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The Pickety Witch — A Beginning

The Pickety Witch — A Beginning

Lil Bites

Just here for a quickie roundup of great Pop Culture pieces around the web? That's cool, I get you. Pinky promise they won't all be from my website, even!

Carly Lane-Perry made her debut at The Boston Globe with this stellar piece on how Bridgerton is inspiring fans to take on creative projects big and small. Angie Hahn explored how Minari felt like coming home. Meanwhile, Zofia Wijaszka is over at Nerdist explaining why What We Do in the Shadows needs Nadja. Finally, Mary Beth McAndrews asks that you put some respect on found footage's name for Certified Forgot.

So far as things go in my corner of the web, I've got an easy-peasy explainer of WandaVision's Agatha Harkness, and reviews for Superman and Lois' premiere, Snowpiercer, Batwoman and whatever the hell else I'm watching right now.

ICYMI

The Good News Is...

When we don't celebrate the little wins, we lose the will to fight. Even on the darkest days, there's a little light out there.

Get Loud

Political accountability isn't something either party is used to. Having a democrat back in office is much better than a full-blown fascist, but we've still got to hold them accountable. I'm not here to preach at anyone! This section will simply be under-reported or represented stories that deserve our eyes and our voices.

The Baby Step

It's easy to find yourself overwhelmed when it comes to social and political action. The list of causes that need support are endless, and our world is very good at making us feel like our involvement doesn't matter. The ever-growing numbers of "slacktivists" and keyboard warriors only complicates matters further. But the thing is, the steps they're taking aren't unimportant ones. They just have to be combined with actual action.

Take online petitions, for example. Without followup actions, they largely have no affect. But, they also help organizers see what their supporter base looks like. Rosemary Clark-Parsons, associate director of the University of Pennsylvania's Center on Digital Culture and Society, explained to CNN exactly why that matters.

"Once you can see your passive allies, you can work toward encouraging them to become active allies and join the ranks of supporters who are actively fighting alongside you for the cause."

With that in mind, this week's baby step is simple: Sign the Asian American Collective's petition to Get Mainstream News Coverage Of National Elderly Asian American Assaults.

Why does it matter? Asian American violence has run rampant in America for some time, but COVID-19 and former leaders' insistence on dubbing it the "Wuhan Virus" and the "China Virus" have resulted in an uptick that has gone completely uncovered by mainstream media outlets.

I Want to Do More

My very favorite thing to hear! Here are some other important causes that need our support as we speak:

  • Donate to AOC's ActBlue fundraiser currently working to help those affected by the disaster in Texas. Power and water are restored through much of the state, but countless people still need assistance. Donations are split between these groups doing the work to keep Texans warm, fed, and housed: The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center, Food Bank of West Central Texas, Southeast Texas Food Bank, Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley, Central Texas Food Bank, South Texas Food Bank, Corazon Ministries, Houston Food Bank, Feeding Texas, Family Eldercare, North Texas Food Bank, and ECHO (Ending Community Homelessness Coalition)

Important Note: I know it's easy to feel like a share does nothing. I'm not going to whip out my fundraising resume, but I am going to tell you that shares go a long way to help out when you can't afford to donate. So does a donation of even $1 for those who are able. We're all getting our asses kicked by this pandemic. Don't let the fear of not doing enough stop you from doing anything at all.

  • Support your AAPI Peers by shopping at local Asian-owned restaurants and supermarkets. A drop in foot traffic and a continued rise of xenophobia has resulted in a loss in profits across the board. Help support your neighbors by giving them your dollars! Look for Asian-owned businesses around you, or use something as simple as this buzzfeed list.

The Book Rec

Check out Abraham Riesman's look at the complicated legacy of Stan Lee in True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee.

Also be sure to snag Steph Williams' Marvel Comics debut with Marvels Voices Legacy Volume #1 (you can also use comic shop locator to find the nearest local store!)

TV You Should Be Watching

Listen, I know I'm not saying anything groundbreaking by telling you to be sure you're checking out WandaVision, but be sure you're checking out WandaVision. Burnt out on the MCU? Think it was all silly to begin with? Well, first of all it's kind of strange that you're subscribed to my newsletter, but whatever, we take all kinds of kinds here! But I assure you that this is different from what you're used to seeing from the franchise.

Other shows on my mind lately include The Haunting series on Netflix, The Night Manager on Amazon, and I'm currently fighting off the urge to re-binge Supernatural from the beginning.

Movies To Check Out

Surely you've heard enough people gush about Minari to have given it a watch by now, but if you're sitting on the fence allow me to nudge you right toward your rental. Out this week is also the absolutely stunning The Vigil, if you're into horror. I've been thinking about the DC Animated Under the Red Hood a lot lately, too.

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