The Pop Culture Cold Brew is a collection of pop culture adjacency news that’s sincerely piqued our interest during these unprecedented times— only without the celebrity worship culture and more, along with critique pieces on the pop culture and social mores. Get into it below.
As our over-saturated social media feeds try to weigh us down by doomscrolling to escape the news cycle with mindless pop culture nonsense, escapism is well-deserved. So for those like-minded nosy bitches like myself that love to not mind their business, even for just a bit, here’s the pop culture round-up we can’t get away— or enough of, seemingly.
Joni Mitchell executes what legends do and move in silence. She made a rare public performance— her first in twenty years— at the Newport Folk Festival, where she first appeared in 1967.
Britney Spears reportedly recorded a duet with Elton John during a secret rendezvous of the 1971 beloved EHJ classic, Tiny Dancer. The track is to be released via Universal Music next month.
Ryan, what does this mean??
“It’s not her fault she’s born into it,” fans online defended the honor of a person they don’t know with Hailey Bieber as she and Gwenyth Paltrow discuss nepotism. Nepotism babies will always do the most to make it seem they have to hustle and work harder than those self-made because of their roots; let your work speak because they’re not helping their case. Being born affluent with connections isn’t a problem. It’s what you do with it— like identifying nepotistic benefits since nepotism is hard. Yet denying the silver spoon was a level up. Nepotism is hard, but someone’s privileged child has to assumably work harder.
“As the child of someone, you get access other people don’t have, so the playing field is not level in that way. However, I really do feel that once your foot is in the door, which you unfairly got in, then you almost have to work twice as hard and be twice as good.”
Not to be outdone by another Baldwin, Hailey’s uncle and alleged Spain expat-cosplayer aunt Hilaria took to Instagram to take a stand against Alec’s enemies.
“If I wanted to take a six-month break, I don’t have income to cover that,” she says. “I don’t have someone supporting me, I don’t have anyone I can turn to, to pay my bills or call for help… They don’t pay actors like they used to, and with streamers, you no longer get residuals… The established stars still get paid, but I have to give 5 percent to my lawyer, 10 percent to my agents, 3 percent or something like that to my business manager. I have to pay my publicist every month, and that’s more than my mortgage.”
It’s not that she wants people to feel badly for her, but she is adamant that the luxuries of the job not gloss over the realities of the business. To stay relevant as a young actress… She says this is what motivated her pivot into brand deals, taking gigs as a Miu Miu ambassador and starring in an Armani beauty campaign: “If I just acted, I wouldn’t be able to afford my life in L.A. I take deals because I have to.”
Imagine having to take care of your elderly Abuelo and special needs nephew while working full-time in a job you hate to support your dream career as a side job— Hollywood broke isn’t the same as real-world broke. Sometimes we want to seem relatable because our hardships are still struggles of an uphill battle of personal goals, and while Sweeney is likable and talented compared to other actresses, stating that you need to take on endorsements and high fashion sponsorships to help pay for your $3 million home in a global economic crisis— girl, read the room.
✨ Things That Spark Joy
Happy Endings coming back in any form is pure elation.
School is in session with prep school style seeping its way onto streetwear and high editorials— as someone with an affinity for cardigans, oxfords, and knee-highs, this is pleasing.
Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert in Thom Browne. Image via Vanity Fair. Creem Magazine is back and ready to disturb the musical peace. I, for one, cannot wait.
This week has been a weird one. I got word that an old friend passed away on Tuesday, which caused the delay in Cold Brew’s posting while dealing with a stomach bug that only allows me to have Canada Dry and saltines. TGIF will be on hold for the week.
Con Mucho Amor,
Naomi x