jack antonoff
So a lot is going on in the world, and I hope everyone is staying safe and doing their best to social distance. Later on, I link to a great article on why the pandemic restrictions can feel so illogical, especially when compared to other countries, and that’s the one dose of reality I’ll provide today.
But, as you all know, pop culture has become a big source of escapism for me during this time. So Taylor Swift’s folklore: the long pond studio sessions was a must-watch for me. First of all, her outfits were cottagecore come-to-life.
I mean. The bangs. The faded flannel. A true mood.
But I digress. The documentary is a must-watch if you love Taylor, or even just the process of creating music. She, along with Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff, walk through the creation of the album in an incredible amount of detail, illuminating not just the meaning of each track but the process of making it during a pandemic.
But, on a maybe serious note, the most important revelation for me was when Jack Antonoff (musician, former boyfriend of Lena Dunham) called august, my favorite song off the album, relatable.
And why do I care about this? Because august is all about an AFFAIR. And that brought me back to what is possibly my favorite thing to ever grace the internet — this PowerPoint presentation that, line-by-line, essentially PROVES that Melodrama, Lorde’s very good 2017 album, is entirely about an affair she may or may not have had with Jack Antonoff while LIVING with both him & Lena.
Now, I do need to take a step back and admit I’m doing exactly what Taylor calls people out for doing in mirrorball and peace and the lakes — obsessing over celebrities to a possibly ridiculous point.
And — there are things in this PowerPoint that are pretty obviously a stretch — like I don’t think Taylor was really involved in any way and obviously Lena Dunham is not responsible for Hillary Clinton’s loss in 2016, etc.
But like I said, something needs to make us happy right now. And you cannot argue with the literal lyrics of the album or the blatant chemistry between Lorde & Antonoff on SNL.
So, if you’re not one of the many friends I’ve already texted this to this weekend, I hope this extremely detailed PowerPoint is a good escape for you.
what else i’ve been reading:
The Atlantic: The Logic of Pandemic Restrictions Is Falling Apart, by Amanda Mull
There’s a gap between what’s safe to prevent the disease from spreading, and what’s legal, like indoor dining. We’re in a country where schools are closing before businesses are, while other countries are doing the opposite. And without larger measures from the government, can we really blame people for doing what their local governments have allowed them to do?
In the country’s new devastating wave of infections, a perilous gap exists between the realities of transmission and the rules implemented to prevent it.
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As people ventured out and cases began to rise again, many of those same local governments have warned residents of the need to hunker down and avoid holiday gatherings, yet haven’t reinstated the safety mandates that saved lives six months ago.
The New York Times: Why ‘Gilmore Girls’ Endures, by Saul Austerlitz
If you know me at all personally, you know that Gilmore Girls (which just turned 20 years old!) is my hands-down favorite show in the world. And if you haven’t watched it, or aren’t one of my many friends who regularly rewatches (thank you Rory Gilmore for ensuring that pretty much any millennial in journalism tried to follow your footsteps even though you turned out to be a terrible journalist), I highly suggest it, again, for that escapism we all desperately need.
“Gilmore Girls” turned 20 while we were mostly hunkered down in our homes, separated and anxious, awaiting good news and the eventual return of community. For many fans, Stars Hollow has always been their happy place, and is only more so now.
books i’ve been reading:
I just finished Magic Lessons, by Alice Hoffman. It’s meant to be a prequel to Practical Magic, which was turned into a 1998 movie starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman that I shamefully have not seen. But thankfully one did not need to have read or watched Practical Magic to enjoy Magic Lessons. Come for female empowerment during the Salem witch trials, stay for the beautiful depiction of New York City in the 1600s.
ps I get a lot of my books through Book of the Month, which sends you a book every month at a super-discounted price (only 12.50 for a new, hardcover book if you do the yearly plan). use my referral code here if you’re interested!
what i’ve been listening to: