This is a preview of our pop culture newsletter The Daily Beast’s Obsessed, written by editor Kevin Fallon. To receive the full newsletter in your inbox each week, sign up for it here.
This week:
- The only Taylor Swift news I care about.
- Have you taken the time to appreciate Reba today?
- A classic Gwyneth Paltrow moment.
- You’ll never guess how Disney is celebrating 100 years.
- Sweet Britney Spears news.
The Perfect Late-Night TV Episode
At my advanced age, I’ve learned some unimpeachable truths about life. Chief among them: Reba McEntire makes everything better.
“Fancy”? That was a Bobbie Gentry song before McEntire put her iconic spin on it. Annie Get Your Gun? Sorry to theater legend Bernadette Peters, but that became McEntire’s show when she took it over. The multicam sitcom? Not sure why it even bothered to exist before she starred in Reba. And KFC? Somehow McEntire made even that, literal fried chicken, better when she took over as the Colonel, dressed in male drag.
Heck, even The Voice, a once-fun show that hasn’t been watchable in years, finally has a pulse again now that she’s on it.
So it shouldn’t be a surprise that her appearance Wednesday night on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen was the biggest delight of my week. Yet I couldn’t have imagined how much of a blast the pairing of the country star and Troye Sivan—plus an exceptionally giddy Cohen—would be.
WWHL works best when the guests are game for the silliness, and McEntire showed up for that. She delivered a dramatic reading of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Meredith Marks slurring her threats in a recent episode of the series. “I watched the clip,” she said, winking, after Cohen was in awe of her delivery.
Then came the true highlight: Because Sivan was also the night’s guest—and doing poppers, a party substance popular in the gay community, has been a cheeky part of his new album’s rollout—a viewer asked if McEntire has ever done them. She turned to Sivan and asked, “What’s a popper?” He and Cohen giggled and promised to tell her during the commercial, but, for now, we’ll always have an episode of television in which Reba McEntire channels an unhinged Real Housewife and is part of a conversation about poppers.
I am fully aware that 90 percent of this will read like it was written in a foreign language to many of you. But to those of us for whom these words are, in fact, a love language, McEntire’s WWHL appearance was pure joy.
I’m Sorry. I Love Her.
I get that people are turned off by Gwyneth Paltrow’s particular brand of rich, white-woman privilege, and alarmed by the messaging and, often, ignorance of safety of the products and practices that GOOP promotes. But also… she’s hilarious.
I’m not negating those other things. I’m just stating the truth. Whether or not I should add the caveat of “shamefully” here, I find her personality and general vibe to be incredibly entertaining.
Case in point is the “73 Questions” interview she did with Vogue this week, which has her prancing around her garden in the Hamptons—sometimes quite literally—and answering anodyne questions about her life, as is the series’ gimmick.
At one point, while carrying a wicker basket of flowers, she walks through a gate that is being propped open by her Oscar. “My doorstop!” she exclaims. “It works perfectly.” Her actual Oscar.
I don’t know if Paltrow is trolling, being playful with her own image, or is oblivious—though I doubt the latter. I don’t know because—I don’t want to shock anyone—I don’t know Gwyneth Paltrow. But she seems to be so unserious, even whilst being intensely serious. I love it.
What a Way to Celebrate
The Walt Disney Company turns 100 next week, which marks an occasion to look back at its history in fun posts like this (disputable) ranking of the “25 Most Iconic Disney Characters” and the animated short Once Upon a Studio, which features those characters and many more coming to life and mingling, and will be available on Disney+ on Oct. 16.
In honor of the milestone, we’re all apparently giving the company gifts. Increased pricing for the Disney+ subscriptions kicked in this week, as did the cost of Disneyland tickets. I can’t think of anything more Disney than to capitalize on the nostalgic event by taking more money from fans.
This Is Kinda Sweet
Michelle Williams will narrate the audiobook for Britney Spears’ upcoming memoir, The Woman in Me, and I think that’s nice. (C’mon, did anyone really think Spears was going to be doing it?)
What to watch this week:
The Burial: The power of Jamie Foxx’s charm compels you. (Now on Prime Video)
Rick and Morty: Turns out this great and weird show doesn’t need its creepy creator to continue to be great and weird. (Sun. on Adult Swim)
Fall of the House of Usher: We really wanted this Netflix series to be good—and it is. (Now on Netflix)
Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour: I mean, why not? Go have fun. (Now in theaters)
What to skip this week:
Lessons in Chemistry: You’re better off reading the book. (Now on Apple TV+)
John Carpenter’s Suburban Screams: Also known as: How a master of horror ruins his reputation. (Now on Peacock)
