The Net 30 Journalist
The newsletter gets a revamp + tension abound in the YSL trial
I’ve long felt like “As Told To” didn’t fit the identity of this space. “The Net 30 Journalist” will offer musings from an Atlanta-based freelance journalist about entertainment, the changing media ecosystem, etc.
Current Favs.
Poor Things
I finally watched Poor Things ahead of the Oscars and was completely in awe of the production and set design for the movie. As a person who normally gets bogged down by reality and facts, it made me excited to be imaginative. The movie is currently streaming on Hulu.
Kacey Musgraves’ Lonely Millionaire
I’m still delving into all of the music that was released over the past two weeks, but I love that Kacey sampled JID’s “Kody Blu 31.” Whereas JID’s song is an ode to a lost loved one, Kacey’s is a gentle reminder to love on your favorite people while you still have the chance.
‘Very few have balls’: How American news lost its nerve by Max Tani for Semafor
One of my least favorite things about most of the features and profiles that get released today is how toothless many of them tend to be. As a writer and editor, I know first-hand why publications lean into praising celebrities and stray away from even the mildest of critiques these days. As a reader, though? I’m Andy Cohen attempting to stifle a yawn while listening to Dorit tell a story during a Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reunion…
I am bored.
“I get calls and worries about this not infrequently — mainly, publishers worried about how much it would cost to defend a claim even if you’re sure you are right,” Nabiha Syed, a first amendment lawyer who is CEO of the Markup, told Semafor in an email. “It can be millions; it can mean you’re kicked off your insurance.”
Regina’s Resolve by Salamishah Tillet for Harper’s Bazaar
I keep thinking about how traumatizing it must be for Regina to have to repeatedly field questions about her son during her current press run for Netflix’s “Shirley.” Still, the care and compassion she’s displayed when discussing suicide has been both incredibly respectful and heartbreaking to witness.
Two of the most poignant moments from the Harper’s Bazaar profile:
“We always talk about spirit: They’re always with us in spirit. But his physical absence is so loud that it’s hard to sometimes tap into that spiritual connection.”
“I know Ian would have felt like if I didn’t finish something because of a choice that he needed to make, then I wasn’t honoring him,” King says. “We all landed at the finish line on Ian’s wings. He guided us there.”
How Quinta Brunson Hacked the Sitcom by Molly Fischer for The New Yorker
I love a good profile and this is a really fun read about Quinta’s career trajectory, as well as the recent history of TV sitcoms.
YSL Corner
We’ve finally wrapped up the testimony of Adrian Bean and, yet, I remain unconvinced that his testimony was helpful to anyone.
Remember, Bean was a witness for the prosecution as they were looking to place Young Thug in a stolen red Nissan that eventually crashed into a laundromat back in 2013. Thug was never charged with anything related to the incident and he’s not associated with the overt acts in the indictment for this case.
In 2013, Bean told a detective (and his wife on a jail call) that Thug was in the car. (At the time, Bean alleged that officers on the scene mistook Thug for a woman because of his long hair and that the rapper escaped before officers were able to arrest him). But, he also spoke with Young Thug’s attorney Brian Steel in a recorded interview last year where he said he only named Thug because officers wanted him to. On the stand, Bean mostly stated that he didn’t recall the incident or any of his prior statements.
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Audio from Bean’s convos with the detective, his wife and Steel were eventually played for the jury, but I found it to be more confusing than anything. Bean won’t say which of his prior statements is actually true and, mixed with the fact that he literally claimed to be high during his final day on the stand, I doubt jurors would find him to be credible. Which means he spent five days on the stand and had his phone number publicly divulged several times for no reason because, based on his testimony, I still have no idea if Thug was in the car or not. I’ll be interested in hearing what the jury has to say about all of this once the trial is finally over.
Elsewhere in the trial, the disdain that prosecutor Adriane Love and defense attorney Brian Steel clearly have for one another continues to be uncomfortable to witness.
And, on Wednesday, Brian Steel accused judge Glanville of being biased and asked him to recuse himself after the judge called the defense attorney “unprepared” in front of the jury. Glanville declined, but it was easily one of the most tense moments of the trial.
This trial is draining everyone…