It’s been a year since the Coronavirus pandemic started. We’ve been through millions of deaths, depression, hysteria and loneliness. Let’s just say 2020 wasn’t the year we thought it would be. 2021 is seemingly looking up due to the roll out of the COVID vaccines. However, the world is collectively suffering from PTSD. The CDC stated that it is ok for vaccinated people to hang out maskless with other fully vaccinated people or with people from one household who are unvaccinated. However many folks are skeptical, as they should be. Dr. Fauci recently stated that after getting vaccinated that we shouldn’t let our guards down. He said that there hasn’t been enough research on whether vaccinated people can carry the virus and inadvertently pass it to a non-vaccinated person. For that reason you should still wear a mask in public after getting the shot. NBC news has more on people’s reactions to potentially going maskless along with some quotes from experts about it.

“Heaven help me! Yes,” Susan Cohen, 76, a fully vaccinated New Yorker, told NBC News when asked if she could ever see herself taking off the mask and returning to her old life.

But Cohen is not yet ready to go maskless, especially in public.

“I love restaurants, I love movies,” she said. “Even if I were perfectly safe, the scientific experts don’t think it’s time yet. I can afford to wait.”

Jacqueline Gollan, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said that’s the survival instinct kicking in.

“Many of us learned to reduce our risk of getting the virus by avoiding others,” she said. “We viewed social activities as an unsafe experience. We learned being around others was potentially catastrophic, so we perceived these scenarios with apprehension and vigilance.”

And that fear doesn’t lift like magic the minute a person gets vaccinated.

“It is normal to have anxiety about resuming social activities,” Gollan said, even while following federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

Dr. Aderonke Pederson, an instructor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Feinberg, agreed.

“Right now, we know that two weeks after we get vaccinated, it is fine to gather with other fully vaccinated people,” she said. “However, it is expected that many of us may struggle with the transition back to some form of in-person socialization. The emotional impact of this past year may linger with us for longer than we might expect.”

Everybody has their own way of processing grief and trauma, and you’d be hard-pressed to find any American who hasn’t been affected in some way by the pandemic, Pederson said.

“For some people, there is ongoing grief for lost loves ones, missed funerals, missed goodbyes, and for others the economic impact has meant changes in lifestyle,” she said. “And for the Black community, these challenges have been compounded by the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on Black people and ongoing racism that remains pervasive.”

[From NBC New]

I look forward to being fully vaccinated more so that I can travel (most of my friends live out of state). To be fair, I don’t think I will give up wearing a mask in public because I didn’t get sick much last year like I normally do. I think the mask and excessive handwashing kept me from the allergy and upper respiratory infections I would normally get when the seasons change. But I am also concerned that there are way too many anti-vaxxers and folks who don’t believe COVID was real for me to trust the public in that way. However, I do look forward to my close friends and family getting fully vaccinated so that we can hang out without masks because I hate not being able to hug them or see their faces. I am advocating for all of my relatives and friends to get vaccinated for their safety, but I also want the world to achieve herd immunity by getting 70% of its population vaccinated. We have lost so much this past year. I just want us to move past this moment but with more humility and compassion. I believe we are collectively suffering from anxiety and depression and we all need a hug, to travel, to love. You know, the normal sh*t we are used to doing unencumbered. My cousin told me that his doctor told him he is suffering from agoraphobia. And I believe many of us have developed mental health complications because of the last year. So in addition to needing a hug, we also need to heal, collectively. Anyhow, I hope you all are either vaccinated or are on a waiting list and will be vaccinated soon. I am sure we are all looking forward to some sort of family/friend reunion in the near future.

Photos credit: Julian Wan, Gabrielle Clare Marino and The Creative Exchange on Unsplash

For what it’s worth, I do think Prince Philip was likely feeling poorly. I think he went to the hospital one month ago because he didn’t feel great, and he possibly needed treatment for an infection, or a stent or some kind of work done on his 99-year-old body. I do think there was *some* of this which was legitimate. But the way Buckingham Palace and the British press played it, it became quite obvious that Philip’s four-week-long hospitalization was largely a stunt. They spent WEEKS screaming at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for daring to give an interview to Oprah, and how dare they not pull the interview with Philip in the hospital. How dare they do this to the poor Queen. Meghan is personally killing Philip with her Americanness and her race and it’s all just so sick.

What was particularly funny was that after Buckingham Palace was clearly sending out all of the same “how dare the Sussexes do this while Philip is in the hospital” talking points, Kensington Palace barged into that conversation with their dumbf–k “Meghan is a bully” scheme. After that, Poor Near-Death Philip was suddenly barely mentioned. Same with the post-interview vibe – nary a whisper or update about Philip. They had other things to worry about. So, Philip’s hospitalization served its stunt-queen (stunt-duke?) purpose and now he’s been discharged. Shocking.

Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, was admitted to the private King Edward VII’s Hospital on Feb. 16 after he felt unwell and was given treatment for an unspecified, but not COVID-19-related, illness. He was transferred briefly at the start of this month to a specialist cardiac centre at another London hospital, where he underwent a successful procedure for a pre-existing heart condition.

A Reuters witness said the duke left the King Edward hospital shortly after 10.30 GMT on Tuesday. He was taken to a waiting car in a wheelchair and returned to Windsor Castle, the royal residence west of London, waving to those outside as he arrived.

“His Royal Highness wishes to thank all the medical staff who looked after him at both King Edward VII’s Hospital and St Bartholomew’s Hospital, and everyone who has sent their good wishes,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

A royal source said the prince was in good spirits.

Since being admitted, the duke has been publicly visited only by his eldest son Prince Charles, the heir to the throne. The queen, 94, has remained at Windsor Castle where the couple have been staying during the coronavirus pandemic, and has continued to carry out her official duties by video.

[From Reuters]

Yeah, the big “tell” that some of Philip’s extended hospitalization was a stunt was the fact that only Charles visited him. And the Queen carried on working and she seemed utterly unbothered. They really used that old man to slime Harry and Meghan. Oh well. I’m actually glad that he’s feeling better. I hope they let him go back to Wood Farm and spend time with people he actually enjoys.

Prince Philip, 99, waves as he arrives at Windsor Castle to be reunited with the Queen https://t.co/5qKwUke9IV pic.twitter.com/YI26u9B5kQ

— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) March 16, 2021

Prince Philip: Duke of Edinburgh leaves King Edward VII’s Hospital https://t.co/X4SoZZOAFm

— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 16, 2021

Per Buckingham Palace, Prince Philip is now back at home in Windsor: pic.twitter.com/dVCS0iYOKw

— Omid Scobie (@scobie) March 16, 2021

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Y’all know I love Michelle Obama. She was and is a wonderful person. But sometimes I do feel like Michelle is a little bit too… turn the other cheek/when they go low, we go high/preachy/patronizing/churchy for my taste. Case in point: Michelle was asked about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s interview with Oprah, which aired two Sundays ago and has been seen in over 60 million homes around the world. Michelle’s take was that she hopes Harry and Meghan are focused on family and forgiveness. Nah.

Michelle Obama is sharing her thoughts about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey last week. The former first lady was asked for her thoughts on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s headline-making interview last week during her own recent sit-down with Access Hollywood.

“My hope is that, when I think about what they’re going through, I think about the importance of family and I just pray that there is forgiveness and there is clarity and love and resolve at some point in time,” Mrs. Obama, 57, said. “Because there’s nothing more important than family.”

[From People]

What I saw during the Oprah interview was two people in a lot of pain about how they had been treated and abused by family and media. Harry and Meghan are still processing so much of what happened to them, and the journey isn’t perfect, nor does anyone know what “perfect” looks like. But I feel pretty safe in saying that Meghan and Harry have tried turning the other cheek, they’ve tried going along to get along, they’ve tried to meet people halfway and then some. And it’s all been thrown back in their faces, aggressively, with smears and character assassinations. So I’m completely fine if Harry and Meghan write off a big chunk of the Windsor clan and all of the White Markles entirely. I actually find “there’s nothing more important than family” to be really patronizing from Michelle. At some point, when you’re dealing with a tsunami of toxicity (like H&M got from the Windsors/media), the best and healthiest thing to do is step away. Get some space. Or cut people off completely. Not every family is healthy and it’s fine to walk away and focus on your own mental health and the family or support network you’re building away from your toxic relatives.

Apparently, MO also said, about Meghan’s experience in the Royal Family, that “Race isn’t a new construct in this world, for people of color. So it wasn’t a complete surprise to, sort of, hear her feelings.” Meaning… Michelle figured that many in the Windsor klan were pretty racist, I guess.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, CBS.

Even days later, I’m still sort of shocked that Prince Charles got the worst of it from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Oprah interview. I went into the interview thinking that Harry and Meghan would have more tea to spill about William and Kate. But no – Charles was the recipient of some of Harry’s deepest cuts. I think for Harry, he might be disappointed in his father most of all, out of everyone. A lot of trust has been broken and it’s not going to be fixed overnight. And it won’t be fixed at all if Charles gets his way and issues a point-by-point rebuttal of everything in the interview:

Prince Charles reportedly wanted to provide a point-by-point rebuttal to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s bombshell tell-all with Oprah Winfrey — but the royal family decided not to get into a “tit-for-tat.” The Prince of Wales is upset by Harry’s comments during the interview in which he claimed his father stopped taking his calls in the run-up to Megxit, the Sun reported.

And Charles, 72, is also reportedly “deeply” concerned about the allegation that the royal family discussed “how dark” the couple’s son Archie’s skin would be when he was born.

“There were different reactions when the palace was working out what to do,” a source told the Sun. “One, to take the Queen’s view, to issue the quiet statement saying we are unhappy to hear they were unhappy.

“But Prince Charles wanted to rebut, point by point, the claims that had been made,” the source said, adding that the royal family decided against that.

[From Page Six]

The fact that Charles’ first instinct was to go tit-for-tat isn’t surprising. After all, he is his mother’s son, and I mean that as an insult. What IS surprising is that someone talked him out of it. I guess someone in Clarence House or Buckingham Palace has two brain cells to rub together and that person understood what Meghan and Harry were actually saying in their interview: that they have a paper trail and an electronic trail and they’re not afraid to drop receipts on the House of Windsor. Come to think of it, my guess is that Charles didn’t *actually* argue that they should do a point-by-point rebuttal. He just wants to put it out there, so we think that he has some kind of comeback, yet he avoids the receipts. LOL.

Also, Us Weekly claims that sources are telling them that: “Charles does not agree with Harry trashing his whole family in public. Charles thinks these matters could have easily been addressed in private.” Clearly, the Sussexes did try to address all of these matters privately, and nothing was done. If anything, after Harry and Meghan tried repeatedly to address their issues privately, the palaces went even harder against them. Then Charles refused to take his younger son’s phone calls. So don’t give me that sh-t, source. The source also claimed that Charles and William both “feel that this is the first of many interviews coming in the future that will bash the crown and the Royals way of life.” Oh well, you should have been nicer to H&M.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red.

Last week we only posted Hecate’s book recommendations on Thursday as we were so busy with the news. These posts take longer than usual so I may cut back on them, I’m not sure yet. I got the soil moisture meter for my plants and it was so easy watering my plants this weekend! Some are waterlogged and I need to go easy on them. Before I had that I would have just kept watering them. Also the plantar fasciitis shoe inserts we featured last month are excellent. I ordered three of them and put a pair in my slippers, a pair in my favorite flat sneakers and a pair in some new hiking boots. (I talked about that in a post yesterday!) My foot is so much better! I also got a pair of the foot compression socks and they seem to work pretty well too. Here are some more things I’m looking at on Amazon. I’m embarrassed at how much I’m ordering lately, but it’s the end of a pandemic and online shopping is getting me through.

A facial toner with glycolic acid and vitamin c

I love spray-on toners as they’re so easy and you can use them throughout the day. This spray-on toner by Eva Naturals is alcohol free and has vitamin c, glycolic acid, witch hazel and carrot seed oil. It has 431 ratings, 4.4 stars and an A on Fakespot. Reviewers say that this toner reduces both acne and fine lines and makes their skin feel smooth and refreshed. “I’ve been using this toner for about three weeks now and I’m impressed. It’s highly moisturizing and doing wonders with unclogging and shrinking my pores and reducing redness and hyperpigmentation.” “This stuff is amazing makes your skin clear right up and gives you a glow.” “After only using it two days. I’ve noticed major pore reduction.”

Affordable gold plated sterling silver earrings that look expensive

I enjoy buying new jewelry for spring and these pretty 3/4 inch latch hoop earrings caught my eye. They come in silver, gold and rose gold finishes, all under $14. They have over 7,200 ratings, 4.6 stars and a B on Fakespot. Reviewers say they’re pretty everyday earrings that stay on. “Very cute earrings – not heavy and the gold does not appear to tarnish. The metal is not flexible which is good as the clasp fits snugly.” “Beautiful and just the right size for everyday wear. They are exactly the right color of 14K gold, and a good value too.” “I love these earrings, they are sturdy but also light weight, the clasp is great and I’ve been wearing them everyday and they still look brand new!”

Thermal socks that are specially designed to keep your feet warm

My feet are always cold so when I heard about these thermal socks I was very interested. I only wish I’d heard about them sooner. These thermal socks have 721 ratings, 4.6 stars and an A on Fakespot. They come in sets of three, in pastel or dark colors, and in women’s sizes 5 to 9 or 8 to 13. Reviewers say they’re soft, comfortable and that they really do work to retain heat and keep your feet warm without holding in sweat. “I do outdoor safety at a school and it’s been -20 on a regular basis this winter. I have tried foot warmers, wool socks, multiple pairs of socks WITH foot warmers, and my toes always froze. I tried this outside this morning at -24 to shovel and absolutely kept my toes and feet warm.” “So soft! These are really comfortable with shoes but really make the best sleep socks. They are soft and fluffy inside.”

A stovetop safe glass teapot and cups to make beautiful blooming tea

This lovely glass teapot by Kitchen Kite comes with an infuser to make loose tea or you can put blooming tea in the bottom for a pretty treat. It’s stovetop, dishwasher and microwave safe and comes with four double wall glass cups. I looked through so many glass teakettles to find this and most had reviews saying the teakettle broke easily, but not this one! This has over 2,800 reviews, 4.6 stars and a B on Fakespot. People say it makes tea drinking a special experience and that the customer service with this company is very good too. “This teapot is pretty and practical! I love how nicely it pours! Clean-up is a breeze. The addition of the 4 little cups helps turn tea drinking into a mindful sharing experience.” “This is absolutely beautiful. I loved the kettle and glasses. It’s delicate but durable. I can see myself making tea often.”

A bleach-free shower cleaner you spray on and don’t have to wipe

Wet and forget shower cleaner is a product you just spray on that helps clean your tubs, shower doors and tile with little to no effort. This has 4.2 stars, over 13,000 ratings and a B on Fakespot. People are astonished at how well it works without scrubbing. They also say it doesn’t have harmful fumes like similar products. They do say it can take a few days to see the full effect. “This product has made our tubs look new. I don’t use it every shower…maybe every third. Just spray down everything after the shower, and forget about it. You DO need to rinse tub before next shower due to the product making it slick.” “I ordered the Wet and Forget Shower Spray and really coated the shower walls and floor pan and walked away. I CANNOT begin to tell you how happy I was to rinse down the walls sometime later and watch all that crud roll right down the drain!”

A bold initial ring would make a great gift

This bold initial ring by GoldChic is just $12 or $14 with laser personalization inside. It has over 3,300 ratings, 4.4 stars and a B on Fakespot. It comes in every available initial and in gold or platinum-look finishes, which are allergen and nickel free. Reviewers like that it’s adjustable and say it’s comfortable, pretty and gets compliments. “Very cute! Very similar to the one I found on Instagram [that] was 4x the price.” “Very impressed with the quality of this product! It’s sturdy and easily adjusted- but doesn’t stretch out to where it catches on clothes/hair.”

Bike shorts with a flattering control top

These bicycle shorts by Baleaf are the #1 best seller in women’s yoga shorts on Amazon and they have pockets! They come in multiple colors and prints and in sizes from x-small to 3x. There are longer and shorter versions at 8” or 5”, all under $22, with some under $17. They have 4.3 stars, over 45,000(!) ratings and a B on Fakespot. I’m pretty sure Hecate featured these before but now I’m interested in them for summer. Women say they’re very soft and comfortable and that the pockets work great for holding their phone. There’s also a hidden drawstring and a pocket at the waistband. “The shorts are soft and very stretchy, and as an added bonus they helped keep my belly under wraps as well.” “I love these, I love to wear them hiking and around the house but also under skirts. The pockets are what set these apart.” “I am a runner and appreciate that the legs of the shorts didn’t ride up as I ran.”

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The Madison LeCroy-Alex Rodriguez story went down around February 9th/10th. That was when Madison told people that an ex-baseball player had been sliding into her DMs. People were convinced that the guy was A-Rod and there seems to be a growing pile of evidence to suggest that those assumptions were correct. In recent days, Page Six even dropped an interesting little gossip nugget: A-Rod got Madison to sign a nondisclosure agreement. Perfectly typical for someone you claim to have never met, right? So, obviously, that whole thing embarrassed the hell out of A-Rod and Jennifer Lopez. But was it the thing which started this whole breakup/reconcile drama? J-Rod keeps insisting the LeCroy thing had nothing to do with anything. Which is why I think it was the first domino in what was probably a series of revelations about Alex’s philandering.

What’s really going on between Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez? On Friday, March 12, E! News and multiple major news outlets confirmed that the two had split and ended their engagement after four years together. But on Saturday, March 13, the pair issued a joint statement saying, “All the reports are inaccurate. We are working through some things.”

Hours later, a source close to the couple revealed exclusive info to E! News about the status of J.Lo and A-Rod’s relationship and two-year engagement. The insider said the two were caught off guard by how quickly reports of a breakup had spread.

“Alex is convincing Jennifer to try and work things out. Jennifer is giving herself time to think about their future,” the source told E! News. “They have several investments together and their children are incredibly close. The idea of untangling it all seems like such a massive undertaking that she doesn’t want to exit the relationship too quickly.”

While the two are not calling it quits for now, the source added that “Alex is fully aware that this relationship is currently hanging by a thread.”

This is not the first time J.Lo, 51, and A-Rod, 45, have hit a rough patch, the insider said, adding that “things have been bumpy in the relationship for the last six months.” A previous source told E! News on Friday, March 12, that the two “have had issues for a while.”

“Jennifer was ready to end things with Alex several months ago,” the first source told E! News on Saturday. “After fighting for weeks and living separately, Jennifer was done. But Alex convinced her that he would be better.”

A different source close to the couple told E! News earlier on Saturday that no third party was involved in the rough patch that hit Jennifer and Alex’s relationship, and that recent reports about him and Southern Charm star Madison LeCroy are not true.

[From E! News]

“Things have been bumpy in the relationship for the last six months” and “Jennifer was ready to end things with Alex several months ago…” Hm. What’s really going on here? I feel like there was a bigger incident which led to all of this drama, which has apparently been happening for months. I absolutely think Jennifer is the kind of woman who will stay in a relationship for the business deals and to save face, which A-Rod knows too. So is she actually trying to extricate herself from his web of deception or is she just trying to ride out this storm and she’ll just stay with him for all of their financial connections? Eh. And given everything… I think Madison LeCroy was just the side chick who was dumb enough to brag about it. He’s got other side chicks who are more discreet, but Jennifer still probably knows about them.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.

First off, I kept forgetting that Pippa Middleton was pregnant with her second child. Second of all, my experience of Pippa’s two pregnancies was that she wasn’t everywhere, in our faces constantly. But I realize that she did step out for some carefully choreographed pap strolls in London, judging from the series of “exclusive” photoshoots at certain photo agencies. Pippa did want to be seen, but she didn’t want to deign to walk a red carpet or actually put her name on anything with any kind of official appearance. Thus, the pap strolls. So, I didn’t realize that Pips was so far along, but here we are: Pippa and Terribly Moderately Wealthy James Matthews have welcomed a baby girl.

Pippa Middleton is a mother of two! The younger sister of Kate Middleton welcomed her second child — a baby girl — with husband James Matthews on Monday, making 2-year-old son Arthur a big brother, PEOPLE has learned.

Grace Elizabeth Jane was born around 4.22 a.m. this morning, weighing 6lbs, 7oz. Mother and baby are doing well, a family source tells PEOPLE.

“She’s perfect, everyone is overjoyed at such a happy arrival,” the source adds.

Pippa and James named their daughter Grace Elizabeth Jane, which means she shares a middle name with her aunt Kate, who was born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton. (She also shares the name of Kate’s grandmother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth!)

Pippa, 37, and James, 45, welcomed their first child in Oct. 2018. Pippa followed in the footsteps of her royal sister by giving birth in the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital — the same place where Kate and Prince William welcomed all three of their children. The new addition is the fifth grandchild for Carole and Michael Middleton and a little cousin for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

[From People]

In a separate People Mag story, sources told the magazine that “The Duke and Duchess are absolutely overjoyed by the happy news,” meaning William and Kate. They didn’t offer one word of congratulations, on or off the record, when Meghan and Harry confirmed that they were expecting their second child (also a girl). My guess is that William was incandescently engorged with rage when his brother and sister-in-law announced their pregnancy, but William is mega-keen to latch onto Pippa’s newscycle. Kate as well.

As for the name… Grace Elizabeth Jane is practically a royal name. Pippa did that with her son too – her son’s name is Arthur Michael William Matthews – “William” for her brother-in-law and “Arthur” for William’s middle name. It was definitely a bit odd. Anyway, I like the name Grace and I think Jane is a cute middle name too. I wonder if William Middleton wanted his sister-in-law to name her kid “Diana.”

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.

Last week, a 2018 clip from The Late Show was making the rounds on social media. Stephen Colbert was interviewing one of his favorite people, John Oliver. Oliver is British, but he moved to America more than a decade ago to work here. He ended up marrying an American woman and becoming an American citizen. He’s always made fun of the Windsors in his comedy, and in 2018, he said that he wouldn’t blame then-Meghan Markle if she backed out of the wedding because of the horrid nature of royalty in general, and the Windsors in particular.

A resurfaced John Oliver prediction about Meghan Markle and the British Royals seems stunningly accurate https://t.co/wxC6B6gMxCpic.twitter.com/gIfrizlgOi

— UPROXX (@UPROXX) March 8, 2021

As I said, that clip went viral last week, so little surprise that Jimmy Fallon booked Oliver onto the Tonight Show to discuss the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Oprah interview and all of the fallout from it. Some of what Oliver said:

“It was amazing,” John shared about the explosive Oprah interview that led to a litany of headlines. “I mean, I will say, I didn’t find any of it surprising. That was kind of what I felt, sadly, her experience was going to be going in because, you know, I grew up, I know the royal family from a distance and they seemed like flawed people. That’s literally the kindest way I can possibly put it.”

During John’s’ new appearance on The Tonight Show, Jimmy asked John whether he thinks that Meghan and Harry’s recent comments could lead to any change for the royal family.

“It’s hard to say, isn’t it?” John replied. “Because the royal family, its whole selling point is that it doesn’t change. That was kind of the point of it over centuries, that times come and go, governments rise and fall, but the royal family will always be there, unyielding. The stiff upper lip that doesn’t wobble. So, that’s their selling point…. As years go by, you realize that not changing is not entirely a good thing. Because that means the times might be changing around you, and you are refusing to evolve. So I don’t think they will change because I don’t think they have the capacity to. But they obviously should.”

[From E! News]

I understand Oliver’s reticence to say whether or not he thinks the Sussexes’ interview will fundamentally change the institution of the monarchy. I have my doubts as well – clearly, the interview has damaged the Windsors’ reputations. We’re in a different (and unprecedented) cultural moment with social media and more people calling out royal behavior and royal sensibilities. But John’s sort of right – this interview wasn’t enough to make the Windsors change at any fundamental level because they’re not really capable of it. Change would have to be implemented ON them.

Here’s the video – John and Jimmy start talking about the Oprah interview around the 2:50-mark.

Photos courtesy of CBS and NBC.

Embed from Getty Images
Seth Rogen has been open about the fact that he’s high all day, all the time. As someone who is groggy and feels hungover after two droppers of hemp oil, I cannot relate to that. Some people just function better that way, although I do wonder if his lungs are ok. He’s making ashtrays and talking about the ideal ashtray shape so you know he’s smoking it. Seth was on Jimmy Kimmel promoting his new legal weed business, Houseplant, which is currently shipping within California and in Canada. His company also has an ashtray set and giant lighter he designed as well as a two record set, all of which are sold old. You can still get his weed if you live in California though. I checked using Hecate’s zip code and she can order some to her house now, although that’s surely the case for so many other types of weed. I would like to thank her for working so consistently and not getting blotto while moderating comments, which I would completely understand. Here’s some of what Seth told Kimmel and you can watch the video below.

On Harry and Meghan’s interview
I did watch [it]. I get mistaken for Harry every blue moon. If they want weed, hit me up now that that they’re here. They’ve got a lot stress.

On people appreciating his ceramics
I’ve made so many movies. Nobody has seemed proud of me afterwards. People seem genuinely proud of me. I love it. I really love ceramics and I’ve found that I can express myself through ceramics.

On designing an ashtray for his business
I was working on Houseplant already and I also started doing ceramics. I smoke weed all day every day. I really wanted an ashtray that kind of functioned in the way that I thought an ashtray should.

On Seth and his partner trying different strains of pot
We found that [we’re affected by pot strains] mostly the same. We were generally on the same page as [for how] strains affected us. Our indica really will zonk you out. We [wrote the descriptions] and named the strains. When we came up with pineapple express years ago it was just kind of
a joke. Then it became a strain of weed after the film. It was based on a weather system which hits the Pacific northwest. We named all of our strains based on weather systems.

[From Jimmy Kimmel live on YouTube]

While part of me wants to throw shade that this guy 1) got a coveted marijuana license in California and 2) had the opportunity to go on Kimmel to promote it, so many other celebrities run businesses that average people cannot break into or promote as easily. I don’t blame him for doing this and he clearly loves pot and put a lot of thought and work into this business. We know he’s accomplished at making ceramics too. Plus he’s a decent ally, all things considered. I like how kindly he spoke about Meghan and Harry too. The last time I covered him saying he smokes pot constantly, in 2019, it turned into a debate in the comments about alcohol vs. pot. I agree with most of you who commented that pot is so much gentler on the system and psyche than alcohol (source: am recovering alcoholic), however smoking it constantly cannot be good for you.

There was also a long discussion on that post about whether the differences between pot strains is legitimate, with some arguing that it is not and you have to go by how it makes you feel. I’m wholly unqualified to comment about any of that, but I do think it’s clever that he and his partner, Evan Goldberg, named their strains after weather systems. After seeing this interview I’m putting “smoking pot” on my post-quarantine to-do list, but given the way it affects me I’m sure it will be a one and done.

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photos via Instagram, Getty

This has been such a weird awards season. With everything pushed back, I’ve forgotten what awards are even out there. And like Kaiser said yesterday, nominations are getting announced for things I thought had already passed. In the flurry of Award Catch Ups, the Golden Raspberries announced their 2021 nominees over the weekend. The Razzies as they are more commonly known, reward the worst movies and performances from the past year. They always have a couple of Oscar winners or nominees in the mix each year but this year, they have a bunch of them, including Robert Downey, Jr. for Doolittle, Kate Hudson for Music, Anne Hathaway for The Last Thing He Wanted and current best supporting actress nominee, Glenn Close, for Hillbilly Elegy. Here is the full list of Razzie Nominees:

Worst Picture
365 Days
Absolute Proof
Dolittle
Fantasy Island
Music

Worst Actor
Robert Downey, Jr. — Dolittle
Mike Lindell — Absolute Proof
Michele Morrone — 365 Days
Adam Sandler — Hubie Halloween
David Spade — The Wrong Missy

Worst Actress
Anne Hathaway — The Last Thing He Wanted
Katie Holmes — Brahms: The Boy II
Kate Hudson — Music
Lauren Lapkus — The Wrong Missy
Anna-Maria Sieklucka — 365 Days

Worst Supporting Actress
Glenn Close — Hillbilly Elegy
Lucy Hale — Fantasy Island
Maggie Q — Fantasy Island
Kristen Wiig — Wonder Woman 1984
Maddie Ziegler — Music

Worst Supporting Actor
Chevy Chase — The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee
Rudy Giuliani — Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Shia LeBeouf — The Tax Collector
Arnold Schwarzenegger — Iron Mask
Bruce Willis — Breach, Hard Kill, and Survive the Night

Worst Screen Combo
Maria Bakalova and Rudy Giuliani — Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Robert Downey Jr. and His Utterly Unconvincing “Welsh” Accent — Doolittle
Harrison Ford and That Totally Fake-Looking CGI “Dog” — Call of the Wild
Lauren Lapkus and David Spade — The Wrong Missy
Adam Sandler and His Grating Simpleton Voice — Hubie Halloween

Worst Director
Charles Band — All three Barbie & Kendra movies
Barbara Bialowas and Tomasz Mandes — 365 Days
Stephen Gaghan — Dolittle
Ron Howard — Hillbilly Elegy
Sia — Music

Worst Screenplay
365 Days
All three Barbie & Kendra movies
Dolittle
Fantasy Island
Hillbilly Elegy

Worst Remake, Rip-off, or Sequel
365 Days
Dolittle
Fantasy Island
Hubie Halloween
Wonder Woman 1984

[From Entertainment Weekly]

I’m surprised they are films on this list I haven’t heard of. There are plenty I haven’t seen, but I usually at least recognize all the titles. Of these, the only two I’ve actually watched were Hubie Halloween and Wonder Woman 1984. Both deserve Razzies, although Gal Gadot deserves a nomination before Kristen Wiig. The other films that I’ve heard of but didn’t see were either because they looked terrible or I was warned so these noms make sense. Except Borat, that got so much love at the Golden Globes. I assume the nominations it received are more of a comment on Rudy Giuliani and not the film itself. And certainly not poor Maria Bakalova. I’m still bummed Fantasy Island was so bad. I think the concept of Fantasy Island but as a horror film sounded genius. I wish the right team had made it.

I want to believe RDJ has enough of a sense of humor to have fun with this should he win. Kristen Wiig definitely would. The most interesting nominee here for me is Glenn Close. There is a small chance she’ll get the “we owe it to her” Oscar this year. Only two other people have been nominated for an Oscar and a Razzie for the same role in the same year – Amy Irving for Yentl and James Coco for Only When I Laugh. Neither won either award the year they were double nominated. Who knows, maybe this is Glenn’s year to break all the records and take home both the Oscar and the Razzie. After all, that wig won’t be ignored, Dan.

Photo credit: Netflix and Instagram