I’m back hehe!! In this week’s handle with care, Gen Z is in Congress and Bachelor in Paradise power rankings.
Twitter is now officially owned by Elon Musk, and the vibe there these days is Bad!!! Conversations surrounding the blue checks, and Musk inquiring whether to charge $20 $8 for them via Twitter Blue have been met with criticism.
The monthly subscription service can be purchased by anyone, and includes a blue check. When it rolled out this week, some celebrities, politicians, news organizations, and journalists had an additional verification symbol with the word “official.” Then the second check went away after two hours for some reason, making way for impersonation accounts like the one for pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company. A fake account that was verified declared insulin was free now, and the real account had to debunk it. The result: a significant drop in Eli Lilly stock.
IMO, the only accounts that should be verified from Twitter Blue are PopCrave, PopBase, DiscussingFilm, and FilmUpdates!! The bird app staples for annoying people! But it was actually very funny that $8 could do this much damage to Big Pharma. Twitter Blue subscriptions were paused after this, but Musk says it’s probably coming back next week. In the meantime, the “official” label is back.
There is speculation online that Twitter is on its last leg, which is a shame. It’s really helped me find editors to pitch to!! Alternatives to Twitter are being paraded like Mastodon, but others are focusing on Instagram, or returning to Tumblr. I started using Tumblr again three weeks ago, and my portfolio is on there too. But I’ll stay on Twitter until it dies for sentimental reasons. I literally got Niall Horan to tweet me on Stan Twitter in 2020, I’m not fucking leaving!!!
Stans are in Congress
The midterm elections took place on Tuesday, and the first Gen Z congressperson was elected in Florida. 25-year-old Maxwell Frost, a Harry Styles, Ariana Grande, Beyoncé stan, is going to be in the House of Representatives.
Congressman-elect Frost celebrated his win by seeing The 1975 in concert, but my favorite revelation about him was his Greta Gerwig Halloween costume from this year:
Ethel Cain & I are Team Megan
ICYMI, Drake and 21 Savage released their album Her Loss last week. One of the tracks, “Circo Loco,” seemingly references Megan Thee Stallion: “This bitch lie ‘bout getting shots but she still a stallion,” and “Shorty say she graduated, she ain’t learn enough / Play your album track one, ‘kay I heard enough.” The former line references when Tory Lanez shot Megan Thee Stallion in July 2020, and insinuates that Megan is lying about it.
Recommended reading: Taylor Crumpton wrote this Harper’s Bazaar article (Women in Hip-Hop Cannot Thrive While Misogynoir Exists) in July 2020 that is still pertinent today.
Eyes: averted
Rihanna released her fourth Savage X Fenty fashion show on Amazon Prime this week, and J*hnny D*pp was featured in the show.
Bachelor in Paradise Power Rankings (Week 7)
Things have seriously changed since the last time I ranked these people, and the two episodes I missed here were so bad, literally everyone would’ve been bottom tier. Between Eliza and Kate wanting their partners to be possessive of them, and Aaron and Genevieve’s argument, I was kind of exhausted watching this. This week, Alex, Hayden, Jacob, and Justin are sent home, and Rodney and Eliza self-eliminate separately.
Brandon & Serene
They are still going strong, and I also would like to see more of them! Even though sometimes I am caught off guard by how strongly Brandon feels about Serene. I have no doubt that they’ll get engaged at the end of this.
Shanae, Florence, & the twins (Joey & Justin)
When the twins that were eliminated the first night from Gabby and Rachel’s season arrived last week, they chose Shanae and Florence for a double date. I hated that the women were basically called old for that… like, do I need to bring up Michael trying to get with Sierra at the beginning of this? Anyway… Shanae hits it off with Joey, and Florence likes Justin, and they get roses from them. I don’t think these connections will amount to anything because of how little time they have left, but they’re having fun!
Danielle & Michael
She gives him her rose, and they get another date the next day, with Wells third-wheeling. Have we all noticed that Wells doesn’t even bartend all the time? I need this show to bring back Jorge! But Danielle and Michael still like each other, and she says she sees a future with him.
Brittany & Tyler
I am so confused by the editors of this show for not even showing why Jessenia dragged Tyler away for a conversation a couple weeks ago. They started a storyline and abandoned it! It was definitely nothing though, because Brittany and Tyler are still progressing. I’m just really nosy!
Logan
He finds himself in another love triangle with Kate and Hayden, but Logan “wins” by the end… kinda. When Kate gives him her rose she says: “There’s definitely something here, but I need more. Can you give that to me?” This makes him realize that Kate probably doesn’t really like him as much as he thought.
Andrew & Jessenia
She picks him at the rose ceremony, but I think it’s weird that we barely see them together??
Johnny & Victoria
She chose Johnny at the rose ceremony, sending Alex home. Victoria and Johnny had a date last week that pretty much took Alex out of the equation, but I’m still not convinced that Victoria really changed her mind about her goals just to be with Johnny.
Aaron & Genevieve
I stand by the fact that Genevieve should’ve left the beach last week, but things between her and Aaron are good again. He tells her he loves her at the cocktail party. Aaron truly got me in the beginning when he seemed like he had matured, but now I get incel vibes from him.
Eliza, Justin, & Rodney
Long story short: Justin came back for Eliza after he had been eliminated and asked her on a date, Eliza wanted Rodney to tell her not to go on the date, Rodney (how dare he?) gave her free will to do what she wanted, Eliza was upset Rodney didn’t “fight for her,” but actually enjoyed the date, leaving her torn between the two. Rodney was showing Eliza how much he really likes her, but so does Justin, and Eliza is confused. She ultimately picks Rodney, and walks Justin out in full on tears. The next morning, she’s still distraught by her decision, and confesses to Rodney that she only picked him because she felt pressured to. Eliza leaves to go see Justin in Maryland, and Rodney leaves, which breaks everyone’s hearts, so he must be really likable!
Kate
My sister in Christ, you are 33 years old, and want a man with “provider energy” in the year 2022. Feminism lost! Since her date with Hayden, and finding out that he spent six figures in trying to save his dog from cancer, she’s been thinking about jumping ship from Logan. She and Logan are in the rain, and he tells her everything she wants to hear, but she’s still not sure somehow? But they kiss so maybe they’re fine? But the next day we’re back to square one, and she realizes she really likes that Hayden has money. She picks Logan at the rose ceremony, but says she needs “more” from him during her speech.
I can’t remember when I last added someone to the To-Do List, but we’re back!! This video of Tyler James Williams freestyling went viral on Twitter last week, and some Feelings were felt. Like, I’ll push people into oncoming traffic for him!
The cast of Abbott Elementary has been doing a lot of press recently for the new season, which has been so smart and fun to watch! Williams was recently featured in Bustle, where he talked about his return to sitcom acting, being single, and seeing Bad Bunny for his birthday.
I love the Tommy Hilfiger x Richard Quinn letterman jacket he’s wearing, and all the photos are so good. This man and his tiny waist… irresistible I fear.
Hi! Sorry there was no newsletter last week, I was dealing with a lot!!! Also, I’ve been writing a lot more! I wrote this about Selena Gomez’s new documentary, and this about the LA City Council racism scandal. Sending a newsletter after taking a week off is like when I would miss one day of school and feel weird when I’m back. Next week, we’ll talk about the GRAMMY nominations, which I’m actually scared for lol. Thanks so much for reading today!! 💚💕💚💕