This week marks Pop Cult's 50th issue! Thank you to everyone who has subscribed and reads it every week, we love sharing our takes, reviews and rounding up the best/weird/interesting pop culture-related journalism for you. ❤️

In this issue, Daysia discusses her shock about a celebrity break-up that neither of us s(h)aw(n) camilla-ing—sorry, coming—and reminisces on some of their most deranged moments. Meanwhile, Hannah is talking about Taylor Lautner's engagement.

Happy reading!

<3

Daysia and Hannah

This Week's Fixations

Daysia: I gasped when I saw the Shawmila breakup news. Not because I stanned, but because I was shocked. Perhaps it’s not that surprising considering all of the chattering about Shawn’s sexuality—rumors I’ve never been a fan of, I don’t feel like celebs should feel pressured to come out—but I always thought they’d commit to the bit forever. I wonder if the latest gossip around “It’s giving Cher” was the nail in the coffin. I guess we’ll never know!

So RIP to one of the most unhinged couples of the past few years. While I’ve never been a fan of either pop star (it’s a running joke within Pop Cult that Shawn Mendes is boring and Camila Cabello is simply... racist), they’ve undeniably provided us with some of the weirdest entertainment over the course of the pandemic. If Benana (also RIP) was the couple we loved to love, Shawmila was the couple we loved to hate. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and remember the most deranged moments of this couple’s relationship

1) Valentine’s Day foot kiss: I remember seeing this and screaming. But we must admire the dedication this couple had to trolling the public. Absolutely sick!

2) Tongue kissing on Instagram Live: I just looked this up to see if I remembered this correctly or if I dreamt it up. It is real. Full body cringe-inducing.

3) Quarantine “zombie” walks: Not gonna lie, this one is relatable. Who among us didn’t feel like… whatever this is? Speaking with SiriusXM, Mendes said the intention was, “Let's just walk slow and kind of just meditate and be chill.” And admitted they look like “zombies” but said they weren’t doing drugs—they were just overwhelmed with life. Valid!

4) “It’s giving Cher”: Possibly the best meme to come out of this relationship. Thank you for the gift, Shawmila.

Hannah: I could not believe it when I learned that Taylor Lautner was 1) engaged, 2) had a longtime girlfriend, 3) that his girlfriend's name is Taylor!! I screamed!

It's kind of crazy that this is the second Taylor that Taylor Lautner has dated. The article we linked in TMT Plus is from Page Six and has all the details but one of the most baffling things to me was the neon sign that said "Lautner" in the background of where Taylor (Lautner) proposed to Taylor (Dome).

Is this sign a permanent fixture in the Lautner-Dome household?? I have many questions but my main one was who is Taylor Dome?

Here's what my investigation yielded:

• Taylor Dome is a registered nurse and YouTuber (her channel has a little over 9,000 subscribers)

• According to her Instagram bio, she is a "self care & mental health advocate"

• Her and Taylor (Lautner) also have two dogs, Remi and Lily, that also have their own Instagram account 

• According to this Life & Style article, she is also apparently close with Lautner's sister, Makena Moore (who was the one who introduced Taylor to Taylor)

Best wishes to the happy couple and hopefully things don't get too confusing for them!

Has Lorde Dropped a New Album?

It appears Lorde took Pure Heroine (Extended Edition) off of streaming and added The Love Club EP. "Swingin Party" and "No Better" were briefly unavailable to stream, but they appear to be back. Thank goodness!

Oh, and she was serving looks this week by wearing her hair as a scarf.

ICYMI: Adele's 30 is out now. Time to cry!

Too Many Tabs

New York Times contributor Lindsay Zoladz analyzed how Taylor Swift's "All Too Well (10-Minute Version)" attempts to correct an old power imbalance and resonates with so many women who've experienced similar toxic experiences that their exes have tried to erase.

Insider's Lindsay Dodgson took a look at how Brendan Fraser became a TikTok obsession.

Writer Mychal Denzel Smith partied with Dennis Rodman and discussed the man underneath the theatrics for GQ.

And a little ✨self-promo✨ here: Daysia spoke with one of her favorite podcasts, Celebrity Memoir Book Club, about the anatomy of a famous autobiography.

Plus... Britney on Oprah?, martinis with Gerri, KStew is the most interesting actor of her generation, who is Sam Asghari?, OK fine—Taika and Rita are very cute, I now pronounce you Taylor and Taylor Lautner, and all aboard the Goop cruise.