Brad Pitt impostors scammed women out of $350K. [Socialite Life]
Mariska Hargitay said that Law & Order: SVU has given her secondary trauma. I believe it, some of those storylines are deeply upsetting. [Pajiba]
People are hyped for Joshua Jackson’s new show, Doctor Odyssey. [LaineyGossip]
Florida voters better turn out for the abortion ballot. [Jezebel]
Samuel L. Jackson talks about his nine-picture Marvel deal. [JustJared]
Hurricane Helene is a doozy, stay safe! [Hollywood Life]
Rihanna sang in her high school talent show! [Seriously OMG]
Saoirse Ronan looks amazing here. [RCFA]
Horoscopes for Libra Season! [OMG Blog]

The Olivia Nuzzi-Robert Kennedy Jr. story is still buzzing around, even if DC media is doing way too much to minimize Nuzzi’s actions. To recap, Nuzzi profiled Kennedy late last year, then she apparently began a digital affair with him around New Year’s. According to Kennedy-sources, Nuzzi barraged him with nude photos and at various points during the year, he blocked her. Other sources say that their affair was partially in person, and that it was much more mutual than Kennedy is making it out to be. Semafor’s editor recently wrote an astounding piece about how everyone in DC sleeps with their sources and it’s no biggie. Interestingly, there seems to be a flat admission that Kennedy was Nuzzi’s “source” as she wrote anti-Biden hit pieces and repeatedly claimed that Kennedy’s candidacy was legitimate. Anyway, apparently Nuzzi still hasn’t been fired and her bosses are telling staffers to keep quiet.

Staff at the New York Magazine have been warned by Vox Media bosses not to speak about Olivia Nuzzi’s secret relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Business Insider reports. A letter sent Tuesday from the parent group Vox Media told them not to engage in the discourse surrounding Nuzzi, while the New York magazine’s editor David Haskell is believed to be against public criticism from colleagues.

Some employees are also said to be confused over why Nuzzi had not been fired. The magazine’s editors put her on leave last week over reports, which were broken by the Status newsletter writer Oliver Darcy, that a relationship between the two had started after she wrote a profile piece of the then-presidential candidate.

A statement from the magazine said: “Had the magazine been aware of this relationship, she would not have continued to cover the presidential campaign.” It also said that the secret was a “violation of our readers’ trust.” Other employees are said to have some sympathy for the magazine’s star reporter while still condemning her behavior.

[From The Daily Beast]

I find it notable that Nuzzi hasn’t been fired and that Vox Media seems to be circling the wagons. It’s also notable that so many men in media are minimizing or shrugging off Nuzzi’s actions, including lying to her editor about the affair. Some women in media are also minimizing it, to be fair, but most female journalists are appalled by what she’s done. As much as I hoped that Nuzzi would be fired and blacklisted, I really don’t think that’s going to happen. She’ll probably be suspended throughout the rest of the election cycle, and then New York Magazine will bring her back. Either that or they will fire her but she’ll land on her feet immediately and become a right-wing media darling.

Photos courtesy of Instagram, screencaps courtesy of HBO and NY Magazine.

James Middleton is still promoting his memoir, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life. He has received absolutely zero negativity for the book or its promotion. No one in the British or American media has called him a grifter or a scammer peddling a tawdry tell-all. No one has questioned the tackiness of the Princess of Wales’s brother writing about his time at Sandringham with Queen Elizabeth, or his time at Highgrove with King Charles. It’s absolutely bizarre. And now James is even talking about his sister’s health in American interviews:

James Middleton is sharing an update on sister Catherine, the Princess of Wales, following news that she completed her cancer treatment.

James Middleton, the younger brother of the former Kate Middleton who is releasing a new book, “Meet Ella,” briefly spoke about his oldest sister’s health during an exclusive interview with NBC News’ Kelly Cobiella.

“She’s doing OK,” he says during the interview, which aired on TODAY Sept. 26.

He continued, “It’s not for me to share on her behalf, you know, how everything’s going. But she’s getting all the right support and focus that she needs. And like anything, it takes time to process.”

James Middleton’s chat with TODAY took place in the English countryside, where he grew up with his two sisters.

“We’re very lucky to spend time here. It was always my dream to move back,” he shares.

“Catherine and William had both been involved in mental health charities and works of which I got help from. They were a fantastic bridge for the family, for me to be able to translate how I was feeling,” James Middleton shared. He added, “The whole process has brought us closer, in many ways.”

[From Today]

I keep thinking back to how James and Pippa were moving earlier this year – Pippa was lounging around St. Bart’s with her husband and kids, meanwhile James took several ski holidays, all while Kate was “recovering from abdominal surgery” and learning that she has cancer. In fact, James and Pippa’s vacation schedule convinced me, back then, that Kate was fine. I also wonder how close-hold the information was overall – it’s possible that only Carole and Michael knew what was really going on with Kate back then. Oh well. James is staying on Middleton-message, that’s for sure. My guess is that Carole scripted most of this.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Prince Harry conducted a lot of important business in New York this week, highlighting the work of The HALO Trust, Archewell, The Parents Network, Sentebale, African Parks, Travalyst and more. Trying to keep up with his schedule, I understood why he went solo for the New York trip. It was mostly about his side of things, his patronages, his charities, his issue profile. That hasn’t stopped the British media from amplifying their own “theories” about why Harry’s solo trip is indicative of the Sussexes’ “separate lives.” But it’s even more insidious than that, with the Mail’s Richard Eden devoting a new column to how Meghan and Harry see each other as dead weight and that’s why they’re separating their business and charity profiles. I’ll spare you the bulk of Eden’s hysteria, but here are the sections I wanted to discuss:

Different directions: When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved to California to seek their fortune, their cheerleaders claimed they would be a new power couple…This week, we have seen evidence of how that dream lies in tatters, with Prince Harry and Meghan travelling in different directions when it comes to their careers.

The Oprah interview was the beginning of the end! [In 2021], they sat down for their explosive television interview with their Santa Barbara neighbour Oprah Winfrey. Following Meghan’s claims in the interview that the future Princess of Wales had made her cry, and her allegations of racism among unnamed senior Windsors, the sofa chat caused a devastating rift with the Royal Family. It also alienated millions of people who had previously been sympathetic to Harry and Meghan. The negative reaction to the interview may have been the turning point, when the first seeds of doubt crept in about the wisdom of their ‘power couple’ strategy. They had, however, signed a deal with Netflix for a rumoured $100million, so still went ahead with their tawdry ‘docuseries’ or reality show, Harry & Meghan, which was broadcast the following year.

Spotify & Spare: Meghan’s solo [podcast] series set the pattern for their future careers. She left Harry to promote his memoirs alone, as the book further antagonised the royals and their admirers around the world. Their forthcoming projects for Netflix are separate: Meghan has filmed a cookery and lifestyle show, expected to be broadcast next year, while Harry’s made a programme about polo, his favourite sport.

Harry’s solo trip: This week, Harry has been in New York on his own, carrying out charitable engagements connected to his late mother, Princess Diana, that would once have held much appeal for Meghan. What’s been most noticeable is that the duke has appeared far more relaxed than on his previous appearance in the city with his wife. That visit turned into a fiasco, with claims of a ‘high-speed car chase’ with paparazzi that were denied by the police. Harry’s smiles have also been in contrast to the frowns he often seemed to be wearing when he visited Colombia with Meghan last month.

More solo ventures in the future: A source in California claims that Meghan has decided that their interests are best served by pursuing separate careers. ‘They will still carry out some charitable engagements together and embark on foreign visits, but their work projects will be separate,’ the source tells me. Perhaps Meghan has decided that she is the bigger attraction when it comes to showbusiness. That would leave Harry free to continue trying to mend fences with his family on visits back home that are likely to become more frequent and longer.

[From The Daily Mail]

Eden’s practically in tears as he fantasizes about Harry spending more time “back home.” The thing is, there’s a small morsel of truth to the idea that Harry and Meghan are going to do more separate projects in the future. I absolutely believe that they are, and I also believe that Harry and Meghan completely support each other as they work on those separate projects. They do not have to be joined at the hip 24-7 to have a happy marriage or a thriving business and charity. Harry was clearly in NYC on behalf of some of their joint interests (Archewell, The Parents Network). Meghan is a co-producer (through Archewell) on Harry’s polo series. Their Colombian tour went brilliantly, which is why Eden is still trying to say that Harry looked grumpy (he did not). Also note that these people never want to admit that Spare was one of the biggest publishing successes of the year, and Harry made eight-figures from it. They’re still so mad that Meghan didn’t give interviews to support Harry’s memoir, jeez.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Last year, there was a strange story about how the Princess of Wales possibly demanded that the National Portrait Gallery put a royal portrait in storage. Kate is the royal patron of the gallery, and the gallery quietly removed an old portrait of Prince Harry and Prince William from display. The gallery didn’t say anything other than: we cycle portraits in and out all the time, no biggie. Well, back in May, the same gallery acquired a copy of Misan Harriman’s portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Harriman released three photos of Harry and Meghan in October 2022, photos which were taken in Manchester one month prior. NPG chose the black-and-white image of Harry and Meghan in profile. Harriman was so pleased – it was his first photo added to NPG’s collection. Well, now the Mail claims that Kate possibly got NPG to bury Misan’s portrait?

The National Portrait Gallery has said it won’t put up a picture of Prince Harry and Meghan that it acquired earlier this year. The black and white image by photographer Misan Harriman – a friend of the Sussexes – was taken when the couple attended the opening of the One Young World summit in Manchester two years ago, after they dramatically quit royal life and moved to California.

But last night a spokesman for the gallery, whose patron is the Princess of Wales, said: ‘The portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex was acquired for the Gallery’s photographs collection in May 2024. Following cataloguing and its digitisation, the portrait was added to our website at the beginning of this month. There are no current plans to display the portrait in the gallery.’

It comes after The Mail on Sunday revealed that the Royal Collection has no photographs of Meghan in its vast archives of more than a million objects.

Mr Harriman is a globally celebrated celebrity and social photographer who became the first black man to shoot a cover of British Vogue in the magazine’s 104-year history. The National Portrait Gallery holds one of the world’s greatest collection of portraits, but its patron Kate has no say over which are added to the collection.

There were rumours last year that the Princess was secretly pleased when a controversial portrait of her, painted by artist Paul Emsley, was removed from public view.

[From The Daily Mail]

LOL, I’m including the Emsley painting below – it was iconic because he really captured how she looks and not in a Disney-princess way. As for all of this fuss about Harriman’s photo, did NPG ever say that they were going to put it on display? No, they just made a point of adding it to their collection. They should put it on display though, it’s a lovely photo. As for the Royal Collection not having any photos or paintings of Meghan… lol, she wasn’t there long enough and they were too racist to celebrate her when she was there. She really should have gotten some palace-commissioned artwork, but oh well. Thankfully, Meghan can and does organize her own photoshoots whenever she wants.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images, and Misan Harriman for the Sussexes.

In the wake of Sean Combs’ arrest, people on social media have been doing way too much to spread conspiracies about all of the celebrities involved in Combs’ “parties.” The eagerness with which people are trying to drag celebrities into Combs’ crimes is insulting to the victims and it minimizes the actual crimes Sean Combs has been charged with. Combs, like Harvey Weinstein, was a predator for decades and he hid in plain sight by associating with famous people and inviting those people to his legitimate parties (parties which didn’t involve rape). Posting an old photo of Weinstein/Combs with [insert celebrity] isn’t proof of anything other than they posed together in 2004. Well, Ashton Kutcher is the “insert celebrity” of the moment. Ashton went to some of those parties. But Ashton wants people to know that he had nothing to do with it and that his marriage is fine.

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis are not breaking up, despite online rumors, a source tells PEOPLE.

“This is absolutely ridiculous and false,” the source says in response to online chatter claiming the couple are separating amid renewed speculation over Kutcher’s past friendship with Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Earlier this week, old photos of Kutcher and Combs — who was arrested on Sept. 16 and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and a transportation to engage in prostitution — partying together also resurfaced on social media. (Diddy, 54, has pleaded not guilty, but has been denied bail twice.)

Adds another source: “Ashton has no involvement in any of this. He doesn’t belong in this conversation about Diddy. Ashton has only seen Diddy in a handful of social and business events, all of which have been documented by the media.”

[From People]

I’m loath to defend Ashton Kutcher whatsoever, but again, I hope people stop saying that every single person who took a photo with Sean Combs somehow knew about the extent of his depravity. There is already plenty of evidence that Ashton Kutcher is a despicable person – his vocal support of a serial rapist like Danny Masterson is evidence enough – so I do understand why people are more likely to believe that Ashton is involved. But IDK, let’s wait until Combs starts naming names?

Ashton Kutcher warned there’s a lot he can’t tell about Diddy’s parties

“Diddy party stories… man, that was like some weird memory lane.” pic.twitter.com/lELJtG0NV0

— BAY AREA STATE OF MIND (@YayAreaNews) September 19, 2024

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

From Rosie: It’s my favorite time of year: Halloween season! I picked up this tablecloth in orange and black and love it so much. They also have ones with pumpkins and a glow-in-the-dark one, which I’m thinking about getting. I like this brand because it’s under $20, good quality and easy to keep clean. I also picked up a Halloween-themed Bluey coloring book for my younger son and this general Halloween-themed one for myself. As for the tablecloth, other people in reviews love it just as much as I do. “I love love love this table cloth!! EVERYTIME I see it it makes me smile! It’s just as pictured!!” “Very easy to clean! Always a plus when you have messy eaters. Good quality.” Here’s what else CB and I are looking at on Amazon this week.

Sales and deals
27% off the Gym People Thick High Waist Yoga Pants with Pockets – 19.99+
26% off Dyson V8 Plus Cordless Vacuum, Silver/Nickel – 349.99
76% off Wireless Earbuds, Bluetooth 5.3 Headphones Bass Stereo – 21.99
41% off Walking Pad with Incline, Akluer Incline Walking Pad Treadmill – 99.99
36% off 6 pack Solar Lights Outdoor Waterproof, 3 Lighting Modes – 47.99
27% off 2 pack Women’s Slim-Fit Long Sleeve Rib Knit Crew Neck – 20.90
31% off 6 pack Heavy Duty Moving Bags with Backpack Straps and Strong Handles – 19.99
41% off CozyLux Queen Bed in a Bag White Seersucker Comforter Set – 32.99
27% off Mold Stain Remover Gel Cleaner Heavy Duty Stain Cleaner – 13.95
57% off Floor Lamp for Living Room with 3 Color Temperatures LED Bulb – 29.98
51% off Women’s Long Open Front Cardigans Striped Color Block – 33.99
47% off White Noise Machine with 20 Non Looping Natural Soothing Sounds – 15.99
43% off Womens Oversized Sweatshirts Turtleneck Pullover Long Sleeve Hoodies – 25.99

A brain teaser puzzle that’s fun for kids and adults

From Rosie: Kanoodle is one of those “TikTok Made Me Buy It” crazes and it’s really fun. It’s a brain teaser puzzle game with 200 different 2D and 3D puzzles. It comes with a puzzle book and a case for easy travel. Right now, it’s only $10 on Amazon (normally $14). You can pick one up for yourself or at that price, grab a few to give as gifts. It has a 4.7 star rating, more than 28,800 reviews, and an A on Fakespot. In reviews, people mention that it’s fun for all ages and love that it’s a good alternative to playing on a phone or tablet. “Kanoodle is a fun and challenging puzzle game. It’s compact and easy to take anywhere.With various difficulty levels, it’s perfect for both kids and adults.” “I bought this gift for my eight year old and was pleasantly surprised by how fun it is for all ages. It kept him engaged for a long time, first starting with the 2D puzzles, then moving on to 3D. Later the adults we were hosting were all taking turns playing it. I plan to keep a few of these around for random gifting at Christmas time or birthdays.” “Love that this keeps me off my phone. Great brain teaser. Can use it anywhere.”

A stylish bathrobe that keeps you warm and cozy

From Rosie: My bathrobe is my favorite item of clothing. I absolutely would live in it if I could, and I’m excited for cooler weather so I have the excuse to wear it more often. This lightweight fleece bathrobe is an Amazon best-seller. It’s made of teddy sherpa fabric and designed to keep you warm while looking stylish. It comes in 14 different colors. It has a 4.6 star rating, more than 9,300 reviews, and an A on Fakespot. People love how soft and warm it is. “So soft and plush. It’s a great length and very comfortable to wear while lounging around the house.” “After months of searching through robe options, I gave this one a try. It does NOT disappoint! If you’re looking for a soft, plush robe, I highly recommend this.” “The robe is lightweight, yet warm. It’s also soft and very comfortable.”

Overnight patches that get rid of your pimples

From Rosie: The Mighty Patch is the #1 best seller in Amazon’s Beauty & Personal Care section. It’s a hydrocolloid patch that you put one over your pimples or blemishes overnight to help them heal. It also helps pull out the gunk so you never have to pop a pimple again. You can pick up a 36 count pack for $11. This has a 4.8 star rating, more than 148,700 reviews, and an A on Fakespot. Users rave about how well these work. “They stick well to the skin, staying in place without irritation, and are nearly invisible, making them perfect for daytime use as well…If you’re looking for a simple, no-fuss solution to cover and treat zits, Mighty Patch is definitely worth trying!” “I love the Mighty Patch. I’ve used it for several years and continue to purchase. It works well with ache that is close to the surface or open. It definitely reduces the size and appearance the next morning.” “Love them. It’s really satisfying to see all the gunk it extracts!! Leaves the pimple significantly flatter and doesn’t leave it really dry. I’ve bought them twice now.”

A divided party serving tray for taco nights, snacks and more

From CB: This covered divided serving tray would be great for taco night, for veggies and for snacks. It has a lid for easy storage and is BPA free and dishwasher safe. The center compartment fits standard round dip containers. This listing has 4.7 stars, over 2,000 ratings and a B on Fakespot. I looked through so many party trays before finding this one! People say it’s easy to clean, sturdy and fits well in the refrigerator. “I ordered the red one and it looked great with the lettuce, tomatoes, onions and pickle slices (in the middle section with the lid) for a large barbecue picnic. I love it!” “Best veggie tray ever!! Everyone in my family loves it. It makes taking a potluck tray super easy to make and bring. As a bonus it is also dishwasher safe and easy to clean.” “Love the versatility of this tray whether you want to use it at home or put the lid on to take to a gathering. Super easy to wash. It has increased our families veggie intake as I make my own veggie tray weekly for us to snack on.”

A vegan eyebrow gel that’s comparable to much more expensive brands

From CB: Essence Make Me Brow eyebrow gel is so inexpensive I thought that the 3-pack label couldn’t be accurate. You get three tubes of blonde or brown-based colors for under $9. This listing has over 2,000 ratings, 4.3 stars and a B on Fakespot. People say it fills your eyebrows well and that it’s similar to Charlotte Tilbury’s Legendary Brows, which is $26. I’ve ordered this and will report back! “The color is spot on & looks much more natural then you would think.” “This product is amazing. Its quick, and effective. It gives the right amount of color, plus the color match is on point. I love the fact that there are tiny little fibers in this formula. It really amps up the final look. The wand is super tiny, and you can get really detailed. Honestly for the price, I am blown away.”

A portable cable organizer box could solve that problem once and for all

From CB: If your house is anything like mine, there are chargers and connectors spread around, with some in boxes and others in drawers and areas next to where I might need them. When I need a different charger I have to search around and usually find it later. This portable cable organization box is on sale for 29% off at under $22. It has two levels to store both larger items like power bricks amd mice and smaller cables with so many compartments to keep them separate. This listing has over 1,200 ratings, 4.6 stars and a B on Fakespot. People say it’s a decent sized bag that’s sturdy, neat and stores so much. “I can pack so many cords, headset, trackball, etc. in this case and it fits perfectly in my backpack. Keeps me very organized.” “I labeled my cords and put them all in one case!!” “I could not ask for anything better. If you are a family that travels and you have electronics then this is perfect for keeping everything safe and organized.”

A multipack of women’s underwear to refresh yours for fall

From CB: I love my Amazon Essentials cotton underwear because they’re comfortable and breathable. You can get a pack of 6 for under $16 and they come in so many color varieties and in sizes xx-small to 6x. This listing has over 106,000 ratings, 4.3 stars and an A on Fakespot. These are the number one bestselling underwear on Amazon and other people find them as comfortable as I do. “I used to always buy the Victoria Secret bikini underwear but the last several times it was hard to find them among all the other teeny tiny underwear variants. I bought these in a pinch actually because my suitcase didn’t arrive on vacation, but I ended up loving them. They fit exactly the same as the Victoria Secret ones but are so much cheaper.” “I recently felt the need to switch to 100% cotton underwear and it’s made a huge difference. I don’t get a sweaty and they just overall feel more comfortable and the airflow is better. These are actually really soft and nice quality. I bought two different brands to compare and thought this was definitely the best of the two.”

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This week has been full of (manufactured) drama about the Duchess of Sussex. The Hollywood Reporter’s September 12th report on the Sussexes’ business is still so strange to me, even moreso because THR’s editor is doubling down on their reporting and still claiming that the magazine spoke to current and former Archewell employees here in America. That’s what I keep getting stuck on, especially now that Archewell’s current and former employees have gone on the record to Us Weekly to say that Meghan and Harry are great bosses, and that Meghan isn’t running around, throwing tantrums and making grown men sob at their desks.

The only way THR’s reporting makes any sense is if THR’s editors are lying about their sources or their sources are lying to them about when & where they actually worked with Meghan. THR’s report so heavily mimicked the years of smears from the Windsors and the British media, it’s astounding that new American employees would have the exact same classist, racist, dehumanizing insults for Meghan, and that none of them would go on the record as a named source to THR. That was reinforced this week when a “courtier” ran to the Daily Beast and called Meghan a “demon” who had “psycho moments.” That’s part and parcel of the palace’s character assassination, and someone is trying very hard to convince everyone that Archewell’s employees feel the same way.

Currently, outlets like the Sun and the Daily Beast are trying to say that Us Weekly’s cover story is suspect because it’s Sussex-authorized pushback. As in, Meghan and the Archewell team put together a plan of how to combat yet another wave of character assassination – smears which affect Meghan’s professional reputation in California – and executed that plan by authorizing people to speak on the record to Us Weekly. That’s what’s being dismissed by British outlets and British commentators, who want you to believe their unnamed palace sources with an egg-shaped ax to grind.

Meanwhile, Us Weekly continues to repackage their exclusive, pointing out in a new piece that five current and former Archewell staffers have spoken to them on the record, and all of the people they’ve spoken to have sung Meghan’s praises as a boss and as a person. They told Us Weekly that Meghan has “never” yelled and she “gives clear direction and is solution-oriented.” Former Archewell COO Mandana Dayani also told Us Weekly: “Part of the profound injustice of having to speak publicly on this in light of these endless and damaging narratives is that so much of the kindness, mentorship, and support that Prince Harry and Meghan share with others happens quietly behind closed doors.”

Photos courtesy of Cover Images. Cover courtesy of Us Weekly.

I’ll admit it, when I started paying attention to Chappell Roan a few months ago, she pinged my radar. I thought she came across – in interviews and public statements – like an ignorant, navel-gazing brat. Looks like my gut reaction to her was pretty accurate, because she’s shown her whole ass this week. I think her recent Rolling Stone interview got the ball rolling, and I’m honestly shocked that some of her comments did not get wider play, especially the part where she suggested that President Biden would come after her and her Republican family. Then the Guardian published an interview with Roan over the weekend, and her statements like “There’s problems on both sides” have been going viral for days.

Then, on Tuesday night, Chappell made a TikTok in which she talked in circles about political endorsements and people needing to do their own research. She did say she wasn’t voting for Donald Trump, but she made a point of refusing to say that she planned to vote for Kamala Harris, nor did she endorse Harris or anyone else. Her word salad was, to me, Aaron Rodgers-esque and I wrote, half-jokingly, that she sounded like a typical Jill Stein voter. Because Chappell and her music have gotten so much attention this year, her TikTok and this whole issue have really exploded on social media and she’s gotten a lot of (well-deserved) criticism. So, Roan made another TikTok. In this one, she does say that she’s voting for Kamala Harris, all while mispronouncing “Kamala.” She also says outright that she cannot stand by the “completely transphobic views” of the LEFT. What are we doing here?

Oh my god she’s at it again pic.twitter.com/1tSIDNMf3C

— Stephen (@dcsteve5) September 25, 2024

You can tell that she thinks she’s making some bold, iconoclastic point when she says that a political endorsement doesn’t mean that a person will actually vote the way they’ve endorsed. LMAO. News at seven, your vote is private! *Morally superior voice* Did you know that you can say something publicly and not follow through privately? BOTH SIDES!!

How is this DO YOUR RESEARCH person the same one spreading misinformation about the Democratic position on trans rights? Not to mention, Chappell Roan refused to do her research on how to pronounce “Kamala.” But I digress. If you are a young queer woman and you are incapable of voting for the broad interests of all women and all LGBTQ people, then you are the one who needs to educate yourself.

Taylor Swift had more to lose with her endorsement than Chappell Roan.

She endorsed because she knew what was at stake. Not endorsing isn’t a flex.

— D (@dilemmv) September 25, 2024

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

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We’ve just entered Libra season with a Gaga moon rising! Our Lady has been rolling out a fairly low-key promo campaign (by Gaga standards) ahead of Joker: Folie à Deux, which comes out next week. Or so she had us fooled! Because it turns out she’s been lining up all sorts of releases that are about to drop in connection with the film. Shortly after Joker premiered in Venice last month, Gaga was seen filming at the Louvre in Paris, sporting a “Punk Raggedy Ann Doll” look. Rumors swirled that it was a music video for LG7, which she revealed is finally coming in February. But no! This shoot was for a teaser to promote another surprise: Gaga made what she calls a Joker “companion album” called Harlequin, and it’s coming out on Friday! The album includes 13 tracks from Broadway and the Great American Songbook (GAS!) that are featured in the film, but these are not the recordings from the film (more on that later). And if you stopped processing details after “Gaga – New Album – Friday,” it’s ok, I’m right there with you. Here’s what we know:

Harlequin could well be a stop-gap release between Chromatica and Lady Gaga’s long-teased seventh studio album. Its announcement arrives at the same time as billboards for “LG6.5,” and the singer has taken to calling her next album, apparently due in February, “LG7.” In addition, some of the Harlequin song titles — such as “Oh, When the Saints,” “World on a String,” “If My Friends Could See Me Now,” and “That’s Life” — indicate that it could be a sort of covers album.

Harlequin is one of two Joker-adjacent albums that comes out on Friday. The other is Hildur Guðnadóttir’s Joker: Folie à Deux (Score From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).

Joker: Folie à Deux, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, hits theaters on October 4. Lady Gaga will release another album that day, too: Joker: Folie à Deux (Music From the Motion Picture).

Harlequin:
01 Good Morning
02 Get Happy (2024)
03 Oh, When the Saints
04 World on a String
05 If My Friends Could See Me Now
06 That’s Entertainment
07 Smile
08 The Joker
09 Folie à Deux
10 Gonna Build a Mountain
11 Close to You
12 Happy Mistake
13 That’s Life

[From Pitchfork]

Yes, that reporting is right, there are indeed three different Joker 2 albums coming our way. This Friday, September 27, we’re getting Harlequin, which is Gaga singing her own renditions of songs that are in the movie. Also this Friday, the official film score soundtrack comes out. Hildur Guðnadóttir returns as composer — she made history in 2020 with her Oscar win for Joker, becoming the first woman to win since the category combined comedy and drama film scores together. Hildur’s music is eerie and edgy and really thrives in bleak, sinister worlds (Prisoners, Chernobyl, Women Talking, Tár) and I only wish we had an original song collab between her and Gaga! So that’s two albums; we get the third next Friday October 4, the same day the movie comes out. That album is all the songs Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix sing in the film in character.

Why are they separating the score and songs from the same film soundtrack? To make more money! I can’t say for certain. But I can understand Gaga wanting to make Harlequin so she can really belt out those numbers. She’s spoken frequently during her press about how she had to unlearn her training to sing as Lee. So going back to the teaser she just dropped, it’s about a minute of her singing “The Joker,” from everyone’s favorite 1960s musical The Roar of the Greasepaint — The Smell of the Crowd. (And if you know that show, I love you.) I first heard “The Joker” as an impressionable college freshman when a family friend changed the trajectory of my life by introducing me to the daffy Australian comedy Kath & Kim, where “The Joker” was played over the opening credits. Since then I have been amassing a playlist of pretty much every version of the song I can track down (and that involves sifting through a lot of Steve Miller Band on iTunes, let me tell you). I’ve got Sammy Davis, Jr., Herbie Mann, Sergio Mendes, Wes Montgomery, obviously Anthony Newley from the original musical (he also wrote the song!), and of course, the incomparable Dame Shirley Bassey. I have been bouncing off the walls (in my own sedentary fashion) that in a mere 24 hours I will be able to add Lady Gaga to that list.

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