This will be one of those bullet-point filled newsletters because there nothing one could consume media-wise has dominated by brain this week.1 My brain will come back because it always does but until then some quick hits.
Last week, I wrote about my love of British TV and how very comforting it is. Some of that comfort likely stems from the fact that the Brits use actors whose faces show their age, especially when those faces belong to women. One of my issues with American TV is that I can’t always tell one character from another simply because all of their faces have been smoothed to perfection in exactly the same ways. Give me an Olivia Coleman, a Fiona Shaw2, or a Nicola Walker. Their faces look like, you know, faces, rather than botox’d and filler’d masks that vaguely show human emotions.
Grosjean, not on fire Season Three of Formula One: Drive to Survive premiered on Netflix last week. I’ve raved about how much I enjoy this show despite how little I care about Formula One. If you watch nothing else, watch S3’s Episode 9 “Man on Fire.” I held my breath through the first 15 minutes because I had no idea how it would turn out. I suspect most people will do the same.3
This will make sense in a minute. Lastly, if you are looking for a smart-and-funny podcast about the wellness industry, check out Maintenance Phase. Michael Hobbes and Aubrey Gordon research the heck out of topics like “The Master Cleanse” and “Halo Top Ice Cream,” then deliver a succinct course about what is good, weird, and/or horrifying about the topic. Gordon writes the “Your Fat Friend” column in Self and has a new book out. Hobbes writes for Huffington Post4 and co-hosts You’re Wrong About, which is another great pod (in case you didn’t know already).
So there are some quickies. Were they as good for you as they were for me? Tell me what you’re enjoying, too.
Hey! Did you know I also write books? There are three you can buy right now.
What *has* dominated my brain this week is some family stuff (nothing bad just unexpected (no, I’m not pregnant)) and the state of my career because I’m convinced that I’ll never write a book-length thing again because no publisher can see my genius and who reads books anyway? Add that to our ongoing pandemic and county gov’t stuff and, well, my brain is too occupied. Sunrise, sunset.
If you haven’t already, watch Killing Eve. It’s very good — and Shaw is very good in it.
My all-time favorite moment in the series involves Grosjean’s wife when he is going on about his ordeal. She’s got spunk, which I think you’d need to have a successful marriage with a Formula One driver.
His piece about obesity is worth every second it takes to read.
Have you watched Call My Agent? It's French, but your comment made me think of S1E2. Of course, one of the agents is an older woman, so it's an ever-present reminder.
OMG yes, those Hallmark movies where all the women have the same face and hair and I can’t tell which one is supposed to be the mother or sister.