Hi darlings, your internet aunty is deep in the throws of a depression spiral over here, so this note won’t be as perky or as snappy as usual. Like everyone else, I seem to have hit some kind of horrible wall recently. Must be the upcoming one year anniversary of our LATEST bout of existential threat or something. Seasonal depression, meets pandemic depression, meets normal depression.
In between multiple bouts of crying every day, I’ve slapped together a surprisingly good bunch of links for your reading pleasure. Seriously, there is a lot of great and fun stuff for you this week, just in case like me you are completely unable to summon any serotonin.
The Senate of the United States, having a normal one over here…
Our building has seemed suspiciously quiet for a while now…
My long term thirst for Henry Cavill over most of the competition was and remains solid evident of my good taste. And is there any more petty but thrilling pleasure than when your aesthetic preference is also acknowledged to have been The Correct Choice? It’ so satisfying. The Man From UNCLE is still a great and underappreciated movie, though.
Oh good, only a year and change too late.
Friend of the Blog Caitlin Kelly strikes again, on how Bridgerton’s influence is only beginning, and how it’s giving whole communities of experts and enthusiasts their due.
Speaking of costuming, let me recommend a couple of channels and creators to truly send you down a rabbit hole this weekend:
Abby Cox, a dress historian specializing in the 18th century and not afraid to Go There when it comes to stuff you really want to know about boobs, periods, corsetry, and more. She’s also hilarious, historically rigorous, and just an overall feminist delight. Bernadette Banner, an Edwardian expert and former Broadway costumer who uses her personal experience with scoliosis to delve into dismantling myths about shapewear, highlights traditional craftsman and houses, and roasts fast fashion using medieval tailoring. She’s a babe. I particularly recommend her latest vid about the effects of Bridgerton on athleticwear. Yes, really.
Overdue but still very welcome for Black History Month. We would not have almost any genre of American music, much less global dittos, without the unique heritage of Black culture and pioneers.
Well well well, if it isn’t the consequences of our actions…
Likewise, what a gent–even when no longer with us.
As per usual, Ronan Farrow (speaking to Amanour and Company) breaks down the differences in the insurrectionist mob of January 6th, what separates them, and what unites them in thoughtful and accessible ways. Worth a watch:
My honest to goodness reaction at seeing this story was, “OMG look at the itty bitty dinosaur!”
Anti-Asian racism and racist incidents are on the rise, including for Pacific Islanders and many ethnic and racial groups that come under that broad category. Don’t forget that we can and must advocate for several communities individually as well as under broad umbrellas such as “immigration” and “people of color.” If your privilege protects you against certain bigotries, stand up for individual communities as well as broad groups. These are not mutually exclusive.
Ignoring the headline, which I expect will put some people off, this is an excellent discussion on the role of conservatism can play in preserving democracy or breaking it. Ardent and die-hard leftist that I am, I actually agree with the thesis that it’s the behaviors of the right that really determine the path of governments because they are often the institutional guardians of what we retain and why, while the left’s role is (broadly speaking) to push for change. Both of the institutional tensions need to exist in healthy ways for democracy to work.
Good. Because I have no faith that the Senate will impose any consequences. Literally none.
This week I learned a fascinating piece of history for the first time, and one that showcases the complexities of racial privilege in America. Mixed race families, slavery and sexual consent, “passing,” and class differences all rolled into one, and a Second Lady you have never heard of.
I AM NOT A CAT. The 2021 battlecry of everyone who has utterly lost the Zoom plot.
Small Dog Syndrome 
I think it’s remarkable that humans are still finding new species on earth. And not a bird with an extra dot, but something truly unique. Do you have a support network for your depression? I hope it fades soon.
Our flora and fauna here on our obscure little cosmic rock truly is breathtaking.
I’m incredibly lucky to have fantastic support, including a empathetic partner, a great doctor, and regular therapy. But for all of that, the waves of misery still happen. I try to be open about it when they do because it helps normalise mental health issues generally and often makes space for it where needed in my friend groups. Particularly in the workplace, which is something I think a lot about. You can’t help what you don’t see.
Doesn’t help when I’m stuck in the sunken place, but it makes it easier to reflect on when I’m not.
I hope this tough time passes quickly for you. Sending best wishes!
I was a huge fan of the Redwall books as a child! I might use the series to watch as a study break (currently knee-deep in academic journal papers).
I really enjoyed Caitlin’s Bridgerton article. I was slightly obsessed with Regency fashion as a teenager. I watched the 1995 Colin Firth Pride and Prejudice when I was 10 and I wanted to live in a Jane Austen novel.
Thanks so much for the link! That was by far the most fun story I’ve worked on in years.
Really sorry to read about your depression…
I’ve also recently lost it, and my next blog post explains why. It was only the gentle/kind inquiry from a Twitter friend I’ve never even met (after I alluded to medical issues there) that made me really look hard at why I feel so overwhelmed and ready to cry a lot. I also realized how lonely this pandemic has made me feel….so many people have withdrawn emotionally and physically. I understand why, but it’s tough. Am speaking to my therapist this coming week. And I hate that even seeing my 91 year old father in Canada feels almost impossible — you can only really get in by air (no thanks!) and the government insists on 3 nights for $1575 in a hotel.
I know you and I tend to soldier on, but what a horrific year this has been — and with so much more yet to come.