Pop Culture Mondays/11.27.23
The “9 to 5” Edition
Happy Monday, my darling pop culture junkies.
It feels like last Monday was an actual lifetime ago. I love this time of year when I lose track of the days and time and then find myself on this Monday morning in an ABSOLUTE panic and realize I didn't do any of the things I said I would do during the Thanksgiving break. I don’t mean I put a few things off, no no. I mean, I literally did NONE of the things. The list is too long to get into but from the small things like taking my clothes to a tailor and the dry cleaner to bigger things like writing a chapter of my book (I keep RE-writing the first chapter, so yeah, that’s going well) to planning my birthday party I am throwing myself. NOTHING. I did nothing.
Actually, it's not totally true. After recovering from the food coma of Thanksgiving, I watched a lot of TikToks about funny Thanksgiving dramas and this was my favorite one:
Is your boyfriend divorced yet IS funny.
I also stayed glued to the TV to watch the release of the hostages, which was beautiful and tragic all at the same time. And in between, I watched the newest episodes of “The Crown,” which I hate to say (SPOILER ALERT) — but TO ME, it is still too soon for any of the Diana death stuff, and this season really needs to get a handle on itself. GHOSTS? I mean, stop it, guys. Pull yourselves together. It’s embarrassing.
And I DID make it to Alex Edelman’s INCREDIBLE ONE MAN SHOW, “Just for Us,” at the Mark Taper Forum in Downtown LA, which if you are from LA, is actually a really big deal…I mean, yeah the show obviously was a big deal, but I am talking about actually driving to downtown LA. It’s like a ROAD TRIP in LA, and I should really feel accomplished a this moment. And I do.
But if you haven’t seen Alex’s work…I highly suggest you do ASAP:
OK, I have to dive right into this thing as the sun is coming up this Monday and I have to dig out from all of the emails and work I have ignored for DAYS. So grab some candy and some headphones and I will see you on the other side…
Xx,
Brooke
HELLO DOLLY!
I would imagine if you are reading this newsletter, then you have SOME interest in pop culture and even if you are not a football fan, you likely saw or heard something about Dolly Parton this past week. I imagine almost all of you have seen snippets of her halftime performance. But just to ensure we are ALL on the same page here, let me give you the highlights:
- Dolly performed at the halftime show of the football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Commanders (sorry, but is this the team formerly known as the Redskins? The Commanders? Like is that the most forgettable name ever? Sorry, I digress…)
- Dolly was dressed as an ICONIC Dallas Cowboy cheerleader.
- DOLLY is 77 years old. SEVENTY-SEVEN.
- Dolly sang hits like Jolene and 9 to 5.
- Dolly wore a crop top and tiny shorts.
- DOLLY IS 77 YEARS OLD. SEVENTY-SEVEN. Did you catch that?
- The Internet went crazy, and almost everyone loved it, but of course, there are some haters who are mad she was wearing a body suit, and to those people, I say….actually, I say nothing because I don’t want to waste oxygen on them.
Let’s take a look at Queen Dolly.
I MEAN…COME ON. I was sitting on the couch with my top button unbuttoned from all the food I had just consumed when I watched this.
77.
Let’s check out some of my fave reactions:
Also, the Internet found their new crush:
And while I refuse to show the negative commentary here because….IT IS DOLLY…here is a quick explainer as to WHAT it is:
And it reminded me of a LONG LONG time ago, something we covered WAY back when back in 2020 PRE-PANNY….The Instagram post from Dolly that launched a MILLION memes:
NAILED IT.
Anyway, another thing happened that day at a different football game with a different halftime show performed by Jack Harlow. The reactions were….NOT kind.
He performed at the Detroit Lions/Green Bay Packers halftime show and it was not great. I mean, the STAGE…guys, but this stage looks like it was built in STAGECRAFT 101 by 5th graders….THAT MORNING. The whole thing feels so so sad.
EVEN ESPN got in on the fun:
Poor Jack Harlow. I don't think it's his fault. He was CONNED.
TRIGGER WARNING: THIS WILL ENRAGE YOU
I forgot to add in my intro, that another big thing I did during this break was SOB uncontrollably for long periods of time because of this little boy. Well, because of this little boy’s parents. Like many others, I considered going to South Korea and finding the parents and giving them a talking to. I also decided I probably should just adopt a million little kids and move to a commune and sing songs and play games with them 24/7 for the rest of my life. It might happen.
So forgive me for not knowing every detail here, but here is a quick summary:
- There is a show in South Korea called “My Golden Kids,” which is a reality show that takes a look at kids and how their parents PARENT.
- Cameras follow the kids and parents everywhere to see how they interact, whether in a shopping mall or at home doing homework or playtime.
- And then the child is interviewed separately, and the parents are shown the footage and given feedback on their parenting.
- ENTER 4-year-old Song Eo Jun and his parents.
PLEASE know I am not showing this to hurt you. BUT IT WILL HURT. But you will be joining a collective of millions of people who have come together to cry and rage together over this:
You’re crying, right? I mean, I am a freaking mess right now, and I have already watched these hundreds of times.
But the TikTokers from around the world were having NONE OF IT.
But there is good news…we hope. This show did seem to get through to the parents.
I am still crying, though. Like something deep inside me broke over this little boy.
A Little of This, A Little of That….
Are we ok? That was a lot, I know. So we need a bit of a palate cleanser or two…so let’s look at other things happening in the pop culture world.
- The Viral Tension Rod Holiday Decoration hack….the kids are SO smart:
- I am a little late to this, but it is not because I missed it or hated it…I just keep forgetting to add. AND THAT IS…THE DAVID BECKHAM CHALLENGE. Let’s start at the beginning, which comes from THIS scene from the Beckham doc on Netflix, which we have talked about here:
The way they came together as “Islands in the Stream” played is considered by MANY to be RELATIONSHIP GOALS. So the challenge became someone playing this song and dancing and seeing what their partner would do. Loved these:
- There is a viral dress making the rounds which always confuses me as to why you would want to risk wearing the same press as several other people at an event you are at. TRUST ME. As someone who once attended a very high profile wedding last year that was being photographed for Vogue, and not only were several people wearing the same dress as me, though in different colors, the VOGUE writer herself was wearing the exact same dress as me and the same color. And she was SO unhappy like I had to try to laugh because, you know…AWKWARD, so let’s go with it…nothing to be done. But the other lady was NOT having it. Man, was she unhappy. And then, out of some miracle, this amazing woman, whom I had only met the day before, approached me. She explained she worked in opps for US presidents and other crazy impressive people, and she always has back-ups with her as a product of her job, like she is just TRAINED to always have a backup, so she had BROUGHT a backup dress to this wedding venue in case…I don't know, someone spilled red wine on her. ANYWAY, she offered me her dress she had in a bag she had stored in the bathroom…this gorgeous shiny silver VAMPIRE’S WIFE number and I changed in the bathroom and CRISIS SORTED. I mean…some women are AMAZING. ANWAY…here is the viral dress at the moment:
And this woman has my vibe….but def not the writer’s vibe who sulked over being in the same dress as me:
ANWAY….you get it.
- Something else I have not talked about here, but if you have a teen or GenZer or Millennial or you hang with them a lot like I do, then you know that EVERYONE LOVES location sharing. EVERYONE. FIND MY FRIEND is like DE RIGUER for this crowd. Um…I would have been sent to military school at the age of 13 had that existed then. Like NO question. But now, kids WANT to share it…but you know something is up with your kid, your friend, your partner, if ALL of a sudden location sharing is OFF.
- And lastly, on this trend moment…have you guys heard of WALKING PADS? Yeah, me neither. But, like it is a thing. The kids love them. I have a treadmill….and ADMITTEDLY, I have a treadmill that is WAY too big for my house. I highly discourage you from having a few drinks and going onto the NordicTrack site and picking a treadmill using your arms as the measurement…it won’t end well. So yes, I have a VW bus in my office, but I do love it, and the thing goes speeds and heights I never ever INTEND to reach, but I am glad to know it is there. BUT, the walking pad is just that…it’s like a walking sidewalk…you just walk on day and night if you wish. At a pace that if you were walking that slow on a sidewalk in NY, my walking rage would KICK IN SO HARDCORE:
So, now you know if this is what someone you love asks for this holiday season!
WHO is Madelaine Brockway?
That is the question all of TikTok has been asking all week. This is a woman whose wedding videos and every single wedding detail are out there in the public domain and it has seemingly put other famous weddings like Sophia Ritchie and EVERY ROYAL WEDDING TO SHAME. Let’s take a gander, shall we?
Anyway, people are losing their minds. Who is she? How much did it cost? Versailles? MAROON 5? A regional care salesman heiress??? WHAT IS HAPPENING?
For more, you can check out this piece:
THAT IS IT, my darlings…
I have to dig out from all the emails I have ignored this past week. And texts. And if you are someone I ignored, please email or text me again because I AM SO SORRY. It was not personal.
I am ignoring Hall & Oates, who are fighting with one another like two 13-year-old girls, and it is boring to me. I am ignoring the doggy virus because I cannot talk about it or show the videos of people who have lost their dogs to it but be careful in large dog parks and doggy day cares. I am ignoring TSwift and TKelce this week because I even need a break.
Love you lots. Hit me up with comments, feedback, questions, tips.
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Xx,
Brooke
