MOVIES/TELEVISION & MISC MEDIA
AMERICAN CRIME STORY: IMPEACHMENT
The Lewinsky/Clinton scandal rocked the U.S. a few years before I existed. I really didn't find out about it until I was in high school, and even then it was just some mentions online. The most I knew about the case was the line from Beyonce's "Partition."
I don't know the finer points of this case, so each episode is a surprise. I knew I was going to like this series as soon as I'd heard that Beanie Feldstein and Sarah Paulson would be leading it. It hasn't disappointed! Sarah Paulson has especially impressed me with her ability to make me loathe Linda Tripp. I'm especially happy the real Monica Lewinsky is an executive producer of the show. These types of stories normally don't explore the nuances of the cases they're sensationalizing. Impeachment focuses on women in the center and just outside one of the nation's most prolific scandals.
THE WILDS
I watched this series when it premiered last December.
The show's trailer boasted many of the things I look for in a show; narratives centered around women, LGBTQ+ representation, and a sprinkling of science-fiction. It was also my first venture into Prime's original content. If you haven't seen it, here's a synopsis of the show:
Eight troubled girls sent on a reformative getaway crash land on an island and must work together to survive. Away from the pressures and expectations of home, each must confront the lives they left behind.
You might be wondering where the science fiction comes in. I'll let you find out for yourself.
I lovingly refer to the The Wilds as the lovechild of Lord of the Flies and Euphoria. Each episode focuses on a specific character, and how they wound up being sent on a doomed vacation.
They've already been rescued at the start of the series; each girl narrates their experiences on the island and what brought them there. Their stories contain a mixture of different traumas most women are familiar with; eating disorders, grooming, sexual assault, and homophobia are some of the heavier themes tackled in it's 10-episode run.
Production for season two wrapped a few weeks ago, with fans speculating that it will be released sometime later this year or in early 2022. There are plenty of loose strings from last season to tie up. I hope The Wilds maintains the same momentum and resonance of its first season. It's something fresh, new and daring, and I'd love to see where it goes.
BOOKS
THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST
Emily M. Danforth
This was actually a re-read. I first read this book several years ago; at the beginning of the summer before college. I remembered it being good, but it was just one of a few dozen novels I tore through that season. I stopped reading for fun after starting school. I've since graduated and become an orphan. And though this story is set in a sprawling, conservative town in the early nineties, I was taken aback at how closely Cameron's thoughts about love, grief, and faith echoed my own. (I shared a few personal connections with some smaller details about her life in Miles City, Montana. I was a part of the FFA in high school. I've written pieces for the magazine a former lover sends to her.) My list of preferred genres has expanded since I last read recreationally, though I still tend to favor books with fantasy/supernatural elements.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post has none of those things.
It reads like a journal, full of whirlwind summer romances and dozens of the poignant, quiet moments that most members of the LGBTQ+ community can identify with. It's mundane in nature but not in story. I came back to this title with a completely new perspective, and it's quickly become one of my favorite books, despite the less-than-happy parts of Cameron's journey.
THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO
Taylor Jenkins Reid
This book has been touted on TikTok and plastered over my Twitter timeline for the past six months.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a biography told by none other than Ms. Hugo herself. Evelyn is an aging starlet that took over New Hollywood in her prime. Getting there wasn't easy, and staying at there came at a price.
Now in her seventies, Evelyn has decided to share the life story she's held on to for so many decades. Why did she have so many husbands? How did she become famous?
She plucks a burgeoning writer to tell it. She divulges stories brimming with romance and tragedy; from whirlwind parties and fantastical weddings to covered bruises and lost lovers. Just like Evelyn's prolific life, this book never slows down. At the time this is being posted, I'm only a third of the way through. And though I'm eager to read on, I want this story to stretch for as long as possible. Maybe I'll cut the 100 page binges to fifty. I don't want to spoil anything, but know there's one magnificent forbidden love nestled within these pages. It's well worth the read. I suspect I'll need tissues by the end of it.
I'm always looking for new TV/film/music/book recommendations! Have you been obsessed with anything recently? Feel free to drop some suggestions below!
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