The Weekend Snack 1.28.24
Let the river run.
Welcome to the Weekend Snack - a Sunday roundup of my favorite things from the past weekend.
Hello new subscribers, and welcome to the second installment of the Weekend Snack! I’m still catching up on everything after a week of Sundance films (seeing my final two today!), but here are a few snacks from the last couple of days.
📺 Dakota Johnson SNL Studio Tour. This promo kicked off Dakota Johnson’s SNL hosting week - a call back to the bizarre (but stunning) house tour she did for Architectural Digest. Like Cribs, but goopified. There’s a particularly odd moment in the tour that generated internet obsession where she professes her love of limes (it later came out that despite her passionate declaration, she doesn’t actually like them, and they were a set dressing). Other highlights from the episode include the return of the Barry Gibb Talk Show, and “the nepo truce” in this week’s Please Don’t Destroy.
🎬 Working Girl. Speaking of the nepo truce, Dakota Johnson inspired me to rewatch her mother, Melanie Griffith, in one of my all-time favorites. The movie tells the story of Tess McGill, a Staten Island secretary full of grit and determination, eager to change her station and climb the corporate ladder. But don’t trust my opinion, here’s a 1988 movie review:
With her floozie face, her kewpie doll voice, her made-for-bed bod, and a general demeanor suggesting that she was born already knowing the Kama Sutra by heart, it always comes as a surprise to audiences to find Melanie Griffith actually can act, too.
Wild, right?? Despite the rampant sexism, they’re right that she can act, and Griffith received an Oscar nomination for the role. Also, can we discuss the opening montage to Carly Simon’s Oscar-winning “Let the River Run”? You can bet that every time I fly home to New York, this song is bumping in my headphones upon descent. My biggest gripe with the film is the relationship between Griffth and Sigourney Weaver’s characters - but the toxic competitiveness is representative of the then prevailing belief that there was only one seat at the figurative and literal table. A must-watch (or revisit).
📺 Jacqueline Novak’s Get on Your Knees. Jacqueline Novak has performed this show for the last few years, and I’m thrilled it’s now on Netflix for all to watch. The show is a stand-up special (though I’d probably think of it more as a one-woman show) about oral sex. But don’t let that mislead or deter you. This isn’t your classic, raunchy comedy special but rather a coming-of-age story and an intellectual meditation on sexuality/power dynamics. You might think it’s laugh-out-loud funny, you might not, but you’ll be riveted by her command of the English language and blown (ha) away by what a feat this performance is. I’ve been unable to stop thinking about it.
🗞️ Skiing and Crying by Sari Botton. Despite growing up in Utah, I didn’t take to skiing. I found it cold and a lot of effort for not much reward. I’ve since learned that a ski trip can be pretty fun, and I probably should’ve tried harder when my center of gravity was lower to the ground. Now, as an adult, I’ve been working to overcome my ski-related anxieties and get myself down a mountain. I loved this excerpt from Sari Botton’s memoir and how she articulated the inner monologue of an anxious skier - even though I now find myself more in the camp of enjoying it (who knew!?).
📕 Kindle Page Turner. I’ve always fancied myself as someone who needs a physical book, and I swore a Kindle was not for me. But a recent long-haul trip proved me wrong. The new Kindles read like a book, and the notebook feature allows me to compile all my notes and highlights in one easy-to-view place. A book nerd’s dream! And for those concerned that a Kindle means a dwindling number of books on display, I say buy the hard copy afterward if you love it so much! If you’ve already converted to the Kindle life, the next step is the Kindle page-turner. There are few things better than being cuddled in bed with your Kindle perfectly propped, your dog closely snuggled, and your clicker in hand as you read yourself to sleep. Makes me want to take a nap right now…
What resonated with you this weekend? Let me know in the comments. And don’t forget to subscribe for your weekly menu of cultural recs.