Pop Culture Mondays/10.24.22
The “SAY NO TO HATE” Edition
Hey guys. Every so often we have a week where Baby Yoda just isn't going to cut it and this is one of those weeks. Hard to make light of what is going on in the world. We have all gone through a lot you know? Like when does it end? Like many of you, I am the product of a childhood filled with terror. Terror of dying in a nuclear war. Terror of being kidnapped and ending up on a milk carton or getting razors in our Halloween candy. Terror as the AIDS epidemic took over and every day was a different story. And that brings us to today…we have survived a period of time we haven’t seen in our generation where we were LOCKED in our homes and kept from school and work and our friends and family. I am washing over a ton of other things we have all lived through (continue to live through) from terrorism to wars to the environmental crisis…but you get the idea. The point is…we have COLLECTIVELY gone through a lot.
And yet here we are.
Anti-semitism is on the rise and like Trump, Kanye West (I won’t call him Ye sorry) gives the lowest common denominators permission to showcase their hate like never before. Hate of any kind is just preposterous to me and indicative of a type of person I just don’t encounter. Or choose not to encounter. The idea of hating people based on anything from race to religion is literally preposterous — it is the only word. And I am not naive. I know it exists and we have seen so many lives lost GLOBALLY as a result, and yet as much progress as we have made and we have this GLOBAL community due to technology which I HOPED would bring more understanding and insight and compassion, but it seems we are right back in the time in our history books where we never believed we could be.
You likely have seen these images all over the internet. This was this weekend in Los Angeles over the 405, one of the most congested freeways in the US. AND, it has been reported that MANY people honked. So….yeah. And you may say it’s only a few people up there…but we know that is all it takes. SO with that, a different kind of PCM I know…we will get to the fun stuff. In the meantime, this post is being shared on social channels everywhere:
And this petition on Choose.org to get Adidas to drop Kanye is gaining lots of steam. When I signed it, there were 45K sigs. Now it’s over 75K. And I hope it grows and grows.
So with that, let’s get to some lighter stuff…
MIDNIGHTS IS HERE:
First, let me say there are a million things I will miss in this post as I am not a savvy Swifty so all the triple meanings and easter eggs are beyond me tbh. But I can get you CLOSE. First, the irony is NOT lost on us that Taylor Swift has dropped an album that has become a massive sensation as Kanye West, the man who has bullied her and assaulted her PUBLICLY, comes crashing down. Assuming this was NOT coordinated, let’s get to some of the facts.
Midnights (also the 3 AM Edition we will get to that) is Taylor’s 10th original studio album. She also re-recorded two studio albums in a genius move after Scooter Braun bought the master recordings of her work from under her. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT DETAIL with regards to THIS album so again, stay tuned.
Miss Swift sold more than 800,000 albums on the FIRST DAY in the US alone this past week. Like, how do you even BUY an album anymore?? I mean FOR REALS? Pretty impressive. The album is a cross between awake and asleep to me…not sleepy but like being lost in a dream or a night terror, depending. Produced by Jack Antonoff and with back up harmonies on one song by Lana Del Rey. EVERY SINGLE LYRIC has been dissected and analyzed by the incredible Swifty army. So let’s get to some of it (also, the album TO me, is lovely.)
Let’s start with the first single that is the one getting everyone excited or pissed off (we cannot have nice things.) Now, this video makes sense to me for a couple of reasons…1. I did my fair share of LSD a long time ago and 2. I TOO call it teatime when it is time to open a few bottles of wine.
But I digress.
To understand any of the next part you sort of need to watch this video:
A LOT TO unpack. It feels like an acid trip am I wrong? IF you ever had the amazing opportunity to take part in YOU ME BUM BUM TRAIN in London a few years ago, this video will make sense. If you did not, then it is open to your own creative mind! BUT first, the controversy because there is ALWAYS controversy these days. Can you guess what it is?
Taylor is being accused of being fatphobic with this video. I get it…but I think in my dimestore analysis she was trying to point out her own struggles with eating disorders and how society puts crazy pressures on us. BUT, I can see where people are going.
Here is one of the many TikToks showing creators anger over the perceived fatphobia in the video:
And here is a growing counter to this where other creators are saying NOT SO FAST guys:
Now, let’s get to SEXY BABY TOK.
If you watched the video, perhaps the line:
Sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby.
And I’m a monster on the hill.
Creators went WILD with wtf is Sexy Baby.
But don’t worry my darling Tinx, we got an explanation!!
THANK GOD FOR LIZ LEMON.
OK so we have THAT sorted. Now let’s talk about the trending sound that came from this song. A trending sound is usually a clip from a song that everyone uses in their own way. Can you guess which lyric took over TikTok this weekend? One hint…AM I THE PROBLEM?
I even jumped onto this trend:
OK, moving on to decoding. This is from the song Karma. I am not going to sit here and run through all the songs and the decoding theories as I would be here all week and not even get through half if it.
BUT we all remember when Taylor’s management company sold the masters to her song out from under her to Scooter Braun who then became the victim of the SWIFTY army which was extreme as there were death threats to he and his family and that is obviously never ok. But we all knew the story. And then Scooter and his wife divorced and there were a lot of conspiracy theores as to why (enter Bravolebrity Erika Jayne but this is for another newsletter)….so we have this lyric and EVERYONE trying to connect it to this drama:
AND this is the lyric that people think means it’s about Scooter Braun…Spider Boy…etc. OMG there are so many theories:
Spider boy, king of thieves
Weave your little webs of opacity
My pennies made your crown
Trick me once, trick me twice
Don’t you know the cash ain’t the only prize?
It’s coming back around
SO MANY PEOPLE GOT INTO SWIFTY MADNESS. Including seemingly, THE FBI:
Like for real:
The best response?
And moving on the last part we are focusing on (there are so many more avenues to go down but I am moving on) and that is:
LANA DEL REY. You recall I mentioned she does harmonies for one of the tracks. That song is called “SNOW ON THE BEACH” and all I can say is you are hard pressed to find Lana in it. AND THE LANA FANS ARE UPSET. THESE KILL ME. 😂
(Sidenote: That little girl singing in this video from an Ellen Show 9 years ago or something announced this weekend that she’s pregnant so let’s just end there…)
ANYWAY…listen to the whole album. Swiftys as usual were up for days decoding all the hidden signs and then the album dropped at midnight…but wait…then MORE dropped at 3AM making an album seem out of date 3 hours later hence the 3AM EDITION. She keeps her fans on their toes:
LAST WEEK THIS WEEK:
Guys, RIGHT after publishing last Monday…the pop culture world was ROCKED by a few things. I DID cover it all in last week’s podcast with my guest, the amazing creator BEHIND incredible meme accounts like LOOK AT THIS RUSSIAN on Instagram and his company LOOK AT THIS MEDIA.
AN EXAMPLE:
BUT do check it out if you have time…I am really loving doing this podcast.
But let’s do a quick summary of what went down.
- NANNYGATE. The former nanny who worked for Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis gave an “exclusive” interview to the bastion of journalism, The Daily Mail (I am not linking) And she had receipts, as the kids say. She turned over many texts between her and the couple that seemingly showed a lot of drama and hurt and sadness across the board. It also led to a few memes. MAINLY around salad dressing as in one text, Sudeikis alludes to the fact Olivia left the home and the children with her salad dressing. Which led everyone to joke about what this magical salad dressing MUST be. Some great tweets about it like this:
AND GUYS. IT HAPPENED. I even called this tweet out on my pod being hilarious and how Olivia should in fact do this.
SHE IN FACT DID IT.
The girl dropped a salad dressing recipe on her story. From the amazing Nora Ephron’s “Heartburn”…
WILD (e) and I am here for it.
To be fair, this was the salad dressing I grew up on. My mom went thru JARS of Grey Poupon and occasionally would riff on it by using a balsamic vinegar every now and then but you know….REVOLUTIONARY. Lols.
But this Olivia, Harry, Jason, Flo story line really needs to stop. It’s is so boring and invasive and we are the worst.
ANYWAY…moving on to the actual WORST…we have James Corden:
2. EGG YOLK GATE. After PCM published on Monday, Keith McNally the famed NYC restaurateur with places like Pastis and Balthazar, decided to drop a bomb. Here is part of that Insta that first dropped:
Look, I have met James Corden. I did not have a good first impression for I was neither famous or important to him so therefore I was not of importance and that’s fine…that’s HOLLYWOOD BABY. But the point is, he struck me as someone who could be problematic in that his energy was that of someone who likes famous people and no one else.
So that’s BAD news for servers I imagine.
BUT while everyone is talking about the beef between James and Keith…I want us all to talk about EGG YOLK OMELETS (or is is omelette??) and how I AM HERE for this revelation and will always thank Jame’s wife, Julia, for this new obsession. The devil is in the details so if you unpack all the male toxic drama between James and Keith, the real prize is that biggest NUGGET is that James’s wife ordered an egg yolk omelet and I will never be the same. THIS is the innovation I am HERE for.
Looks like the New York Times MIGHT listen to my podcast?
AND NOW FOR SOME OF MY FAVORITE THINGS (OR SOME OF THE DESPICABLE ONES…)
You still with me? Hopefully some of this made you giggle since we all need a giggle at the moment. Here are some other things taking over the pop culture brains this week:
- I was BLOWN away by this comedy special on Netflix starring Iliza Shlesinger called Hot Forever. IT IS SO GOOD. Also her pants are in my brain a lot right now like I obviously need to find them. This clip in particular got me…you HAVE to check it out.
OBSESSED.
- AND obviously, lots of drama and mayhem over in the UK. God, imagine living in a country where when your leader sucks, they just like GO away? That would be nice. But this lady is LEGEND now for her response and making everyone relate:
But alas, welcome to the new PM, who doesn't have friends who are “WORKING CLASS” heaven forbid:
- This baby is all of us. Or at least me and this baby is LIVING THE DREAM.
- Ladies and Gents, may I introduce you to Auntie Tok. What is AUNTIE TOK? THIS video lives in my head 24/7 rent free and let’s say I am HERE for SUZI QUATRO trending in 2022.
The duets are amazing like it is what got me through this dark week tbh. Here’s our fave skateboarding hero (remember him when he skateboarded with total ease whilst listening to Stevie Nicks?)
But they are all joyful:
- This UFC fighter from England named Paddy Pimblett is taking the minds and hearts and souls of MANY this week:
- And if you guys have not heard of the band The 1975, it is high time you get on that bandwagon because they are great. OBVIOUSLY they are English. Here is a taste:
And of course the lead singer Matty Healy with his hooded eyes that TAKE OVER YOUR SOUL has become a sensation on the TikTok. Our fave interviewer took it to another level:
And how many feel:
- AND lastly, ugh a weird on to end on but I got to go to my real job. LISA RINNA AS M&M. THIS apparently has been a meme for over 10 years and only resurfaced again I THINK because she wore the head to toe orange suit to BRAVOCON?
SOMEONE HELP ME. But here are some fun ones from:
Here is the meme explained:
THAT IS IT MY DARLINGS…
Well, let’s tackle this week with love and kindness and drown out the hate as best we can. AND VOTE.
Have a most magical week. If you aren’t already a subscriber (PLEASE PLEASE SUBSCRIBE!!!) and please do SHARE this with all your friends…and IF you want this in your inbox, please send an email to:
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