Madonna is no dummy about money, dumping on Blake Lively while Joaquin Phoenix skates, media (il)literacy, Emma Thynn's interesting family, Taylor Swift's silence, and Katy Perry advice
This mailbag was written last night. And you'll note, in the answer about media literacy, I end on a note about following through on stories, even namechecking the Daily Mail. Then, today, the Daily Mail reports that Chris Martin and Dakota Johnson are over. Which is being shared online. It was mentioned at our etalk morning meeting today. But the follow through?
Her rep has come out to say they are "still happily together". Which means that they are not broken up, and yet...how many people will know about the follow through? Most people today will be walking around telling each other about the split. MEDIA LITERACY.
Media literacy would depend on the source and if I read something repeatedly in one place, but but didn't catch the fix after the topic was repeated a lot... which part is literacy and which part is oversaturation of a point of view? I'm not on TikTok, and I have not shared the viewpoint of heavy feelings about clothing being dismissed as work. Like, okay? That's dismissive of them, but not sure it matters to me. It matters to some so it's not irrelevant, but I can't be expected to follow every lead. Gossip is not a clear cut arena. It's subjective, and messy and and and AND. Unless, I am to understand that we shouldn't jump on clips was the point. Even if you go back and watch a full video of anything (i.e. Camron not answering Abby Phillips and how people with two eyes watched it in part or whole felt a myriad of ways...more like two ways??? Kinda.), it's subjective. That's why it's gossip and not a documentary. Taking a pause to think....does this sound odd and why am I reacting would serve everyone. Gossip seems more reflective of the experience of the individual. You believe TikTok? Do you also easily believe other things? Are you a group think person and didn't know it? React emotionally? Is life spiraling right now so you're not thinking clearly? SM was meant to exploit all of these things and gossip flourishes or detonates depending on the setting. It's a subjective arena...by design.
I thought Lainey’s response to the Taylor Swift question was so thoughtful and empathetic without sacrificing critical analysis. Those are not traits I find in a lot of celebrity outlets these days, which is why I keep reading LaineyGossip and subscribing to the Squawk. It’s a fine needle to thread, to offer criticism without meanness, to argue for nuance and discernment in the ways we consume and share information, and yet still make all this feel fun and enjoyable, as gossip should be.
"He must have been in so much pain and he’s so stoic, we’ve let him down. There is nothing that will ever make me feel better about this."
Oh, this hurt my heart. Lainey, I hope you guys won't beat yourselves up over this, but I empathize.
One of my cats has always been a little bit moody since he was a bottle-fed kitten. His vet says he's "spicy," and I'm sure he has bright orange CAUTION! stickers all over his file. For the first couple of years of his life, I just assumed that he was on the more aggressive side, perhaps a tad spoiled, and I'd manage it by warning well-meaning strangers not to handle him. I did a little more research a couple of years ago and spoke with the vet, and after a few more exams, it turns out that he was born with a pretty rare condition that makes his nerves super sensitive to touch. He requires doses of muscle relaxant in his food, which helps tremendously. He's so much better now, and everyone says how sweet he is, even if he'll never be fully docile. But I can't get those first few years of his life out of my head - all of those instances when he'd be purring on my lap, and then startle and start biting and hissing. He must have been so uncomfortable and confused. It makes me want to cry just typing it.
It's a common refrain of the animal lover: we mourn because we can't fully communicate with them on their terms. But we can communicate with them in our own little languages that we form with them, and keep an eye on their routines and habits, and make a path from that point. I don't know your dogs, but I have FULL confidence that they lead great lives. You wouldn't have regret if the love weren't so deep. Frankly, I wish all pets had owners who cared for them as much.
On a happier note, Happy Birthday to Queen Madge! It kind of depresses me that her music even *needs* to be introduced to a new generation, but I'm so stoked that the biopic is back in production. Perfect title, perfect casting. Here's hoping they're still looking at Julia Fox to play Debi Mazar.
Casting could be a BONANZA. Imagine all the ancillary players! Sean Penn. Warren Beatty. TUPAC.
Lainey & Jacek, my heart is with you both about Barney. I think anyone who has had a furry family member they care for has these types of stories. Mine is with my Harlow, my pittie who passed away a couple years ago. She had mast cell carcinoma but it was mostly internal so we couldn't tell. She had allergic reactions to grass and so we treated that but it turns out the histamines being released from her cancer were the actual cause. It wasn't until it showed up by way of a tumor on the outside of her body that we found out and by then it was too late. The oncologist who reviewed her test results said it was in the top 5 of worst results she had ever seen. It was heartbreaking because what if we could have figured it out sooner? She could have had treatment and not suffered for years. So all of us with furry family members empathize with you and Jacek as we all try not to blame ourselves unnecessarily. 💜💜💜🐶
When I had to put down my first cat as an adult it happened so quickly. He was fine and then he wasn’t. The vet said cats don’t show illness until they are very very sick. Which is scary but also even keeping a close eye you just may not know in time. Hugs to you and everyone who has lost a pet or is helping one heal. ❤️
Thanks, Kathleen! I'm obsessed with my cats. I've lived with humans who haven't always been fun to come home to, but I never dread hanging with my kitties. :-)
I worked in the veterinary field for a long time, and pet owner guilt is real and super powerful. I watched so many empathic and responsible people beat themselves up over mistakes they really couldn't have prevented, because as Lainey said, so many animals are really stoic by nature and hide discomfort. If I could have any superpower, it would definitely be animal communication!
See...that gave me life. I ADORE her. Been a music lover since forever and yet the Celebration tour was my first Madonna concert. I loved it! I love that she is thinking ahead and figuring out ways to bring awareness to her catalog. That speaks to me about her concern: Legacy! She now wants to be immortal.
You and I clearly already think she's immortal, but it's kind of a middle-aged blow to realize that a ton of people may have barely listened to her music. It's timeless!!! I do agree with her wanting a legacy. I can see that being incredibly important to her, since she's worked her ass off and truly was one-of-a-kind.
I am SO JEALOUS of you seeing her live! I was a bit too young for the Blonde Ambition tour back in the day, but I know some women who saw it and still rave about it. I love that she's still out there doing what she does best, which is entertain the living shit out of everyone.
The best object I own is her Sex book. Bury me with it.
I have been obsessively thinking about her and what she means to me since she announced the tour. As a young girl, I did not fully understand what she was doing but regardless loved her music, themes and theatricals. Through her music I bonded with cousins and friends. I even danced to "Like a Prayer" at a school event on 6th grade! But alas! Like you, I was too young and not on her tour path for Blonde Ambition. Fast forward 15 years and my admiration of her as a trailblazer came to focus once I got older. It all came to halting crash once she started doing whatever is that she is doing to her face. I felt sad, betrayed and angry. HOWEVER, I have come around and realized that her true essence is to do whatever the hell she wants to do, and she has been pretty consistent about it! And as for me: I don't have to like it, don't need to approve and she will do whatever her heart pleases. All becomes more poignant as she gets older, and society expects her to go away as an aging popstar.
To then find out that she was doing a retrospective of her career and coming to my city??? Couldn't pass the opportunity and what a great time! I thought it was so sweet how she involved her children in the show. I felt as connected to her as ever and felt she was sharing her loved ones with her fans.
Thank you for sharing your memories! They sound as sweet as mine.
Regarding the face tweaking, someone was discussing how it gets to the level of eye squinting (squinting because it's just so different). A plastic surgeon had advice or maybe more like an observation, which brought me to a different understanding. If you're trying to regain your exact previous look then you're never going to be satisfied and eventually all the unrealistic tweaking will eventually end up making you look ummm not your best. Accepting that you can only work with exactly what you look like, and there's no point where you will get the old you back NOR become a new beauty. The poster added to this and said that she knows that she was a moderately attractive person (she gave herself a number) so there were no goals of surpassing it...thus, less chances of her going too far and distorting reality. This made sense to me. Madonna comes from a time when she was quite attractive and getting older after also being in Hollywood following the music business has to mess with your mirror. You're not seeing a solid attractive face with good genes. You're seeing lines and imperfections. How anyone escapes that town without severe damage is beyond me. Even though I think Aniston has okay work. It's obvious it's getting to be...something. Getting to her 50s and still working and not looking more tweaked is probably a feat considering how rude Hollywood is to aging women.
Because of the economic hellscape I have been canceling all my Substack and other subscriptions. But the last week alone, with Lainey’s brilliant and thoughtful analysis of the IEWU drama (not too long, even if it took you half a day to write!), today’s Mailbag (also not too long!) Sarah’s comments on Dan Stevens’ acting and on the unnecessary awfulness of sets like Euphoria, the compassionate understanding of Taylor Swift’s position re the Vienna cancellation, not to mention the always insightful and respectful discourse in the comments section … anyway suffice it to say I have changed course and renewed my subscription because I just can’t do without this in my life 🥰
Sarah - thank you for making my day with the background on Lady Bath and her batshit FIL. I clicked that link. Idk what I was expecting that guy to look like, b it I wasn’t expecting THAT!
How disappointing that we never got pap pics of Lady Emma and Meghan together. Would have loved that.
I still have hope that they might becone friends. Emma Weymouth is way into cooking, she has a cooking center at Longleat where she does demonstrations and cooking shows. Someday I hope to see America Riviera Orchard products in there. The British media would lose their mind.
EmmaThynn is showing up and showing out with her Hollywood favs and I LOVE that you had all the information. Do you watch Mary Berry's cooking in rich people's old houses and telling all the random gossip show? Long title. Not sure how I recalled it so perfectly. I can't wait to read about her FIL. The way these hereditary titled are so snotty, while being absolutely unhinged behind closed doors is my Roman Empire (I am in no way sure if that's how that works...I don't even know what that means). Messy without actual consequences. I'm in.
I think they must be acquaintances right? There's the Enninful connection. For sure he must have introduced Meghan to Emma when she arrived to the Royal Family. I wonder if they are friends privately or they just don't gel together.
Now I'm just going to constantly obsess over you releasing the Jake G. video. Did not even know it was a possibility... Feed us mother Lainey!!!!! *squawk squawk*
I think one of the biggest reasons why there's been so much social media attention given to Blake Lively versus Joaquin Phoenix - she's been in the public eye on the press tour, doing interviews for the movie and promoting her hair line, and Joaquin has not been doing interviews/promotion for anything (yet.) And I think that Blake has gotten a lot of heat for her tone deaf promotion - especially the "grab your friends and wear your florals" bit.
The rest of it, who knows what happened? It does seem like Blake Lively overstepped by asking RR to do rewrites without including the screenwriter and director, (I would love to know if Ryan Reynolds did his writing edits during the writer's strike and was a scab), as well as hiring a team and doing her own edits to a movie where she's not the director. Can we think of anyone else who could do something like this on a movie? Or who HAS done their own edits to a movie they acted in but weren't the director? It really seems like this is a fight over creative control and credit, that has somehow morphed into the realm of personal attacks. Which is too bad. If its a fight over creative control, why not just acknowledge it? Make it about the work and not the public personas.
Agree. Also, I don’t really have any interest in Joaquin Phoenix as a person, and I’ve never had any positive feelings towards him, so I guess it was just not as surprising. I always thought he was an asshole. There are so many problematic white men that get away with shit every fucking day, and if I worked myself up to raise hell about all of their wrongdoings, my blood pressure would be higher than it already is. Nearly ten years of Donald Trump being shoved in my face has made me expect very little in terms of consequences and karma.
Would add that I think Joaquin Phoenix should be on the hook financially for everyone involved in his movie, especially all the below-the-line people, who make way less money than everyone else.
I agree with this take, Rachel. I’m not going to deny there’s a gender imbalance in the criticism (of course there is, women always take more heat than men). But Blake has a far more public persona than Phoenix and her personality has always been very much part of her brand. As the article Lainey cited acknowledges, Blake’s fame has always been tied up more with her as a person than her acting. She’s a genuine celebrity. She’s also been everywhere lately, not just with her own movie promo but with the Deadpool promo and before that, being Taylor Swift’s #1 Chiefs date. Frankly, I don’t think a negative story about Joaquin Phoenix is going to traffic in nearly as many clicks as a negative one on Blake. I just don’t think the general public is as invested in or interested in his celebrity persona the way they are in Blake’s. There’s also a public spectacle angle to the IEWU drama, similar to Don’t Worry Darling. We can actually see them not talking or interacting. Whatever has gone on with Phoenix has largely happened behind closed doors. There’s nothing to actually see here. All this to say, I think gender absolutely plays a role in how all of this is being perceived by the public but I also think celebrity image and the spectacle of promo also does as well.
Agree with you on the celebrity factor, and that's a great way to characterize Blake. I think she wants to be a movie star (the Vogue photoshoot and interview) but she's not a movie star, she's a celebrity. A very big celebrity.
Unfortunately gender always plays a role, it just does, which is why with the IEWU drama I've been trying to focus on what we know about the work. (While acknowledging that a lot of the online discourse about Blake has been more about personal attacks.) If you want a depressing fact/report on gender impacting perception in the workplace, which tracks with a lot of the online criticism, this report has some stark but very real conclusions. "Around 76% of high-performing women receive negative feedback compared to only 2% of men—and it may be driving them to quit"
Edward Norton has a history of uncredited behind the scenes work on his movies. I specifically remember a story about him rewriting the script to Frida (he had a small part and was dating Salma Hayek) and there was a lot of post-production drama with American History X. But my recollection of this involvement was that it was ultimately welcomed by the studios? Certainly the stories were presented as “look at this multi-talented guy so committed to the outcome of these projects he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make them better!” I don’t know if that’s accurate or if that’s studio bullshit. Like, would Julie Taymor (director of Frida) agree that his input was necessary…?
1) These newsletters are never too long. They could be double in length and I'd still devour every word.
2) Re: The IEWE situation - I feel like this is such a classic example of two things being true at once (or perhaps multiple things). Blake might kind of suck. Justin might also kind of suck. They're actors, with egos! She might have overstepped her bounds creatively and he might have fat shamed her. What I find most interesting is the reactions to all of this from social media and the internet. Because dear god we really love tearing down women in ways we never do with men. He is clearly being given the benefit of the doubt over her. She's being criticized for the films press strategy - which one of my fav SM follows Blakely Thornton points out has never happened to someone like Tarantino whose films depicted slavery and horrific murder scenes. The double standards here just point me to the fact that we are a loooong way from dealing with misogyny.
3) Thank you for saying this about Taylor's lack of response to the concerts. I did not used to be a fan of TS but have come around to her music in recents years, and agree there are many things one could criticize about Taylor, her lack of response on this is not one of them. If she isn't saying anything - when she so often comments on hard topics like the stabbings in UK the other week - then there must be a reason for it.
Finally, we're still just really fucking hard on women in ways we never seem to be on men aren't we? This week or so in gossip is really driving that home for me. I hope we can all figure out how to be better and have more critical and nuanced convos like the ones that take place here. Thank you Lainey and team for providing a place that facilitates that!
Uh, mailbags can never be too long! Also, thank you for introducing us to the word “wifelet” because that’s fantastic. And for helping us be more media literate consumers!
It's my favorite song of hers, too. <3 But my fave Madonna videos are a tie between "Like a Prayer" and "Express Yourself."
God, remember the heyday of MTV? One of those things that's nearly impossible to explain to younger generations - the HOLD that channel had on Gen-X and the Elder Mills.
I'd wear the scent of that cassette tape. It's a sensory memory that'll never leave me.
So many of Madonna’s songs are sense memories. I can’t say the last time I’ve listened to her earlier music before today and they are all taking me back.
Those are my two favorites as well! Her crawling towards that bowl of milk -- yow. I was 12 and did not fully understand what was happening, but knew she was 1) sexy and powerful, and 2) telling us not to settle, and I sincerely took that to heart
Yes, I do! My eyes were glued to the tv when I saw "Like a prayer" video clip. I was very young, but I remember all the controversy with the Catholic church. The reason I was allowed to watch is because I was being chaperoned/monitored by my older siblings, lol
I was thinking of Lainey’s Jake G story when I was watched the clip of Kjersti Flaa but didn’t want to make it a leading question - I look forward to the raw footage some day! But I didn’t know about the link to Johnny Depp and that crisis management firm - that makes the release of that footage now seem a bit more sinister to me. Maybe it is coincidence but given that crisis team, I’m leaning to conspiracy.
Genuine question - is this Blake situation a canary in the coal mine for the next cycle of Taylor backlash?
I’ve finally been getting caught up on the Discourse and it seems like people’s issue with her boils down to “Blake made a power play and used mean girl tactics to keep it” aka the Taylor Swift Special.
Taylor’s been on top for a long time now in this cycle, but she hasn’t put a foot wrong enough yet (Matty didn’t take her down…)
Has the IEWU situation blown up the way it has because of Blake’s proximity to Taylor? I could be totally off here, but it’s got me wondering.
I think that the IEWU backlashed because Blake didn`t handle the promotion (considering DV) as well what was expected. In addition the haircare launch and Wolverine/Deathpool was too close - so like the whole July - August timeline was Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds. And considering the current News rotation that might have been a ”slightly” too long promotion.
Considering Taylor I think that she stays away from this - but maybe like in september or something She and BL/ RR go out /watch Chiefs game or something.
I was all for Taylor's pap strolls with Sophie Turner but this would not have the same vibe, would it? Also, maybe because of the terror plot, but noticeable that she promoted Deadpool in her stories but not The Movie That Shall Not Be Named. Maybe she felt her song contribution was enough.
This mailbag was written last night. And you'll note, in the answer about media literacy, I end on a note about following through on stories, even namechecking the Daily Mail. Then, today, the Daily Mail reports that Chris Martin and Dakota Johnson are over. Which is being shared online. It was mentioned at our etalk morning meeting today. But the follow through?
Her rep has come out to say they are "still happily together". Which means that they are not broken up, and yet...how many people will know about the follow through? Most people today will be walking around telling each other about the split. MEDIA LITERACY.
🤦♀️And I shared it here. This is why I stay enrolled at the Lainey School of Gossip!
Another great mailbag! Thanks for sharing such thoughtful answers.
Sending love and hugs to Barney! You and Jacek are such great parents, and made decisions for his health based on the best info you had at the time.
Sincerely, a fellow dog parent hypochondriac
You shared it, but then the update was shared in the chat. Follow through! Most of the internet won't do this.
Media literacy would depend on the source and if I read something repeatedly in one place, but but didn't catch the fix after the topic was repeated a lot... which part is literacy and which part is oversaturation of a point of view? I'm not on TikTok, and I have not shared the viewpoint of heavy feelings about clothing being dismissed as work. Like, okay? That's dismissive of them, but not sure it matters to me. It matters to some so it's not irrelevant, but I can't be expected to follow every lead. Gossip is not a clear cut arena. It's subjective, and messy and and and AND. Unless, I am to understand that we shouldn't jump on clips was the point. Even if you go back and watch a full video of anything (i.e. Camron not answering Abby Phillips and how people with two eyes watched it in part or whole felt a myriad of ways...more like two ways??? Kinda.), it's subjective. That's why it's gossip and not a documentary. Taking a pause to think....does this sound odd and why am I reacting would serve everyone. Gossip seems more reflective of the experience of the individual. You believe TikTok? Do you also easily believe other things? Are you a group think person and didn't know it? React emotionally? Is life spiraling right now so you're not thinking clearly? SM was meant to exploit all of these things and gossip flourishes or detonates depending on the setting. It's a subjective arena...by design.
(because these mailbags are often 3000+ words and … are they too long, LOL?) nope!
Never too long! They are wonderful!
I’d read twice this much no question
I thought Lainey’s response to the Taylor Swift question was so thoughtful and empathetic without sacrificing critical analysis. Those are not traits I find in a lot of celebrity outlets these days, which is why I keep reading LaineyGossip and subscribing to the Squawk. It’s a fine needle to thread, to offer criticism without meanness, to argue for nuance and discernment in the ways we consume and share information, and yet still make all this feel fun and enjoyable, as gossip should be.
"He must have been in so much pain and he’s so stoic, we’ve let him down. There is nothing that will ever make me feel better about this."
Oh, this hurt my heart. Lainey, I hope you guys won't beat yourselves up over this, but I empathize.
One of my cats has always been a little bit moody since he was a bottle-fed kitten. His vet says he's "spicy," and I'm sure he has bright orange CAUTION! stickers all over his file. For the first couple of years of his life, I just assumed that he was on the more aggressive side, perhaps a tad spoiled, and I'd manage it by warning well-meaning strangers not to handle him. I did a little more research a couple of years ago and spoke with the vet, and after a few more exams, it turns out that he was born with a pretty rare condition that makes his nerves super sensitive to touch. He requires doses of muscle relaxant in his food, which helps tremendously. He's so much better now, and everyone says how sweet he is, even if he'll never be fully docile. But I can't get those first few years of his life out of my head - all of those instances when he'd be purring on my lap, and then startle and start biting and hissing. He must have been so uncomfortable and confused. It makes me want to cry just typing it.
It's a common refrain of the animal lover: we mourn because we can't fully communicate with them on their terms. But we can communicate with them in our own little languages that we form with them, and keep an eye on their routines and habits, and make a path from that point. I don't know your dogs, but I have FULL confidence that they lead great lives. You wouldn't have regret if the love weren't so deep. Frankly, I wish all pets had owners who cared for them as much.
On a happier note, Happy Birthday to Queen Madge! It kind of depresses me that her music even *needs* to be introduced to a new generation, but I'm so stoked that the biopic is back in production. Perfect title, perfect casting. Here's hoping they're still looking at Julia Fox to play Debi Mazar.
Casting could be a BONANZA. Imagine all the ancillary players! Sean Penn. Warren Beatty. TUPAC.
Lainey & Jacek, my heart is with you both about Barney. I think anyone who has had a furry family member they care for has these types of stories. Mine is with my Harlow, my pittie who passed away a couple years ago. She had mast cell carcinoma but it was mostly internal so we couldn't tell. She had allergic reactions to grass and so we treated that but it turns out the histamines being released from her cancer were the actual cause. It wasn't until it showed up by way of a tumor on the outside of her body that we found out and by then it was too late. The oncologist who reviewed her test results said it was in the top 5 of worst results she had ever seen. It was heartbreaking because what if we could have figured it out sooner? She could have had treatment and not suffered for years. So all of us with furry family members empathize with you and Jacek as we all try not to blame ourselves unnecessarily. 💜💜💜🐶
When I had to put down my first cat as an adult it happened so quickly. He was fine and then he wasn’t. The vet said cats don’t show illness until they are very very sick. Which is scary but also even keeping a close eye you just may not know in time. Hugs to you and everyone who has lost a pet or is helping one heal. ❤️
Awwww your kitty is so lucky to have you as his caretaker! That story made me tear up too. 😿
Thanks, Kathleen! I'm obsessed with my cats. I've lived with humans who haven't always been fun to come home to, but I never dread hanging with my kitties. :-)
I worked in the veterinary field for a long time, and pet owner guilt is real and super powerful. I watched so many empathic and responsible people beat themselves up over mistakes they really couldn't have prevented, because as Lainey said, so many animals are really stoic by nature and hide discomfort. If I could have any superpower, it would definitely be animal communication!
See...that gave me life. I ADORE her. Been a music lover since forever and yet the Celebration tour was my first Madonna concert. I loved it! I love that she is thinking ahead and figuring out ways to bring awareness to her catalog. That speaks to me about her concern: Legacy! She now wants to be immortal.
You and I clearly already think she's immortal, but it's kind of a middle-aged blow to realize that a ton of people may have barely listened to her music. It's timeless!!! I do agree with her wanting a legacy. I can see that being incredibly important to her, since she's worked her ass off and truly was one-of-a-kind.
I am SO JEALOUS of you seeing her live! I was a bit too young for the Blonde Ambition tour back in the day, but I know some women who saw it and still rave about it. I love that she's still out there doing what she does best, which is entertain the living shit out of everyone.
The best object I own is her Sex book. Bury me with it.
I have been obsessively thinking about her and what she means to me since she announced the tour. As a young girl, I did not fully understand what she was doing but regardless loved her music, themes and theatricals. Through her music I bonded with cousins and friends. I even danced to "Like a Prayer" at a school event on 6th grade! But alas! Like you, I was too young and not on her tour path for Blonde Ambition. Fast forward 15 years and my admiration of her as a trailblazer came to focus once I got older. It all came to halting crash once she started doing whatever is that she is doing to her face. I felt sad, betrayed and angry. HOWEVER, I have come around and realized that her true essence is to do whatever the hell she wants to do, and she has been pretty consistent about it! And as for me: I don't have to like it, don't need to approve and she will do whatever her heart pleases. All becomes more poignant as she gets older, and society expects her to go away as an aging popstar.
To then find out that she was doing a retrospective of her career and coming to my city??? Couldn't pass the opportunity and what a great time! I thought it was so sweet how she involved her children in the show. I felt as connected to her as ever and felt she was sharing her loved ones with her fans.
Thank you for sharing your memories! They sound as sweet as mine.
Regarding the face tweaking, someone was discussing how it gets to the level of eye squinting (squinting because it's just so different). A plastic surgeon had advice or maybe more like an observation, which brought me to a different understanding. If you're trying to regain your exact previous look then you're never going to be satisfied and eventually all the unrealistic tweaking will eventually end up making you look ummm not your best. Accepting that you can only work with exactly what you look like, and there's no point where you will get the old you back NOR become a new beauty. The poster added to this and said that she knows that she was a moderately attractive person (she gave herself a number) so there were no goals of surpassing it...thus, less chances of her going too far and distorting reality. This made sense to me. Madonna comes from a time when she was quite attractive and getting older after also being in Hollywood following the music business has to mess with your mirror. You're not seeing a solid attractive face with good genes. You're seeing lines and imperfections. How anyone escapes that town without severe damage is beyond me. Even though I think Aniston has okay work. It's obvious it's getting to be...something. Getting to her 50s and still working and not looking more tweaked is probably a feat considering how rude Hollywood is to aging women.
Agreed. Cruel business.
🙋♀️I still visit websites! For mental health reasons (among other things), I’m not into social media and like to keep it old school
Because of the economic hellscape I have been canceling all my Substack and other subscriptions. But the last week alone, with Lainey’s brilliant and thoughtful analysis of the IEWU drama (not too long, even if it took you half a day to write!), today’s Mailbag (also not too long!) Sarah’s comments on Dan Stevens’ acting and on the unnecessary awfulness of sets like Euphoria, the compassionate understanding of Taylor Swift’s position re the Vienna cancellation, not to mention the always insightful and respectful discourse in the comments section … anyway suffice it to say I have changed course and renewed my subscription because I just can’t do without this in my life 🥰
This means SO much to us. Thank you!
Here, here. I keep this subscription for my mental health. Seriously. Glad you’re here too. 💜
Another great mailbag, thank you! And too long? I look forward to a long read every week.
Sarah - thank you for making my day with the background on Lady Bath and her batshit FIL. I clicked that link. Idk what I was expecting that guy to look like, b it I wasn’t expecting THAT!
How disappointing that we never got pap pics of Lady Emma and Meghan together. Would have loved that.
I still have hope that they might becone friends. Emma Weymouth is way into cooking, she has a cooking center at Longleat where she does demonstrations and cooking shows. Someday I hope to see America Riviera Orchard products in there. The British media would lose their mind.
Imagine if Princess Meghan had Lady bath as a guest on her new show? Let’s definitely start gossip genie-ing a way to get these 2 ladies to intersect.
EmmaThynn is showing up and showing out with her Hollywood favs and I LOVE that you had all the information. Do you watch Mary Berry's cooking in rich people's old houses and telling all the random gossip show? Long title. Not sure how I recalled it so perfectly. I can't wait to read about her FIL. The way these hereditary titled are so snotty, while being absolutely unhinged behind closed doors is my Roman Empire (I am in no way sure if that's how that works...I don't even know what that means). Messy without actual consequences. I'm in.
I know exactly which Mary Berry show you’re talking about and you titled it perfectly! 😂
By the way, thanks for the background info, I'm also fascinated by Lady Bath!!
I think they must be acquaintances right? There's the Enninful connection. For sure he must have introduced Meghan to Emma when she arrived to the Royal Family. I wonder if they are friends privately or they just don't gel together.
Now I'm just going to constantly obsess over you releasing the Jake G. video. Did not even know it was a possibility... Feed us mother Lainey!!!!! *squawk squawk*
Lollll feed us 💀Like what if we all pinky promise to never share it on the Internet and keep it between us friends?
I think one of the biggest reasons why there's been so much social media attention given to Blake Lively versus Joaquin Phoenix - she's been in the public eye on the press tour, doing interviews for the movie and promoting her hair line, and Joaquin has not been doing interviews/promotion for anything (yet.) And I think that Blake has gotten a lot of heat for her tone deaf promotion - especially the "grab your friends and wear your florals" bit.
The rest of it, who knows what happened? It does seem like Blake Lively overstepped by asking RR to do rewrites without including the screenwriter and director, (I would love to know if Ryan Reynolds did his writing edits during the writer's strike and was a scab), as well as hiring a team and doing her own edits to a movie where she's not the director. Can we think of anyone else who could do something like this on a movie? Or who HAS done their own edits to a movie they acted in but weren't the director? It really seems like this is a fight over creative control and credit, that has somehow morphed into the realm of personal attacks. Which is too bad. If its a fight over creative control, why not just acknowledge it? Make it about the work and not the public personas.
Agree. Also, I don’t really have any interest in Joaquin Phoenix as a person, and I’ve never had any positive feelings towards him, so I guess it was just not as surprising. I always thought he was an asshole. There are so many problematic white men that get away with shit every fucking day, and if I worked myself up to raise hell about all of their wrongdoings, my blood pressure would be higher than it already is. Nearly ten years of Donald Trump being shoved in my face has made me expect very little in terms of consequences and karma.
The bar is so low.
Would add that I think Joaquin Phoenix should be on the hook financially for everyone involved in his movie, especially all the below-the-line people, who make way less money than everyone else.
I agree with this take, Rachel. I’m not going to deny there’s a gender imbalance in the criticism (of course there is, women always take more heat than men). But Blake has a far more public persona than Phoenix and her personality has always been very much part of her brand. As the article Lainey cited acknowledges, Blake’s fame has always been tied up more with her as a person than her acting. She’s a genuine celebrity. She’s also been everywhere lately, not just with her own movie promo but with the Deadpool promo and before that, being Taylor Swift’s #1 Chiefs date. Frankly, I don’t think a negative story about Joaquin Phoenix is going to traffic in nearly as many clicks as a negative one on Blake. I just don’t think the general public is as invested in or interested in his celebrity persona the way they are in Blake’s. There’s also a public spectacle angle to the IEWU drama, similar to Don’t Worry Darling. We can actually see them not talking or interacting. Whatever has gone on with Phoenix has largely happened behind closed doors. There’s nothing to actually see here. All this to say, I think gender absolutely plays a role in how all of this is being perceived by the public but I also think celebrity image and the spectacle of promo also does as well.
Agree with you on the celebrity factor, and that's a great way to characterize Blake. I think she wants to be a movie star (the Vogue photoshoot and interview) but she's not a movie star, she's a celebrity. A very big celebrity.
Unfortunately gender always plays a role, it just does, which is why with the IEWU drama I've been trying to focus on what we know about the work. (While acknowledging that a lot of the online discourse about Blake has been more about personal attacks.) If you want a depressing fact/report on gender impacting perception in the workplace, which tracks with a lot of the online criticism, this report has some stark but very real conclusions. "Around 76% of high-performing women receive negative feedback compared to only 2% of men—and it may be driving them to quit"
Women often receive unfavorable work assessments and are more likely to be judged on aspects of their social presentation, not their work. The report found that 88% of the women in the study were judged on their personalities, compared to 12% of men. Women are more often https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/around-76-high-performing-women-120558175.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw&tsrc=twtr
Edward Norton has a history of uncredited behind the scenes work on his movies. I specifically remember a story about him rewriting the script to Frida (he had a small part and was dating Salma Hayek) and there was a lot of post-production drama with American History X. But my recollection of this involvement was that it was ultimately welcomed by the studios? Certainly the stories were presented as “look at this multi-talented guy so committed to the outcome of these projects he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make them better!” I don’t know if that’s accurate or if that’s studio bullshit. Like, would Julie Taymor (director of Frida) agree that his input was necessary…?
1) These newsletters are never too long. They could be double in length and I'd still devour every word.
2) Re: The IEWE situation - I feel like this is such a classic example of two things being true at once (or perhaps multiple things). Blake might kind of suck. Justin might also kind of suck. They're actors, with egos! She might have overstepped her bounds creatively and he might have fat shamed her. What I find most interesting is the reactions to all of this from social media and the internet. Because dear god we really love tearing down women in ways we never do with men. He is clearly being given the benefit of the doubt over her. She's being criticized for the films press strategy - which one of my fav SM follows Blakely Thornton points out has never happened to someone like Tarantino whose films depicted slavery and horrific murder scenes. The double standards here just point me to the fact that we are a loooong way from dealing with misogyny.
3) Thank you for saying this about Taylor's lack of response to the concerts. I did not used to be a fan of TS but have come around to her music in recents years, and agree there are many things one could criticize about Taylor, her lack of response on this is not one of them. If she isn't saying anything - when she so often comments on hard topics like the stabbings in UK the other week - then there must be a reason for it.
Finally, we're still just really fucking hard on women in ways we never seem to be on men aren't we? This week or so in gossip is really driving that home for me. I hope we can all figure out how to be better and have more critical and nuanced convos like the ones that take place here. Thank you Lainey and team for providing a place that facilitates that!
Uh, mailbags can never be too long! Also, thank you for introducing us to the word “wifelet” because that’s fantastic. And for helping us be more media literate consumers!
I wonder if Ariana Grande has reached out to Taylor - what a shitty thing to have common ground on 😔
I was thinking the same thing. It’s a pretty small group. I hope they chat.
Happy birthday, Madge!!! Like a prayer is my favorite song of hers. The Celebration tour brought tears to my eyes with the 2 + minute intro of it!
It's my favorite song of hers, too. <3 But my fave Madonna videos are a tie between "Like a Prayer" and "Express Yourself."
God, remember the heyday of MTV? One of those things that's nearly impossible to explain to younger generations - the HOLD that channel had on Gen-X and the Elder Mills.
I'd wear the scent of that cassette tape. It's a sensory memory that'll never leave me.
So many of Madonna’s songs are sense memories. I can’t say the last time I’ve listened to her earlier music before today and they are all taking me back.
Those are my two favorites as well! Her crawling towards that bowl of milk -- yow. I was 12 and did not fully understand what was happening, but knew she was 1) sexy and powerful, and 2) telling us not to settle, and I sincerely took that to heart
We Late Boomers were in our 20s when MTV killed the radio star, and we were SERIOUSLY into it, too.
Oh, that’s so true!! I didn’t mean to exclude any Boomers. Hell, Madonna is a Boomer. 😸 And so are most of the artists I grew up watching, probably.
Yes, I do! My eyes were glued to the tv when I saw "Like a prayer" video clip. I was very young, but I remember all the controversy with the Catholic church. The reason I was allowed to watch is because I was being chaperoned/monitored by my older siblings, lol
I was thinking of Lainey’s Jake G story when I was watched the clip of Kjersti Flaa but didn’t want to make it a leading question - I look forward to the raw footage some day! But I didn’t know about the link to Johnny Depp and that crisis management firm - that makes the release of that footage now seem a bit more sinister to me. Maybe it is coincidence but given that crisis team, I’m leaning to conspiracy.
Genuine question - is this Blake situation a canary in the coal mine for the next cycle of Taylor backlash?
I’ve finally been getting caught up on the Discourse and it seems like people’s issue with her boils down to “Blake made a power play and used mean girl tactics to keep it” aka the Taylor Swift Special.
Taylor’s been on top for a long time now in this cycle, but she hasn’t put a foot wrong enough yet (Matty didn’t take her down…)
Has the IEWU situation blown up the way it has because of Blake’s proximity to Taylor? I could be totally off here, but it’s got me wondering.
I think that the IEWU backlashed because Blake didn`t handle the promotion (considering DV) as well what was expected. In addition the haircare launch and Wolverine/Deathpool was too close - so like the whole July - August timeline was Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds. And considering the current News rotation that might have been a ”slightly” too long promotion.
Considering Taylor I think that she stays away from this - but maybe like in september or something She and BL/ RR go out /watch Chiefs game or something.
I was all for Taylor's pap strolls with Sophie Turner but this would not have the same vibe, would it? Also, maybe because of the terror plot, but noticeable that she promoted Deadpool in her stories but not The Movie That Shall Not Be Named. Maybe she felt her song contribution was enough.