10.31.24 News of the Week
10.31.24 News of the Week
Halloween, Washington Post, Tom Brady
Happy Halloween!! I know you've all be eagerly waiting to see what my top pop culture outfit is going to be this year, and I'll be honest, this was a hard call.
There was Lana del Rey and her new alligator farmer husband (or whatever he does). I enjoyed all the Tonias and Tonkas obviously -- the real power couple of 2024.
After much thought and deliberation, I have made my choice.
My award for the 2024 Pop Culture Icon Costume goes to…. the signature serve from Challengers that Patrick used to signal to Art that he and Tashi had sex!!!
Just incredible work. No notes. I went as Nicole Kidman leaving her divorce from Tom Cruise but failed to get any pictures. Better luck next year to myself.
The 2024 It Happened This Week Editorial Board's Presidential Endorsement
On Friday, the Washington Post announced that for the first time since Watergate (weird timing, huh?), it would not be endorsing a presidential candidate. And the paper has been in a free fall ever since.
Before I get into the story, I'll be honest with you. I can't afford to lose 200,000 subscribers like WaPo. That would put me at negative 199,972 subscribes. I don't even know if Substack would let me continue with those numbers, and this is a free app.
So, let me state now, for the record, that we here at the It Happened This Week's Editorial Board proudly endorse Kamala Harris for President. I cast my vote last week via mail and used this handy California ballot tracker to make sure my precious baby arrived safely.
My endorsement was an easy one to make. For me, Kamala has the right "not a fascist" vibes to be president. She doesn't seem like someone who will use the government to go after her enemies or work to end my personal freedoms or round up people and put them in camps. And I like those things in a president. I support Kamala because I think she's a good person. And because she doesn't remind me of Hitler.
See WaPo? It was not that hard!
In fairness to the board and the Post (who is now having to report on what a shit show this whole thing is), they did have an endorsement drafted for Kamala. Then, in the final hour, billionaire owner Jeff Bezos stepped in to veto the board's endorsement.
There's some speculation that he is catering to Trump to protect his aerospace company, Blue Origin, which has multi-billion dollar contracts with the US government. It doesn't help that Trump met with Blue Origin execs on Friday, the same day Bezos killed the endorsement.
On Monday, Bezos broke his silence, admitting that his business ventures mean that he will always appear somewhat biased. I am not owned by Jeff Bezos, so let me just say -- you're def biased, dude. And sure, you might control my doctor's office, have access to my medications, and know what toilet paper I use, but you don't own me, Jeff! I'll speak out against you whenever I want. At least until you inevitably buy Substack.
Bezo’s admission on Monday did little to stop the hemorrhaging. Already, 200,000 people have cancelled their subscriptions and three members of the board have stepped down. More board members have come out to denounce the decision, calling it "cowardice, with democracy as its casualty."
It feels less like cowardice to me and more like a strategic business decision. It’s almost like billionaires shouldn’t own newspapers because their conflicting interests can impact freedom of the press…
Alexa, Play "Landslide" by The Chicks
Gisele Bundchen, Brazilian supermodel and Tom Brady's ex/the mother of two of his children, is reportedly expecting her third child with her hot Jiu-Jitsu instructor boyfriend, Joaquim Valente.
The couple has been dating since June 2023, but were first spotted together in November 2022, just two weeks after her divorce from Tom was finalized. Scandalous!
They were reportedly taking it slow, but now we’re all finding out that Gisele is already five to six months pregnant. And no one is taking the news harder than Tom Brady.
According to insider sources, Tom was blindsided by the news and didn't initially take it well. But I didn't need insider sources to figure that out. Especially when Tom is out here posting his feelings on IG like he's in middle school.
Tom really said "Alexa, play Landslide" as he stared out into the sunset, contemplating life. Us Magazine called the post "cryptic," but he is CLEARLY going through it. Like, there’s not a lot he’s being cryptic about.
In my experience, nobody listens to "Landslide" when they’re feeling happy and upbeat about life. No one who is in a good place quotes "mirror in the sky, what is love?"
If you're friends with Tom, please check in on him. Give him a hug and tell him not to be "'fraid of changin'." He needs that right now.
Saoirse Ronan on Graham Norton
OMG she GOT THEM. She DESTROYED them. She silenced these men and left NO SURVIVORS.
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For those of you plebes without TikTok, let me set the scene.
Saoirse Ronan was the lone woman on Graham Norton's talk show last Friday night. Graham asked guest Eddie Redmayne about the training he received to play an assassin for an upcoming TV series. Eddie was joking around and Paul Mescal jumped in, making fun of a technique that Redmayne was taught that involved jabbing an attacker with a phone.
Mescal jokingly asked who's going to think about grabbing a phone during an attack and the men all laughed and laughed.
They were having so much fun until Queen Saoirse said "that's what girls have to think about all the time."
The silence was IMMEDIATE. I mean, look at Eddie Redmayne's face before and after she spoke.
Before: LOL Paul you are so funny
After: there has been a death on this stage
And Saoirse knows she ate. Just look at her face. Look how bad she made them feel.
I love it. I love that she silenced Paul Mescal, who is dressed for the female gaze but clearly has not taken enough time to understand the female experience. She’s incredible. No notes.
LIB Reunion
I need a moment to gather my thoughts on the reunion that occurred last night. There was someone on that stage who abandoned his three children to be on the show and was allowed to skate by with little questioning because he is still married to the woman he found in the pods.
For the past two reunions, the show has invited back former couples to highlight that the experiment works. And last night, they glossed over glaring issues in their vetting process by focusing on petty fights, interspersed with LIB babies and declarations that love is blind.
It's not the reunion you're looking for. It's the show's attempt to prop itself up. And I gotta go process all of that before I come back to you with my full thoughts.
But one thing I do know is that Tyler is absolute trash and I lost all respect for Ashley for supporting him. If a man is able to sever the most primal tie that you can have with another person (ie, parent and child) in order to pursue fame or whatever he’s pursuing, that man will never be truly committed to anyone because he does not and cannot understand what commitment is.
That’s all for this week, although I’m obviously doing a special edition for LIB.
More soon, XOXO!
Emily