OK… You are absolutely adorable. How can somebody be so funny and authentic and huggable at the same time? Thank you for the subscription and I can’t wait to hear about your adventures. And how the heck do you have time to read so many books?
Also- Still processing your comments about your mother. Having lost mine so young I’m fascinated by the relationship between grown women and their mothers later in life. Fascinating! Sending you ❤️
Julia, don't lament that your Substack Saturday is too long, rather I think it's not long enough. Your videos feel like catching up with an old friend, and there's always time for that, so unless there is some Substack rule about the length of a post, please take your time. We love to hear what you have to say!
I hope you don't have to deal with smoke while you're in Spokane, on top of everything else family and memorial service related.
I wonder what percentage of folks from the baby boom era and before, were raised in a manner that in today's world, they would have been put into foster care. I'd say around 20%. And, life today is so easy compared to 400 years ago. Human resilience is mind boggling.
As for 'Barbie', I think the original doll was fashioned after Vera Ellen, of 'White Christmas' fame. Every time I see 'White Christmas' I become more convinced. Thanks for another week of fun.
God I hated Lady Bird. I hated it so much I have to say, I hated Lady Bird every time it comes up. And I love my wife so much more because she hated Lady Bird, too, independently! What great taste she has... though I have to admit, I liked the first scene of Lady Bird and I think it would have made a great short. And THEN I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO HAVE GONE THROUGH THE REST OF MY LIFE HATING IT for the utter cliche meandering narcissistic professional class waste of time that it 100% was... But, I always love your posts, Julia S. THANK YOU! very sincerely, 000.1% of your worldwide Audience.
Wow! I find it hard to imagine how you could not like Lady Bird, but I'm glad you posted, it's always good to remember how vehemently we can disagree about art. Anyway, what about Little Women, did you see it?
I liked G.Gerwig's mumblecore stuff, mostly, and I liked the Sarandon-Ryder Little Women, so after the icky-ness of Lady Bird I was a little afraid to see what she'd done to Little Women to make it "newly" special, so I did not see it and don't plan on it. --- It's also left me with a fear/revulsion about seeing Saoirse Ronan in anything by accident now. SO, I always check. The red carpet stuff for Barbie hasn't seemed very promising either... I forwarded a little thing to you about that (--- Daily Freddo with Kasia , "Dua Lipa almost naked in front of kids", U-tube ) --- if you don't open it, well, I really didn't expect you to--- it just seems--- like everything surrounding it is fabulist in the way things generally are these days.... incoherent with a mixture of strip club seediness thrown in for atmosphere .--- Myself, I've been watching Teresa Russell, Bad Timing, and Karen Black, Drive, He Said & 5 Easy Pieces, films + The Zero Effect which is a good one with Bill Pullman from back in the 90s, and I'm reading In Praise of Older Women by Stephen Vizinczey, and Now We're Getting Somewhere --- poetry by Kim Addonizio. Her daughter Anya Cash is a tv star of sorts and I like her in You're The Worst, and The Boys. --- Anywho--- thanks for putting up with my knee jerk abhorrence and loathing. It's appreciated. --- I really did HATE Birdy. --- (I also hated Dunkirk, and my wife hated it, too--- well, we've been together for 40 years so--- I guess that's why, partly, we got married after the first 20... xo! I'm a fan.
What college does Birdy head off to at the end of the movie? NYu. $80,000 a year, 3,000 miles across the country, in the middle the US OF A's most expensive city. --- That's the cherry on top for hating it. --- WTF was actually at stake? Self esteem issues?
I started watching your weekly thoughts as we are only separated by a couple of degrees. My cousin is Rhonda Z. who of course is friends with Joel, who is related to you know who. I now make it a point to watch even if I don't think the subject matter will interest me. However, you seem to make everything interesting. I don't have a lot else to say other than my mother also died recently (like last week) at 100. We also looked back at old pictures including Rhonda at about aged 12. And no one did anything except stare into the camera.
I have nothing else. Thank you for reading this, if you do!
i loved your comments about your mom, i mean your mother haha... hope you talk more about that relationship. "thank you for the spanks" omg so poignant :( my distancing word was "ma." some might use that as a term of endearment but for me it was a way of avoiding saying "mom."
regarding your reading, it makes me so happy to see your actual hardcopy books! not kindle. i'm always in the middle of about 12 books & you've inspired me to try to limit it to SIX at any one time. finish one before starting another! so many books, so little time, but now you've made me add even *more* authors, like e jean carroll & chekhov, to the list, thanks a lot :)
girlfriends are the spice of life. there's something about our women friends.... i had lunch a couple of days ago with a girlfriend i've known for 54 years, since 5th grade when we both lived in europe not california, pre-a lot of life happening. definitely soul-nourishing.
NP here... sorry about your difficult mother-connection. I just wanted to put in a plug for palliative care & hospice as "treatment" options, with the focus on care not cure. It may not apply in your mom's case especially if she has a cancer that could in fact be cured. Just wanted to throw it out there because oncologists don't tend to list it among the options. Palliative care can happen simultaneous with other treatment or not, for any length of time; it's only hospice (which includes palliative care) that's explicitly for end-of-life.
Wow, stumbled on here following a thread, and LOVED you, Julia Sweeney. I'm older than you, 72, but had that same Saturday morning chorelist, then the all consuming afternoon movie. As a daughter of a difficult mother, and a mother who broke that cycle and have a daughter now myself, my heart goes out to you. One of my favorite movies is 'Stuart Saves His Family' and listening to you now, I realize how much you used your life to inform your art. And, I love who you are now. Have you read Claire Dededer's 'Monsters - A Fan's Dilemma'? It was developed from a Paris Review essay she wrote a few years ago that struck a deep chord for people, and it relates to your dilemma about movies, one I share.
This was really fun to watch, Julia, even with the child abuse you suffered. I call hitting a child "abusive behavior." Your mother didn't know better, poor thing. I blame the Bible for giving permission to parents to discipline in this manner. Glad you could look back with such a great sense of humor -- but that's our Julia! Always turning things around to see the ridiculousness side of things.
I’m just now writing in my Dad’s birthday card and it’s all I can do not to thank him for the spanks- sheesh . My mother was the queen of washing my mouth out with soap.
If she could only hear me now! Thanks Mom. (I do love a good swearfest. )
E. Jean is a national hero! I love that you all met up! xoxoxo
You and your siblings should've unionized, though I'm glad you granished the Church's wages.
Please record all future lunches with Kathy Griffin :) That sounds amazing.
There’s highlights on Kathy’s Instagram
OK… You are absolutely adorable. How can somebody be so funny and authentic and huggable at the same time? Thank you for the subscription and I can’t wait to hear about your adventures. And how the heck do you have time to read so many books?
Also- Still processing your comments about your mother. Having lost mine so young I’m fascinated by the relationship between grown women and their mothers later in life. Fascinating! Sending you ❤️
Lisa, I love you, too! How great to get to meet you. A thrill, truly.
xoxo
Julia, don't lament that your Substack Saturday is too long, rather I think it's not long enough. Your videos feel like catching up with an old friend, and there's always time for that, so unless there is some Substack rule about the length of a post, please take your time. We love to hear what you have to say!
I hope you don't have to deal with smoke while you're in Spokane, on top of everything else family and memorial service related.
I wonder what percentage of folks from the baby boom era and before, were raised in a manner that in today's world, they would have been put into foster care. I'd say around 20%. And, life today is so easy compared to 400 years ago. Human resilience is mind boggling.
As for 'Barbie', I think the original doll was fashioned after Vera Ellen, of 'White Christmas' fame. Every time I see 'White Christmas' I become more convinced. Thanks for another week of fun.
God I hated Lady Bird. I hated it so much I have to say, I hated Lady Bird every time it comes up. And I love my wife so much more because she hated Lady Bird, too, independently! What great taste she has... though I have to admit, I liked the first scene of Lady Bird and I think it would have made a great short. And THEN I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO HAVE GONE THROUGH THE REST OF MY LIFE HATING IT for the utter cliche meandering narcissistic professional class waste of time that it 100% was... But, I always love your posts, Julia S. THANK YOU! very sincerely, 000.1% of your worldwide Audience.
Wow! I find it hard to imagine how you could not like Lady Bird, but I'm glad you posted, it's always good to remember how vehemently we can disagree about art. Anyway, what about Little Women, did you see it?
I liked G.Gerwig's mumblecore stuff, mostly, and I liked the Sarandon-Ryder Little Women, so after the icky-ness of Lady Bird I was a little afraid to see what she'd done to Little Women to make it "newly" special, so I did not see it and don't plan on it. --- It's also left me with a fear/revulsion about seeing Saoirse Ronan in anything by accident now. SO, I always check. The red carpet stuff for Barbie hasn't seemed very promising either... I forwarded a little thing to you about that (--- Daily Freddo with Kasia , "Dua Lipa almost naked in front of kids", U-tube ) --- if you don't open it, well, I really didn't expect you to--- it just seems--- like everything surrounding it is fabulist in the way things generally are these days.... incoherent with a mixture of strip club seediness thrown in for atmosphere .--- Myself, I've been watching Teresa Russell, Bad Timing, and Karen Black, Drive, He Said & 5 Easy Pieces, films + The Zero Effect which is a good one with Bill Pullman from back in the 90s, and I'm reading In Praise of Older Women by Stephen Vizinczey, and Now We're Getting Somewhere --- poetry by Kim Addonizio. Her daughter Anya Cash is a tv star of sorts and I like her in You're The Worst, and The Boys. --- Anywho--- thanks for putting up with my knee jerk abhorrence and loathing. It's appreciated. --- I really did HATE Birdy. --- (I also hated Dunkirk, and my wife hated it, too--- well, we've been together for 40 years so--- I guess that's why, partly, we got married after the first 20... xo! I'm a fan.
What college does Birdy head off to at the end of the movie? NYu. $80,000 a year, 3,000 miles across the country, in the middle the US OF A's most expensive city. --- That's the cherry on top for hating it. --- WTF was actually at stake? Self esteem issues?
Enjoy! said The Others.
Hi Julia,
I started watching your weekly thoughts as we are only separated by a couple of degrees. My cousin is Rhonda Z. who of course is friends with Joel, who is related to you know who. I now make it a point to watch even if I don't think the subject matter will interest me. However, you seem to make everything interesting. I don't have a lot else to say other than my mother also died recently (like last week) at 100. We also looked back at old pictures including Rhonda at about aged 12. And no one did anything except stare into the camera.
I have nothing else. Thank you for reading this, if you do!
Cousin Lenny
Looking forward to a deep dive into Agnès Varda. Love her work.
i loved your comments about your mom, i mean your mother haha... hope you talk more about that relationship. "thank you for the spanks" omg so poignant :( my distancing word was "ma." some might use that as a term of endearment but for me it was a way of avoiding saying "mom."
regarding your reading, it makes me so happy to see your actual hardcopy books! not kindle. i'm always in the middle of about 12 books & you've inspired me to try to limit it to SIX at any one time. finish one before starting another! so many books, so little time, but now you've made me add even *more* authors, like e jean carroll & chekhov, to the list, thanks a lot :)
girlfriends are the spice of life. there's something about our women friends.... i had lunch a couple of days ago with a girlfriend i've known for 54 years, since 5th grade when we both lived in europe not california, pre-a lot of life happening. definitely soul-nourishing.
My evangelical mother received a cancer diagnosis a few weeks ago. Refusing any treatment and we can barely speak anymore. The beginning got me. 🤗 💔
NP here... sorry about your difficult mother-connection. I just wanted to put in a plug for palliative care & hospice as "treatment" options, with the focus on care not cure. It may not apply in your mom's case especially if she has a cancer that could in fact be cured. Just wanted to throw it out there because oncologists don't tend to list it among the options. Palliative care can happen simultaneous with other treatment or not, for any length of time; it's only hospice (which includes palliative care) that's explicitly for end-of-life.
I hope you have a chance to read Monsters-A Fan’s dilemma by Claire Dederer. I wish I could pull together a book group to read it.
I've ordered it! It should arrive this week. I have a feeling I'm going to inhale it when it arrives.
I told Christopher it gave me that ✨✨✨feeling that he describes when something resonates. I’ve been humming with it since its release in April.
Wow, stumbled on here following a thread, and LOVED you, Julia Sweeney. I'm older than you, 72, but had that same Saturday morning chorelist, then the all consuming afternoon movie. As a daughter of a difficult mother, and a mother who broke that cycle and have a daughter now myself, my heart goes out to you. One of my favorite movies is 'Stuart Saves His Family' and listening to you now, I realize how much you used your life to inform your art. And, I love who you are now. Have you read Claire Dededer's 'Monsters - A Fan's Dilemma'? It was developed from a Paris Review essay she wrote a few years ago that struck a deep chord for people, and it relates to your dilemma about movies, one I share.
This was really fun to watch, Julia, even with the child abuse you suffered. I call hitting a child "abusive behavior." Your mother didn't know better, poor thing. I blame the Bible for giving permission to parents to discipline in this manner. Glad you could look back with such a great sense of humor -- but that's our Julia! Always turning things around to see the ridiculousness side of things.
I’m just now writing in my Dad’s birthday card and it’s all I can do not to thank him for the spanks- sheesh . My mother was the queen of washing my mouth out with soap.
If she could only hear me now! Thanks Mom. (I do love a good swearfest. )
The national crime is not just that that Kathy Griffin doesn't have her own television shows is some of the c... that is available.