The Week In Recommendations 5.21.25

Doomscrolling on Bluesky, a tradwife murder mystery, and the Mormon wives who keep on giving.

This is the free edition of Rich Text, a newsletter about cultural obsessions from your Internet BFFs Emma and Claire. If you like what you see and hear, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Our latest subscriber podcast was about the terrifying emergence of the right-wing pronatalist movement. An episode about S2 of “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” is coming this week! Rich Text is a reader-supported project.

Over on Love To See It this week, we’re talking about “Farmer Wants A Wife” and some “Bachelor In Paradise” casting leaks!

Civic challenge of the week:

If you haven’t gotten involved locally yet, make this week your week to research upcoming primaries and elections in your state! If you have an opportunity to head to the polls soon, look into the candidates so you’re ready to make an informed choice. If you’re a New Yorker, remember to DREAM (Don’t Rank Eric or Andrew for Mayor)! And even if you don’t have an election in the coming months, it’s not too early to start looking into ways to get involved with supporting candidates you believe in.

(I’m personally directing my efforts towards Zohran Mamdani, Adrienne Adams and Brad Lander’s campaigns. -Emma)

Claire has been reading… 📖

Bluesky, where the doom and chaos are only growing! I’ve really been struggling with how to manage being informed and engaged in these interesting times. Despite my best intentions, I do end up flailing back and forth between two extremes: boiling my brain in bad news to such an extent that I become physically ill with anxiety around the clock, and eschewing Bluesky and news outlets for days at a time in order to focus on my specific work and domestic tasks, thus cultivating a pleasurable sense of accomplishment and well-being. Which feels worse, once I remember what’s going on.

The news at home is a firehose of individual catastrophes and shocking admissions that would dominate the news cycle for months in normal times. A New Jersey congresswoman has been charged with assault for an altercation instigated by Homeland Security officials at an ICE facility, where she and her colleagues were conducting an oversight visit. Kristi Noem thinks “habeas corpus” means the opposite of what it actually means. In Georgia, a braindead woman’s body is being kept on life support to incubate her pregnancy, without the consent of her family. Some Senate Democrats joined Republicans to advance a crypto bill that could help Trump profit from issuing his own stablecoins. Wait, did I mention that it turns out Trump’s big fancy plane, a gift from Qatar, was offered to him after he approached them to ask for it?

The news abroad is still worse. The genocide in Gaza has reached a horrific crescendo. Israel’s blockades have prevented aid from reaching Gazans, and thousands of children are facing imminent starvation. And Israeli leaders have been threatening to seize and annex most of Gaza, forcing its people into a small region in the South. American support for this cruelty is yet another stain that will never come out.

And, in a small eerie story I’ve been following this week, the Chicago Sun-Times and Philadelphia Inquirer both published a summer insert that, it turns out, was written entirely by a chatbot. The clue? A list of summer book recommendations consisting mostly of imaginary books by real authors. Even our arts and culture news, in these times, is just a series of demoralizing dispatches from a world in which humanity doesn’t matter anymore.

Newspapers Are Recommending AI-Hallucinated Novels

Emma has been reading… 📖

Mostly, a lot of very, very, very, very depressing news coverage, both domestic and international! (Claire did an excellent job of outlining much of it above.) It’s been particularly brutal watching many Democrats flail about and capitulate to the administration’s desires. (Looking at you, Sen. Gillibrand!) That’s why I was gripped by Charlotte Alter’s recent TIME cover story, “Inside The Democrats’ Reboot,” about a political party in shambles and at a crucial crossroads. I can’t say that I was left feeling particularly optimistic about the Democratic establishment (lol that’s an understatement), but I was heartened to read that there are Dems who understand that we need a seismic, generational shift in leadership. As Run For Something co-founder Amanda Litman said to Alter: “People who haven’t been politicians for 30 years can go into a nonpolitical space and be a real person.”

I also started Jo Piazza’s tradwife influencer murder mystery novel, “Everyone Is Lying To You,” and I am hooked. EILTY follows magazine writer Lizzie, who’s former college bestie Bex has rebranded as Rebecca, a major trad influencer with strong shades of Ballerina Farm. After 15 years of estrangement, Rebecca and Lizzie are brought back together for a professional opportunity, and shortly thereafter, Rebecca is missing and her husband has been murdered. The momfluencer / tradwife space is one that Piazza has spent years talking about, writing about and researching, which makes it perfect, fertile (pun intended) ground for her fiction. I can’t wait to see where the twisty novel goes.

Claire has been watching… 📺

The motherlode of reality TV that has blessed us recently! I’ve been luxuriating in every moment of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” from the opening choral notes of “Secret Temptation” to the final jaw-dropping cliffhanger. Every storyline – Demi’s heel turn, the ostracization of Jen, the return of Whitney AND the arrival of Miranda, Taylor’s mom’s new face, and the always-precarious outlook of Momtok as a whole – held me spellbound. (Except for Taylor and Dakota’s excruciatingly slow-mo breakup; I just wanted him off my screen.)

I’ve also been watching screeners of Chloe Veitch’s new reality dating show “Sneaky Links: Dating After Dark,” a new Netflix series in which hot singles come to a luxury motel to find love – only to realize that one of their situationships or past flings will also be there. They are then challenged to explore those past hookups, as well as new connections, and see if they can form real relationships. It’s a messy concept – sort of a cross between “Ex on the Beach” and “FBoy Island” or “Too Hot to Handle” – though the first few episodes have been far less messy in practice than the premise would suggest. Reality vet Chloe is mostly there to vamp cheekily, while a relationship expert named Spicy Mari joins her to coach the cast into deepening their connections.

Emma has been watching… 📺

Obviously I have also been deep into “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” season 2. (GIVE A GOD DAMN EMMY TO WHOEVER PRODUCED THAT NEW SOAKING WET INTRO!!!!) If it wasn’t already clear during season 1, season 2 solidified that Taylor Frankie Paul has *it* — that ineffable star quality that makes someone absolutely impossible to tear your eyes away from on reality TV.

I also just got the screeners for Lena Dunham’s forthcoming Netflix rom-com series, “Too Much,” which comes out in July. The show, based very loosely on Dunham’s own life, follows 30-something Jessica (Meg Stalter), who moves to London from New York for work following a devastating breakup and meets grunge musician Felix (Will Sharpe). (The cast is absolutely stacked — Michael Zegen as Jessica’s ex, Rita Wilson as Jessica’s mom, Rhea Perlman as Jessica’s grandma, and Dunham herself as Jessica’s sister, just to name a few.) I’ve only just started the pilot episode, but I can already tell that I’m going to love this show. As a longtime fan of Dunham’s writing, I’m so excited to see her return to the small screen.

Claire has been listening to… 🎧

My usual pod rotation of On the Media, Slate’s Political Gabfest (in hopes of one day catching it when David Plotz admits he has egg on his face for insisting, up until shockingly recently, that Elon Musk was a genius who could save the world), Know Your Enemy, and 5-4 have been holding me down this week. I’ve also begun listening to Strict Scrutiny from time to time, for even more legal snark, as the judicial system and its failures are taking up more and more real estate in my mind. But also, a special shoutout to Bachelor in Retrospect, which is currently covering Andrew Firestone’s season. I think my favorite episodes are actually about these seasons I’ve never watched myself – something about getting to experience it for the first time through Carrie’s recaps is even better than the real thing.

Emma has been listening to… 🎧

The SLOMW cast members doing the podcast rounds! I was especially gripped by Demi and Bret, and Jessi and Mikayla’s dueling appearances on The Viall Files. Demi goes hard on Taylor and Jessi during her interview, and Jessi goes hard right back at Demi during hers. You’ve really gotta hand it to these ladies (and their husbands) — they know how to bring it with their off-season content. Even at their most media-trained, they are not afraid to give specific tea, make their very strong perspectives clear, and tease enough about future seasons that we’re desperate for more. These current and former Mormon wives truly have me in a chokehold!!!!

Claire has been buying… 🛍️

Adjustable hand weights, since I’m trying to get back into intentional exercise. In the past, I have lacked the discipline and desire to stick with an at-home workout routine because I loathe physical discomfort. But here I am, 36 and fed up with being endlessly exhausted and so weak all over that I can injure myself by sneezing or crossing my legs wrong. I got back on the apps (the fitness apps). I hauled my yoga mat out from under a pile of baby gear. And I realized that I had donated my hand weights several years ago. So I bought this set, and I actually love them — they’re easy to adjust, feel better to hold than the cans of beans I used before they arrived, and don’t take up as much space as three sets of dumbbells. Also: my entire body hurts.

Please enjoy my toddler’s doggy and the laundry in the background — this is the cleanest our room has been in months.

But I’m me, and I will always be less excited by exercise equipment than a pretty outfit, so here is the other purchase making me happy this week: the Gap x Dôen eyelet blouse in indigo. It’s so soft and wearable, and the eyelet details are lovely. Lots of this collab has sold out, but the returns have been filtering back online, so you never know what you might be able to snag. I like this worn over my giant linen pants for a full-silhouette look, but I think it will also be cute tucked into jeans or paired with shorts.

Emma has been buying… 🛍️

As you all know, I’m always searching for the best of the best when it comes to my basics, like a white tee. I’ve found a few standouts — the COS clean cut regular shirt, the Bombas Pima Crewneck, the Frame Le Mid Rise V-neck. And now that I’ve had a weeks to try it out and wear it with a few different outfits, I have a new entry into the canon: Ripley Rader’s White Ponte Knit Short Sleeve Top Extended. This shirt is a bit of a dressier t-shirt option than my previous recommendations. The material feels substantial and keeps its shape, the arm holes are cut high for mobility, and I absolutely love the neckline which falls somewhere between a crewneck and a boatneck. It’s great with jeans/shorts for a casual look, but can also be paired with a skirt for a more upscale feel. It’s on the pricey side for a tee, but the amount of wear I’m getting out of it feels worthwhile.

I also continue to be obsessed with my CurrentBody LED Red Light Mask, to the point where the brand offered to send me the neck and décolletage mask that can be used with it. I will report back. (And reminder that if you wanna get in on the red light fun, you can use EMMAGRAY for 10% off.)

Claire has been making… 🧶

Not much, lately! Although I did finally re-attempt the hummus pasta that I fatefully shattered a Pyrex cup into the other week, and I think it was good? Hard to say, because I was having dinner alone with two kids who were taking turns sobbing and making giant messes. My toddler ate several bites and deemed it “yummy,” while my preschooler spat his bite across the room to prove to me that it was gross. (Buddy, no one asked.)

Greg has been working late a lot, and giving our two (now very very mobile) kids some attention and energetic playtime after school is hard to combine with making an intriguing new recipe. So mostly I’ve been turning to the absolute basics, like baked chicken thighs quickly marinaded in oil, salt, pepper, Italian herbs, garlic, and lemon juice, served with boxed rice pilaf and steamed broccoli (which the kids actually prefer to oven-charred). We air-fry dino nuggets, serve leftovers three nights in a row, and, thanks to the weather, impulsively decide to eat outside at our neighborhood spot more often than we should. I think of this as late-spring madness, and tell myself I’ll become more responsible once I acclimate to 70-degree weather.

Emma has been making… 🧶

The trip down to MD to celebrate my younger brother’s graduation from his social work master’s program! Even though it was a bit of a quick trip, it was so lovely to see my family and celebrate my not-so-little brother’s big accomplishments! The graduation ceremony was really wonderful, and all of the speakers emphasized how necessary the labor of social workers is, especially now, in our current descent into authoritarianism. Many of the graduates walked across the stage holding Palestinian flags, calling on folks to speak out about the annihilation and mass starvation of Gaza. Given what we’ve seen from institutions of higher learning like NYU, I was glad to see UMD’s School of Social Work respect the rights to free speech of its graduates.

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