16 Comments
User's avatar
Crimson's avatar

Wow, really well written. Great job. This reminds me of the 90's. Bittersweet romance was the zeitgeist of the era.

Morgan Strong's avatar

wow maybe my fav of yours to date! I'll be coming back to this one.

⋆⭒˚.⋆ alexandra ⋆⭒˚.⋆'s avatar

Your writing continuously inspires me. You are able to analyze and capture all facets of the art of critique so well. I love that you gave nuance for some it girls being cool, while also spending a bit of time discussing how, for so many high-profile women who "marry well", they exist to be nothing more than satellites. I think that's why I like this adaption too, because it doesn't glamorize that. It's so refreshing, and so is your nuanced, wonderful take. We are always the first to complain about the 'it girl' and find some fault with her, but rarely do we ever look at the golden boys with nearly as much scrutiny, when so many of them set their would-be spouses up for failure. Been a fan for a long time and just wanted to tell you that!

What's Up? with Elena's avatar

omg the Vanessa Carlton "Hands on Me" reference just unlocked something *deep* inside me...

Tell the Bees's avatar

it's so underrated and so powerful

Guendi's avatar

This is the only thing that has made me even consider watching that show. Great piece; thanks for sharing this with us (your substack readers!) I followed you on tik tok but now that I left that app behind I am glad I can still see read your opinions on pop culture. I don't always agree but you always write something worth chewing on/ mulling over.

Betsy's avatar

Have you read Ask Not by Maureen Callahan. You will never see any of the Kennedy women (or men) the same way again even if half of it is true. Still, I can’t avert my eyes. What happened to the boy at JC Penney? Great post.

Jess Kirby's avatar

I feel the exact same way. Tell everyone to read that book before they romanticize ANY Kennedy man.

Loosey's avatar

This book looks wild! I’d love for Josh to read it and give his review!!!

S.'s avatar

> It might be the perfect show for a generation obsessed with easy fixes, with the delusion that marrying rich will save you, that being beautiful and thin will protect you from all the waves the world will batter you with.

*standing ovation*

Sophie B's avatar

Your "Hands on Me" was my "Honey and the Moon" by Joseph Arthur. "Don't know why I'm still afraid / If you weren't real I would make you up". (Anything from the OC, really).

Thanks for writing this. Spent lunch today with a friend discussing how repellent some of Ryan Murphy's productions have been recently (I want to cite The Odyssey, but I couldn't stop watching? Let's go with safe-bet All's Fair).

Stacey's avatar

Have yet to watch Love Story but read this raptly anyway. Maybe because I just finished Coppola’s Priscilla and it feels very much in tune with the tragedy of CBK and the tyranny of fortuned family as you describe here (absolutely another example of the wife as a satellite)! Have you seen it?

ErrorPleaseEnterALongerName's avatar

fyi, it seems like the 'everybody loses' article link doesn't seem to be linking to the article, at least for me

Tell the Bees's avatar

Oh, let me fix! Thank you for letting me know!

Angella d'Avignon's avatar

banger opening line...so ready for this critique!!!