Last night I finally saw Hadestown on Broadway and it was, as expected, the most beautiful experience of my life. I am both completely obsessed with Anaïs Mitchell and also want to hide in a closet and never come out when I remember that we are basically the same age and I can’t even conceive of creating something as extraordinary as easily one of the greatest musicals of the 21st century. My only solace is that she clearly sold her soul to the devil at some point and I just haven’t had that opportunity yet.
Around the time that Orpheus was singing “If It’s True” I thought about how important art is going to be over the next four years. On the flight to New York I listened to a podcast about Napoleon (see below) and I thought about how he pillaged great art from across Europe and Egypt (did you know he’s the one who stole the Rosetta Stone and brought it to Europe?? It’s my favorite Napoleon fact.) both to increase his own wealth and status but also to decimate cultural pride among his enemies and increase the same in France. How a culture’s pride can be increased through stolen art I will never understand but, then again, I’ve been to the Louvre and the British Museum so I’m complicit.
Of course, we all know that Hitler did the same thing, stealing great art from Jewish people and the nations he invaded was a massive Nazi operation, and McCarthy’s HUAC came after Hollywood first. Art and culture matter, and they will matter more than ever as we enter this next phase of the American experiment. It is unfortunate that at this moment our film industry, formerly the greatest propaganda machine in the world and our greatest source of soft power, has decided to lay down and die, but I hope that this moment leads artists to create anyways. We are going to need it.
In other news, Elon Musk is now in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency. Get it? DOGE. We have a new government department named after a crypto coin. And it’s in charge of firing government employees. This is the level of comedy that I expect from this administration. We are a meme now.
Choose the Bear- New episode today!! The brilliant and wonderful Omkari Williams has joined me to talk about our immediate reactions to the election and what to do now. Find it wherever you find your podcasts.
What to do with yourself
Watch
Thelma- This is a movie worth renting. In fact, I recommend a double feature with my 2020 favorite, Lucky Grandma. We need more movies about grandmas!
Breath of Fire (HBO)- Yet another yoga cult but this one you may have heard of, its young white female leader died in a car accident last year and then Vanity Fair wrote a huge piece about her. The series features everyone from former members to her parents and I am on the edge of my seat waiting for the next episode.
Twisters (Peacock)- I was furious when this movie was first announced. How dare they besmirch the memory of Bill Paxton??? I waited to watch it until I was on a plane and I was pretty annoyed for the first 30 minutes or so but then, much to my utter disgust, IT GOT GOOD. It actually got really good. I am surprised. Pearls have unclutched. Is it 1996 Twister good? Obviously not. We don’t make anything that great anymore. But is it worth-a-double-feature good? Absolutely.
Read
The Poppy Wars- It’s official. I’m a Kuanghead. After Babel I knew I loved her but after reading the first of the Poppy Wars trilogy I am obsessed. What an absolutely shockingly brilliant woman and it only hurts a little bit that based on her picture I’d say she’s about 12 years old. Kuang is another person who makes me want to burn all of my pens and hide in a closet but, as with Mitchell, in the best way possible. I don’t need to be able to write this well as long as I can still read.
The cabinet appointments- Trump is putting out appointments hard and fast and it is so, so important that you pay attention. Partially because it will be helpful to remember, as you watch the mushroom cloud erupt, that our Secretary of Defense is a Fox & Friends news guy, but also because his appointments are showing, for anyone who doubted him, that Trump was being, possibly for the first time in his life, very, very honest about what he was going to do as president.
Listen
Hadestown- This soundtrack has been on the top of my Spotify recap for years now so prepare yourself for ear Heaven.
Napoleon (podcast)- This six part series by my favorite historical podcast network, Noiser, is fantastic and a very easy and entertaining listen. If you want to learn more about the little dictator, I really loved the two part book series The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte and The Reign of Napoleon Bonaparte by Robert Asprey.