Lil Bites

Because of the aforementioned warm show mention, I'm re-upping this incredible piece by Emma Fraser about the power of Keeley and Rebecca's friendship in Ted Lasso. I edited it at the time, but I didn't get it. The incomparable Britt Sandler flexed her writing muscles and broke down how Scooby Doo and the Ghoul School was a perfect introduction to the Universal monsters. BJ Colangelo explained why The Mitchells vs. the Machines is groundbreaking queer representation in an animated feature film. And last but certainly never least, Lindsey Traves explored Shrill and the punk rock activism of eating a meal.

ICYMI...

• Dave Bautista is joining Knives Out 2.
• The eleventieth round of Black Widow character posters are out, and they're neat!
• NBC broke up with the Golden Globes because the HFPA is broken and they're not interested in fixing it.
• Florence and the Machine did an original song for Disney's Cruella.
• Venom: Let there be Carnage got a new trailer.

The Good News Is,

• Tanitoluwa Adewumi is now an official Chess National Master.
• Look at all these rescued turtles!
• EAK raised over $1m to teach girls how to code.
• This high schooler donated his college savings after landing a prestigious scholarship.

Get Loud

We're taking on a controversial one this week. We're talking about gun control. It's an ever-present issue in our society, but the NRA continued their trend of being monumentally stupid over the weekend. So, they're on the forefront of my mind.

This one's extra complicated for a myriad of reasons, but at the very top is how much money the NRA funnels into our political parties. (Yes, dems take blood money, too. It's wildly skewed toward Republicans, but let's not pretend we're perfect.)

The Baby Step

The baby step on this one is super, super easy: make it clear to your reps that you won't be voting for them anymore due to NRA donations. The states where the NRA is most entrenched will be where gerrymandering runs rampant, so following through on this could be easier said than done for marginalized groups whose voting options keep disappearing, but vocalizing the sentiment on social media can still be a powerful tool if enough people do so.

I Want to do More

Here's where things get trickier, especially for the aforementioned groups in districts that have been gerrymandered to hell.

• Vote. Vote, vote, vote, vote, vote. It can be frustrating to hear it be repeated so many times, but this is literally the most powerful tool we have. It's also the answer to so many of our problems. Including gerrymandering. The ladder is a longer and more complicated conversation for another issue, but we have the most power at the polls on gun related issues.
• Get involved with Everytown For Gun Safety. They're the largest gun control org in the nation, and their victories so far speak for themselves. It can be hard to know what to do on an issue that feels as hopeless as gun control. These guys are the pros, and they'll happily guide any and all new advocates.

Whatcha Watchin?

Oh man I have so many very good answers to this question this week! Replacing my iPad meant a free year of Apple TV+, which means I have finally watched The Office and The Guild's baby, (Mythic Quest), and started the nice man coach show (Ted Lasso). Mythic Quest very much took some time. I didn't like the first season at all. But "Quarantine" and "Everlight" — the series' two special episodes that aired between S1 and S2 — turned everything around. I truly wish I had seen them first, as humanizing Ian and the show's rougher characters made all the difference in the world. As for Ted Lasso, ugh. What a little dream of a show. I know all of you told me but sometimes it takes me a minute. Also? I absolutely refuse to pay for another streaming service, lol.

Also? Yesterday was Twister's 25th anniversary. Twister is pretty close to a perfect film. Do something nice for yourself. Go watch Twister.

This Week's Newsletter is Sponsored By...

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