Taylor Swift, Avril Lavigne Conspiracy, Emma Roberts' AD Tour and More
Recommendations for your weekend!
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…and we’re back!
After a bit of an impromptu hiatus from writing this newsletter, I’m back in your inbox this week with a supersized edition of my Friday blast full of a slew of recommendations I collected during my time away from here. The reason for the break was largely due to the passing of my grandfather, which I won’t get into much here because I’ve already mentioned it on social media and my podcast, but I essentially needed to give myself some grace to sit in my feelings, so I took it.
Being self-employed and reliant on myself to produce a twice-weekly show, a once- or-twice-weekly newsletter and freelance writing has taken some getting used to and, while I’m embracing that change and it’s proven to be pretty welcome, I’ve also realized that it can feel like a slog — so I also need to take “me” time when it’s necessary.
I appreciate people have reached out saying that they’ve missed receiving this newsletter in their inboxes — it makes me so happy to know that people look forward to this, because it’s a lot of work! Thank you for expressing that; it really means a lot.
Anyway, below you’ll find a bunch of stuff I’ve enjoyed from the past several weeks. Some of it’s from this week, some of it is from last month. It’s a grab-bag, which is kind of fun! Next week I’ll send out the delayed list of everything I watched in the month of March — and then we’ll be back on track.
Thanks for being here :)
Read
If you’ve ever found yourself perplexed by Taylor Swift’s consistently confusing fashion choices over the years, this article is for you. (Cathy Horyn for The Cut)
If you’ve ever found yourself wanting more information about Taylor Swift’s iconic publicist Tree Paine, this article is for you. (
for The Wall Street Journal)Chappell Roan is suddenly everywhere — here’s what you need to know about her (and why you need to get onboard)! (Hannah Jocelyn for Billboard)
Really enjoyed this profile about Julia Stiles, a fairly press-shy actress who was such a formative figure for so many Millennials when we were growing up. She’s about to make her first foray into directing, and the article gets into how impressively consistent her career has been. (Jessica M. Goldstein for The New York Times)
Suri Cruise just turned 18 (???), and this piece reminds that she’s been estranged from her father, Tom Cruise, for years — all because of Scientology. (Sara Nathan and Dana Kennedy for Page Six)
This essay advocating for women to marry men that are older than them went very viral during my time away from this newsletter. I’m glad I missed out on most of the discourse about this, but it’s very much worth the read if you also missed it during its big moment. (For what it’s worth, I liked it.) (Grazie Sophia Christie for The Cut)
Inside the boom around former Nickelodeon and Disney Channel stars cashing in on nostalgia via podcasting. (Rebecca Carballo for The New York Times)
The best thing I read about Beyoncé’s new album, COWBOY CARTER. (Craig Jenkins for Vulture)
The other best thing I read about Beyoncé’s new album, COWBOY CARTER. (Jon Caramanica for The New York Times)
Listen
“Who Replaced Avril Lavigne? Joanne McNally Investigates”
This six-episode podcast about one of my favorite celebrity conspiracy theories — that Avril Lavigne actually died two decades ago and was replaced by a look-alike named Melissa — was a hilarious, fun, sometimes maddening listen. It was at once a parody, a genuine look into the claim and an interesting explainer on how conspiracy theories even start. You get most of the actual answers in the final episode, but the whole season is a romp worth listening to.
Nicola Coughlan (“Bridgerton”) Talks Bravo on Betches’ “Mention It All”
My friend Dylan Hafer had Penelope Featherington onto his Bravo-focused podcast recently, and it was an absolute delight. There’s nothing quite like hearing a lovable celebrity talk about their love for Bravo, is there?
“The Justin Timberlake Conundrum” (Popcast)
The New York Times’ music podcast did a deep dive into the bizarre moment that Justin Timberlake has found himself in — why nothing seems to be working for him and why perhaps this hit streak ended much longer ago than we all realized. (That being said, his recent Tiny Desk Concert was objectively incredible, sorry!
Watch
Here are a bunch of YouTube videos I’ve enjoyed from the past few weeks…
Emma Roberts’ “Open Door” Tour for AD
The doll wall? The expensive book she stole from her ex? Perfection start to finish.
Maggie Rogers Stop By “Recess Therapy”
Maggie talked to a bunch of young kids in a park to promote her fantastic new album, and it’s a joy to watch.
Alison Roman Makes Lemon Pepper Pasta for “Home Movies”
Alison is back to making cooking videos for her YouTube channel, and she returned to her signature series from a house upstate making a pasta I absolutely need to make myself.
Sabrina Carpenter’s Music Video for “Espresso”
The early contender for Song of the Summer has a fantastic video to boot!
Andrew Scott Reads Thirst Tweets
I love my husband.
Chappell Roan’s Tiny Desk Concert
Enthralling. She is a STAR!
Orville Peck & Willie Nelson’s Music Video for “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other”
The song is good, but the video is great. It feels genuinely revelatory to see images of gay cowboys, and I can’t get enough.
Kristen Stewart Goes Day Drinking with Seth Meyers
I wish I was with them.
Self-Promotion
“Real Housewives of Potomac” Season 8 End-of-Season Deep Dive with Kendrick Tucker (Gabbing with Gib)
This just-wrapped season of “RHOP” got a lot of people talking — and not in a positive way. There was a lot that didn’t work about it, but there’s also still a lot to love — I welcomed “Reality & Comics Too” host Kendrick Tucker onto my show this week to dissect this season, the recent exit announcements and what we want to see in season 9 to right the ship. Watch above or listen below!
RELATED: I also wrote about Robyn and Candiace’s confirmed exits from “RHOP” — and Nneka’s rumored exit — for Decider this week. Read that here!
Listener Mailbag: Crystal’s “RHOBH” Exit, Alexia’s Divorce & More (Gabbing with Gib)
Answered a bunch of Bravo-related listener questions on my podcast this week that touched on the Monday news dump, the future of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” this great season of “Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard” and more. Listen to that above!
Currently
I’m in Charleston with my siblings for my little sister’s bachelorette weekend! May or may not be stopping into one of the “Southern Charm” hot spots for Sunday funday…
Sorry for your loss, Gibson. Glad to see you back in my inbox! The newsletter rules.