🎶 He was a diplomat’s son!! 🎶
Paul Atreides I’m free on Friday night.
In this week’s handle with care, my highly-anticipated thoughts on “Dune,” and my October favorites.
I watched “Dune” last weekend, and I already know Timothée Chalamet is disappointed in me for streaming it on HBO Max. I went into it not really knowing what it would be about (yes the book has been in my home for nearly a year, no it has not been opened yet), and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it! The last time I watched and liked any sci-fi movie was probably during the “Hunger Games”/”Divergent”/”Maze Runner” era. I really appreciated the casting in this film, and Hans Zimmer’s score was the perfect companion to it. I also liked the way “Dune” sets up its sequel, which was officially green-lit this week and will be released Oct. 20, 2023.
Now for the mental notes I made while watching the movie: I don’t know why I had the feminine urge to giggle whenever Timothée Chalamet is on screen. Those dragonfly aircrafts were so cute. Are the “Dune” sandworms inspired by the Alaskan Bull Worm from SpongeBob? The Alaskan Bull Worm famously also traverses sand, looks like a butthole, and eats everything in its path. Does the existence of Duncan Idaho imply the longstanding cultural impact of Hannah Montana? Even in the year 10191? Zendaya is only in “Dune” for seven minutes, and I naturally wanted more. If you’re going to have Oscar Isaac do a nude scene, personally, I’m gonna need more commitment. The dystopian outfits are functional, which I like, but do they come in more colors? I want a sage green Stillsuit to prepare for the end of the world.
Pixar’s Oscar bait
The teaser trailer for “Lightyear” was released this week. The film is the origin story of the human Buzz Lightyear, who inspires the toy we see in “Toy Story.” It is set to be released in June 2022. Chris Evans voices the human, and you just know he is a Disney adult by how excited he is about this movie:
“The phrase ‘a dream come true’ gets thrown around a lot, but I’ve never meant it more in my life. Anyone who knows me knows that my love for animated films runs deep. I can’t believe that I get to be a part of the Pixar family and work with these truly brilliant artists who tell stories unlike anyone else. Watching them work is nothing short of magic. I pinch myself every day.”
The Jonas Brothers continue to do things
The trio announced a comedy special for Netflix titled “Jonas Brothers Family Roast,” and it’ll come out right before Thanksgiving. Kenan Thompson will host the affair, which will also feature Pete Davidson, John Legend, and my favorite person, Niall Horan. If this doesn’t end up with them breaking up again, it will be a success!
What is Blondie up to?
Taylor Swift is going to release “Red (Taylor’s Version)” in a few weeks, so whatever she’s doing in New York could have something to with that. I can’t help but think whatever it is could be a distraction because lately, everything she does is kept under wraps so well. She is why I have trust issues.
In other news, Rolling Stone updated it’s Taylor Swift song ranking article to include “evermore” and her vault songs. I am pleased as punch to report that my favorite Taylor Swift song, “Clean,” is number 18! See, when the pop girls work with Imogen Heap, it is a huge cultural moment. It’s no coincidence that “goodnight n go” is one of my favorite Ariana Grande songs.
This week in The Bachelorverse
Neil Lane gets their ring back
Former Bachelorette Katie Thurston and Blake Moynes have called off their engagement this past Monday after less than six months together. In a statement, they said they are “not compatible as life partners.” The end of this relationship means that there are now only five successful couples that came from “The Bachelorette.” According to Us Weekly, Katie “won’t give up on love,” so I guess we’ll see her on “Paradise” next year!
“The Bachelorette” Week 2 Recap
This week brought us a school-themed group date, a one-on-one date, and a basketball group date. Michelle is a teacher and a former D1 basketball player, and this show really overemphasizes any lead’s personality traits.
Kaitlyn brings the first group date card to the men, and the following are invited to the date: Brandon J., Casey, Daniel, LT, Olumide, Peter, PJ, Rick, Romeo, and Will. They meet with Michelle, who introduces them to her friends, Mia, Riley, and Kennedy, who are children. The men were tested on their math and spelling skills, ability to follow directions with a chemistry experiment, and... musical chairs? And is it a group date without someone trying to get the lead’s attention the whole time? Peter (the pizzapreneur) was that person today, and Miss Mia? She put him in his place after he tried to call Michelle over during the chemistry experiment.
When the men are asked to spell “narcissist,” Will writes Peter’s name on his whiteboard, which leads to drama later that evening at the group’s cocktail party. While Michelle is talking to the other men, Will and Peter step aside to hash things out with an absurd amount of gesticulation. (The part that got me was when Will asked him, “What else do you have to offer besides a slice, bro?”) Michelle gives the group date rose to Brandon J., who had a cringey chat with her earlier that ended with a kiss.
At the hotel, the rest of the men receive the first one-on-one date card. The date goes to Jamie, and the next morning, they both go to Joshua Tree to climb a giant rock and have a picnic on top. I laughed because I had just watched the episode of “Seinfeld” where George and Kramer go rock climbing. I wonder if Jamie and Michelle had sandwiches. At the nighttime portion of the date, Jamie shares that his mother had a difficult time with her mental health and passed away when he was 24. I always feel icky when this show has contestants talk about very traumatic events from their past. Michelle gets emotional as Jamie talks about his mom, and ultimately gives him the rose.
For the last group date of the episode, Michelle gets some help from WNBA players Dearica Hamby and Diamond DeShields. The men on this date are: Chris G., Chris S., Clayton, Joe, Martin, Mollique, Nayte, Pardeep, Rodney, and Spencer. They do some drills before splitting up into two teams to compete for more time with Michelle. Joe is noticeably the best basketball player amongst the men, but his team loses by one point. Michelle invites him to the cocktail party anyway by awarding him as MVP, because rules are meaningless now! The rest of his team go back to the hotel, defeated. Joe also gets the group date rose from Michelle, and the winning team is also defeated.
It’s rose ceremony night, and at the cocktail party some of the men are starting to get suspicious of Joe and Michelle’s relationship. Jamie—who already has a rose—tells Martin that a friend told him he saw Michelle leaving a bar in Minneapolis with a “tall, light-skinned baller.” Hm. Jamie then talks to Michelle and says that everyone thinks she and Joe know each other from before the show, but that he doesn’t care. He also says her authenticity is being questioned by them because of the rumor he started. Michelle goes to collect her thoughts and talk things out with Tayshia before addressing the men. She clears the air regarding Joe, saying that they met for the first time on night one. She also dispels the rumor about her leaving the bar, saying that if she’s out with a Black man it doesn’t mean that they’re dating, and reiterates that she’s open to everyone.
Michelle asks the men if they have any questions, and nobody does because none of them know what she’s referring to. All of a sudden I am having déjà vu from Katie’s season… and Aaron is gone when we need him most! She doesn’t think it’s a good sign that no one asked her anything, and she leaves the room. The men immediately want to know why she thinks she’s being questioned. Jamie doesn’t fess up, and Kaitlyn and Tayshia come in to announce that the cocktail party is canceled and Michelle is ready to skip ahead to the rose ceremony. The house says goodbye to Alec, Daniel, Pardeep, and PJ.
My October favorites
When I was conceptualizing handle with care, I knew I wanted to talk about some of my favorite things. I often get questions about where I shop and what products I use, so I’m going to pretend I’m a beauty vlogger in the early 2010s and share a few at the end of every month!
I’ve slowly been revamping my wardrobe over the past year, and knew I needed some new, quality pairs of jeans. I impulsively bought a pair of Hello Kitty Levi’s last year because there was one pair left and they were my size, including the short inseam. When I got them in the mail and tried them on, they fit me like a damn glove! I wasn’t leaving home at the time, so I waited until this spring to buy my everyday jeans: the Ribcage Straight Ankle Jeans. They’re the same fit as my first pair, and I bought them in a light wash (Tango Gossip). These jeans are perfect for petites; I’m 5’2” and I got them in the 27-inch inseam. They have a button fly, which is annoying when I need to use the restroom, but they are very flattering and they get comfier with each wear.
I think I’m slowly becoming a shoe person. I recently got a pair of platform burgundy Mary Janes from Circus NY. They’re so comfortable, which is why I opted for these instead of Dr. Martens… I simply do not have the patience to break those in! These will be on my feet for the rest of fall and winter. I even bought turn cuff socks to go with them so I can feel like Elaine Benes, who might subconsciously be my style icon.
My beloved Becca First Light Priming Filter has sadly been discontinued due to Becca Cosmetics closing in September. I ran out of my last bottle this month, and they were selling it at Revolve, but it recently sold out. (I just bought the Rare Beauty Illuminating Primer to replace it, so we’ll see how I like it.) The Becca primer was lavender, so it did nothing for my skin tone, but it complemented any foundation I used. And I loved the serum consistency and how glowy it made my skin look. I will miss her sooooooo much!
Happy Halloween! I am not dressing up this year, but I do have a fun pop culture costume idea that I’m saving for the year I actually have plans. As always, thank you for reading! If you ever have any questions, you know where to find me.