Greetings y’all,
I don’t watch much news. That’s partially because I don’t have cable, but mostly it’s because watching the news gives me a headache. I prefer to consume the news by reading it online where I can click on links for more information and process it at my own pace. And, if I’m being totally honest, whenever I do watch the news, I find myself distracted, going down rabbit holes about John King and Dana Bash’s marriage and divorce, thinking of these people who are supposed to be the messengers of crucial information as celebrities, like Miley and Liam or Bennifer. And then I’m all like, wait, what did I learn about ___(insert crisis)? Oh yeah, nothing, because I was distracted by my raccoon-like tendency to consume trash.
I spent a few weeks last summer in a house with cable. It was the height of the summer surge of the pandemic, and I most definitely fried at least 20% of my brain cells watching the news. That period was characterized by many horrors, most of which I won’t list here so as not to re-traumatize you, dear reader. But it was, in many ways, the summer of the Cuomos. There were press conferences, there was on-air banter between the brothers Cuomo, there were Cuomosexuals, there was talk of nipple rings1, and there was this.
I know that as a Californian, I’m not supposed to express an opinion on New York politics. But I am allowed to express an opinion on New York celebrities, which is exactly what the Cuomos are. They’re a political dynasty with their tentacles in places they shouldn’t be, such as, oh, CNN.
The nepotism in American politics cannot be underestimated, nor can it be separated from its overlap with Hollywood, another space overrun with nepotism. There’s the reality TV to White House pipeline—at the time, who knew that The Apprentice was a campaign video?!—but more alarming is the willingness of cable news networks to hire members of political dynasties. What’s next? Will Ben Affleck become a news anchor just before J.Lo runs for president? (A girl can dream!)
In light of the findings in New York Attorney General Letitia James’s investigation, the younger Cuomo brother2—a prominent anchor on a national news network—was on vacation...Coincidence? I think not. He returned today with tepid remarks, which are vom-dot-com but less gas-lighty than the defensive video statement his older brother gave before resigning. But is it the younger Cuomo who should be giving a statement, or should the statement be coming from the network?
Looking back on last summer, the Cuomophilia takes on a different light. There’s something sinister about a news network broadcasting a politician and his brother debating which of them is their mother’s favorite as a pandemic rages outside. And re-examining that peculiar New York Tough poster, I wonder if we should’ve seen the signs. Maybe we couldn’t have known about the sexual harassment, but sexual harassment and abuses of power often stem from a perpetrator’s sense of entitlement. And there’s something a little entitled about embedding inside jokes in a piece of “art” allegedly created to boost public morale.
Anyway, I guess it’s safe to say that Andrew Cuomo has fallen off the Boyfriend Cliff, along with all the h’s he’s dropped from words like humorous (YOU-morous). And it’s for the best.
My heart goes out to anyone who has experienced sexual harassment, sexual violence, or other abuses of power. It sucks here, and I’m sorry.
Till next time,
RZ
P.S. If you’ve gotten something from this newsletter, be it a spicy reading recommendation or a recipe for spiced nuts, please consider sharing my baby newsletter with someone you don’t hate!
Watching: Shiva Baby | Disobedience | Dead to Me | Pray Away
Reading: The comforts of grief baking | The problem with book reviews | Young People Do Not Need Shaming to Get Vaccinated | From your bookshelf to the big screen: how film adaptations affect contemporary fiction. | Does reiki work? (the answer is yes/no/maybe so) | Writing about grief with a little help from AI
Headline of the Week: This New Start-Up is Selling the Last Mattress You’ll Ever Need: It’s a coffin.
Recommended Summer Reading Part 2:
* Note: The following recommendations are mine alone, but if you do make a purchase any using the links below, I make a small commission via bookshop.org. Even better, buy them from your local indie book store! *
A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers—the fictional memoir of a female food critic whose hunger for men is more than just carnal. Think Ruth Reichl meets Basic Instinct meets Hannibal
We Love You, Charlie Freeman by Kaitlyn Greenidge—the story of a Black family in the 90s who moves to a research institution for a study, only to learn that the institution is up to no good. For fans of Get Out.
The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz—the story of a middling writer who takes the plot from a former student he believes to be dead, only to learn that somebody knows he’s stolen it. For fans of Misery.
The Hotel Neversink by Adam O’Fallon Price—the generational story of a Jewish family who owns a hotel in the Catskills, also a mystery! For fans of the Mrs. Maisel in the Catskills and also mysteries.
Publishing: A book review of Revival Season and a review of The Arbornaut
Eating: Very Easy Eggplant 🍆 | The Same Niçoise I’ve Been Making for a Year and a Half™️ Because My Brain is Fried | Gochugaru Maple Roasted Nuts (OK, my mom made these, but I’ve been eating them, which counts for something!)
Lol I won’t link to this, but Google at your own peril!
Remember when we saw Chris Cuomo’s butt? Won’t link to this one either.