Did I Tell You About... (9/17/20)

All the pop culture you need in your life this week.

Hello! Welcome back to another edition of Did I Tell You About…, my weekly pop culture rundown of everything I’m into right now and can’t recommend enough. Despite there being like, one movie in theaters, it’s been a surprisingly busy week for entertainment—both for good news (Chris Evans, thank you) and bad (J.K. Rowling… why?). If you weren’t in the loop, read on and get ready for a weekend spent catching up on everything you missed.

I’m watching: I May Destroy You on HBO. I’d heard great things about this show for months, and I’m so glad I decided to give it a watch—it’s brilliant. Created/written/directed by/starring Michaela Coel (don’t you feel bad about your productivity right now?), it follows a British millennial writer dealing with the aftermath of being drugged and raped on a night out. Yes, it’s dark, but it’s also sharp, funny, and beautifully acted.

I’m reading: This excellent essay by actress/model Emily Ratajkowski on fighting to own the rights to her body and image. It’s a powerful piece that raises uncomfortable questions about power and consent, and if you only know Emily as the girl from the “Blurred Lines” video or from her Instagram posts, it’ll open your eyes to her talent as a writer.

I’m listening to: Taylor Swift’s stripped-down performance of “Betty” at the ACMs last night. For those of you who haven’t listened to Folklore 1000 times (who are you and what are you doing here?), “Betty” is one of the album’s most talked-about songs; Taylor’s said it’s about a love triangle involving two girls and a boy, but fans disagree, and it’s a whole thing—even Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are involved, kinda. But anyhow, this performance was great and the excuse I needed to listen to all of Folklore again while crying under a blanket. Normal Wednesday night.

I’m still thinking about: Unpregnant, a lovely little movie about two high school girls who take a 1000-mile road trip in order to get one of them an abortion. I was worried it’d be sappy or preachy, but I was pleasantly surprised—it’s a funny, sweet, and infuriating watch (the fact that they have to drive across the country for a clinic that’ll let a 17-year-old take control of her own body… America, y’all). It’s streaming on HBO, so check it out.

I’m excited about: The fact that Harry Styles (!) was cast alongside Florence Pugh (!) and Chris Pine (!) in an upcoming thriller directed by Olivia Wilde (!). Can Harry actually act? Who knows. Do I care? Absolutely not.

Thanks for reading, friends! Tune in next Thursday for another installment of Did I Tell You About…, and keep an eye on your inboxes for Sunday’s edition of And Everything Else, where I share life updates, writing advice, and photos of the pup.