“Why can’t you stay 29? Hell, you still feel like you’re 22.”

I was dreading THE day for weeks. My mind was spinning with self-doubt. Did I accomplish everything I hoped to in my first 30 years? Should I have spent my time differently? Do I have any real regrets?

While I’m not someone who fully believes in fate, I firmly believe that every choice—no matter how small—shapes the path to where you’re meant to be. So, of course, I have regrets, but I feel at peace with the major decisions that have brought me to this point in my life. These decisions include moving 1,000 miles away from home for college and making career changes from science to media to law, and then back to media (with law). All were the right moves at the time I made them and are still right today. But perhaps the decision that was the most crucial for me was more of a mindset shift. I started making a conscious effort to be more intentional about what personal information I share publicly.

We live in a world of information overload. We truly know too much about each other. Why do I need to know that celebrities like Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Kristen Bell don’t wash their legs? First of all, gross. Second, we didn’t need to know that. Now, I’m not saying I live in the public eye in the same way these celebrities do. But aren’t we all basically mini celebrities among our small communities? Never before have the people in our lives had this much access to information about us. Social media has so many benefits, but this semi-invasion of privacy is one pitfall. On the surface, my anti-social media stance might seem hypocritical since I am pretty active on multiple platforms. And it’s true, I am. But sharing views on pop culture news or posting a picture from a vacation overseas is not very…revealing.

I was super nervous when I started law school because I knew this was going to be the most intellectually challenging undertaking of my life. To lower the stakes for myself, and remove any external pressure I was feeling, I decided to keep the fact that I was attending law school a secret from my online network. Of course, I still spoke with my IRLs about it, but I didn’t share it online. I actually didn’t post on social media about law school until I had graduated and passed the bar exam. 10/10 experience. No regrets.

I’ve taken this approach with a lot of things in my life—even the good stuff. Honestly, most of it is pretty positive, but I just don’t feel the need to broadcast it. Whether it’s academic achievements, career success, or even something as personal as not making a formal social media coming out post, I’ve preferred to keep some things low-key. For example, I got a job promotion a few weeks ago and went back and forth on whether to post about it on social media. In the end, I decided to update my LinkedIn and share it there instead—that felt like the right balance for me.

Some people like to share all aspects of their life with others, but that’s just not me. Maybe I’ll decide to share more about myself moving forward. Or maybe I won’t. But this article is clearly a start. Stay tuned…

13 going on 30.

I’ve had so many memorable birthdays in the past. For many of my single-digit birthdays, my parents would host a birthday party at the local bowling alley. My mom always forced me to invite my entire school class (I mean the individual elementary school class of about 25 students, not all students in my grade), and I hated it. “Do I really have to invite [insert name of classmate I didn’t like]?” I would protest. You know I always lost that battle.

But I loved my 10th birthday. I ditched the big party and instead played mini golf with my three closest friends. And I’ll never forget receiving one my all-time favorite birthday gifts: the Pokémon Emerald game for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. Still one of the best Pokémon games.

13 was obviously my most iconic birthday because it was also my bar mitzvah. There’s nothing I can say about my bar mitzvah that I haven’t already written about online. So, check that out if you haven’t already.

My 18th birthday brought big changes because I was about to graduate high school and go to college. Like most people, by the end of high school I really felt like I had outgrown my hometown and was ready for a new beginning. Many classmates were sad to be leaving this part of our lives behind, but I just…wasn’t. Obviously, I’d miss my family and friends, but I was confident that I’d keep in touch with the people who mattered most. And I did.

21 was fun. One night we spent bar-hopping for Cinco de Mayo in downtown Miami. Another night we spent out at a club on Miami’s South Beach. And the most iconic night of celebrations took place at my favorite bar/mini club in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood. My friends created a checklist (which I had to wear like a walking advertisement billboard around my neck) of 21 tasks I had to complete by the end of the night. Many tasks involved alcohol or embarrassing dares. I think I completed almost everything.

I was preparing to graduate college on my 22nd birthday. This graduation season, I was experiencing a different, more profound, sadness. I was already grieving my college years and the fact that I would soon be leaving so many friends who didn’t live in the New York area. I was so lucky to make friends from around the country and world during my college experience. Plus, on the morning of my birthday, I had an interview for the BuzzFeed job I ended up landing. So that was fun.

25 sucked. It was covid, I was quarantining at my parents’ home, and my local friends did a drive-by parade to celebrate. That was thoughtful. But boy do I feel like I was robbed of what was supposed to be one of the best years of my life.

“How can a person know everything at 18 but nothing at [30]?”

I’ve also been thinking a lot about the lessons I’ve learned before hitting 30. Beyond the knowledge I’ve gained from school or work, I’ve learned some of the most important lessons from my relationships with others. I’m really grateful to have so many loving friends and family, but I’ve also developed a sharper sense for when a relationship has run its course—or maybe was never truly genuine to begin with.

I used to be way too timid to cut ties. I’d just stay stuck in miserable “friendships” or avoid someone, hoping they’d eventually back off. Maybe it was fear of confrontation, my people-pleasing tendencies, or just not knowing what a healthy relationship looked like. Whatever it was, I often felt trapped. But that’s definitely changed. One incredibly toxic relationship pushed me to finally find the courage to stand up for myself—and since then, I’ve felt stronger and more empowered to do it whenever I need to.

People often say you find out who your true friends are when you’re at your lowest. I don’t quite agree with that. To me, it’s pretty easy to support someone when they’re down. What really shows who your true friends are is who keeps lifting you up when you’re doing well versus who tries to bring you down. It’s the ones pulling you down that you need to let go.

I’ve come to the conclusion that birthdays can feel heavy because they force us to take stock of both where we are and where we thought we’d be. And turning 30 really brought that into focus.

If this has read a bit like an obituary, that’s fair—it is a goodbye to my twenties. But it’s not a sad goodbye. I don’t need to go back. I’m ready to move forward in this next era. Bring it on.

What’s your take?

The White Lotus season finale aired on Sunday. It was brilliant. Mike White is a genius. The whole season was great.

But the crisis has developed since the finale aired. We’re in a crisis of disastrous ~takes~ on social media about the show. Some might call it an epidemic of a lack of reading (or watching) comprehension.

(credit: HBO)

***White Lotus spoilers ahead***

Let’s start with the good stuff. Carrie Coon, Parker Posey, Leslie Bibb, Aimee Lou Wood, Walton Goggins, and (I know, I know) Patrick Schwarzenegger come collect your Emmy nominations.

The battle between Carrie Coon and Parker Posey for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series is going to be one for the ages. Both put on a masterclass. Carrie Coon’s finale monologue was the moment she secured it for me—I would give it to her.

“As you get older, you have to justify your life and your choices. When I’m with you guys, it’s so transparent what my choices were, and my mistakes.”

…

“I don’t need religion or God to give my life meaning. Because time gives it meaning.

We started this life together. We’re going through it apart, but we’re still together. I look at you guys, and it feels meaningful.”

The watch party I attended was SILENT during those 90 seconds.

But Parker Posey’s insanely perfect accent was one of the most memorable aspects of the season, so you can’t count her out.

Walton Goggins is likely the favorite among the men. But Patrick Schwarzenegger’s performance in the second half of the season blew me away. I know he was kind of just playing himself, but he was so good at it. I’ll need to see his performance in another project to know if he was really acting or not. Unfortunately, I’m sucker for a “moment of clarity,” and his was perfect—even rivaling Meghann Fahy’s season White Lotus season two moment of clarity, which is one of my all-time favorites.

(credit: HBO)

(credit: HBO)

Also, TV is so back. And by “TV” I don’t mean binge-streaming, I mean real TV that people watch at a specific time and date. I’m a huge hypocrite because I’m just as guilty as you about only wanting to watch a show if the whole season is out. (I literally waited until White Lotus season 1 was complete before starting it.) But there’s something so special about watching a show together with everyone, live, at the moment it airs. And this show is now so big that you HAVE to watch it upon release or else you’re out of the conversation online and in-person, and you’re guaranteed to have the show spoiled.

Now, onto the bad stuff, which actually has nothing to do with what aired on the screen but has everything to do with what failed to go on between the ears of so many viewers.

Here are a few examples:

“This complete 180 made no sense for her character.”

This person was referring to Piper’s meltdown after spending the night at the monastery and hating it. This “complete 180” actually made PERFECT sense for her character.

Characters have arcs. Sometimes this arc can take the character forward to evolve, while other times it can take them backward and set them right back to how they always were/were meant to be.

Piper repesents literally every child of rich parents who attends prep school, “rebels” by being more progressive and enlightened than their parents, and then seeks to distance themselves from them. Piper realized that she couldn’t do it anymore and reverted back to her upbringing—ditching her Little House on the Prairie dresses in the process.

(credit: HBO)

“What was the point of this scene?”

This person was talking about the scene when Kate (the woman with the bob haircut) recognized Victoria as someone she spent a weekend with, along with a mutual friend, a few years back. Kate acts warm and friendly while Victoria is super standoffish. If you don’t think this scene was worth its 90 seconds, then that’s a you problem!

While most scenes in a show advance the plot, there can also be some scenes that just develop characters and don’t directly develop the plot. (But developing characters still indirectly develops plot.)

This scene actually revealed so much about both characters. For one, it revealed that these two characters run in the same social circles: groups of rich, white, conservative women. And the way Victoria perceived herself to be superior to Kate—who wasn’t worthy of interacting with her—told us so much about how Victoria views and prioritizes her status.

Anyway, even if this scene did nothing for the plot or character development, it was still a funny scene! Some scenes can just be funny to write and watch.

(credit: HBO)

“Nothing happened this season.”

Literally so much happened this season, I don’t know what to tell you. I could go on and on about this, but my dear friend Saavon actually said it best: Some of you “were meant to be watching Cocomelon, not White Lotus!” I’ll leave you with that. (You can read his piece on the show by clicking below.)

Saavon Smalls

What Happened in Pop Culture Last Week? (3/31 - 4/6)

Hey girls — welcome back to “Small(s) Dose of Pop Culture…

Read more

a year ago · Saavon Smalls

Now, on to the season 3 power rankings:

1. Laurie: survived girls’ trip, emotional end-of-trip dinner, lawyer, runs fast AF

2. Lochlan: Jesus

3. Valentin: got away with it

4. Mook: secured a boyfriend with a job

5. Greg: lost $5 million but otherwise got away with it

6. Pam: guarded the Ratliff’s phones like her life depended on it

7. Chelsea: diva down, but was a diva nonetheless

8. Victoria: defeated her daughter at chess, survived a week without Lorazepam

9. Saxon: learned how to read

10. Zion: should’ve stayed at school

11. Gaitok: killed a man, lost his religion, but got the girl

12. Frank: Asian girl, drugs relapse

13. Belinda: rich, will feel guilty about it

14. Jaclyn: hooked up with Valentin, cheated on husband

15. Fabian: nobody heard his song, fell in water

16. Sritala: husband dead, incompetent new bodyguard

17. Chloe: lives with Greg

18. Pornchai: no money to start his business

19. Rick: killed father, caused girlfriend to get killed, he also died

20. Piper: loser, mother was right about her

21. Timothy: jail

22. Kate: MAGA, fuck-ass bob

23. Jim: killed by his son

What’s your take?

credit: ABC

As we wait for Sunday’s ceremony, media outlets have published anonymous testimonials from members of the Academy about who they voted for and how they came to their decision.

A striking common thread among way too many of the responses is that many voters did not…watch the movies nominated. Don’t take my word for it, let’s see what the voters had to say for themselves.

Four voters were interviewed for Entertainment Weekly’s annual “Secret Ballot” survey. All four of them revealed they did not watch Dune: Part Two. The movie has five nominations. Here’s what two of the voters said:

• “The first Dune, I couldn't get through; I'm not rushing for another three hours of Dune.”

• With Dune: Part Two, I’d seen the David Lynch version of Dune, and I saw [Denis Villeneuve’s] first one, which I was super bored by. I place it on myself; when I walked into the theater, I wasn’t in the right headspace. It wasn’t compelling to me. I’m open to sci-fi, but I think it had something to do with whatever I’d gone through that day.”

YIKES!

Some of these voters also admitted to not watching I'm Still Here, The Substance, and Nickel Boys.

Sure, at least the voters abstained from voting in the Best Picture category for/against the movies they hadn’t watched, but this goes beyond just that one category. This should call into question the integrity of their votes in all categories.

I guess not everyone can be Kirsten Dunst:

Anyway, here are my 2025 Oscars predictions:

*Disclaimer: This is who/what I think will win, not necessarily who/what I want to win.

BEST PICTURE: Anora

BEST ACTRESS: Demi Moore — The Substance

BEST ACTOR: Adrien Brody — The Brutalist

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Zoe Saldaña — Emilia Pérez

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Kieran Culkin — A Real Pain

BEST DIRECTOR: Sean Baker — Anora

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Anora

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Conclave

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM: I’m Still Here

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: The Wild Robot

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Dune: Part Two

BEST FILM EDITING: Conclave

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: Wicked

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Dune: Part Two

BEST COSTUME DESIGN: Wicked

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING: The Substance

BEST ORIGINAL SONG: "The Journey" by Diane Warren — The Six Triple Eight

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Wicked

BEST SOUND: Dune: Part Two

I don’t feel well-informed enough to make predictions for the other categories, but here are some other things to watch for:

The Best Picture race is coming down to three films: Anora, Conclave, and The Brutalist. Karla Sofía Gascón’s racist tweets likely took Emilia Pérez out of contention despite it receiving the most nominations. It was horrible, anyway. Emilia Pérez and The Brutalist also faced controversies over their use of artificial intelligence. For example, Gascón’s singing voice was “improved” by blending her voice with a French pop star. (You really couldn’t tell, anyway, since her singing and the music in that film overall was terrible.) However, The Buratlist’s use of AI was truly egregious. AI was used to enhance the Hungarian accents of the film’s stars Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones. (More on this below.) Let’s hope voters took note. Conclave and Anora are both deserving. My preference would be Conclave, but I’d be happy with an Anora win. The latter won the top awards at the Writers, Directors, and Producers Guilds and the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. (Conclave won at the Screen Actors Guild.) The last time a film won those three guild awards but lost the Oscar was Brokeback Mountain in 2006. Anora’s lack of gay cowboys should secure its victory this year.

Lead actress is also a three-way race; it’s between Demi Moore, Mikey Madison, and Fernanda Torres. Two months ago, I would have been sure that Madison would take it—and I actually think she’s most deserving. But it feels like it’s Moore’s to lose at this point. Moore’s win would be historic since horror movies are rarely recognized. Madison’s relative newness to the industry (she’s obviously not new, but she’s newer to this world than Moore) also will work against her unfortunately.

Lead actor will come down to Adrien Brody and Timotheé Chalamet. There is nothing I want more than to see Chalamet win this award. He ran one hell of a campaign and actually deserves it. Plus, Brody basically cheated by using AI to enhance his accent. Is an actor’s accent not part of their acting? All of this while Chalamet spent five years training to portray Bob Dylan. A win for Brody here will be so damaging to the industry. A major fight during the SAG strike in 2023 was to implement guardrails against using AI in films. The Academy would be throwing all of that away by rewarding Brody and The Bruatlist.

Zoe Saldaña is probably going to take best supporting actress. I don’t think Karla Sofia Gascón’s controversy will take Saldaña down with her, and this might be the only award Emilia Pérez wins. Saldaña is a great actress who has had a great career. I really like her. But I don’t think she deserves this award. A film should have to be good for an actor to win an award. And Emilia Pérez is a terrible film with terrible acting and terrible singing. On the other hand, Wicked was a fantastic film with fantastic acting and singing. Ariana Grande deserves this win. Isabella Rossellini was also incredible in Conclave. She had such a small amount of screen time and so few lines of dialogue, but she made every word count.

Kieran Culkin will win best supporting actor. If you would’ve told me two years ago that Culkin would win an Emmy and an Oscar in a span of 15 months I would have laughed. But here we are! Good for him.

One last note. Anora creator Sean Baker has an opportunity to be the first individual to win four Oscars in one night for one movie. (Only Walt Disney has won four in one night, but he won for multiple films.) No one has ever won more than three awards for one film. Baker is nominated as producer, director, writer, and editor for Anora. Believe it or not, the category that I think he is most likely to lose is editing. My prediction is he walks away with three wins. Let’s see what happens.

Who do you think will win? What’s your take?

Tate McRae released her third studio album, So Close To What, last Friday. It’s a perfectly adequate album. It has some songs I really like—“Greenlight” and “Dear God” are my favorites other than the singles—but it’s missing the standout moment that could have put her among the dominant artists in the music industry today.

I actually thought that her second album, THINK LATER, was going to be the one that would shoot her into superstardom. In some ways it did, since her hit single “Greedy” has over 1.6 billion streams on Spotify. I loved that album.

But instead of building on that rise, Tate McRae’s latest release might solidify her spot as a “B” pop star—at least for now.

What is a “B” pop star? You just know one when you see one. But there are some markers to distinguish them from “A” stars: fewer streams, less chart success, fewer awards, less name recognition, etc. They’re just not as big of an artist—at the moment—as the “A” pop stars like Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga. Maybe they’re still pretty new to mainstream music listeners, like Gracie Abrams, Doechii, and Tyla. Maybe it’s been a few years since they’ve had a hit, like Meghan Trainor, Camila Cabello, and Lorde. Or maybe they just never quite got to the very top, like Rita Ora, Bebe Rexha, and Ellie Goulding. And of course there can be a range even within the “B” tier. The latest movers from “B” to “A” list are Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan. Both had huge years.

Calling someone a “B” star shouldn’t really be an insult. After all, they are still major performers and most of them are still household names. I would actually argue they are the backbone of the music industry. Most of them are the ones fighting for opportunities and honing their singing or performance skills since they haven’t reached the pinnacle yet.

Plus, (I know this is going to sound snarky, but I actually mean it earnestly) we also need tour openers and we need artists to perform during the first half of the day at music festivals. Being a pop star is not a group project. For some to be on top, many others need to be in the middle. And nothing about this means the “B” artists can’t be great. They most certainly can be, and many are.

In ecology, a keystone species is an organism whose existence is necessary for the entire community’s survival. One example is the starfish. Without starfish to eat mussels and barnacles, they would decimate the population of seaweeds and likely destroy the entire ecosystem.

“B” pop stars are the keystone species of the music industry because the “A” stars can only do so much. Most top artists release a new album every 2-4 years. The music industry needs a whole bunch of other artists to release music during those break periods—and bring in a lot of revenue.

That brings us back to Tate McRae. The question remains where she’'ll end up. I hope she makes a move because I believe she has the talent to do so. (She can certainly out dance most of the “A” stars.) Now is the time to make smart creative and business decisions. For one, I would not host my next album release party in the parking lot of the K(h)ia Forum. (“Khia” pun intended.) Will she reach the top or will she remain a perennial “B” star? We’ll be watching.

Who do you think are some of the “B” pop stars today? Do you think Tate McRae will make it to the “A” list? What’s your take?

(credit: Recording Academy)

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

• New Blue Sun - André 3000

• COWBOY CARTER - Beyoncé (will win, should win)

• Short n' Sweet - Sabrina Carpenter

• BRAT - Charli xcx

• Djesse Vol. 4 - Jacob Collier

• HIT ME HARD AND SOFT - Billie Eilish

• The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess - Chappell Roan

• THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT - Taylor Swift

It’s so long overdue for Beyoncé to finally win album of the year. Is Cowboy Carter her best album? No. But it is a great album. Other strong contenders are Billie Eilish for HIT ME HARD AND SOFT (I’m not an Eilish fan but this is a really good album. I just don’t think it’s unique enough to win AOTY.) Charli xcx’s BRAT also has a strong chance. (I’ve been a fan for over a decade, and I never thought I would say she’s a frontrunner for AOTY. I love the album, but not sure it would be my pick for AOTY.) My actual favorite album of the year is Short n' Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter, but I think she has a better chance in other categories. THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT had the most commercial success of the nominees by far. But Swift won last year for Midnights. I don’t expect a repeat win. Something funny that could happen is all of the big pop stars (Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, Charli xcx, and Chappell Roan) could split many of the votes and one of the less-talked-about nominees (André 3000 or Jacob Collier) could sneak out a win.

(credit: Beyoncé, Netflix)

RECORD OF THE YEAR

• “Now And Then” - The Beatles

• “TEXAS HOLD 'EM” - Beyoncé

• “Espresso” - Sabrina Carpenter (should win)

• “360” - Charli xcx

• “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” - Billie Eilish

• “Not Like Us” - Kendrick Lamar (will win, also sorta should win)

• “Good Luck, Babe!” - Chappell Roan

• “Fortnight” - Taylor Swift & Post Malone

Record of the year will likely come down to “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar and “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter. Both are great. The biggest question will be if the academy is willing to give the award to a song that accuses another artist of being a pedophile. If Billie Eilish wins record of the year, she’ll join Paul Simon and Bruno Mars as the only three-time winners of the category. It could happen. To me, “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” is actually her song most deserving of the honor.

(credit: Kendrick Lamar, YouTube)

SONG OF THE YEAR

• “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” - Shaboozey

• “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” - Billie Eilish (will win, should win)

• “Die With A Smile” - Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars

• “Fortnight” - Taylor Swift & Post Malone

• “Good Luck, Babe!” - Chappell Roan

• “Not Like Us” - Kendrick Lamar

• “Please Please Please” - Sabrina Carpenter

• “TEXAS HOLD 'EM” - Beyoncé

I think Billie Eilish basically has song of the year secured for BOAF. “Not Like Us” is probably the only competition. But BOAF will likely win. “Fortnight” is Taylor Swift’s record eighth nomination in the category. It’s an injustice that she has never won the award considering she is the generation’s greatest songwriter. (SOTY is an award for songwriting.) But I don’t think “Fortnight” will do it.

BEST NEW ARTIST

• Benson Boone

• Sabrina Carpenter (should win)

• Doechii

• Khruangbin

• RAYE

• Chappell Roan (will win)

• Shaboozey

• Teddy Swims

Like SOTY, I feel very confident in my pick that Chappell Roan will win. She had a great year and definitely deserves it. However, I’m so SICK of the discourse surrounding Sabrina Carpenter’s nomination for best new artist. If she’s eligible for the award, then she’s eligible for the award. End of story.

• Here is how the Academy describes the award: “This category recognizes an artist whose eligibility-year release(s) achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and notably impacted the musical landscape.”

The final round of voting is supposed to be the time to pick the winner among those who are nominated. The final round of voting is NOT the time to second-guess whether or not a nominee should be eligible for the award. However, I fear that enough voters will hold Carpenter’s longer career against her and instead hand the win to Chappell Roan.

OTHER PREDICTIONS

(This is who I *think* will win.)

• PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL: Dan Nigro

• SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL: Amy Allen

• BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE: “Espresso” - Sabrina Carpenter

• BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE: “Die With A Smile” - Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars

• BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM: HIT ME HARD AND SOFT - Billie Eilish

• BEST TRADITIONAL POP ALBUM: Visions - Norah Jones

• BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC RECORDING: “leavemealone” - Fred Again.. & Baby Keem

• BEST DANCE POP RECORDING: “Von dutch” - Charli xcx

• BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC ALBUM: BRAT - Charli xcx

• BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE: “Now And Then” - The Beatles

• BEST R&B PERFORMANCE: “Saturn” - SZA

• BEST TRADITIONAL R&B PERFORMANCE: “Make Me Forget” - Muni Long

• BEST R&B SONG: “Saturn” - SZA

• BEST R&B ALBUM: . Revenge - Muni Long

• BEST RAP PERFORMANCE: “Not Like Us” - Kendrick Lamar

• BEST MELODIC RAP PERFORMANCE: “SPAGHETTII” - Beyoncé, Linda Martell & Shaboozey

• BEST RAP SONG: “Not Like Us” - Kendrick Lamar

• BEST RAP ALBUM: We Don't Trust You - Future & Metro Boomin

• BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE: “16 CARRIAGES” - Beyoncé

• BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE: “II MOST WANTED” - Beyoncé & Miley Cyrus

• BEST COUNTRY SONG: “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” - Shaboozey

• BEST COUNTRY ALBUM: COWBOY CARTER - Beyoncé

• BEST LATIN POP ALBUM: Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran - Shakira

• BEST MÚSICA URBANA ALBUM: nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana - Bad Bunny

• BEST MUSICAL THEATER ALBUM: Hell’s Kitchen - Alicia Keys

• BEST AUDIO BOOK, NARRATION, AND STORYTELLING RECORDING: Last Sundays In Plains: A Centennial Celebration - Jimmy Carter

• BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA: Twisters: The Album

• BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA: Challengers - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

• BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR VISUAL MEDIA: “Can't Catch Me Now” - Olivia Rodrigo

• BEST MUSIC VIDEO: “Fortnight” - Taylor Swift & Post Malone

Here is the complete nominations list. I don’t feel well-informed enough to make a guess for the other categories.

What’s your take?

(Photo from @clubchalamet on Instagram)

How we define “celebrity” in 2024 is certainly different from how we did 15-20 years ago. With social media dominating our collective consciousness, it’s easier than ever to somewhat break through, and the outer perimeter of who we deem famous is as loose as ever with the rise of alleged social media influencers.

This year certainly had many viral moments, and thus a new crop of pseudo-celebs took center stage. One good story from 2024 is the rise of TikTok user Jools Lebron, who popularized the word “demure” and then announced that the money she made through her viral videos would cover her gender transition costs. A not-as-good story from 2024 is Haliey “Hawk Tuah” Welch. If you don’t know who that is, look it up. And if you didn’t know, she’s now hosting a podcast.

But having a breakthrough internet moment is one thing. It’s the ability to keep followers engaged, and sitting on the edge of their seat for more content, that separates the 15-minute-ers from those who have real staying power. In other words, it’s separating Twitter main characters of the day from internet icons. Club Chalamet does it all.

(Photo from @clubchalamet on Instagram)

(Photo from @clubchalamet on Instagram)

In her own words, Club Chalamet is “a GenX LA based super fan account in support of Oscar nominated actor, Timothée Chalamet.” Chalamet, of course, is one of the most popular young actors in Hollywood today. This year, he starred in Dune: Part Two and A Complete Unknown. He’s receiving Oscar buzz for the latter and already received a Golden Globes nomination for the performance. It was a really huge year for Timmy, so, naturally, it was also a huge year for his #1 stan.

But who is the woman behind the Club and how has she made her mark on internet culture? She is a nearly 60-year-old movie reviewer named Simone Cromer who frequently posts updates about Timmy’s life and career on social media (her Twitter account is especially popular). You know, typical stan behavior. But what sets her apart—beyond the fact that she obviously is a bit older than the usual stan Twitter account manager—is her unparalleled ability to turn mundane celebrity updates into viral hits.

Her most iconic moment of 2024 happened this October when a Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest was held in NYC. Before the contest, Miss Club tweeted that she “highly doubt[ed]” Chalamet himself would attend the event. When he showed up at Washington Square Park that day, the internet was ablaze with viral images and jokes—some mocking Cromer for not being there. Her response captured the essence of what it means to be Club Chalamet. Here’s her full post:

“This benefits me in ways you can’t imagine.” Mob bosses wish they could speak with such vague, demanding authority. That phrase immediately entered my personal lexicon.

Club’s internet persona has three key attributes: she has a quick-witted response to everything, she has impeccable (perhaps unintentional) comedic timing, and she refuses to let the internet laugh at her without also laughing along herself. After all, she recently clarified that she’s “not insane.”

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a few more bits of Club Chalamet lore. She has watched Dune: Part 2 practically one million times and informed her followers about it each time, she has one-sided beef with Timmy’s girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, and she inexplicably revealed that she was living and working in NYC before 9/11 and in July 2001 turned down a job offer at an office located on the 102nd floor of one of the towers. Thankfully so! Learning more about this woman genuinely brightens my day.

Some people accuse Club of being misogynistic or having a parasocial relationship with Timmy, but I’m going to leave those judgments to the keyboard warriors. Regardless, Club Chalamet’s impact is undeniable.

Sure, Simone Cromer is not a household name…yet. But as Club Chalamet, she is making her mark on internet culture and solidifying her position as one of the queens of stan Twitter. And for that, she has earned the title of Jake’s Takes 2024 Person of the Year. Stay weird, Miss Club!

2024 Person of the Year Honorable Mentions:

• Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande for holding space & the Wicked press tour

• Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles & the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team

• Nicole Kidman

• The Oompa Loompa from the Willy Wonka Galsgow Immersive Experience

• Sabrina Carpenter

• Chappell Roan v. Paparazzi

• Kathryn Hahn, Aubrey Plaza & Patti Lupone

• Taylor Swift

• Beyoncé

• The “Spin Me Round” Records lady

• Nara Smith

• Trisha Paytas

What’s your take?

(credit: Recording Academy)

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd - Lana Del Rey

Endless Summer Vacation - Miley Cyrus

GUTS - Olivia Rodrigo

Midnights - Taylor Swift (will win)

SOS - SZA (should win)

The Age of Pleasure - Janelle Monáe

The Record - boygenius

World Music Radio - Jon Batiste

RECORD OF THE YEAR

“Anti-Hero” - Taylor Swift

“Flowers” - Miley Cyrus (will win)

“Kill Bill” - SZA (should win)

“Not Strong Enough” - boygenius

“On My Mama” - Victoria Monét

“Vampire” - Olivia Rodrigo

“What Was I Made For?” - Billie Eilish

“Worship” - Jon Batiste

SONG OF THE YEAR

“A&W” - Lana Del Rey

“Anti-Hero” - Taylor Swift (should win)

“Butterfly” - Jon Batiste

“Dance The Night” - Dua Lipa

“Flowers” - Miley Cyrus

“Kill Bill” - SZA

“What Was I Made For?” - Billie Eilish (will win, and also sorta should win)

“Vampire” - Olivia Rodrigo

BEST NEW ARTIST

Coco Jones

Fred again..

Gracie Abrams

Ice Spice

Jelly Roll

Noah Kahan

The War And Treaty

Victoria Monét (should win, will win)

OTHER PREDICTIONS

BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE: “Vampire” - Olivia Rodrigo

BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE: “Karma” - Taylor Swift & Ice Spice

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM: Midnights - Taylor Swift

BEST POP DANCE RECORDING: “Rush” - Troye Sivan

BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE: “Not Strong Enough” - boygenius

BEST ROCK SONG: “Not Strong Enough” - boygenius

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC PERFORMANCE: “A&W” - Lana Del Rey

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM: The Record - boygenius

BEST R&B PERFORMANCE: “How Does It Make You Feel” - Victoria Monét

BEST TRADITIONAL R&B PERFORMANCE: “Love Language” - SZA

BEST R&B SONG: “On My Mama” - Victoria Monét

BEST PROGRESSIVE R&B ALBUM: SOS - SZA

BEST R&B ALBUM: JAGUAR II - Victoria Monét

BEST RAP PERFORMANCE: “Rich Flex” - Drake & 21 Savage

BEST MELODIC RAP PERFORMANCE: “All My Life” - Lil Durk & J. Cole

BEST RAP SONG: “Rich Flex” - Drake & 21 Savage

BEST RAP ALBUM: HEROES & VILLIANS - Metro Boomin

BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE: “Fast Car” - Luke Combs

BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE: “I Remember Everything” - Zach Bryan & Kacey Musgraves

BEST COUNTRY SONG: “I Remember Everything” - Zach Bryan & Kacey Musgraves

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM: Zach Bryan - Zach Bryan

BEST AUDIO BOOK, NARRATION, AND STORYTELLING RECORDING: The Light We Carry: Overcoming In Uncertain Times - Michelle Obama

BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA: Barbie The Album

BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR VISUAL MEDIA: “What Was I Made For?” - Billie Eilish

BEST MUSIC VIDEO: “What Was I Made For?” - Billie Eilish

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL: Jack Antonoff

Here is the complete nominations list.

I don’t feel well-informed enough to make a guess for the other categories. What’s your take?

pic credit: me

I’ll admit that when I saw that TIME picked Taylor Swift as their person of the year, I was a bit shocked. Taylor Swift is not a world leader, she’s not a business executive, she’s not the inventor of some technology, and she’s not the leader of a social movement. But, in a way, she basically is all of those things. Taylor Swift was the absolute correct choice for the 2023 person of the year.

With this designation, Taylor Swift joins a list of other famous (and infamous) household names, including 14 U.S. presidents, 3 popes, the Apollo 8 astronauts, Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Adolph Hitler, “the computer,” and planet Earth. She becomes only the sixth individual woman to be named person of the year in the nearly 100 years the honor has been given. (A number of other women have held the title in pairs or groups, such as VP Kamala Harris who was awarded the title along with President Joe Biden in 2020 and the “American Women” who were recognized as a group in 1975 to highlight the rise of the feminist movement.)

No one captivated conversation in 2023 like Taylor Swift. She impacted music, film, television, sports, economics, government affairs, and more. In a year when people wanted nothing more than to avoid political discourse and when Hollywood was largely shut down due to strikes, Taylor Swift filled the void and dominated…everything. Oh, and she also became a billionaire this year.

I don’t need to run through all of the records Taylor Swift set this year. You already know she made history with the “Eras” stadium tour, which then dominated the box office as a concert film. But one record has solidified her as the most dominant force in the music industry. Earlier this month, Taylor Swift became the first living musical artist in history to have five albums simultaneously in the top 10 on the Billboard 200.

Taylor Swift’s impact also reaches beyond the music industry. She is a cultural phenomenon who creates social trends and is a role model for many people, especially young women. As Taylor Swift said in her TIME interview, her Eras Tour was part of “a three-part summer of feminine extravaganza” alongside the Barbie movie and Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour. Women ran the world in 2023. And TIME selected Taylor Swift as the 2023 person of the year because, at least, part of her brilliance is inextricably linked to her unique ability to create spaces for others to celebrate, and commiserate with over, their combined experiences as 21st century women.

Here’s how writer Sam Lansky explained the phenomenon in Swift’s TIME profile:

Maybe this is the real Taylor Swift effect: That she gives people, many of them women, particularly girls, who have been conditioned to accept dismissal, gaslighting, and mistreatment from a society that treats their emotions as inconsequential, permission to believe that their interior lives matter. That for your heart to break, whether it’s from being kicked off a tour or by the memory of a scarf still sitting in a drawer somewhere or because somebody else controls your life’s work, is a valid wound, and no, you’re not crazy for being upset about it, or for wanting your story to be told.

It really is Taylor Swift’s world, and we’re just living in it. That is why Taylor Swift is the 2023 person of the year.

Here are my favorite things of 2023:

Albums:

• 1989 (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift

• Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift

• Rolling Up The Welcome Mat by Kelsea Ballerini

• GUTS by Olivia Rodrigo

• AudioLust & HigherLove by SG Lewis

• chemistry by Kelly Clarkson

• THINK LATER by Tate McRae

• Snow Angel by Reneé Rapp

• Something To Give Each Other by Troye Sivan

• Heaven knows by PinkPantheress

• JAGUAR II by Victoria Monét

• Blood Orange by Freya Ridings

• The Show by Niall Horan

• AR by Addison Rae

• Barbie The Album

Songs:

• “Is It Over Now?” by Taylor Swift

• “bad idea right?” by Olivia Rodrigo

• “Feather” by Sabrina Carpenter

• “In The City” by Charli XCX & Sam Smith

• “favorite kind of high” by Kelly Clarkson

• “Dance The Night” by Dua Lipa

• “Barbie World” by Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice & Aqua

• “AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM” by Beyoncé & Kendrick Lamar

• “Witness Me” by Jacob Collier, Shawn Mendes, Stormzy & Kirk Franklin

• “greedy” by Tate McRae

• “Mona Lisa” by Dominic Fike

• “Rush” by Troye Sivan

• “Jaded” by Miley Cyrus

• “One That Got Away” by MUNA

• “Dial Drunk” by Noah Kahan & Post Malone

TV Shows:

• Dance Moms

• The Last of Us

• The Other Two

• Abbott Elementary

• Queen Charlotte

• Heartstopper

• Fellow Travelers

• Jury Duty

• Loki

• Dancing with the Stars

Movies:

• Barbie

• Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

• Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé

• Saltburn

• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

• Red, White & Royal Blue

• Bottoms

• May December

• No Hard Feelings

• M3GAN

Memes/Viral Things:

• Barbenheimer

• Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski lawsuit

• “Angela Basset did the thing.”

• Britney Spears’s memoir, “The Woman in Me,” and Michelle Williams’s recording for the audiobook

• Grimace shakes

• Beyoncé’s Dubai “Drunk in Love” riff

• Gag City

• Met Gala cockroach

• Josh Hutcherson renaissance

• “He’s just Ken” // “I’m just Ken”

Scandals:

• The Titanic submersible

• Nepo Babies

• Paul Mescal running away from women in parks

• Sabrina Carpenter’s “Feather” church music video

• Colleen Ballinger’s ukulele apology video

• Paris bedbugs

• Austin Butler’s Elvis accent

• Orca attacks

• Ariana Grande dating SpongeBob

• Scandoval

The People Who Won 2023:

• Michelle Yeoh’s Oscar win

• Coco Gauff winning the U.S. Open tennis

• SAG & WGA

• EGOT Viola Davis

• Blue Ivy’s Renaissance Tour dancing

• Travis Kelce

• Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime show

The Flops of 2023:

• Donald Trump

• Elon Musk

• George Santos

• Kevin McCarthy

• Rudy Giuliani

• Jamie Lynn Spears

• Jonathan Majors

2024 Predictions:

• Oppenheimer will dominate the Oscars, but Barbie will get the most nominations

• Taylor Swift will join the Marvel Universe

• Zendaya & Tom Holland will get engaged (or married? secret wedding?)

• Regé-Jean Page will be cast as James Bond

• Miley Cyrus will win her first Grammy

• Jacob Elordi will leave Euphoria

• Rihanna won’t release a new album

• Vanessa Hudgens will join The White Lotus season 3 cast

What’s your take?

In 1973, the U.S. Open became the first major sporting event to pay equal prize money to male and female athletes. The initiative was sparked by the activism of tennis legend Billie Jean King, who, the year prior, led fellow players by threatening to boycott the tournament unless women and men received equal prize money. In response, the tournament pledged to increase the payout to the women’s event champion by $15,000, meaning the men’s and women’s champions would each receive $25,000.

It then took until 2007, 34 years, until there was pay equity at all four tennis grand slam tournaments. (Australian Open in 2001 and French Open and Wimbledon in 2007.) Venus Williams, who, at 43 years old, recently competed in her 24th US Open, was instrumental in those efforts.

Despite progress at the four most prestigious tennis tournaments, inequity remains. The tennis season spans nearly the entire calendar year and spreads across the continents. There are many other tournaments beyond the big four, all of which offer varying prestige, prize money, and points to earn towards the players’ ranking. These other tournaments are crucial because there is significant prize money and ranking points at stake. A player needs a high ranking (more points) in order to qualify for more prestigious tournaments.

Beyond the four grand slams, the next largest tournaments are called “1,000” events. That means that the winning player typically receives 1,000 points towards their ranking. (In comparison, the winner of the U.S. Open grand slam would earn 2,000 points, while a winner at a “500” level tournament would earn 500 points, and so on.) It’s also important to note that most smaller events only feature men or women athletes. There are fewer combined events at the lower levels, but more combined events at the higher levels.

In 2023, there have been 15 combined tournaments other than the grand slams. Of those 15, only four have awarded equal prize money to women and men: United Cup in Australia, BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells in California, Miami Open, and Madrid Open. Eleven other combined events have severely underpaid the women athletes compared to the men.

Here are some examples:

At the Rome Open 1000, the male winner Daniil Medvedev received €1,105,265, while the female winner Elena Rybakina received €521,754.

At the National Bank Open 1000 in Canada and Western & Southern Open 1000 in Cincinnati, the male winners Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic each received $1,019,335, while the female winners Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff each received $454,500.

At the Mubadala Citi Open 500 in D.C., the male winner Dan Evans won $353,445, while the female winner Coco Gauff won $120,150.

The pay disparity is even worse at tournaments that are considered different levels for women and men.

For instance, the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships was a 1000 level event for the women but a 500 level event for the men. Women’s winner Barbora Krejčíková received $454,500, while men’s winner Daniil Medvedev won $533,990. The men’s tournament winner won more money than the women’s tournament winner despite the men’s even being considered a lower level tournament.

And the Qatar Open tournament was a 500 level event for the women but a 250 level event for the men. Women’s winner Iga Swiatek took home $120,150, but men’s winner Daniil Medvedev won $209,445.

Sure, the women tennis players at the top of the game still win a lot of money regardless of the disparity between their prize money and what the men earn. But what about the lower-ranked women who are only able to play smaller tournaments or tend to lose earlier in the larger tournaments? These women are also less likely to have lucrative endorsement deals.

For example, a woman who lost in the first round of the Rome Open 1000 would take home €7,828, while a man who lost in the first round of the same tournament would receive €16,340.

A woman who lost in the first round of the Qatar Open 500 would earn $8,310, while a man who lost in the first round of the 250-level-version of the same tournament would get $14,770.

And a woman who lost in the first round of the tournament in Cincinnati 1000 would receive $12,848, while a man who lost in the first round of the same tournament would get $26,380.

It’s hardly financially feasible for lower-ranked women players to travel across the globe for these tournaments and pay coaches and other team members unless they are winning the events.

Women’s equity in sports, of course, isn’t unique to tennis. The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team recently prevailed in their high-profile, years-long effort to earn equal pay as the men’s team. Despite winning multiple World Cups, the USWNT was severely underpaid in comparison to the USMNT—a team that performed so poorly they failed to qualify for a recent World Cup.

Opponents of women’s equity often make abstract arguments that male athletes draw larger audiences and higher revenue. But time and time again, we are seeing that when women athletes are given the opportunity to perform on large stages, they deliver. Just this week, a world record was set when 92,003 fans watched a University of Nebraska Cornhuskers women's volleyball game.

And in tennis, the 2022 U.S. Open set ticket sales records when Serena Williams announced that she would be retiring from the sport after the tournament. Today, one of the biggest stars in the sport is 19-year-old American Coco Gauff. Fans have packed the tournament grounds to watch Gauff play at this year’s U.S. Open. Gauff is so popular that she filled the “granstand” stadium when she played a doubles match in that arena (doubles is typically less popular than singles matches). When I attended the event this week, I couldn’t find an available seat to watch Gauff play with her partner Jessica Pegula.

It’s about time that tennis leads by example and pays the women what they have earned. More players should call on the tennis governing bodies, the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), and the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) to step up to ensure equity among all players. As Billie Jean King recently said, "Our work is far from done.”

What’s your take?

Leave a comment

*Disclaimer: This is who I think will win, not necessarily who I want to win.

BEST PICTURE: Everything Everywhere All at Once

BEST ACTRESS: Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once

BEST ACTOR: Austin Butler, Elvis

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once

BEST DIRECTOR: Everything Everywhere All at Once, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Everything Everywhere All at Once, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Women Talking, Sarah Polley

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM: All Quiet on the Western Front

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson, Gary Ungar, and Alex Bulkley

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Elvis, Mandy Walker

BEST FILM EDITING: Everything Everywhere All at Once, Paul Rogers

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: Babylon, Florencia Martin and Anthony Carlino

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Avatar: The Way of Water, Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett

BEST COSTUME DESIGN: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ruth Carter

BEST ORIGINAL SONG: “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Rihanna, Tems, and Ryan Coogler

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: The Fabelmans, John Williams

BEST SOUND: Top Gun: Maverick, Mark Weingarten, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Chris Burdon, and Mark Taylor

I don’t feel well-informed enough to make predictions for the other categories, but here are some other things to watch for:

For Best Picture, I see it as a four-way race between Fabelmans, EEAAO, Banshees, and All Quiet on the Western Front. I could easily see EEAAO coming in and basically sweeping everything it’s up for, which would likely lead to a Best Picture win, too. But we shall see. It’s my personal pick for sure.

The race everyone has been talking about is Best Actress in a Leading Role. Michelle Yeoh (EEAAO) v. Cate Blanchett (Tár) has to be one of the most epic battles we’ve seen in an acting category in a while. Both were spectacular, but I expect Yeoh to prevail here — becoming the first non-white winner in the category in over two decades. And given the news that Halle Berry (the last non-white Best Actress winner) was just announced as a presenter, it would be reaaaaally embarrassing for the Academy if she presented the award to… not Michelle.

On the other hand, Best Actor in a Leading Role is seemingly a three-way race between Austin Butler (Elvis), Brendan Fraser (The Whale), and Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin). My personal favorite performance of the year was Farrell in Banshees, but the Academy’s obsession with biopics will probably carry Butler to his first win (and obviously he was great and deserves).

Now, for the supporting actor categories… Ke Huy Quan (EEAAO) should have Best Supporting Actor locked up — he has practically swept the awards all season. Two weeks ago I would have said Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) would also have her win locked up, but following the BAFTAs and SAG Awards where Kerry Condon (Banshees) and Jamie Lee Curtis (EEAAO) won, respectively, it’s pretty wide open. Bassett is still my pick, but Curtis really might win… and I will scream. IMO, Curtis didn’t even give the best supporting performance in her own movie (hello, Stephanie Hsu).

What’s your take?

(Credit: Recording Academy)

*Disclaimer: This is who I think will win, not necessarily who I want to win.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: RENAISSANCE by Beyoncé

RECORD OF THE YEAR: “As It Was” by Harry Styles

SONG OF THE YEAR: “Easy On Me” by Adele

BEST NEW ARTIST: Anitta

BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE: “As It Was” by Harry Styles

BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE: “My Universe” by Coldplay & BTS

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM: 30 by Adele

BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC RECORDING: “BREAK MY SOUL” by Beyoncé

BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC MUSIC ALBUM: RENAISSANCE by Beyoncé

BEST R&B PERFORMANCE: “VIRGO’S GROOVE” by Beyoncé

BEST TRADITIONAL R&B PERFORMANCE: “Good Morning Gorgeous” by Mary J. Blige

BEST R&B SONG: “CUFF IT” by Beyoncé

BEST PROGRESSIVE R&B ALBUM: Gemini Rights by Steve Lacy

BEST R&B ALBUM: Good Morning Gorgeous by Mary J. Blige

BEST RAP PERFORMANCE: “The Heart Part 5” by Kendrick Lamar

BEST MELODIC RAP PERFORMANCE: “Die Hard” by Kendrick Lamar ft. Blxst & Amanda Reifer

BEST RAP SONG: “The Heart Part 5” by Kendrick Lamar

BEST RAP ALBUM: Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers by Kendrick Lamar

BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE: “Live Forever” by Willie Nelson

BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE: “Outrunnin' Your Memory” by Luke Combs & Miranda Lambert

BEST COUNTRY SONG: “I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)” by Taylor Swift

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM: Growin' Up by Luke Combs

BEST MÚSICA URBANA ALBUM: Un Verano Sin Ti by Bad Bunny

BEST LATIN ROCK OR ALTERNATIVE ALBUM: MOTOMAMI by Rosalía

BEST AUDIO BOOK, NARRATION, AND STORYTELLING RECORDING: Finding Me by Viola Davis

BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA: Encanto

BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR VISUAL MEDIA: “Hold My Hand [From Top Gun: Maverick]” by Lady Gaga

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL: Tobias Jesso Jr.

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL: Jack Antonoff

BEST MUSIC VIDEO: All Too Well: The Short Film by Taylor Swift

Best Music Film: Adele: One Night Only by Adele

Here is the complete nominations list.

I don’t feel well-informed enough to make a guess for the other categories, but here are some possible upsets to watch for:

I could easily see Beyoncé, Adele, or Harry Styles sweeping Album, Record, and Song of the Year (meaning one of them could win all three or the three of them could each win one). But Taylor Swift might swoop in to secure her first-ever Song of the Year victory for “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” or Steve Lacy could win Record or Song with “Bad Habit.” For Album of the Year, I think Bad Bunny has the best shot among the rest of the field.

The pop categories are a bit of a mess this year — especially Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. In my opinion, this is probably the weakest list of nominations in a pop category in recent memory. I’m going with Coldplay and BTS (love this collab), but I could also see Sam Smith and Kim Petras taking it for their collaboration, “Unholy” (a serious contender for my least favorite song of all time) or Post Malone and Doja Cat for “I Like You (A Happier Song).” Pop solo performance, again, probably comes down to Adele v. Harry, but don’t count out Steve Lacy and Lizzo.

Perhaps the most competitive category in the entire field is Best Song Written for Visual Media. Here we have Beyoncé v. Taylor Swift v. Lady Gaga v. Billie Eilish v. Angelique Kidjo v. Lin-Manuel Miranda. Anyone could take this, but I’m betting on Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta this time.

What’s your take?

Albums:

• Midnights by Taylor Swift

• Renaissance by Beyoncé

• SOS by SZA

• Harry’s House by Harry Styles

• Special by Lizzo

• Muna by Muna

• Crash by Charli XCX

• Emails I Can’t Send by Sabrina Carpenter

• The Loneliest Time by Carly Rae Jepsen

• Humble Quest by Maren Morris

• SUBJECT TO CHANGE by Kelsea Ballerini

• BORN PINK by BLACKPINK

• Dance Fever by Florence + the Machine

• Being Funny in a Foreign Language by The 1975

• Traumazine by Megan Thee Stallion

Songs:

• “Cuff It” by Beyoncé

• “2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)” by Lizzo

• “Nobody Gets Me” by SZA

• “American Teenager” by Ethel Cain

• “Karma” by Taylor Swift

• “Home By Now” by Muna

• “Satellite” by Harry Styles

• “Nonsense” by Sabrina Carpenter

• “Super Freaky Girl” by Nicki Minaj

• “Too Well” by Reneé Rapp

• “Don’t Wake Me Up” by Jonas Blue & Why Don’t We

• “Coast” by Hailee Steinfeld & Anderson .Paak

• “Surrender My Heart” by Carly Rae Jepsen

• “Easy Lover” by Elie Goulding & Big Sean

• “She’s All I Wanna Be” by Tate McRae

TV Shows:

• Abbott Elementary

• The White Lotus

• Heartstopper

• Elite

• Moon Knight

• Ms. Marvel

• Euphoria

• Emily in Paris

Movies:

• Everything Everywhere All At Once

• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

• Glass Onion

• The Batman

• Fire Island

• Do Revenge

• Turning Red

• Bros

Sports:

• Serena Williams’ final U.S. Open

• Roger Federer & Rafael Nadal crying at Federer’s retirement ceremony

• Morocco at the World Cup

• Nathan Chen figure skating gold medal

• Christian Pulisic

• Aaron Judge home run record

• Ons Jabeur

• Joe Burrow

• The Mets spending over $800 million in the offseason

• Gisele Bündchen leaving Tom Brady

Memes/Viral Things:

• Jennifer Coolidge in The White Lotus season finale: "these gays, they're trying to murder me" and “do you know these gays?” lines, the scene where she shoots everyone, and her running on the yacht.

• Kim Kardashian’s working advice

• Barbie movie photo leaks

• American Girl dolls

• Heidi Klum’s worm costume

• Syndey Sweeney hiding in a bathtub in Euphoria

• “Four free Covid tests” per household

• The pink sauce

• The day Queen Elizabeth died

Scandals:

• The Don’t Worry Darling press tour/Spitgate

• Nepo-babies

• TJ Holmes/Amy Robach Good Morning America affair

• George Santos’ resume

• Adam Levine’s sexts

• Taylor Swift’s private jet

• The Green M&M

• Doja Cat v. Paraguay

• Lea Michele’s illiteracy

• Nick Cannon’s paternity

The Flops of 2022:

• Kanye West

• Elon Musk

• Donald Trump

• Torey Lanez

• Andrew Tate

• Kyrie Irving

• Alex Jones

• Candace Cameron Bure

• Rudy Giuliani

This was so hard and will probably change again by the time this gets published.

21. Sweet Nothing

Favorite lyric: “I find myself running home to your sweet nothings.”

20. Glitch

Favorite lyric: “I was supposed to sweat you out. In search of glorious happenings of happenstance on someone else's playground. But it's been 2,190 days of our love blackout.”

19. Bigger Than the Whole Sky

Favorite lyric: “I'm never gonna meet what could've been, would've been — what should've been you.”

18. Vigilante Shit

Favorite lyric: “I don't dress for villains or for innocents. I'm on my vigilante shit again.”

17. High Infidelity

Favorite lyric: “Do you really want to know where I was April 29th? Do I really have to chart the constellations in his eyes?”

Taylor Swift, Twitter

16. Hits Different

Favorite lyric: “Catastrophic blues. Movin' on was always easy for me to do. It hits different, it hits different 'cause it's you.”

15. The Great War

Favorite lyric: “I vowed I would always be yours 'cause we survived the Great War.”

14. You’re On Your Own, Kid

Favorite lyric: “‘Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned. Everything you lose is a step you take. So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it you've got no reason to be afraid.”

13. Paris

Favorite lyric: “Did you see the photos? No, I didn't, but thanks, though.”

12. Question…?

Favorite lyric: “Did you ever have someone kiss you in a crowded room? And every single one of your friends was making fun of you? But 15 seconds latеr they were clapping too? Thеn what did you do?”

11. Snow On the Beach (feat. Lana Del Rey)

Favorite lyric: “Life is emotionally abusive. And time can’t stop me quite like you did. And my flight was awful, thanks for asking.”

Taylor Swift, Twitter

10. Labyrinth

Favorite lyric: “Uh oh, I'm falling in love. Oh no, I'm falling in love again. Oh, I'm falling in love.”

9. Dear Reader

Favorite lyric: “Bend when you can. Snap when you have to.”

8. Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve

Favorite lyric: “God rest my soul, I miss who I used to be. The tomb won't close, stained glass windows in my mind. I regret you all the time.”

7. Bejeweled

Favorite lyric: “Puttin' someone first only works when you're in their top five. And, by the way, I'm going out tonight.”

Taylor Swift, YouTube

6. Maroon

Favorite lyric: “And I chose you. The one I was dancing with in New York.”

5. Lavender Haze

Favorite lyric: “I find it dizzying. They’re bringing up my history. But you weren’t even listening.”

4. Anti-Hero

Favorite lyric: “Did you hear my covert narcissism I might disguise as altruism like some kind of congressman?”

Taylor Swift, YouTube

3. Mastermind

Favorite lyric: “I swear, I'm only cryptic and Machiavellian 'cause I care.”

2. Midnight Rain

Favorite lyric: “Jumping off things in the ocean, I broke his heart 'cause he was nice.”

1. Karma

Favorite lyric: “Spider-boy, king of thieves. Weave your little webs of opacity. My pennies made your crown.”

Taylor Swift, Twitter

What’s your ranking? Let me know!

This year, the big story is that Serena Williams will be ~evolving~ away from professional tennis. I feel so lucky that I could witness, in person, the final victory of her career [on the tv screens outside of Arthur Ashe stadium :’) ] last Wednesday. Her impact on the sport will be felt for generations. There is no argument — she’s the greatest tennis player of all time and probably the greatest athlete of our generation, period. Her athleticism and passion are unmatched. She has inspired an entire generation of tennis players, and she fought to ensure that Black women were given a seat at the table. Serena is also a huge part of why I started to play tennis, too. I’ll never forget waking up on summer Saturday mornings, year after year, to watch her win Wimbledon or getting to witness her brilliance in person at tournaments in New York, Florida, and California. Congratulations, Serena! We will miss you on the tennis court, but we cannot wait for you to start the next chapter of your life. And I’ll be a member of Rena’s Army for life!

The tournament will wrap up at the end of this week… who do you think will win? I’m rooting for Rafael Nadal and Coco Gauff.

NOW ON TO THE PICTURES…

The grounds:

Inside Arthur Ashe stadium

Watching Serena’s last victory of her career:

Rafael Nadal:

Matteo Berrettini:

Casper Ruud:

Andy Murray:

Tommy Paul:

Karolina Pliskova & Belinda Bencic:

Coco Gauff:

Us:

Until next year!

Every day I’m terrorized by a notification on my phone. No, I’m not talking about the notifications from news organizations about the latest regressive Supreme Court decision (those are ever more traumatizing). I’m talking about the app BeReal. If you’re not familiar with how it works, each day, at a random time, the app sends a push notification that requires you to take and upload a photo within a two-minute window. You then share the picture with your friends in the app. What’s unique (and actually pretty cool) about the picture is that it takes both a rear-facing and front-facing image. What’s horrendous about the app is that it rarely works without a hiccup. I’m assuming that the creators did not expect the app to get so popular so quickly, so it just cannot handle the number of users. Hopefully, the user experience will improve. Also, the app probably cannot handle traffic from all of its users at one time, which is silly because it is what the app, by design, is supposed to do.

Being “real” on social media is an oxymoron. We are all guilty of manufacturing a certain presence online, and BeReal aims to peel that back. Still, I’m sure I’m not the only one who struggles with being “real” in these pictures — even if you’re only sharing them with your friends. Another issue I have with the app is that I don’t want to take on another daily chore. When it starts to feel like a chore is when the app will die for me. Let’s see how long it lasts.

What makes BeReal refreshing is that it is simple to use. Instagram should take some notes. That app is currently suffering from an identity crisis. Following backlash from many users who want it to return to a friends-and-pictures-first platform (as opposed to videos and influencers/brands), Instagram head Adam Mosseri took to Twitter to explain the corporate reasoning as to why it is continuing to shift towards video. This was a masterclass on how not to present company policies to the public. Here’s my favorite part of his comments:

Imagine being this clueless. This simply cannot be true. Or if it is true, then it is likely a product of Instagram’s terrible algorithm, which has prioritized videos and sponsored posts from influencers and brands over photos from friends, which in turn pushed people away from making posts and towards posting on stories and using direct messages. And I’m not even going to talk about my actual least favorite part of Instagram’s algorithm: flooding my feed with content from accounts I do not follow. This does not help me find new accounts to follow. It makes me not want to scroll through my feed at all. If I wanted content from these accounts in my feed, then I would have already followed the account.

When it comes to social media simplicity, Twitter seems to have struck the right balance. Never has Twitter strayed too far from its original design and user experience, but it has managed to make subtle adjustments designed to keep it fresh and modern. Hope they keep it up.

What’s your take? Do you use BeReal? Do you like it? What do you think of Instagram’s push toward video?

IN:

• Keke Palmer

• minions, apparently

• Lizzo

• the Marvel Cinematic Universe

OUT:

• Elon Musk’s personal life

• my iPhone XR

• Khloé Kardashian

• timeshare salesman Armie Hammer

Rumors are swirling that Lady Gaga is being cast as Harley Quinn in the Joker sequel. Gaga would star as the clown villain alongside Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker. This movie takes place outside of the DC universe where Margot Robbie plays the character. As a Marvel stan and Little Monster, I obviously have mixed feelings towards this news. Gaga has shown that she is a talented actor, so it's no surprise that she's landed another major role. However, I always secretly hoped that her first appearance in a superhero movie would be in a Marvel project. Stan Lee, himself, even said that he wanted Gaga to play Dazzler in a future X-Men movie. For now, we can only speculate about this Joker movie, which will reportedly be a musical. Combining superheroes (or super-villains, really) with musical numbers sounds like a perfectly terrible idea, but if it’s true, then Gaga will definitely secure another Oscar nomination for best original song. Whatever happens, we know it's going to be camp.

Beyoncé released the lead single from her highly-anticipated seventh solo album. "Break My Soul" is everything you could want in a high-energy dance track. Beyoncé's stunning vocals soar over the addicting beat, which is sampled from Robin S's '90s hit, "Show Me Love." I'm truly obsessed. Beyoncé also knew exactly what she was doing by releasing this song right before the last weekend of pride. I'll be eagerly waiting for the album to drop at the end of July.

Serena Williams made her return to professional tennis after a year away from the sport following an injury she sustained at Wimbledon in 2021. For her first tournament back, she paired with world #2 Ons Jabeur from Tunisia. (If you're not familiar with her, then you need to be — she rocks, too.) The pair made it all the way to the semifinals before withdrawing due to an injury to Jabeur. Williams displayed her trademark intensity and athleticism on court. This week, she played her first singles match at Wimbledon, losing in a tiebreak to France’s Harmony Tan after over 3 hours of exceptional tennis. I hope we see more of Serena on the tennis court this summer — hopefully at the US Open in August. Let's go, Serena!

IN:

• Iman Vellani

• Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson

• Greta Gerwig’s Barbie

• Lizzo

• Stranger Things (I still need to watch)

OUT:

• The Supreme Court

• Tesla's exploding cars

• Liam Payne

• Bitcoin

• Christopher “CP” Pratt

One of the high-profile cases that people are watching this month is the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard trial. I'm not going to get into the details of the case, because I haven't been following it close enough to analyze the facts. But it seems that the public is, for the most part, supporting Johnny Depp (although I don’t understand why). Merits of the claim aside, what's slightly troubling about the trial is how a case that, at its heart, is about domestic abuse, has become meme-ified on social media. I'm definitely part of the problem, too (because I love a good meme), but I wonder what impact the jokes have on everyday abuse survivors.

Another celebrity trial that people are watching is Blac Chyna v. the Kardashians. Again, I really don't know all of the facts in this case, and it also involves a bunch of alleged problematic behavior on both sides, including, among other things, assault and harassment. During closing arguments, the Kardashians's attorney argued that Blac Chyna brought the lawsuit as a publicity stunt. He could totally be right, but I still thought it was hilarious (and a bit iconic) for the Kardashians to call someone else out for an alleged publicity stunt. But, once again, this is a case that involves some very serious allegations of abuse, and it’s a shame that it’s being treated like a reality show.

And the last big celebrity legal battle in the news is Jason Sudeikis v. Olivia Wilde. Last week, Wilde was served with legal papers relating to a custody dispute over the pair's children. (For the non-lawyers, service is a required element of all legal disputes, which may include literally handing legal papers to the party in the case.) However, Wilde was served with the documents while she was on stage at CinemaCon giving a presentation about her forthcoming movie, Don't Worry Darling. The film famously stars Wilde's current boyf, Harry Styles. The move to serve Wilde with legal papers while she was literally speaking on stage will definitely go down in petty lawyer history. Sudeikis reportedly was unaware that this would happen. You can watch a video of it here.

April 2022

IN:

• Lady Gaga

• Miranda Cosgrove’s favorite curse word

• Heartstopper on Netflix

• Viola Davis

• Dylan O’Brien’s slut era

• Wanda Maximoff

OUT:

• Elon Musk

• Netflix

• Ron DeSantis

• James Corden hosting the Late Late Show

• Ezra Miller

• Lorde shushing the audience at her concerts

What’s your take?

(Credit: Recording Academy)

*Disclaimer: This is who I think will win, not who I want to win.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Happier Than Ever, Billie Eilish

RECORD OF THE YEAR: “Happier Than Ever,” Billie Eilish

SONG OF THE YEAR: “Happier Than Ever,” Billie Eilish

BEST NEW ARTIST: Olivia Rodrigo

BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE: “drivers license,” Olivia Rodrigo

BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE: “Kiss Me More,” Doja Cat & SZA

BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM: Love For Sale, Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM: Sour, Olivia Rodrigo

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM: If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power, Halsey

BEST R&B PERFORMANCE: “Leave the Door Open,” Silk Sonic

BEST TRADITIONAL R&B PERFORMANCE: “Fight For You,” HER

BEST R&B SONG: “Leave the Door Open,” Silk Sonic

BEST R&B ALBUM: Back of My Mind, HER

BEST RAP PERFORMANCE: “Up,” Cardi B

BEST MELODIC RAP PERFORMANCE: “Industry Baby,” Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow

BEST RAP SONG: “Bath Salts,” DMX, Jay-Z & Nas

BEST RAP ALBUM: Call Me If You Get Lost, Tyler, The Creator

BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE: “Remember Her Name,” Mickey Guyton

BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE: “Chasing After You,” Ryan Hurd & Maren Morris

BEST COUNTRY SONG: “Remember Her Name,” Mickey Guyton

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM: Remember Her Name, Mickey Guyton

BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR VISUAL MEDIA: “Fight For You,” HER

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL: Jack Antonoff

BEST MUSIC VIDEO: “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” Lil Nas X

Best Music Film: Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter To Los Angeles, Billie Eilish

Here is the complete nominations list.

I don’t feel well-informed enough to make a guess for the other categories, but here are some possible upsets to watch for:

For the four big categories, the big debate among people is Billie v. Olivia, and I expect Billie to win all 3 that she’s nominated for. (Olivia has best new artist locked up for sure.) But I would LOVE to see Lil Nas X win album of the year. I could also see Olivia taking song of the year even if Billie gets record of the year (which I feel pretty confident Billie will win). But, again, don’t count out Lil Nas X in record & song of the year. People should think of those three categories as a three-way fight. Splitting one win each would be nice.

Billie Eilish has traditionally (the past two years lol) done better in general categories than the pop categories. Here also I expect it to come down to Olivia v. Billie again. I expect the pop voters to favor Olivia. Things get more interesting in the pop duo/group performance category. I could see any of the nominees taking it. My pick is Doja Cat/SZA, but BTS could win their first Grammy for “Butter,” and don’t count out Lady Gaga & Tony Bennett. It would be ironic if Gaga won over BTS for the second year in a row.

What’s your take?

*Disclaimer: This is who I think will win, not who I want to win.

BEST PICTURE: The Power of the Dog

BEST ACTRESS: Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye

BEST ACTOR: Will Smith, King Richard

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Ariana DeBose, West Side Story

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog

BEST DIRECTOR: Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Encanto

BEST ORIGINAL SONG: “Dos Oruguitas,” Lin-Manuel Miranda, Encanto

I don’t feel well-informed enough to make a guess for the other categories, but here are some possible upsets to watch for:

I’d love for Kristen Stewart or Penélope Cruz to win best actress for their performances in Spencer and Parallel Mothers, respectively. Stewart was probably the early favorite this season, so let’s see if she takes it home.

Everyone is talking about Encanto vs. James Bond (Billie Eilish) for best original song, but let’s not count out Beyoncé!! I’d love to see her get one step closer to EGOT status.

Following CODA’s win for best ensemble (the top award) at the SAG Awards, anything could happen in the best picture category. Either way, I expect the night’s top award to go to a streaming service for the first time. It would be interesting if Apple beats Netflix for this honor.

What’s your take?

Kanye West was, for better or worse, the main character of the month. There’s so much going on here.

Much of the controversy stems from West’s ongoing, very public divorce from Kim Kardashian, and Kardashian’s current fling with Pete Davidson. West has been posting, and then deleting, a LOT of Instagram posts. Sure, it’s funny to watch a celebrity embarrass himself, but he clearly needs professional help to navigate his current struggles. I hope he gets the help he needs.

The other humans impacted by West’s actions are Kardashian and Davidson. At what point does West’s behavior go from stunts by a jealous ex to abuse/harassment? I think West crossed that line a while ago. He is publicly threatening Davidson and encouraging his fans to “scream” at him. West also doesn’t seem to be taking seriously Kardashian’s efforts to finalize their divorce. He thinks “God” will reconcile their marriage and he sent a truckload of red roses to Kardashian’s home on Valentine’s Day. West’s post-breakup behavior makes you wonder how we acted while they were together, too. I’m sure it’s been a really difficult time for Kardashian.

For his part, West and his “muse,” Julia Fox, ended their brief relationship. Good for her for securing the Birkin bag and dipping. Back to the “uncah jaahhmmss” life for Fox. West apparently moved on quickly — he’s been spotted hanging out with Chaney Jones. I have no idea who this woman is.

West is also feuding with a bunch of other celebrities. He called out Billie Eilish for a comment she made during one of her concerts. When a fan had a medical emergency in the audience, Eilish paused her performance to ensure the fan received help. Then, she said, “I wait for the people to be OK before I keep going” — seemingly shading Travis Scott for continuing to perform at his Astroworld concert where ten people died during his set. I’m still not clear why West felt the need to insert himself into this situation, but Eilish is obviously 100% in the right anyway. People literally died at Astroworld. (Kanye, “there’s people that are dying.”) West is also showing that he has a pattern of publicly attacking young women, but that’s a discussion for another day.

My favorite Kanye West moment from the past month was when he posted on Instagram an edited poster from Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War, but he changed it to be the “Kanye West Civil War.” Team Kanye features Drake, Julia Fox, Travis Scott, and Future, while Team Pete features Kim Kardashian, Kid Cudi, Billie Eilish, and Taylor Swift. You can’t make this stuff up.

Credit: @kanyewest (Instagram)

Figure Skating Fiasco

China held the 24th Winter Olympics in Beijing this month, and there were many highs and lows. Some of my favorite performances were Nathan Chen in figure skating, Chloe Kim in snowboarding, Erin Jackson in speed skating, and Elana Meyers-Taylor in bobsled. Norway won 37 medals, including a record-breaking 16 gold medals. The United States won 25 medals: eight gold, ten silver, and seven bronze.

Unfortunately, another Russian doping scandal clouded the Games. This time, 15-year-old figure skating phenom Kamila Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, a drug that enhances blood flow. This is clearly a multifaceted issue and there are still so many unanswered questions, including to what extent Valieva’s coach, Eteri Tutberidze, was involved. The way I see it, multiple things can be true at once: you can feel terribly that a 15-year-old girl had her dreams shattered; you can be furious that a coach, caretaker, parent, government, or organization (whoever gave her the drug) did this to a young girl; and you can be disappointed that the International Olympic Committee permitted an athlete to compete in the Games despite testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

A lot of the confusion on the IOC’s part came from rules that are in place to protect minors (under 16). Going forward, the IOC might need to reassess its policies to ensure they are achieving the important interest of protecting children, while also making sure all athletes are competing cleanly, on an even playing field. Perhaps one solution would be to raise the age limit for participants, but this also would complicate things. Every solution should be on the table for now.

As for who deserves “blame” for this incident, I think we should distinguish between blame and accountability. If it turns out that coach Tutberidze is responsible for giving Valieva the drug, as many people predict, then she should receive a lifetime ban from the sport and the Olympics. She practically poisoned a girl. If Russian team coordinators were involved or knew about it, too, then the IOC should consider heavier punishments or suspensions for Russia, as a whole, or at least for Russian figure skating. (The Russian team is technically suspended now, but athletes from Russia can still compete as part of the “Russian Olympic Committee.”)

As for Valieva, even though she is very young, it would be hard to imagine that an elite athlete of her caliber was not aware that she is not allowed to take performance-enhancing drugs. However, it’s also possible that her coach or team lied to her about the medications she was taking. We really need to know more information. But, at the end of the day, the athlete is the one who is competing, and all athletes must compete cleanly. If Valieva is old enough to win a gold medal, then she’s also old enough to be held to account like every competitor. That being said, because of her age, I think the only “punishment” she should’ve received was being prohibited from competing in this Olympic competition (the positive test occurred at the Russian national championships where she qualified for the Olympics). She should be allowed to compete, moving forward, as long as she tests negative for performance-enhancing drugs. Regardless, it’s still a terrible situation. It must’ve been such a difficult time for Valieva. I hope she is able to get the guidance and help she needs to bounce back from this.

Valieva’s case brings to mind another recent Olympics/positive drug test incident. You may remember, last summer, American sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson was suspended from competition after she tested positive for marijuana. This nullified her victory at the U.S. Team trials, and she didn’t get to compete in the Olympics. Obviously, there are differences in the two cases (age, country, drug, timing, etc.), but the optics are pretty terrible when a Black athlete is suspended for testing positive for a drug that doesn’t enhance athletic performance, while a white athlete is permitted to compete despite testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. Some people might refer to this as institutional racism. Richardson called out the hypocrisy herself. "Can we get a solid answer on the difference of (Valieva's) situation and mine[]…The only difference I see is I'm a black young lady,” she tweeted. Retweet.

Oscar Noms & Snubs

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominees for the forthcoming Oscars. The nominations were, for the most part, good. First-time nominees include Kristen Stewart for Spencer, Kirsten Dunst for The Power of the Dog, and Ariana DeBose for West Side Story. Beyoncé and Billie Eilish also received their first nominations — both coming in the Best Original Song category for their numbers in King Richard and No Time to Die, respectively. (Beyoncé for EGOT!!!) Other notable nominees include Andrew Garfield for Tick, Tick... Boom!, Penélope Cruz for Parallel Mothers, and Benedict Cumberbatch for The Power of the Dog.

The most shocking nominee, in my opinion, was Don’t Look Up receiving a nomination for Best Picture. It was fine… but Best Picture? Absolutely not. I was also shocked that the Academy snubbed Lady Gaga in the Best Actress category. I was sure she’d receive a nomination for her performance in House of Gucci. Sure, the movie was a mess (and waaaayyy too long), but I thought Gaga delivered, and she deserved a nomination for her performance.

This year’s ceremony will have a host for the first time in four years. In fact, it will have three hosts: Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer, and Regina Hall. This should be interesting. We love Regina Hall. Let’s see how this goes.

The Academy is also receiving backlash after it was announced that a bunch of categories would not be announced during the broadcast this year. The categories include documentary (short subject), film editing, makeup and hairstyling, music (original score), production design, short film (animated), short film (live action), and sound. This is so disrespectful to the many people who work behind the scenes to create these productions. I’ve always appreciated that this ceremony gave all of its awards during the broadcast, even if it meant it would be a little longer than others. I hope the Academy will reassess this decision.

IN:

• Mary J. Blige

• U.S. women’s national soccer team

• Joe Burrow

• Ethan from Euphoria

• Bing Dwen Dwen

• Pinocchio’s voice

OUT:

• Vladimir Putin

• AnnaLynne McCord

• Wordle

• Tory Lanez

• Bitcoin

• The NFL

What’s your take?

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