The first question I would ask in the pods 💓

Hi darlings!

How are you? I hope you’re doing well. I’m fine, as long as I don’t think about anything happening, that could happen, or has already happened. If I do, I start dissociating, lololol! 

Our new Secretary of Health and Human Services RFK Jr. going after antidepressants concerns me, not just because he looks like an old hot dog someone accidentally left on the grill for too long, and it’s disturbing that an old hot dog would have sentience at all. (I generally try not to go after people’s appearances, but I simply cannot get over the absurdity that we’re supposed to take health advice from a man who looks–and sounds–like he’s cooked himself to a fine crispness like a barbecued brisket.) I literally went on antidepressants for the first time in my life during the first Trump presidency. I had previously been too concerned about turning into a zombie, and suddenly, being a zombie didn’t seem all that bad. Luckily, for the overwhelming majority of time, medication has allowed me to feel present in reality without having to white knuckle my way through it. 

These are quite literally life-saving medications that treat chronic, genetic conditions. Imagine telling someone with asthma they can’t have their inhaler because they should be able to cure it with positive thinking. Sunshine, push-ups, and raw milk ain’t going to take away the generations of anxiety and depression in my family history. I would still be here without meds because I’m stubborn and obnoxious, but I would have a much worse quality of life. Before meds, I spent a lot of days in bed, watching old movies, because I just couldn’t deal with the world. I took so many sick days at my first job, I had to pay them back when I left. Today, I honestly can’t remember the last time I had to take a true mental health day. I even logged on the day after the 2024 election, which my company made optional after the results. (Truthfully, I welcomed the distraction of work that day.)

I’m just so annoyed that Republicans’ solution for everything is to take away options. Maybe they’re all morons and can’t handle choice, I don’t know. A 16 Handles would send them into an existential tailspin! But damn, bitch, don’t you know variety is the motherfuckin’ spice of life? I feel like we used to think it was cool that this country had people in it who lived their lives in all different kinds of ways. It was a point of pride. Remember when we used to call ourselves “the great melting pot?” Now, diversity is the enemy, apparently. Truly embarrassing!!!

Anyway. Maybe I do just need to lock in. We still have some Christmas decorations up (and by some, I mean our whole-ass tree), which is maybe a sign that things aren’t going that well, except that this happens every year. We just stop seeing it after a while. I don’t know that we’ve ever let it go this long, though. There’s a melancholiness to putting the Christmas tree away that maybe I just can’t handle this year.

I think all of us Angelenos are still processing the fires, honestly. I know it was in and out of the news cycle in a flash, but it was a traumatic event for the city that maybe we didn’t allow ourselves to sit with long enough. Lord knows we are a soft people who aren’t good at being uncomfortable. All we need to be happy is perfect weather, a full chakra realignment, a feng shui’d apartment, acupuncture treated pets, $10,000 worth of medical aesthetics, an outdoor heater, a fluffy blanket, a new viral vegan burger spot, the Dodgers and Lakers to win, an exciting new retrospective at the Academy Museum, a new seasonal snack at Trader Joe’s, the kind of good parking you only get during Coachella weekends, and the infinite dragon of career possibilities to chase. That’s all! We’re a simple people!

So, how have I been coping? I’ve been playing a lot of The Sims 4, listening to a lot of true crime podcasts, and playing with a lot of makeup, even if I’m not going out anywhere (more on that later). 

Let’s get into some things: 

- The White Lotus, season three (Max, HBO). Mike White’s dark comedy exploration of privilege goes to Thailand this season, and I’m so here for it!! SPOILERS ahead, in case you haven’t caught up.

The season starts off with several gunshots, and a lot of people are thinking it’s a mass shooting, but my theory is that it’s going to be a shootout between two people, probably Walton Goggins and the Southern Dad/Thomas Ravanel-type. Another theory I have is that I don’t think Natasha Rothwell is the person who dies, because her son runs away from the body in the water, not toward it. If that was your mom, you would run toward the body to try to save her. I really hope Patrick Schwarzenegger’s character dies, because he is guh-ROSS!

I think my favorite characters on the show, though, are the three ladies there on a girls’ trip, with head shit-talker Leslie Bibb, who I have loved in everything since Popular. I think this storyline perfectly illustrates why three can be such a tough number in a friendship and on a trip, especially if you and your friends have that toxic quality where you all talk shit about each other behind each other’s backs. One person is always bound to be left out. It’s early days, but I can’t wait to see how this turns out.

- Summer House, season nine (Peacock, Bravo). I jumped into Summer House for the first time last season (and even psychoanalyzed every cast member in this here newsletter), and am so delighted that it’s back! We are in desperate need of more “summer should be fun!” energy right now! In case you’re new to Summer House, it’s a reality TV show where a group of “friends” from NYC spend every weekend at a huge house in the Hamptons and throw theme parties every Saturday. This new season features two (2) different couples who have broken up since last season returning to the titular summer house, and one of those people has since become pregnant! So far it seems pretty awkward to have everyone trying to coexist in the house, but maybe that’s better than last season, when Lindsay and Carl were constantly fighting? I’m guessing that this is Lindsay’s last season at the house, since she’s about to have a baby. I’m curious to see if a sober/pregnant Lindsay will be just as confrontational.

In other news, Jesse Solomon is pissing me off AND creeping me out, I cannot wait to see Paige dump Craig’s dead weight, and Amanda and Kyle are dark horse contenders for my favorites so far??? I never thought I’d say it! But I think it’s cool Amanda has been so open about her mental health/medication struggles, and Kyle seems like he’s actually trying to be a good husband, which is really sweet. I know the bar for men is literally in hell, but I can give credit where it’s due! I will share more thoughts later in the season, probably.

- Love Is Blind, season eight (Netflix). I’ll be honest, I have really struggled to make my way through these last two seasons of Love Is Blind after such a dynamic and unhinged season six (which I recapped here). This current season is set in Minnesota, and man, there are a lot of white people on this season! It’s pretty hard to keep them all straight, especially the guys. I know that the Midwest is known for being pretty white, but Minnesota actually has the country’s largest Southeast Asian population, and that was not reflected in the casting at all.

People have different opinions on who the biggest villain is. I think it’s the guy who said he didn’t vote in the last election (in Minnesota!!) and “doesn’t have an opinion either way” on Black Lives Matter. Like… bro. They matter, is the correct answer. My husband Ross thinks that guy is actually conservative and trying to hide it, but I don’t know. It’s hard to imagine right now, but there are a lot of people in this country who don’t vote, and feel like politics are irrelevant to them. I don’t know any of them personally, but based on voter turnout statistics, I know they exist!

Ross and I both agree that our first question in the pods would be, “Who did you vote for in the last election?” And if they didn’t vote or voted for Trump, that would be a dealbreaker. Other questions I would ask & the answers that I would accept:

• “Do you want kids?” Acceptable answer: No

• “Are you religious?” Acceptable answers: No/Not really

• “How do you feel about abortion?” Acceptable answer: It should be legal and the pregnant person’s choice

• “How do you feel about LGBTQ+ people?”Acceptable answer: They’re great and should have all the rights

• “How do you feel about Elon Musk/Joe Rogan/Andrew Tate?” Acceptable answer: They suck and should be exiled from the planet

I could go on, but you see my point here. I would immediately get into the deep stuff, because who cares if you have the same favorite color or both like Christmas if you disagree on the fundamental shit? I know everyone dogs on dating apps, but at least they allow you to filter out people based on some of those criteria. In the pods/gen pop dating, you don’t know until you ask. Anyway, thank God I’m married, because clearly, I’d be a nightmare to date!!!

- Cosmic Beauty The Lovers Palette ($34 USD, available in other countries!). Cosmic Beauty is a UK-based indie brand that I’d heard a lot of raves about from beauty YouTubers but had never felt compelled to try before. That is, until they released this new tarot and Art Nouveau-inspired eyeshadow palette for Valentine’s Day. It is absolutely beautiful, y’all. The photos and swatches truly do not do it justice. I love this color story, which sort of has four quadrants: one pink, one nude, one green, and one teal. The shimmers and multichromes are true showstoppers, among some of the best in my collection, but the mattes are outstanding quality as well. They have a blue black matte in this palette that is probably the most pigmented black powder shadow I’ve ever come across. These days, I am doing pretty simple looks that usually consist of a matte shadow in my crease and a shimmer or multichrome all over my lid, and I feel like this palette is perfectly laid out to do that.

- Revolution Beauty Jelly Blush Stick Lip and Cheek Stain ($8). This is a straight-up dupe for the somewhat gimmicky jelly lip and cheek stain from Milk Makeup ($24) that came out last year, at a third of the price. I actually really enjoy this product! I have it in two shades, “Cherry Red” and “Strawberry Pink.” It gives a nice flush of color to the cheeks, and the jelly aspect is just so fun. I will say, these products dry down on the skin super fast, so my preferred way to use it is to dot it on my cheeks and immediately blend it out with a brush. Like, IMMEDIATELY. Revolution Beauty also released a hydrating jelly primer ($9) that I like a lot, though it has a strong candy smell that some people might not enjoy (I like it, personally). They also released a jelly lip oil stick ($7) which I find to be very go girl, give us nothing! Revolution Beauty can be hit or miss, but if you’ve been wanting to try out the new jelly makeup trend, it’s an affordable way to do so!

Alright, that’s enough outta me this week!

If you have a second, I’d love it if you’d like or comment on this post–just click this link to go to the post page. This post is public, so feel free to share it on social media, or forward it to a friend.

Until next time—choose the correct answer.

Love,

Liz

XOXO