Newsletter Monday, April 11, 2016

[LaineyGossip.com - Calling all smuthounds!] Monday, April 11, 2016 [Intro for April 11, 2016] [Lukas Haas, Kevin Connolly, and Leonardo DiCaprio watch the game between the New York Islanders and the Buffalo Sabres at the Barclays Center on April 9, 2016 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City] Dear Gossips, It’s been 6 weeks since Leonardo DiCaprio, Alpha Wolf, won the Best Actor Oscar for being cold in The Revenant. And we were all supposed to look back on his performance and his award season run with reverence and awe. Last night during the MTV Movie Awards, Dwayne The Rock Johnson, Hufflepuff, and Kevin Hart dedicated an entire rap song to Leo’s achievement. “You’ll always remember where you were when Leo got f-cked by a bear.” That moment was immediately followed by Kendrick Lamar presenting the cast of Straight Outta Compton and they got up on stage and opened with a joke about the Academy. All night long MTV was reminding us that their show is about “movies that you’ve actually seen”, which, sure, but their show is also one giant commercial. So, maybe, whether it’s a Golden Oscar or a Golden Popcorn, both can be bought in their own ways. In other Leo news, The Wall Street Journal’s [been investigating] the business practices of Red Granite Pictures. Red Granite produced The Wolf Of Wall Street and apparently went full Wolf Pack to impress Leo for his 38th birthday in 2012. The WSJ alleges that they spent $600,000 to acquire Marlon Brando’s Oscar for On The Waterfront to present to Leo as a gift. And supposedly company executives, perhaps hoping for induction into the Wolf Pack, competed with each other over champagne service, eventually spending nearly a million dollars on bubbly that was brought out by half naked girls with sparklers tucked into $25K magnums. Isn’t that every Friday night for Leo though? Leo was at the Islanders game the other night with his Beta Wolves Kevin Connolly and Lukas Haas. This is how he behaved – front row seat, back row attitude. Yours in gossip, Lainey [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 12:57 PM [Kendrick, NWA, and Gene Simmons] [ MC Ren, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and DJ Yella of N.W.A. speak onstage at the 31st Annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Barclays Center on April 8, 2016 in New York City] You’re probably wondering what that irrelevant old dude is doing in the headline. Yes, I just called [Gene Simmons] irrelevant and old. KISS fans, come at me. We’ll get to the [washed-up reality star and fan] of Donald Trump in a minute. First, NWA was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Friday night. Fellow Compton native and hip-hop legend in the making [Kendrick Lamar] introduced the group with a [beautiful speech] that captured the essence and importance of NWA. He talked about growing up in Compton and how influential it was for him to see his surroundings articulated so honestly to the masses. DJ Yella, [MC Ren], [Ice Cube], Dr. Dre and to quote Kendrick, “the gatekeeper of reality rap,” the late Eazy-E were unlikely role models. They were dubbed ‘The Most Dangerous Group in America’ but to Kendrick, they were his “black superheroes.” My favourite part of his speech: “The fact that a famous group can look just like one of us and dress like one of us, talk like one of us, proved to every single kid in the ghetto that you can be successful and still have importance while doing it.” This is the thesis statement of NWA. This (and the music of course) is why we still talk about them today. This is why Kendrick Lamar is Kendrick Lamar. This is why their story is so compelling it became a critically acclaimed and box office dominating film I’ve seen six times. All of the group’s living members were on hand to accept the honour from Kendrick. Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, DJ Yella and MC Ren each gave separate acceptance speeches but the one that is dominating headlines right now is Ren’s. He used part of his speech to call out Gene Simmons for his recent comments on the state of hip-hop. Simmons told [Rolling Stone] that he was “looking forward to the death of rap” and stated, “rap will die” while criticising the group for being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since in his opinion, their music isn’t rock. NWA is the fourth hip-hop act to be inducted into the Hall. They join Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Run-D.M.C., the Beastie Boys and Public Enemy. Jazz, soul, R&B and other traditionally ‘non-rock’ acts have also been inducted. The idea that hip-hop isn’t a form of music that should be respected or recognized is insulting, out-dated, wrong, stupid and makes whoever holds this belief sound like an out-of-touch grandparent rambling about the good ol’ days in the Antebellum South. The fact that rappers still have to defend the genre and share headlines with idiots like Gene Simmons when all we should be doing is celebrating a group who got an honour they absolutely deserve pisses me off. While I love what Cube said in response to Simmons’ criticism during his speech, I hate that he had to say it in the first place: “The question is, ‘Are we rock and roll?’ and I say ‘You goddamn right we rock and roll!’ Rock and roll is not an instrument — rock and roll is not even a style of music. Rock and roll is a spirit. A spirit that’s been going since the blues, jazz, bebop, soul, R&B, rock and roll, heavy metal, punk rock, and, yes, hip-hop.” Simmons has since responded to Ice Cube’s amazing shutdown with a dumbass tweet so dumb, I’m not going to waste your time by acknowledging it. I’ll let NWA and Kendrick have the last word. The entire Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony doesn’t air until April 30th on HBO but their speeches are below. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 7:25 PM [Bradley & Irina on Instagram] [Irina Shayk and Bradley Cooper on Instagram ] Every other week someone’s trying to convince you that Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk are done. I can’t remember who it was last time. Whatever. None of it’s been true. And this weekend, this showed up on Irina’s Instagram: [A photo posted by irinashayk (@irinashayk)] on Apr 8, 2016 at 12:12pm PDT I’ve not cut off the top of this photo. That’s actually how she posted the photo. Which is why it’s getting from me the kind of side-eye I gave Leonardo DiCaprio’s front row hockey game performance I posted in today’s open. Let me leverage my Leo-ness to get these seats. But I don’t want you to see me in these seats. F-ck off. So Coop and Irina are on holiday together. (They go on holiday A LOT together.) We know it’s her. Because we know her breasts. We know, obviously, it’s him. Just show the goddamn face then. Just show the goddamn face. Like by not showing the goddamn face does that mean they’re not famewhoring themselves? Does that mean you can’t ask them about their relationship? Because they’re not “officially” public? Does breasts but no face mean “private” – on Instagram? F-ck off. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 6:48 PM [Suicide Squad is all-in on the fun] [Will Smith, Cara Delevingne, Margot Robbie and Jared Leto attend the 2016 MTV Movie Awards at Warner Bros. Studios on April 9, 2016 in Burbank, California] The last time we saw a Suicide Squad trailer, it left me a bit [bemused]. I wasn’t sure what to make of it, because it was, tonally, quite different from the first trailer. Well, the third trailer, premiered at the MTV Movie Awards, doubles-down on the relatively lighter tone of that second trailer, adding more classic rock songs to the trailer soundtrack, and showing off more humorous moments with the characters. They’re not jokes, precisely, but you definitely catch a more fun, comedic slant to the movie. Which makes sense, because recent [reports] state that the film is undergoing extensive reshoots to lighten up the tone and add in more of the fun elements people responded to in that second trailer. It’s a good news/bad news situation. The good news is, Warner Brothers/DC might make a movie people actually like, which they really need. Also, any movie with Harley Quinn ought to be fun, so this bodes well for Harley’s cinematic debut. I want people to love her, and the shot in the new trailer of Harley with her mallet is everything I want from Suicide Squad. Give me more of that, yes please. But the bad news is that Suicide Squad was already costing a pretty penny, and weeks of reshoots means adding tens of millions of dollars to the production budget. Reshoots happen, but usually not more than a few days, and that money is built into the budget from the get. Suicide Squad is way past that. They’re now hemorrhaging money, and that’s going to put them in the same hole that knee-capped Superhero Face Punch. The more important issue is to get a movie out that people like and embrace, but at some point controlling spending is going to be on the menu. Warners has laid off thousands in an attempt to cut operating costs—f*cking curb your spending and save those jobs. Anyway, the new trailer looks pretty great. I wish The Joker wasn’t in it simply because the Squad is doing a great job selling it themselves, and shoving in The Joker and Batman feels like they don’t trust us to buy into the movie. I mean they probably don’t because we didn’t buy into the movie with their iconic heroes, but really—the Squad is selling this. I’m here for Harley Quinn. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 6:05 PM [Smutty Tingles] The way they waddle around is so f-cking cute I can’t stand it ([Dlisted]) Jennifer Aniston wishes she’d known about Jake Gyllenhaal earlier ([Just Jared]) See? It was only a matter of time before the tabloids started this Brange sh-t ([Cele|bitchy]) Nicole Kidman’s version of Baywatch ([TooFab]) More common ground between Jennifer Garner and Gwen Stefani ([Pop Sugar]) Bella Thorne gives an angle ([The Superficial]) And this is what cheapens the event ([Hollywood Tuna]) I love the sleeves. But something about the rest of it is off for me ([Go Fug Yourself]) Gigi’s ex says the right things but… you still don’t know him? ([Gossip Girl]) [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 5:42 PM [Is Daisy Ridley a giant?] [Daisy Ridle and J.J. Abrams at the 2016 MTV Movie Awards at Warner Bros. Studios on April 9, 2016 in Burbank, California] Star Wars: The Force Awakens won Best Movie of 2015 + Deadpool at the MTV Movie Awards last night, which is unsurprising. It’s a popularity contest and that was the biggest movie last year. [JJ Abrams] and [Daisy Ridley], taking a break from shooting Episode VIII, were on hand to collect their golden popcorn. The double standard of dress at this event drives me nuts. A well-dressed dude at the MTV Movie Awards is in jeans and a jacket, while the women turn up in dresses and heels, or whatever the f*ck Halsey was wearing. You get my drift—dudes just have to look like they brushed their teeth, the ladies have to wear proper outfits. She has to wear it, so it’s basically a uniform, but Ridley’s uniform looks nice. She looks very, very tall, though. Is she very tall? Obviously she has on high heels, but when I wear heels I still look short. Ridley, standing next to Abrams, looks like she might actually be a giant. She didn’t come across this tall in The Force Awakens, but the forty-foot screen has a way of neutralizing height (see also: Cruise, Tom). But now, thanks to TV, I know Daisy Ridley is tall. Or holds herself tall. Which means she’s a confident. As if Rey could get any cooler. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 5:17 PM [MTV Meatballs] [Co-host Dwayne Johnson speaks onstage during the 2016 MTV Movie Awards at Warner Bros. Studios on April 9, 2016 in Burbank, California] [Dwayne The Rock Johnson]’s body isn’t what attracts me to him. That kind of brawn has never been my thing. What I like about The Rock is his sense of humour. He knows what you think of him. He doesn’t pretend to be anything else. Also, he adorably announced to the world this weekend that he’s Hufflepuff, coming to terms with his magical identity. And, well, if you know Hogwarts, you know that Hufflepuffs have a complicated relationship with being sorted Hufflepuff. (Hi Duana!) That The Rock has come out loud and big on badger pride is a big deal. Hufflepuffs have been working on their self-confidence for a long time. As you know, Dwayne is currently working on the Baywatch movie with [Zac Efron]. Zac Efron is now, officially, a Meatball. His swollen muscles and bulging veins have supposedly added to his sex appeal. Not for me. What’s the added value on Zac Efron? With The Rock, you get all that personality. What’s the side dish served along with Meatball Zac’s pecs? If you say talent and charisma, I’m gonna have to ask you to back that up. Because he can’t carry his own movie. He’s best used, maybe, MAYBE, when people like [Seth Rogen] and The Rock want to work with him. In those roles though, could he be anyone? Does it HAVE to be him? I don’t know, officially, what Hogwarts house Zac has been sorted into but I suspect he’s Slytherin marauding as Gryffindor. I am Slytherin. We can be fraudulent that way. I wonder then about Seth Rogen’s costume last night as he presented with Zac at the MTV Movie Awards. (PS Zac presented twice, by the way. Like he’s that f-cking special.) The joke was that Seth was being surrounded by funny beefcakes so it was time for him to ‘roid up to keep up. And the whole time I’m thinking, yeah, what about the meatball standing beside you? [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 4:35 PM [Ryan Reynolds is MTV Hot Dad] [Ryan Reynolds accepts Best Comedic Performance for 'Deadpool' onstage during the 2016 MTV Movie Awards at Warner Bros. Studios on April 9, 2016 in Burbank, California] [Ryan Reynolds] showed up at the MTV Movie Awards to collect an award for Best Comedic Performance and Best Fight (with [Ed Skrein]) for Deadpool, which apparently now counts as a 2015 movie. He got a very hype entrance with a bunch of dancing Deadpools and Salt-N-Pepa performing “Shoop”, so it’s worth MTV’s blatant star f*cking in trade. I’ll put up with a lot of chicanery if it results in Salt-N-Pepa showing up. I don’t always buy it when actors gush about how grateful they are for the fans, but I do believe Reynolds when he thanks the fans. His earnest gratefulness was a big selling point for Deadpool—he was obviously excited to get to do the movie, period, and had no higher pretensions than making a fun movie for people to enjoy. And it paid off—we live in a world where Deadpool is probably going to out-gross Superhero Face Punch (domestically). That has to be a sweet sort of vengeance for him after the failure of Green Lantern, but he’s been nothing but gracious during his victory lap. He’s also really hot. Reynolds has never really been my cup of tea, but lately he’s working this hot dad thing that is getting it done. Here he is at the Movie Awards looking like the hot dad at the PTA meeting. At least, I assume there are dads that look like this at PTA meetings. I’ve never been to one (hashtag child-free @ thirty-three). I imagine if your life is a deleted scene from The OC the dads at PTA meetings look like this. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 3:51 PM [Victoria Beckham in VOGUE China] [Victoria Beckham in VOGUE China] Maria was texting me the other day about magazine covers – specifically re Scarlett Johansson in Cosmopolitan and why she wouldn’t have been in VOGUE. [Click here] for a refresher. Then we were wondering who VOGUE was putting up against Beyonce and ELLE for May. “Who will be May,” Maria asked. “Maybe last one for Michelle Obama while she is sitting First Lady. Or Victoria Beckham. Hahahahaha.” Anna Wintour’s VOGUE cover still hasn’t happened for Posh. But China loves her. And here are her new shots for VOGUE China. Some people are getting all pissy about whether or not this one was egregiously photoshopped because of the way her ass looks: Why is anyone bothering to be offended by the possibility of Chinese people digitally making Victoria Beckham’s ass look smaller? My people are thin-worshippers. They’re the ones who came up with the [belly button challenge] on social media last year. And the [collarbone challenge]. And the latest one about a month ago – [the paper challenge]. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve been told by my Chinese relatives, or just random Chinese friends of my parents’, that I’m “normal size” in Canada and “fat for Hong Kong”. The body standards over there are f-cked up and absurd. But this is not a blog post about the push-pull relationship I have with my culture. We would be here all year. This is about Victoria Beckham. How “model” she is in these images. And, well, sometimes I wonder if modelling is actually the real dream. Whether or she really designs for design’s sake. Or if designing is just a means to model. [Loved working on this shoot for @voguechina May issue. Thank u @inezandvinoodh, @wendyrowe, @georgecortina and @shayashual x vb] A video posted by Victoria Beckham (@victoriabeckham) on Apr 9, 2016 at 12:07am PDT [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 3:38 PM [Justin Bieber’s hair and cultural appropriation] [Justin Bieber] [Justin Bieber] has been wearing his hair in dreads [for about a week now]. In that week, there have been headlines, think pieces, backlash and outrage over Bieber’s hair, calling him out for cultural appropriation. [A piece in JET] calls the dreads “an insult to [his] black fans.” I don’t think I’m insulted by Bieber's hair necessarily but I am embarrassed for him. One, he looks terrible and two, since Bieber is someone who has benefitted from black culture A LOT, this look is especially tone deaf. While the history of dreadlocks can be traced to a multitude of different cultures, they mostly date back to Ancient Egypt, Kenya and Ethopia where the Rastafarian movement was born. A great article about Bieber’s new ‘do in The Guardian refers to dreads as “[a hairstyle that represents a reclamation of black identity].” Dreadlocks were a symbol of black pride and empowerment in the 70s and today, they are still mainly associated with Bob Marley and black culture. The history is important here. If the comments of any of the articles I’ve read recently are any indication, most people want to roll their eyes when they read the words “cultural appropriation.” The term has become a boring buzzword that people scroll past while muttering about how we’re all too politically correct. Stop scrolling. Appropriation is about exploitation. It’s about a dominant group taking from the culture of marginalized groups without understanding the history or significance of the culture they are taking from. Do you think Bieber understands the history of dreadlocks? When he was asked about his new look, Bieber said: “It’s just my hair.” This is the same guy who came to Kylie Jenner’s defense when she was accused of appropriation for wearing cornrows [with the same lack of awareness]. The counter argument when it comes to hair and appropriation is usually, “well, what about black girls who have weaves or dye their hair blonde? Why isn’t anyone accusing Beyonce of cultural appropriation?” Here’s why: black women still get called out for being ‘unprofessional’ [for wearing their hair in braids]. When [Zendaya] wears dreads, she’s written off [as a weed-smoking deviant]. You cannot appropriate the dominant culture you are trying to fit into. The “it’s just hair” argument also doesn’t sit well with me because I grew up as a little girl with black hair in a predominately white suburb. It was never “just hair.” My hair was in braids for all of elementary and high school. I endured lots of unsolicited touching, mocking and general feelings of isolation because of my hair. So, my reaction to white celebs with braids or typically ‘black hairstyles’ is complicated. On the one hand, if Gigi Hadid or whichever white celebrity makes cornrows cool for every girl, that might mean my niece gets to go to school and sport the same hairstyle as her blonde classmate and maybe she won’t feel as alone or out-of-place as I did. On the other, my braids also made me feel special and unique. They gave me a sense of identity and a “black girl magic” that was all my own. So sometimes, my gut reaction when I see these celebs is NO, YOU DON’T GET ALL THE THINGS. To me, it boils down to credit. This trend of calling cornrows “boxer braids” and attributing the style to a certain non-black family instead of giving props where props are due is the main problem. I’m OK with white girls wearing their hair in braids if the inspiration photos in magazines hailing this look as a “NEW SPRING TREND” are of black girls. I’m OK with Bieber rocking dreads as long as in six months, magazines don’t act like he invented them. Wilbert L Cooper at Vice puts it perfectly when he writes “any time white folks do something that people of colour have been doing forever, they manage to take all the damn credit.” He cites Elvis, Miley’s twerking and Iggy Azalea’s short-lived ‘Queen of Hip-Hop’ title [as examples]. I don’t think any of these artists or even Justin Bieber are intentionally being culturally insensitive but when it’s comes to hair, it’s not so simple. I know my relationship with my hair is complex and I think it’s similar for a lot of black women. I’ve worn my hair long and straight-ish in a weave for almost a decade. I’m not trying to be white but on some level, maybe I am conforming to a white standard of beauty. I’m pretty sure I was just trying to be Tyra Banks when I first got my weave but who was Tyra trying to be? What box was she trying to fit into? I just hope as “natural” black hairstyles move into dominant culture and are celebrated as cool and beautiful, as they should be, credit is given where credit is due. I would love to know your thoughts on this topic. It’s big, confusing and polarizing but it’s a fascinating conversation. Let’s yell about it. Let’s fight. Bring it. Tweet me [@kathleennb]. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 3:16 PM [Gilly… is that you?] [Hannah Murray attends the premiere of HBO's 'Game Of Thrones' Season 6 at TCL Chinese Theatre on April 10, 2016 in Hollywood, California] Less than two weeks now. 13 days until Game Of Thrones is back! It’s 10 weeks of joy followed by 10 f-cking months of question marks and lying. Last night was the premiere in Hollywood. You know who showed up? [Faye Dunaway]. She just wanted to go because she loves it so much – and, like me, she hasn’t read the books, has no interest in the books, and is here, only, for what we get on HBO. [As a student] and a stan, just like us! “I take notes on the direction and the performances and just try to learn from the work. I look up the characters online too to find out more than I already know.” OK but please take a moment to admire Gilly, aka [Hannah Murray]. Gilly! I barely recognised her. Gilly wore one dress on the carpet and changed into a red suit inside the party to pose with Samwell Tarly aka John Bradley. I see you Gilly, I see you. And I see Sansa in what’s probably the most sophisticated outfit [Sophie Turner] has ever worn, paired with House Stark hair, while Arya’s in a bra top. Adulthood has come before winter. They’re all growing up so fast. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 2:39 PM [I want to go to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them] [Eddie Redmayne at the 2016 MTV Movie Awards at Warner Bros. Studios on April 9, 2016 in Burbank, California] [Eddie Redmayne], the human equivalent of the puppy who most wants to be adopted, also turned up at the MTV Movie Awards, to debut the first trailer from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Holy sh*t, you guys. It looks GREAT. It’s not like we had any reason to believe it would be otherwise, but even expecting something in the vein of Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts looks, well, fantastic. Magic speakeasies! Phoenixes! [Colin Farrell] and his undercut! And Redmayne, who OF COURSE belongs in the Wizarding World, as Newt Scamander, with his A+ coat game and suitcase of curious critters. You know why Fantastic Beasts looks so amazing? Because it’s BRAND NEW. We’re all just now learning this corner of the Wizarding World. We’re discovering it for the first time, no one has read ahead. No one can spoil the ending or explain some minutiae or theorize the next adventure before we’ve even gone on this one. You can go to Pottermore and pick up some background trivia, but the story is one we’ll hear for the first time, together. Everything is a wonderful surprise. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 2:05 PM [The Chrises give advice] [Chris Evans onstage during the 2016 MTV Movie Awards at Warner Bros. Studios on April 9, 2016 in Burbank, California] The Captain America: Civil War junket happened this weekend which means it was screened for press. Early reviews have been very, very strong. The comparisons to Batman v Superman have been inevitable. The Avengers are fighting each other, just like Batman and Superman fought each other. So it’s worthwhile to note that the Avengers reaction is coming from actual media and not just fanboys. As you know, after opening big at the box office BvS ticket sales have been dropping. Melissa McCarthy’s The Boss beat it this weekend. Which means there’s a lot of money on the table for Captain America and Marvel. And there will be a LOT of Avengers coverage in the days to follow as the team comes together to promote the movie. Check out [Chris Evans] at the MTV Movie Awards on Saturday (taped to air Sunday) to present an exclusive clip. He’s been on my mind because I listened to him on [Anna Faris]’s podcast, Anna Faris Is Unqualified, this weekend. Evans was joined by Jenny Slate and then Chris Pratt came home and all three of them ended up giving relationship advice together. A few of you emailed me last week to react to Chris Evans’s comments. I was actually much more impressed by [Chris Pratt]. Because it’s so obvious – at least to me – listening to Chris Evans, the way he was interacting with Jenny and Anna, and claiming that he grew up around women and that his best friend is a woman so as to negate his frat bro image, that he’s so predictably typical. He’s the guy with one face to certain women and another to others. Like [Minka Kelly] was probably listening to this all, who the f-ck are you? Yes, sure, girls should go after what they want. But if he meets you at 10pm and you text him at 3am? Well, he’s judging you. The implication here is that a “nice girl” wouldn’t do that. It’s there, and it’s not that subtle either. Chris Pratt on the other hand has some listening skills. He’s the guy who doesn’t react first and processes the situation before speaking. When he does speak up, more often than not, he’s asking a follow-up question, clarifying a point in the caller’s story, and if he’s not impressed by a certain detail, you can tell, he doesn’t bother masking his tone. My takeaway from his brief interjections and comments is that he’s a lot more thoughtful than he gets credited for and, frankly, a lot more thoughtful than Chris Evans. [Click here] to listen if you haven’t already on your ride home. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 1:42 PM [Sake Gut] [ Lena Dunham and Jennifer Konner attend The Hollywood Reporter's 5th Annual 35 Most Powerful People in New York Media on April 6, 2016 in New York City] Girls Season 5 Episode 8 recap Empathy, revulsion. Empathy, revulsion. It’s such a perfectly balanced equation—you can’t have Hannah or Marnie or even Jessa or Shoshanna without both in equal measure. Empathy, revulsion. Just when I’m feeling one, I cycle rapidly toward the other – more in this episode than in any for at least a season. Empathy, revulsion. Empathy, revulsion. Empathy, revulsion, [Lisa Bonet]!!!! It is partly due to circumstances beyond Girls’ control –mainly, the meteoric rise and remarkable charisma of [Adam Driver]—that Adam in the show is the most relatable, least offensive character we see. From the moment we knew he had a sister we knew something like this would happen, and in retrospect, Caroline’s absence (if not her postpartum depression) seems to have been telegraphed from years earlier. The flip side to that, though, is that Adam’s mostly internal and inscrutable. Yes, Jessa is acting like a child, but is this the first time? Has he willfully been ignoring this as she pursues her noble therapist goals, or is Jessa so freaked out at the idea of Adam being a responsible grown up that she turns into a child instead? Empathy for him, revulsion for her…and then for him, for being with her. I never said I wasn’t judgy. And while I come down firmly on the side of empathy for Marnie this week, mostly because if your soon-to-be ex-husband is too childish to speak to you except in song, you might not expect that he was going to pull out guns as big as Lisa Bonet. I don’t even care that she’s not meant to be Lisa Bonet in the show, when you’re being thoughtfully listened to by someone in a floor-length woven dress, you’ve lost. Plus, Marnie actually listened to Hannah’s calls, several times, despite the fact that Hannah belittled her for sticking around to record her album, or in other words, actually do her job. I am not mad at Marnie this week, and I better brush up on what to do if a friend calls me with emergency kidnapping details. But that leaves Shoshanna and Hannah, and man, I don’t know… At least Shoshanna is a little more guileless. She really does think that she’ll apply for welfare while eating sushi, and while that’s idiotic, it’s not manipulative. I find it difficult to be annoyed with Shoshanna because everything about her is so ridiculously earnest, and because Jason Ritter is not too cool to have a screaming match with her, AND because I imagine her horrible jet lag is what sent her to the restaurant at 10 AM and he’s the kind of dude who tells people they can get the freshest fish if they just get there while the restaurant is still opening? I don’t know. I buy that he has as many relatively harmless quirks as she does. But then I get mad at the men on this show all over again for engaging with these women. This is not all there is! You can find people who are not crazy… (but then they wind up like Sarah Braverman and Mr. Cyr…just never quite there in the right way). Still, there’s an idea that Shoshanna and Scott are similar brands of crazy. Maybe. Though Scott seems an awful lot like Fran… …and Fran has to be willfully ignoring what’s happening to him. In fact, we know he is. He tells us as much, in the best line of the episode: “My brother wrote a hand-written letter!” Attached - [Lena Dunham] with Jenni Konner at The Hollywood Reporter's 5th Annual 35 Most Powerful People in New York Media last week and [Allison Williams] at the 2016 DVF Awards. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 1:16 PM [Privacy Policy] - [Unsubscribe]