Weekly Roundup #59: Grammys and grammar

Reading

New People, Danzy Senna.

The Perfect Girlfriend, Karen Hamilton. I probably should’ve given myself a break between The Last Mrs. Parrish and this book because the whole manipulative woman with her “I had a hard childhood so I deserve the perfect relationship” mindset is real old right now. And gross.

A Suspense Novelist’s Trail of Deceptions, The New Yorker. This story is straight BONKERS. His book was okay, but, man, talk about fiction. His entire life story is a lie. Every application, every statement. Lies.

8 black women on how they're portrayed in pop culture, I-D. Best quote on current issues: “Instead of encouraging and educating us on how to seek help and guiding others to do the same, the media promotes a culture of broken Black women, as a means of entertainment.” Best quote on how to change this: “Continuing to put WOC in more positions of leadership to make the decisions that ultimately shape what we visually digest is always a step forward. It’s not just about using a Black model to be the face of your brand — it’s ensuring the voices in the creative meetings are just as diverse and inclusive.”

It’s Just a Matter of Time Till Everybody Loves Lizzo, The Cut. “She tests a few bars, making sure she can play and clap cheeks at the same time. She can.” I 👏🏼 love 👏🏼 her! 👏🏼

Tiny Love Stories: ‘Who Are You Sleeping With?’ The New York Times. I love the “Who Are You Sleeping With” one, but also, the one about the partner’s daughter was super cute. It honestly took me a couple reads to understand it though.

Here's Why You Should Care Less About Your Work, Glamour. From Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy, whose Instagram I shared recently: “Research shows that your productivity actually drops dramatically after you’ve worked 50 hours in a week. Working more than 10 hours a day dramatically increases your risk of heart issues. So if you’ve been burning the candle at both ends, consider this your permission slip to head home, put on sweatpants, and enjoy a night off. Your work will be there tomorrow.”

Cardi B Opens Up About Her "Rags to Riches" Cinderella Story, Harper’s Bazaar. I could not be more obsessed with these photos of her. The Mulan-esque one has to be my favorite.

Random House Copy Chief: Stand Tall, Wordsmiths! (But Choose Your Battles), NPR. My dad passed this article along, and I love when he forwards me things like this. It reminds me I’m not alone in my love of correct punctuation and grammar. i.e. “There's nobody I know who does words for a living who doesn't adhere to certain either odd or essentially irrational preferences or distastes.” I completely relate to this—I HATE the Oxford comma. Get it outta here.

Unilever, Coca-Cola, and P&G Among Brands Partnering With TerraCycle to Eliminate Single-Use Plastic, Green Matters. Basically, we’re bringing the milkman back! Although, now it’ll be a “sodaman” or “soapman”…

Justin and Hailey Bieber Open Up About Their Passionate, Not-Always-Easy but Absolutely All-In Romance, Vogue. It was interesting to read about Justin’s low point, I had no idea he was abusing Xanax, because I remember watching it and being semi-horrified because I used to love him and he seemed like such an ass then. However, overall, I don’t think I could hang out with them…these Hillsong and Churchome groups just seem like cults. It skeeves me out and I wouldn’t want to associate with any one who’s so into it all, as these two seem to be. Also, they just seem boring?

Aja Naomi King Is the GOAT, Nylon. This was so well-written and I felt so inspired after reading. “King wants more of herself as an actress. She wants purpose. She wants to feel alive with it, and she wants to use her career as a way to speak to the plights and complications of being a woman.” I also need to get back to my HTGAWM binge.

Meet the Creator of the Egg That Broke Instagram, The New York Times. “Why an egg? Mr. Godfrey explained: ‘An egg has no gender, race or religion. An egg is an egg, it’s universal.’ “ 😂👏🏼 The egg promoted the nonprofit Mental Health America with Hulu…could it get any better?? “Mr. Godfrey did agree that the egg’s success had been a fluke. ‘But it’s a fluke that caught the world’s attention,’ he said. ‘It’s what you do with that attention that counts.’ “ ❤️

Wedding registries are an outdated tradition, but they’re not going anywhere, Vox. We’ve seen this at work for a few years now. Couples are living together, waiting longer to get married and eschewing traditional gender roles, which all together mean they’re not really asking family members to buy them new towels or set of pans. I’m personally in favor of it. Why feel forced to ask for appliances when you already have what you need? If guests are going to get you a gift anyway, might as well be something actually useful like money toward your new home or honeymoon.

Billy Eichner is making a gay rom-com with Judd Apatow and Nicholas Stoller, Entertainment Weekly. I can’t waaaaaaaaittttt!!! This is amazing. Only took till 2019, but gay men are finally getting their own rom-com.

 Watch the first trailer for HBO's 'The Case Against Adnan Syed,' Engadget. “Serial” was the first podcast I ever listened to and I cannot downplay my excitement for this. I will absolutely be watching, especially to finally show my boyfriend why Adnan is innocent.

Wonderlist, Wonderland. I know what I’m listening to…

New emojis include more diversity, drop of blood for women’s periods, ABC. I would not have thought that was what the blood was for...but I’m excited to browse all the new emojis!!

6 Spring 2019 Fashion Trends That Are Already All Over Instagram, The Zoe Report. I’m not excited about any of this except maybe feathers. I’m iffy on slime green, but I prefer other neon shades.

9 Trends That Will Be Huge This February, PureWow. Energy water and beige? Meh. Copper shadow and eco-friendly beauty? Yes, PLEASE. I probably won’t be downloading "Slow Radio” any time soon, that’s why I’ve created my Brain Override playlist, but I’m here for the intimate elopements. If I were famous, I’d want at least that one big moment to be private too, considering the rest of a celebrity’s life is open to and dissected by the public.

What Type of Drunk You Are, Based on Your Zodiac Sign, PureWow. My Aquarius side won out this time because I’m definitely a “debater drunk” over everything. Yep, I’m annoying to go out with. [girl shrugging]

Nancy Pelosi Makes Meme Gold at the State of the Union, Vogue. True petty queen and I am here for it. 👏🏼

31 Tweets That'll Make You Laugh Even If You're Having A Really Bad Day, BuzzFeed. Seriously. They’re actually all funny.

Wisconsin Boy Is Hooked On Crocheting And Giving Back, NPR. My dad sent my family this and…UGH, how cute and inspiring is this kid?!

John Dingell was a Twitter superstar. Here are his greatest hits. Detroit Free Press. I didn’t know of him before his passing, but, wow. RIP to a wonderfully witty man who played a huge role in our modern society. He is applauded for his involvement in passing many major pieces of legislation like the Civil Rights Act and the Affordable Care Act. Please read the article if you need a laugh. What a man.

Listening

Ella Mai. Her voice just never gets old, or her music. I listened to only Ella Mai for a full day and have absolutely no complaints.

Watching

Grammys, CBS. Interested in my reactions? Read on here.

Friends From College, Netflix. The second season is up and I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to watch so I just clicked on this show. It’s fairly entertaining actually, not something I’m obsessed with, but even my boyfriend, who came in halfway through, said it was “pretty funny.” I’d say it’s a good background show. Something amusing to watch, but you don’t have to pay super close attention to it.