my september rewind and news stories you should read this month

a little late, but still very reflective!

Oct 15, 2024

Hello Tamia Talkers! Happy Tuesday!

I initially felt deep guilt and shame for not sharing this rewind two weeks ago. Then, I felt TREMENDOUS guilt for not sharing it on Sunday or Monday of this week. However, I knew in my heart that I wanted to completely digest the culture and content of the last day of September before I released my thoughts into the inboxes of my lovely readers.

Shortly after making that decision, I also realized that I could not possibly miss the most geographically convenient opportunity to see Sabrina Carpenter’s “Short n’ Sweet” tour. So, on Sunday, I spent a whopping nine hours waiting in line for box office tickets to see my sister perform in Chicago (so worthwhile, would not recommend it to anyone but me). In doing so, I did not have the technological capacity to hit send on this post!

As for Monday, I was just panicking because I usually don’t post during the week! Despite all of that, I am here to deliver.

As I tend to say about most months, September was jam-packed with media consumption. I was shocked by how much television I watched and how many books I checked off my “to be read” list.

September was also a month filled with anticipation, because on September 30th, I headed to United Center in Chicago to see Charli XCX and Troye Sivan dominate the stage at the SWEAT tour, a culmination of multiple years’ worth of dance crying to “Seventeen” and an age-old personal tradition of begging my friends to come to a Charli XCX concert with me. (I did attend Crash Tour 2022, amen).

I am so happy that it’s finally fall. Crisp air and months of streaming Sabrina Carpenter and Ariana Grande’s Christmas EPs are just around the corner.

Let’s get into the rewind.

in the news

America tested 100,000 forgotten rape kits. But justice remains elusive.: Trigger Warning // In 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice launched the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, doling out nearly $350 million in grants to 90 local and state agencies throughout the past decade to perform thorough sexual assault testing. The effort was made to more effectively identify perpetrators of assault and allow law enforcement officials to track repeated offenders through DNA testing. The rape kit testing process, in most cases, requires victims of assault to undergo hours-long physical exams in which saliva, hair, and debris are collected from their bodies and clothing. In recent years, however, haphazard reviews of evidence and backlogs in kit testing have resulted in over 100,000 tests being left unprocessed or ineffectively reported. This USA Today investigation reveals that despite having the resources and equipment to reopen and prosecute sexual assault cases, some law enforcement agencies abandon evidence and opportunities for victims to seek justice. Read here.

In New Orleans, a ‘Black Beach’ Is Being Rescued From the Ruins: Before the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, there was the only place where Black residents could relax and swim. Lincoln Beach was a haven for residents seeking respite from an unaccepting world. Between dips in the water, locals indulged in live music performances by Nat King Cole and gathered in community with neighbors and friends. Then, as the constraints of segregation lifted, so went the visitors to the beach. After decades of divestment and degradation, in 2020, community members stepped in to save and preserve the beach. In this New York Times story, reporter Xander Peters writes “Places like Lincoln Beach are disappearing across the United States. Some simply disintegrate beyond recognition, while others are gentrified. With them go pages of national history.” The article is a thoughtful and compelling reflection on efforts to preserve a historical landmark for New Orleans’ Black residents. It explores America’s complex relationship with providing and maintaining recreational space for Black communities. It also mentions a beach I visited for the first time this summer, Biloxi Beach in Biloxi, Mississippi, where residents gather every April for Black Beach Weekend. It’s such an informative and interesting read. Read here.

Bowen Yang Is Sorry He’s Not Your Clown Today: I don’t have enough words to describe how delighted I am to exist in the same earthly timeline as Bowen Yang. Over the past couple of years, I have ravenously consumed episodes of “Las Culturistas” and “SNL” and had the opportunity to watch, in real-time, his rise to superstardom. Though celebrity and said “superstardom” can seem ever-glitzy and exciting, this New Yorker profile explores the nuances of Yang’s time in the public eye as the first Asian cast member of Saturday Night Live and the star of several high-budget Hollywood projects set to release in the coming year. Yang spoke to New Yorker staff writer Michael Schulman about the lingering trauma he deals with following a teenage experience in gay conversion therapy before heading to college at NYU and details a dissociative episode that he experienced last year while filming “Wicked.” I greatly admired Bowen’s willingness to share so much of himself with the world and entrust friends and family to offer glimpses into his struggles. It’s a deeply vulnerable and honest piece, a must-read in my book. Read here

Abortion Bans Have Delayed Emergency Medical Care. In Georgia, Experts Say This Mother’s Death Was Preventable.: In September, ProPublica published an investigation by reporter Kavitha Surana about 28-year-old Amber Thurman, a Georgia resident, who contracted sepsis and died after abortion complications and delayed medical treatment from doctors. In an attempt to work around Georgia’s six-week abortion ban, Thurman had traveled from her home state of Georgia to North Carolina to receive mifepristone and misoprostol pills and an abortion treatment plan from doctors. When she returned home, she began to experience complications like intense cramps, fainting, lightheadedness, and heavy bleeding. Thurman’s symptoms were fairly common and treatable, reporting revealed. Medical experts say that her death was preventable. Read here.

What is PMDD? For these sufferers, it’s a monthly struggle.: In this Washington Post story, reporter Karla Marie Sanford spoke to more than a dozen people experiencing premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a condition that causes extreme mood swings, anxiety, brain fog, and, at its worst, suicidal ideation. In some cases, the condition leads women to remove their ovaries or seek a variety of experimental treatments like Ketamine to relieve pain. PMDD is often a condition that people experiencing periods do not learn about. The condition was not included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illnesses, the main guide for mental health providers in the United States until 2013. Additionally, those who experience PMDD symptoms often face stigma and questioning about the severity of their pain. Read here.

on my screen

Nobody Asked For This, Dionne Warwick Interview (2024): I’ve become the biggest fan of NPR reporter Emma Choi over the past few months! I always love her videos and reporting and this interview with Dionne Warwick, a legend and woman with fantastic taste, is a slam dunk. More of Miss Dionne, please!

English Teacher (2024): Brian Jordan Alvarez’s “English Teacher” was a highly anticipated watch for me this September, and I can confidently say that it is one of my new favorite shows. It’s perfectly balanced between its cheesy jokes, political reflections, Gen Z v. Millennial culture wars, and relatable romantic quandaries that I could not possibly resist watching if I wanted to. It brings me so much joy and has introduced me to a handful of fresh or semi-familiar actor faces to root for and follow (I see you, Stephanie Koenig, my Lessons in Chemistry queen!). I love a Milwaukee moment on my TV, so the Trixie Mattel drag episode made me cheer and clap. I also love that every episode starts with a super random but incredibly evident soft thirst trap for Mr. Alvarez, like yes, slay, do what you must!

Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999): I watched “Drop Dead Gorgeous” on a plane to New Orleans this month, and I had no idea what to expect. I was starting to feel a bit Halloween-y and wanted to watch a movie with relatively tame horror elements. It was pure chaos from start to finish but had a campy, scream queens-like satirical bent that kept me engaged and giggling. Many aspects of the film are super out of touch and the jokes had my jaw dropped to the floor, but I love a Midwest story with solid character construction and a star-studded cast. I mean Amy Adams, Kirstin Dunst, and Denise Richards?! My favorite quotes for cultural relevancy reasons were, “The year…2024. Planet Earth. The question on everyone’s mind, what is…soylent green,” and “That bitch from Wisconsin.” We need more movies for the girls!

I Saw The TV Glow (2024): I was so apprehensive and afraid to watch “I Saw The TV Glow.” I had imagined that it would be a deeply frightening and potentially bloody horror film that wasn’t allowed to detail the level of its gore in trailers. In reality, it was a captivating psychological thriller about abandoning dreams of pursuing a life far different than the one you live and choosing the path that seems easiest to be the most palatable or easy to digest for you and the people around you. It’s about longing to be the person who took a risk and leaped into a different life and or timeline. Justice Smith gave a stellar performance, but the real star, to me, was the script. I loved this and would watch it again and again and again.

Me Before You: I wanted to like this movie far more than I did. Though I thought the casting was great, the lack of depth and thoughtfulness in capturing the experience of a person with disabilities frustrated and distracted me throughout my watch. Having just read the book, I was curious to see how they could reframe this story to at least somewhat explore the nuances and struggles the characters deal with in the written text. The film leans more into the romance of it all which, for me, was not the most compelling part of the story. The plot felt a bit rushed, sigh. But I love Sam Claflin and Emilia Clarke and would love to see them together in a different project.

Twister (1996): This was so fun, just as good as the Universal ride situation I described in my “Twisters” post-watch evaluation. I love that the central characters couldn’t help but chase their science-fueled love despite being soooo toxic and putting sweet therapist Melissa, fiance of Bill Harding (the Glen Powell of this universe), through all that madness. Melissa! You deserve better girl! Also, flying cow :,(

Love Life (2020): My mom watched “Love Life” sometime way back when, between my time in undergrad and graduate school. For years, she recommended I watch it because she felt it would be relatable. There is a Politico reporter as a central character, so journalism slay, she told me, and also New York, a place I love and lived! Evidence points to the show being made for me! In all seriousness, I loved the first season of this show. Anna Kendrick’s Darby is perfectly messy and confused and so 20-something. I love watching her struggle and learn. I’m so bummed that HBO, HBO Max, Max, or whatever iteration of identity it was in at the time, canceled this show. It deserved more, season two updates pending. <3

Agatha All Along (2024): Witches. Yes! Joe Locke’s eyebrow slit. Absolutely.

in my ears

music

Drip Sweat (feat Channel Tres), Kaytranada: This whole album is magnificent. Drip Sweat was my gateway into full album appreciation, so it earns this spot on the list.
Right Here (Departed), Brandy: Once a year, I remember this song exists and it makes its way onto my Spotify Wrapped every time.
Pillar, Amy Allen: When I heard Sabrina Carpenter’s co-writer Amy Allen was dropping her debut album. I closed my bedroom door, slid on my headphones, and locked in. In all seriousness, this is a really beautiful song and the album is absolutely worth a listen.
It’s Okay, I’m Okay, Tate McRae: I love Tate McRae so much. I feel this inexplicable allegiance to her as someone whose name starts with a T which is funny, because I don’t feel that way about most T-named individuals. I think it’s the dancing.
5 in the Morning, Charli XCX: Timeless banger. I always return.
Jump To The Rhythm, Jordan Pruitt: This was one of the preeminent hits of my Disney Channel-watching era, and, sometimes, you’ve just got to return to the classics.
Pushing It Down and Praying, Lizzy McAlpine: Lizzy! Tucker! Please!
The Phantom of The Opera, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Original London Cast of the Phantom of the Opera: This song feels so September to me, specifically because I saw it on Broadway in September.
Baby It’s You, JoJo: It’s a hit, always has been a hit. No disputes.

podcasts

In September, I stuck with my usual podcast classics, “Keep It,” “Las Culturistas,” “Up First,” “Wild Card,” and “The Interview.” Here are a few of my favorite episodes of the month.

“Jenna Ortega Is Still Recovering From Childhood Stardom,” The Interview
“Kacey Musgraves is trying to get right with time,” Wild Card
“The State of Fashion,” Ted Radio Hour
“Gas Me Up, Lil Bro! w/ Joanna “JoJo” Levesque,” Las Culturistas

on my shelf

Over the Influence, Joanna Levesque: This is the celebrity memoir I’ve been waiting for. JoJo’s face, voice, and words have been imprinted on my mind since my earliest adolescent years. I am a committed and devoted “Too Little, Too Late” karaoke performer. Most importantly, I am grateful that this book offered chances to acknowledge the struggles and immense challenges that JoJo, and dozens of other young artists, face when thrust into the music industry with minimal protection and resources to ensure their safety as creators and human beings. I’ve followed JoJo for so many years, so getting a behind-the-scenes look at the songs that have soundtracked my life was fascinating. The book was also a helpful reminder that we are all just humans stumbling through the vast complexities of life. I still wish I could’ve seen the queen in “Moulin Rouge,” but I’m happy enough to have seen her perform live at all!

Loud, Drew Afualo: Last month, I included a Rolling Stone profile of Drew Afualo in my “in the news” section of Tamia Talks. I started following Drew, as many did, during the pandemic. I’ve loved seeing her rise to stardom. She is a journalism major turned superstar who found a way to use her voice to empower young women and young people to love and celebrate themselves in a world that often minimizes and belittles them. She’s found such a creative way to make her space in the media landscape and it’s so inspiring and fun to watch. This New York Times Bestselling memoir/guide to life is definitely worth the read if you also consider yourself a fan.

History of Love, Nicole Krauss: I started reading Nicole Krauss’ “History of Love” sometime this spring or early summer, I believe. It took me so long to finish, because, at times, I couldn’t bear the sadness. It is incredibly well-written and so satisfying to complete. For some context, the fiction novel centers around an elderly Jewish man named Leo Gursky who spends most of his days awaiting death. Life, for him, isn’t as it used to be. Sixty years prior, as a 14-year-old in his small village in Poland, he found a love for many things, friends, writing, and a girl named Alma. He wrote a book about their love and dreamed of building a family together. Then, Nazis invaded his town. He lost the book and her in his scramble to escape. Through different perspectives, the book connects the dots between Leo’s present-day life in New York City where he’s lamenting over his lost childhood love, and his former life in Poland as he attempts to find the meaning of his life.

on stage

SWEAT, Troye Sivan and Charli XCX: I am reintroducing the “on stage” section for the sole purpose of reflecting on the pure magic of the SWEAT tour. It was so beautiful to see two artists who I truly love and adore on stage performing music that felt so authentic to them. Charli, without a single backup dancer on stage, is such a captivating and talented performer. Coolness seems to just run through her pop star veins. Troye is ever angelic and masterful at delivering some of the most heartbreaking and catchy songs I’ve ever heard. I’m too awestruck to write more and Substack is telling me I’m about to hit the word limit. All love to them!