The best tweets of June 2022 so far.
Read MoreMay Musings 2022
How is it June? Halloween is practically tomorrow. Here’s what went down last month!
I wrote an essay about my hated for the Kard***ian family.
Nathan’s show Trapped got reviewed in The Globe and Mail!
I visited the insanely disappointing part two of the costume exhibit at The Met.
I also revisited part one of that same exhibit because new pieces were added and they are spectacular. (And quick note: there’s no rooftop exhibit at The Met this summer! I emailed them to see why and they told me that it “has been delayed per the artist’s request“ which is complete bullshit! If the artist couldn’t make it work for this year, why the hell didn’t they commission someone else to fill the space for this year? The fuck?)
I read and reviewed Christopher Reeve’s memoir.
I never use face cream, but the texture of my face was weirdly rough for about a week so I lathered on the belief aqua bomb cream each night and it smoothed me right out back to normal within two days. It also works really well on elbows if ashiness is ever a concern for you.
So intensely in love with these new shorts I got from Banana Republic Factory.
I made this tomato, zucchini, caramelized onion & feta tart with puff pastry that was too, too good.
I made these flourless chocolate brownie cookies and they were truly disgusting.
I’ve tried many foot masks, but this Holler and Glow one from Target is my absolute favourite. It’s even better than that baby foot mask everyone loved a few years back.
Went to Bar Crudo in Brooklyn and it was incredible. The crab cakes were perfect, everything we ordered was phenomenal (except the ricotta toast). Have to go back.
I’ve been making individual iced teas each day and this month solely consisted of the Trader Joe’s pomegranate white tea. It’s so fruity, but not at all too sweet.
Two new discoveries! I have a moderate dairy allergy and a possible pollen allergy! Sweet! This is what your late thirties looks like I guess?
I tried a sample of the silk peony eye cream (eyes are rolling at that name) from Tatcha and it yes it was good. But no it should not be $62. All creams should be max $20 and that’s even pushing it a bit.
Links I’m Loving:
If you’re still spring cleaning, this is such a great guide.
These sandwiches look so wildly good. Can I please just be invited to this woman’s house.
The best SNL sketch of the season. (It’s called Old Enough! Longterm Boyfriends if you need to search for it in Canada.)
I badly want to make these chocolate toffee cookies (below).
Things I Watched:
I’m in the middle of a rewatch of Friday Night Lights (Hulu), it’s not as good as it was the first time around but Riggins can still get it.
Also rewatching Undeclared (YouTube!) and it’s as good as I remembered it.
Our Father (Netflix) was pure chaos. It’s so disturbing and awful, I kind of want to tell you not to even watch it? It’s not worth it. Awful people who get away with doing awful things is such a weird thing to recommend to watch.
Inventing Anna (Netflix) was irritatingly bad. A lot of the acting was terrible, the scripts were awful. Why on earth was this longer than a 90 minute made-for-TV movie? This is one of those times the Wikipedia page is more interesting than the final product.
The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes (Netflix) was, again, hard to watch. I’ve seen dozens of movies about this woman and every new thing I learn about her is more depressing than the last. God, the Kennedys were awful people.
St. Elmo’s Fire (Hulu) was terrible! I’d never seen it before but UGH. There are so many good people in it, I had such high hopes. Not one likable character in a cast of what seemed to be fifty people. Also, I know it was the ‘80s but no friend would ever put another friend’s head in a toilet, it just wouldn’t happen. Terrible script.
Everything Everywhere All At Once (theatres) was good! There were definitely parts that were a smidge too corny, but as a whole it was really good.
Flamingo Kid (streamed online) is such a good summer movie, I can’t believe I haven’t seen it before. It’s light and low maintenance and a young Matt Dillon is very pleasant to look at.
Big Night (streamed online) was so good. I’ve wanted to see it forever because of how food centric it is and it was perfect.
Top Gun: Maverick (theatres) was actually really good. Even I surprise myself sometimes. Love Tom Cruise. LOVE that he insisted on little to no CGI.
It’s amazing that spring garlic is still in season, I’m begging you to find some.
The main thing I’m looking forward to this month: I’m going on my big postponed-from-2020 trip! I’ll definitely be posting about it on my Instagram stories and (and highlights section) if you have any interest in seeing what I get up to. I could tell you some of the things planned, but where’s the fun in that?
If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in April over here.
The Best Tweets of May 2022
In America: A Lexicon of Fashion at The Met (Updated Pieces!)
So I already reviewed this exhibit, but I went back recently and it’s been updated with new pieces! Why would they do this? The only reason I can come up with is because part two of the exhibit (that came out a few weeks ago) was so revoltingly done that they had to save face. Makes sense! Favourites ahead.
Are we kidding here? All those shades of lilac? Heavenly and way too much fun.
Warmth & elegance at once!
I think my favourite part of this one is the neckline. One day necklines will be deemed important again and on that day, I will rejoice.
This yellow frock SHOULD seem matronly, but somehow it isn’t? The simple sweetness of it is contagious.
If there isn’t humour in fashion, we might as well all kill ourselves.
Honestly kind of shocked we haven’t seen Rihanna wear this yet. Oh to be taking an accidental nap on a porch swing in this beauty.
A definite favourite of this whole collection, it’s so full of whimsy. A walking garden, what could be better.
I really did gasp at this one as soon as I saw it. Romantic, modern pieces like this make me believe in magic. It reminded me immediately of the Rodarte piece (that was displayed in this same exhibit late last year). Breath-taking, even with the basic-ness of the top - it’s letting the skirt shine even stronger.
God, this would be fun to wear. It’s kind of insane alone (still beautiful), but with some giant long coat on top? Or, oh god, something with feathers?? You’d be unstoppable.
I spent at least five minutes staring at this one. It’s fucking ART.
God, this whole updated collection was incredible. It’s wild what proper lighting and display areas will do, who would have thought? Both parts of the exhibit are on display until September 5th.
I also wrote more about each piece on my spring ‘22 highlight reel on Instagram (more specifically where I would wear each of these gorgeous pieces), incase you’re interested.
Still Me by Christopher Reeve - A Review
I can’t remember the reasoning behind why I wanted to read Christopher Reeve’s memoir, but I’m really glad I did. A lot of the book is incredibly heavy and heartbreaking since he goes into such detail about his accident and the aftermath of not walking again. He really doesn’t sugarcoat any of his experiences so it makes the book incredibly raw - he was brave as hell to write it. Best parts ahead.
When he’s talking about almost missing his first child’s birth: “I rushed up the stairs and into Gae’s room just as Matthew appeared. As soon as he was breathing, I had the privilege of handing him to Gae, who was crying from both exhaustion and joy. Instead of bawling at the top of his lungs, as I had expected, Matthew snuggled in quietly and drifted off to sleep. But just before he dozed off, he opened one eye and looked right at me. It seemed to me that he was asking, “Who are you?” And then, satisfied that I was meant to be there, he fell asleep. I think that look of complete acceptance from my first child within moments of his birth somehow taught me the most important lesson about being a parent: unconditional love is everything.”
He filmed a movie (Somewhere in Time) at Mackinac Island on Lake Michigan and it sounds like an incredible place (cars are banned on the whole island) so now I have to go at some point in my life.
I’d completely forgotten about the song Red River Valley (and this weep-worthy rendition of it that I love).
I had no idea he was so close with Robin Williams, I love that.
“People often ask me what it’s like to have sustained a spinal cord injury and be confined to a wheelchair. Apart from all the medical complications, I would say the worst part of it is leaving the physical world - having had to make the transition from participant to observer long before I would have expected. I think most of us are prepared to give up cherished physical activities gradually as we age. I certainly wouldn’t be competing in combined training events in my sixties or skiing nearly as fast as I used to. If I went sailing in my later years I wouldn’t go single-handed. Stronger hands and more agile bodies would be needed to raise and trim the sails or steer in a heavy sea. The difference is that I would have had time to prepare for other ways of enjoying the things I love to do most. But to have it all change and have most of it taken away at age forty-two is devastating. As much as I remind myself that being is more important than doing, that the quality of relationships is the key to happiness, I’m actually putting on a brave face. I do believe those things are true, but I miss freedom, spontaneity, action, and adventure more than I can say.”
“When the first Superman movie came out, I gave dozens of interviews to promote it. The most frequently asked question was: “What is a hero?” I remember how easily I’d talk about it, the glib response I repeated so many times. My answer was that a hero is someone who commits a courageous action without considering the consequences. Now my definition is completely different. I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. The fifteen-year-old boy down the hall at Kessler <his hospital> who had landed on his head while wrestling with his brother, leaving him paralyzed and barely able to swallow or speak. Travis Roy, paralyzed in the first eleven seconds of a hockey game in his freshman year at college. Henry Steifel, paralyzed from the chest down in a car accident at seventeen, completing his education and working on Wall Street at age thirty-two, but having missed so much of what life has to offer. These are the real heroes, and so are the families and friends who have stood by them.”
Just an incredible book.
In America: An Anthology of Fashion Exhibit at The Met
I just saw part two of The Met’s newest costume exhibit and… woof. It might be the worst one they’ve ever had? Which is weird because part one was done so well (as noted over here).
“The second portion of a two-part exhibition exploring fashion in the United States is presented in collaboration with The Met’s American Wing. This section of the exhibition will highlight sartorial narratives that relate to the complex and layered histories of the American Wing period rooms. Men’s and women’s dress dating from the eighteenth century to the present will be featured in vignettes installed in select period rooms spanning from 1805 to 1915.”
And look, if you know anything about me and The Met, you already know how much I LOVE the period rooms (they’re one of the reasons I always return each summer). But it was a spectacularly bad idea to showcase clothing inside of them. Many of the rooms have been staged by American directors (Sofia Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Regina King, Julie Dash, etc.) and while that sounds cool, it’s kind of useless. For starters, the rooms are so dimly lit that you can barely see any of the details on the clothing. Also, the mannequins wearing the pieces are placed SO FAR AWAY from the roped-off viewing areas. See for yourself.
Doesn’t this seem oddly terrible for The Met to produce? I honestly just felt confused at first, but that confusion quickly turned to annoyance (and a little bit of rage). People come to this exhibit each year to SEE THE CLOTHING UP CLOSE. Why is that so difficult to understand? Now if they’d only displayed the entire collection in the manner they did with this George Washington coat (below) I could happily shut my mouth.
Am I being too harsh? There’s more! All of the pieces that weren’t being shown in period piece rooms were presented on a platform in THE darkest room inside the entire museum on mannequins that were contorted for some reason?? Can someone explain this me? Are these dresses or fancy sheets draped over bodies? No one knows.
If this were twenty years ago when The Matrix came out, at least then would I understand the positioning of these mannequins. How could it get any worse, you ask? Well, the names of the designers of each piece aren’t even NEAR each design. They’re all collectively on a plaque that’s near the outer wall of the room. So not only can you not accurately VIEW each piece (what fun!), but you also have no idea who the hell designed what! Sweet! That’s just what I wanted when visiting A COSTUME EXHIBIT. Just an abomination.
These were the two pieces (that I could actually see) that were my only favourites in the whole bunch (below).
Other than those two, the best item in part two was this gorgeous Tiffany lamp. (If you don’t know anything about them, they’re a thing.) So beautiful to see in real life.
After this horrid experience, I needed to decompress so I headed over to part one (that came out last year) and they added new pieces! So I’m going to do another post on that one this week. (Spoiler: they’re breath-taking.)
It’s honesty wild how bad part two was, just jaw droppingly rough. On the bright side, it’s comforting to realize that even an institution as highly respected at The Met can still completely drop the ball and remind you that power doesn’t automatically mean success. God, what a disaster.
The exhibit runs until September 5, 2022 and if you aren’t in New York and would like to see a glimpse, there’s a tour video below of part two; don’t tell me I didn’t warn you. (And you can see my whole walk-through on my Instagram stories over here.)
Trapped in The Globe and Mail!
Nathan’s show in The Globe and Mail today!
Kancel The Kard***ians
I’ll be completely honest with you. I’ve bought a waist trainer. I’ve tried the Kylie Skin sunscreen. I have a set of KKW lip liners. Years ago, I even bought a blazer from the Sears Kard***ian Kollection (even I winced at that admission). I’m embarrassed by all of these purchases because I should have known better. I bought them because my brain sometimes tells me that what the Kard***ians are selling is real and attainable. Embarrassingly enough, in the past I have looked to their bodies as inspiration to starve myself. I haven’t bought their shitting teas or the diet pills, but at certain points of my life of course I considered them because of the sheer influence of these people who seem to have it all. Over the last fifteen years, how did we ever get onboard with such a deeply vapid, insecure, fatphobic family that profits off of the insecurity of others?
I’ve never been impressed by their empire because they have never offered us anything of value. I’d assume people started watching their show because it was enjoyable to watch hot, mean people act like privileged morons. It was supposed to be entertainment. The show tied in with the emergence of Instagram (which turned out to be the absolute worst coincidence) and it gained momentum. It produced people who weren’t stars, but wanted to be so badly that nothing else mattered. Each year, more viewers, more popularity, which led to more surgeries, more falsities, more endorsements, more credibility. A family that started out as normal (they weren’t, they were rich even in the beginning), turned into something no one could have believed could happen. It’s the same structure that catapulted Trump into office, we refused to look away from a train wreck. And this one was a beautiful train wreck.
The show became so popular because to a typical viewer, it was frivolous, messy, even fun and it also looked attainable. Even now, we continue to think that we could have these lives, if only we tried harder. That’s why we buy the lip kits. That’s why we think Khloe knows anything about denim. That’s why we learned how to over-contour when Kim showed us how to.
And of course you can argue that that’s the industry. Market a product, sell a product. There isn’t anything wrong with that idea. The part that is wrong is that this family has sold us an idea that harms us on a daily basis. The idea that our value and worth should be determined by our appearances and bank accounts. We’ve been brainwashed into believing these women hold the answers to changing our own lives. The lies behind their “working hard” mentalities are so ingrained in our perception of them because that’s constantly what they’re telling us they’re doing.
At the core of it all, we shouldn’t be idolizing people we do not know. We should not be defending them as if we know them. They show us snippets of their extravagant lives and demand praise. They are on completely different planets than we are in terms of wealth and status, so why must we also be subjected to hearing (endlessly) about their lives? If you make a certain obscene amount of money, you should have to be silent. At least for awhile. Until you’ve proven that you can be trusted with our ears. Stop telling us what to look like, what to buy, what will make us “better.” We glorify their wealth and power in a way that we actually believe they’re smart people with our best intentions at heart.
The best thing of all is when anything negative is said about this family, we’re supposed to have empathy because they’re “real people too.” And pathetically enough, I do have empathy for them at times. It bums me out to see a 24 year old who looks 35 because of the severe psychological damage her family has done to her self-worth. It bums me out that fans feel sorry for these women who certainly do not care about our personal well being. It bums me out to see women who endlessly Photoshop and alter their images because of their addiction to their bizarre understanding of “perfection.” It bums me out to think of the normalization of young girls changing themselves because of the opinions of others instead of looking inward.
This family is truly untouchable. They’re an embarrassment to North American culture, and people continue to praise, love and celebrate them. As I said before, there’s something so Trumpish about all of it. These women continue to show you who they are, they ignore the harm they’ve done, and continue to profit. No one expects them to apologize or alter their behavior because they don’t acknowledge that there ever IS anything to apologize for. Any criticism of them is put into the category of negative talk. The next time I’m arguing with my boyfriend, I should just back out of the room and claim, “I refuse to engage in your negativity!” - apparently that’s all you need to say to avoid real consequences for your actions and words. With a defense like that, it becomes completely acceptable to distance themselves from anyone who has serious problems with the destructive culture that they’ve capitalized on. It would be a genius strategy if it weren’t completely tragic and devoid of actual understanding and growth. Evidently, those qualities can’t exist in a family with extreme wealth and no moral center. If you challenge or criticize any of these women, you’re labeled simply a hater. You’re told, “As a woman, why would you take down another woman?” When you’re harming society on a daily basis, you’ve left me, a fellow woman, with no choice.
These are millionaires who literally share their lives with the public and get paid for it. No one is asking them to be perfect, this family disgustingly encourages (and profits on) the idea that you need to look a certain way to matter. They have the resources to do whatever the hell they want. They have attempted to destroy the lives of anyone who has crossed them… does that not seem insane? The amount of power we’ve given to stars of a reality show? These people do not deserve your sympathy. There are things in the headlines at least once a week about how fucked up this family is. They have taken “any press is good press” to an entirely whole new level.
Recently, for example, with Kim at the Met Gala. It is sick to proudly announce that your disordered eating made you fit into a dress. It’s profoundly sad and deeply unhealthy to promote your unwellness as an accomplishment. I would feel sorry for her if it weren’t so enraging. Imagine having all the money in the world and your main focus in life is your appearance? You can change lives with your power, influence and money, you can do anything you want and you choose vanity? Wild. Yes, it’s her body and she can do what she wants with it. My problem lies in the complete ignorance of her influence on others OR in the knowledge that she knows exactly what she’s doing and gets off on deliberately saying dumb shit that she knows we will talk about.
So what is the solution here? The only one I can come up with is out of sight, out of mind. I have every family member blocked on all socials, I have their names muted, I have the names of their partners muted. At the moment, it’s the only way that I can find some peace in a world that holds them in such a positive light. We idolize their lives, possessions, relationships, and anything that we assume to be real life, when it’s just a calculated experience perpetuated by deeply insecure, powerful women. We’re encouraged to want their lives. Some of us even root for them, even though they’re complete strangers. Smaller stomachs aren’t the answer. Private jets will not fix you. Excessive surgery and wealth will not make your life happier. This family’s purpose is to sell you ideas and things that you do not need. Whether it’s the body you don’t have, the wealth that you don’t need or the power that will not give your life meaning.
Of course their show didn’t end, they wanted more money and created a new one. They can and we let them. It doesn’t hurt me if you watch or follow them, but I think it might hurt you, whether you realize it now or not. (Yes that sounds condescending - it is. Condescension is all I have now to offer anyone who supports these people.) I’m talking about them right now and it’s what they want. If that family is talked about, they win. They’re the real life Candyman. Is it even possible to get rid of them? Probably not. Not anytime soon, for sure. But they can be made to be invisible, at least to this hater’s eyes.
The Best Tweets of May 2022 So Far
April Activities 2022
Yes, I’m late on the monthly post but there are approx. three people who read these posts so WE’LL ALL LIVE. Here’s what went down in April!
NATHAN’S TV SHOW TRAPPED PREMIERED! It’s available only in Canada on Bell Fibe TV1 but I have a link to it if you’re interested in watching and you’re not in Canada (message me about it). So wildly proud of how good it is and I promise you’ll love it.
I wrote about seeing the great Birthday Candles on Broadway.
I did Nathan’s podcast again and we talked about the Netflix show Old Enough and whether or not you can question women.
I talked about visiting the beautiful New York Transit Museum and why you should too.
I came across this wonderful Kurt Vonnegut letter.
I should have loved this recipe for lemon orzo with parmesan and peas, but it was definitely missing something. Maybe a basil vinaigrette should’ve been mixed in? Maybe some grilled chicken? There are so many recipe blogs now that everything has become so boring and bland.
I went to Hudson Yards for the first time and it’s… a lot. I had no idea there was so much going on in that area. Had drinks at Peak with Jessie mainly for the view and it was lovely! If you find yourself shopping in that area, a drink up there should definitely be on your list.
I looked through the new Half Baked Harvest cookbook and there might be some decent recipes in there (like the rosemary chicken salad with bacon shallot vinaigrette or the lasagna alla vodka or the balsamic stuffed mushrooms with basil and orzo). Will I buy it? Time will tell. Buying a new cookbook is such a commitment.
I went to the antique store No Particular Hours finally and it was a little disappointing. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I figured that since it was only open on the weekends it’d be a bit more exciting? How does this logic make sense? I’m not sure. In any case, it’s nothing special. I think antique shops might only be good in the suburbs.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Easter candy is EONS better than Halloween candy. And the Dove milk chocolate peanut butter eggs give you a reason to live. But that being said, the Lindt mini eggs completely sucked. There’s a weird powder on them that didn’t seem normal, the Cadbury ones are waaay better.
Baby Dog and I went to Central Park because everything is in bloom and it’d be a sin not to go and see it all.
Things I Watched:
The House of the Devil: uuuuugggghhhh, words can’t express how terrible this was. I can’t stand when directors who aren’t Alfred Hitchcock show up in their own movies. It always seems desperate. I might officially hate Ti West (god even that name, I cringe writing it).
Speaking of awful things, I did a brief hate-watch of some seasons of Entourage for some reason. What’s wrong with me?
Also rewatched some of The League and it really doesn’t hold up after all these years. Every scene with Jason Mantzoukas is magic and Andre (Paul Scheer) is by far the best character, but other than that it’s definitely not worth a rewatch.
Euphoria: I watched all two seasons of it at once and loved Kat & Ethan (until she was awful in the second season to him), obviously loved the idea of Lexi & Fez, and I kind of hate Rue & Jules. I just can’t stand Jules. The last two episodes of season two especially? So messy. Love mess.
I saw the Lizzo SNL and these two sketches were by far the funniest ones: the Black Eyed Peas one and the Venga Bus one.
Life of Kylie: do you remember this sad attempt at a show? It was on while I was getting my nails done and just wow. Apparently money can’t stop you from being boring. (Also, small side note: if these people weren’t absolutely wretched, I would feel immensely bad for the awful face work that Scott has had done recently. Someone forced a clip of their new show on me and it’s shocking that bad plastic surgery can still be achieved even if you have millions. Sad.)
Old Enough: love how low maintenance this is, perfect show, no notes.
I attempted the first season of Atlanta and only got through the first three episodes. I do want to watch that Trinidadian funeral episode from this season though because I’ve only heard good things (from one person, my brother Robbie, but that’s enough to spark my interest). I don’t think I’ve ever seen any show attempt to show what a Caribbean funeral is like and I’d love to see if they got it right.
Bao: Pixar is really incredible sometimes (I’m aware that we all know this already). I feel like all moms would love this short.
Turning Red: Okay, so I’m going to have strong opinions about a movie based in Toronto. And here they are. No Canadian has ever said the word “hoser” to any other Canadian. Can we all just accept that and move on? It’s embarrassing. Also, when the mother over-pronounced the word “Toronto” you could immediately tell that little to no research was done on this movie. It takes place in 2002 and the $5 bills they showed were the new ones that definitely came out after 2002. And the birthday cake Timbits they mentioned came out in 2014. Am I a loser for pointing these things out? NOPE! How hard is it to research a movie with a budget of millions?! I’M not the problem here. And look, all that being said yes it’s a good movie. It’s a real “call your mom” movie.
We’ve been making homemade iced green tea for about a year now, but I started getting flavoured green tea and it’s taken things to a whole new level.
I’ve never even heard of the Canadian singer Virginia To Vegas, but I’m obsessed with the two songs betterman and selfish.
I will not stop re-buying these pocketed leggings from Aerie. So damn soft.
I went out to a winery in the Hamptons (Macari Vineyards) with my friend Diana and what a great time we had. Sometimes I forget how good it feels to leave the city for a day.
Nathan and I saw American Buffalo on Broadway with Sam Rockwell (what a compete fox) and what a fucking party. It was so good, that man is incredible, I love that theatre (Circle in the Square), I can’t recommend it enough. This was the first Mamet play I’ve ever seen, so I was already excited. The set is incredible, everyone did so well, and we managed to get lottery tickets through TodayTix that were amazing seats. GO GO GO.
Real fast: if you find yourself in Richmond, Virginia then you have to go to the Hotel Greene to play mini golf INSIDE this gorgeous, old hotel. Nathan did it while he was there for shows and it looks incredible.
Things I’m looking forward to: I’m definitely going to go see part two of the new costume exhibit at The Met, Stanley Tucci’s second season of Searching For Italy is finally airing so I can’t wait to see that, this might sound stupid but Ina Garten is in Europe for two weeks and she’s posting in her stories about her favourite places and I am enthralled I can’t wait to hear about them, and I must visit the new restaurant Le Gratin inside my precious Beekman.
If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in March over here.