Hot for Samberg, Kelce's lyric question, a Best Casting re-do, rat-faced TV people no more, Coyote vs. Acme, editorial urgency, LaineyGossip logo history, sexism killing sequels, and some LG SYW
Re Myra’s question: there is a looong history of the truly rich and elite flipping looks with the masses. For centuries being as pale as possible was what you wanted, because it meant you weren’t out field labouring all day and could sit inside in comfort. Then tan was in for the same reason: it signified you weren’t stuck in an office all day, you could afford a lot of leisure time. I think we might be seeing some of that as a certain segment of people start rejecting the Instagram face that is pretty widely attainable now.
Yes! I'm curious what is happening with all the Ozempic-ing because once upon a time, in the Renaissance era, being voluptuous equalled wealth. I don't know if we've gone that direction since!
We have not, because that was tied to food shortages and constant ravaging sicknesses. In the first world, at least, food shortages aren't the norm, so equating plumpness with beauty isn't a thing.
That said the cult of thinness is VERY much about idealizing self-reliance to a toxic degree. It says, "I am so controlled and strong I can monitor every calorie and I have the leisure time to go to the gym every single day."
I think it’s really interesting how control = beauty. Jessica DeFino does a great job on here of breaking down beauty trends but even if you think of the proliferation of skin care products now, it is about controlling your skin and being disciplined with your routine. When we think of signs of affluence being part of beauty trends, obviously expensive products have always been part of that and lately, so has the ability to be controlled/disciplined.
It's complicated for sure, and gluttony has been a sin since since forever. As you said, in that sense the control over a base level of desire equals measurable achievement which is so, so distorted.
Totally! There has been a bit of that here and there (padding in dresses, Anne of Green Gables being desperate for dimples) but that is one thing that is kind of universally “desired” (heavy quotes and caveats here of course)
Great observation!! It's like all things ebb and flow, and trends come in cycles. We want what celebrities have, then when we get it, they move onto something else. Hence "quiet luxury" which I know makes everyone cringe.
Someone said this to me years ago about pale skin. I think we were talking about how "orange" is not a natural skin tone. Then she brought up being pale as the standard in the before times. Dark skin is not rewarded in non white cultures and that's probably due to colonization and the brutality of being othered to maintain an imaginary hierarchy. It makes me think about someone describing another white person with darker skin as swarthy. There's such a "tone" to that word. This might not fit, but I was watching The Power of Film and a professor from one of the film schools in California was talking about those in power who pretend not to have power as a foundation for comedies with white male leads. It's funny when a white man pretends he's a woman (Some Like It Hot), but it's not funny (to men in actual power) to see non men/nonwhite people having power in a fictional setting. It upsets the applecart. So would a rich person with pale skin getting a tan is also okay because it's just fun for them. Nothing will change for the average man. It's a reach, but that point made by the professor came to mind when you brought up the aesthetics.
Your note of swarthy made me think of someone (maybe here?) calling attention to the phrase tall, dark and handsome basically meaning…white man with brown hair and brown eyes.
Exactly. Swarthy feels like a step further. The way I've read it and heard it seemed it was about olive toned with textured hair and beards. Giacomo Gianniotti is a perfect example, but maybe slightly too light. However, Eugenio Mastrandrea fits a bit closer to what I imagine when I hear swarthy. It sounds coded. It might not be.
Swarthy always makes me think of Rhett butler from gone with the wind but I’m sure there’s lots of examples. White but looks maybe not white because of a tan from so much time outside. He’s viewed as bad/untrustworthy and isn’t welcome in “polite society”. So definitely a word that is making some negative associations between darker skin and your character.
Yes, in 30s movies they drop random insults in the fast talking comedies. Post Hays code, there was no hanky panky, but they were being egregious left and right.
I wanted to reference pirates, but I got stuck on there being English pirates (were there technically pirates in service to Queen E1?). Also, thinking about Romany people.
❤️Love this site so much and thank you for sharing these mailbags each week! I look forward to them every week and Lainey Gossip every day. If there's anything more we can do to support and keep this site going please let us know. I've been reading since I think the late 2000s and love the growth and insight and just all of it. Reading "my stories" here at the end of a long work day is such a treat and I appreciate all the hard work that goes into making this happen. There is truly no other space on these internets that provides this type of thoughtful content. Thank you all!!
I LOVED reading about Jacek and Emily's website management duties, and admire how Emily fits in meditation (prioritizing personal and mental fitness has been a priority for me lately and has impacted my mood a ton). It also reminded me of a quirky thing that I love about LG...when Lainey, Sarah, Jacek, et al add a little editing note mid-article. It reminds me that many hands are involved in maintaining a website, and that it's a shared labour of love.
Nine-Nine!!!! You will feel Andre Braugher’s loss so much more acutely the further along you get in watching the show. Having watched him in Homicide, seeing him do comedy was a revelation. May your soul rest in peace, sir.
I absolutely loved hearing about the behind-the-scenes of running LaineyGossip, thank you for sharing all of this with us, and for working so hard (and EARLY!) for us to squawk about!
I have not watched Brooklyn 99, so guess I need to get on it! Andy only place a small acting part, but was behind the making of the Hulu film that just came out and y’all recommended that I fucking loved—Self Reliance. First time I thought he was hot and sexy. Sounds like I might develop a problem after watching B99!
I almost got overwhelmed, and every detail made me think "wait, you do ALL that? oh wow". I'm going to go back and read it again. A blog having a team needs to be discussed more.
It’s funny you said The Avengers as the first example of best casting, because when I thought about this myself the first idea that popped into my head was Tom Hiddleston as Loki. And now that you extended that to the wider group, I realize how true it is! I mean the launch of that entire franchise was based on a somewhat risky (if I remember right) decision of casting RDJ as Iron Man.
And to your point about popular movies, I think the first Lord of the Rings movie would have won a best casting award if it had existed back then.
Oh, man. Reminiscing so hard right now. Remembering the old cigarette in the logo, for one thing! I was a dopey cigarette smoker in my oft-drunken twenties, and I remember being appreciative of when Lainey would admit to being a fellow cighead. I cannot fathom picking up a Parliament today, but it sure was fun when I was younger and contentedly poisoning myself.
I don't miss the smell, the cost, and the overall disgusting film of toxins that would coat my teeth and hair, but I sure do miss the buzz sometimes. Cigarettes were still fairly omnipresent in the early aughts - not like they were in the sixties, of course, but people could still light up inside in plenty of places. It's funny to me how that imagery would *never* be used by most outlets today.
MOORCREST. My GOD. The rich reds, the vibrant greens, the WOOD, the balconies, those windows...I spent my lunch break drooling over whatever Google image searches of this property I could find. I'm not really a slut for real estate erotica - I've never voluntarily watched HGTV in my life - but this place has me utterly besotted. Jesus. If that house wanted to impregnate me, I'd let it.
I love Andy and Joanna. They deserve that estate, and I'm glad they get to live in it.
P.S. Andy co-wrote my fave SNL digital short of all time: Natalie Raps.
Ya the cigarette had to go at some point cause it felt a bit dated. So what did we do? We replaced it with another known carcinogen in the martini glass!
I’m so glad you’ve discovered Brooklyn 99 and the hotness of Samberg. While you only get to discover the show once, it’s an amazing rewatch. Andy Samberg is number 1 on my list, enjoy 😍
I adore Andy Samberg so much and am so jealous Lainey and Jacek get to experience B99 for the first time. For anyone looking for more Andy if you can find the episode he did of Dr. Henry Louis Gates' PBS show "Finding Your Roots" it's an incredibly moving episode that made me fall in love with him even more. Basically, he did the show even though he's intensly private because his mother is adopted and had tried for years to find her birth parents but kept hitting research walls. He basically told the show he would only do it if they found his mom's birth parents. It's an amazing episode that made me cry so much.
Also, in general Finding Your Roots is such a great show! Highly recommend it. It's way better researched than the TLC one (called Who Do You Think You are?) as Dr. Gates is true historian.
I was not a fan of Andy Samberg until I watch B99. I love that show so much and am jealous you get to experience it for the first time. I would be concerned about an AD feature on his house because of the curse that follows couples who do that. Drinks with Broads covered it a few months ago, but a lot of couples who do an AD feature end up divorcing within like a year or two.
That's probably tied to the fact that AD Open Doors are often low-key real estate videos. A lot of homes featured on there end up sold (usually off market) shortly thereafter. Anytime a celebrity home is on AD, I always check in the weeks and months after to see if the couple has either divorced or moved.
Nine-nine! Lainey and Jacek, I was late to Brooklyn Nine-nine too and it was such fun to discover it (I think I got in around season 5). I do think there are some valid critiques around copaganda and the show, but I appreciate that it tries to address some issues with policing from its vantage point. And frankly, I often forget that it is a police show because it is so much about the ensemble (speaking of great casting). Season 4 (Coral Palms) and Season 5 (The Big House, 99, Game Night, Safe House) were my favorites. RIP Andre Braughter, who gave us such a gift!
I'm jealous Lainey is just watching Brooklyn 99 for the first time! Love the Andy Samberg love! I just watched Popstar for the first time 2 weeks ago, and was AMAZED. While he's already a comedy actor, it's just as strong (if not stronger) a performance as Ryan Gosling's in Barbie. Its amazing, and I love him even more for it.
Hot Damn! So glad you discovered Brooklyn 99. It has been my comfort watch for a very long time as I was one of the few that watched as it aired. Andre Braugher was a true revelation on this show. So interested to hear what your favorite episodes are. It's a tough question but I love The Oolong Slayer, Cheddar, Game Night, and The Box (Damn, I love Sterling K. Brown). My list changes all the time though. Gotta add that Peralta would be losing his shit, in a good way, over
Taylor Swift's overtaking of culture. He is a true Swiftie. One more thing, Samberg's hair journey in the show is so cute. The curly bangs towards the end are to die for. ♥️
We're REALLY early into the watch. I think we're only on Season 1 episode 4 or 5. So far my favourite was how everyone had different reads on whether the captain was in a good or bad mood. Those cutaways were hilarious.
I felt like Season 1 had a lot of growing pains (very much like The Office and Parks and Recreation), especially around finding the niche for Andy Samberg's character. He's a bit of an asshole in the beginning, which gets toned down and humanized more as the show goes on. So, if you two are loving it this early in, it only gets better from here!
Re Myra’s question: there is a looong history of the truly rich and elite flipping looks with the masses. For centuries being as pale as possible was what you wanted, because it meant you weren’t out field labouring all day and could sit inside in comfort. Then tan was in for the same reason: it signified you weren’t stuck in an office all day, you could afford a lot of leisure time. I think we might be seeing some of that as a certain segment of people start rejecting the Instagram face that is pretty widely attainable now.
This is a very interesting observation!
Seriously. There's some sophisticated gossip happening in these forums. Well done kaari!
Yes! I'm curious what is happening with all the Ozempic-ing because once upon a time, in the Renaissance era, being voluptuous equalled wealth. I don't know if we've gone that direction since!
We have not, because that was tied to food shortages and constant ravaging sicknesses. In the first world, at least, food shortages aren't the norm, so equating plumpness with beauty isn't a thing.
That said the cult of thinness is VERY much about idealizing self-reliance to a toxic degree. It says, "I am so controlled and strong I can monitor every calorie and I have the leisure time to go to the gym every single day."
I think it’s really interesting how control = beauty. Jessica DeFino does a great job on here of breaking down beauty trends but even if you think of the proliferation of skin care products now, it is about controlling your skin and being disciplined with your routine. When we think of signs of affluence being part of beauty trends, obviously expensive products have always been part of that and lately, so has the ability to be controlled/disciplined.
Second Jess DeFino’s work, it’s SO good
It's complicated for sure, and gluttony has been a sin since since forever. As you said, in that sense the control over a base level of desire equals measurable achievement which is so, so distorted.
Totally! There has been a bit of that here and there (padding in dresses, Anne of Green Gables being desperate for dimples) but that is one thing that is kind of universally “desired” (heavy quotes and caveats here of course)
Great observation!! It's like all things ebb and flow, and trends come in cycles. We want what celebrities have, then when we get it, they move onto something else. Hence "quiet luxury" which I know makes everyone cringe.
Someone said this to me years ago about pale skin. I think we were talking about how "orange" is not a natural skin tone. Then she brought up being pale as the standard in the before times. Dark skin is not rewarded in non white cultures and that's probably due to colonization and the brutality of being othered to maintain an imaginary hierarchy. It makes me think about someone describing another white person with darker skin as swarthy. There's such a "tone" to that word. This might not fit, but I was watching The Power of Film and a professor from one of the film schools in California was talking about those in power who pretend not to have power as a foundation for comedies with white male leads. It's funny when a white man pretends he's a woman (Some Like It Hot), but it's not funny (to men in actual power) to see non men/nonwhite people having power in a fictional setting. It upsets the applecart. So would a rich person with pale skin getting a tan is also okay because it's just fun for them. Nothing will change for the average man. It's a reach, but that point made by the professor came to mind when you brought up the aesthetics.
Your note of swarthy made me think of someone (maybe here?) calling attention to the phrase tall, dark and handsome basically meaning…white man with brown hair and brown eyes.
Exactly. Swarthy feels like a step further. The way I've read it and heard it seemed it was about olive toned with textured hair and beards. Giacomo Gianniotti is a perfect example, but maybe slightly too light. However, Eugenio Mastrandrea fits a bit closer to what I imagine when I hear swarthy. It sounds coded. It might not be.
Swarthy always makes me think of Rhett butler from gone with the wind but I’m sure there’s lots of examples. White but looks maybe not white because of a tan from so much time outside. He’s viewed as bad/untrustworthy and isn’t welcome in “polite society”. So definitely a word that is making some negative associations between darker skin and your character.
Yes, in 30s movies they drop random insults in the fast talking comedies. Post Hays code, there was no hanky panky, but they were being egregious left and right.
Feel like swarthiness is also commonly associated with piracy in literature, so yeah not positive undertones
I wanted to reference pirates, but I got stuck on there being English pirates (were there technically pirates in service to Queen E1?). Also, thinking about Romany people.
Yeah, to me swarthy is pirate coded
❤️Love this site so much and thank you for sharing these mailbags each week! I look forward to them every week and Lainey Gossip every day. If there's anything more we can do to support and keep this site going please let us know. I've been reading since I think the late 2000s and love the growth and insight and just all of it. Reading "my stories" here at the end of a long work day is such a treat and I appreciate all the hard work that goes into making this happen. There is truly no other space on these internets that provides this type of thoughtful content. Thank you all!!
🫶🫶🫶
This is a lovely read. Found the last answers from Jacek and Emily really interesting. Take my money, do what you love!
I LOVED reading about Jacek and Emily's website management duties, and admire how Emily fits in meditation (prioritizing personal and mental fitness has been a priority for me lately and has impacted my mood a ton). It also reminded me of a quirky thing that I love about LG...when Lainey, Sarah, Jacek, et al add a little editing note mid-article. It reminds me that many hands are involved in maintaining a website, and that it's a shared labour of love.
Nine-Nine!!!! You will feel Andre Braugher’s loss so much more acutely the further along you get in watching the show. Having watched him in Homicide, seeing him do comedy was a revelation. May your soul rest in peace, sir.
I absolutely loved hearing about the behind-the-scenes of running LaineyGossip, thank you for sharing all of this with us, and for working so hard (and EARLY!) for us to squawk about!
I have not watched Brooklyn 99, so guess I need to get on it! Andy only place a small acting part, but was behind the making of the Hulu film that just came out and y’all recommended that I fucking loved—Self Reliance. First time I thought he was hot and sexy. Sounds like I might develop a problem after watching B99!
I almost got overwhelmed, and every detail made me think "wait, you do ALL that? oh wow". I'm going to go back and read it again. A blog having a team needs to be discussed more.
It’s funny you said The Avengers as the first example of best casting, because when I thought about this myself the first idea that popped into my head was Tom Hiddleston as Loki. And now that you extended that to the wider group, I realize how true it is! I mean the launch of that entire franchise was based on a somewhat risky (if I remember right) decision of casting RDJ as Iron Man.
And to your point about popular movies, I think the first Lord of the Rings movie would have won a best casting award if it had existed back then.
Yes LOTR was perfectly cast!
Oh, man. Reminiscing so hard right now. Remembering the old cigarette in the logo, for one thing! I was a dopey cigarette smoker in my oft-drunken twenties, and I remember being appreciative of when Lainey would admit to being a fellow cighead. I cannot fathom picking up a Parliament today, but it sure was fun when I was younger and contentedly poisoning myself.
I don't miss the smell, the cost, and the overall disgusting film of toxins that would coat my teeth and hair, but I sure do miss the buzz sometimes. Cigarettes were still fairly omnipresent in the early aughts - not like they were in the sixties, of course, but people could still light up inside in plenty of places. It's funny to me how that imagery would *never* be used by most outlets today.
MOORCREST. My GOD. The rich reds, the vibrant greens, the WOOD, the balconies, those windows...I spent my lunch break drooling over whatever Google image searches of this property I could find. I'm not really a slut for real estate erotica - I've never voluntarily watched HGTV in my life - but this place has me utterly besotted. Jesus. If that house wanted to impregnate me, I'd let it.
I love Andy and Joanna. They deserve that estate, and I'm glad they get to live in it.
P.S. Andy co-wrote my fave SNL digital short of all time: Natalie Raps.
Ya the cigarette had to go at some point cause it felt a bit dated. So what did we do? We replaced it with another known carcinogen in the martini glass!
Well...it's definitely a more *elegant* carcinogen, LOL.
I’m so glad you’ve discovered Brooklyn 99 and the hotness of Samberg. While you only get to discover the show once, it’s an amazing rewatch. Andy Samberg is number 1 on my list, enjoy 😍
My Andy Samberg awakening happened during his AMAZING dancing scene in Palm Springs. Wowza. So, so sexy. So, I get it.
Omg YES he is SO good in that movie!!!
I adore Andy Samberg so much and am so jealous Lainey and Jacek get to experience B99 for the first time. For anyone looking for more Andy if you can find the episode he did of Dr. Henry Louis Gates' PBS show "Finding Your Roots" it's an incredibly moving episode that made me fall in love with him even more. Basically, he did the show even though he's intensly private because his mother is adopted and had tried for years to find her birth parents but kept hitting research walls. He basically told the show he would only do it if they found his mom's birth parents. It's an amazing episode that made me cry so much.
Also, in general Finding Your Roots is such a great show! Highly recommend it. It's way better researched than the TLC one (called Who Do You Think You are?) as Dr. Gates is true historian.
Cosign! I was already a big Samberg fan at the time and that episode is incredibly moving.
I was not a fan of Andy Samberg until I watch B99. I love that show so much and am jealous you get to experience it for the first time. I would be concerned about an AD feature on his house because of the curse that follows couples who do that. Drinks with Broads covered it a few months ago, but a lot of couples who do an AD feature end up divorcing within like a year or two.
That's probably tied to the fact that AD Open Doors are often low-key real estate videos. A lot of homes featured on there end up sold (usually off market) shortly thereafter. Anytime a celebrity home is on AD, I always check in the weeks and months after to see if the couple has either divorced or moved.
It’s like you said, Sarah. Follow the money.
Nine-nine! Lainey and Jacek, I was late to Brooklyn Nine-nine too and it was such fun to discover it (I think I got in around season 5). I do think there are some valid critiques around copaganda and the show, but I appreciate that it tries to address some issues with policing from its vantage point. And frankly, I often forget that it is a police show because it is so much about the ensemble (speaking of great casting). Season 4 (Coral Palms) and Season 5 (The Big House, 99, Game Night, Safe House) were my favorites. RIP Andre Braughter, who gave us such a gift!
I'm jealous Lainey is just watching Brooklyn 99 for the first time! Love the Andy Samberg love! I just watched Popstar for the first time 2 weeks ago, and was AMAZED. While he's already a comedy actor, it's just as strong (if not stronger) a performance as Ryan Gosling's in Barbie. Its amazing, and I love him even more for it.
Hot Damn! So glad you discovered Brooklyn 99. It has been my comfort watch for a very long time as I was one of the few that watched as it aired. Andre Braugher was a true revelation on this show. So interested to hear what your favorite episodes are. It's a tough question but I love The Oolong Slayer, Cheddar, Game Night, and The Box (Damn, I love Sterling K. Brown). My list changes all the time though. Gotta add that Peralta would be losing his shit, in a good way, over
Taylor Swift's overtaking of culture. He is a true Swiftie. One more thing, Samberg's hair journey in the show is so cute. The curly bangs towards the end are to die for. ♥️
We're REALLY early into the watch. I think we're only on Season 1 episode 4 or 5. So far my favourite was how everyone had different reads on whether the captain was in a good or bad mood. Those cutaways were hilarious.
Wait until you get to the marshmallow bit! The squad trying to guess how the captain will react never gets old.
I felt like Season 1 had a lot of growing pains (very much like The Office and Parks and Recreation), especially around finding the niche for Andy Samberg's character. He's a bit of an asshole in the beginning, which gets toned down and humanized more as the show goes on. So, if you two are loving it this early in, it only gets better from here!
Andy Sandberg, yes! A million times, yes!! That’s also the title of our sex tape lol (some B99 humor 😆)