I'm rewatching 'Girls'
(Re)introducing Friday Night Likes!
Hi friends! Happy Friday!
I’ve been meditating on ways to bring you some hot new content. And in doing so, I’d be remiss in not acknowledging that a lot of you have been here with me since 2021, before I ever uttered the word debt on the internet or anywhere else.
It’s in that spirit that I bring you the first “new” thing, which is actually not new at all. Friday Night Likes is a series with a very good name, born many years ago in 2013 during the time I worked for my friends Rachel and Moss. Yes, that Rachel, of current Debt Heads co-host fame.
In the new year, there might be other old-new things, like essays and ramblings. But here’s where we’re starting: Every Friday, I’ll share five good things from my week. They might be shows, podcasts, feelings, interactions, funny moments, funny videos, products (sometimes), or even pictures of dogs I see on the street. That sort of thing.
Why? Because, things are hard right now. We (I) sometimes need a reminder to find the joy in something as simple as Friday Night.
So, with that, I give you the first and also absolutely not the first installment of Friday Night Likes.
Girls - I’m not really sure why, but recently TikTok started sending me clips of the (now 11 years old) HBO series Girls. This came in tandem with my getting a nasty cold, so I was able to indulge my curiosity to rewatch (all six!) seasons. When the show first premiered in 2012, I was 23, living in the East Village, and trying to become a writer. As you might imagine, this show about a 23-year-old woman living in Brooklyn and trying to become a writer was… too close to home. I remember being wildly jealous of Lena Dunham at the time, and failed to avoid comparing myself to her character, which made the show hard to watch. Now, with 10 years of life (and therapy) behind me, I’m able to experience it in a totally different light. Now I can appreciate its commentary, satire, and (despite all its fair and unfair critiques) the truly excellent writing. It's healing to vicariously step back into a world from which I've mostly moved on. For me that means living on my own, developing my own voice, and identifying as more of a Ray than a Hannah.
Running - If you are my friend, you know that in 2018, I ran the New York City Marathon. I mention it at least once a year, and often on a weekly basis. But you also might have noticed that since that day, I haven't done a lot of running. Recently, I started, in very small doses, running again. It’s both harder and easier than I remember, but there really is something so satisfying about moving your body in that way, and that has inspired me to sign up for a half marathon in March. December is an amazing time to start running, as long as you have the right clothes, because winter is the only time in New York that you can't suffocate from the humidity. My advice: go even slower than you think you should, grab a friend and remember that the beautiful thing about running is that you can stop at any time.
This throw blanket from Costco - A very telling anecdote about me is that when I was a baby and slept at my nana’s house, she would put me down for naps on top of her fur coats. Now that seems… dangerous? But it caused me to develop a specific affinity for soft things. I just REALLY LOVE soft things. This $16.99 (!!) blanket from Costco has a similarly calming effect as the fur coats of my past naps. I’ve slept with it every night since I bought it. It’s so cozy and so soft.
Talking about Love Has Won - WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD. After guzzling down Escaping Twin Flames, the twisted cult documentary-duo on Netflix and Prime, I started hearing rumblings about another, different but equally buzzy doc: Love Has Won. I’m going to go ahead and let you know that if you’re expecting something like the twin flames doc you’re not getting it – it’s one of the most disturbing things I’ve ever watched. What I did enjoy was dissecting it this week with my friend Emily – namely our feelings that it came out much too recently for anyone involved to process what the fuck happened there (as proven by the many still active members featured) and one very specific family detail that feels like it’s being grossly glossed over (if you want to hear my opinions, let’s talk about it in the comments).
This TikTok of a little boy talking about his role in the Christmas nativity play.
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May we all be this excited about anything we’re tasked with, however small, during the holiday season and beyond.
OK, love you, have a good weekend!
XO
Jamie AF
PS. We’re just 18 paid subscribers away from our 100-by-New-Years-Eve goal! Subscriptions are also still 30% off. Join us, won’t you?
I simply love and adore you all the time! More so on Fridays 🫶🏻