RWL w me June
Love Island is back, Alex Cooper shares her story, and the pop girls are popping
What I’m listening to…
The following three songs have been on repeat: “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter, “Gucci Mane” by Jessie Murph, and “Sue Me” by Audrey Hobert, all of which are upbeat, cheeky songs to belt in the car with the windows down this summer. A new favorite in the mix is "Jesus and John Wayne" by Joy Oladokun (highly recommend checking out their 2023 album, "Proof of Life") and Allison Ponthier, which I discovered shortly after my book club meeting about the book by the same name. I bet these artists have read it…the song screams raised evangelical and growing up to question and “rebel.”
Funny enough, all of these songs share a common thread. “Jesus & John Wayne” touches on the hypocrisy of the white, church-going conservatives, while “Manchild” and “Gucci Mane” comment on the upsetting state of dating today, where women find themselves dating and/or affected by emotionally immature and unaware men. Many of whom, given that Carpenter and Murph were both raised in conservative areas (Quakertown, PA, and Tennessee/Alabama, respectively), are white conservative men. It all circles back to the unprecedented interconnection of politics and culture/lifestyle; one has always influenced the other, but it seems it’s never been so divisive.
Therapuss with Jake Shane’s interview with Lorde — I’m excited for her newest album, Virgin. She’s so real and chilled. It sounds like this album is a real breakaway from her soulful, poetic bops, as she explores herself and her sound.
Alex Cooper on Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard — I thought I was going to like this podcast episode more. I’m chalking my dissatisfaction up to the fact that I’d already watched “Call Her Alex,” and so this felt repetitive. Regardless, loved the snippets about how Dax, Alex, and their partners became friends.
What I’m watching…
Love Island USA Season 7 (Peacock) — Despite the premiere dropping 40 minutes late on Peacock, and the revelations of certain islanders’ upsetting social media presence/political leanings (thank God production pulled Yulissa—there’s also no way they didn’t know there were clips of her dropping the n-word on the internet, so idk what their motivation was in casting her), we’re finally getting into the groove with this cast (edit: maybe not). For once, maybe in all of LI history, the boys are the ones holding each other accountable (edit: I take it back, everyone’s just following Ace, who’s a little hater). Currently, Cierra (not pictured as she was the first bombshell), Olandria, and Amaya (another bombshell not pictured) are saving the show for me, and I want to see more of them. I had more positive things to say about this that are now deleted because everyone is making me angry, and I’m not liking this season anymore. More on this soon…
Call Her Alex (Part 1 & 2) (Hulu) — Alex Cooper is an absolute legend and delivers an intimate portrayal of her coming of age and rise to fame. You get a glimpse of her Unwell Tour alongside inside looks into her relationships and what she has overcome (trigger warning: sexual harassment) to become the top female podcaster. I hope one day she’ll dethrone Joe Rogan and become the top podcaster, period.
Sirens (Netflix) — Not what I thought it was going to be. I kept waiting for a big plot twist, and although I appreciate the overarching sentiment about how certain women, “sirens,” are judged and perceived, it fell flat for me. A redeeming feature is the cast.
What I’m reading…
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, translated by Ros Schwartz — A brilliant genre-bending science fiction novel told by a young woman coming of age in an underground cage with 39 other women; they don’t know where they are or why they are imprisoned. It is a powerful meditation on what it means to be human and how people survive trauma. Highly recommend, it’s a quick read.
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, Gregory Rabassa (Translator) — My current read and one of my summer reading list picks. I love a generational saga, especially one where the figurative becomes the literal — magical realism, in other words. I especially appreciate how the author portrays historical events through the lens of one family’s relationships.
See you next month!
100 Years an all-time Arbelaez family favorite. Agree on holding my breath during Sirens and nothing happening but didn't take away from overall enjoyment. AND about to start I Who Have Never Known Men.....