Writer Critic Editor

Yo·lan·da (yoh-LAHN-dah) — noun: a Los Angeles–based writer, journalist, and critic who has spent her career profiling A-list celebrities, analyzing your favorite pieces of pop culture, and telling audiences what's important, hot, or trending in entertainment.

Essays, long form and cover features, pop culture criticism, interviews, reporting, and more.

Los Angeles, CA Bilingual

01 — About

On the Record

Yolanda Machado is a Los Angeles–based, first-generation Peruvian Mexican American entertainment writer, editor, and critic. Most recently she was a digital editor at Entertainment Weekly, following a film critic role at TheWrap. She is a Rotten Tomatoes–approved critic.

Her byline has run in the New York Times, Elle, Marie Claire, Harper's Bazaar, GQ, the Los Angeles Times, and the Criterion Collection, among others. She got her start as a Latina blogger and content creator before moving into journalism — and both Latino representation and women in film, on screen and behind the scenes, have stayed the throughline of her work ever since.

She writes with a witty, analytical style: short paragraphs, a clear take, and zero interest in burying the lede to be polite about it.

"Pop culture isn't a guilty pleasure. It's the story of who we are — I just happen to have strong opinions about how it's told." — Editorial approach

02 — Services Offered

Services Offered

Culture

Essays and Long Form Features

Personal and cultural essays — where pop culture meets the wider world.

Film & TV Criticism

Reviews & Takes

Theatrical releases, prestige TV, and the streaming pile-up.

Talent

Interviews

Sit-downs with talent and creatives in film, TV, politics, media, and more. Anyone that shapes culture today.

Services

Ghostwriting

Byline pieces and long-form writing in your voice — including speeches and books.

Services

Copywriting & Editing

Brand copy, web content, and editorial polish.

Services

Social Media Strategy & Producing

Content strategy, calendars, and short-form video, shot and edited start to finish.

Services

Editorial Consultation

Need help writing a piece? Can't get the theme on your essay? Need pitching pointers? Let me help.

Have a project not covered by these? Message me!

Entertainment Weekly The New York Times TheWrap Nerdist Elle Marie Claire Harper's Bazaar GQ Los Angeles Times Criterion Collection Entertainment Weekly The New York Times TheWrap Nerdist Elle Marie Claire Harper's Bazaar GQ Los Angeles Times Criterion Collection

03 — Clips