T Lo’s Weekend Pop Culture Reading List

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Darlings, before we jet off to exciting places this weekend (places such as The Couch or The Supermarket), we’re dropping this very thoughtful gift into your laps: all the posts, articles and essays that caught our eye this week. And because of our news, things got awfully queer all up in here!

As an editor, I’m used to expressing myself in words, but now I’m having a difficult time finding the right things to say. I’ve been confronting my emotions and keep asking myself the same few questions. Am I scared? Yes. Am I relieved? Yes. Am I making the right choice? Absolutely..

A Personal Choice. The reason I am getting a preventive double mastectomy. by Nina Garcia at ELLE

Since February 14, 2018, these students have made a commitment to fight not only for Parkland, but for all communities across the country who have been affected by gun violence. In doing so, they sparked the most active (and promising) gun control debate America has seen in years. You don’t know why it feels different, but it is. Out of such grief and tragedy have come positive, history-making moments.

One Year Later, the Parkland Activists Share Their Proudest Accomplishments by Rachel Epstein at Marie Claire

“It’s been terrifying for me, honestly,” she says of the rise of social media. “I’ve spent my entire life avoiding, doing as little as possible, in terms of exposure — literally the least that I could get away with as an actress.” […] But I’ve started paying more attention. And I’ve been following other celebrities who I think are as private as I am, and even they are venturing into the Instagram world. So I’m dipping my toe in. I’ll be very tentative in the beginning. But in a weird way, I’m kind of excited about it.”

The 60-year-old actress opens up about her return to the big screen, an upcoming fragrance launch — and finally joining Instagram. by Robert Haskell at InStyle

New research shows that hyper-involved parenting is the route to kids’ success in today’s unequal world.

The Bad News About Helicopter Parenting: It Works by Pamela Druckerman at The New York Times

Albert Finney, who forged his reputation as one of the leading actors of Britain’s early 60s new wave cinema, has died aged 82 after a short illness, his family have announced. In 2011, he disclosed he had kidney cancer.

Albert Finney, legendary star of Tom Jones and Miller’s Crossing, dies aged 82 by Andrew Pulver at The Guardian

“This is one small step for woman, one giant leap for woman-kind,” she says at the start of the song.

It’s a truly fitting intro, as the song – which is gorgeous, by the way – references NASA and space exploration as a metaphor for needing some time alone in a relationship.

“As an Ariana Grande stan, it’s mind-blowing to be a part of this new album,” Shangela wrote on Twitter.

“Gagged. Geeked. GONE. Get it now. And go in on track 3 NASA!!! I can’t wait to share how it came about. Love u Ari! (And luv u Frankie Grande too!)”

Drag Race star Shangela appears on Ariana Grande’s new album by Daniel Megarry at Gay Times

I didn’t want people to think that I was doing it to take advantage of No Doubt’s success. But my whole life, I’ve always made clothes. My mom made my clothes when I was a kid. My grandma made my mom’s clothes. My great-grandma sewed pajamas for the family every year. I grew up dreaming of having my own fashion line.

Gwen Stefani Reflects on 15 Years as a Fashion Designer: “Music or Fashion, It’s Emotional” by Ingrid Schmidt at The Hollywood Reporter

Hollywood stylist Elizabeth Stewart, who styled the fall 2019 presentation, says her role was to create a show that felt “the same regardless of anyone’s size: glamorous, elegant and fresh.”

NYFW: Laverne Cox Stars in First Fashion Show for Size-Inclusive E-tailer 11 Honoré by Laurie Brookins at The Hollywood Reporter

Nonbinary queen Valentina was taken to task for her fans behavior during the season 9 reunion. Several queens pointed out that Valentina’s fans bullied them on social media after the fan favorite’s shocking elimination. Angry that Valentina had been sent packing while others were still around, they turned their anger outward. Alexis Michelle said that she FaceTimed Valentina in tears after fans called her “ugly and fat” and told her to kill herself. The fans also bullied Nina Bo’Nina Brown, who defeated her in the lip sync. Nina had to defend herself against fans who were upset that she lip synced to Ariana Grande’s “Greedy,” the song that sent Valentina home, even though Nina claimed Valentina knew about the number. Nina called Valentina’s fans “racist twats.”

9 Times the Drag Race Fandom Was Actually Terrible by Matthew Rodriguez at OUT

Notice, for instance, the framing of the bathroom door, as seen the first time, and as revisited throughout the series. Glowing vaginal artwork is affixed to the portal through which Nadia is born, or reborn, into her birthday party. And on either side of the psychedelic design, we see identical reflections on the room’s tiled walls: a mirrored composition. Two choices, one on either side of an element that divides the frame.

Russian Doll Has No Easy Answers by Matt Zoller Seitz at Vulture

I think that being non-binary can be confusing for people who don’t understand gender politics because a lot of people think it’s popular or trendy to not be cisgender—that people are trans just for attention. Some people automatically assume you’re just trying to make a statement or be edgy. Because of that I, and other non-binary people, don’t get taken seriously, especially in the world of media. To the masses and the people who watch television, mostly Middle America, their idea of drag is comfortable clownery. They don’t look at drag as an art form or as anything serious. To them, drag is always going to be a man dressed as a woman. Even on the first episode of All Stars 4, Monique Heart openly said in her confessional about Farrah Moan, someone who does not fully identify as cisgender, “You’re a grown-ass man, stop crying.” I feel like that’s severely problematic because you’re implying people of masculine identities cannot cry and that emotions are a sign of weakness. There’s a lot that goes into a statement like that.

Aja on the Lack of Non-Binary Identities in Mainstream Drag by James Michael Nichols at NewNowNext

[Picture courtesy of Heather Khalifa/philly.com]

• T Lo’s Weekend Homework