my year in lists: jazzy jade (by sally hansen) july
1/6th of a snickerdoodle recipe, “delulu,” and must-reads (feat. examples of why Oxford Comma is one of my top Vampire Weekend songs)
You might have noticed because my last post was pertaining to it, but I finally finished my summer anthropology classes despite the one million assignments per week, everyone clap! (Yes, that’s mainly why I’ve been a little inactive, the source: four essays in six weeks, three textbooks, three books for summer reading😩).
Before I get into the rest of the post, I’m just going to throw out my ultimate must-read from the past month as Asisa Kadiri’s No. 1 Issue !!! I stumbled upon her and found an instant favorite. Between her perfectly timed topics and her in depth, personal, and multi-faceted deconstructions, I’m sure she’s going to be the next big thing. My favorite posts of hers so far are:
You have no sexual security online, Asisa Kadiri
Under a false sense of security, we somehow missed the new allyship between misogyny and artificial intelligence. The introduction of more human-like sex robots became ‘trendy’ around 2016, once again providing permittance for a legion of incels to explore their fantasies where sex could be simulated without that ever-so-‘inconvenient’ consent factor. Even if sex robots aren’t synthetically/ materially more human than our dishwashers, I struggle to see where the normalisation of sexual activity with objects that mimic human beings so closely won’t work to further objectify women in real life. It feels as though the problems that arose with the unethical production of porn have become transferrable to this new industry. This is especially true when companies heading this venture like RealBotix (est.1977) managed to create AI figures that reported representing the “Eurocentric male gaze”.
We’ve been wrong about the term “White-washed,” Asisa Kadiri
(Which I actually mentioned in a discussion post for my Cultural Anthropology class!)
‘Womanhood’ was never ours anyway, Asisa Kadiri
Between the hours of 11pm to 3am, I’ve been increasingly baking more and more snickerdoodles out of boredom, mild hunger, and forgetting to take my melatonin. So, I’ve made a perfect recipe, all portioned out so you don’t have to do the math! If you’re on desktop, just hover over the footnotes to see them as we go :)
Laïa’s 4 Snickerdoodle Recipe
(“adapted” from this one in the sense that I just split it into sixths and probably messed up the ratios):
Preheat the [toaster] oven to 375 (I usually forget this part).
Combine 1 cup sugar1, ⅙ cup vegetable oil2, ⅓ of an egg3, and a generous dash of vanilla in a bowl.
Then, add ⅓ cup of flour, a dash of salt and baking soda, and however much cinnamon you think looks right.
Shape into balls, roll into a mixture of cinnamon and sugar (ratio whatever you feel is right), and press out into cute heart shapes that will inflate to look like… you tried at least, or, the more practical version, circles.
Bake for 8-10 minutes (or specifically 12 if you have an intense fear of salmonella but realized that people were correct when they said they turn rock hard after that).
Snickerdoodles are by far my favorite, but I always enjoy the mixing more than the eating. And yes, this does occur when I’m watching Alvin Zhou’s cooking videos (especially that chocolate cake one good fucking lord) late at night. Is it a testament to enjoying the journey or just that I want two cookies? Who knows. But hey, at least it leaves some leftovers for the morning.
With about the same harshness as a Slaughter Beach, Dog song, I consider myself a romantic. Both in the capital ‘R’ flowery language, Monet, Keats way and the rom-com, 2000s Shakespeare adaptation, various Anne Carson quotes at any time way. I indulge in plenty of squealing, the occasional face-in-hands blushing, and some fawning in Vietnamese so a crush can’t understand, even. I’ve been called delusional, lovelorn, enamoured at least a year before “delulu” was even a thing, thank you very much.
Honestly, the question isn’t what do I want in love (a relationship, really), but when do I want it. I have lists upon lists4 of what I’ll accept, my bare minimums, things I especially like, green flags – all overlapping with scenes from romance novels and sparkling daydreams of a princess treatment with enough banter that I won’t settle for less. Despite how I hold it up as “The Most Love Book Ever,” even Anne Carson doesn’t have an answer in Eros The Bittersweet, a reworking of her doctoral thesis on love in classical philosophy and literature and one of my favorite books.
When #it comes, when “what’s our relationship,”5 when “can i get your number” in front of your own mother, when the smile from the guy crouching down at the literary fiction section of the bookstore culminates – a memorized paragraph on how Sophocles thinks your story begins the moment Eros enters you, or how “when you are falling in love it is already too late” is less than beneficial.
Instead, it’s a rotating inner-monologue of “I don’t have time for this,” “I’m waiting until college,” or the ever-present: “I’m focusing on writing.”6 Is it a fear of intimacy, the basking in the enjoyment of being desired only to remember they don’t know you7, or the non-existence of love at first sight? Who knows, the experience always leaves more questions than answers.
Speaking of our dear Anne Carson, here’s some recommendations:
Tumblr Poet Laureate, Terry Nguyen
A reflection on Anne Carson’s popularity yet transcendence, minorly on Tumblr culture, and the algorithm. Terry Nguyen is an absolutely phenomenal writer and I can’t believe I didn’t know about her sooner.
https://dirt.fyi/article/2023/03/tumblr-poet-laureate
The Diversity Elevator: On R. F. Kuang’s “Yellowface,” Terry Nguyen
I promise I’m not a hater to my core, just a cultural critic, but it’s refreshing to see such a nuanced take on an author I know is already highly praised. I have not read the book, I don’t think I ever will, but Nguyen’s analysis is enough to piece together an opinion of a passable concept turned questionable plot. Not to dismiss Kuang entirely though, I’ve heard basically nothing but praise for The Poppy War and Babylon.
https://www.clereviewofbooks.com/writing/r-f-kuang-yellowface
Musings on Hyperfemininity: The Y2K Aesthetic, Queer Feminism, and The Female Gaze, Erica Nicole
Incredibly sharp yet still grounded in the topic, something that’s been spinning in my mind since forever!
That is, in a sense, the real potential for molding a colloquial Female Gaze or Femme perspective. Or in wearing outfits and making references men "don't get" (because they never have to.) It is to use culture and aesthetics to communicate these intricacies amongst each other, to give a gendered wink, to build a temporary fortress within a man's world.
Though what gets lost in the cishet side of the Female Gaze dialogue is the inherent queerness of hyperfemininity. Women whose particular gender performance aims to attract other women, lesbians, sapphics, and femmes, while discarding cishet men altogether.
e-pistulae, Tate
I don’t read most of the letters as they come, but the concept is absolutely charming to me, not to mention the title of the publication is so clever. Of classical mythology and history, I have an above Percy Jackson level knowledge and a below “I’ve actually finished Livy’s History of Early Rome” so this is just entertaining.
The Nanny (1993)
Fran Fine my picket line respecting queen. I finally got around to it and we literally do need to bring back slowburn romance, monster-of-the-week-esque 5+ season shows with 22 episodes (I miss you Smallville & Doctor Who), especially if the pacing and characterization is this good. Also, look me in the eyes and tell me her closet is not to absolutely die for !!
My Adventures With Superman (2023)
The (personally) long awaited revival of dork Clark Kent. Now, I have not seen the Zack Snyder DC live action movies, nor do I ever hope to, if I do, it’s against my will. My aversion towards it is mainly due to the fact Superman doesn’t feel particularly Superman. Henry Cavill’s hot, sure, but maybe I’d like him more if he didn’t date a 19 year old at age 33. Plus, grimdark superheroes are so vintage, in a bad way. I’ve been meaning to do a piece on Jason Todd since for-literally-ever, since it's the perfect segue into the war on drugs, copaganda, violent use of vigilante force, etc etc that pervades so much of the comicsphere. That negativity is essentially a long winded way of saying I adore when superheroes are allowed to be lighthearted and geeky in a welcoming way. This new show makes me squeal and further my fangirling of Lois Lane, she can do no wrong.
I Spent The Night With SUPERMAN, HiTop Films
Writing about My Adventures With Superman made me all sappy for what Superman truly is and this is my favorite video essay on it! I always come back to it and Superman (1978) is one of my favorite movies :) I’m the biggest sucker for rom-coms disguised as superhero movies (I’m staring straight into the soul of The Amazing Spider-Man franchise, which this channel similarly follows my thoughts on). I’m the biggest Superman fan forever and ever <3
Speed Drive, Charli XCX
Completely genuinely, I think she spiked this song.
Novacane, Frank Ocean
Have been unhealthily obsessed for the past three months.
Shmoopie, Buddha Trixie
My dream indie rock song. Their production might as well be edible, it’s so good.
That’s all for this month! Have a wonderful day and if you’ve read/watched/listened to any of the above feel free to squeal with me in the comments ;) Except for The Nanny— I’m only on season 3.
I like to do half/half white sugar and brown!
Vaguely below the ¼ cup line
Scramble it in a separate container and save the rest of it for a later recipe or as part of scrambled eggs in a few hours
fav
J, when or if you ever see this, please do not ever say this to a girl you’ve known for two and a half months again, godbless
Because I’m convinced I have to be the absolute best to be employable, and how else to practice but always doing?
Hiiii fellow type fours ;)
Love these recommendations! Fran from The Nanny was a style ICON. You’ve also given me a “duh” moment/sign to import Spotify previews for music recommendations! 🤦🏾♀️
And thank you SO much for the mention!! ❤️❤️
You’ve just provided me with snacks and entertainment for the next few weeks 🙏🏾 also thank you for the mention appreciate it more than you know❤️