Music
‘WHO CARES?’ (2022) by Rex Orange County
Rex Orange County’s newest album is a short and sweet collection of songs about looking for happiness.
Running approximately 35 minutes, the album balances messages of perseverance, admiration and love with more reflective themes like the reality of fame. The majority of the album has upbeat instrumental accompaniments which adds to the joyous vibe. The entire album makes for an easy listen and would be excellent for relaxing on chill summer days. Songs like “AMAZING” and “ONE IN A MILLION” are examples of a perfect simple love letter and make for great sing-along songs. Additionally, Tyler, the Creator is featured in the song “OPEN A WINDOW.”
Book
‘Girls Can Kiss Now’ (2022) by Jill Gutowitz
In this hilarious and heartfelt collection of essays, Jill Gutowitz, a writer, lover and hater of pop culture, discusses the evolution of LGBTQ+, specifically lesbian representation in media.
The collection mixes humor with personal stories and background information in a perfect blend, with plenty of pop culture references. Gutowitz tells her own story of growing up in a time when there wasn’t adequate representation and how that continuously impacted her throughout her childhood and adult life. She also gives plenty of commentary on pop culture today and analyzes the “gayness” of anything from “Orange Is the New Black” to Taylor Swift.
This collection, and particularly its humor, can be enjoyed by anyone but can be especially comforting to LGBTQ+ youth.
Television
‘iZombie’ (2015-2019)
“iZombie” follows Olivia Moore, a medical resident who attends a party that ultimately results in her becoming a zombie.
In a struggle of needing to eat brains and her refusal to kill anyone in the process, she gets a job at a coroner’s office where she can sneakily eat the brains of the deceased. However, she soon learns when she consumes these brains, she gets access to partial memories of the deceased, as well as some of their characteristics. Eager to find a new purpose in life, she begins working with a detective to help solve murders with the help of her new abilities.
“iZombie” is absolutely hilarious as well as suspenseful and engaging with well-developed characters who bounce off each other so well it’s almost unbelievable they’re all made-up characters. “iZombie” is available on Netflix.
Movie
‘Wild Things’ (1998)
If you’re in the mood to be continuously surprised, “Wild Things” is the movie for you. Despite having an insane storyline, this movie is easy to follow and incredibly engaging for any audience.
The movie begins with Kelly Van Ryan, a high school student with an extremely wealthy and well-known mother accusing her guidance counselor, Sam Lombardo, of rape, which sparks a scandal in the small community. As Kelly’s mother essentially has the town under her control, Sam is left without many resources. But when a second victim comes forward, a detective begins to think there is more to the case than meets the eye.
With talented performances from Kevin Bacon, Matt Dillon, Neve Campbell, Denise Richards and Bill Murray, ‘Wild Things’ is sure to keep its audience on their toes throughout the entire movie.
