Shelli's 2022 Pop Culture Wrap-Up :)
Shelli's 2022 Pop Culture Wrap-Up :)
Cranberry Sprite is my drink of choice
This will cut off in your email so open it ‘cos it’s cute and then tell me your favs of 2022 and also tell me why I am correct about mine
I’m going to be honest — doing this made me remember how much I hate the layout of substack sometimes. Like, I wanted this to look super cute visually but I feel like it’s a bit jumbled AND NOW MY THOUGHTS WON’T BE ACCURATELY PORTRAYED BECAUSE OF IT!
But, it’s okay! I kinda just wanted to throw out my favs and talk about them in simple quips and clips.
So enjoy my little list of thrills and chills of 2022 and let’s all aspire to start this list earlier next year so all I have to do is plug and play throughout the year so I can post this earlier than NYE next time.
Fav Series 2022
Minx — This show is REALLY REALLY GOOD and I am kinda sad that it’s being canceled or whatever is happening to it at the moment :/
Bad Sisters — By far the ABSOLUTE BEST SHOW OF THE YEAR, not too many people talked about it for some reason ( I only know about it because my partner told me about it!) I think it’s ‘cos it’s an AppleTV show, and if it’s not Ted Lasso then who is watching AppleTV?
YOU. YOU SHOULD BE ‘COS IT’S INCREDIBLE TIMES A MILLION
Mood — Nicôle Lecky is a wild talent. This show is really really incredible and based on her stage play Superhoe, this conversation between her and Michaela Coel (who I also adore) is very dope where one of the many things they chat about is taking their art from the stage to screen
Yellowjackets — Because Le Duh. Also can’t wait to see Lauren Ambrose in the new season.
Sort Of — This fucking show deserves every award and all the fame ‘cos it’s funny and real and beautifully shot and the entire cast is acting their hot Canadian buns off in it.
Welcome To Flatch — I am actually truly unable to put into words why I love this show so much BUT I do watch it constantly and have even tweeted at the creator to send it to me on DVD ‘cos I’m worried it will go away…
Fav Re-Watches
New Girl
New Girl
New — Girl
It brings me comfort to know that for some reason Black girls all around the world are equally obsessed with this show and Nick Miller as I am and I am specifically talking about Bolu.
Fav “New To Me” series
Bad Girls Club: New Orleans
Judi is the best thing to happen to reality TV and I am so sad that I didn’t experience her while this was airing for the first time because LOL WOT?!
Quick thoughts on cancelations & renewals
Yellowjackets — Got renewed for seasons 2 & 3 and duh it should. I hope the writer’s room doesn’t feel too much pressure tho’.
Bad Sisters — Does it need a season 2? IDK. Will I watch season 2? abso-fucking-lutley.
Minx — The cancelation of the show DURING production is so insane to me but like, is it? ‘cos HBO is doing some WILD things over there. This show was great and I hope it finds a home.
Harlem — This show is not great but has potential so I get the renewal however, the queer interracial storyline is……..pretty whack
The queer person Tye, is Black, and has created an app where Black folks can find each other to date ‘cos it’s hard to find Black folks who want to date Black folks. Tye goes out one night and sleeps with a white woman. Then that same white woman interviews her the next day about the app (she didn’t acknowledge the night before that she would be her interviewer) and basically calls Tye fake ‘cos for making this app and constantly talking about filling this need for Black folks to date/sleep with other Black folks—but then fucking and dating white women still and lots of weird things get said when they continue to fuck and hang out.
It’s all very like—what is this and what are you trying to say and why are you choosing to say it with the Black dyke character? I dunno, I mean, it is a thing that happens with Black dykes and should get talked about but that’s why I say it has potential so I’ll watch season 2.
Extra Favourite Bites
Gangs of London, A Leauge Of Their Own, Wednesday, Midnight Diner, Sex Education, House of the Dragon
Fav Films 2022
Don’t Worry Darling — LOLOLOLOL THE DRAMA BEHIND THE PRESS TOUR OF THIS MOVIE WAS HILARIOUS TO ME! However, Miss Flo carried this movie and EYE ENJOYED IT!!!
Sissy — I won’t DARE tell you about it but I shall DEMAND that you watch it.
Turning Red — How would I not love a movie set in the early aughts about a teen who is obsessed with a boy band and fights with her mum?
Heart Shot — A little lesbian short that takes a turn but I enjoyed it!
Fuck ‘Em Right Back — A really INCREDIBLE short that I saw during Outfest (where I was also Mat Coordinator for the ‘22 festival) and I really wish it was a series.
Good Luck To You Leo Grande — I was excited for this in 2021 to come out in 2022 and it did not fail me at all.
Elvis — IDCIDCIDCIDCIDC what any of you have to say about this, it was incredible and I had a TIME watching it.
Fav “New To Me” Films
Women Talking Dirty
Boxing Day — This film has officially made it to the annual holiday film watch list!!!
When Harry Met Sally — I love love. I love romcoms. I believe that love can be as sweet and romantic as you let it be and I believe that we all deserve the sweetest purest happiest corniest love — and I believe we all deserve a love story. I’d never seen this film and tbh I don’t know why. I’ve heard it referenced forever and it’s a Nora Ephron movie for fucks sake but never saw it. Then I finally watched it and wow. It’s corny, a roller coaster, it’s love, it’s silly, it’s bad, it’s good and I just love it. It makes me happy and yea it has faults but can’t a girl just love a good old-fashioned late 80s romantic comedy on her couch without picking it apart?
That Night — SO GOOD
Films That Let Me Down
Black Phone — This movie was BAD and I HATED IT
UMMA — I don’t know if this film let me down or if I just had too high hopes for it
Barbarian — NO NO NO
Wendell and Wild — This was just…..really bad
Blonde — LOL what did I expect? NOT THIS!
Fav Rewatches
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai — Best sad yet romantic song in a Hindi movie ever? Possibly.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
Quick thoughts on Reviews
It’s like, I love what I do but should critics be the only reason why you see or don’t see a movie? Absolutely not. Mostly because a high percentage of critics are still cishet white dudes who have friends at studios. Yes, the world of film criticism is getting more diverse (I HATE using that word) but unless you’re searching for our reviews or a fan of and follow sites that always have reviews from queer folks, Black folks, and babes then you’re not getting lotsa thoughts on stuff.
So grain of salt when reading reviews but also like, keep wanting them so I can keep working but see the movies that interest YOU. Then tell everyone to see them, ‘cos that’s what I have been doing my whole life and now I have a career where I get to go in depth of why I like them or don’t, why I connect to them, and what they remind me of.
Films are fun and I think a lot of folks are forgetting that….
Extra Favourite Bites
Coming Out With The Help of A Time Machine, Jagged, Rosaline, Your Christmas or Mine?, Wakanda Forever
Favorite Albums & Songs
I AM NOT A MUSIC BITCH LIKE THAT. I AM A TAURUS SO I LISTEN TO THINGS ON REPEAT!!!!
But here is my Spotify wrapped anyway.
I will say I did really like Yaya Bey’s Remember Your North Star, Smino’s Luv 4 Rent, Shygirl’s Nymph, and also listened to Olivia Newton John’s song Twist of Fate about 8000 times in one month.
Also, I like lofi hip-hop beats.
Fav Podcasts
The Read — Been listening to Kid Fury & Crissle for a few years now and I am still very much invested.
Vibe Check — A friend told me about this one this year and sometimes it gets deep but in a good way.
The Endless Honeymoon Podcast — Natasha and Moshe talking to a bunch of their friends about relationships and sex all with a massive scoop of the comedy they are so well known for…perfect. Also, one of the few podcasts with video that I actually will watch and don’t consider odd!
The Letterboxd Show — Movies, people talking about movies, people talking about lists of movies….duh yes.
Fav Moments
Don’t Worry Darling press tour madness was fucking incredible lol. I loved Florence showing up late to Cannes during all the controversy and very much not giving a fuck and then looking super hot and having shirts made for her makeup and hair artists that say “Miss Flo” LOL WOT?!?! HOW COULD YOU NOT LOVE THIS MESSSSSSSSSSS!!!
Jinkx Monsoon absolutely DESTROYING snatch game on Drag Race as Judy Garland
Emma D’Arcy talking about alcohol and making it hot without even trying
Sheryl Lee Ralph accepting her Emmy was such a beautiful moment “Never Give Up On You”
Fav People
Quinta Brunson — Deserves all the good things ever!!
Issa Rae — I don’t use the word idol a lot but if I had to……
Shelli Extra Bits
Fav Pieces I’ve Written
Rothaniel is one of the best things that came out this year and I wrote about it and what’s in a name over on Vogue
I VERY MUCH dug the series The Bear so writing about it over on Roger Ebert was very fly and fun
Finally felt safe enough to write about my abortion over on Autostraddle
It’s been a dream to write for Architectural Digest and I never knew there would be a way to that fits me but there is and I wrote about Love Actually in what will hopefully be the start of a column with one of my best and most talented friends!
I did a lot this year and I didn’t really realize that until I responded to this tweet:
Like, I did some really cool shit and it’s been really lovely to see that over the past like 2 years alone it’s just gone up, up, up. I work incredibly hard at this dream that I’ve had since I was a little girl watching movies in my room, acting them out, and then journaling about them all. I’m proud of myself in a way that I can’t even express.
Fav non-writing stuff
I traveled to my fav country with my dear darling love and fuck that was beautiful
I talked more openly about who I am and my life with my parents
I dyed my hair red
Fav photo of myself:
Fav tweet
I am wishing for a soft and sweet 2023 where I continue to mind my business, love myself and my incredible partner, adore my friends, and keep on making my dreams come true.
— That’s it, kthxbi!!!!
