Pop Culture Mondays
MLK Day edition
by Brooke Hammerling on Monday, January 20, 2020
Hello my pop culture junkies! Welcome to a special holiday edition of PCM and not to get too heavy, but the great “I have a Dream” speech from Dr. Martin Luther King was a pivotal moment in the world’s history and one that is essential in our culture (pop and otherwise) today so if nothing else, re-listen to it again today. It’s below! As a reminder to my new PCM subscribers, this is a weekly round-up of the pop culture news that got the most attention this week. Or at least SOME OF IT (I have a real job). Some you might know, some you might not. Some you sort of grokked but didn’t really grasp, and some you just don’t know the latest.
And AS always, this a Trump-free zone. Because….BRAIN CANDY!
THIS WEEK’S TOP STORIES:
CAN YOU EVEN???
I don’t think I am exaggerating when I say, the world fell off its true and natural course in 2005 when these two broke up. We all felt it and were shook. I mean, I ended friendships with people who were on Team Angelina. I will never forget. Whatever the reason, and for some it actually became very personal, their breakup was a big deal. I think someone could write a dissertation about what this moment was like in the pop culture zeitgeist.
SO, last night, whether you were watching the SAG awards or saw on your Twitter or Instagram or all your friends texted it to you, for a blissful moment we were a different world. Brad and Jen, as they were. Some people rooting for them saw this as a massive step. Others saw it as Brad pleading for Jen to come back and Jen was like thanks BYE, but we’re good but I am late to meet my girls for some champers. While there is no proof they are back together, that’s not even the point. FORGIVENESS…(queue Hamilton soundtrack). They make us believe that everything will be ok. And frankly, we NEEDED that (despite what CNN says!)
More here:
RELATIONSHIP GOALS:
It was Michelle Obama’s birthday on Friday and everyone posted their Happy Birthdays to her on their own Insta stories so her husband was like I need to one up ALL OF YOU and post my own pic and it left us all in the dust. They did a photobooth shoot — its both adorable and sexy — which you know mortified Malia and Sasha, but we are grateful for this couple’s love and passion and sexiness…and ok I will stop now because I could go on and on and on….
This →
Also, Mrs. Obama has released her WORKOUT PLAYLIST (my work outs would get me to Lizzo in song 3 and then I would pass out and eat carbs for the rest of it because this is LONG)…
THIS CANDLE AGAIN!
Let’s just say it…Ok let me just say it. Martha doesn’t seem to be a girl’s girl. And she REALLY doesn’t have time for GP and her Goopiness. Shots have been fired before, and they just continue. Back in 2014, after GP had her conscious uncoupling from her husband, Martha wrote a post titled CONSCIOUS COUPLING about flavor pairings, naturally. She also said in an interview that she hopes GP was authentic and her brand was basically cute but DO NOT FORGET MARTHA created the whole lifestyle category — according to MARTHA. Anyway, we have Martha throwing shade about vagina candle and told Andy Cohen on WWHL (our favorite talk show) that she thinks only horny American guys bought the candle and thats’s why it sold out. Well, I assure you this is not the case. I am personally anxiously awaiting my very own candle (hat tip Cindy Gallop!)
Watch it here:
CLEAR EYES, FULL HEARTS, CAN’T LOSE:
OK so yes Cheer IS a docu-series about cheerleading, but it is SO much more than that. I have not finished it yet as I am savoring every last minute but it’s because of my socials I am watching it all and I am so glad I am. I am SO HERE for the stories of the cheerleading team at Navarro College, a public community college in the teeeeeeny Texas town of Corsicana, otherwise known as the Fruit Cake capital (ORDER ONE!). They actually make and ship 1 million fruitcakes a year. ANYWAY, it follows the group of incredibly talented and dedicated teen athletes who come from all across America to be a part of this champion team led by the badass coach who is OUR NEW Coach Taylor, Monica Aldama. The incredible athleticism and devotion despite the pain is an incredible thing to witness. These kids come from all different backgrounds and it’s as addictive to hear about their stories as it is to watch them jump a thousand feet into the air.
I am partial to the story of Jerry, the kid who has struggled with his weight and being bullied his whole life and after losing his mom was taken in by the cheer community. I mean the whole thing is must-see TV.
Trailer:
And check out the GoFundMe for Jerry set up by Cheer Moms as he doesn’t have any family….CHEER IS HIS FAMILY!! (Hat Tip to Scarlett Curtis!)
BLOOMBERG CAMPAIGN TWITTER GETS HIGH AF:
In case you missed it, reallllllly take a long look at that meatball.
It’s true, I have never worked on a Presidential campaign (nod to Hillary Clinton team who rolled their eyes at me when I offered them constructive advice and they were like oh sweetie WE GOT THIS) so I don’t know what exactly goes on day to day. But I do know a thing or two about communications and that covers how a brand (or ahem, a candidate) communicates with its audience. Authenticity is essential. Humor only works if it is authentic otherwise…no. Otherwise it can backfire as a desperate attempt to get attention. It’s THIRSTY as the kids say….aka DESPERATE.
The 1 millionth democratic debate took place last week and not only was it missing anyone of color, it had no Bloomberg. That’s because you can only qualify for these debates based on how much money you raise. And Bloomberg is not raising ANY money as he is self-funding his own campaign (HE RICH!!) which I respect ALMOST as much as the fact he gives FULL SIZED candy bars on Halloween. (Are you even a real New Yorker if you don’t send children trick or treating to Bloomberg’s only to RIP those ADULT SIZED candy bars out of their sticky little hands and keep for yourself??) I digress. Point is, that during the debate, the Bloomberg campaign tweeted some real crazy doozies including Mayor Mike as a meatball, inexplicably.
See all tweets:
WHO IS NIKKIE DE JAGER? SHE IS EVERYTHING.
Totally understandable if you don’t know who Nikkie is, but there are milllllllions of people — a lot of them teens — who very much know who Nikkie is. She is a beauty YouTuber who has more than 13 million subscribers who she has been giving incredible make-up tutorials to for years. Her fans know everything about her and have followed her on her journey with her fiancée Dylan and her feel good videos helping others feel good. Teens look up to her and want to be her and her videos have inspired an entire category.
And then last week she dropped a bombshell. She came out as transgender. Something no one seemingly knew. And the bigger part of this news is that she came out because she was being blackmailed — someone was threatening to expose her unless they were paid off. A totally deranged and horrible thing to have to experience, but in true Nikkie form, she took control of the situation and chose to drive her own narrative and expressed her dismay at having her hand forced but choosing to find the positivity from it by posting a video telling her audience about everything…which has been viewed more than 31 million times. The video is raw, and important to watch.
Video:
More on the story:
CHAMPAGNE WISHES….
I can remember the first time I met my ACTUAL bffs and each story is near and dear to my heart. BUT, and I am sorry to say this, I would probably kick my bffs to the curb to get brought into the Bey and Reese new circle of love. (Best friends of mine — I know you would do the same!) It apparently all started the other week at the Golden Globes, when Reese asked Beyoncé (apparently at the next table) for some champers. Because OBVIOUSLY Bey and Jay-Z had brought their own very fancy bubbles because they were NOT going to drink the pedestrian champagne mere mortals drinks. Reese’s table had run out of water and they were actually really thirsty hence the ask initially. This led to a BFF-romance when Bey and Jay sent Reese flowers and her very own case of Armand de Brignac “Ace of Spades” champagne (buy your own!) with a card saying “More water”. Because, FLAWLESS. But then last week, Bey gifted Reese (along with several other celebs) her entire new IVY PARK X ADIDAS collection which Reese turned into a very cute Tik Tok. And we love seeing powerful badass women be cute and silly and thoughtful and NICE.
AND HERE WE ARE….
So there’s not much more to say here but obviously this was some bombshell news out of England this past week and I don’t know about you, I really don’t need more news from this whole family for a while. It is what it is and no end in sight, but Meghan and Harry are now private citizens who are PAYING back (the Queen? The Government?) the $3 million it cost to renovate and manage their home, Frogmore Cottage, and they have been stripped of Royal titles and they are free to live amongst us commoners (IN CANADA??) and create their Goop aka Tig 2.0 aka Sussex Royal. Who knows what went down really but there is no question that living under that amount of attention and criticism when your own CRAZY ASS HALF SISTER is constantly attacking you publicly is too much for anyone. I hope they go on to do great things but please don’t make a tote bag or a vagina candle!
You have read every story, so now just behold our actual royalty, Queen BEY, looking super awkward while Harry pitches his wife for a job.
And because. Maybe you have never seen it or heard it or read it. Maybe you have seen only parts of it. Maybe you have, but it’s been a while. Maybe you were even there. Either way, you here go:
Until next week Pop Culture Junkies….
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