Tag: genna rivieccio

Essay

“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” As Inspiration for Big Brother

Perhaps, whether he was aware of it or not, somewhere in the back of George Orwell’s mind, he was definitely borrowing from J. Fred Coots (try not to make the automatic leap to “cooter” with a last name like that) and Haven Gillespie’s lyrics for “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” (or, depending on your level of properness, “…Coming to Town”) when he created the … Continue reading “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” As Inspiration for Big Brother

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Essay

Home for the Holidays: Whether Told From Chris Radant’s or Claudia Larson’s Perspective, It Remains the Consummate Family-Related Thanksgiving Story

There is a good rule to abide by when it comes to adapting films these days: go with a short story as your source material rather than a novel. Leave the novels instead for a limited TV series (à la Ripley). And that’s part of why the film adaptation of 1995’s Thanksgiving opus, Home for the Holidays, is so perfect. Based on Chris Radler’s short … Continue reading Home for the Holidays: Whether Told From Chris Radant’s or Claudia Larson’s Perspective, It Remains the Consummate Family-Related Thanksgiving Story

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Essay

Martha Revisits Joan Didion’s “Everywoman.com” Essay, Reminds That the Two Are Kindred Perfectionists With a Similarly “Icy” Demeanor

With the renewed interest in Martha Stewart after the release of R.J. Cutler’s aptly titled Martha, there is likely to be some equally renewed interest in an article that Joan Didion wrote about the one-woman brand in question for The New Yorker back in 2000, selections of which are interwoven throughout the documentary via voiceover. Reprinted in 2021’s Let Me Tell You What I Mean … Continue reading Martha Revisits Joan Didion’s “Everywoman.com” Essay, Reminds That the Two Are Kindred Perfectionists With a Similarly “Icy” Demeanor

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Essay

Collins’ Word of the Year and What It Says About “The Culture”

It might come as a surprise to anyone living under a rock (a.k.a. those with more “pressing” matters in their lives besides pop culture) that “brat” has been deemed the word of the year by Collins English Dictionary. While some snobs might be quick to point out that it’s not like the Oxford English Dictionary declared this, the news of brat’s status as the word … Continue reading Collins’ Word of the Year and What It Says About “The Culture”

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Book Review, Criticism, Essay

Not A Girl, Finally A Woman: MARINA’s Eat the World

Like many pop stars who weren’t yet pop stars in the early 2000s, Britney Spears was both an inspiration and a cautionary tale to someone like MARINA. Her influence undeniable on every millennial from Taylor Swift to Charli XCX. In 2021, MARINA paid homage to that influence in a “justice for Britney” sort of way with the “Purge the Poison” lyrics, “2007/When Size 0 was … Continue reading Not A Girl, Finally A Woman: MARINA’s Eat the World

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Essay

The Substance and The Picture of Dorian Gray

Although The Substance borrows from many things—particularly Death Becomes Her—when it comes to satirically addressing the subject of female aging in Hollywood, a somewhat surprising nod in Coralie Fargeat’s latest film is the one to Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. Granted, if any “old queen” knew a thing or two about the fear of becoming ancient (and the loss of looks that goes … Continue reading The Substance and The Picture of Dorian Gray

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Essay

The Enduring Cliché That One Must “Look” Like A Writer In Order to Really “Be” One

At the beginning of Only Murders in the Building’s fifth episode in season four, “Adaptation,” Marshall P. Pope (Jin Ha), the screenwriter tasked with adapting the OMITB podcast, declares of Being A Writer, “It starts with the look. A look that says: I’m smart, confident, worldly. Important, but not self-important.” (Riffing on the adage, “Dress for the job you want,” which means most bona fide … Continue reading The Enduring Cliché That One Must “Look” Like A Writer In Order to Really “Be” One

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Book Review

All Fours and Female Aging As It Relates To Losing Power Over Men But Gaining a Newfound Power (and Freedom) From Becoming “Invisible”

“Seems to me we’re on all fours/Crawling on our knees someone help us please.”Lily Allen, “Everything’s Just Wonderful,” 2006 “What, I’m going to say I like it? No, I don’t. Any woman who is honest will say it’s not as much fun.”-Cher on getting older Usually, when it comes to Miranda July’s work (whether literature or film), there is a tendency for her to disappoint … Continue reading All Fours and Female Aging As It Relates To Losing Power Over Men But Gaining a Newfound Power (and Freedom) From Becoming “Invisible”

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Essay

The Plight of Q Is Something Artists Who Keep Going Despite No Positive Reinforcement (Critically or Financially) Can Relate To

In the first episode of Julio Torres’ HBO series, Fantasmas, one of the many digressions in the “A” (letter pun intended) plotline arrives in the form of Julio’s alphabet story. Specifically, a story about Q. He explains to Chester (Tomas Matos), his “Chester” driver (instead of Uber), Amina (Eudora Peterson), a teacher riding in the Chester cab, and Vanesja (Martine), a performance artist performing as … Continue reading The Plight of Q Is Something Artists Who Keep Going Despite No Positive Reinforcement (Critically or Financially) Can Relate To

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Essay

Language Matters: “Grandpa’s Glass” Could (And Should) Just As Easily Be Grandma’s

As anticipation for Lana Del Rey’s tenth album, Lasso, continues to build, it was only appropriate that the singer began to tease a new song a few months back. Specifically, a collaboration with Quavo that was hinted at as early as February of this year, when the two were seen leaving The Fleur Room together after the Pre-Grammy Gala hosted by Clive Davis. Being that, … Continue reading Language Matters: “Grandpa’s Glass” Could (And Should) Just As Easily Be Grandma’s

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