This week:
I’m heading to the asylum
The only thing worse than a meme completely flooding your social media timeline is not understanding what the hell the meme means. As a burgeoning senior, this has become a common and frustrating occurrence. So, between refilling my acid reflux prescription and icing my aching knees, I finally broke down and Googled where the meme that had been attacking me all week came from, and now I’m over bored than I was when I was wonderfully old, clueless and disconnected.
All week I logged onto Twitter, or X, or Absolute Hell – whatever you want to call it these days – and there were countless random picture posts captioned: “ You wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me. » At first I thought it was poetic, a rare example of seriousness on social media. Then I noticed some photos – a photo of Seattle Grace Hospital taken Grey’s Anatomythe Aéropostale window in a shopping center, the Tumblr login page – and I wondered if this line was not a nostalgic reference to the millennial childhood that I had forgotten.
SO Monica Lewinsky participated in the meme, posting a photo of the White House with the standard caption, and mainstream media started noticing and talking about it. That’s how I learned that this whole meme is a reference to a Taylor Swift lyric from The Department of Tortured Poets. Seriously?!
Look, I’m not usually one to criticize people. People should have fun when they can in this miserable time right now. And I can’t really explain why this is so disturbing, other than understanding that I’m more irritated than usual by this particular meme. But there’s something so dystopian about this inevitability: beyond the discourse that has invaded every other corner of the pop culture water cooler last week, Taylor Swift’s new album has also staged a coup. ‘Status on my social media timeline.
I’m a Taylor Swift agnostic. It’s a typically peaceful existence. I quite like his music and don’t have a strong opinion on his life and fame one way or another. I organized my social media to avoid absurd arguments about her and her music. So for this meme to be inevitable when I’ve been trying to completely avoid everyone’s Swift obsessions, well, that’s going to send me to the asylum.
Anyway, rant. I’m going to go back and watch my reruns of Matlock and reheat the soup.
Difficult to start my relationship
There was quite a controversy this week when Glen Powell revealed in a New York Times interview that speculation that he and Anyone but you Co-star Sydney Sweeney had an affair that was intentional and orchestrated by the duo themselves.
“The two things it takes to sell a romantic comedy are fun and chemistry,” he said. “Sydney and I have a lot of fun together and we have effortless chemistry. These are the people who want what’s on the screen off the screen, and sometimes you just have to lean into it a little – and it worked wonderfully. Sydney is very intelligent.
Some people found this hilarious and applauded the two men for implementing such a clearly successful marketing strategy. Others felt cheated and betrayed by a celebrity romance (and scandal) they invested in. Is it a bit insidious to play like this with the public and the press? If we can’t trust extremely wealthy and fashionable celebrities with an army of publicists hired to manipulate the media, then who can we trust!?
As for me, I completely understand. I, too, lied about a romance, even though my lover and I used the opposite tactic than Glen and Sydney. Rather than pretending to be lovers in public, Jonathan Bailey and I kept our steamy, sexually charged relationship a secret from everyone. If you ask him now, he will still deny it. He really likes this trick. What can I say ? That’s my guy!
Everyone wants to participate Blue
Last week I wrote about how the oversized special episode of Blue, “The Sign,” made everyone cry, including me. In the episode, the Heeler family is so heartbroken about selling their house and leaving their neighborhood that they ultimately stay put. It was a poignant portrait of the meaning of home, memories and community, and the frightening uncertainty of a journey into an unknown that won’t guarantee you any more happiness than you already have.
Everyone seemed to like and agree with this message. Everyone, except, ultimately, the people and businesses whose bank accounts depend on families selling their homes and moving away, unlike the Heelers.
Zillow has hilariously and cleverly released a new ad in response to Bluehoping to convince buyers and sellers that they should still embrace the idea of moving — emotional cartoon dogs, be damned.
“Even though a certain children’s show has made us all feel recently, moving into a new house might just be a good thing,” an Australian narrator says, aptly. At the end of the ad, which lists the benefits of the move, four real dogs are shown and, in another nod to Blue, look desperate when you’re sitting next to a For Sale sign. “Don’t look at me like that,” the narrator says. “Come on guys, you’re killing me here.”
Honestly, I love it. Good for Zillow. Watch the ad here.
You must be with my friends
It’s a miracle that this newsletter exists this week – or that any task has been accomplished – because my brain has only been preoccupied with one thing: the Spice Girls reunion performance of “Stop,” featuring the original choreography, at Victoria Beckham’s 50th birthday. birthday party.
Join me in watching it for the 479th time here.
What to watch this week:
The price of the big door: If there were justice in the world, it would attract as much attention as Ted Lasso obtained. (Now on Apple TV+)
Thank You, Good Night: The Bon Jovi Story: Spending several hours watching Jon Bon Jovi is always a valuable use of your time. (Now on Hulu)
Challengers: My love of tennis is finally considered hot and sexy. (Now in theaters)
What to avoid this week:
Unsung Hero: Even God can’t save this faith-based film. (Now in theaters)
City Hunter: They have all the money in the world, but Netflix can’t make a good anime adaptation. (Now on Netflix)
