TueDo List: Joni at 80 + Red Flags + Meg Ryan Hair
Plus, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recap, Jenny Laden's debut novel at 53, and becoming *that* mom.
THIS WEEK
📖 READ: “Gen X’s actual history of activism is almost never acknowledged…” — a great piece debunking Gen-X myths over on Dame. Barbra Streisand on her long-awaited memoir. When parents cannot say no to their adult children. If we go gray, what about the brows? Now is the time to bring up menopause at work; here’s why.
👀 LOOK: Cool Do Not Disturb signs from hotels around the world. These ‘90s fashion trends are back. Meg Ryan and her Y2K shag haircut are back. Happy 80th Birthday to the legendary Joni Mitchell, whose songs continue to soothe our souls!
🎧 LISTEN: We were out-of-our-gourd excited to attend the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Brooklyn (for the tiny hope to see Kate Bush; alas it was not to be). A few very Gen-X friendly highlights: Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks, and Peter Frampton shredding “Every Day is a Winding Road,” Missy Elliott’s show-stopping “Get Ur Freak On,” Chaka Khan with H.E.R. on “Ain't Nobody” and Sia on “I’m Every Woman.” New Edition’s Soul Train/ Spinners tribute with “The Rubberband Man” and surprise guest Jimmy Page who literally walked on stage with no introduction. You can watch the whole thing now on Disney+, or for free January 1 on ABC.
🤣 LOL: “Jimmy... it’s time!” Mariah Carey brutally pranks Jimmy Kimmel in bed. Boyfriend red flags throughout history. This Halloween costume wins everything.
🛒 ADD TO CART: What’s a holiday season without Renaissance pet portraits, disco ball planters, and a Lego Thanksgiving centerpiece to keep you thoroughly entertained.
🌳 DO GOOD: “When I die, I don’t want Friends to be the first thing that’s mentioned — I want helping others to be the first thing that’s mentioned.” The newly-launched Matthew Perry Foundation helps people with drug addiction.
😋 YUM: Hot flash? There’s a food for that. Cottage cheese has been trending all over TikTok. Not a fan? We’ve stumbled on a creative collection of cottage cheese recipes that could tempt and maybe even convert the haters.
📺 WATCH:
This week: If you haven’t already, stream all five seasons of the death-obsessed masterpiece (with one of TV’s best-ever finales) Six Feet Under (Netflix).
Tues: Journalist Nick Barili’s new docuseries De La Calle explores Urbano music (Paramount+).
Wed: The Buccaneers, a spicier blend of Bridgerton and The Gilded Age (Apple TV+).
Fri: The latest MCU adventure, The Marvels (Theaters). David Fincher’s new one The Killer (Netflix). It’s A Wonderful Knife, a holiday-themed comedy horror film, described as a mix of It’s a Wonderful Life and Scream (Theaters). Contestants travel the world tackling James Bond-inspired challenges in 007: Road To A Million (Prime Video).
Tickets are going fast for our Birthday Bash! Online & IRL
Get ready to toast 10 incredible years of Gen-X storytelling at our birthday bash. We’ve curated a stellar lineup of storytellers, all sharing inspiring stories on the theme of “AMBITION” with host Ophira Eisenberg. You can join us in-person or online.
STORY: When My 4-Year-Old Punched Another Kid, I Became That Mom
By Ericka Kreutz
So. My kid punched a kid. Let’s just start there.
It happened at preschool, on an unassuming, every-day kind of a day. But at pick-up, the teacher slid next to me on the sectioned colored rug and delicately started in, “…so, your son was a little off today…”
What’s that?
She then unveiled my son’s litany of attacks that day: a shove, a push to the cement and the whopper finale of three sucker punches to the ribs of his classmate.
Oh. Oh, God…
When she asked him why he did it, he stared blankly into space and said, “For no reason”.
Quick backstory on my kid: He’s a hyper dude — but not a violent one. His body goes before his brain, and sometimes it’s a struggle to calm him or focus him or get him to put on his shoes (putonyourshoeswillyoujustputonyourshoesyourshoesrightthere…), but he is usually a keep-his-hands-to-himself kind of a kid.
Until today…
TUENIGHT 10: Jenny Laden, Visual Artist & First-Time Published Author At 53
Your Age: 53
Basic bio: Jenny is an artist, writer, teacher, organizer, fundraiser and mother. Her debut novel, This Terrible True Thing, is out now from Blackstone Publishing. She is the development director for the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia. She loves George Michael, good peaches and cool air.
Beyond the bio: Ensconced in menopause, motherhood, work and home, I am navigating blending family with my sweet partner, working at the top of my game, helping my aging parent, and like all the badass women I know, bending time to get everything done while sweating and experiencing bouts of rage. A visual artist most of my life, I learned to write a novel as an artistic dare, with the mission of telling my own story of AIDS to a younger generation, through the lens of a girl who lost her gay father to the virus. Learning a new art practice has allowed me to find whole new parts of myself I never knew existed.
What makes you a grown-ass lady? I know who I am and I’m not afraid to talk to anyone, ask for anything I know I need, and make shit happen. I am not really concerned with pleasing others anymore. I focus on both the big picture and the little details that make my heart grow. I put my energy into building my community, feeding my relationships and absorbing new ideas.
We love being your favorite tradition on a Tuesday, TueNighters…
Cottage cheese and banana or cottage cheese and tuna fish. Those are the best combinations