The Five-Star Weekend would not usually be my idea of a good time unless I had a concussion, but a day of very terrible allergies spurred on by the apocalyptic Sahara Dust comes close to the ideal conditions. I was also interested in Chloë Sevigny having taken a role in this Nantucket-based adaptation of an Erin Hilderbrand novel, and she didn’t disappoint in giving too-cool-but-sensitive townie. There was a lot left to desire in the show, and—as Vulture critic Roxana Hadidi points out—the novel apparently has a lot of class-based character development that here is played out as mean-girl interpersonal tension.
What was interesting to me is that the Jennifer Garner main character is a famous food blogger, and no one respects her work (the one side character recognizing the beauty of a wooden-bowl stand mixer notwithstanding). No one understands that she’s sunk into the adoration of her fans to a dangerous degree because they appreciate what she does while everyone who supposedly loves her in real life exchanges worried glances as she cuts the galette after her husband has died in a car accident (barely a spoiler, but if so, sorry; the actual spoiler is much juicier!).
I want to watch a show or read a book where these dichotomies between digital fans and real-life friends are teased out, and I want to know more about why it was presented as normal that her over-the-top menus and cooking were regarded as worrying while she grieved.
After a major dust-up, she wants the pizza party to go on while everyone wants her to deal with her emotions. Being the person I am, I wanted to shout, Making the pizza is how she’s dealing with her emotions. Is it a valid way of doing so? Is it weird to have to cook through things before we can talk about them? That’s for the therapists to figure out! I’ll be dealing with my emotions by frying arancini on a random Monday afternoon, so I’m not the one to make the call. (If you can relate to this, though, may I suggest the book On Eating by, uh, someone.)
The rest of the month’s recommended reading, watching, and listening after the jump.
Summer Essay Workshops in August: reported (TUESDAY) and cultural criticism. These will be presentations followed by discussions. Each has three essays to read—no food included, a mix of old and new. Choose day or evening sessions. We’re really having fun in these talking about our questions, concerns, and processes for approaching essay.
The Food Essay returns in the fall. You can also get my workshop downloads.
A random photo I took for obvious reasons.
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