Am I the Target Demo for Drew Barrymore’s Talk Show?
Hump Day Motivation: September 16, 2020
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Happy “Hump Day”, ‘gangles!
Hump Day Motivations (HDM) are released every other Wednesday for paid subscribers only…but this month they will be available to all. If you love it and want more in the future, smash that subscribe button now.
Why do we need hump day motivation? Because it’s 2020. Our world is divisive and weird and hard and sad and scary. Sometimes we need a little light. In fact, I think we need more than just a little light…we could move onto the forking sun and still increase the wattage! I’m not a doctor, but positive things help the heart, the head, and naughty bits function optimally. So that’s what we do on Hump Day in gangletown - we focus on the positive.
Here are some of the things lighting me up this week. I hope you love them.
Photo: Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight on the set of Verzuz.
1. Gladys, and Patti, and Eric - oh my!
I was going to share in the avalanche of love pouring out for the legends Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight who met on Sunday for Verzuz - a web show where musicians go head-to-head in a sing-off - but ya know what? I am not the best person to speak about this truly delightful and momentous occasion…but worry not. I know who is: R. Eric Thomas.
Eric wrote about the event in his column “Eric Reads The News” on Monday and it’s…perfect. To share in all the Gladys v. Patti glory, just read his piece because it’s better than anything I would ever write and I love it almost more than I loved the Verzuz itself.
A bit more on “Eric Reads the News”. On a scale of 1 - 10, I am at whatever comes right before obsessed. In fact, I love it so much that you’ll see it included at the end of this month in the September edition of my Favorite Things. This column is so good. Consistent, irreverent, quick-witted, and actually informative! I’ve been reading it for years and have never once been disappointed. It brings me joy.
As an added bonus, I highly recommend that you spend some time getting to know the column and then go read Eric’s book to learn how it came to be. Yeah, he has a book too. Look, this is not an official fan club (though I wouldn’t be above joining one) and it is also not an #Ad but Eric’s “Here For It” is easily at the top of my list of most enjoyable books I’ve read all year. I would be remiss - remiss, I tell you! - if I didn’t celebrate it publicly. So that’s what this is…public celebration.
Photo: The cover of “Here For It” by R. Eric Thomas
2. I Don’t Really Watch Tennis - #DILFoftheWeek
What’s that? Did someone say DILF? I know what you’re thinking…“he’s obviously going to talk about Chris Evans’ penis” but I’m not. Well, technically I just talked about it. But I’m not going to go into further detail! That is between you and your incognito browser.
Something far far sexier happened this week: Naomi Osaka won the US Open and did it while showing up for Black Lives. In each of the competition’s seven rounds, Osaka wore a face mask with the name of a fallen Black American. Those honored were Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, Philando Castile, and Tamir Rice.
Photo: Naomi Osaka wearing a black face mask with the name “Ahmaud Arbery” in white letters.
So here’s the thing. I don’t watch tennis…at all. But I still know a few names like Venus, Serena, Roger, and NAOMI. Why? Because in addition to being an excellent athlete, Osaka is gorgeous. A swoon-worthy, wah-wah-wee-wah, dreamscape, vision of a person, and I am smitten. On any given day she could take home an award for thirst but this week she is unstoppable. She is out here winning at sports games, protesting, and being completely stunning the whole time and it’s almost too much.
GIF: Sally Field in Mrs. Doubtfire saying “The Whole Time!”
So, okay. There it is. Undeniable. Naomi Osaka is Daddy and she is our #DILFoftheWeek.
3. I’m the Target Audience for Drew Barrymore’s Talk Show.
I feel like the label for this section really says it all but whatever - you know I am an over-sharer so you’re gettin’ the details whether you like ‘em or love ‘em.
Drew Barrymore has a new daytime talk show called “The Drew Barrymore Show” (1/10 for originality in titling) and in her first episode on Monday, her guests included none other than Lucy Liu and Cameron Diaz. AH!! RIGHT?!
Okay, before we go any further, watch the clip and enjoy rich weirdness, then come back to me so we can giggle together and fight about Charlie Angels (2000).
When Charlie’s Angel’s (2000) came out, I was in 7th grade. No twist, this was truly the height of my awkward closeted pubescent phase. Also no twist, I loved this movie. In fact, I still love it. I have it on DVD. Yes, you are jealous.
These Angels (not to be confused with the OG Angels or the…2019 Angels…) brought young David so much joy that I literally bought the paperback book (which was adapted from the screenplay, not the other way around) and then read it in one sitting. I illegally downloaded the movie soundtrack from Limewire and burned full Angels-inspired mix CDs. I visited my Uncle John in New Jersey and when we explored a then-ghost town version of Asbury park, I jumped around on the dilapidated boardwalk doing “King Kong palm” repeatedly. There are definitely photos of that somewhere and if I can find them, I promise I’ll share. (John, help me out?)
Photo: Screenshot of Drew Barrymore in the film Charlie’s Angels doing a pose while fighting with the caption “King Kong palm”
Seeing the Angels together again like this was special for me. And bearing witness to the connection they still have - one that they forged twenty years ago - literally made me choke up with tears. I just love LOVE, y’all, and these women clearly love each other so deeply. It’s beautiful.
As for the rest of The Drew Barrymore Show, I mean wow. We don’t have time to go through it all but I have to say that I am impressed with any production team making new content in the time of Corona. At first, I was weirded out by the silence from where the audience would normally be but the challenges they are overcoming to bring the show to life are huge; it has to be respected. I know it’s a big-budget Hollywood production and we are supposed to be all jaded and judgey and whatnot but I am choosing to support. Creating stuff is hard and they did a great job kicking this thing off. So kudos to that entire team!
Congratulations, Drew Barrymore, and thanks for bringing my Angels back for this special moment. King Kong palm.
4. Other creators.
Even more so than Channing Tatum being a wholesome AF dilf, the thing I got the most feedback on in our last #HDM was the “Other Creators” section. Cute, right? You loved it! And I love that you loved it. So let’s keep the good times going, shall we?
Here are some of the amazing folx publishing newsletters that I follow. Check them out and if you find other writers we should subscribe to, drop the @ in the comment section.
The Intelligence of Honey by Saeed Jones
What it is I Think I’m Doing by Kaitlyn Greenidge
Bitches Gotta Eat (aka books/snacks/softcore) by Samantha Irby
And that’s it. Has the rich angelic spirit of Drew Barrymore helped you? Do you feel over-the-hump? Good! And there’s more where that came from. The next Hump Day Motivation comes out in two weeks so make sure you’re on the list.
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