It might just be that the pandemic is starting to wind down. Advertisers are anxious to act like it is. We're all maybe pandemic-future-of-hugging.html">anxious to get some hugs back into our lives, or maybe we'll all just always be anxious about hugs. And: How does this all work for drama-half-vaccinated-couples.html">half-vaccinated couples? Plus: The Nose sees some parallels in the sexlessness of superheroes.

And: Promising Young Woman is Emerald Fennell's feature-film debut as a writer, director, and producer, and it's made her an Academy Award-nominated writer, director, and producer. The movie is nominated for five Oscars overall, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Carey Mulligan.

Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:

• kotto-dead.html">Yaphet Kotto, Bond Villain and 'Alien' Star, Dies at 81Well known for playing hardened personalities, he was also seen in movies like "Midnight Run" and the TV show "Homicide: Life on the Street."
• Boxing great Marvelous Marvin Hagler dies at 66
• Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez Announce They Are Still TogetherLess than a day after E! News confirmed reports that Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez were going their separate ways, the music superstar and actress and retired MLB star issued a joint statement
• How Hollywood Is Complicit in the Violence Against Asians in AmericaReducing Asians, women and sex workers to flat punchlines isn't just degrading -- it's dangerous
• 'Avatar' Overtakes 'Avengers: Endgame' As All-Time Highest-Grossing Film Worldwide; Rises To $2.8B Amid China Reissue
• 2021 Oscar Stats: Two Female Filmmakers Are Up for Best Director for the First Time; Plus Historic Nods for Viola Davis, Riz Ahmed, Steven Yeun, More
• The Winners and Losers of the 2021 Oscar NominationsThe good: 'Minari' and 'Nomadland' leading a far less local slate. The bad: Delroy Lindo getting snubbed.
• Razzie Awards 2021: Robert Downey Jr., Adam Sandler, Anne Hathaway Among Nominees
• Movies That Would Have Been Better with Richard Kind in Them
• The Mound Is Too Damn CloseFor nearly 130 years, the distance between pitchers and batters has remained the same. But as pitchers get better and bigger -- and balls in play become increasingly rare -- MLB could benefit from giving hitters some space.
• Prominent NCAA tournament players launch '#NotNCAAProperty' protest as March Madness begins
• Why Channel 37 Doesn't Exist (And What It Has to Do With Aliens)Since the advent of analog TVs, channel 37 has always been static. Here's why.
• '60 Songs That Explain the '90s': The Ugly Beauty of ToolUp next on our trek through the decade: "Stinkfist," one of the hardest, crudest songs from one of rock's hardest, crudest bands
• Sanitary CultureExperts brightly offer to help create a society so safe, clean, inoffensive, and nontoxic art disappears. Show them the door.
• vogue-editor-alexi-mccammond.html">Teen Vogue Editor Resigns After Fury Over Racist TweetsThe hiring of Alexi McCammond, who was supposed to start at the Condé Nast publication next week, drew complaints because of racist and homophobic tweets she had posted a decade ago.
• Topps removes Garbage Pail Kids collectible sticker card featuring bruised BTS after backlash
• NYC man sells fart for $85, cashing in on NFT craze
• walking-phone.html">If You Look at Your Phone While Walking, You're an Agent of ChaosAn experiment by Japanese researchers revealed how just a few distracted walkers really can throw off the movements of a whole crowd.
• Is This Going To Be The Horniest Summer Of All Time?

GUESTS:

• Tracy Wu Fastenberg - Development officer at Connecticut Children's
• Bill Yousman - Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart University

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Colin McEnroe and Catie Talarski contributed to this show.

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