Downton Abbey, Outer Range & Dolls: Issue 21
A mixed bag this week but mostly things I've been watching since I was sick (and then got better!).
Helloooooo readers,
SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED since the last issue and I apologise but also, it was public holidays here in NZ and I got sick so should I even be apologising?! I’m here, I’m back, I’m alive but bloody heck Covid had me like full-blown horizontal in bed all week. Wiped I tell you.
Elon Musk brought Twitter… Joe Rogan was rumoured to have died… is there anything else I’m missing but not willing to go into details about?
This week I’m watching, reading and listening too…
I’ve watched so much over the last two weeks because I was so sick - I had no extra energy.
We’ve been watching the new thriller series called Outer Range (Amazon Prime) because I’ve been interested in UFOs, Aliens, Abductions, and UFO sightings for as long as I can remember. Outer Range is loosely based on Skinwalker Ranch a real property in Utah, with a very strange history in regards to UFO sightings and weird things happening on the land (go read up if you have no idea what I’m talking about). Josh Brolin plays Royal Abbott, and he’s brilliant!
I went to the Universal advance screening for Downton Abbey: A New Era this week and SO MANY OF YOU were asking me about its worthiness. Yes, it’s worth the watch and no, you don’t have to have seen the original TV series to enjoy the film. Of course, if you’ve seen the seven or so seasons of the TV show you’ll be familiar with the characters and have that prior history to work with, but all in all, it’s a very wholesome watch and I enjoyed ‘catching up’ with the Crawley family. Take tissues though. Okay, no spoilers from me.
Did you know Jimmy Savile before the recent documentary Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story (Netflix)? I think I’ve been living under a rock because I don’t remember him at all. I did watch Top of the Pops growing up, but I just don’t remember him. He was a big presenter and personality in the UK from the ’60s through to the early 2000s and was basically adored by everyone - except the young children and other vulnerable people he sexually and emotionally abused over decades. Yuck.
I’m not putting a picture of him in this newsletter because blergh, but it was a pretty fucked up series yet still interesting to see how much this guy was propelled to the top of society while simultaneously leading this dark, twisted and private life.
Since we’re on a roll, I also watched The John Wayne Gacy Tapes (Netflix) this week while I was working and it left me feeling all kinds of ways. I’m definitely someone who is desensitised when it comes to awful shit, but this serial killer and completely messed up guy interests me in a different way where I’m deeply curious about these types of people who are so black and white, polar opposite personality types, charismatic yet cold and can be living this seemingly ordinary life, while also killing multiple people and hiding it for years. Ugh.
My heart/brain gets so torn when I consume this kind of media but I definitely love the psychology behind it all. Maybe it’s because I’m the daughter of a mental health nurse and someone who has lived through some awful sexual abuse? Who knows?
In other more positive and uplifting news - I’ve started watching Heartstopper (Netflix), a British, coming-of-age series and it’s SO DAMN CUTE! It’s about two guys in high school who fancy each other and it’s an adorable watch. There’s no sex, drugs, or alcohol - basically, it’s nothing like Euphoria lol. Wholesome AF.
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I guess this technically comes under ‘Watching’ but I’ve also been reading loads about the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard court case. I’m jumping on the bandwagon because it’s hard to escape the drama surrounding this high profile case. I had an in-depth conversation with a friend about the whole thing this week and honestly, I just feel sorry for both of them. I do not think he is 100% innocent, and I do not think Amber Heard is 100% evil. I think (and according to evidence shown so far) that they have both done things that aren’t great, and of course, as bystanders watching this whole thing undo itself publically through court is hideous.
I can’t even imagine having my life dissected this way for the world to watch. I don’t want to add to the toxicity of the whole thing with my unimportant thoughts. It’s just all a bit of a shit show and I hope that after all of this ‘finishes’, they both walk away and get not only any help they need but that they try and be better. Better for themselves and for those around them + future people they may get into close relationships with. I thought about adding a meme, but I feel like that’s bad taste. Too soon Charlotte, too soon.
Now, THIS was an interesting read: The dolls are back! had so many Barbies growing up, as well as babies when I was younger. I remember asking my mum for a ‘Baby Born’ doll. It was a realistic baby doll that you could feed and change its gross little nappy. I remember getting the sachets of mysterious powder that you mixed with water to a bizarre paste and then fed to the baby. I’m cringing so hard writing this hahaha. I kinda missed the boat with Bratz Dolls but never really thought they were that cool anyway. Did I also Google Bratz Dolls to remind myself how it was spelt and accidentally typed in ‘Bratz Dikks’ instead? Yes, I did.
Speaking of dolls, Margot Robbie is Barbie… and we’ve had a sneak peek of her in the pink-soaked, plastic-laden role. I wonder how many outfit changes will happen in this movie in total. I’m going to say it first… I reckon there will be a minimum of 15 different looks throughout the entire film JUST for Barbie. I hope she loses one of her little plastic shoes at least once as well.
No podcasts this week, just MUSIC and I’m digging this Disco themed playlist that I found on Spotify.
My own April playlist is linked below, and next week I’ll be starting my May playlist - where TF has April gone honestly?
And that’s it for this week, thank you so much for reading and I’ll chat with you next week!
Mā te wā (see you later) and remember to sign up, like, share, comment or subscribe if want to support me further. Every little comment and share helps to get this out to others who might enjoy it (and those options are free). Yay!
Charlotte xx