The news story we all needed
This week, I, like almost everyone else on the internet, was obsessed with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s announcement that they would “step back” from their roles as senior royals, become financially independent, and split time between the UK and North America.
I do love Meghan Markle, but I think the way we all collectively rejoiced about this story on the internet was also motivated by something more than just that. The reaction online felt reminiscent of a different time, when the internet used to be more fun.
Lately everything in the news can make you feel like the world is ending: we’re maybe on the brink of war with Iran, the planet is facing the ever-increasing threat of climate change, we’ve got another presidential election underway and an impeached president in the White House, immigrants being detained at the border and families separated. With every news story, the stakes feel incredibly high. The vast majority of these topics are serious, heavy matters that are incredibly consequential for so many millions of people.
That said: Meghan Markle married a prince and then yanked him out of a stuffy outdated monarchy? Finally, a FUN news story. Meghan Markle is an easy hero to cheer for, especially after how she’d been treated horribly by the racist British tabloids.
Most of the time I feel like Twitter isn’t a fun place. The tenor of conversations about politics and news on the platform can often be very intense, it feels like everything is always awful, and harassment is rampant, particularly for women and people of color. But for one brief moment on Wednesday afternoon, Twitter became fun again.
It felt like the news story we all needed; after days of worrying that we might be going to war with Iran, it was a breath of fresh air to have a news story we could all enjoy. The stakes were low — it wasn’t about the world ending or people dying, it was about an American princess taking control of her life and sending a giant fuck you to the British tabloids, and we loved it. Twitter was gleeful for once, instead of depressing. (Here are some of my favorite tweets about the whole thing.)
I still have so many questions! Will the Queen let this happen? Will Meghan act again? Will she have her lifestyle blog again? What will their last names be? What kind of job will Harry have? It was all so refreshingly fun after a pretty dark few months of news, and I didn’t realize how badly we all NEEDED this.
What I’m reading
Are we morally obligated to meditate?, Vox. This is fascinating! And a good reminder that I still need to start that regular meditation habit…
Fried chicken sandwiches, join the dark side, Eater. Dark meat is the best meat!!!
I’ll share my salary if you share yours, New York Times.
The year in yelling: Catastrophe, Marriage Story, and Moonstruck, LA Review of Books.
Making art is good for your health. Here’s how to start, NPR.
Everyone’s resolution is to drink more water, NYT. You probably don’t need to be drinking so much water!
The grooming gap: what “looking the part” costs women, Salon.
A world without pain, The New Yorker.
What I’m cooking
I had some friends over for dinner and made several recipes from Alison Roman’s new cookbook, Nothing Fancy. I tried the harissa-rubbed pork shoulder (super easy and hands off, which I love!), the lemon tea cake with turmeric, the perfect herby salad, and the crispy smashed potatoes with fried onions and parsley (this is actually from her earlier cookbook, Dining In). All of them were easy and delicious!
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