The Little Mermaid live-action remake and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts—two of the biggest upcoming movies of 2023—don’t share much in common. However, an apparent film projector accident at a theater showing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 led to the trailers for the two films playing at the same time. The end result might just be the best movie of the year.
This Wacky Magical Girl Anime Is Studio Trigger-Coded To Perfection
I’ll say right now that while I’m excited to see the new Guardians film, I’ve got little interest in the live-action Mermaid remake and even less desire to see another Transformers movie that isn’t Bumblebee 2. So I wasn’t expecting to be dazzled when I saw a tweet claiming that a theater had screwed up and played the trailers for both upcoming blockbusters at the same time. I almost didn’t even click to watch the video. I’m so happy I did because what was created by mashing up these two teasers is fantastic.
In the video uploaded on Friday—which has already gone viral and been reshared all over Twitter—a theater in Tenesse appears to start playing trailers for both Transformers and The Little Mermaid at the same time, with audio of Ariel singing all that can be heard during the entire clip. The weirdest part about all of this is how well the two trailers sync up, which is probably a sign that movie trailers are following similar formulas and pacing guidelines and not some cosmic bit of content creation. But still, fun to watch!
Fans seem to like the Little Mermaid / Transformers mashup
At one point during the video, you can hear someone mention that “This looks like the best movie ever” and I’m inclined to agree. At the very least it would likely be more entertaining than Disney’s previous live-action misfires or most of the Transformers films. At the end of the video, you can even hear the audience start to applaud the odd concoction of Disney nostalgia and transforming animals.
The original poster of the video explained to Kotaku that this odd mashup happened during an evening showing of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 at an AMC theater in Franklin, Tennessee.
According to Blake Perry, the staff at the theater didn’t say anything afterward and the rest of the trailers were shown without issue. “It was just such a strange coincidence and everyone in my auditorium loved it!!”
Of course, the question now is if any studio or company involved in this weird bit of accidental crossover marketing will latch on to the viral moment and try to take advantage of it. I can see the Transformers-branded social media accounts posting some fan art of Ariel and Optimus Prime chilling and singing together. In a world where Fortnite brings characters like Batman and Luke Skywalker together with Ariana Grande and Master Chief, it’s not that wild to think the brands might come together to squeeze all the fun and joy out of this odd bit of accidental viral marketing.
Or wait, is this just a Fortnite teaser? Damn it.
Update 5/5/2023 4:55 p.m. ET: This story was updated to include more information from the original poster of the viral video.
In 2000, Destiny’s Child heralded the dawning of the new century by unveiling “Independent Women Part I.” On the heels of TLC’s “No Scrubs,” released the year before in 1999, “Independent Women Part I” built on an increasingly beloved notion: women being financially independent of men (who were effectively useless anyway without finances of their own to offer). Although the 1980s and 1990s had seen a glimmer of this in the “working mom” trope or the shoulder pad-packed skirt suit that Melanie Griffith immortalized in Working Girl, the “novelty” of “sisters doing it for themselves” had worn off by 2000, and it seemed time to make more robust strides than merely being a woman “allowed” to contribute to the capitalist machine. Now, women wanted to be truly “independent”—no man, no shared bank account, just her and her bag.
The tie-in of the song to a movie reboot of Charlie’s Angels starring Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu was key to not only highlighting the independent women gains made by said gender since the 1970s, when Charlie’s Angels initially aired on TV, but also the fact that women are everyday superheroes. Their ever-changing “costumes” (read: drag) all being part of the many disguises and personas they wear to appeal and cater to a cadre of different people (usually fragile men). And, speaking of “catering,” it seems antithetical that another Destiny’s Child song, “Cater 2 U,” was released as a single five years after “Independent Women Part I”—and expressed a much different message that fundamentally negates Beyoncé’s brand as a “feminist.” But anyway, in 2000, “Independent Women Part I” was a beacon of light. A surge of hope, a boost of confidence. Especially to women who were afraid that the twentieth century might never let them go (and yet, lo and behold, here we are in the twenty-first and things seem much less progressive than they were in the twentieth thanks to, oh, the repeal of Roe v. Wade for a start). Here to help remind women of that pivotal instant (while simultaneously bolstering an unsustainable system called capitalism) is Ciara. Wont to emulate Janet Jackson in the past (see: “Jump”), this time, she’s going for straight-up 2000-era Destiny’s Child as she gets Lola Brooke and Lady London to join her on the “Girls Mix” of “Da Girls,” likely to appear on her eighth studio album along with “Jump” and “Better Thangs” featuring Summer Walker.
In case there was any question about whether or not this was Ciara’s update to “Independent Women Part I,” she commences the song with the chorus, “This is for the girls gettin’ money/This is for the girls that don’t need no man/This is for the girls that’s in love with theyself/This for all the girls that done did it by theyself/This for all the girls that’s I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T.” Really driving the point home by literally spelling out the connection. And, considering that 2023 already started out with a sologamy bang via Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers,” it’s no surprise that other women in music should keep emphasizing the “trend.” As though independence is a “monetizable moment.” But then, of course it is—just as monogamy has been for centuries (and still is despite “falling out of fashion”). To bring it all back to the current “I can buy myself flowers” perk/emblem of being an independent woman, Ciara even sings at one point, “I wanted some flowers/Mr. Wilson pulled up in a Rolls (skrrt).” “Mr. Wilson” alluding to her husband presumably pulling up with the flowers she wanted—which makes it slightly less independent-sounding. One would have preferred to think of “Mr. Wilson” as a flower delivery service (or even a reference to Mr. Wilson’s flower in Dennis the Menace). That would have at least entailed she can not only buy herself flowers, but have them show up to her house without lifting a finger, too.
As for the accompanying video, the original favors a certain Billie Eilish in “Lost Cause” vibe (itself a riff on “34+35 Remix” visuals) as her girls come over to hang out, dance around, eat, drink and generally frolic. This is what it is meant when Cyndi Lauper says, “Girls just wanna have fun.” In the “Girls Mix” version, the concept isn’t much changed, swapping out the “rando” women at Ciara’s house in favor of just Lola Brooke and Lady London—helping Ciara (the “Beyoncé” of the outfit) to complete a trio à la Destiny’s Child (or Charlie’s Angels). And for their version of “Independent Women Part I,” Brooke is sure to give a direct nod to Beyoncé by saying, “Gonna rock these pants like a freakum dress,” after which Lady London declares, “This is for the girls on the grind/This is for the girls that done worked full-time/This is for the self-made girls, yeah, the self-paid girls.” It’s all certainly enough to make someone like Betty Draper blush with embarrassment, as though her “reliance” on a man (read: a monogamous situation that reinforces capitalism) is shameful, her invisible labor within the domestic sphere meaningless. But anyway, such women are supposed to be “relics,” right? Nonexistent in the climate of the present.
Meanwhile, on “Independent Women Part I,” Kelly Rowland (in conjunction with ex-DC member Farrah Franklin, not Fawcett) sings, “The shoes on my feet, I bought ’em/The clothes I’m wearing, I bought ’em/The rock I’m rocking, I bought it/‘Cause I depend on me if I want it/The watch I’m wearing, I bought it/The house I live in, I bought it/The car I’m driving, I bought it.” One can tell how this would also presage Ariana Grande declaring, “I see it, I like it/I want it, I got it” on “7 Rings,” yet another anthem championing female-centric materialism (diamonds, hair extensions, clothes, etc.) as a form of independence. And while, sure, she might be financially independent, she still leans on/plays into the oppressive system that men/patriarchy wield to keep most people in check. Women included. The idea that becoming “independent” means fully embracing capitalism (as any male industrialist would), however, is both naïve and reductive. And it’s hardly tantamount to “equality.” All it serves to do is bolster neoliberal practices by making women think they’re “free” because they have purchasing power. And by fortifying that illusion to other women in a song format, what it really amounts to is more propaganda for capitalism under the guise of “progress.”
From Grande saying, “My receipts be lookin’ like phone numbers/If it ain’t money, then wrong number” to Ciara repurposing the same flex with, “Bank account look like phone numbers/All of our checks got four commas,” the message is clear: be like a man. Make money. Rely on “yourself.” All while simultaneously relying on the very system that allows oppression to flourish. It’s not exactly “feministic” in the spirit that many women would like to believe. But since the end of capitalism feels unimaginable, perhaps women are just doing their best to work within it while there’s still money to be made before all resources are plundered and life veers into Mad Max territory.
Ironically, Beyoncé herself had no agency in getting “Independent Women Part I” onto the Charlie’s Angels Soundtrack. It was actually her “dadager,” Matthew Knowles, who submitted the track without her permission/knowledge. So much for, “Try to control me, boy/You get dismissed.” But apparently, being “independent” is overrated when it works to your bank account’s advantage. What’s more, “donating” the single (which was originally supposed to be “Independent Women Part II” released on their ’01 album, Survivor) to Charlie’s Angels isn’t quite indicative of promoting “independent” women, per se. After all, the three women in question aren’t just Angels, are they? They’re Charlie’s Angels. They “belong” to Charlie. And the trio seems to have no problem with that, nor any desire to truly break out on their own, independent of their invisible Daddy figure.
At one point in the song, Beyoncé sings, “Do what I want, live how I wanna live/I worked hard and sacrificed to get what I get/Ladies, it ain’t easy being independent.” No, it’s certainly not. Especially since “independence” still comes at the cost of fucking Mother Earth up the asshole and acting little better than a man with a burgeoning bank account.
Welcome to Oz! Like a house falling out of the sky, the first official photos from the two-part, highly anticipated Wicked films have dropped into our lives, courtesy of stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
Based on the musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman, the Wicked films are being helmed by Crazy Rich Asians director John M. Chu. Wicked tells the story of the frenemy-ship between Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, featuring beloved songs like “Popular,” “The Wizard and I” and “Defying Gravity.” It’s now officially the fourth-longest running Broadway show of all time, surpassing Andrew Lloyd Weber‘s Cats this month. A Wicked feature film has been in the works for almost 20 years—shortly since the musical premiered on Broadway on June 10th, 2003 and made household names of its stars Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth.
And now, we finally have our first glimpse at our central witches. The photo of Erivo as Elphaba is shot from the back, almost completely obscuring her telltale green skin. We do however, see her sporting signature witch’s hat, looking as sharp as ever, as well as her signature broom.
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In the photo of Grande as Glinda, we see her ascending a staircase from a distance, as regal as ever. Of course, she’s wearing her favorite color—pink—and we can see the side of her face in profile. Grande is also sporting her newly blonde tresses.
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Grande and Erivo are joined in the films by Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, Ethan Bailey as Boq, and Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible.
The first Wicked film will fly into theaters on November 27, 2024, with the second entering by bubble on December 25th, 2025. Until then, feast your eyes on these first look photos—which, as Glinda would say, are positively “splendiferous.”
“I don’t understand,” Davidson told co-host Charlamagne tha God. “It’s really not that special. It’s just [a] very normal-sized penis. It’s like, you know, not too big or too small. It’s just like, you know. Yeah, I don’t understand that.”
“It’s just like, big enough to enjoy and not big enough for it to hurt,” he added. “Is what I was told.”
Davidson was formerly engaged to pop star Ariana Grande, who arguably spawned the narrative about him being well-endowed. In 2018, when a fan on Twitter asked “how long is pete” (referring to a track on Grande’s album “Sweetener”), Grande reportedly replied: “like 10 inches? ….oh fuck….I mean … like a lil over a minute.”
“You sit back and you’re like, ‘Why?’ Why would [a] girl who knows this information break up with a guy, set him loose, make him kind of famous and then be like, ‘He has a huge dick’?” Davidson said at the time. “It’s so that every girl who fucks me for the rest of my life is disappointed.”
“It’s a phrase I’d used with friends to refer to guys who aren’t that great but for whatever reason you still find attractive,” he wrote in The Guardian. “The tweet got a normal amount of attention and as it was a phrase I’d used before, I didn’t think about it again.”
Davidson might wish he could put it out of his mind too.
To exist is, unfortunately, to be perceived. And, in this world, there’s no shortage of people who would like to comment on their perception of you. Being a celebrity takes that phenomenon to an nth degree that no civilian can likely imagine. However, it is (and long has been) considered part and parcel of “the fame game.” For if a person wants to be in the public eye for the sake of disseminating whatever their talent is to the masses, the inevitable fallout is the curse of public opinion. Not everyone is going to “love” you or automatically embrace everything about you, least of all when it comes to appearance.
Lately, the frequent criticism of fans themselves is that they are not “real” fans if they deign to condemn anything about their so-called god. That’s where the modern fandom-fame dynamic has gone terribly askew. For the die-hard fans (of a Swarm variety) are of the belief that no “ill word” should ever be spoken of the “deity” they worship. This extends to fault-finding of any kind—read: straightforward perceptions of the body. Remarking on if a celebrity has lost or gained weight is at the top of the list (as Britney once put it, “I’m Mrs. She’s Too Big Now She’s Too Thin”). This includes Grande’s increasingly “heroin chic” look. And yes, she was already objectively thin to begin with. Such “objectivity,” however, is something that Grande wants people to feel “less comfortable” commenting on, even if it’s coming from a “well-intentioned” place. Which it was, as what prompted Grande to release a video chastising this form of body shaming in the first place was the barrage of comments that came in the wake of her cameo at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London, where she and Cynthia Erivo went to see their fellow Wicked co-star, Jeff Goldblum (who will be, of all things, the Wizard of Oz), play the piano. Alas, all eyes were focused on her ever-diminishing body shape rather than the music.
A similar incident occurred in May of 2005, when Nicole Richie and Lindsay Lohan (then in greater cahoots perhaps because of a shared mutual contempt for Paris Hilton) were photographed looking utterly anorexic as they swam in their floor-length dresses with arms that mirrored those of a starving African child. Cue the onslaught of tabloid headlines. While Richie would later state that her weight loss was a result of stress and anxiety rather than any eating disorder, she still admitted of her 00s self, “I see a girl that is obviously going through something and is much too skinny [and probably on drugs, went the unspoken conclusion].” Lohan, in turn, copped to battling with bulimia (and drug addiction) around this time. Both women had no issue in discussing their bodies or addressing people’s continued concerns about the message their shared (lack of) figure was sending. At the height of tabloid “culture,” maybe it was too “normalized” to be okay with dissecting headlines that dissected one’s body. But, at the same time, Lohan and Richie were in on the joke. And relished the then-revered “skinny bitch” physique. So much so that Lohan even wore a shirt that said “Skinny Bitch” and Richie threw a Memorial Day barbeque that barred guests over a hundred pounds (“There will be a scale at the front door. No girls over 100 pounds allowed in. Start starving yourself now”). Such acts would invoke immediate cancellation in the present, to be sure.
Left: Lohan lapping up her skinny bitch era before it really happened on the right, with Nicole Richie
Perhaps because Grande is, in her own way, an honorary member of Gen Z (as a result of her vocal advocacy for mental health), she’s drunk from that Kool-Aid for too long to remember what she truly is: a millennial. Of the Lohan and Richie generation, even if slightly younger than they are. This forming the weird chasm to become part of a microgeneration (something that never needed to exist before everything and “trend” started to accelerate at such a rapid speed due to waning attention spans spurred by the internet). And Lohan and Richie know better than anyone that trying to steer the public away from their opinions is fruitless. If anything, it makes them cling to those “freedom of speech” rights all the more.
But what’s most glaring about Grande’s “earnest plea” is that she’s trying to tell a society that traffics in the financial profits of various forms of body shaming (including, at the top of the list, beauty products) that they should no longer be so critical. The thought of such an amendment to human (nay, consumer) behavior actually occurring is not only absurd, but entirely far-fetched. Especially within the celebrity-industrial complex that Grande operates within. Not to mention Selena Gomez, another recent victim of the body shaming discourse that led to her own clapback at “fans” (again, as they’re so derisively put in quotation marks when they speak ill of their god) the same way Grande did on TikTok Live. Establishing the blueprint for Grande, Gomez declared, “I just wanted to say and encourage anyone out there who feels any sort of shame for exactly what [you’re] going through, [when] nobody knows the real story… you’re beautiful and you’re wonderful.” Grande echoed the same sentiments with, “You never know what someone is going through. So even if you are coming from a loving place and a caring place, that person is probably working on it. Or has a support system that they are working on it with and…you never know. So be gentle with each other.” She added, “I just wanted to extend some love your way and tell you that you’re beautiful no matter what phase you’re in…no matter what you’re going through, no matter what weight…no matter how you like to do your makeup these days, no matter what cosmetic procedures you’ve had or not…I just think you’re beautiful.” Of course, that’s easy to say when you can’t actually see who you’re talking to.
As for the specific mention of makeup, it bears noting that both Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez make a large chunk of their profits off that industry via their R.E.M. and Rare Beauty lines, respectively. Whatever the makeup is being marketed as (“inclusive,” “natural,” etc.), it’s still ultimately designed to be used as a tool to mask one’s “authentic” self. For if that’s truly what we all wanted to be, makeup wouldn’t be a billion-dollar industry. Or plastic surgery. Or fashion, for that matter. And, speaking of, Grande is “the face” of one of the most elitist names in haute couture, Givenchy. Also a brand that has long worshipped at the altar of Audrey Hepburn-level thinness (spoiler alert: Hepburn got that thin by being malnourished as a child during World War II). Indeed, Grande is meant to be some sort of “2.0” version of Hepburn’s waif-based poise and elegance. But no, she insists, we should not comment on bodies—even as she proceeds to make much of her bag on the discourse that surrounds them. This, too, cuts straight to the issue that no one’s addressing (least of all a celebrity): capitalism.
The only reason to comment on bodies and create a “narrative” centered on what’s “hot” and “not” in that “realm” (e.g., Kim Kardashian’s physique usurping the rail-thin one of Paris Hilton’s after the 00s) is because it’s profitable to multiple industries. And it’s not just limited to beauty and fashion. It creates a ripple effect in every facet of purchasable existence—from foods consumed to exercise habits that can be paid for. And it’s something every celebrity benefits from financially. Even the much-exalted Lizzo, who has also entered the chat again as a result of Grande’s video, with people bringing up her own anti-body shaming tirade from January of this year in which she announces, “The discourse around bodies is officially tired.” “Tired” or not, it’s still a source of major income to many involved in the fame racket. And even selling “body positivity” is a part of that. The weaponization of language (such as censoring people from stating the obvious in a way that makes them feel fearful to speak at all), of course, is one of the first steps in fully activating 1984. Yet our society is bifurcating into a separate territory from that Orwellian nightmare as well, one in which the jettisoning of the body seems to be related to the increasing reliance on “uploading consciousness” (as Grimes said, “Come on you’re not even alive/If you’re not backed up on a drive”).
In a Nightline special addressing Gomez’s defense of her body, an archival clip of Lizzo being interviewed was included as she said, “We as a society have normalized cruelty to a point where we have internalized cruelty.” Again, does everyone need to be hit over the head with the obvious reason why? C-A-P-I-T-A-L-I-S-M. Apparent cuntiness sells. In tabloid-oriented form as much as fashion and makeup form.
Despite this, an ABC news contributor who appeared on the special, Kelley L. Carter, concluded, “I don’t think people want perfection out of celebrities anymore. I think they want celebrities that they can see themselves in.” Or at least, “the raw material” of themselves. For “fame as a profession” (a.k.a. going viral) has never been more lusted after than it is in the present climate. And if people—“real,” “average-looking” people—can see themselves in a celebrity, then yeah, that’s still a goldmine for the capitalist cause. Which has thrived on body shaming for centuries (see: the below ad as one of countless examples).
Selling shit by shaming people is an American tradition that won’t be quelled with any hypocritical celebrity pep talks
All of this talk about “not commenting on celebrity appearance” also plays into the idea that it isn’t safe to say anything anymore, and certainly not to call a spade a spade (i.e., a fat person fat or a thin person thin). At least, in U.S. culture. But imagine telling a culture as hyper-critical and in-your-face as the Italians to keep their comments to themselves. To that end, it was Stefano Gabbana who outright called Gomez “brutta” in 2018. This leading to another conversation about why he should be lambasted for expressing an opinion since, as it is said (often falsely when it comes to selling fashion through models), “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
Whatever “effect” Grande’s video might have inflicted for a brief twenty-four-hour period in the news cycle, it’s not likely to shift the bottom line: if celebrities truly want to stop the “body shaming” they’re faced with, then the only thing to do is 1) use their fortune to go back in time and not become famous or 2) retreat into the “wilderness” like J. D. Salinger. Or better yet, renounce capitalism to be a truly commendable role model. As both Grande and Gomez have been branded for their stance against shaming…never acknowledging that all shame stems from our collective commitment to prostitution.
Ariana Grande doesn’t want people talking about her body — or anyone’s body, for that matter.
In a rare video posted by Grande, 29, she addressed the recent onslaught of social media commentary about her weight. In recent days, the singer’s Instagram comments have been flooded with “concerns” over her thin appearance, with many body-shaming Grande and speculating that she must be starving herself.
In a three-minute TikTok posted Tuesday, Grande said she “wanted to address your concerns about my body.”
After noting that she doesn’t feel confident or enjoy making these sorts of videos, Grande said people “should be gentler and less comfortable commenting on people’s bodies, no matter what.”
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Grande, who appeared in a slouchy grey hoodie with her blond hair tied back, said even a comment about someone’s body that may seem positive can be ultimately harmful.
“There are many different ways to look healthy and beautiful. And personally, for me, the body that you’ve been comparing my current body to was the unhealthiest version of my body,” Grande said in the video. “I was on a lot of anti-depressants and drinking on them and eating poorly and at the lowest point of my life when I looked the way you consider my healthy, but that, in fact, wasn’t my healthy.”
Grande hoped something “good” might come from her posting the video and being so openly vulnerable.
“You never know what someone is going through,” the Grammy-winning singer reminded her fans. “Even if you are coming from a loving place, and a caring place, that person probably is working on it, or has a support system that they are working on it with.”
“Be gentle with each other, and with yourselves,” she continued. “I think you’re beautiful no matter what you’re going through, no matter what weight.”
The video has been viewed 53 million times, as of this writing.
Amanda Marshall returns with first new music in more than two decades
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In an Instagram post earlier this month, Grande, who is playing Galinda alongside Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba, said she was halfway through the production.
“I am so grateful,” she wrote.
She said the movie has been “transforming and healing parts of me that i [sic] never knew needed it.”
Last week, the fashion world was taken by surprise as Law Roach noisily retired from styling. The famed stylist is known for saving the fashion careers of many celebrities, pulling them out of tone-deaf, trendless outfits and into the world of serving absolute looks. If you’ve loved what a celeb is wearing, Law Roach probably styled them.
He’s the wizard who turned Zendaya into Cinderella for the Met Gala ( who also styles her boyfriend, Tom Holland), he’s the maven who re-branded Celine Dion’s style. But the fashion industry is both cutthroat and rarely without drama. Law took to Instagram to announce he was retiring for good, and that the industry had seemingly “won.”
But retirement can mean so many things. Tom Brady has retired from football twice now. So it’s safe to say that people have questions when it comes to Law Roach’s sudden retirement post.
Is Law Roach Retiring?
People love giving credit where credit is due – and as such, stylists have their very own fan bases. The Guardian likens this phenomenon to Rachel Zoe’s Zoe Bots, which spawned her own spinoff show and fame in her own right, and not just for styling Lindsay Lohan.
This just means Law Roach will be fine if he’s not styling everyone anymore – he’ll be sitting on a million Instagram followers and a networking catalog that most would kill for. He has some of the biggest names in Hollywood behind him like Zendaya herself. In other words, Law Roach probably isn’t going anywhere.
The dramatic, shady Insta post wasn’t Law stepping away from fashion altogether, as he told Vogue. And it most definitely isn’t due to the fact that Zendaya didn’t save him a front-row seat at Fashion Week this year – or that he asked Emma Stone to give up hers. Law Roach is taking his career into his own hands, far away from “the politics, the lies, and false narratives” that Roach credits for his retirement from celebrity styling.
“I just wanna breathe. I wanna fly. I wanna be happy,” Roach said. “I wanna figure other things out.”
Who Has Law Roach Styled?
His looks have been seen on Anne Hathaway, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ariana Grande, and Bella Hadid. Law has created a multi-million dollar empire styling clients for photoshoots and red carpet appearances, while collaborating with some of the biggest fashion houses in the world.
This year’s Oscars showcased Megan Thee Stallion, Hunter Schafer, Kerry Washington, Eve Jobs, and Hailee Steinfeld, all dressed by Roach. Most of which ranked as the most talked about looks of the evening – so who’s going to style them now?
Law Roach and Zendaya at the Met Gala 2019
David Fisher/Shutterstock
And while each and every look was a slay and a serve in their own respect, no two looks were similar. In fact, each look was praised in their own ways, for different reasons. It’s something Law Roach talks about with The Cut.
“It’s always the narrative of, “Oh, he’s never gonna treat you the way he treats Zendaya. You’re gonna get what she doesn’t want.” And that’s not true, because none of my clients ever look the same. Like, I don’t use edits.
I don’t walk around with suitcases of edits that Zendaya didn’t want and offer ’em to other people. It’s always those narratives, and I’ve lost a bunch of clients that I really care for and really wanted to work with because of the gatekeepers.”
Law even styled Priyanka Chopra-Jonas, who told People that a stylist (seemingly Roach) informed her she wasn’t “sample sized.” While Law Roach told The Cut that this conversation didn’t happen in the way she framed it, it was an example of the false narratives he cited in his retirement.
What’s Next For Law Roach?
More recently, Roach was spotted making his modeling debut for Boss. Law Roach strutted the runway in good company amongst Pamela Anderson, Naomi Campbell, and Precious Lee. He told Vogue,
“I don’t think I have any challenges. I’m a fucking diva! Even if they were to put me on a 10-inch high heel I would be walking that runway. The little gay boy in me—I’m living out a dream! The hair, the makeup, the look they chose for me: it’s literally a dream!”
Britain’s domestic intelligence agency didn’t act swiftly enough on key information and missed a significant opportunity to prevent the suicide bombing that killed 22 people at a 2017 Ariana Grande concert in northwest England, an inquiry found Thursday.
Retired judge John Saunders, who led the inquiry into the Manchester Arena attack, said that one MI5 officer admitted they considered intelligence about suicide bomber Salman Abedi to be a possible national security concern, but didn’t discuss it with colleagues quickly enough.
“I have found a significant missed opportunity to take action that might have prevented the attack,” he said.
Abedi, 22, set off a knapsack bomb in the arena’s foyer at the end of the May 22, 2017 concert, as thousands of young fans, including children, were leaving the pop star’s show. Abedi died in the explosion.
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His brother, Hashem Abedi, was convicted in 2020 of helping to plan and carry out the attack. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Saunders said had the MI5 acted on the intelligence it received, it could have led to Abedi being stopped at Manchester Airport on his return from Libya just four days before the attack.
Manchester Arena bombing suspect’s father, two brothers among arrested
Richard Scorer, a lawyer representing 11 of the bereaved families, said the report was a “devastating conclusion for us.”
“It is now very clear that there was a failure to properly assess key intelligence about Salman Abedi; a failure to put it into proper context, and _ most catastrophic of all _ a delay in acting on it,” Scorer said. “The failures exposed in this report are unacceptable.”
Multiple MI5 witnesses gave evidence behind closed doors to the inquiry and the intelligence wasn’t publicly disclosed.
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Abedi had been a “subject of interest” to MI5 officials in 2014, but his case was closed shortly after because he was deemed to be low-risk.
Saunders also said that authorities failed to refer Abedi to the government’s counterterrorism program, known as Prevent.
“I have concluded that there was at least a period during Salman Abedi’s journey to violent extremism when he should have been referred,” he said.
Thursday’s report was the third and final one into the attack. Saunders previously criticized the arena’s security staff and local police for failing to identify Abedi as a threat. He has also slammed delays and failings in the response of emergency services on the night of the bombing.
Whether you’re a dedicated Arianator or not, there’s no denying that Ariana Grande‘s fragrance line has claimed a much-deserved spot as one of the top-selling celebrity fragrance brands since the release of her debut scent, Ari by Ariana Grande, in September 2015. Since then, the “Just Look Up” singer has released nine other fragrances, including the viral Cloud perfume that took social media by a storm following her studio album of the same name.
Before becoming a beauty editor, I discovered the perfume through countless YouTube unboxings and reviews from fashion-and-beauty content creators such as Gabi DeMartino. Read on to discover which of this singer’s other aesthetically pleasing perfumes (how cute are those bottles?) have captured the hearts of Ariana Grande superfans and fragrance lovers alike.
I might be showing my quirkiness a little bit here, but believe me when I say that I’m always prepared (with notes) to argue with anyone who tells me they didn’t like Ariana Grande’s iconic video for her hit single “Thank U, Next.” I know I’m being a tad dramatic, but when a piece of *art* captures and re-creates the iconic movies of your teen years perfectly, you tend to go a little overboard on the love and affection.
Although it has been years since the video’s release, I was delighted to learn recently that Grande and her brand R.E.M. Beauty decided to give the people what they want in the form of a gorgeous new Thank U, Next collection that pays homage to the video. In addition to receiving the news about the launch, I was also excited to learn that Grande’s longtime makeup artist Daniel Chinchillashared a few tips in a YouTube video on how to create one of Grande’s iconic looks using the new collection. Don’t worry, I made sure he didn’t stop at just one look, either. I asked Chinchilla for a second look he would choose to re-create, along with the products he’d use to do it. Keep scrolling—lots of invaluable makeup advice ahead.
“No, but Gyariana killed it,” Caveat writes in the caption, perhaps underselling the surreality of watching a sharp-toothed Water/Flying type handle Ariana Grande’s vocal runs with ease while she’s dressed as a tastefully nude Misty.
The puppet was a collaboration between friends, Caveat tells me over email—Matti made the head and puppet, Zac and Alex worked on the body.
“It was inspired by Carmen Farala from Drag Race España who did this amazing snake look I loved,” she says. “I wanted to reinterpret it in my own way. Why not Misty being constricted by a Gyarados? I even had Staryu earrings from my friend, Girl1000 Jewellery! It was a fun interpretation that hadn’t been done before and it meant that Gyariana (her name) could duet with me doing “Rain On Me” for the show finale. She even shot water out in the final chorus!”
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A jaw-dropping Gyariana, to me, marks just another night for Caveat, who has been performing her video game-themed drag show SlayStation in London since December 2021. The Gyrados performance was part of its recent Pokemon-themed Master Ball.
About founding SlayStation, Caveat says she “decided I wanted to start my own show and space and thought, ‘Why not combine my two passions, video games and performing?’”
Caveat, who is trans, had never attempted cosplay before starting SlayStation, but felt like “video games have always let me express myself and my identity in a safe space, especially while I was still figuring it out in the real world.”
“I really wanted to portray the importance of that for me and so many other people with the event,” she continues.
Video games form the rhinestone-glued platform to Caveat’s plans—even her name was inspired by Odin Sphere. And only a little over a year old, SlayStation has already motivated plenty of video game drag, including a Goldeen cosplay topped with inky fake lashes, a glamorous Lopunny, and for Caveat, Bayonetta.
“As a 6’4” woman, I felt like I could really do her justice,” she tells me.
The event is already gaining recognition through TikTok and through industry pros like Kim Chi, who competed on season eight of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and British Drag Race star Dakota Schiffer, who both attended SlayStation’s Master Ball event.
But it isn’t only fun to look at. it’s also creating a vibrant and comfortable space for queer video game fans.
“The best show I’ve seen in a good while,” one Instagram commenter wrote on SlayStation’s post highlighting the importance of trans representation. “So much love in the room, cannot wait for the next one.” They’ll only have to wait a bit longer—there’s a Doki Doki Literature Club-themed event coming in February, and Caveat tells me she’s already planning “a big Final Fantasy show in a few months to celebrate the new games.”
These are the stories making headlines in fashion on Tuesday
The strategy behind Skims’ viral “White Lotus” campaign Even with such an influential figure as Kim Kardashian at the helm of Skims, the brand has highly leaned into celebrity marketing. For its Valentine’s Day campaign, Skims tapped “The White Lotus” actors Simona Tabasco and Beatrice Grannò. For Business of Fashion, Diana Pearl reports that the campaign, though simple, is still effective due to its clever casting. “When the casting is this strong, this relevant and has such a nice tie to your brand story, you don’t really have to have too much more. The casting itself was the campaign,” said Kylie Vandeven, associate creative director at ad agency VMLY&R (who did not work on the campaign). {Business of Fashion}
A send-off for fashion’s favorite Parisian hangout Le Castiglione, a Parisian cafe known to attract many fashion insiders and a favorite among the locals, officially closed its doors. For The New York Times, Tina Isaac-Goizé writes that this won’t just change the fashion world, but completely “transforms the face of Paris.” As a Parisian staple for more than 30 years, a trip to the cafe has become a part of the French experience. Though it’s the end of one chapter, owner Fabric Couet has already begun anew, having recently bought the Café des Tuileries. {The New York Times}
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Ariana Grande to buy back R.E.M. Beauty for $15 million After selling the physical assets of R.E.M. Beauty and licensing her name and image exclusively to Forma Brands in 2020, Ariana Grande has reached a deal to buy back her beauty brand for around $15 million. The decision comes after Forma Brands (which also owns Morphe) first acknowledged they may be filing for bankruptcy in late 2022. Kevin Simauchi from Bloomberg reports that Grande’s team must await approval from the judge overseeing the bankruptcy case before finalizing the deal. {Bloomberg}
At the beginning of 2019, Ariana Grande was coming out of a whirlwind romance (complete with an engagement) to Pete Davidson. No one was all that upset about the breakup. After all, it had yielded an iconic meme involving a lollipop and, then, as Arianators were to find out, the best album of her discography. Called thank u, next, the eponymous first single took a candid, clear look at her relationships past, listing out the men by name as follows: “Thought I’d end up with Sean/But he wasn’t a match/Wrote some songs about Ricky/Now I listen and laugh/Even almost got married/And for Pete, I’m so thankful/Wish I could say ‘thank you’ to Malcolm/‘Cause he was an angel.” Obviously, not “angel” enough to make it worth it for Ari to stick around and endure his drug addiction, but hey, one can’t speak of ill of the dead. The point is, “thank u, next” was not only the sonic equivalent of Lindsay Lohan’s “fuck list,” it was also a slow unveiling of Grande’s revelation about how the relationship one has with herself is ultimately the greatest love affair of all.
As far as societal messages geared toward hetero women go, this has always been deemed extremely dangerous (which is why it still remains rare). With every fairy tale and rom-com peddled, women are repeatedly told that, sure, you can pretend to be “content” with singledom for a while—have your fun on the dance floor, relish random one-night stands, etc.—but, eventually, you’re going to equate your self-worth and value with “finding a man.” In short, “it” follows. That ever-lingering, deep-seated mantra that goes: fall in “love,” get married and have kids. When someone like Grande—all “cute” and mainstream—briefly appeared to be quashing that mantra, it was a momentous occasion in pop culture. For, although she could have made yet another breakup with a man who couldn’t “get the job done” (least of all intellectually) come across as “heartbreaking,” she decided to render the single into a joyful celebration of the self. This being most manifest in the lyrics, “Plus, I met someone else/We havin’ better discussions/I know they say I move on too fast/But this one gon’ last ‘cause her name is Ari/And I’m so good with that.” Yes, that’s right—Grande effectively declared herself as her lifelong soul mate (Lana Del Rey once did the same, albeit in a tweet). Britney Spears has lately done something similar on her Instagram account by dressing in a wedding down and declaring she’s married herself… despite being married to the hologram known as Sam Asghari. In short, sologamy has become less and less of a “joke” (as Carrie Bradshaw sort of made it so that she could get her friend to replace her Manolo Blahniks by establishing her “gift registry” at said store). Instead, it’s starting to make all the sense in the world.
Alas, that message felt a bit hollow when Grande married Dalton Gomez two years after “thank u, next” (yes, she really does move on fast). So now, Miley Cyrus has come along to pick up the slack and more confidently walk her talk. All while continuing to shade former flame/husband, Liam Hemsworth (e.g., “We were right ’til we weren’t/Built a home and watched it burn”). What’s more, it is absolutely no coincidence that Miley chose to drop the single and video for “Flowers” on Hemsworth’s thirty-third birthday. For those wondering how or why Cyrus could still be so “petty” by continuing to reference Hemsworth in her music (he being the dominant “muse” for the last few years), know this: women don’t forget their romantic slights. Their Love Is A Battlefield wounds. They can talk about it for the rest of their life (especially if it’s profitable), spend ages dissecting what went wrong or what caused the about-face in a man’s attitude toward her. Taylor Swift has created arguably the most enduring career out of it. And the obvious answer to “what went wrong,” of course, is that the girl in question “got too comfortable.” Was made to believe that she could ever truly be accepted without some form of veneer. But men, whether “cognizant” of it or not, need the veneers they swear mean nothing in order to stay “interested.” Miley is done playing that game, providing the first single from Endless Summer Vacation (a Del Rey-sounding project, to be sure) that firmly plants her in the sologamy camp. Indeed, she’s planned the release perfectly not only to shade Hemsworth, but for the imminence of Valentine’s Day a.k.a. Singles Awareness Day. Cue the tie-ins of various flower companies playing the song.
And yet, with the video that Cyrus has made for “Flowers,” she’s essentially building on what Red Hot Chili Peppers said long ago: “Sometimes I feel like I don’t have a partner/Sometimes I feel like my only friend/Is the city I live in/The City of Angels.” Her tone, naturally, is far more jubilant as we see her strutting through the streets (and bridges) of L.A. (because, as she stated, Endless Summer Vacation is a “love letter” to that city). To help capture the sun-soaked isolation of Los Angeles, Cyrus secured model-turned-creative director Jacob Bixenman to helm the video. And, despite formerly loving Troye Sivan (another Ariana Grande favorite), Bixenman can still clearly appreciate the female form as he proceeds to showcase Miley swimming in her backyard and then performing some of the intense workout methods that have clearly given her the toned body we see before us. Indeed, some of her very deliberate positions (no Ari allusion intended) come across as a direct taunt at anyone who would ever dare to leave her and/or force her to leave them by treating her “less than.”
From the series of backyard exercises to the tranquil shower session, it’s evident that all these blatant forms of self-care are a means to emphasize to the viewer that what Miley says is true: no one will ever be able to take care of you (nay, give as much of a shit about you) as well as you can. Especially if you have millions of dollars to aid with that care. Emerging from the shower in what can only be called a power suit (complete with dramatic shoulder pads) with no shirt on underneath, Miley then whole-heartedly confirms she can take herself dancing as she engages in some solo choreography inside her house that reminds one of Cameron Diaz’s moves as Amanda in The Holiday.
By the end, as Miley finds herself on her roof with a helicopter looming above (again, it’s L.A.), she’s proven herself to be the new Queen of/Spokeswoman for Sologamy. Because, no, Ari didn’t much stick to her guns with the underlying message of “thank u, next” (she is, in the end, a self-proclaimed “needy” person a.k.a. a Cancer). But if anyone could stay consistent on this front, perhaps it’s Miley. Maybe she’ll end up truly being the exemplar of sologamy…rendering it no longer billable as the symptom of a “sad, ‘old’ cat lady,” but a hot puta who knows her worth and isn’t willing to compromise it for the so-called sake of not being “alone.”
A week after makeup brand Morphe announced on Twitter that it would be closing all U.S. stores, its parent company, Forma Brands, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Forma Brands is the incubator and holding company behind cosmetic labels such as Morphe, Jaclyn Cosmetics, Playa, Lipstick Queen and Ariana Grande‘s R.E.M. Beauty. In an official statement, Forma confirmed that its assets would be acquired by a group of lenders including Jefferies Finance LLC, Cerberus Capital Management LP and Intermediate Holdings LLC. Forma was given roughly $33 million dollars from creditors to support business operations through the sale process.
The bankruptcy news isn’t exactly unexpected: Forma is among the many brands facing significant challenges post-pandemic, and it’s seen a string of controversies with influencers, supply chain woes and the recent store closures.
Revenue began to fall short of ambitious targets in 2021, and around the same time, the brand became plagued with controversies surrounding collaborations with mega influencers like Jeffree Star and James Charles, who were the subjects of public scrutiny for multiple questionable statements and actions.
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At the same time came a string of business missteps. In 2020, Forma acquired Playa, a hair-care line, and Lipstick Queen, a lipstick brand, and introduced its own skin-care and supplement lines. All of these projects failed to meet projected sales, per reporting by Business of Fashion; in December of 2022, Playa’s founder sued Morphe and General Atlantic, Forma’s owner, for mishandling the brand after it was acquired.
By October of 2022, Business of Fashion confirmed that Forma was exploring emergency options amid financial insecurity. Reorg Research also estimated the company was roughly $600 to $700 million in debt.
Forma isn’t the only influencer-driven beauty company experiencing uncertainty at the moment; on Tuesday came news that influencer-led brands Selfless by Hyram (helmed by Hyram Yarbro) and Item Beauty (fronted by Addison Rae) would be exiting their Sephora retail partnerships. Together, these developments signal a shifting tide and a loosening grip in the hold influencer brands once had on the industry as consumers turn to the time-tested expertise of professional-backed brands.
The “Causeway” star was asked by W Magazine in an interview published Monday if she’d ever been starstruck. In response, Lawrence admitted that she was very excited to meet Ariana Grande, but also admitted there’s one celebrity who “would knock me over” with excitement if they met.
“To me, the biggest celebrities in the world are, like, Pete Davidson,” Lawrence told W. “Or when Ariana Grande was in my last film, ‘Don’t Look Up,’ I was photographed with her and I fully look like a radio contest winner. I would be starstruck if I saw Jessica Simpson. That would knock me over.”
Lawrence didn’t elaborate on her love for the singer and shoe mogul, but the “Silver Linings Playbook” star has always been vocal about how she’s a reality TV addict — and no one reigned more supreme in the genre than Simpson in the early 2000s.
Simpson starred in the popular MTV reality show “Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica” for most of her marriage to her fellow singer and ex-husband Nick Lachey, from 2002 to 2006. During this time, Simpson became somewhat of an “it girl,” and parlayed her fame in the reality series into roles in “That ’70s Show” and films like 2005’s “The Dukes of Hazzard” and 2006’s “Employee of the Month.”
Lawrence has gotten to meet — and has embroiled herself inpublic spats — with other reality personalities. She even got the chance to appear on an episode of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” in 2009 via a FaceTime call.
Here’s just hoping if Lawrence does meet Simpson, they do it over a bowl of chicken of the sea.
Ellise scored a viral hit in 2021 with “911.” The track has over 105 million Spotify streams despite not being released as an official single.
Since then, she’s continued releasing dark pop songs with catchy choruses and plenty of bass. The singer-songwriter’s latest, “Did It Hurt?,” is maybe the closest thing to a rock song that she’s released.
For the first 5 Tracks episode of the year, watch Ellise talk about some of her favorite songs, including tracks by Nirvana and Ariana Grande.
Pop star Ariana Grande is still giving back in the form of Christmas gifts to patients at children’s hospitals in Manchester, England, the site of the fatal bombing that occurred following her concert in 2017.
The “Break Free” singer’s recent donation comes five years after a bombing at Manchester Arena killed 22 people and left hundreds more injured after a man blew himself up as fans were exiting her concert.
Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity wrote in an Instagram post on Monday that it received more gifts from the singer for the holidays and said the gifts would go to “babies, children and teenagers” at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Trafford General, Wythenshawe Hospital and North Manchester General Hospital.
“It’s so wonderful that Ariana has once again been so thoughtful and made this special donation to our family of hospitals,” wrote Tanya Hamid, Interim Director of Manchester Foundation Trust Charity.
“We know Manchester, and in particular Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, holds a special place in Ariana’s heart.”
It isn’t the first time Grande has honored those impacted by the attack at her show.
The singer performed at – and helped organize – the “One Love Manchester” concert at the city’s Old Trafford Cricket Ground two weeks after the 2017 attack.
The concert – which featured the likes of Justin Bieber, Liam Gallagher and Coldplay – reportedly raised $3 million for the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund, a fund established to help those impacted by the attack and their families.
In 2018, Grande also released “Get Well Soon” – a song which deals with themes of anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder – on her album “Sweetener.”
The song was meant to be a “musical hug,” Grande told DJ Ebro Darden on Apple Music 1, and added that it’s “about being there for each other and helping each other through scary times and anxiety.”
“Get Well Soon” includes 40 seconds of silence at its conclusion making it five minutes and twenty-two seconds long in total (the date of the attack was May 22, 2017).
One thing the internet isn’t short of during the holiday season is gift guides. Gifts for your boyfriend, your dad, your sister, your best friend, your cat…there’s a list out there just waiting to be read.
However, there is one fatal flaw in ultimate gift-giving lists on the internet: you become basic. Somehow, every website catches on to the trendiest gift of the year and everyone buys it for everyone.
Scrolling through social media can be equally as taxing because you may get the same recommendation four times in a row. Plus, who even knows what influencer is being paid to say they love a product when in reality it sucks?
I’m recently feeling a bit scorned by TikTokers who convinced me to buy a few products from Haus Labs that lacked in all areas. But I can’t just blame the TikTokers–the five star rating on Sephora also fooled me. So, I’m feeling a bit wary about what to buy and who to trust.
Luckily, because I buy into so many trends, I’m no stranger to disappointment from social media recs. Some call me silly, I call it a necessary experiment. Why wouldn’t I try products that make others feel beautiful? I want a share of their elation.
If you’re looking to get someone in your life a gift that is social media approved, you’ve come to the right place. I am an unashamed consumer who has bought into many TikTok trending products. And now look, you’ll have a great gift as a result. Dare I say you’re welcome?
Without further ado, here are my favorite social media-inspired gifts for the TikToker in all of us:
Makeup
Essentially anything from Sephora has gone viral at this rate. Makeup brands are actively competing to release the newest product that will be featured on any influencer’s TikTok.
There are quite a few brands that truly live up to the hype from TikTok. Look for these brands and viral products when you go to the store next:
Charlotte Tilbury
Kosas
Makeup By Mario
Hourglass
Hair
I love haircare products for gifts because no one talks about how expensive healthy hair can be. For the HairTok lover, try out these brands that make a serious difference.
Color Wow
Kerastase
amika
OUAI
Fragrance
PerfumeTok has blown up recently. I’m constantly seeing dupes and reviews on my FYP which has made me put more of an emphasis on what perfume I’m wearing. A scent is a great gift for everyone, so why not one of these viral ones?
You can never go wrong with a trendy gift inspired by TikTok That is, if you know where to look. Don’t waste your time sifting through influencer advertisements and just come straight to me–the self-proclaimed professional. go straight to me…the self-proclaimed professional.
All products featured are independently selected by our editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.
To further prove that every celebrity is ultimately just in love with themselves, Sabrina Carpenter has released a video for her new single from emails i can’t send, “nonsense.” Which is sure to get a playlist boost from her recent photo appearance—the one at the American Music Awards where she was pictured sandwiched between two very tall, FUPA-parading women—Taylor Swift and GAYLE (who will open for Swift during select dates of the already controversial Eras Tour). But even without their help, “nonsense” was a “pop hit’ (as Carpenter refers to it in the song) already.
A large part of that has to do with something of an Ariana Grande-esque formula (and the way Carpenter “hits the octave”). The one she implemented so well during her thank u, next cycle. An album that was better-promoted with the release of a video for “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored” the same day as the record came out. Showing off her sense of humor at a time when she had just ended her engagement with Pete “Rebound” Davidson, maybe there was a jocular tone to the idea that Grande would try lesbianism next (she is, after all, into dabbling—if her blackfishing is an indication).
So it is that the big “plot twist” of the video is that she’s been more interested in her pony-tailed lookalike, played by Ariel Yasmine, the entire time. The dalliance commences at a club (how very 2000s) wherein Yasmine and her boyfriend, played by Riverdale’s Charles Melton, invite Grande (sporting a blonde coif that’s more in keeping with her Sweetener era) to join them in their dance. This being Los Angeles, Grande isn’t averse to a one-night throuple scenario. And yet, maybe it isn’t just one night. For how else would a blonde-haired Ariana have had time to pull a single white (yes, white) female by emulating Yasmine’s look (itself emulating Ariana’s during that period)? Maybe she was invited to a party at their house on another night after meeting them at the club… or did she go home and dye her hair before showing up at the party—who knows? But the timeline doesn’t feel linear. The point is, Ari has become narcissistically attracted to someone who looks just like her. Her doppelgänger, if you will (a word that often doubles for “alter ego”—usually embodying a darker [or at least slightly more irreverent] persona).
Carpenter decides to take that concept one step further in the Danica Kleinknecht-directed video for “nonsense” by enlisting none other than herself (as opposed to a “mere” lookalike) to play the alter ego. She goes further still by making that alter ego male instead of female. And then there is the context of this duo’s encounter. Despite being twenty-three (as Olivia Rodrigo was so fond of pointing out her “older” age in “drivers license”), there is a more teenaged (or college, at the latest) sensibility to the concept of the setting in lieu of Grande’s more “adult” nightclub backdrop, followed by a lavish house in the Hills. Conversely, in the opening scenes of “nonsense,” we see Carpenter preparing for a house party (seemingly one that she’s throwing) that the boy version of herself, outfitted with a trucker hat that says “Dipshit” on it, also attends. Because, yes, like Ari before her, Carpenter only really has eyes for, well, herself. Something Lady Gaga additionally proved when she showcased her own male alter ego, Jo Calderone.
Whether Carpenter named her “drag king” is unknown, but it’s quite apparent she’s very attracted to him. Even though he comes off like an even worse version of Amanda Bynes doing drag in She’s The Man. Yet somehow, he has the appearance of someone much younger than Carpenter, who he spots from across the room as he exhales a cloud of smoke from his vape.
It doesn’t take long for the two to find a “quiet corner” amid the red Solo cups and impromptu karaoke sessions. Because, really, who hasn’t been attracted to a male or female version of themselves (see: Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow in the late 90s)? As the two get increasingly drunk, interspersed scenes of Carpenter dancing around and looking at herself in the mirror add to the overall narcissistic motif that Grande also showed us with just as little subtlety in Hannah Lux Davis’ visuals for “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored.”
Carpenter even sounds like Grande in general—and then very specifically… closing “nonsense” with some spoken dialogue that reminds one of Ari’s back-and-forth with Victoria Monét at the end of “monopoly.” Both moments feature gigglingly-stated lines. In Carpenter’s case, it’s the brush-off that this song will never make the cut for the album, laughing, “That one’s not gonna make it.”
Luckily for Carpenter’s fans (and even Grande’s), it did. For it’s just the sort of gushing love song that might prompt one to make out with their reflection in the vanity. Self-love (and sologamy), after all, has never been chicer. Even if shown in the self-deprecating way that Taylor Swift does it with her alter ego in the video for “Anti-Hero.” In which she “sarcastically” remarks, incidentally, on her self-obsession via the lyrics, “Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism?” In contrast to Grande and Carpenter, Swift appears to more openly admit to it with her take on this ostensible “doppelgänger” trend in music videos (regardless of whether that double is a male or female version of oneself).
Georgina Callander is the first person killed in Monday night’s Manchester concert attack to be publicly identified. The teenage student was a big fan of singer Ariana Grande. Jonathan Vigliotti reports from outside the Manchester Royal Infirmary, which is treating many of the wounded in the bombing.
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