Where to start this week? From nepotism discourse to false alarms about the Queen of England to the breakout of war in Ukraine (and subsequent tasteless celebrity posts about it), it has been A Lot. We hope you have a moment of rest this weekend and that this newsletter serves as a fun break from it all.

Happy reading, 

<3 

Daysia and Hannah

This Week's Fixations

Daysia: Nepotism discourse is always annoying because no one ever has anything new to say. Last week’s Euphoria episode had people talking about Maude Apatow (aka Lexi on the show), and as a result, some folks finally made the connection that she’s Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann’s daughter. I mean, with a name like Apatow, she’s not really hiding her famous lineage (although apparently some people really think Judd Apatow is INDIE???). Twitter was ablaze with the same old debate (but at least we got the latest meme format out of it).

Nepotism gives famous offspring a clear advantage and a foot in the door. However, it’s up to them to make a name for themselves beyond their relatives—to make themselves undeniable. People can have access, but they don’t always have the talent to take themselves to the next level.

I’ve made a couple charts to illustrate the types of nepotism babies in contemporary Hollywood. I think nepo babies' success can generally be measured by talent and recognition. THIS IS BY NO MEANS COMPLETE AND IT'S JUST MY OPINION. After a while, I got tired of looking up nepo babies. Anyways:

Hannah: Okay, so if you are looking for some low-stakes and decently entertaining movies to watch I would recommend Uncharted and Marry Me. I was pleasantly surprised by both because I felt like I didn’t need to even watch them after watching the trailers. 

In Uncharted, Tom Holland essentially does parkour in cities around the world while lightly roasting Mark Wahlberg’s character (there’s also a great preparation/training montage where he’s shirtless!). 

I only watched the last 25 minutes of Marry Me (don’t ask) but have no notes! We are blessed to live in the same timeline as J. Lo who is essentially playing herself in this movie—like I don’t even think they needed any wardrobe because everything that her character wears looks like stuff that was already in her closet. Owen Wilson feels extremely Owen Wilson. I don’t know if I entirely believe the chemistry between Lopez and Wilson but they’re so different (both in the movie and in real life) that it might just add up. Not since Mean Girls has a mathalon played such a pivotal role in a film’s plot. The songs were also extremely catchy! Maluma was everything. Maybe I will try to watch it from the beginning at some point.

Has Lorde Dropped a New Album?

Niall Horan and Olivia Rodrigo, Lorde stans:

ICYMI: Chappell Roan's "Naked in Manhattan" is a luxurious pop banger.

Too Many Tabs

Did Hollywood Unlocked confuse the death of the Queens of the Stone Age's Mark Lanegan as the death of Queen Elizabeth? Buzzfeed News' Brianna Sacks and Ade Onibada investigate.

Janelle James spoke to Variety's Selome Hailu about playing the endearing-yet-selfish Principal Ava Coleman on Abbott Elementary.

For Teen Vogue, writer Sade Green spoke to Sha'Carri Richardson about being THAT girl, Black womanhood, misogynoiristic standards in sports, and greatness on and off the track.

The internet's white boy of the moment, Angus Cloud, speaks with Peyton Dix about Euphoria fame, love, NYFW, and cow's milk for InStyle.

Plus... movies post-Rust, The Wendy Williams show is ending, Britney memoir imminent?, RIP Arthur!, imagining Jeremy Strong as Stuart Little, Camila stans in full force, Sean Penn is reportedly on the ground in Ukraine, the impact of “Call Me Maybe,” and crafting Snowfall's '80s aesthetic.