Happy Friday, and I hope everyone’s return to work/school/real life was easy, and uneventful. For me, I almost didn’t get Royals Round-Up out this week because I thought yesterday was Wednesday for a long, long, LONG time. Speaking of scheduling, the Golden Globes are this Sunday. I can’t believe it either, and it certainly should be an interesting red carpet; as you probably know, many women (and some men, though this is hardly a sacrifice in menswear) will be wearing black as a way to protest sexism and sexual harassment. We certainly will be covering the red carpet, as this is our primary job, and also because I think it will be sociologically fascinating to see how celebrities choose to interpret this dress code. Will they also eschew hair and makeup? Jewelry? Or will they employ the full glam squad as usual, and roll up in a custom Alexander McQueen that costs $65,000 but also happens to be black? Is that just obeying the letter of the law? There have been a lot of thinkpieces this week that have betrayed a certain intellectual snobbery about the red carpet, as if the clothes people chose to wear are dumb anyway, and that people who care about them are vapid idiots in the first place. Obviously, I could not disagree more, and I believe that watching how the Hollywood machine chooses to interpret this moment in time through their wardrobe is going to be very illuminating.
– We actually spoke to Constance Grady at Vox about this very topic, and I’m proud to note that both Heather and I sniffed that something was “absurd,” as we are now basically collectively the Dowager Countesses of Grantham. I am — obviously — easily annoyed by the school of thought that holds that people who are interested in fashion, or the red carpet, must be vapid dingbats.
– Related: On Monday, hundreds of women in the entertainment industry banded together to launch Time’s Up, a legal defense fund to help people fight sexual harassment in their workplaces. (America Ferrera spoke to Colbert about it this week, in a truly excellent segment.) Personally, I think this is a great example of people putting their money where their mouth is, and effecting some real change — they’re already raised something like 15 million dollars. They’ve also just released a pin, and I think it’s VERY likely that some actresses are cancelling their black dress and just wearing a pin instead on Sunday. We shall see!
– Also related, and FASCINATING, at Racked: What’s Going on With the Golden Globes Black-Dress Protest? They reached out to a ton of stylists and none of them would comment. To me, this means that everyone is still keeping her options open; no stylist worth her salt would confirm that her client is wearing black and risk a last minute mind-change.
– And, on the topic of the Globes in general, this is super interesting, at Elle: The Golden Globes Has 1400 Guests. Here’s How They Decide Where to Put Them. You know we LOVE logistics!
– This is a great, great convo with Kristi Yamaguchi, at Shondaland. To wit: “I began to appreciate other things even more — like the journey my own family had to become American, to let me pursue the American dream . . . My grandparents’ internment [during World War II] was not talked about much when we were kids. There were references to ‘camp,’ and we were old enough to know when reparations happened. My paternal grandfather received his U.S. citizenship two years before he died. He just believed in this country so much, and wanted his family to be here. My mom was born in an internment camp, and my dad’s family were there, too. They all had to recreate a life for themselves — you just look back and think, Wow, that was only one generation ago. It’s amazing how far they’ve come. There were so many sacrifices that went into establishing themselves here in this country so I could be an ice skater.”
– Related, at Deadspin: The Redemption Of Figure Skater Mirai Nagasu. Go get ‘em, Mirai! (I’m STILL mad that she got passed over last time for Ashley Wagner.) (Our figure skating coverage will be coming your way next week, probably after the Globes because I am but one person.)
– I always enjoy it when Lainey rips into Justin Timberlake. (I also forgot that Jessica Biel is nominated for a Golden Globe this weekend. Can he manage not to mug all over her red carpet photos this time? Doubtful, but it would be nice.)
– Now for something completely delightful: Barry Jenkins Live-Tweeting Notting Hill From a Plane. As he watched it over someone’s shoulder. With no sound.
– At Celebitchy: Diane Kruger ‘felt liberated’ after breaking up with Joshua Jackson in 2016. WELL THE REST OF US DIDN’T LIKE THIS PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT’S TECHNICALLY NONE OF OUR BUSINESS!
– At Smithsonian: What The Post Gets Right (and Wrong) About Katharine Graham and the Pentagon Papers. I haven’t seen the movie yet, but Fug Friend Grant is obsessed with it and I’m looking forward to getting around to it. I LOVED her autobiography, Personal History, which I highly recommend if you haven’t read it.
– On the topic of books, this is a great reading list for the upcoming year! [Electric Lit]
– At Pajiba: We’re Pumped About These 2018 Movies Directed By Women. So am I!
– Revelist conveniently rounded up some of the biggest beauty launches coming in 2018.
– This is a fascinating topic: Where Pot Entrepreneurs Go When the Banks Just Say No. [New York Times]
