Dorian Gray, Amy Griffin's "The Tell" and Black Mirror
Last week, I finished The Tell by Amy Griffin in just under 48 hours. The memoir, released last month, chronicles Griffin’s deeply personal account of how MDMA therapy helps her unlock a traumatic event from her adolescence. Through her evocative storytelling, Amy invites readers to learn about the profound impact of this experience and the ways in which she learns to cope alongside her family and friends. I found it to be incredibly powerful.
The last time I read a memoir this rapidly (I literally cooked dinner with one hand and held my book in the other) was Stray by Stephanie Danler. Danler’s name might be best recognized on the cover of her bestseller Sweetbitter but her memoir was unputdownable, moved me to tears and brought me great comfort during the early days of pandemic uncertainty.
Dorian Gray Goes Rogue and Sarah Snook Deserves the Tony
On Friday night, I was fortunate enough to score a lottery ticket to The Picture of Dorian Gray on Broadway, starring the magnificent Sarah Snook. This one-woman show impressed me more than the Eras Tour (which I did not attend, but I imagine I would feel the same way if I had).
So here’s the deal: Snook plays TWENTY-SIX different characters in this campy adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s novel. She and her talented stage crew use a camera to project onto various screens, sometimes interacting with pre-recorded characters she also plays. This creates a completely live broadcast for the duration of the play. The production was an incredibly fascinating way to witness the intersection of theatre and technology. At one point, Snook uses an iPhone to apply Snapchat-like filters as we witness Dorian’s demise (this is after he dances under neon lights to Donna Summer’s I Feel Love). The show ran for two hours with no intermission, and I was home by 9:27 P.M. - everyone take notes!
Speaking of technology, I spent a LOT of time on my couch last weekend. It was here that I consumed the entirety of the newest season of Black Mirror. Some episodes kept my attention more than others. I’ll start with my favorite of the season — Bete Noire — a workplace-based thriller with a twist. Hotel Reverie with Issa Rae and Emma Corrin hooked me in the beginning but lost me halfway through; same goes for Plaything.
Common People had the best cast (Tracee Ellis Ross, Rashida Jones, Chris O’Dowd) and a very interesting message (read: warning) about subscription-based streaming services and to me, this episode was heartbreaking. Eulogy, with Paul Giamatti, also tugged at my emotions, but I appreciated the concept.
The season ends with USS Callister: Into Infinity, the sequel to a Season 4 favorite. The plot was interesting but ultimately dragged on, so I tapped out and did a deep dive on Jesse Plemons’ Wikipedia page instead.
I dabbled in Netflix’s three-part documentary Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kid Influencing. The gist? Teen YouTuber Piper Rockelle and her mother/manager, Tiffany Smith, form a group of teen content creators called “The Squad.” The Squad spends all their time together making videos and producing content, leading to tremendous growth and generating millions in revenue. And you can probably guess what happens next—Tiffany is essentially accused of running a chaotic, unsustainable child labor camp, etc.
LMK if you’ve watched this? I have thoughts… mostly around the fact that Tiffany kept 70 cats in the house at one time.
In My Ears
Along with a Coachella Weekend 2 livestream, I listened to an audiobook titled The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy by Andrea Dunlop and Mike Weber. The book chronicles the experience of four families in Texas impacted by MBP and the investigations that follow.
Culture Recap
Eric Adams appeared at a press conference last Tuesday wearing a shirt that said “in Dio confidiamo” which translates to “in God we trust” in Italian. Adams said that it’s written Spanish and he wore it to honor the victims of the club that collapsed in the Dominican Republic earlier this month.
🥴 FYRE Fest 2 was "postponed” with “no new date announced” so, cancelled.
Astoria, a Wild Turkey, gave the NYPD a run for their money last week in Midtown Manhattan.
‘Apple’ dance creator Kelley Heyer is suing Roblox. The gaming platform featured her choreography before it could be licensed properly.
Billy Ray Cyrus and Elizabeth Hurley hard launched their relationship via Instagram on Sunday, ruining Easter for all of us.
