Summer is officially here! Apologies for the no-call, no-show last week, we had some personal things going on. But, patience is a virtue since this week we get to discuss BIG Lorde news! We finally have all the answers we have been waiting for. This week Daysia writes her takeaways from Britney’s statement against her conservatorship while Hannah writes about her love-hate relationship with The Bold Type.

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Daysia and Hannah

This Week's Fixations

Daysia: “I’ve been in denial. I’ve been in shock. I am traumatized.”

By now I’m sure you’ve heard Britney Spears’ testimony against her conservatorship. If not, you can listen to it here or read the annotated transcript. Some of the most appalling revelations include that she was medicated against her will for incidents that her management team (allegedly) made up, her team forced her to work—every day, no break—even when she was sick, and her conservators have forbidden her to have more children—forcing her to keep an IUD in side of her—or get married.

#FreeBritney has aimed a spotlight, not only toward the horrific, hush-hush abuse that Spears has experienced the past 13 years, but on the ableist, imbalanced nature of many conservatorships. In many ways, #FreeBritney is a disability rights issue and an entry point for learning about abusive conservatorships imposed on disabled people. Here are some of the best analyses about it:

Laurel Wamsley on how, theoretically, conservatorships are supposed to work. Joyce Vance on how Britney got here—in short, Spears is one in a long line of women deemed mentally incompetent by the court system and forced under paternal control. Sara Luterman on the largely unchecked power of conservators and the relative ease of imposing a conservatorship on individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities as well as severe mental illnesses. Emma Ockerman on the intersection of #FreeBritney and the disability rights movement. Emily Shugerman on the legality of Spears’ forced IUD and other conservatees’ forced sterilization.

Hannah: Okay so I’m going to do my best to talk about this season of The Bold Type (which is also the last season) without any spoilers. I also want to say that I would watch at least two more seasons of The Bold Type and I’m sad that this last season is only going to have six episodes. I’m hopeful that all the characters get a happy ending they deserve. If things continue to trend the way they have been for the rest of the season then I think they will (all I will say are some people that needed to be dumped, got dumped!). This show is great in that it presents a completely unrealistic/somewhat outdated version of journalism which is fun to laugh at. Plus, it has the best outerwear on television I think (I swear it is always fall/winter in this show just so there can be Great Coats).

The show also does a decent job of addressing issues in a way that is (usually) quite intelligent and not just in a way to appease an audience that is “woke” (that is to say people who care about other people being treated fairly and not exploited). I’m not sure if it’s because the season is more compact but the most recent episodes packed in so many issues (potential substance abuse, workers’ rights, being a good boss, working for a corporation on your own terms—just to name a few) I was a little dizzy. It can sometimes feel a little after-school-specialy but I appreciate these topics being discussed on network TV and treated with care (even if they are somewhat idealistic, if only it was so easy to tell your boss that your salary deserves to be higher and they seemingly fix it with one phone call!).

However, and I’m trying really hard not to do any spoilers but there are some career trajectories being mapped that are absolutely absurd, I simply have to laugh but then that’s the magic of The Bold Type.

Has Lorde Dropped a New Album?

NO BUT IT IS ALMOST HERE!!!

On the summer solstice (we see what you’re doing there, Ella), she announced that the full album is dropping on August 20 (a mere 56 days away!!). She also released the tracklist for Solar Power and tour dates for next year! We’re intrigued by some of these song titles, “Stoned in the Nail Salon”... okay, miss ma’am!

Presale tickets came and went like a flash, so here’s hoping she adds more dates.

Lorde also said in Monday’s email that she will mostly be staying off social media so if you want to know what is going on with Ella, join her email list!

In the meantime, Doja Cat’s highly-anticipated sophomore album Planet Her is here! It is, as expected, the perfect vibe for the summer. Listen to the TikTok-teased “Ain’t Shit”, the playful, sultry Ariana-supported track “I Don’t Do Drugs,” and watch the dreamy video for “You Right,” which features The Weeknd.

Too Many Tabs

Willa Bennett profiled the embattled Joshua Bassett in GQ, talking queerness, masculinity, and of course, those “drivers license” rumors.

Jenna Wortham profiled Zola director Janicza Bravo for The New York Times Magazine about how she adapted the iconic Twitter thread into a feature film.

Hunter Harris goes behind-the-scenes of the new Gossip Girl reboot for Vulture.

The beloved and short-lived Nickelodeon sitcom Taina debuted 20 years ago, for the LA Times Suzy Exposito spoke with Taina herself, actress Christina Vidal, about the show, her music career, and the industry’s relationship with Latinx culture.

Plus…Jack Antonoff is everywhere, Ziwe is developing a comedy about scammers, MARINA dissects her unconventional pop career, T-Pain was depressed because of Usher, how British YouTubers fell off, The Bachelor’s Rachel Lindsay speaks, the most memorable moments from 14 years of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and an interview with Rebecca Black about her new album (and, of course, her reflecting on “Friday” 10 years later).