Weekend Reads #173
Weekend Reads
A philosopher's defense of anger. (New Yorker)
The problem with America’s semi-rich. (Vox)
Does StitchFix need stores? (Retail Dive)
Mayim Bialik wants the ‘Jeopardy!’ job. Is she ‘neutral’ enough? (New York Times)
Facebook banned me for life because I help people use it less. (Slate)
Hollywood's most powerful woman: Ann Sarnoff steers through a storm. (Vanity Fair)
A new start after 60: ‘I had the most dishonest dark hair imaginable. So at 65 I shaved it all off’. (The Guardian)
The journey to vaccinate Colombia’s remotest communities. (Washington Post)
Okay, the idea of a backup pair of readers attached to my phone sounds pretty brilliant. (PopSockets)
The future of women and work. (Marie Claire)
Kacey Musgraves' ‘Star-Crossed' deemed ineligible for country album Grammy. (Billboard)
How white feminism threw its Black counterpart under the bus. (New York Times)
We’re losing our humanity, and the pandemic is to blame. (ProPublica)
The Secret Garden diorama. (Accidental Icon)
How to clean your bathroom in 10 minutes, 30 minutes or an hour. (Washington Post)
Manhood, madness, and moonshine. (Nursing Clio)
“People are desperate for inspiration and beauty”: Christian Siriano on the return of Project Runway, fashion’s future. (Vanity Fair)
Jonah Hill asks fans to stop commenting on his body on Instagram, even if they ‘mean well'. (Insider)
Adele is on the cover of Vogue; the story that goes along with it. (Vogue)
How to tell real products from scams when shopping online. (Washington Post)
Hear/See/Read
Oh my GOSH, why did we wait so long to start Only Murders in the Building on Hulu? What an utterly delightful series! Starting Martin Short, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building is about three fans of a true crime podcast who decide to investigate a death that took place in their apartment building.
You don't need to listen to podcasts to find it enjoyable, you don't have to worry about a lot of gore and death or too much drama before bedtime. You will enjoy charming characters, gorgeous apartments (I want Steve Martin's character's blue shelving), and modern yet timeless yet nostalgic and perfectly tailored fashion on Selena Gomez. Even the intro to the show is stylish and timeless.
This is the kind of show I see and think, my mom would like this, and my sister, and my husband, and my friend who likes nothing. If you are looking for a new show, consider Only Murders in the Building. There are I think seven episodes out and new ones drop every Tuesday on Hulu!
And if you are already watching this show and haven't seen this surreal, trippy, hokey, yet awesome music video for Selena Gomez and Camilo's song 999, you must. And you're welcome.
For Your Entertainment
Karl sent me this video this week stating I HAD to share it with y'all. And dude, he was so right, it's so good. I hadn't heard of the group Bachelor before, but it's a collab of Melina Duterte better known as Jay Som and Ellen Kempner who fronts the group Palehound. The two collabed on a song back in 2018, but just before the pandemic, they rented an Airbnb and crafted an entire album together. “Doomin' Sun” came out earlier this year. The sound is modern with some serious '90s influence, and this video is just too wacky and fab:
Did you like what you just read?
Consider tapping here to buy me a coffee in thanks. The best gift you can give a content creator is the gift of sharing. Consider sharing this article on Facebook or Pinterest. Thank you so much for your support!
Did you see the article in the New York Times about Linda Evangelista suing CoolSculpt? Interesting piece, and very pertinent to body image.
Marsha had a dramatic hairstyle when she dyed her hair and I think shaving it all off probably fit well with her style and personality. A lot depends on your lifestyle. The workplace can be a fickle place for Women with changing hair color and I’m never going to fault someone for doing what they think they need to do to keep their game. The situation sucks but change is slow and bills come due quickly.
I never seriously considered shaving my head when I went natural, but I was thinking about an ultra-short cut. The Woman who cuts my hair was really supportive and encouraging and I dealt with it by upping the frequency of trims and doing some things with braids and clips. With the transition in my rear-view mirror I have to say I’m glad I did it. My hair, even with highlights and lowlights wasn’t fooling anybody.
Another huge fan of Only Murders…it’s so good! My husband & I watch it together later in the week & both of us look forward to it. If if it could just go on & on & on, I’d be thrilled! All of the actors are doing such a good job & it’s nice to see Martin Short reigning himself in, rather than trying too hard to be funny. The chemistry with the 3 leads is excellent. And that NYC apartment building—I’d take a few episodes just showcasing those apartments!
I just visited Stitch Fix and I’m so happy that they have a freestyle option. I’ve always loved their looks when I saw them pinned but there was never a way to buy some of the items without going whole-hog into the Stitch Fix program.
I’m definitely going to give Murders in the Building a shot. I need a new show.
Great round up and a few reactions:
-Stitch Fix lost me before it had me after I met a young stylist who was truly being abused by the company. They suck. Sorry.
-Shaving your head was cool, but also I strongly believe women should do what they want with their hair. 🙂
-Mayim Bialik is doing a great job as host, but if Richards got let go, then seems odd she would be under different standards. Also Ken Jennings has made some pretty gross comments on Twitter. I know it’s only a game show, but…
-I feel like such a grump today, but people are celebrating Jonah Hill who has made homophobic slurs, starred in sexist movies where women were judged on their looks and the NYT wrote an article on how Superbad normalizes teen sexual assault. His recent film–nostalgic for his youth– “Mid 90’s”– has been called racist, sexist and homophobic. Hope he grants the same grace he is seeking to others.
-Murders in the Building is SO GOOD. I feel like I want it to go on forever. Why can’t we have more shows like this. Oh! Those clothes/apartments. The humor. The acting is all great. And I am now a huge Selena Gomez fan.
Last thing– I think all of this fashion believing we’re tired of comfortable, neutral clothing is a misfire. Most of us might still be struggling with the impact of the pandemic in a number of ways. The pandemic isn’t over. This isn’t the Roaring Twenties with some celebration going on. I think the idea that we’re going to ignore the fact that over 700k people have died, many are still suffering economically or with a myriad of issues and just go out and party in fancy clothes…is a little too much. Sure, let’s loosen up a little and be happy things are moving in the right direction, but it’s not all “over.” I think it’s going to be a slow ramp up to a more celebratory season. And I look forward to it.
Thanks for another great roundup. I loved the article about “dishonest dark hair,” esp the line that “every woman should shave her head at least once in her life.” I want to!
Back to real life, I concur re Steve Martin’s blue shelving. I recently bought a pair of large blue nightstands and they look incredibly good. I’m surprise how much they brighten my bedroom.
I am completely addicted to Only Murders in the Building. I have been amazed by Selena Gomez, who has no trouble holding her own with these two comedic big names. I had always sort of lumped her with other “Disney starlets”, but she clearly has the chops to do big things.
Her makeup line (especially the brushes) also rocks.