Leo season is in full force and everyone is either dressing a) as barbie b) as a silver cowboy/Beyoncé stan c) wearing black “dressing as Oppenheimer”. And- I am loving every minute of it/forgetting for just a moment that the world is on fire.
But for real- it’s been SO hot so I hope that these performances/movies/audio/books keep you cool and entertained- and always love receiving yours!
Performances
Photo by Joan Marcus
If you’re in need of dark humor, I really recommend Liz Kingsman’s One Woman Show, which was basically like watching a 2023 version of Girls with a protagonist that could have been a younger Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The premise of the show is a satire of what is expected of women’s comedy, but done in a way that is all but expected. Comedian Alex Edelman describes her as “both totally committed to the character and totally committed to the laceration of the character.” My favorite reflection of hers on the show was how difficult it was to translate for American audiences and how they don’t necessarily understand irony from the top- for example when she said “Women’s voices aren’t getting heard in theater”- she was doing a bit making fun of the type of woman who would say that on stage and the audience applauded, not realizing the layers of what she was doing- which was also hilarious. I am excited to see her grow!
Photo by Kevin Mazur
But the real show- that will stay in my heart, brain, body for the foreseeable future was of course Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour show. Sarah surprised me with tickets for my birthday in Chicago and though I am of the type to cry while holding my chest from seeing her I’ll just share some of the things that I found most intriguing:
She was her own opener: Mrs Knowles came to the stage, at around 9PM, very understated, with a set that celebrated her more melodic, high pitch songs, as well as Tina Turner’s and positioning herself on equal ground- which was warranted because the girl can sing. Tricking us to believe this was the vibe for the show and only to unleash after the opening act the gayest (and this says a lot coming from a Dyke March Marshall) show ever full of aliens/AI/afro futurism and- FIREWORKS?- with visuals that made even us all up top feel like we were seeing something exceptional.
She worked with TWO architecture firms to build the show, Stutfish and ES Devlin
Architecture digest estimates that ticket prices alone netted between $680 million and $2.4 billion- in comparison they reported that the Formation tour made over $256 million. You also might have heard that the tour led to a slight inflation in Sweden.
We stan a Queen as it was announced at the start of her Chicago show that her foundation would donate $100,000 to small Black-owned businesses in the city.
And if you want to find out more about her “uncle Johnny” who she dedicates the album to- who was a big influence on her life, a guncle who helped raise her, got her her prom dress, introduced her to house music and was lost to AIDS- you can click here.
Movies / TV Docs
Still from of the Barbie/Burger King collab
I feel like everyone on here has or plans to see the Barbie movie and is probably exhausted from the discourse- in short I loved it, I loved the set/the dancing and the physical comedy- though some friends in comedy didn’t feel like it packed a punch in the second half. If you want to read more discourse about it I really enjoyed reading about why Barbie’s perfection made kids want to punish her, about the creator of Barbie, Ruth Handler’s financial crimes reporting a $29.9 million loss over sales of over $200 million and about all the Barbie brand partnerships which includes… Burger King?
Still from Earth Mama
Savanah Leaf- who was a competing volleyball player at the Olympics only 11 years ago, released her first feature, Earth Mama and it’s as devastating as it’s cinematically beautiful. I won’t reveal too much but it’s a look into how our system fails young Black moms and based on her first short documentary, The Heart Still Hums about mothers and children. There is a poetry to the bleak reality of this fiction and you find yourself drifting away with Gia the main character, from her dreams back to her real life tough balancing act.
Still from Amanda
Equally beautiful, but very dark and funny in a “My Year of Rest and Relaxation” kind of way where you have no sympathy for the main character and can’t stop watching them, is Amanda.
Amanda is an Italian satire of bourgeois hardships where a lost 20 something, with no friends or job, makes it her life mission to befriend another lost 20 something who locks herself in her room every day. All the small things, including getting enough supermarket coupons to win a fan become crucial and she somehow more hated by her own family by the minute.
Still from The Deepest Breath
If you’re more into a documentary-mood here are two that will leave a very different mark on you.
Every Body is a feel good documentary about intersex people specifically focusing on four individuals’ story that highlight how diverse intersex people are condition-wise and how much our system has failed them (though- there is a “happy ending”). The background Lizzo music really annoyed me for some reason but the characters were wonderful.
The Deepest Breath on the other hand is a cinematic masterpiece but might give you nightmares as it follows Italian deep diver Alessia and her support diver Stephen Keenan through the tropes of the sport- which includes often blacking out while reaching the top (because no oxygen)- and some of the hardest footage I’ve watched.
Equally tough but with really fascinating footage is the documentary series, Last Call, about a Serial Killer who specifically targeted the gay community in the 90s. As expected the cops were of no help because of homophobia and so the gay community and the Anti-Violence project in particular had to step up and take on leadership to hold the NYC government accountable in searching for the killer. As hard as this story is they did a brilliant job with footage from the time and it’s valuable to keep these stories in our thoughts.
Want something gay but joyful? The WHAM! documentary is a beautiful retelling of the story of the band and George Michael coming into his own. Surprisingly the band does not have a dramatic fall out and is incredibly supportive of one another as friends/thank god because what would we do without George Michael?
Want to watch something beautiful/that reminds you of why New York is wonderful, free and only 30mn? Kelly recommended this beautiful portrait of a locksmith and the characters he encounters.
Visual Art
I was really moved recently by Deanna Dikeman’s photos over the last 27 years of her parents waving goodbye to her as she left their home in Iowa.
Photo by Victoire Douniama
But I really fell in love with the incredibly dense Africa Fashion exhibit at Brooklyn Museum and specifically learning about La Sape through Victoire Douniama’s photography (Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Elegantes/Society of Hype and Elegant People). La Sape is a celebration of Dandy culture originally started in the 1930’s, as a form of protest against colonialism and at the time exclusively for men. Hundreds of Congolese women/non-binary and trans folks have challenged the status quo and joined La Sape and are subjects of Douniama’s photography- even as the government is obviously challenging LGBTQIA+ inclusive laws.
Art by Alison Pasquini
Also discovered Alison Pasquini’s work as part of an SVA Graduate MFA show and fell in love with her surrealist paintings of garbage that underline her own ecological concerns.
I did not LOVE this show because I get nauseous with VR but also free and good if you don’t get nauseous is Xin Liu’s piece on her wisdom tooth’s journey from earth to outer space at Pioneer Works.
AUDIO
Did you know that comedian Jaboukie Young-White (who came up with “raw dogging” among other accomplishments) is also a really great musician/music producer? Here is his latest bop.
Also- listened to two of the best reported shows of this year this month-
Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas: Your inclination might not be to want to listen to a show about Clarence Thomas but if you have any slight curiosity about how he became the way he is- host Joel Anderson, who happens to also have a similar background- is just perfect to guide you through. Joel is not only an extremely talented reported but has such an impressive level of emotional intelligence that he manages to get Clarence’s 94 year old mom on mic and to keep her happy as he is getting into dark personal history.
The Retrievals: Trigger warning- you might not want to listen if you might go through the egg retrieval process- I personally might but I was still completely sucked in and blown away by this harrowing story at the cross section of Ivy Leagues, race, how women’s pain is seen/managed and the fentanyl crisis.
Now if you want more “fun” and “happy-ish” listening-
My friend Zakiya put it out in the world around a year ago that she wanted to be in the host seat versus in production and honestly- this made total sense because her charisma and ability to get people talking is everything. In her new show, Hang Up, produced by also lovely producer Caitlin Pierce, they take you through reality dating via phones. The show is so fun and reminds me of late night call-in radio in the best way, and Zakiya is everything as she reacts to dates she wasn’t on the call for. Episode 1 came out last week and she shared a preview of Episode 2 with a few of us, coming out tomorrow, and it’s a complete blast.
I am almost hitting the word limit but if you love seniors gossiping and murders, I also recommend The Girlfriends.
BOOKS
The best book I’ve read all year, Yellowface by RF Kuang, is an incredible fiction piece that makes you hold your breath and gasp at how far a young white author might go with stolen drafts from her Asian friend.
If you want something super light and flirty that also romances over friendship, I recommend Happy Place by Emily Henry- the beachest of beach reads.
STAY COOL <3