TueDo List: Skeletons in Suburbia + Alanis + Why the Internet Sucks
Plus, from our over-40 experts, your perfect jeans for fall (and beyond)
THIS WEEK
Our hearts are with the people of Israel and Palestine during this horrific moment, and with our readers and their loved ones who are suffering. We hope for, and meditate on, peace. Here are ways you can help.
📖 READ: Please stop being shocked by my age. Monica Lewinsky interview on overcoming shame. How to be happy for your friend, even when you’re a little jealous. Kudos to ‘90s supermodel Naomi Campbell for proving all her haters wrong. We love our NYC bodegas! Nobel Peace Prize awarded to jailed Iranian Activist Narges Mohammadi for her fight for women’s rights. Why the Internet is no longer fun — except for us :-).
👀 LOOK: This 104-year-old skydiver is a total badass. Selma Blair and Isaac Mizrahi debut an accessible clothing line celebrating inclusive fashion. A Halloween light show set to “Everlong” by Foo Fighters. The ’90s comeback continues! With the “siren skin” makeup look, a potential “Blossom” reboot (Mayim Bialik is in), and Gen-Xers rocking the stage. Officially the GOAT, Simone Biles wins her 6th world all-around gold medal.
🎧 LISTEN: Alanis Morissette joins Pink onstage for a rockin’ “You Oughta Know” duet. New (to us) pop culture podcasts. Wendi Aarons, Ann Imig, and Mariana Olenko launch a fun, new podcast, It’s Pronounced Memwah. This excellent interview with Erykah Badu.
🤣 LOL: Have watched this QVC re-enactment 20 times.
🛒 ADD TO CART: Time to snag those AirPods, this lip mask, that Keurig or these Turkish towels we’ve had in our cart: It’s Prime Day until the end of the day on October 11. A new Madonna biography, “A Rebel Life.”
📺 WATCH:
This week: Lil Rel Howery in the dystopian thriller, The Mill (Hulu). The 2023 Hip Hop Awards: Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop (BET). You can now stream all five seasons of the ‘80s classic Moonlighting, starring Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis… finally (Hulu).
Wed: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, now streaming (Starz). Succession meets Edgar Allan Poe fan fiction in the limited series, The Fall of House of Usher, featuring the deliciously campy Carla Gugino (Netflix).
Thurs: Sir Ben Kingsley as the titular Salvador Dalí in Dalíland (Hulu). Kelsey Grammar is back in a Frasier reboot (Paramount+).
Fri: Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones in The Burial (Prime Video). Lessons in Chemistry, based on the novel by Bonnie Garmus (Apple TV+). Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is hitting the big screen (Theaters).
STORY: How a Home Depot Skeleton Became My Middle Finger to Suburbia
By Caroline McCarthy
Days after graduating from college, I moved from my suburban New Jersey hometown to a cramped walk-up in Manhattan’s East Village, where I shared a bathroom with three roommates. I traded preppy blonde highlights for a black pixie cut, swapped J. Crew for American Apparel (it was the 2000s, mind you), and spent my Saturday nights at Lit Lounge or Angels & Kings. I told myself that this was me and I’d never live outside a city again.
Now, on the cusp of 40, I’m not just living in the suburbs, I’m living in the same town I ran away from so eagerly two decades ago. And there’s one thing above all that’s helped me make peace with it: Home Depot’s 12-foot-tall skeleton lawn ornament.
For those who may be unfamiliar with “Skelly,” Home Depot began selling it in the fall of 2020, with COVID still rampant and vaccines distant on the horizon. Per an oral history in VICE, Skelly had been in the works since 2019, but the fact that it debuted amid peak pandemic upheaval made this stand-out piece of Halloween decor seem more significant. According to The Washington Post that year, “Skelly” became no less than “an Internet meme, a status marker, a coping mechanism, a memento mori. A reminder that whimsical indulgences are still permitted, and still funny, no matter how morbid American life has become”…
#GENXAPPROVED: Your Guide to Finding The Perfect Pair of Jeans
We know exactly what we want in jeans, but finding that perfect pair can be a real challenge. That’s why we’ve handpicked these Gen-X Approved selections, recommended by our incredible community of women over 40.
There are a gazillion types of jeans these days — from skinny (are we still allowed to wear those? Yes!) to acid wash (whut, ‘90s) to flare to wide leg. How to know which are the best? Our ultimate jean guide is here to help you find your next go-to pair.
🤔 ASK YOUR OWN QUESTION! If you’re a premium subscriber, you can learn how to submit your questions here or head straight to the new section to chime in with your recommendations.
Peace to all.
The article "please stop being shocked at my age" was wonderful. I've also had people shocked at my age since my 20s, which is good, although I can do without the gasps and over the top awe (seriously I'm not that old, I'm 49). But the one thing I've had to do at work since my late 20s is work into the conversation how old I am and how long I've been there otherwise people completely disregard anything I have to say. This really highlights the flawed misconceptions and assumptions folks have about young people. Let's give all folks a chance to contribute, they will likely surprise you!
"Our hearts are with the people of Israel and Palestine during this horrific moment, and with our readers and their loved ones who are suffering. We hope for, and meditate on, peace. Here are ways you can help." Thank you for this.