my january media rewind and news stories you should read this month

a collection of what I have read, watched, and listened to in January.

Jan 21, 2024

One of my favorite things about life is the opportunity to bond with my friends, family, peers and strangers about things that have brought us joy, wisdom, knowledge, hope, laughter and perspective. Every month, I plan to share a few of mine as a part of this newsletter in the categories of news, film & tv, music & podcasting, books and internet culture. If you have watched, consumed, engaged with any of these things or have recommendations for February, I welcome your chatter and thoughts in the comments below!

in the news

The Mob, A Bomb, and My Cousin Augie: Over the past couple of years, my Milwaukee Journal Sentinel colleague Mary Spicuzza has spent her days conducting interviews and pouring over FBI documents, police reports and newspaper archives in search for the story behind her cousin’s death in 1978. He was killed by a car bomb in Milwaukee. A mob boss was the top suspect. Read here.
He’s 14. He’s been to five funerals. Can he avoid his own?: D.C. teen Rashad Bates lost his father and seven friends to gun violence. In a city where the number of teens shot and killed each year is increasing, Bates knows he could be next. Washington Post reporter Emily Davies follows the 14-year-old as he takes part in a mentorship program led by the anti-violence nonprofit Guns Down Friday. In the story, Bates and his mentor speak extensively about the toll that the deaths have taken on his mental health and academics all while considering the possibilities for his future. Read here.
Gen Z Voters Say They Are Opting Out of the 2024 Election: Fortesa Latifi’s latest article for Teen Vogue examines a growing sense of disillusionment among Gen Z voters who feel political leaders are taking their votes and voices for granted. Ahead of the 2020 election, 57% of Americans between ages 18 and 29 were planning to vote, a number that has since declined to 49% in the past three years, according to a poll by Harvard Kennedy School. These Gen Z voters cite barriers to abortion access, student loan debt, and the Republican and Democratic candidates’ support of Israel as reasons for not participating. While some young voters have expressed a hope that their vote can help maintain a representative democracy, others say that not voting might force candidates to pay attention. Read here.
Ava Duvernay Wants To Build A New System: In an interview with The New Yorker’s Editor David Remnick, Duvernay discusses her push to develop Origin, her newly released independent film based on Isabel Wilkerson’s book “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent.” The film and its literary predecessor examine the interconnected struggle of victims of the Holocaust in Germany, America’s Jim Crow South and India’s caste system through an exploration of the continents’ templates for oppression. Duvernay says, “It’s not about the method by which these atrocities were undertaken; it’s the animating principle that allowed them to happen in the first place. There is a social hierarchy that determines power and status across continents, across cultures, and that can be called caste.” During their conversation, Duvernay also discusses the challenges of film distribution as a Black director and being “shut out” of the Golden Globes and other potential awards conversations. Read here or listen to it on New Yorker Radio Hour.
5 Takeaways From An Investigation Into How Mississippi Counties Jail People for Mental Illness: In July 2023, Propublica in partnership with Mississippi Today released an investigation detailing the state’s placement of people awaiting mental health treatment into jail without charging them for crimes in a process called “civil commitment. The state’s reasoning was that these individuals could pose harm to themselves or others around them; however, during their time in custody, many of the people taken into jails were unable to access prescribed psychiatric medications, therapy and other treatments. On several occasions, the jail conditions had life-threatening impacts. Read a short breakdown of the investigation’s findings here and the full story.
Finding Jordan Neely: New York Magazine’s features writer Lisa Miller wrote about the life and death of Jordan Neely, a street performer who was killed by a fellow passenger on the subway for the magazine’s first issue of the year. I attended Mr. Neely’s funeral in May and wrote about the events leading up to his death the city’s promises to work toward improving services for the homeless and the mentally ill. Miller’s piece offers a thoughtful excavation of New York City’s social services system and the gaps that leave individuals like Neely without protection. Read here.

on my screen

I won’t write in length about what I’ve watched this month, but I will feature a few highlights below. If you would care for an abbreviated list, here you go: Rye Lane, Anyone But You, Before Sunrise, and, of course, Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief (I wish this was the last time I was mentioning it).

The Color Purple (2023): If I am honest, I watched this on opening day last year but needed to include it anyway. I have adored this musical for years and was so thrilled that the film would bring a some of my favorite performers to the screen. Danielle Brooks, an undeniable shining star, alone makes a trip to the theatre worthwhile. This story is a beautiful portrayal of a journey through pain, love and forgiveness and, in my book, is a must-watch.

Confessions Of A Shopaholic (2009): I rewatched this at the beginning of the year, because I remember loving it as a child did not recall the plot. If you did not know, its about a woman writing a single, 1500 word piece of journalism for a niche trade publication and surviving off of it for nearly a year in New York City. Both romantic and inspiring.

Mean Girls (The Movie: The Musical: The Theatrical Experience): I was pleasantly surprised and excited by the 2024 adaptation of “Mean Girls” and appreciated what it was able to bring to the big screen. As a lover of the Broadway musical, I initially felt that many of the songs lacked the grit, power and orchestral support necessary to evoke the same energy as the Broadway show. In many ways, I felt the movie opted out of its theatre kid-serving moments like a trio-belted “Meet the Plastics” and an undeniably iconic overture into “Cautionary Tale” to be more palatable for musical haters; however, performances by Reneé Rapp, Auli’i Cravalho, Jaquel Spivey and Avantika helped bring the theater energy back to life. This film found hilarious and refreshing ways to present a classic to a new audience. I anticipate I will watch it repeatedly when it lands on streaming platforms. Plus, Megan Thee Stallion is on the soundtrack!

Reneé Rapp “Snow Angel” and “Not My Fault” performances on Saturday Night Live: Since I was a wee high school theater kid, I have LOVED Reneé Rapp. I used to sit on the floor in my high school’s choir room with my friends and watch videos of her belting out Broadway covers on Youtube. So, I was thrilled to hear she would be a musical guest on SNL. She is a fantastic live performer, by both training and natural gift! A friend and I joked after watching that, soon, we will lose her to a world of newfound stans.

in my ears

I start every morning with a podcast and every month, I pack a playlist with songs that I love. Together, they power me through my days and workouts and general life happenings. The songs often include my usual classics, Beyoncé to Barbra Streisand to Missy Elliot to twenty-something pop superstars. The podcasts range from pop culture to news, random chatter to longform investigation. In January, here’s what I’m listening to.

music

Poker Face, Lady Gaga (2009): This is my number one song on Spotify, and it has been for weeks. I’ve been in a very early to mid-2000s state of mind as of late, as a consequence (and benefit?) of watching “Glee” for the first time. In addition to many Gaga covers being featured on the show, I have mentioned many times before that I am in my “Percy Jackson era.” Some who have watched the widely criticized 2010 Percy Jackson film know that this song is part of an iconic, incredibly goofy moment that strays far from the plot of the book. The scene altered my early adolescent brain chemistry and instilled a deep love for this song.
Kiss Me, Empress of and Rina Sawayama (2023): I don’t have an elaborate explanation for this one other than I love this song and enjoy listening to these artists. It’s very “two queens maximizing their joint slay.”
Gossip Folks, Missy Elliot (2002): I have listened to this song at least once a day for probably a year and a half. It not only has a fantastic beat and a strong feature by Ludacris, but it is also wildly comedic and delightful. I love Missy Elliot, she is a cancerian queen! ♋️🦀✨
Hate on Me, Glee Cast (Cover of Jill Scott) (2009): When Sue Sylvester listed off offensive nicknames for every minority, LGBTQ+ and differently abled person in Will Schuester’s Glee classroom and threatened to make them a superior competitor to their White classmates by weaponizing their oppression into musical magic and collapsing the club from within, my jaw was on the floor. However, the season 1 subplot gave birth to one of my favorite performances of the show. I could write a whole essay with additional context, but it is most important to know that the song will be on my Spotify wrapped, watch this space.

yes, and, Ariana Grande: I am happy to see Ariana Grande fully submersing herself into her theater kid origins and naming a song after an improv phrase. Very excited for her to reclaim her number one spot on my Spotify wrapped with the full “eternal sunshine” track list, though I wonder if we will get any sad girl ballads in addition to the Paula Abdul references and house-inspired beats.
Suburbia, Tove Lo: I have been revisiting Tove Lo’s 2022 album “Dirt Femme,” and my shuffle heavily favors this song. I am not complaining!
What Is Love, Haddaway: I don’t want to explain this.

Since everyone is Spotify “daylisting” as of late, I want to share that as I was writing this my playlist was called “delulu rizz sunday morning.” Okay.

podcasts

Is the 2024 Election Already Headed To The Courts?, The Run-Up, The New York Times: A clause in the the 14th Amendment bars candidates from office who have engaged in insurrection against the United States. As a result, Maine and Colorado said that former U.S. President Donald Trump should not be on the ballot at all. In recent weeks, the former president has pushed to appeal these decisions, filing a brief asking the Supreme Court to rule that the constitutional amendment does not prevent him from appearing on the Republican primary ballot. Listen here.
The Women Who Masterminded The Montgomery Bus Boycott, NPR’s Code Switch: This episode of Code Switch delves deeper into the story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott in conversation with a collection of women who spent months plotting the culture shifting protest. Listen here.
The Double Life of A Civil Rights Icon, Reveal: Ernest Withers is in the history books as a “chronicler of the Civil Rights Movement.” Known for his photos of Civil Rights icons like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his famous “I Am A Man Photo” of striking sanitation workers, Withers played a pivotal role in crafting the visual narrative behind the movement. In this episode of Reveal, guided by Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Wesley Lowery, listeners hear how the photographer earned the trust of Black leaders while secretly capturing photos for the FBI. Listen here.

I Am a Man: Sanitation Workers Strike, Memphis, Tennessee, March 28th, 1968. Ernest Withers

Staying Friends With Your Ex with James Marsden, Why Won’t You Date Me with Nicole Byer: This episode of “Why Won’t You Date Me” came out ages ago. It was my first time ever listening, but Nicole Byer has a personality and energy that keeps her audience and guests super engaged. I never imagined seeing this duo mentioned in the same sentence but laughed and smiled through the entire conversation. James Marsden Renaissance 2024! Listen here.

on my shelf

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou: This was my first read of 2024, and I found it to be a beautiful exploration of identity and overcoming and facing trauma. In her debut memoir, Angelou unravels her journey from a childhood to motherhood through years of loneliness, abuse and discrimination. Along the way, she finds the freeing power of literary expression, finding her voice through her words and starting along the path toward becoming a cultural and artistic icon. I have long been a fan of Angelou’s work but had not gotten a chance to pick up this book. I am so glad to have taken in its lessons.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid: Why did no one tell me that the book was a fictional tale with a journalism subplot?! I adored this book and often found myself gasping throughout. It read like a spill of the most juicy and salacious gossip with an enormous helping of heart and nuance.
Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan: Are you rolling your eyes yet? I love nostalgia, and I love this book. It is the most delightful leisurely read. Every week after watching an episode of Disney’s Percy Jackson show, I read the corresponding chapters of this book. Unfortunately, that takes approximately five minutes and makes me wonder if I should have read the book in one sitting. Even so, I like the tradition of it.
What I Know For Sure, Oprah Winfrey: I received this book as a gift from the mother of one of my closest friends when I moved back to Milwaukee. I read a bit of it every week, finding that it keeps me optimistic, hopeful and willing to chart different paths to expressing gratitude and embracing possibility in my daily routine. On the back of the book is a quote, “I know for sure: Your journey begins with a choice to get up, step out, and live fully.” I don’t think it ever hurts to have a reminder.

in my scroll

In an August 2023 New York Times article about grown-up theater kids’ world dominating tendencies, MSNBC host Chris Hayes said, “theater kids’ joining the professional world is “like releasing an apex predator into an ecosystem.”

I’ll end with a TikTok that I think captures that energy.