Introduction: Minutes 0 to 3:45
I am recovering well from a hysterectomy. Chandra had a stomach virus last weekend which is why we didn’t publish on Sunday. You can listen below or on YouTube.
Oscar nominated movies we watched: Minutes 3:45 to 13:00
There are no spoilers in this section. We both loved Conclave as we discussed in the last episode. I want it to win best picture. I saw Emilia Perez before the controversies and I really liked it. We both saw Wicked. Chandra liked it more than I did. She loved Anora and wishes that Mikey Madison would have done a bigger Oscar campaign. We both hated The Substance and wonder why it’s getting so much buzz. We both saw A Real Pain and liked it. We wonder why Denzel Washington wasn’t nominated for his performance in Gladiator II. Chandra liked Maria and was hoping Angelina would be nominated. She saw A Complete Unknown and thought Timothee Chalamet was great in it. I highly recommend Day of The Jackal on Peacock and am watching Paradise on Hulu. We’re both watching the second season of Severance.
Royals: Minutes 13:00 to 21:30
In early January we got the announcement of Duchess Meghan’s new lifestyle show on Netflix called With Love, Meghan. She’s also back on Instagram. Her show was supposed to premiere on January 15th, but was delayed until March 4th due to the terrible wildfires in Los Angeles.
NGN settled with Prince Harry on the day the trial was supposed to start. If Harry hadn’t taken the settlement, it would have altered the case. This was a win for Harry since NGN admitted guilt. Harry’s security case is still in the courts.
The Invictus Games are going to be February 8th to the 16th in Vancouver. We hope Meghan is there most of the time, but we’ll see.
The Vanity Fair cover story on Harry and Meghan came out a couple of weeks ago. It’s very similar to the British narrative we’ve been hearing about their relationship for years now, and it’s insidious and despicable. Chandra wrote some good analysis about how the piece was meant to tear Harry down before he testified against NGN.
Princess Kate and Prince William have done so many events this week. Kate’s surprise visit to Royal Marsden hospital on January 14th was curiously timed.
Politics: Minutes 21:30 to 29:00
Following the horrific plane collision between a US Army helicopter and a commercial flight, Trump did a press conference and blamed DEI policies. Both the plane crash and the response by Trump were predicted by a University of Maryland political science professor. He tweeted on January 29, a day before, that there weren’t enough air traffic controllers and that Trumpers would blame a crash on DEI. Trump had recently fired the head of the FAA and put a hiring freeze on air traffic controllers.
Here’s a link to the Bluesky post that I mentioned about small acts of resistance. Here’s a link to the segment from Rachel Maddow where immigrants were undergoing training on how to respond to ICE.
We’re frustrated at people asking Democrats to do something. It will probably take some time before people realize that they were wrong to vote for Trump.
Comments of the Week: Minutes 29:00 to end
Chandra’s comment of the week is from SussexWatcher on the post about Prince William visiting a farm.
My comment of the week is from Rai on the post about Chappell Roan. I didn’t delete the comment I was responding to, it was just at the bottom and I missed it when we were recording.
Thanks for listening bitches!
Photos credit: Cover Images, Avalon.red and via Instagram and Netflix Press
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- The Princess of Wales, Patron of Ty Hafan Children’s Hospice, speaks to three-year-old Dani-Rae, during a visit to the hospice in Sully, near Cardiff, South Wales, which supports families in Wales to ensure that children with life-shortening conditions live fulfilling lives, are supported with the compassion and specialist care that they and their family need Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Cardiff, United Kingdom When: 30 Jan 2025 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Princess of Wales during a visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital, London, where she received her cancer treatment, to personally thank staff for her care. The Prince and Princess of Wales have become Joint Patrons of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, the specialist cancer hospital which treats over 59,000 NHS and private patients every year Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 14 Jan 2025 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Monaco, MONACO – Prince William, Prince of Wales attends the 7th day of the 2024/2025 Champions League between AS Monaco and Aston Villa at the Stade Louis II in Monaco. Pictured: Prince William BACKGRID USA 21 JANUARY 2025 BYLINE MUST READ: Best Image / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- The Prince of Wales being shown worm composting during a visit to Lower Blakemere Farm, a Duchy Focus Farm in Hereford, to learn more about how the multigenerational farm has refined regenerative farming practices and farm diversification as part of its journey to net zero. The 630-acre farm was established in the early 1980s as a specialist seed grower with a herd of South Devon cattle Featuring: William, Prince of Wales Where: Hereford, United Kingdom When: 28 Jan 2025 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Prince of Wales with local school children as they filter DNA samples through a syringe after extracting water from a local pond in order to see what species live in it, during a visit to 2024 Earthshot Prize finalist, NatureMetrics, in Guildford, Surrey, a UK based nature company which enables companies to measure and report on their impact on nature and ecosystems. Featuring: William, Prince of Wales Where: Guildford, United Kingdom When: 29 Jan 2025 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
It’s getting a lot of buzz because it’s a great movie!!
Exactly! The messaging about how women are viewed in the workplace and the length we will go to match that (in order to continue to be seen and stay successful, versus relying on our achievements and competencies because that doesn’t work for women) is extraordinary. I normally hate horror but I cannot stop thinking about this movie.
I too hated The Substance. I get the point of how women are seen but, without spoilers, Demi Moore’s character still wasn’t being seen, Margaret Qualley’s character’s ass was. Sometimes a plot or the production quality can overcome my dislike of a particular film genre. This did not.
LOVED the twists & turns of Conclave. Denzel was robbed and so was Natasha Lyonne. Think Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg both have strong chances in their respective categories for A Real Pain
Fiennes completely disappears into his roles. No matter how famous he is he became the character in Conclave, just like in all of his roles. It was a brilliant understated performance. I hope he wins.
He completely mastered the look of an exasperated man who wanted to scream “WTF NOW?!?!” into the void but knew he not only couldn’t do that but had to deal with whatever new & exasperating crisis had arisen.
I made it halfway through The Substance; couldn’t finish it, and I’m also on the camp that doesn’t understand the accolades for it, to me it seems like a campy movie belonging on the SyFy channel…On Gladiator II, I watched the first 15 minutes and could’nt go on, I think Paul Mescal was the wrong choice to lead that movie
I utterly loathed Emilia Perez on every level. Has the Academy lost track of what constitutes excellence in its nominees and categories?