Weekly Roundup #37: Beyoncé and the deep sea
Anyone else desperately sick of this humidity and rain?? Looking for my fellow NYC/NJers here, but, hey, it's August, so I'm sure we're not alone.
Reading
Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese. This was recommended to me by a friend and it's actually taken me longer than most books to read because there's so many great details, I found myself reading more slowly or even rereading sections to make sure I understood the picture painted.
Exclusive: Fickle Friends Release New Remix of "Bite," Cools. I'm obsessed with Fickle Friends and MUNA (recently downloaded their zine, I'm chill) sooo this is a dream right here. Fickle Friends was supposed to play at Firefly last year, but had to pull out and I was devastated (fine, this is an exaggeration). Still trying to see them live and if MUNA also performs...well, 💥😍
Artist of the Week: Layna, Milk.xyz. I actually hadn't heard of her, but I saw "dark side of electro-pop" and you better believe I was immediately drawn in. I wasn't disappointed. Check out her latest single in my "Listening" section.
Dream Job: Italy's Nutella maker seeks 60 taste testers - no experience necessary, USA Today. Excuse me while I go fill out an application...
My Life As a Psychopath, The Cut. Really interesting read.
Pulp Fiction To Pink Floyd — How Our Cliché College Dorm Room Posters Defined Us, Refinery29. My roommate and I had a Justin Bieber poster next to a Lil Wayne poster, and underneath was a Disney princess poster...in between those three were large pieces of poster board we'd labeled "Mindfucked," one black, one white, where we'd ask people to sign or draw something when they were drunk, high, crazy stressed out, etc. I wonder...what does that say about us?
Broad City Co-Creator And Noted Phish Fan Abbi Jacobson Kicked It With “The Boys” Backstage In Camden, Live for Live Music. There's just so much to love here.
30 Things You Didn’t Know About The Handmaid’s Tale, Harper's Bazaar. Aka Margaret Atwood, the show's creators and Elizabeth Moss are geniuses and it's all scarier than you realized.
Generation Sell Out, Refinery29. Selling out basically doesn't exist anymore. We're all trying to be the next big thing everyone's talking about. If you're not, then you're almost seen as a slacker. This says so much about Millennials as a group: "They call us the brokest generation, and yet we’re ever so optimistic in these dark economic times that 53% of us expect we’ll become millionaires." Did you hear that? That was the sound of my heart growing three sizes.
Yes, Black People Love Paramore, Here’s Why, Nylon. Because she's a boss ass bitch and who knew black people created rock and punk? Did y'all? I certainly didn't. PROPS.
Beyoncé in Her Own Words: Her Life, Her Body, Her Heritage, Vogue. I'm definitely not part of the Beyhive, but I appreciate her talent, dedication and power. This was a lovely insight into the formidable Beyoncé. My favorite sections from this piece: "I think it’s important for women and men to see and appreciate the beauty in their natural bodies. That’s why I stripped away the wigs and hair extensions and used little makeup for this shoot. To this day my arms, shoulders, breasts, and thighs are fuller. I have a little mommy pouch, and I’m in no rush to get rid of it. I think it’s real." and "If people in powerful positions continue to hire and cast only people who look like them, sound like them, come from the same neighborhoods they grew up in, they will never have a greater understanding of experiences different from their own. They will hire the same models, curate the same art, cast the same actors over and over again, and we will all lose. The beauty of social media is it’s completely democratic. Everyone has a say. Everyone’s voice counts, and everyone has a chance to paint the world from their own perspective."
Meet Tyler Mitchell, the Photographer Who Shot Beyoncé For Vogue’s September Issue, Vogue. 23. TWENTY THREE YEARS OLD. What an inspiration.
"No Reservations: Narnia," A Triumph of Anthony Bourdain Fan Fiction, The New Yorker. Bourdain's response to this made me chuckle. And, yes, I read the fan fiction—it's delightfully detailed.
On The Powerful Messiness Of Amy Adams’ Hair In ‘Sharp Objects,’ Nylon. If you haven't watched this show, please do (try to read the book first, if possible). It's so. good. "Because whereas every other Wind Gap woman's hair serves as a mask, the follicular equivalent of saying 'bless your heart,' Camille's hair shows that she doesn't care about their standards and styles; Camille's hair is here to say: Fuck you."
A Cup of Coffee, The New England Journal of Medicine. My dad sent this to as a quick, well-written piece. It was really nice to see the acknowledgement of a “support staff.” I hear about the superiority complex of a lot of doctors from my nurse friends, so it’s nice to see another side of that story.
Jennifer's Body & The Feminist Revenge Hero Who Came Too Early, Refinery29. I saw this movie in theaters and was so scared and thrown off by it (I definitely didn't see any trailers before...), but I looove this take on the film. I kind of want to rewatch it now actually...
“Hey There Delilah” Is Being Turned Into A Scripted TV Series, Nylon. Settin' my middle school heart all aflutter.
'Cowboy Ninja Viking' And 'Guardians 3' Woes Put Chris Pratt In A Tricky Spot, Forbes. I was just Googling Chris Pratt's height (as one does) and came across this article. I thought it was a pretty interesting insight into Hollywood release dates. And Chris Pratt and Disney's future slate (HI, TOY STORY 4).
Why some creatures in the deep sea grow to enormous sizes, ZME Science. Now for this one, I was looking up pictures of giant squids, because the creatures at the bottom of the ocean's depths fascinate me, and I came across the term "deep-sea gigantism." Naturally, I had to immediately look it up (and scare the shit out of myself). Tell me you don't get full body chills looking at that crab.
Americans Are Having Fewer Babies. They Told Us Why. The New York Times. Economic insecurity and instability among young people. What a surprise. Because we're all broke and can't catch a fucking break. But, also, because finally, finally women feel like they may have an actual choice in the matter.
In Conversation: Kathleen Turner, Vulture. Some pretty obvious "revelations:" Nicolas Cage was difficult on set. Burt Reynolds is a misogynist. Trump has a gross handshake. Some questions: Ok, just one...who is the actress?? And then my favorite part: "What else, aside from luck, has driven your career? Rage. What do you mean? I’m fuckin’ angry, man. About what? Everything."
Variety dedicates its latest issue to trans representation in Hollywood, The Verge. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Straw Wars: This Controversy Is Proof Of Our Culture’s Anti-Disability Bias, Nylon. I was all about the straw ban right from the start and I absolutely didn't think about those with disabilities. That's a problem I have, but it's also a societal problem. Disabled people pretty much never have any representation, I can think of one character off the top of my head (Artie from Glee) and even when they are shown on television or in movies, the majority of disabled characters are played by able-bodied actors. By not showing this group, it's like we're glossing over them, which is horrendous. I am always learning and growing, but I'm not enough, as much as I wish I could save the world by myself. We need to be better and we need to do better.
Two Elderly German Men Escape Nursing Home, Are Found Raging A Metal Festival At 3am, Live for Live Music. I truly hope this is my future. Well...minus the metal, let's go with another genre.
How to Deliver a Pep Talk That’s Actually Motivating, The Cut. Specific compliments about their actual ability. Boom. Rockstar pep talk is in your grasp.
The Weirdest Cult On The Internet Never Even Existed, Refinery29. Never watched this, but the infatuation viewers had with the "star" sounds about right considering people's weird deep dives into strangers-on-the-internet's lives.
Sending Letters About Their Patients' Overdoses Changes Doctors' Prescribing Habits, NPR. Holy shit, can you imagine getting this letter?? No wonder it's changing doctors' habits, this would devastate me. I hope they do start doing this nationwide. The amount of opioids prescribed, unnecessarily, mind you, is mindblowing.
College basketball rules changes: NCAA makes major overhaul to rulebook in wake of FBI probe, CBS. GOOD. Also, that this wasn't an option before..."All players who get invited to the NBA Combine but go undrafted will have the option to return to their former school."
NYC will cap the number of Uber and Lyft vehicles on its streets, Engadget. Cue the subways and out-of-state transit (looking at you, NJT, you motherfucker) letting it all go to their natural state, total and complete shit.
British Airways worker claims he was fired for having a man bun, New York Post. Sir. You do not have my sympathy.
Oscars Won't Televise All Awards Live, Adds "Popular" Film Category, The Hollywood Reporter. As someone who can't sit through the entire televised Oscars, much less, I'm sure, the real thing, I'm completely and utterly fine with this. It's also just totally irrelevant to me.
PepsiCo veteran Ramon Laguarta to replace Indra Nooyi as CEO, Reuters. She was there for 24 years, half of which she spent as CEO. According to The Skimm, she's the third female Fortune 500 CEO to leave since last August. And her exit means there would apparently be only one woman of color leading a Fortune 500 company...one.
Biggest blaze in California history challenges firefighters, AP. Nearly the size of Los Angeles.
Puerto Rico admits Hurricane Maria's death toll may be 1,427, CNN. It's ridiculous it's taken this long to get this admitted number.
Court orders ban on harmful pesticide, says EPA violated law, AP. Fiiinally the courts aren't putting up with this ass-backwards new EPA bullshit!
Pence unveils plan to create Space Force by 2020, CNBC. Because what could be more important right now? In this moment? In America? Surely nothing else!
Family separations have ended, but children risk being 'permanently orphaned,' The Guardian. Well, if this isn't the saddest and most infuriating headline, I don't know what is.
Election results in Ohio, Missouri, Michigan, Kansas and Washington, CBS. Three cheers for Rashida Tlaib, and make sure y'all are registered to vote, ladies and gents! Midterms are in less than 90 days!
Now the Trump administration wants to limit citizenship for legal immigrants, NBC. WHY IS THIS WHAT OUR GOVERNMENT IS FOCUSING ON?!
Trump acknowledges, defends 2016 meeting between son, Kremlin-aligned lawyer, The Washington Post. Let's 👏🏼 keep 👏🏼 the 👏🏼 lies 👏🏼 going!
Trump Says "Fake News" Media Can "Cause War," The Hollywood Reporter. No, sir, that would be you. King Cheeto of Common Sense Deniers.
Newseum apologizes for selling "fake news" t-shirt, Axios. I mean, no brainer.
Rick Gates testifies he committed crimes with Paul Manafort, NBC. Oh ho ho.
New Details About Wilbur Ross’ Business Point To Pattern Of Grifting, Forbes. Because rich white men will do anything to get richer.
YouTube, Apple and Facebook Ban Infowars, Which Decries 'Mega Purge,' NPR. Guarantee each of these companies was just waiting for one to ban him so they could swiftly follow suit, but no one wanted to be the first, knowing this POS would cry foul.
Sorry flat-Earthers, Google Maps now zooms out to a globe, CNET. Lol.
Saudi coalition airstrike in Yemen kills 50, rebels say, CBS. "The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Twitter that its team at an ICRC supported hospital in Saada received the bodies of 29 children, all under 15 years old. It also received 48 wounded people, including 30 children, it said." Inexcusable, unconscionable, as said by UNICEF, despicable.
Argentina's Senate rejects legalizing abortion, in Pope's homeland, CBS. I cannot fathom living in a country with their abortion laws. However, I'm terrified we might soon be living that reality.
Australia announces extra $140 million aid package for drought-hit farmers, Reuters. Out of a total $576 million...ouch. Climate change deniers? Still out there?
'Blatant Interference:' Why Saudi Arabia Just Expelled Canada's Ambassador to the Kingdom, Fortune. Eek. You can cut that tension with a knife.
Bangladesh struggles to contain mass road-safety protests, The Guardian. The protests began after a speeding bus killed two teenagers on July 29, but "Analysts said the rapid spread of protests, ostensibly focused on road safety, reflected deeper frustration in Bangladesh at a government that has grown less accountable as the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, and her Awami League party have consolidated power."
Venezuelan government: Drone strikes targeted Maduro, AP. What a scary time for Venezuelans. A civil war is where I'm afraid America could be headed if things continue as fractured as they are now.
Listening
Symphony, Flux Pavilion and Layna. I've loved Flux Pavilion for a long time, but her vocals...man, I wish I had even a quarter of her talent. So deep and dark, almost witchy. So into it.
Taxi, EXES. This song was on my Layna station and I'm obsessed now.
Watching
Hard Knocks, HBO. I watched the 2016 season with the Rams (when they first moved to LA) with my partner and was pleasantly surprised how into it I got. This summer, it's all about the Cleveland Browns, aka the team who's literally been the worst team in the country for the last two years. Watching Carl Nassib teach other defensive players about interest and Jarvis Landry start with the Browns and catch one-handed over and over and over were some of the highlights. Also, how can you not laugh at that quarterback bus?
