Swimfan
This week (“The same thing we do every night Pinky—TRY TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!!” No? didn’t get it? Coolcoolcoolcoocool) I watched Trixie Mattel’s latest Youtube video and she mentioned the movie Swimfan and THAT is the moment I knew that would be the movie for this weeks little chat/blog/wishitwereXanga post.
I saw this movie when I was in high school and it was mainly because there was a sexy scene in the trailer that involved fucking in a pool. And although I couldn’t swim and was not doing fucking of any sort then, having sex in a pool was on a little list that I had made of sex I wanted to have. I kept it in a blue and white Adidas box where I had cut out sex tips from Cosmo.
Basically, the plot is her and this guy who is on the swim team have a smidgen of sex and then she is like—in love with him. Like showing up at his house, stalking him, telling folks that they are together, and like just WILD shit. I imagine it’s like that show YOU that y’all love that I refuse to watch but times like 20. It came out at a time when there were a few other movies that I’d found where the teen girl was nutso and obsessed with someone OR there was a stalking element OR both, and I was equally obsessed with all of them.
I look back on these films and can pinpoint (swiftly) the issues with them but when I revisit them I can also remember why I got so attached to them.
I think it’s because, at those moments in my life when I saw them, I was very much so confusing obsession with love. I thought it was romantic that people were going to these wild lengths to show their want for someone and I also thought it was sexy. That’s because those movies—especially in the late 90’s early aughts—were packaged for teen girls to make us feel that way. The writing played on our wishes, our emotions, and our self-esteem (or lack thereof) and created these storylines filled with attractive people that made us think that is what love/want/lust was supposed to be like.
I know now the absolute and entire difference between obsession and love, but it is interesting to re-watch these movies and remember being in my bedroom wishing I was the main girl. Very glad I grew out of wanting to be fingered on a rollercoaster by a psychopath with a terrible haircut, cos’ phew—what a time that was.
What I Watched
Polygraphy, Portait D’une Paresseuse, Autumn Girl, In the Mood For Love, Roar, Irma Vep, The Intervention.
What I Re-Watched
Kath & Kim on repeat for some reason, like all week long.
Crazy-Ex Girlfriend
What I Listened To
Still Processing is back and it sounds kinda different but is still just as great. This week Wesley is joined by the fucking incredible culture critic and poet Hanif Abdurraqib and they talk about theme songs.
The soundtrack to Turning Red because wow, as someone who was in middle school in the very early aughts this made me feel so happy!
All Night Parking by Adele
The soundtrack to Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
What I Read
Speaking of Still Processing, Wesley Morris did a write-up on Rothaniel and it was beautiful, both of our write-ups came out in the same week and I don’t know why but that meant something to me.
They have been married almost 50 years and spent the last few living in apartments side by side cos they have different styles.
The writer homie Tirhakah launched a new daily newsletter over at NY Mag. It’s called Dinner Party! It’s actually done in the same style that I do this substack in, quick bites of pop culture, snacks of op-eds and some scoops of internet happenings and fav things of the day.
This was hilarious because it is my actual plan for this release day
What I Ate
I went to have some incredible KBBQ to celebrate a close friends birthday @ Perilla
Yummy omelette fromage et ciboulette from La Creperie
Everything bagels from Whole Paycheck
How I Felt
This week as told through Living Single gifs
ETC.
Single Drunk Female got renewed for a season 2!!!
Hahahahah
Okay bye —
