Celebrity gossip 😮 & keeping up with feminism [Like You Know Whatever]

On “boundaries.”

Hi friends!

How are you?? I’m doing pretty swell! Last time I wrote to you, I was on my way out to the desert for a couple days to do some writing. I’m happy to report that it was a very productive trip! I still have some work left to do on the screenplay I was working on (Reunion, a comedy about a group of friends returning to their liberal arts college for their 10-year reunion), but it’s in a much stronger place now than it was before. The funny thing is that I picked the AirBNB I did because it had stunning 360-degree views of the desert landscape, but I ended up with my head so deep in my script that they were kind of wasted on me. Oh well, at least it was cheap, since it was mid-week and over 100 degrees out there.

A funny thing happened that I didn’t expect. I put a call out on my Instagram story for beta readers for this script, expecting to get like two or three people willing to read it and give me notes. Instead, I was so overwhelmed with requests to read it, I had to take the post down! I ended up sending it to 15 (!!) people. It was very flattering to have so many people express interest in reading my writing. Honestly, I’m not expecting everyone to get back to me (I know that reading = homework), but I think that there will be a variety of takes, which is really what I’m looking for, especially with a story and setting so personal to me. I’m afraid that I might have blinders on, and that what I think is a fun, broad, R-rated party comedy is actually a very niche cult indie or something; my Coven, if you will (that’s an American Movie reference for the cool kids out there). Which would be fine too! But it’s important to know.

You all know I love a desert sunset.

It’s a little daunting to have my words out there with so many people, awaiting their opinions. I’m used to receiving feedback, of course, but I also am usually pretty protective of my creative writing, at least until it’s in a pretty polished state. I’m trying to think of a good analogy here. Maybe it’s like growing a plant. When you have a little seedling, you keep it inside to protect it until it’s bigger, right? Because if you put it outside and it gets too drenched in rain or sun, it could die. I always want to make sure my idea is sturdy enough to stand up on its own before inviting outside influences. I also once heard that we get the same endorphins from announcing that we’re going to do something as we do when we actually accomplish it, so if you announce that you’re doing something, you’re less likely to actually do it. At the same time, sometimes it’s nice to get feedback early on in the process, so you can course-correct easier. Well, we shall see how this all plays out when the comments roll in.

I also had some positive feedback regarding my other screenplay, Hey Hun, a dark comedy about a young wife and mother getting sucked into a fitness MLM that ruins her life. A reader from the Slamdance Film Festival said the visuals were compelling and that it was “a joy reading every single page.” Damn! I also sent it to a friend at their request, who said they couldn’t put it down and they “saw it all in [their] head.” It’s really validating to hear that, especially about the visual aspect, since I don’t really consider myself as strong of a visual storyteller. I’ve always been told that my strengths were in dialogue and character, so that’s nice to hear that I’ve grown in other skills. I attribute a lot of that to reading screenplays and seeing how other writers use stage directions. I also wonder if writing my YA novel helped me to develop those skills as well.

Currently, I’m working on a new script for a jukebox musical based on a rock record from the 1990s (and that’s all I’ll say about it–remember, it’s just a little baby seedling!). Realistically, there is very little chance of the artist ever approving this venture and it getting made, but you know what? Fuck it. The writers’ strike could go on for months, I think this is the perfect time to dig into an utterly unmarketable project. It’s an idea that I’ve thought about for years and it makes me happy. Plus, it’s an opportunity to stretch myself creatively and learn some new skills. I’m pretty excited about it.

God, listen to me blabber on and on about my own writing! Shut upppp, am I right?

Let’s get into some things:

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- Seeing Le Tigre live in concert! Last weekend, I, my husband, and several friends had the pleasure of attending Le Tigre’s concert at the Greek Theatre here in Los Angeles, a beautiful outdoor amphitheater in Griffith Park. The last time I attended a concert with this particular group of friends was Belle and Sebastian last summer, also at the Greek, where I drank wayyyy too much rosé, so I was on guard this time to, uh, not do that (and I succeeded). Le Tigre were fantastic, and they still have a few upcoming dates in the US and Canada this summer, if you can catch them. Kathleen Hanna is a personal hero of mine, as a feminist and as an artist, and she’s just such a powerful performer in any venue. I’ve seen her perform with three different bands: The Julie Ruin, Bikini Kill, and now Le Tigre. She is 54 years old, and I will go see her scream into a mic up until the second she retires, which I hope she doesn’t do anytime soon. 

I loved that as part of the show, they projected the lyrics to every song on stage – very accessible. The energy level of the crowd was a little lower than I expected given how danceable I feel like Le Tigre’s music is, but I think that was due to a combination of factors: a) the show was on a Sunday night, and b) most of Le Tigre’s audience are now in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. I forget that. A couple months ago I wore a Bikini Kill t-shirt to work and one of our interns complimented me on it. I started talking to her about the reunion tour and quickly discovered that she didn’t know that they were a band, she just thought it was a cool slogan. Kids these days!!! I guess it’s important for me to remember that not everyone had a teenage awakening where they discovered feminism and punk rock at the same time. What a shame!

- Can we talk about the texts that Jonah Hill’s ex-girlfriend Sarah Brady shared recently? There were a LOT of them, and to be honest, reading them got kind of tedious after a while. I don’t know how I feel about her sharing the texts to begin with… it’s not something that I personally would have chosen to do, but shaming her for sharing them is certainly not the take.* And I also don’t know what consequences there should be for Jonah Hill as a result of this information about him. Like, I don’t know that he needs to be professionally blacklisted for this, maybe it’s more of a “be aware that this is who this person is in a relationship” thing.

What I find fascinating about this story is the way that different people are interpreting Hill’s stated “boundaries,” which included Brady not posting photos in a bikini or surfing with men (she’s a semi-professional surfer, and it’s a male-dominated sport, soooo). The most glaring “boundary” to me was against “friendships with women who are in unstable places and from your wild recent past beyond getting a lunch or coffee or something respectful.” That, to me, was a) shaming her for her subjective “wild recent past,” b) cutting off her support system, and c) attempting to control her behavior. Big red flags!! Of course people are allowed to have their own deal breakers and boundaries in relationships, but there’s a fair way to communicate those. Holding yourself hostage unless your partner will comply with your will is not cool. The “wild recent past” thing really bothers me, because it implies that she was expected to fundamentally change as a person in order to be acceptable to him in this relationship. That never works, and it’s just mean and gross.

* Writer and critic Emily Nussbaum, who I normally have great respect for, had a clueless tweet about how sharing screenshots of personal texts is never okay (as if THAT’S the important takeaway from this story), and I think this is a great example of how we as women and feminists really owe it to ourselves to keep up with the ever-evolving standards of what women are accepting as okay behavior from men, instead of clinging to “well I accepted this behavior so you should, too.” Like I said, I don’t necessarily know how I feel about everything that went down here, but I’m listening and learning, as they say.

- Did you hear that Kim Kardashian (I know I know, but listen) accused her sister Kourtney of stealing her “wedding country” because they both got married in Italy? Is there any better example of “rich people problems?” I thought this was hilarious, because, damn: by that logic, did all my friends who got married in the U.S. steal MY wedding country?? I literally have a friend right now who’s looking at getting married at the exact same venue as my husband and me, and I’m thrilled! I just sent her a list of our vendors! Her wedding is obviously going to be very different from ours just from the fact that the couple getting married is different, but honestly, I WISH I could attend my own wedding as a guest. Playing the role of the bride is so stressful and overwhelming and performative. Getting to attend a wedding as a guest is a lot more relaxed and fun. Which is why I don’t understand Kim’s gripe here! Also, not to be gauche by pointing out the obvious, but her marriage didn’t last, so why be so hung up on the wedding still, ya know? 

- I understand the obsession with fall and “spooky season,” I really do, but there needs to be some limits put on it. Why am I, in July, seeing clothing retailers selling Halloween-themed merch?? WHO is buying a pumpkin sweater when it’s 84 degrees out? Beyond that, people who make liking fall their whole personalities make me cringe. It’s like the bacon enthusiasts of the early 2010’s. How quirky and brave, to boldly proclaim your love of something that just about everyone agrees is great!

My biggest gripe with the fall lover movement is that I think we’re shortchanging summer. Summer is spectacular! Long sunny days, beach reads, popsicles, pools, sundresses, movie theater air conditioning, wedding season. What’s not to like? (Except for the bugs. I wish all bugs a very get the fuck away from me.)

- Speaking of summer, one product that I’ve become obsessed with this season is the e.l.f. Suntouchable! Whoa Glow SPF 30 tinted sunscreen ($14, or $5 for the mini size). It’s SO good! It’s a not-so-subtle dupe for Supergoop! Glowscreen, which is $38, yowch. I love it for my work from home, no makeup days, although I’ve also taken to wearing it underneath makeup as well. The SPF is really effective, and I like the light coverage that the tint provides. The glow is real! 

- Kesha, Gag Order. Oh my god, y’all, this album is such an achievement. It came out toward the end of May, and I’m sorry to say that I didn’t get around to listening to it until a couple of weeks ago. This is the final studio album that Kesha had to release as part of her legally-debated contract with Dr. Luke’s label, the producer she alleges sexually assaulted and abused her. Her previous two albums, Rainbow and High Road, came out after a court decision mandated that she had to complete her contract, and thematically, they were about Kesha finding peace, freedom, strength, and joy within herself. Gag Order is much, much darker, and really digs into her pain and feelings of being trapped.

Some might think that this is a sign of her backsliding emotionally, but my theory is that she actually had to get to a healthier and stronger place in order to creatively explore those darker emotions. A depressed person might have to write happy songs about how strong they are in order to feel better and get through the darkness. It reminds me of how Beyoncé didn’t put out Lemonade until well after she and Jay had reconciled. Sometimes you have to be on the other side of stuff in order to write about it. At any rate, I think Gag Order is a terrific piece of art and the visuals released along with it are so, so well done. Kesha should be really proud of this one.

- And Just Like That, season two (Max). Look, I’m a little biased, because I loved this show even when it was bad, but I think it’s really found its rhythm in season two! The first season felt a little off-kilter without Samantha playing her part in the story engine, but now, I think the balance has been corrected with Lisa, Nya, and Seema becoming bigger parts of the show. Their inclusion feels more natural, too, and less shoe-horned. The cameos have been great, too: Tony Danza? Victor Garber? Gloria fucking Steinem, are you kidding me?! I gasped! And then I had to explain to Ross who Gloria Steinem is (I believe I used the words “living legend”).

- Selling Sunset, season six (Netflix). Every season, the cast of Selling Sunset indulges in a group delusion, and this time, it was that Mary was going to manage all the interpersonal issues of the staff while Jason was away vacationing with his new 25 year-old girlfriend. Nevermind that Jason never even did that when he was in the office! Mary was suddenly HR, a role that is a true nightmare for someone who hates conflict. Here are my takes on the drama of the season:

• Nicole bringing up a non-issue with Chrishell from three years ago was a desperate plea for screen time and should have been immediately laughed away.

• Chrishell calling out Nicole for using mushrooms was just sooo not cool, man. It’s fucked up to out someone for doing drugs on TV, especially illegal ones, ESPECIALLY when they’re a parent and CPS could be called.

• Bre’s relationship/baby daddy situation with Nick Cannon is weird, okay?? But honestly, it’s nobody else’s business, and it was not a good look how judgmental Chelsea was about it. I mean, what’s so great about Chelsea’s husband? Dude looks like a RadioShack employee.

• I can’t decide if I like Bre, but I think this show is in desperate need of more ballsy brunettes, so maybe??

• Chrishell obviously could not give a single fuck about selling real estate at this point, and you know what? Good for her!

• I actually really love G Flip’s song “Be Your Man,” which was obviously written about Chrishell. They made a banger!

Okay, darlings, that’s about it for now!

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Until next time—how dare you steal my wedding country?!

Love,
Liz
XOXO