, ‘The White Lotus’ lesson and what to read this weekend: March 28, 2025
ABC
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_**Every Friday, Gold Derby****rounds up some of the best stories of the week from our friends across the web. Maybe you missed these, maybe you were too busy to read them at the time, maybe you bookmarked them and forgot, but hopefully you'll have some over the weekend to check them out. Happy reading!**_
'It's ended up being nothing to no one': can K-pop overcome crisis?
K-pop seemed destined for world domination a few years ago. Not quite anymore. For _The Guardian_ , **Shaad D'Souza** examines the various woes that have plagued the genre — from dipping sales to legal drama to a new homogenized sound — that have caused it to lose luster back home in South Korea as well._**
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Inside Ben Affleck's Plan to Remake Hollywood
**Ben Affleck** graces the latest cover of _GQ_ , but he's just a regular 9-to-5 guy. That's what he tells **Zach Baron** , who profiles the Oscar winner at his Artists Equity production company office. Affleck discusses both of his ex-wives named Jennifer, that house visit from FBI, his thoughts on AI, why he's not salty prestige auteurs have not called him up, and his iconic _Armageddon_ DVD commentary.
Krysten Ritter may have witnessed a crime on vacation. She turned it into a novel
Did you know **Krysten Ritter** is a published author? The _Jessica Jones_ star talks to the _Los Angeles Times_ about her second (yes, second) novel _Retreat_ (out now), which she co-wrote with **Lindsay Jamieson**. Inspired by an encounter while she was vacationing in Mexico 13 years ago, Ritter came up with the premise of _Retreat_ : Liz Dawson, a recovering con artist, pretends to be the socialite who employs her, but her one last con doesn't go according to plan.
If 'The White Lotus' Teaches Us Anything, Let It Be This: Never Take a Three-Person Girls' Trip
A seemingly innocent girls' trip can ruin a friendship. Just ask Kate (**Leslie Bibb**), Laurie (**Carrie Coon**), and Jaclyn (**Michelle Monaghan**) on _The White Lotus_. But their mistake may have been making it a trio. _Vogue_ 's **Emma Specter** explains why three's always a crowd when it comes to travel.
The Cottage-Cheese Craze
Maybe you're reading this while eating cottage cheese. The Cut's **Danya Issawi** takes a look into how cottage cheese, sales for which have increased 50 percent in the last five years, has become the go-to snack and a recipe star on social media.
