One year of handle with care
Technically it’s tomorrow but idc! 🎂
In this week’s handle with care, it’s our one year anniversary!!!!!! Plus, more Don’t Worry Darling fallout, and my first Bachelor in Paradise power rankings.
I am really proud to say that handle with care and I have been like this 🤞🏽 for one year! It’s been such a transformative year for me, and having this outlet has made all the difference. I remember planning the graphics, content ideas, and trying to think of names for this newsletter for months before officially taking the leap.
Journalism has been a difficult industry for me to break into. Not looking for pity, it’s just my experience! Initially, I thought I could do it to prove something to the people in it: that I am a capable writer with a voice that’s like talking to a friend. And editors have said the nicest things to me when they read it. The thing I’m most proud of though, is that I’ve been able to empower myself with it. I actually cried the other day thinking about this lol. It’s a really personal thing to me!
In last week’s newsletter, the very first thing on my list of “24 Things I Learned Before Turning 24,” was how comforting music is to me. I wanted to commemorate handle with care’s first year with a playlist full of songs that captured all my feelings through all of my ups and downs. That was me being Tayla Swiff and doing an Easter egg. I know myself to be reflective, a little bit petty, and longing for a future where I don’t have to be scared of how I’m perceived.
This is the Spotify playlist for now, and I’ll be adding more songs to it this year. Midnights is coming out soon after all!!! Thank you all for a great year 💕
Football game in the middle of the Rihanna concert
Rihanna is performing at next year’s Super Bowl halftime show. The singer (!!!!) confirmed the news by posting this photo on Instagram:
The last couple of times the singer has performed live was during the 60th Grammy Awards back in 2018, and her Video Vanguard performance medleys at the 2016 MTV VMAs. The anticipation is high, I can tell you that much. And she is a superstar, so it will probably be one of the most memorable shows in years.
He tried it alright…
Ned Fulmer from the comedy quartet The Try Guys, has exited the group after allegations of an extramarital affair with an employee of their production company came to light this week.
Fulmer was particularly known for constantly mentioning how much he loves his wife, Ariel, in their videos. The woman he was seen with, Alexandria Herring, works as a producer for them and has been featured in multiple videos, including Try Guys Try Bridesmaids Dresses. The two were spotted at Madison Square Garden for — get this — a Harry Styles concert. They were later seen kissing.
Fulmer posted a NOTES APP APOLOGY, and started it by saying, “Family should have always been my priority, but I lost focus and had a consensual workplace relationship.” I go insane every time I read it.
The remaining Try Guys (Keith Habersberger, Zach Kornfeld, and Eugene Lee Yang), will likely address the situation on the next episode of their podcast, which will be out on Oct. 6.
Still connecting the dots
Someone we haven’t heard from until now re: Don’t Worry Darling, is one of the stars, KiKi Layne. Her absence at Venice Film Festival was odd to me considering her name is on the poster. She posted this on her Instagram:
Her caption reads: “The best thing about Don’t Worry Darling is that I was lucky enough to meet Ari’el Stachel. They cut us from most of the movie, but we thriving in real life.” She ended the post with the hashtags, “Got my check,” “Got my man,” and “Everything happens for a reason.”
Layne’s character is the reason why Florence Pugh’s character begins realizing things, so although she is a major part of the plot, she doesn’t get much screen time. That’s a shame.
Also WTF…
Dua Lipa was spotted with current (but not for long) Daily Show host Trevor Noah in New York. Nothing could’ve prepared me for this pairing.
Bachelor in Paradise Power Rankings
Brandon
His intro package revealed he was up in the gym working on his fitness, and he went straight for Serene once he arrived. It’s like he got the memo that this show only films for one month, and he has no time to waste. He has good comedic timing (bringing a taco platter for the group watching Kira and Jill argue), and he is supportive (comforted Jill when she cried after arguing with Kira). He’s at the top this week!
Serene
Not only was Serene the first person on the beach, but she knew exactly who she wanted from the jump: Brandon, from Michelle’s season. I love when two people find out they both like each other. The season’s first power couple is getting their start.
Lace
Speaking as someone who rewatched the third season of BiP over the summer, Lace makes for great TV. She was originally on Ben Higgins’ season, which aired in 2016, so it’s been a while since we’ve seen her. When she gets out of her slump, she gives classic stupid drama in the form of faking her birthday for attention. She has a slice of birthday cake with Logan as a ploy to spend time with the only man she’s interested in at this point, but he calls her by the wrong name. So… that’s over! She ends up kissing Casey by the end of the episode.
Shanae
She seems to have turned over a new leaf in the seven months post-Clayton’s season. The 30-year-old hit it off with Jacob almost immediately, and since the men are in control of the roses right now, she is in a good position to stick around longer. She comforted Lace when she was upset, and got her out of her bed to join everyone.
Johnny
It’s always funny when someone from the most recent season of the show arrives on the beach because nobody else there knows who they are. This show films in June, and Gabby and Rachel’s season didn’t start airing until July. This is definitely an advantage for him and Logan because whoever they end up with hasn’t seen him refer to Gabby — a couple weeks from a possible engagement — as “the dopest girl” he’s ever “hung with.” I don’t think this man is looking for anything serious, but for the moment, he’s hanging out with Hunter.
Andrew
He was third to arrive on the beach, and he also knew exactly who to go for. He grabs Teddi to talk, and shows her the smiley face he drew on his big toenail. Okay! He receives the first date card of the season and asks Teddi. Oh, but the date… he was nervous.
Teddi
She had to see Andrew’s unsightly foot on day one, and then go on a date with him. She did her best to move the conversations forward amidst Andrew’s nerves, but we’ll see how their connection goes from here.
Justin
Ranked lower for thinking “Mexican” is a language, but ranked higher for the new beard. He gets to know Genevieve for the moment, and seems comfortable with her.
Genevieve
She owns over 200 swimsuits, and I was immediately reminded of the early 2010s beauty and lifestyle YouTubers that made swimsuit collection videos. She’s already afraid of what Shanae will do to sabotage her connections. Her lukewarm conversation with Justin about narwhals led her to believe he wasn’t interested, but she was proven otherwise later that night when Justin kissed her.
Jacob
The 27-year-old showed up in a nude thong and covered himself with a leaf. I was not the target audience for his Tarzan schtick, but he was brave for it. The moment he lost his leaf while swimming in the ocean was when the bit needed to be over. He immediately paired off with Shanae.
Logan
He participates in Lace’s fake birthday festivities, but flubs it when he calls her “Luce.” I don’t think he ever knew her name because when he sang “Happy Birthday” to her, he asked how old she was and snuck that into the song instead of her name. After Lace’s breakdown, he doesn’t seem to have another option. I think he also got scared because of their age difference (he’s 26, and she’s 32), but Lace is only two years older than Gabby was when they dated.
Hunter
I remember her somewhat from Clayton’s season, but I didn’t remember her IBS ordeal. She must have some Virgo in her birth chart. She bonded with Johnny and told him she got her first colonoscopy when she was 16.
Brittany
The editors of the show said, “Oh, pretty girl, let’s ignore her for the first episode.”
Jill
I loved Jill on Clayton’s season, and was very happy to see her on the beach! But I hated to see her involved in drama. I think she was right to leave the situation when Kira came around, so she and Romeo could speak alone. She’s ranked higher because she urged for more communication and action from Romeo, after he said he wanted to pursue her.
Kira
She's a doctor who went to Harvard, and now she is entangled in a love triangle with Romeo and Jill. Kira takes Romeo choosing Jill well in front of him, but later she confronts Jill in front of everyone, alleging that Jill was “slut-shaming” her. Kira bounced back from her momentary disappointment by trying to establish a connection with Casey.
Romeo
There is simply too much backstory behind the love triangle between him, Jill, and Kira, and it was not explained well. But Romeo knew he wanted to spend more time with Jill, and he didn’t waste time breaking the news to Kira.
Sierra
She has so much potential to be the it-girl of the beach, but by the end she pairs up with Michael. I think I’m a bit cynical, but I fear she fell for the single dad act Michael put on, and I really want her to see through it.
Hailey
I didn’t remember this woman at all, like, there were too many blondies on Clayton’s season. And it was very ironic of her to have this to say about Lace’s arrival: “I’m all for, like, alumni showing up at the beach and everything, but six years? Girl, come on, like, you’re done here.”
Casey
A self-described “geriatric millennial,” I fear he doesn’t stand much of a chance because he wasn’t as well-known as Michael. The 37-year-old served as rebounds for Kira and Lace in this episode, which means he kind of has options for the upcoming rose ceremony. But no one seems particularly enthused by him.
Michael
I know he has a beard now, but we need to acknowledge the fact that he is 38 and left his very young son to go on a reality show for a second time and canoodle with a 20-something in Mexico. In his intro package, he says his son said, “Everybody needs somebody.” Be serious! The boy did not say that. Michael also had some very questionable energy while on the beach, calling the new environment “youthful,” and Sierra (26) an “old soul.” NO!
Thank you so much for reading!! I can’t believe I am the mother of a 1-year-old (newsletter), and I’m really excited to keep it going. See you next week! 💚
