Long Weekend Links
Quick, cultural & uniquely random for Memorial Day
It’s a long weekend after a very strange week. So please, imagine I’m reading this to you over a second cocktail and maybe it’ll track a bit better:
This Week In Aging Dread
Demi Moore’s body horror flick Substance is the talk of Cannes. Written and directed by a woman, it’s about a black market potion that turns a woman, temporarily, into a younger self. It doesn’t go well:
Some say it’s feminist, others anti-feminist; comedic OR stomach turning.
Yet none of the pieces dare reference how much work she’s had done herself.
She’s looking incredible right now, and Demi is wild. I think she could handle that conversation and it’s more “brave” and powerful than any prosthetics or CGI.
This very readable piece on In Defense of Annette Benning’s Face by
of How Not to Fuck Up Your Face ends on a great quote.A wise old Buddhist nun and a few younger ones came upon a huge boulder. “Do you think that rock is heavy?” asked the old nun. The younger ones replied, “Of course!” The old nun laughed. “Not if you don’t pick it up,” she said.
The comments section is worth a linger over coffee, especially if you’re of a certain age.
Bella Hadid's Big Fashion Statement Week
First she got flack, flowers and 👀 for this dress.
Then a day or two later, keffiyeh dress. Political statement, but make it fashion. The sorbet as accessory really says DGAF more than Melania’s jacket ever could.
The Cut informed me that:
Mohamed Hadid, her father, once called her “My youngest daughter Princess Of Nazareth the Great, great granddaughter of the ruler of Palestine in the 1700 Daher Al Omer and his sons that ruled Tabarias, Safad, Nazareth, Khalil, Haifa and the rest of the land of Galilee.”
The internet has taken this and run with it, nicknaming her Princess of Nazareth.
Didn’t know.
Maybe she’s having fun with fame. Maybe her Orebella perfume didn’t go as well as it should. This article on the launch borders on a parody of a celebrity beauty puff piece.
For throwback Memorial Day fun: everytime she says “universe” drink. (but not alcohol, because the perfume is alcohol free because she is sober, some have speculated)
These things come with a STAND (look closely) to display them appropriately. On the whole, Perfume/Frag reddit is destroying them.
BTW: A recent project taught me that Frag Reddit is a really fun place.
Final note:
Turns out Carrie accessorized like this long before. This is an accidental SJP edition, she’s also referenced in the Annette Benning piece.
Happy Memorial Day Sale Weekend!
This is a good vid on over-consumption to watch before you click.
Or go to brunch, as there is a secondary cautionary tale here on over-accessorizing:
elf’s Activism: So Many Dicks
Bargain beauty powerhouse elf did massive NY subway takeovers on So Many Dicks. It called out the male and white male domination of corporate boards, while noting the impressive diversity on their own board. It also has a “diversity database” where you can see the board makeup of other companies.
The “Dick” schtick reaches a bit, but it’s cool they may urge a younger audience to reflect on these issues.
Do I Want Candy As My Career Consultant?
A few years ago, the craze was “Marketing as a Service.” This seems to be in full force with Dove Chocolate’s latest offer to get AI to draft a resume for SAHMs:
While I applaud the consumer insight:
Curious about the actual engagement on this
Feels far from the product
AI is all-powerful but is mass-market chocolate the authority I want guiding my career opportunities?
Campaign tagline is apparently “the promise of moms” which is bit patronizing, but perhaps as a mom I am not the target. Despite ad briefs, we are not a monolith!
There is one tie-in I fully acknowledge: Writing a resume sounds stressful and many would turn to chocolate before, during and after to cope 🙋♀️ 🍫😌
This week I just had to wonder: How much cash/clicks are in speculating on a Bennifer Breakup? Guessing a good amount.
On a serious note:
Uvalde parents suing Call of Duty makers, Meta and gunmakers is one to watch. The charge of radicalizing young men would carry potent precedents.
I was struck by how low their recent settlement with the city of Uvalde was.
Apparently the parents sued the city for only $2M (just over $117,000 per victim involved) so they would not bankrupt their town, yet would still send a message.
There’s something incredibly high integrity about this approach. It’s worth noting the population is heavily Latine and immigrant.
Finally, the following is not from 1954 but was actually posted in 2024:
Etiquette expert Emily Post agrees that you can wear white everyday of the year. The decision should be “more about the fabric choice today than the color.” Post says, “Wear what's appropriate for the weather, the season, or the occasion.” End the ban on white before Memorial Day.
Free the nipple! Free the white shoe!
Thanks for the shout-out, Julie! xo