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[PREVIEW] The Rise of the Fall-of-the-Tech-Founders Genre May 23, 2022

Show notes

We’re in the midst of a streaming content bubble. Everything is being optioned; every week, three or four shows drop into the flooded TV landscape that boast giant budgets and star Matt Damon or Jessica Biel. Streaming series are being made out of books that haven’t even come out yet and TV shows that came out less than 20 years ago. Any news story that garnered a moderate amount of national attention — even decades ago — is at risk of being turned into a prestige drama.

And it just so happens that many of the big stories of the last five years involve startups that rocketed to multibillion-dollar valuations only to collapse under the weight of unsustainable growth, executive misconduct and mismanagement, and/or fraud.

This spring saw the release of three major TV shows that depict the rises and falls of three such companies and their troubled founder/CEO leaders: “Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber” (Showtime), “WeCrashed” (Apple TV+), and “The Dropout” (Hulu). Call it a micro-genre! Summer of scams plus billions of dollars in venture capital!

The shows vary significantly in quality — if you’re only going to watch one, we recommend choosing “The Dropout,” Liz Meriwether’s deft take on Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos — but they necessarily share many similarities. They feature a central antihero, whose motives and psyche must be grappled with; a host of VCs and board members who serve first as allies and then as antagonists to the antihero; a mass of lower-level employees whose exploitation is mostly rendered in broad strokes; and a final reckoning in which the founder finally loses control over the company they view as part of their own identity.

Along with tapping into streaming and TV companies’ unquenchable appetite for bankable IP, these stories tap into something specific in the audience: a potent blend of schadenfreude, the human thirst for crime and punishment, and politically thwarted but powerful rage against the excesses of capitalism. We want to see the tech titans pay for their misdeeds; we enjoy seeing them brought low. (Even if “low” just means going elsewhere, with billions of dollars to soften the blow.) CEOs aren’t our heroes anymore; no one wants to watch a show unironically called “Girlboss.” We want to watch them humiliated.

On this episode, we talk about the cultural moment that created this mini-genre, the tropes and archetypes that construct it, and the three shows that exemplify it. We dissect the bland oddity that is “Super Pumped,” a show that seems to have been creatively driven by which specific cultural products the creators thought would be fun to have in it (Pearl Jam, Quentin Tarantino, video games); revel in the perhaps-too-fun “WeCrashed” and Anne Hathaway’s gripping performance as WeWork first lady Rebekah Neumann; and finally we fangirl a bit over “The Dropout” and that Lil Wayne office dance scene that haunts our nightmares.

We’ve been reading…

Jessica Goodman’s new Y.A. thriller, “The Counselors,” which is finally out next week! Set at an idyllic summer camp serving the children of New York’s elite, it’s the perfect blend of summery escapism — you can practically taste the melting ice cream sandwiches and hear the yells of campers splashing in the lake — and suspenseful.

I’ve also been reading “Elsewhere,” by Alex Schaitkin, a dreamily unsettling novel set in a secluded town with its own peaceful way of life, and an inexplicable secret: Every now and then, one of the mothers in the town simply disappears. It’s an absorbing meditation on how women enter the state of motherhood and become both more intensely surveilled than ever and also, somehow, more invisible than before. (It will be out in June.) -Claire

Speaking of tech-fueled dystopias, I am still reading Jennifer Egan’s “The Candy House.” My ability to read quickly has been somewhat deadened by the pandemic, but the creative structure of this novel has gripped me. -Emma

We’ve been watching…

“Workin’ Moms” is back with season 6, and you know I’m back to watching ambitious Kate and mean-tempered Anne, along with their old mommy-group cohort, try to juggle parenthood, marriage, and work. As ever, the parenting part seems weirdly simple, or at least quiet — how do they get their toddlers to spend so little time shrieking “The Wheels on the Bus” over and over? And demanding that their mommy sit in a specific spot on the floor and sing along with them while playing with a truck in a specific way? — and they play pretty fast and loose with the publication timeline of books in this season. But it’s still reliably funny, and it ended on a TOTAL CLIFFHANGER so now I need season 7 immediately. Very rude to end sitcom seasons on cliffhangers! Uncool, guys! -Claire

I… have been binging “Bling Empire,” Netflix’s reality series about Asian billionaires and billionaire spawn (some millionaires, too) living in Los Angeles? It’s like candy for your brain. Not nutritious at all, but a fun rush. -Emma

We’ve been listening to…

Season 2 of “Normal Gossip” has begun (hell yeah), and I’ve got two songs on repeat: Dagny’s “Love You Like That” and Hayley Kiyoko’s “For the Girls.” If you’re not sure why, please get yourself a box of tissues, watch this, and then watch this. -Claire

For reasons that should be obvious, I too have been listening to Hayley Kiyoko’s “For The Girls,” as well as making my way through her back catalogue. I’ve also been on a kick of listening to songs that evoke the emotional drama of my teen years — which mostly means a whole lot of whiny alt-rock, like “Paper Heart” by the All-American Rejects and late ‘90s Green Day. lol. -Emma

We’ve been buying…

I got #influenced into buying the East Fork mug, from the cult-followed Asheville, NC pottery company. We have a whole shelf of mugs, and only a couple I actually like using — our Love to See It mug, obviously, and a random Urban Outfitters mug with an “A” on it because they were out of “C” mugs. I like to be able to put all four fingers into the handle; I like a little heft. If you’re like me… yeah, the East Fork mug lived up to the Instagram hype. The handle is pleasingly thick and capacious, and the whole vessel has a pleasing weight. The glaze (I chose the Eggshell shade) is beautiful and silky to the touch. -Claire

I’ve been putting the finishing touches on my new in-home work area since I moved. I have a lot of books, and also like to hold onto certain magazines that I’ve collected over the years. I was looking for a beautiful, space-saving way to display them, and I finally found it in these (super affordable!) FRIADE wall racks. I used these wooden racks with faux leather straps for magazines by my desk, and this one (I’m a sucker for rattan!) as a small-space-efficient bedside “table” of sorts, where I can put whatever book I’m reading and my eye masks. -Emma

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[PREVIEW] The 'Selling Sunset' Reunion-sode May 11, 2022

Show notes

Tan France. An indoor water feature. A sculptural swoop of scarlet sleeve. A fake montage of all the ladies arriving. Amanza undergoing 3 hours of glam squad work for a 90-second proof-of-life FaceTime appearance. Chrishell blushing joyfully over a special someone named G Flip. The Oppenheim twins weeping while continuing to hold their faces nearly immobile.

The “Selling Sunset” season 5 reunion had it all — except for the presence of Christine Quinn, the show’s long-running villain, who has apparently ghosted the show and its audience.

This week, we came back together to discuss some of the biggest revelations and pettiest debates of the reunion. We belatedly litigate the question of whether Christine actually bribed Emma’s client to switch agents, dig into the fraught gender dynamics of Jason’s and Chrishell’s respective decisions around having children and the liberatory potential of queer family structures, and come to a final conclusion on whether Emma’s Emma-panadas are really… empanadas. (No.)

Enjoy! xo

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[PREVIEW] The Hustle-Culture Fantasia Of 'Selling Sunset' May 09, 2022

Show notes

After five too-brief seasons of “Selling Sunset,” it was finally time for us to tackle the realtor reality soap — and finally time for me (Claire) to take a crash course in learning to tell 5-7 almost identical long-legged blondes apart from each other. (It’s a steep learning curve, but I can now reliably tell the difference between Emma and Christine, based on minute differences in lip plumpness.)

Like this season’s newcomer, agent Chelsea Lazkani, I plunged sans context into the cesspool of entrenched grievances that is the Oppenheim Group and merrily began to choose allies and enemies. Then I went back and viewed the four previous seasons, watching in enthralled horror as Christine’s friendships blossomed and wilted in an almost comically consistent pattern. Each season of the show is a fascinating document, constructed of lip fillers, couture miniskirts, 6-inch strappy stilettos, wedding invitations unreceived and coffee dates gone awry. Also: escrow. I’m at least 30% closer to understanding what “escrow” means after binging this show, as well as 65% closer to believing, against all evidence, that I will own a $4 million house with an infinity pool by the age of 42. Look, no one ever doesn’t buy a $4 million house on this show, so I can only assume the experience is universal.

Since Rich Text is new to “Selling Sunset” — and especially since I was absorbing all five seasons of drama simultaneously — we had endless material and could have talked for 12 hours. We compromised at two hours, in which we discussed the show’s very sleek, very tan, very L.A. aesthetic; whether the Oppenheim boys have charisma; whether we’re team Christina or team Chrishell; the limits of dividing and conquering; and what kind of home we’d buy with a budget like the buyers on this show.

NOTE: This episode does not cover the reunion episode! Emma had to move (and I had to get a haircut, equally important and stressful) on Friday, the day of the reunion drop, so we weren’t able to squeeze in a taping. But we will be back later this week with a mini-episode on the reunion (spoiler: AHHHHH) and also touch on some of the season five drama that we forgot to mention because I was so overwhelmed by how often Heather must get her hair professionally braided.

Hope you enjoy! xo -Claire

We’ve been reading…

Matt James’s surprisingly illuminating memoir, “First Impressions,” which offers more substance and insight than most post-“Bachelor” books (low bar, but nevertheless).

Also, the upcoming debut “Schmutz” by Felicia Berliner. It’s a very, uh, explicit novel about a young Hasidic woman who gets a laptop for her accounting studies and quickly becomes addicted to porn. Definitely NSFW. -Claire

Finally started Jennifer Egan’s “The Candy House.” I absolutely loved 2011’s “A Visit From The Goon Squad,” so I’ve been very excited to get into the long-awaited follow-up novel. I also loved Jia Tolentino’s New Yorker essay on the potentially radical nature of public, universal motherhood/care work. -Emma

We’ve been watching…

Five seasons of “Selling Sunset.” Obviously. I’m a professional. -Claire

The second season of “The Flight Attendant” on HBO Max. I love a thriller vibe, and I love Kaley Kuoco’s zany energy. -Emma

We’ve been listening to…

Some pods about the recent Roe vs. Wade news, including a satisfyingly rude episode from the lefty Supreme Court podcast “Five Four” and an “On the Media” episode about underground networks of activists teaching each other how to administer safe abortions outside of a doctor’s office. -Claire

The second season of “Queen of the Con” about a scammer CPA in Orange County. You know I love a good scam story. -Emma

We’ve been buying…

A lipstick from Merit Beauty, in hopes of reconnecting with my orange-red-lipstick-wearing roots. Also, an extremely soft nightgown from Hill House’s PJ collection. The days of summer glamour are coming! -Claire

I’ve been moving, so I have mostly been buying a whole lot of home things? My favorites include: these Threshold Coiled Rope bins from Target, this Wirecutter-recommended bath mat, this Backdrop paint in Surf Camp for an accent wall, and this indulgent wallpaper from Anthropologie which I am going to attempt to put up myself in my closet. (Because I am now living with a man, my more maximalist, pattern-driven tastes have been banished from the main living spaces. Rude!!!) -Emma

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[PREVIEW] 'Severance' Terrifyingly Reimagines Work-Life Balance Apr 25, 2022

Show notes

What if you really did have to work all the time? What if there were no family, no friends, no evenings or vacations, not even eight (okay, six and a half) hours of restful slumber?

Would a stack of colorful erasers and an occasional offering of melon or deviled eggs be enough to make this life worth living? What about collegial but superficial friendships with a handful of coworkers? A quarterly stack of waffles and burlesque performance? Constant assurances that you’re part of a family and that your work has profound, benevolent meaning?

“Severance,” the buzzy Apple TV+ show pushes the question to its limit. The series follows Mark (Ben Scott), an office worker at a creepy mega-corporation called Lumon who, along with his officemates, has undergone a procedure called “severance” to separate his work and personal memories. Though they leave the office every day at five and go home to their lives, they remember nothing that has happened at work. And because severed workers retain no knowledge of their outside lives once inside, the process essentially creates a new person, a new consciousness, who lives in the windowless office. It’s a work-life balance so complete that it ceases to be a balance at all.

As the series opens, Mark and his team are seemingly content with their lot — the little in-jokes, the incentives (erasers and waffle parties), the assurances that they’re making the world a better place as part of the Lumon family. Behind the carrots, of course, are sticks: when workers don’t fall in line, they’re psychologically tortured. But when Helly (Britt Lower) joins the team and refuses to accept that she can’t leave, the whole group begins to radicalize. Office comedy blends into dark corporate satire, which blends into scifi thriller as the workers begin to untangle the mystery of what Lumon is doing, why they’ve been created, and how to end their imprisonment.

It’s a beautifully realized, powerfully acted, and startlingly funny show, so we had the best time talking through the premise, the aesthetic, the performances, the misery and solidarity found in office drudgery, the many forms of labor exploitation, and even some fan theories about season two.

We’ve been reading…

“Sea of Tranquillity,” the newest Emily St. John Mandel novel. If you’ve read her previous two books, “Station Eleven” and “The Glass Hotel,” you probably know that there’s some slight overlap between them — a couple of shared characters, hints that they exist in the same universe. “Sea of Tranquillity” draws even more heavily from the world of “The Glass Hotel,” but with a strong sci-fi twist. It dips into 19th century British Columbia and 25th century moon colonies, and several places in between. The common link is a time-traveling detective who’s investigating a glitch in the fabric of time. (Much of the novel also seems to be drawn from her reflections on having written a popular pandemic novel just a few years before a catastrophic pandemic.) By the end, I found myself pretty distracted by my conviction that the time-travel element didn’t quite hang together, making the whole central thread of the book suspect. Not my favorite of hers, but she does go some lovely places with the question of what makes a life worth living — a perennial interest in her work. -Claire

I just started reading an advanced copy of our bud Jessica Goodman’s latest thriller, “The Counselors,” and I am hooked! I mean… camp vibes! Murder! Teen angst! First loves! What more could you want from a well-crafted, propulsive novel? -Emma

We’ve been watching…

Oh, everything! It’s been a catchup week over here. I finally finished “Bad Vegan,” Netflix’s breathless true-crime documentary about how the celebrity chef owner of Pure Food and Wine, a groundbreaking raw vegan restaurant in NYC, got sucked into a cultish relationship with some guy named Shane who used to tweet with Alec Baldwin (apparently this was considered cool in 2011). I’d never followed the story, so it was all new and fascinating. Points off for the troubling ending to the series; after presenting mountains of evidence that chef Sarma Melngailis was in a psychologically abusive, cult-like relationship, the shows pivots to lightly suggesting that maybe she was trying to scam her abuser and just wasn’t as successful as he was. It left an odd taste in my mouth, to say the least. -Claire

The second season of “Upload,” Amazon Prime’s underrated dystopian tech show. “Upload” explores an America in which the wealthy can now upload their consciousnesses to a private digital afterlife. The series focuses on Nathan Brown (Robbie Amell), a 27-year-old computer programmer who dies under mysterious circumstances and is uploaded into Lakeview, an elite digital afterlife, and his very-much-alive handler, Nora Antony (Andy Allo), who is a mid-level employee of Horizen, the shady mega-corporation that runs Lakeview. If you like the Big Tech themes of “Severance,” highly recommend checking out “Upload.” -Emma

We’ve been listening to…

“Scamfluencers,” the new scam pod from Scaachi Koul and Sarah Hagi. The first two stories they’ve zeroed in (a ballet company grift and an actor-producer who pretends to be backed by Howard Schultz) have been totally new to me and profoundly satisfying to hear unravel. -Claire

“Sympathy Pains,” a new podcast hosted by journalist Laura Beil, about Sarah Delashmit, a woman who spent two decades faking muscular dystrophy, cancer, lost pregnancies, and other traumas, in order to solicit friendship, favors and sympathy from the people around her. -Emma

We’ve been buying…

A chunky-knit cotton cardigan from Everlane, in their spring sale! After a year of feverishly, compulsively shopping, trying to figure out a functional style for myself post-baby and mid-Covid, I am really trying to cool my jets and settle into a wardrobe I feel good about. (Thanks to Dacy Gillespie’s Mindful Closet Instagram, into which I took a deep dive last month, for the inspiration.) I’ve been trying to pare back my closet, find things to sell or store or donate, and focus on making sure I have things at hand every day that I can reliably feel good in. And apparently I feel great in a sturdy cardigan? Incredible that it took me 33 years to really figure that out. -Claire

I also indulged in a little Madewell mega-sale shopping. I snagged this MWL Knit Cami and a pair of MWL Form High-Rise Leggings, both an extra 50% off. I have been trying to get back into a regular movement/exercise routine to help with my anxiety, and as dumb as it sounds, sometimes having a cute outfit to do it in is a helpful motivator. (Also, forcing your friends to move with you.) -Emma

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[PREVIEW] 'The Ultimatum' Tries To Destroy 6 Relationships Apr 18, 2022

Show notes

If you watch “The Bachelor,” in some small part, to soak in the befuddling spectacle of 24-year-old women weeping because they’re not engaged yet and will never be chosen… boy, has Netflix got a series tailor-made for you!

“The Ultimatum” is the streaming platform’s latest romance reality show, and, more specifically, it’s part of the Lachey cinematic universe. Like “Love Is Blind,” the show is hosted by the notoriously happily married B-list couple, Nick and Vanessa; also, like “Love Is Blind,” it forces its participants to drink out of matching metallic wine glasses, and it bills itself as an “experiment.”

The hypothesis: Taking time apart and seeing other people can help established couples decide if they’re ready to get married.

The experimental design: Six couples, in which one partner wants to get engaged and the other doesn’t, exchange partners for a three-week “trial marriage,” followed by a three-week “trial marriage” with their original partner.

The results: The various couples break up or get engaged, thus proving that Nick and Vanessa are correct. About something.

Okay, so the scientific method is not closely followed in the course of this experiment, or at least what we remember of it from 9th grade chem.

But what this show does offer, in abundance, are very, very young people who desperately want to get married now. Not when they’re 25, not when they’ve dated for four years, not when their partner is ready, but now. The cast is appropriately unhinged for a juicy dating show. Some standouts:

April, a 23-year-old influencer who almost exclusively refers to herself as “April,” as in, “April has had that maternal instinct since she was a little girl. April wants her own little girl.”
Rae, a 24-year-old who explains that her man should propose because “I have my degree, I stay in the gym, I cook, I clean, and I know how to fuck.”
Colby, a 25-year-old who dresses like a middle-aged ranch-owner and wants his girlfriend Madlyn to marry him immediately so that everyone will know she belongs to him.
Madlyn, a 24-year-old who treats Colby with barely-veiled contempt but seems completely open to marrying him at the end of this experience.
Alexis, a 25-year-old who admits she’d leave her boyfriend if he didn’t make enough for her to live a lavish lifestyle.

Though these characters can be jaw-dropping to watch in action, one thing these Netflix dating shows have going for them, oddly, is a fair amount of nuance. While “Bachelor” cast members are almost always neatly slotted into archetypes — villain, wifey, good guy — and carefully edited to keep their roles clear to the audience, even the most off-putting of the characters on “The Ultimatum” are shown as complex, confusing, complete humans. Even Alexis, who comes off as nosy, rude, and self-centered, is presented through the eyes of her boyfriend, Hunter, as lovable for her strong opinions and sense of self.

It’s juicy, disturbing TV — compulsive viewing, but also a bit concerning. The structure of the show involves taking a relationship with a fair amount of preexisting issues — disagreements about having kids, about money, about compatibility — and, without any apparent therapeutic support, injecting a huge dose of jealousy and insecurity. When the original couples reunite, they each not only have to deal with whatever physical and emotional connections their partner had while they were separate, but they have to field hurtful comparisons to the temporary partner. Most of the participants, by the end, seem to regret having done it, even if they got where they needed to go in their relationships.

On this week’s pod, we discussed as many twists and turns of “The Ultimatum” as we could jam into a two-hour taping. Hope you enjoy! xo

We’ve been reading…

I’m still reading “Pure Colour” by Sheila Heti, and it’s only getting wilder and woolier. For a long stretch, a leaf is simply having a conversation with themself (themselves)? I can’t describe it in a short blurb, I can only highly recommend. -Claire

A lot of brisket recipes to prepare for Passover seders. (Which by the time this comes out, will have already happened.) I settled on Alison Roman’s horseradish-y, shallot-y recipe, with a few tweaks of my own, like adding tomato paste. -Emma

We’ve been watching…

“Severance”! I’m a bit late to the melon party — Emma insisted that I watch for a future pod — but having just finally finished “Station Eleven,” I was very ready to start another show with some real teeth. -Claire

I binged “Severance” in less than 48 hours. I am still shook. -Emma

We’ve been listening to…

Randall and Jake, fresh off “The Ultimatum,” opening up a bit more about their experiences on the Ringer Reality TV podcast. We particularly loved hearing Randall call out his partner Shanique’s haters for being unable to accept an outspoken Black woman, and learning a bit more about what was going on with Jake and April’s relationship off-camera. -Claire

“Scamfluencers,” Wondery’s podcast, hosted by journalists Scaachi Koul and Sarah Hagi, about people who wield influence, both off and online, and use it to grift. The first two episodes are about a ballet company with allegedly lofty ideals, that ended in chargers of domestic violence and murder. -Emma

We’ve been buying…

These beautiful Swedish Hasbeen boots, which I coveted all fall and winter. I wore my Target knockoffs almost every day, but they were getting pretty scratched and gross by the end of the season, so when I saw that Bloomingdale’s had marked down the shearling clog boots I had originally longed for, I pounced. They were still a major splurge (though I was lucky to be able to combine a couple sale deals), but they’re super comfortable and I know they’ll be a cold-weather staple. -Claire

I saw my friend wearing these Everlane Easy Jeans with an elastic waistband, and I had to have them. Now that I’m going out to eat again regularly, I’ve re-remembered the deep discomfort of jeans cutting into your abdomen for a protracted period of time while sitting. They also happen to be on super sale right now. -Emma

The Truth About Marriage, with Heather Havrilesky Apr 11, 2022

Show notes

This is the free edition of Rich Text, a newsletter about cultural obsessions from your Internet BFFs Emma and Claire. If you like what you see and hear, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Rich Text is a reader-supported project — no ads or sponsors! Coming soon: A subscribers-only episode about Netflix’s batshit new reality dating show “The Ultimatum.”

In the final episodes of the NBC sitcom “The Good Place,” our intrepid ensemble of Bad Place fugitives finally arrive at the real Good Place: an eternity of ease and joy. Almost immediately, they notice that all is not quite right. The denizens of the Good Place, finally delivered unto their eternal reward, are very fucking not okay. They’re happiness-poisoned, so surfeited with fun and relaxation that they’re drowning in their own boredom. They’ve developed anhedonic armor against the relentless pleasure of heaven. The gang of newcomers looks around, shocked and horrified. All this time they’d been hearing about how rapturously wonderful the Good Place was… and this was the reality?

Heather Havrilesky’s new book, “Foreverland: On the Divine Tedium of Marriage,” gives us a similar surprise reveal for a more earthly dream: wedded bliss. That moment of shocking reveal is what made the pages of the New York Times, in an excerpt that catalyzed a massive Twitter storm. “Until Bill has enough coffee,” she writes, “[h]e is exactly the same as a heap of laundry: smelly, inert, almost sentient but not quite.” She also writes of his throat-clearing, his sneezes, his monologues on educational sciences. Marriage, she seems to conclude, “requires turning down the volume on your spouse.” Also, she writes, “he’s still my favorite person.”

Yes, this is what marriage to your favorite person might actually look like — not a rosy fantasia of passionate kisses and ardent speeches and your partner somehow doing and saying everything you’d like at exactly the right moment. It might be sort of a mess, and full of frustrations and disappointments. It might also still be really wonderful, and part of the wonder of it might come through the mess and the frustrations and disappointments. A marriage is a shared project, a puzzle; figuring out, together, how to survive the boring sameness and the human failings can be the most intimate and fulfilling part.

That’s what Havrilesky wanted to write about: not a perfect marriage, and not a broken one, but the gripping drama that takes place in a strong, happy marriage. The kinds of conflicts that are often breezily referred to as “ups and downs,” or with the vague admonition that “marriage takes work.”

We both loved Havrilesky’s book (we’re long-time fans of her advice column, Ask Polly) and were baffled by the backlash to “Foreverland,” so we were thrilled she agreed to join us for a conversation about her book, marriage and long-term partnership, aging and hanging on to your identity as a woman in this society, and why people had such a strong reaction to her book.

This week’s episode is free. For more Rich Text episodes, including podcasts on Love Is Blind, The Gilded Age, and Bridgerton, become a paid subscriber!

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We’ve been reading…

Sheila Heti’s “Pure Colour,” a dreamy origin myth and love story.

Also, Lydia Kiesling’s crackerjack essay on Horatio Alger, “Fifty Shades of Grey,” and the weird mix of American ambition and erotic predation that undergirds our culture’s most successful and enduring rags-to-riches fantasies. The disturbing truth she reveals about Alger truly shocked me, though, as she points out, it’s not a secret so much as rarely discussed, and her analysis of his life and work illuminates elements of the billionaire romantic fantasy that have never quite clicked into place for me before. -Claire

Blair McLendon’s New York Times magazine piece on America’s Black billionaires. -Emma

We’ve been watching…

“Minx,” the HBO Max show about a prim feminist (a Vassar grad and tennis club member) who joins forces with a porn mag publisher (played by a swaggering Jake Johnson) after no one else takes an interest in her consciousness-raising magazine, The Matriarchy Awakens. The twist he adds: nude male centerfolds. It’s not groundbreaking — it’s pretty classic uptight-lady-meets-charming-dirtbag material — but it’s well-executed and fun, and the 1970s hair doesn’t hurt. -Claire

All the screeners of “The Ultimatum.” Netflix’s newest reality romance show is a complete mess, but I cannot look away!!!! -Emma

We’ve been listening to…

The bonus episodes of “Biohacked: Family Secrets” on Apple Podcasts, each of which follow someone whose life and identity was upended by a home DNA test. The stories are utterly gripping. -Emma

This week’s bonus episode of Love to See It! I couldn’t make the taping because I was sick, so for this episode, I get to be a fan. Emma went to see The Bachelor Live in New York last weekend, and she recaps the whole bizarre evening with our friend Liviya Kraemer and our old producer Harry Huggins. -Claire

We’ve been buying…

A chelating shampoo, because apparently Jersey City has ridiculously hard water. (Our faucets have the white mineral stains to prove it.) Hard water can build up in your hair and make it dry and brittle — but chelating shampoo is also super drying?? Seems like a conspiracy. Why is it so hard to have hair? Should I just try to install a showerhead filter? My level of handiness is “Ikea dresser assembly.” -Claire

I took advantage of Sephora’s spring sale to get some of my favorites lightly discounted. After months of searching and revamping my makeup routine, I’ve finally landed on a concealer: ILIA True Skin Serum Concealer with Vitamin C. I grabbed two of those — I have been wearing some light concealer under my eyes and on any blemishes on days when I want to look fresh but don’t want to do a full face of makeup. I also grabbed Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray, a tube of Benefit 24-Hour Lamination Effect Brow Gel, and a Beauty Blender sponge, because mine has gotten pretty gross. -Emma

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[PREVIEW] 'Bridgerton' And The Joy Of Sex Apr 04, 2022

Show notes

When “Bridgerton” season 2 dropped a week and a half ago, we couldn’t wait a single day to share our first reaction to the season: where is all the sex? We’re too impatient for a 7 episodes of sexual build-up, and we’re too impatient for a week of reflection before demanding that the creators of this Netflix live-action romance novel give us more horny content. If you missed our quick chat about it, you can find it here. (Also, Claire contributed some thoughts to a fun New York Post article on why some fans wanted more sex, giving her the opportunity to sound completely unhinged. “It should be hornier because I would enjoy that” sounded like a normal thing to say at the time.)

But after a week of reflection, we DO have more thoughts about why we care so passionately about sex scenes – as well as thoughts about how much emotional connection we get to see between our lovers, the season’s many changes from the Julia Quinn novel, whether Anthony is made into too much of a dick and whether Kate’s grief journey is shortchanged, how Edwina is done dirty, how Eloise is done even more dirty, the joy of seeing an Indian heroine taking center stage, the pitfalls of the show’s efforts to build a diverse world out of source material (Quinn’s series) that is unremittingly white and uninterested in questioning the aristocracy or British empire, and the path forward for Penelope after the Lady Whistledown debacle. And despite all the nits we pick, we also tried to extol the parts we loved about this season, which is just as candy-hued and frothy and compellingly acted as season 1.

In this episode, we reference some comments made by the people behind the show about the sex quotient this season, as well as this fantastic article about the history of Indian women in British high society – and how the Sharma ladies in “Bridgerton” both reflect it and cast it in a far rosier hue than reality. Not referenced in this episode, but a fascinating and relevant read: Are the corsets on “Bridgerton” needlessly tight and painful?

Now please bring on season 3: we’re yearning for more Kate and Anthony (happy and domesticated), more Edwina (getting the heart-pounding romance she deserves), a continuation of Eloise’s thoroughly modern dalliance with radical printer Theo (maybe some kissing??), and for the scales to finally fall from Colin’s eyes so he can finally ravish Penelope.

We’ve been reading…

“Foreverland” by Heather Havrilesky, in anticipation of our upcoming chat with her. I’ve been a fan of her writing since discovering Ask Polly on the Awl almost a decade ago, and though she’s taken a bit of a beating for the book’s bluntly funny description of marriage to her husband, I have not been at all surprised or put off by what I’ve found in the book. It’s viciously hilarious, unsparing of herself, her husband, her family, the suburbs, and the concepts of parenthood and marriage themselves. It’s also forgiving and accepting. She embraces the romantic stories she tells about herself and her life, but she also rips them open and turns them inside out to see what the romance is hiding. As someone who is in the marriage trenches (parenting a toddler who is constantly sick while both working full-time), I needed this book. -Claire

In a Bridgerton haze, I started reading “Romancing Mister Bridgerton,” Julia Quinn’s novel about Penelope and Colin. The romance! The sexiness! Swoon! -Emma

We’ve been watching…

“Moana.” The toddler is, in point of fact, home sick as I write this, and has been home sick for four days. (I calculated the other day, and he was out sick or due to a Covid exposure for almost 50 percent of March. February’s rate of absences — 25 percent — looks positively aspirational.) After two years of trying to minimize his screen time, we have become desperate enough to try to actively teach him to watch Disney movies. He doesn’t want to. He wants to run around the apartment, pulling all my books off the shelves and hurling wooden blocks across the room. When the atmosphere in “Moana” turns a bit spooky, he bursts into tears. But, with well-deployed snuggles and additional narration, we’ve convinced him to watch up to 30 minutes at a time. Such a fun movie! Can’t wait to find out what happens once they reach Te Fiti, maybe when he turns three. -Claire

For the first time ever (somehow!!!), I have been watching “Temptation Island.” And oh my goodness. I have QUESTIONS. Mostly… why the fuck would anyone put their relationship through this? Is this show simply a torture device for people who already distrust each other? Why is Hania my new mortal enemy? -Emma

We’ve been listening to…

“What Happened to Sandy Beal,” a podcast reported and hosted by our brilliant ex-colleague Melissa Jeltsen. She reports, with tremendous compassion and insight, on violence against women, and in this podcast, she looks into the cold case of a teenage girl who was found dead of a gunshot wound in 1977. The incident was quickly ruled a suicide by the local police, despite suspicious circumstances — including her recent, troubled romance with a married policeman a decade older. Melissa lets us get to know Sandy deeply, through interviews with her family and glimpses into her diaries, and also turns her lens on the power and relative impunity enjoyed by the cops. -Claire

A big freaking +1 to Claire’s rec of “What Happened to Sandy Beal.” Proud to know Melissa, and the podcast is absolutely gripping. I also really loved the latest episode of Virginia Sole-Smith’s “Burnt Toast,” about the myth of visible abs, and how that false north star can not only enforce chasing the thin ideal, but also create a lot of alienation around practical core work. -Emma

We’ve been buying…

Ughhhh Madewell sweats. Truly back on my bullshit. I feel immense guilt whenever I succumb to the urge to buy overpriced Madewell loungewear (though I snagged this floral sweatshirt and shorts in a site-wide sale, at least). But if I’m honest with myself: the sweats get more wear than anything else in my closet. So I might as well feel good in them, right? During the 50 percent of the month that we’re stuck inside trying to work and parent simultaneously, getting dressed is a mountain I don’t bother climbing. Having some decent sweats already on (from sleeping in them, obv) is what works for me. -Claire

I too succumbed to the call of Madewell and the continuous false hope I will find the perfect jeans!! I bought and ended up loving their Superwide-Leg Jeans in Blaisdell Wash, which come in Petite, Regular and Tall and Plus sizes. They feel somewhat trendy without making me feel like I’m dressing like a teenager. (An excellent sweet spot!) I’ve also been trying to pare down on things I currently have — so I’ve been going through my clothing and putting some good stuff I just no longer wear on Poshmark. -Emma

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[PREVIEW] 'The Gilded Age' Glitters, But Is It Gold? Mar 28, 2022

Show notes

It’s extremely fitting that, for his latest glistening but somewhat creaky period drama, Julian Fellowes (the creator of “Downton Abbey”) selected Gilded Age New York, the historical stomping ground of obscenely wealthy robber barons and their socially ambitious, upstart wives. Much like our own, it was an era of excess and extravagance made visible, of luxury goods flaunted in order to advertise one’s own wealth and status. The economist Thorstein Veblen, having observed the spending habits of the socialite class during the Gilded Age, coined the term “conspicuous consumption” to describe them. The term “gilded” itself suggests that the order of the day was not exactly value, but the appearance of it — a thin veneer of opulence over something worthless.

Perhaps it would be a bit harsh to describe “The Gilded Age” itself this way, though the comparison does spring to mind. As a show, it’s fascinated with wealth and its visual trappings. We both adored the luxuriant draped satins and swishing bustles, the architectural hairstyles, the lavish interiors, Carrie Coon’s velvety voice, the ball. (Above all, the ball.)

The substance was a bit less flawless. Some elements were gripping, in particular the single-minded but compelling quest of Bertha Russell (Coon) to dominate the New York social scene the way her husband George (Morgan Spector) dominates the railway business, and the journalistic ambitions and hidden heartbreak of Peggy Scott (Denée Benton), the daughter of an affluent Brooklyn family who works as a secretary for a white society matron while pursuing her impractical dreams.

Some of the other key characters failed to add up (the age, personality, and true desires of romantic heroine Marian Brook, played by Louisa Jacobson, somehow remain a mystery), and the dialogue is often threadbare. The plot threads are endless, many of them wispy or dangling, and the perspective can be so contemporary that it’s more jarring than relatable. There aren’t many depths to plumb in the show, especially in the society scene where most of the action takes place.

But a soap is a soap, and it can offer an immense amount of fun. As “The Gilded Age” found its legs, there was plenty of that. And some of the best machinations and set-pieces — like George Russell’s successful attempt to squeeze his business rivals to save his fortune (and ruin theirs), and the tense negotiations between Old New York social maven Mrs. Astor and arriviste Mrs. Russell over invitations to Gladys Russell’s debutante ball — were drawn from real Gilded Age events.

In this week’s pod, we nerd out about some of the historical figures and events behind the characters of the show, dissect our reactions to the key characters and plot points, and discuss how the show explores class and social change during an time much like our own.

We’ve been reading…

“Rethinking Sex: A Provocation” by Christine Emba, a WaPo columnist (and old college friend of mine!). Emba’s book takes on the miseries of today’s heterosexual dating and hookup scene, arguing that while consent is a necessary legal concept, it is insufficient to establishing a sexual ethics that would truly promote the wellbeing of its participants. In part, she argues, the greater sexual freedoms we’ve fought for have left us without a shared understanding of what a mutually comfortable sexual encounter might include. Some thoughtful guardrails, she suggests, might actually increase pleasure, just as basic etiquette can make a dinner party more fun. She talks to women made wretched by an app-fueled dating scene, where consensual but unfulfilling sexual encounters are plentiful and committed relationships seem impossible to secure, and makes a case for embracing a sexual culture not based solely in consent or even enthusiasm, but in mutual care. I haven’t yet finished, so I don’t want to offer half-baked responses, but so far it’s a thoughtful addition to a necessary discourse around what would help more people have more joyful, pleasurable sex. -Claire

I’m still making my way through “The Season,” the book about the social history of the debutante by Kristen Richardson, at Claire’s suggestion. I’m learning so much and having a very throwback-to-college experience of underlining things and making notes in the margins. -Emma

We’ve been watching…

The heaving bosoms of “Bridgerton,” of course! Our pod on the new season is coming next week. -Claire

Disappointingly, Bravo’s “Summer House” out-hornied our Regency-era smutty fave “Bridgerton”! But I did watch them both. -Emma

We’ve been listening to…

The same old stuff. It’s been so long since I’ve had time for a good old-fashioned afternoon of house-cleaning that I’m actually behind on most of my podcasts and haven’t started any new ones lately. Just trying to be transparent! -Claire

I caught up on the last two episodes of Jo Piazza’s podcast, Under The Influence. I know I’ve recommended it here before, but I really enjoyed these episodes, about mental health and fertility Instagram/TikTok. Jo manages to do such a skillful job of exploring why these spaces exist in the first place, and how they can both provide relief and support, and do harm. -Emma

We’ve been buying…

These cropped black Luxe Leggings from Girlfriend Collective. I have an old pair in the longer inseam, which I have worn a million times. They’re hands-down my favorite leggings: thick, velvety soft, with the sleekness of a workout legging and the elevated look of an anywhere legging. The only problem: the extra length bagged at my ankles. I was very excited to finally use some Girlfriend points and treat myself to a cropped pair. -Claire

My friend Liv alerted me this week to the fact that comfy shoe brand Aerosoles is having a big heading-into-spring sale. I hadn’t perused the Aerosoles site since I was in my early 20s and trying to purchase sensible office shoes, but to my surprise and delight, they have some really cute stuff! And the sale is *good.* I sprung for these Dada platforms (which are on sale and come in a bunch of great colors) and these Ebba velcro (!!!) sneakers. -Emma

[PREVIEW] Y2K Fashion Is Back. Will It Feel Different This Time? Mar 21, 2022

Show notes

It seems impossible that anyone could want to bring low-rise jeans back.

Right? On that point, we thought we were safe. They require a bikini wax and low-coverage underwear; they feel like they’re perpetually on the brink of slipping off your butt. Sitting down in them, much like sitting down in a hoop skirt, requires a keen sense of spatial awareness and precise, practiced movements. They are designed to present the full, uninterrupted length of your abdomen for public scrutiny. Low-rise jeans were a terrible mistake, of course.

Anyway, as Vogue confirms, they’re back! Along with scarf tops, glittery butterfly clips, shrunken tees, Ed Hardy shirts, and so many other early-aughts trends that were, in our recollection, miserable to grow up under. Generations of adolescents have struggled to master the current fashions and put in a good showing with their peers, but were any other era’s so inherently daunting?

Neither of us missed Y2K fashion; it’s associated with little but middle-school social anxiety and the unbridled fatphobia of the time. But to stay relevant, to feel still young and alive and full of possibility… would we venture back?

In this episode, we briefly discuss vibe shift survival anxiety (remember that discourse? It was a million years ago), and then really dig into our high school fashion memories, our feelings about low-rise jeans, the gendered aspect of the vibe shift and fashion trends, and more!

We’ve been reading…

“Checkout 19” by Claire-Louise Bennett!!! Just read it.

Also, sometimes I like to read literary criticism, when I’m strong enough to do so without sinking into a depression because I almost never write it anymore, and Lauren Oyler has an extremely sharp review of the new Jennifer Egan book Are in Harper’s. Lots of gems in it: “It’s true that being on the internet is a huge waste of time that could be spent reading and writing, plus there’s what it does to language—the way it manufactures clichés through the repetition and imitation it encourages. Yet the desire to waste time is ultimately a human one; it allows us to pretend we have an unlimited supply.” -Claire

I’m still working my way through “Foreverland.” Still really enjoying it and — surprise! — we’re going to have Heather Havrilesky on the pod to discuss it! -Emma

We’ve been watching…

Oh, so many things I’m dying to talk to Emma about. “The Gilded Age”! “The Dropout”! And, most baffling of all, “The Courtship”!!! (We will be covering the latter on Love to See It during the offseason of “The Bachelor” — join us.) -Claire

Truly cannot wait to discuss “The Courtship,” especially its absolutely bonkers ballroom dancing elimination ceremonies. I’ve also been catching up on the “RHOSLC” reunion. -Emma

We’ve been listening to…

Susie’s interview on “The Viall Files,” to get some more insight on the woman who broke “The Bachelor” and put it back together again, sort of. She’s extremely charming and thoughtful in the interview, is justly critical of Clayton but also owns her own mistakes, offers some insight into her mindset going into the fateful fantasy suite conversation, and does her best to make the case that her boyfriend is actually a good dude who is working on himself. -Claire

“Biohacked: Family Secrets,” a new podcast about donor-conceived children and the complicated history and ethical implications of making conception a massive for-profit industry. Like most things under capitalism, the answers are fucking complicated. -Emma

We’ve been buying…

High-waisted shorts that fit me like a glove. I had to size down a couple — Madewell’s sizing is a mess lately — but for once, no waist gap. Summer is coming (in two to three months)!!

I also optimistically resubscribed to Nuuly, hoping for a March and April with some actual outfit opportunities. (Our first date night of 2022, perhaps? My first hangout with a friend since last December? A park jaunt on a day warm enough that I don’t need a fully zipped parka and hat over my clothes?) I learned that Levi’s Ribcage jeans are unforgivingly true to size, unlike most denim brands I’ve worn lately, but otherwise my selections have been winners — though the outfit opportunities have yet to materialize. -Claire

As I said on the podcast, I was recently informed that showing your ankles is now cheugy, so I panic purchased some fun socks from Lele Sadoughi. A dumb purchase? Perhaps. But turns out I really love them? And they look so cute with loafers. At some point I’d like to pair them with formalwear and some platform heels. -Emma

[PREVIEW] Rom-Com Double Feature: "Marry Me" and "I Want You Back" Mar 14, 2022

Show notes

Spoiler alert: This episode contains plot descriptions for each movie discussed. Don’t listen if you don’t want to find out how these (hint) romantic comedies end!

After bathing our brains in intense reality TV drama for the past few weeks — from devouring “Love Is Blind” to taping our eyelids open to make it through the four hours of “The Bachelor” this week (with four more to anticipate this coming week) — we both felt the irresistible urge to retreat to the warm embrace of scripted romantic comedies. The predictability of the formula, and the comfort of being able to expect some human connection and kissing, soothes the soul in troubled times. (In the podcast, Claire refers to “the consolation of genre,” a reference to this great LARB piece on romance novels by Cailey Hall.)

So, this week: a streaming rom-com double feature! We watched “Marry Me,” the glitzy Jennifer Lopez-Owen Wilson vehicle on Peacock, and “I Want You Back,” a cozier romance starring Jenny Slate and Charlie Day on Amazon. We loved the latter (though it needed more kissing) and we found the former boring (though at least we got to see J-Lo perform some high-quality pop songs in concert).

Much has been said about the death of the rom-com, and its resurrection on streaming platforms, and before we dissect these two movies, we discussed the state of the streaming rom-com. Anne Helen Petersen recently interviewed Scott Meslow on Culture Study about his book on the topic, and he offered some sharp insights about the history of the modern rom-com and why it’s so compatible with streaming platforms. Is the relegation of the rom-com to streaming an unmixed blessing? We’re thrilled that they’re getting made in meaningful numbers again, but it’s also hard to see how any but the rare breakout hit (see “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”) could make a real impression in a saturated streaming marketplace. We also chat about the challenges of casting leads with the right charm and chemistry, and of making rom-coms that feel both escapist and relevant in our modern dating context.

After zooming out, we narrow the scope to lightly recap and critique “Marry Me” and “I Want You Back,” try to figure out what each is saying about modern love, social media and celebrity, discuss why every rom-com in America today is also about professional success, and ask how we can start dressing exactly like Jenny Slate’s character. Hope you enjoy! xo

We’ve been reading…

“Checkout 19” by Claire-Louise Bennett. I adored her previous book, a collection of linked short stories called “Pond,” so I was eagerly anticipating this one. She’s a writer who plunges you deep in the perspective of her idiosyncratic characters, and who revels in evocative words and images; reading it feels like being at sea in someone’s mind, tossed about by their spirals of thought about a crush, a book, a childhood memory, a fascination with the skins of aubergines or an unusual name. -Claire

Also, this incredible piece from Meg Conley’s Homeculture, from which I learned that Charlotte Perkins Gilman (author of the classic short story “The Yellow Wallpaper”) advocated for reinstating slavery so that white women like herself could be fully liberated from domestic labor. Conley researches the history of modern kitchen design — from the Communist iterations to the capitalist ones — and illuminates not only how we arrived at the current American ideal kitchen, built for a showy lifestyle rather than productive work, but also how privileged white women have tried to envision utopian kitchen set-ups that actually relied on the violent exploitation of Black and working-class women. -Claire

“Foreverland,” Heather Havrilesky’s (a.k.a. Ask Polly’s) sharp memoir about the “glorious tedium” of marriage. The response to this book has been a truly mixed bag, and while I find some of her points to be a bit repetitive, especially at the beginning, the honesty and humor with which she approaches longterm commitment is admirable and makes for a really engrossing read. -Emma

We’ve been watching…

“Station Eleven,” slowly. It’s incredible how, despite never going anywhere, Greg and I so rarely feel we have time and energy to watch a single full hour of TV at night, but whenever we get to fit an episode in, it’s a treat. I’m watching “The Gilded Age” solo, planning for future coverage, and it’s a much more ridiculous and soapy experience, but also visually arresting in its sumptuous period-costumed way. -Claire

“The Dropout,” Hulu’s Elizabeth Holmes series. After the disaster that was “Inventing Anna,” I’m really digging “The Dropout,” a scam series that actually has something to say that feels worth interrogating. Also, Amanda Seyfried is fantastic as Holmes. -Emma

We’ve been listening to…

“The Rise and Fall of LulaRoe,” hosted by BuzzFeed reporter Stephanie McNeal. Coincidentally, in her latest episode she interviewed none other than Meg Conley about how the devaluation of care work within a capitalist system makes mothers vulnerable to multi-level marketing schemes like LulaRoe. -Claire

Damn it, Claire! That was gonna be mine too! Oh well, guess you just took one for the team and wrote the blurb for both of us this time. -Emma

We’ve been buying…

A placemat with dinosaurs on it for my toddler. We’re always a bit late to move him up to the big-kid versions of things (he’s 27 months old and the only part of potty training we’ve begun is getting him a training toilet), but we’re finally transitioning him to eating at the table instead of his high-chair tray. Dinosaurs always help.

Also, my quest for easy-on, easy-off sneakers never ends. All the moms I know are wearing Vejas (a sustainable/socially conscious brand manufactured in Brazil), and I noticed one particularly stylish mom friend sporting a pair with Velcro locks. So I bought Vejas with Velcro locks: the Recife style in Pierre Natural. They were a splurge, but honestly, the Velcro experience is amazing. I may never wear lace-up shoes again. -Claire

I have been seduced by yet another TikTok skincare trend. This time it’s called “slugging,” and involves slathering Cetaphil Healing Ointment (which I did purchase explicitly to try this) all over your face to seal in your moisturizer and serums overnight. I thought it might be a disaster on my acne-prone skin, but I was pleasantly surprised by how soft my skin felt the next day! (Warning: If you are a side sleeper like I am, you might find some of the ointment rubbing off on your pillow overnight.)

I also just went on a weekend trip with some girlfriends to Miami and found myself dreaming of chic swim and beach coverups come summertime. So I splurged and bought this crocheted Everything But Water one. I also love this one, which gives a similar effect but at a less splurge-y price point. -Emma

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