Rainbow Rowell

–Kim Kardashian covers Vogue Arabia, in which she pushes back on the criticism she’s received for pursuing a law degree.  (“There is a misconception that I don’t actually have to study and that I’ve bought my way into getting a law degree – that’s absolutely not true. Being underestimated and over-delivering is my vibe.”)

-If you missed last night’s VMAs, here’s a red carpet recap. And the performance you have to check out is Normani’s Motivation. Twitter LIT UP when she was on. She’s gonna be huge.

-I love that Missy Elliott brought out Alyson Stoner (the little girl from the “Work It” video) to recreate her dance routine last night.

–January Jones commenting about fellow Mad Men alum Alison Brie’s boobs at the VMAs is a good time.

–Justin Theroux went wakeboarding with his The Leftovers costar Ann Dowd and I’m living for it.

-A Bachelor in Paradise contestant didn’t get the memo that the food at their date was just a prop for show only. He still attempted to choke it down, despite his companion’s repeated warnings. “When we get back to the beach and I tell everyone you ate the date food, they’re gonna give you shit. You’re not supposed to eat the date food! I’m trying to help you.”

–Kanye West and Kim Kardashian ate at a Cheesecake Factory two nights in a row and I’ve never related to them more.

-SNL has lost Leslie Jones, which sucks.

-Everyone was making fun of this headline about Eva Longoria directing a Flamin’ Hot Cheetos movie, but the film is actually the story of Richard Montañez, a janitor working for Frito Lay who revitalized the company by inventing the new flavour.

-The owner of Taylor Swift‘s real-life “Cornelia Street” apartment had no idea who she was when he rented it to her. “She walked in, and I’ll never forget this — she said, ‘Oooh, it’s so crafty.’ And in Taylor-speak, that means ‘I like everything.’ She asked if she could rent not just the house but my style as well. So towels and dishes and glassware and furniture and just kind of ‘Take your clothes and go.’ So I did. She was an absolute delight to deal with.”

-In his new Netflix special, Dave Chappelle calls Michael Jackson rape accusers liars, defends Louis C.K. and Kevin Hart, and ridicules trans people. Gross.

–Francis Capra (who plays Weevil on Veronica Mars) retweeted this sexist shit and I just can’t.

-On the other end of the spectrum we have Harry Styles, who embraces his female fandom instead of ridiculing it. He says in his new Rolling Stone cover story: “They’re the most honest — especially if you’re talking about teenage girls, but older as well. They have that bullsh-t detector. You want honest people as your audience. We’re so past that dumb outdated narrative of ‘Oh, these people are girls, so they don’t know what they’re talking about.’ They’re the ones who know what they’re talking about. They’re the people who listen obsessively. They f-cking own this sh-t. They’re running it.”

-This fall books preview reminded me that Rainbow Rowell has a sequel to Carry On coming out next month and I cannot wait!

-I am very interested in the new Briarpatch series, mostly because it stars Rosario Dawson and was created by one of my favourite TV critics. The trailer has me hopeful.

-Speaking of shows produced by Sam Esmail, here’s the trailer for Mr Robot’s final season.

-The new trailer for Dickinson, the upcoming Apple+ show in which Hailee Steinfeld plays poet Emily Dickinson, is very confusing. Is she…twerking??

–Timothée Chalamet is a reluctant ruler in the trailer for period piece The King, accompanied by Robert Pattinson in an equally regrettable wig.