Favorite First Watch of 2021 (Not a New Release)

Definitely The Blob (1988). I'm in the minority who prefers the original to the remake, but there's a lot to love in this gorier version. It's one of those films that leaves me in two minds because on the one hand, it scraps a lot of what I think makes the original special (the town coming together, the silliness of it all), but on the other it's a practical effects lover's dream. Plus, the kids are played by folks in their late twenties instead of their late thirties. (Love u, Steve.)

Why Is Donato So Easy To Dunk On?

Most of these will remain anonymous, but this one's sponsored by one Dave Lawson. The answer, dearest David, is because Matt Donato is secretly a very good dude who plays up his bro-ness in public because it makes him more comfortable. He's also a complete and utter pain in the ass because he thinks it's funny, so, like... he earns it.

What Goes Into Creating TPW Weekly?

I'm glad this question got asked, because sharing it will make me feel like less of a jerk for taking 2-3 weeks "off." Here's what it looks like!

• I do my best to compile editorials from all the folks smarter than me throughout the week (Wednesday-Monday evening) so I don't have to scroll back in Twitter feeds or try to remember whose story I saw. The "curation" here is that I follow a lot of smart people who in turn follow a lot of other smart people and usually it results in great content being shared back to y'all. It means that this section fluctuates, but I never share something I didn't absolutely love reading.
• The ICYMI section is pretty straight forward, and usually just stories from the Monday leading into the newsletter for the week. I go around to sites I dig and try to backlink to them as much as possible.
• Good News got introduced because it feels like everything sucks all the time and it feels important to discuss what's good out there while also breaking down what needs to be fixed. I scour about 7 separate sites for the stories I share.
• Get Loud is typically a "little" thing that has big impact. Something that's important but not a lot of folks are talking about, y'know? For example, I talk about Biden a lot in this section. He was the better option by a mile, but he's also short of the "best" option by another. Party loyalty is so destructive to the country, and we have to be better about holding our own accountable.
• Getting involved in politics can be scary! I add "the Baby Step" every week because I want everyone to feel like getting involved is accessible. This shit is overwhelming, but you don't have to tackle it all at once. Just takes that first step.
• I Want To Do More is exactly what it says on the tin. TPW's subscribers are a good mix of active activists and folks just looking for the right place to get involved, so I wanted something for everyone. "Get Loud", "Baby Step" and "I Want To Do More" sometimes revolve around the same theme — particularly when it's a current event — but sometimes it's a smattering of different things going on across the country.
• The charities and actions I list are sometimes things I already know and can pass on easily. Other times, it involves a lot of research on my part to ensure charities are legit, the actions are actually helpful, and the crux of the problem isn't something we're perpetuating by getting involved in the wrong way.
• Whatcha Watchin is usually the easiest part (though some weeks I've watched the same stuff I've already recommended 5 times so I gotta dig a little deeper.)

And that's it! Mostly! I think?

When Can I Come Visit You?

A friend sent this one in because she's a goon. That friend can visit my anytime she wants, but she's gonna be in a sea of boxes if she does it before October.

1-10, How Good of a Good Boy is Rogers?

20/10. I have the best dog. Look at him.

What Are Your Top 5 Musical Numbers?

This is an excellent question and the person who sent it should be proud. In no particular order:

• Though I do not care for the story of Wicked the Musical (the book is so good. Please read it) the music is incredible. I don't care that saying "Defying Gravity" makes me a basic bitch. You listen to that song and tell me you don't feel like you can take on a super soldier.
• "World Burn," Mean Girls the Musical. The whole play is great.
• "Guns and Ships," Hamilton. Specifically Daveed Diggs' rap. I've listened to it a million times but I break into full body goosebumps every time I watch it on screen. Dude is insane.
• "Once and for All," Newsies. Newsies is a perfect musical and the whole soundtrack will make you feel like you can take over the world.
• "There Can Be Miracles," The Prince of Egypt. I might be a witch and Christians might be the literal cause of the end of the world but this movie SLAPS.

I want to keep going so I have to run away from this prompt immediately!

Send In Your Questions!

Hit me up with your questions for next week! Just hit the thumbs up. (Or DM me on the social platform of your choosing! Unless it's TikTok or the conference call one. Sometimes the dog just doesn't want to learn new tricks.)

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