Pop Culture Rundown
February is flying by, so let's take a look at the latest pop culture news:
Saturday Night Live has struggled to find its rhythm lately, but last night's episode felt like a breakthrough moment. While the show typically prioritizes movie stars over TV (or streaming) stars for hosting gigs, they broke with tradition for Regé-Jean Page and it paid off big time! The star of Netflix's Bridgerton, which gained rapid popularity after its December release, brought some much needed enthusiasm to the table, fueling excitement from both the cast and the normally sleepy in-person audience. Over the past year, it's incredibly rare to capture the excitement of a live, studio audience, but the energy was palpable last night. From his stellar monologue performance to a sketch where half the cast sang Drivers License and everything in between, Regé-Jean Page shined and everyone around him did as well.
It took so long that we thought it was Impossible, but Disney+ has finally given people what they've asked for since the streaming service launched... access to the best version of Cinderella! Starring Brandy and Whitney Houston and an incredibly talented cast filling out the supporting roles, the musical is just as delightful as you remember. The cast reunited (virtually) to celebrate this momentous occasion.
If you love public radio and romance, Rachel Solomon's The Ex Talk is your next read! The book centers on Shay and Dominic, two rival colleagues at a Seattle station, who have to pretend to be a broken up couple for a new radio show. When they get to know each other, they realize they might actually get along... I'll let you guess what happens next. The book is packed with NPR-fueled jokes thanks to the author's past work in radio and some funny moments involving Dominic bragging about his journalism school degree, which I personally enjoyed. In a meta twist, Rachel Solomon even spoke with NPR about the book's origins!
I have a confession. Because of its many, many years of radio play, I often press skip on Taylor Swift's Love Story when it comes up on my shuffled Spotify playlist. Fearless was my first Taylor Swift album, and I still have the most pleasant memory of listening to the CD for the first time on a family road trip through the snowy mountains of Pennsylvania. So I was delighted when Ms. Swift announced (via a throwback-style, coded Instagram message, no less!!) her new version of Fearless will be released on April 9. The first single? Love Story. And it's better than ever. I don't know if it's the triumphant new song title: Love Story (Taylor's Version). Or the way Taylor's voice has newfound confidence and power. Or the emotional connection I have with Fearless. Or the lyric video that shows the love story between herself and her fans through the years. But "we were both young when I first saw you" has taken on a whole new meaning, and I'm a tearful mess!
Speaking of love stories... the third and final (for now?) installment of To All the Boys I've Loved Before hit Netflix last week and it more than makes up for the disappointing sequel. Lana Condor is at her best, as she tells the story of Lara Jean Covey struggling to say goodbye to the life she's known during her senior year. Yeah, romantic skeptics might raise an eyebrow at the likelihood that this high school romance will survive college, but if you're watching this movie for tough-love realism, you're in the wrong place!! To All the Boys: Always and Forever isn't just a love story about Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky. It's a love story about families and friends and sisters and the movie somehow manages to balance each piece brilliantly. Lana Condor talks to The New York Times about her relationship with author Jenny Han and saying goodbye to Lara Jean.
If you're just now recognizing the brilliant talents of Kathryn Hahn, welcome to the party. From her scene-stealing guest appearances on Parks and Recreation to her best friend phase in romcoms like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days to her stellar performance on Wandavision, Kathryn Hahn should star in everything and win all the awards. I can't find a profile that seems to capture her full essence. Here's a New York Times profile from a few years ago that delves into some of her complex, females roles of late. I bet we'll see more Hahn-centered stories in the near future.
