Pop Culture Mondays/3.11.24
The PHOTO EDITING Edition
Happy Monday, my darling pop culture junkies. WHAT A WEEK IT WAS!! I am finding myself saying this EVERY Monday. Well, TODAY, I am sitting in Austin, Texas, on my third cup of coffee as I woke up at 5 AM to watch the Oscars LATE since I didn’t get to watch it live this year, which is a first for me. But I do what I need to do to write this for you. So, lmk which one of you I can send my coffee expenses to! 🤪
We have a LOT to cover this week, and the Oscars are only a teeny part of it. We will get to it, though. Do not fret! Obviously, the story that captured us here in the US while also consuming the UK was the EDITED ROYAL PHOTO DRAMA-RAMA. We are just unpacking that, so buckle up. We also have stories around Jojo Silwa (don't worry if you don’t know what any of this means, you will), fashion moments taking over the socials, Dune memes, and TikTok trend for the olds, and, of course…Katie Britt. Obviously.
If you missed last week’s pod, it’s not too late!
It’s a beautiful day in Austin and I have BBQ to consume before I jet back to LA, so let’s get to it! Grab your headphones and whatever delicious treat you are craving (calories don't count when you are reading PCM. True story.) And enjoy…
Xx,
B
ROYAL SCANDOLO:
I am not a royal expert, and I am sure a million things will be missed in this since it would take me a full day at LEAST to unpack everything that’s going on. So, let’s consider this the Cliff Notes version. Not to mention, I am sure a million things will happen the minutes and hours after I publish. This is a fast-moving story!
We have ALL seen the mounting drama when it comes to Kate Middleton. The entire Royal Family seemingly has gone off the rails with one scandal or drama or health horror after another. But nothing has consumed the world lately as much as all the conspiracy talk around Kate Middleton. Back in January, the Palace announced that Kate had planned abdominal surgery and was going to remain in the hospital for 10–14 days and then would not be doing any public duties until Easter, months down the road. This obviously got everyone spinning.
First of all, 14 days (the time she ended up staying in the hospital) is a HELL of a long time.
To put things into perspective, my 11-hour open heart surgery, where they cracked open my sternum and had me on a heart and lung machine, had me in the hospital for a week. ONE WEEK. Now, you might think, MAYBE they do things differently in the UK, and I thought that too, so I asked a bunch of my friends there…and while there are some differences in our healthcare, the 14 days is a mind-bender for our friends across the pond. I have heard people suggest a hysterectomy, but again, not 14 days. But we were relieved when we heard she had finally gone home and was on the road to recovery.
The first sighting of Princess Kate was last week when she was papped while riding in a car with her mom (sorry, her mum.) What you might not know is that the photo was NOT shown anywhere in the UK. Not EVEN in the Daily Mail. This was an unauthorized photo of the Princess in a private moment, and the UK media are not fucking around with these things anymore. The US was like whatever, so we got to see this invasive photo. I am not showing it here because, ew…but also, let’s call it what it really is…PROOF OF LIFE, if you will. No one said it, but that was what people were really thinking. It was an otherwise uninteresting pic of a woman in the passenger seat of a car…but it either fed MORE conspiracy theories or else it shut some down.
Some of the conspiracy theories included but were NOT limited to:
- She had a much more severe illness where her life was in danger
- She had cosmetic surgery
- She had an eating disorder-related illness
- She had no surgery but had left William and told him to sort it out, but she was out
- The photo of her in the car was NOT her but a lookalike to throw people off
- The photo of her in the car WAS her but clearly showed she had had plastic surgery.
I mean, the list goes on and on.
But then…just as we were all getting ready to start checking out Oscars fashion, the family posted a family pic of Kate and her kids to celebrate Mother’s Day (don’t worry, you Americans…our Mother’s Day isn’t until MAY 12th, so you didn't mess up.) The photo is still up on their official Insta account:
Nothing really stands out here. Kate looks healthy (honestly, healthier than she has in a WHILE) and rested and joyful with her happy brood. A way to put conspiracy theories to rest!
But nope. In fact, the exact opposite happened.
Major photo agencies, from the AP to Reuters, pulled the photo and asked all outlets to pull the picture.
AP told Sky News in a statement:
“The Associated Press initially published the photo, which was issued by Kensington Palace. The AP later retracted the image because at closer inspection, it appears that the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP’s photo standards.”
Now, let’s be real. EVERY photo we see is manipulated. EVERY ONE. So why would this one be so different to require media outlets to PULL it? Well, it seems the editing was so egregious there was no way around it. And overnight, we got an answer of sorts:
Also, this is the first time I realized Kate is short for Catherine and not Katherine, so why wouldn't it be CATE? I AM SO CONFUSED. But I digress….Like there is NO way Kate was sitting at her laptop photoshopping this pic so please Palace…just stop.
Let’s look at some of the funny reactions to the photo…
Bringing the UNKNOWN meme from last week back to the surface:
Do you see it?
Look in the window.
Too funny.
And another WONKA meme from last week:
But let’s take a look at what apparently what was edited:
Before Kate took the blame, the belief was it must have been the social media team:
And some more:
We have so many other things to get to, so while this is ONLY scratching the surface, it should get you up to speed for the most part.
THE OSCARS….THE THINGS TO KNOW:
As I mentioned above, I did not watch the Oscars live this year. Well, I did in a way, I GUESS…in a GEN Z kind of way. I was at a party, sitting in a corner, watching the BIG moments unfold on socials. So, I was tracking in real-time who won and the different viral moments that popped up.
Back when the Oscar noms were announced, we were all up in arms about Barbie director, Greta Gerwig, and star. Margot Robbie being snubbed. I wondered both in PCM and on my pod, how the cast would react. IN particular, how Ryan Gosling would handle it since his song was nominated. One of my predictions was that he would make it a spectacle spectacular and everyone would be in PINK, and he would bring in Greta and Margot into the performance.
AND I WAS RIGHT. Ok, maybe not a huge stretch but I am pretty pleased with the outcome. I played it out on the pod how I imagined he and his team would play it out. GO BIG or go home.
And they stole the show.
IN case you missed it or saw snippets…here you go:
Guys….am I the only one who is crying? I mean, I am crying. I cried when I first watched it, and I am crying this morning over my breakfast taco. I am trying to figure it out. I think it makes you feel like everything will be okay, somehow? Or that we are all in this together, and it’s going to be ok. Or that Ryan is in on it with all of us and giving the world what it deserves. I cannot explain it, so if you can, please lmk. It just hit me deep and in a different way than any performance has ever. What a joy. And thank you, THANK you, universe, for Ryan Gosling.
Some of the other amazing moments from last night include:
Jimmy Kimmel is reading a crazy Trump post in real-time. In case you thought this was made up…IT WAS NOT!
Here was the post to lols…Truth Social:
I mean…for the love of all that is good and holy…we cannot let this man be elected president again. PLEASE DO WHATEVER YOU CAN to ensure this does not happen. Because…I don;t think I have the mental strength to take this shit.
And Jimmy, who apparently was told not to read this live, decided to go off script and do it anyway:
Isn’t it past your jail time? THIS will forever be funny.
And if you saw Anatomy of a Fall, you know that one of the biggest breakout actors in that film was MESSI THE DOG. I am actually not joking, so if you haven't seen it, you have to because I am not going to spoil it, but he is right up there with some of the greats. And his appearance at the Oscars stole Ryan Gosling’s heart:
The Oscars apparently tried to ban Messi from the evening, but this clearly did not happen. And people loved it:
But some of my fave memes from last night…
This meme continues:
And some of the best:
Of all the John Cena takes…this had me legit laughing out loud, and I was wondering around the SXSW party I was at showing it to everyone:
IN case you missed it….John “You Can’t See Me” Cena was very much someone we could see as he came out on stage naked. Really and truly naked. To announce BEST COSTUME Oscar. Other than his Birks…what a thing!
More memes!
And Emma Stone did indeed seem shocked by her win, but LET ME TELL YOU…I know Lily Gladstone was amazing in an otherwise UNAMAZING film (sorry, but that’s my opinion)…I have NOT stopped thinking about Bella Baxter since I watched “Poor Things.” I mean, this movie was shocking to me on so many levels because…well, BECAUSE…but the role of Bella Baxter was one of the most remarkable I have ever seen. Like the COURAGE it took to play that and give her life and a life that lives in my brain now rent-free…well, it was remarkable. I know many are upset about Emma winning…some have said because she has won before, others should have been given the opportunity. My brain doesn’t work that way. I mean, it just doesn’t, which may make me a cold and horrible human. BUT….I digress.
I love her.
But many were not happy:
And bringing another meme back from a few weeks ago, thanks to John Mullaney and the Madame Web ZINGER:
And, of course, the Royal Photo got the treatment:
Okay, let’s wrap this post here. I could keep going and going, but this would be an endless PCM that takes hours to complete. No one wants that.
But I will end with Billie’s performance as regardless of whether you like the Oscar-winning song or not, this was beautiful and she got a rare standing ovation at the OSCARS!
A LITTLE OF THIS, A LITTLE OF THAT:
REMEMBER JOJO SIWA?
The adorable dancer who came to fame from appearing on “Dance Moms” has grown up in front of our eyes. She went from this bubble gum pink and sparkles girl to an adult who came out as a lesbian and has been evolving her personal brand over time. But no one was expecting this reveal:
The reactions? Priceless.
The comments were 🔥
A TikTok Trend:
Another week, another trend. This one took a few twists an turns. The trend was basically someone posting a video asking people to guess how old they were. Commenters would give feedback, and sometimes, a 22-year-old was told they looked 42, and they would react. Or the opposite would happen, and a 40-something-year-old who looked young would stir everyone up. Then, some of the creators created calls to action for people their age to show themselves…so here you go:
So, I got in on this one, which I rarely do:
Under His Eye:
I mean, we have all seen this speech by now. I HOPE. I mean it was pure comedy. I was like, how could anyone make this FUNNIER?
Well…challenge accepted and answered. Because OMG…they made it funnier.
This crazy pants junior senator from Alabama gave us the gift that keeps on giving with her SOTU rebuttal. From her kitchen. Obsessed.
In case you missed the MOST incredible Scarlett Johannsen take from SNL’s cold open:
I urge you to watch the whole cold open, but if you want to skip ahead to Scarlett…it’s like at the 2:18 mark. And I totally imagine how the whole thing came to be. Scarlett and Colin had just put the kids to bed and were in bed watching Katie’s response, and Colin looked lovingly into ScarJo’s eyes and said, “Babe….BABE. You have to do this on Saturday. PLEASE can I call Lorne and tell him you have to do it? YOU WERE BORN FOR THIS BABY!”
And that she was.
Not only were the delivery and set design bananas…but so, in fact, were her stories. The whole story she told about some young woman she made it sound had confided to her about her being sex trafficked IN AMERICA was, in fact, a story taken from an activist who tells her story in press conferences and other speaking engagements. Her sex trafficking, which took place when George W Bush was president, NOT Biden. Which happened IN MEXICO and not in the US. And was this uncovered by our news media?
Um….technically no. It was uncovered by a former AP journo who posted THIS on TikTok:
AND BOY did this create a storyline I live for.
And some of the responses to Katie’s rebuttal that I loved:
FASHION!!
I am going to miss my flight so I really need to wrap this up. So let me just rush through the end.
Some fashion moments have gone viral.
First, this post by Free People took off not because of the product itself but because of the comments, which are SENSATIONAL. Hopefully this is the group of people who will ensure Trump is NOT elected:
And the comments continue:
Amazing.
And lastly, in fashion…the viral bag everyone is talking about is from the Row and is $$$$$$$. It is being called the NEW BIRKIN, and if your kids ask you for this….just turn around and say nothing. Because….you have created a monster.
THAT IS IT, my darlings…
I got to pack, shower, grab food, get to airport. WISH ME LUCK! But quickly, I saw DUNE 2 on IMAX last week and I loved it. LOVED it. And I love the responses.
So that’s it. I am skipping over the TikTok impending ban…because I am all out of words and thoughts at the moment. I will talk about it on the pod this week.
Be safe. Be joyful.
And remember, if you aren’t already a subscriber and you want this in your inbox, please send an email to:
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Have an amazing week.
Xx,
Brooke
