Pop Culture Mondays
WINE CAVE WEEK
by Brooke Hammerling on Monday, December 23, 2019
HAPPY HANUKKAH/CHRISTMAS WEEK!! What a week it has been. While some pretty big news was made on the political front, this is a TRUMP-FREE Zone. I want this to be like candy, a place that sparks joy, a break from the madness. So while obviously there was big news this week -🍑- it’s not for here. #safeplace. Also remember, carbs do NOT count on holidays!
THIS WEEK’S TOP STORIES:
Not since 1984:
By now, I assume everyone has some idea that Eddie Murphy hosted (along with musical guest, LIZZO THE QUEEN) the final SNL show of 2019 and Murphy reprised some of his most iconic characters from Gumby, to Buckwheat to Mr. Robinson to Velvet Jones. Which in and of itself in the PC world of 2019 is newsworthy, but not everyone knows WHY Murphy’s return was such a big deal despite it obviously being genius. So here goes to the best of my ability:
Murphy was on SNL from 1980–1984. But you know who was NOT part of SNL those years? LORNE MICHAELS, the father of the whole show. Let's just say he was on “hiatus”. The show was struggling and Murphy was one of the only things keeping it alive. Murphy only hosted once, in 1984, shortly after he left the cast, but then nothing, Murphy didn’t come back at all. This is because he was PISSED at the show for making a few jokes about him: most famously a joke by then cast member, David Spade about a vampire film Murphy was in. WE ALL HAVE FEELINGS! Other than a brief appearance on the 40th Anniversary Special in 2015 where Murphy didn’t perform, we have been denied his genius. It’s what we have all been missing all these years. It was magical.
Also iconic. With Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle and Tracy Morgan joining him during his monologue (with Chappelle not giving a f*** and smoking a cigarette) it was an incredible moment in the SNL world and in general.
Here is his monologue but I encourage you to watch the episode in its entirety.
THE FREAKING WINE CAVE DRAMORAMA
So for those of you who have been spared this story let me give you the facts:
- A Wine Cave is a subterranean structure where people store wine and if you are reallllly rich it’s a reallllly big room where you have a big table and can host dinner for people.
- What’s the drama? So there was a fundraiser for Pete Buttigieg (Boot-edge-edge) hosted by Napa Valley winery owners, Craig and Kathryn Hall where one assumes you had to have a lot of money to attend (even that dude in shorts who is in one of the photos probably has a lot of money but as the Countess Luann tells us, MONEY CAN’T BUY YOU CLASS) but I digress. People were OUTRAGED at the privilege and the appearance this shows people buying Buttigieg’s (Boot-edge-edge) influence. And the other Presidential candidates grabbed onto this at the debate, most especially mocking the Swarovski crystal chandelier (it was a bit much tbh) and claiming this wine cave dinner proves Mayor Pete is in the pocket of billionaires.
- And others are now saying this is the signs of a class war thats growing and that other candidates are helping fan that narrative.
- Here is the thing: OPTICS. While I personally have been to a few of these crazy dinners for candidates over the years and I by no means have ANY influence or billions, in this moment in time the Buttigieg (Boot-edge-edge) campaign should know this would NOT have been a good look.
- FULL DISCLOSURE- I was a stand in for MAYOR PETE at the Recode Decode podcast where I tested his audio prior to his interview, and am slightly offended I did not get this invite.
Read more on the wine cave here:
FAMOUS ACTOR WITH NO BUDGET RESTRICTIONS AND MULTIPLE TRAINERS AND NUTRITIONISTS TRANSFORMS BODY
So, for a red hot minute last week, time stood still when Kumail Nanjiani, known for being a comedian and an actor in Silicon Valley and The Big Sick for example, revealed his new Super Hero body. He revealed his body, for his upcoming role in Marvel Studios Eternal, in an Instagram post where he refreshingly admitted it took a lot of help and money to achieve this new body. The response has been mixed. While there is NO question it’s an amazing transformation and Nanjiani clearly worked ridiculously hard to achieve it and acknowledges the HOW, it makes him less relatable and now SQUARELY in the Jeff Bezos camp where he went from schlub (we love schlubs) to super ripped guy (usually the villain.) I like a dad bod myself but that’s me.
MEMORY, ALL ALONE IN THE MOONLIGHT….
Since the preview premiered, everyone has been loving to hate on the movie, Cats. Cats came out, and the hate continued. People just generally didn’t like it. I mean reallllllly didn’t like it. It didn’t stop there when the news came out the movie was sent to theaters unfinished (as witnessed above in a still from the movie in an obvious error) and an updated version was sent to the theaters a few days later. More below, but I am obviously still going to see this movie because….CATS you guys!
DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE
WHAT HAPPENED: Adam Driver (Girls, Star Wars, Marriage Story etc.) an unlikely sex symbol is very ACTORY. He has revealed he never watches or listens to any of his performances and can’t stand doing so.
So, Driver was in the middle of a taped radio interview with the legend Terry Gross, who has her own interview show called FRESH AIR on NPR and if you haven’t listened you should start. For context, about 4 years ago, Driver expressed his dislike for listening to clips of himself to Gross in a previous interview, so there was precedent. So, fast forward to this month, Gross sets up the fact they are going to play a clip where Driver sings in Marriage Story and she acknowledges they know Driver hates this, so Gross suggests Driver remove his headphones so he doesn’t have to hear it. Simple enough. He is ON THE SHOW to promote his performances so….
But Driver apparently was super offended and while they had had NO discussion about this being OFF limits and not part of the interview in advance, Driver walked out. MID-interview Which I am guessing is why he would not have been a great marine (Google it.) The interview did not run, but Gross had to add a disclaimer ahead of a rerun to let her audience know what happened.
Wait WHUT??
It has been revealed from “inside sources” that Ruth Wilson, the remarkable actress who starred in Showtime’s The Affair and is now on HBO’s His Dark Materials, abruptly left The Affair as a result of a toxic work environment due to a lot of different things you actually have to read about because its nuts. But apparently Wilson felt she was being asked to do gratuitous sex scenes and unnecessary nudity and she was having a lot of difficulty with the show runner Sarah Treem — (FYI a Showrunner is the head producer, usually the creator and head writer of a show.) But it gets REALLY crazy when you read about the Girls cast and crew running into some of the crew of The Affair at 668 The Gig Shack in Montauk (a lobster shack!) and one Affair producer drunkenly praised Lena Dunham for being nude all the time and asked her to take Wilson out and convince her to “show her tits” more so yeah, that happened. Read ALL about it:
Sarah Treem has responded so you can read that here too:
HOW DID WE NOT KNOW THIS??
If my mom COULD have had a wrapping room in our house, a room where we had nothing but wrapping paper and bows and ribbons, she would have. It was an art form and maybe even a form of therapy for her. I remember her curling ribbon with glee as I rolled my eyes incessantly. But SHE NEVER FIGURED THIS OUT. We have all been there. The paper we cut is too small for the thing we are wrapping. But thanks to an incredible video on Tik Tok that took the world by storm, it shows us that if you turn the gift diagonally?? DIAGONALLY!!! #mindblown
RANDO STORY OF THE WEEK: Elephant Toothpaste
I once got grounded for 2 weeks for having a keg party (not fair to say a keg party as there were definitely more than a dozen kegs) when my parents were away and I would have gotten away with it too if not for the fact the garbage truck does not take kegs so they were all in the garage when my parents got home from their trip. Alas, if given the option, I am pretty sure my parents would have taken the keg party over this….
WHAT IS ELEPHANT’S TOOTHPASTE? According to Wikipedia (DONATE TO WIKIPEDIA PLEASE!) it is a foamy substance caused by the rapid decomposition of hydrogen peroxide using potassium iodide or yeast and warm water as a catalyst.
So this is not new as Tik Tokkers and You Tubers have been trying this all over the place and controversy around this abound for all the damage I am sure it causes. But then some You Tubers/Tik Tokkers who wanted to take it up a notch and make a world record. While this is a cool science project (and weirdly eco friendly they SAY) this is surely the experiment of every parent’s nightmare.
You have to see it:
Until next week Pop Culture Junkies….
While I’m still working on the formatting and sign ups, want this in your inbox? Lmk at Brooke.hammerling@gmail.com
