Pop Culture Mondays/2.19.24
The “ONE LOVE” Edition
Happy Monday, my darling pop culture junkies! Many of you are on SKI WEEK, the thing that takes over the West Coast, which is basically winter break, but you have a fancy name for it. As a kid who did not grow up skiing or enjoying anything WINTERY, this is a weird one for me, especially as I sit here in the sun in my favorite place in the world, Jamaica. My ski week looks a little bit different! But it is Presidents Day in the US, hence the long weekend and, for some, vacation week. And in the UK, I know I have some friends recovering from BAFTA weekend…so this will be a light PCM for all of us. Especially for me so I can get back to swimming with the fishies.
BUT again, we are Trump-free, which is sort of hard this week since he has given us SO many gifts, not least of all, which are the high-top golden sneakers that he launched in Philly at Sneaker Con to a crowd of people booing him. IT was glorious. But also, CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS IS A FORMER AND MAYBE FUTURE PRESIDENT? Ok, sorry, I cannot help myself…here is the sneaker, which apparently is sold out, but there were likely not that many made.
From his newly launched NEVER SURRENDER Website:
See what I did here? I am on holiday and really want to go swim and sunbathe, so how best for me to make you guys all annoyed AF and sick to your stomachs and, therefore, have little interest in reading much more than by posting this?
STRATEGERY.
But seriously, lots going on, and I am not just making this the Jamaica edition because I am in Jamaica, my favorite place, but because the movie ONE LOVE is dominating the box office AND TikTok, especially Jamaica TikTok, and I thought I would talk a little about WHY.
And if you missed last week’s pod, it’s a fun one. I recount a story that happened to me on a plane last week. We are living in a world that is TOO divided guys…we need to fix this. We can have different views and still be good to one another. THAT’S my hope anyway.
So grab some candy or carbs or whatever your kink is, and enjoy…
THUMBS UP, THUMBS DOWN:
I normally am not in the MOVIE REVIEWS business, and that’s actually not what I am trying to do here, but there was something that happened this week that dominated the socials we have to talk about. As someone said to me, this was a “once in a generation hate on a movie.” I mean, think ISHTAR, and we had that before social media was even a blip on the horizon. Well, kids…we have our new ISHTAR. And I hate to see it because it is a woman-led film…but here we are…the socials have DOMINATED in terms of how much people hate this film.
The funny thing is, the TikToks and Tweets and Threads and reviews are just SO bad and so funny that it might actually make me see the movie, just out of morbid curiosity. This was not the first superhero movie to fail by a long shot…and yet these studios keep making them, so here we are. But I am grateful, TBH, because the real gift has been the takes from those who went to see it. Before we discuss more…let’s look at some of the memes.
This is one that started a lot…and ironically, this line from the trailer never was ACTUALLY in the final cut of the movie (APPARENTLY…again, I have not seen it.)
I always love when one meme morphs into another meme like this:
And some more fun ones:
This is one of my faves with Dakota herself. For those pop culture junkies who remember when Dakota basically murdered Ellen DeGeneres in an interview by exposing the fact she was actually invited to Dakota’s party and now was lying for impact, which led to the internet uncovering that Ellen was ACTUALLY NOT A NICE PERSON….
To be fair, this meme came out before the movie, as it was taken from the trailer…so clearly, they got wind of it and cut it out of the final movie…BUT, maybe they should have kept it. And here is Dakota having another viral interview moment where she does basically shuts down the interviewer:
She is not wrong.
The creator reviews are scathing but highly enjoyable:
This guy is so mad at everyone who was involved in the movie, including the bagel guy who might have brought bagels to the set…
And before you get upset that it seems to be all men reviewing a superhero movie of all women…there are a lot of women’s takes, too:
Apparently, the least-liked superhero movie before now was Morbius:
And even more fun than the takedowns of the movie have been the Dakota Johnson interviews themselves. I really do think she’s a gift. Even if she made a bad movie.
There are so many more…but you get the idea.
Moving onto movies that are getting destroyed.
Remember when a few weeks ago I showcased the bananas trailer of JLo’s new “film”, This is Me… Now? Apparently, this was self-funded project to the tune of a $20 million project that is meant to be a profession of her love of Ben Affleck. In case you forgot:
Oh, the takes…
But this one was my fave:
And then there is ONE LOVE, which I have seen because…obviously. I love Bob Marley, I love Jamaica, I love Chris Blackwell, who has a hot enough actor playing him…
For reference, this was Chris during his Marley days:
And the guy who played Chris in the movie:
Not bad…Chris obviously still hotter.
BUT…I digress.
Guys, I LOVED this movie. It was not a traditional bio-pic, so if you want to know how Bob Marley came to be and how reggae came to become popular, and how the Sex Pistols played a part…you won’t really get it from this. Touches of it..but it is really meant to take place during a specific moment in time when Jamaica was in the middle of a moment of unrest politically and Bob tried to bring the nation together. Then, there was his exodus from Jamaica, the rise of his star, his creation of Exodus the album, and his triumphant return. It is beautiful. But it is also fictionalized as ALL of these films will be. Oppenheimer included.
But, the Jamaicans do NOT have it, specifically over the fact that the woman who many consider to be Bob’s true love, Miss World from Jamaica, Cindy Breakspeare, and the mother of Damien Marley.
Someone close to Bob told me that the way a guy goes up to a lady and asks her to dinner is how Bob would go up to a lady and ask her to have his baby. And they all would. I mean, I would! Bob has something like 11 kids that the Marley family acknowledges, but some say likely more than 30! But of those 11, Damien is not acknowledged in the film, nor is Cindy other than portrayed as a groupie you see in the background at times. It is widely known that many songs in Exodus were written about Cindy, but because THIS movie was produced by his family….we are not shown that.
And LORD…the Jamaicans are like NO SIR.
Now, the reviews have been bad, and I have to say…they are wrong. Most of them say it’s because there wasn't enough backstory. I mean, if that means a movie is bad…because you want MORE, then ok…whatever. But let me tell you, while they did get criticized for not having a Jamaican play Bob, English actor Kingsley Ben-Adire is amazing.
And lastly, in movie news….
I am very excited for Dune 2 to come out. The promos are happening, and that’s all fine and good, but let’s take a moment to talk ZENDAYA. Because it was her outfit in one of these press moments that had the Internet shaking.
AND….FINI…
A LITTLE OF THIS, A LITTLE OF THAT:
OK, I really have to get back to VACAY mode, so let’s breeze a few other things.
Another week, another Taylor post:
I mean, the chokehold she has on us. But I have to say…the backlash that there has been and there has been…from the Grammys to the Super Bowl, to the criticism people are throwing onto her because of her boyfriend’s antics….she has silenced them all with her triumphant Australian tour. The JOY you get from watching the videos from Australia is wild. And Melbournce…she played for 96,000 people in the stadium.
96,000!!!
And they say that tens of thousands more stood OUTSIDE the stadium.
And these are the people outside during the show:
The flights of people going to the show:
And let me introduce you to New Zealand creator and Harry Styles look alike and biggest Swiftie, Oliver Mills who documented his journey and excitement in going to see Taylor.
And for those of you who have not seen the show, a quick explainer on the 22 Hat. Taylor gives the hat she wears for this song to someone handpicked from the crowd and usually we have seen it be a kid. And that kid loses their mind. But this time….this time?
I am CRYING. She had seen his videos and he got picked and it is tremendous content.
I literally have cried at all these videos.
Beyoncé has us all:
Bey doing country has the Internet all hot and bothered. SO many videos. So many racist country folk upset. It’s beautiful to see.
And some country radio stations refused to play her…but the outcry came and things changed…FAST:
Stingray Watch:
Have you guys heard of Charlotte the pregnant stingray in an aquarium in North Carolina? Thisis big news because….well, because ther are NO male stingrays with Charlotte. SO….we are all wondering how did Char get knocked up! Was it the Immaculate Conception? Was it a shark and can that happen?? And she is already past her due date so we are all waiting with BATED breath for her to have her 4 pups…
Charlotte Watch continues…
The TikTok Series:
Creator Reesa Teesa has done a 49 part series asking us, “Who TF Did I Marry” and we haven;t had a series addiction like this since Greys Anatomy I think. People are HOOKEd on the drama…lost a day watching all the videos. I have not tbh. But the gist is, her husband was not who she thought. LOTS of drama. The reactions are amazing.
And for a taste, here is the 1st one:
And lastly…if you have not SEEN this yet…
I am obsessed with this. I had not read the book. I had not seen the movie. BUT this series got me. I needed therapy after but it was worth it. YOU have to watch it. I love these two actors so much. They were INCREDIBLE. I loved it.
THAT IS IT, my darlings…
I know I don;t have everything but the beach, the sea, the jerk chicken are calling me! WAGWAN my darlings.
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Have an amazing week.
Xx,
Brooke
