This Is Why I Don't Leave The House (Because of Emma Chamberlain's AD Tour)
THE DILEMMA | Volume 9
WHAT I’M WATCHING
Architectural Digest’s Open Door series is a look into how the wealthy decide to spend their money on their homes. I’ve been a fan of the series for years because it proves my hypothesis that money cannot buy taste and also because I’m a nosey person and want to see what other people’s houses look like. This past week, they dropped Emma Chamberlain’s house tour and it was the object of the Internet’s fascination for a couple of days. She and her designers, Ashley Drost and Marie Trohman from Proem Studio, did an incredible job in translating Chamberlain’s personality into an interior.
Everyone is raving about her sage green kitchen, just like they did for Dakota Johnson’s kitchen, but people are not talking enough about her pool bathroom. The maudlin blue tile of the shower, the idea to bring the concrete slab from the pool into the room, the huge sink in the middle of the room — all these unique touches result in a impeccable indoor/outdoor bathroom that looks perfect for pool parties, which is clearly her aim for the space. Not to mention the beautiful, orange-ish wood that’s featured throughout the house really shines here and gives the bathroom a warmer atmosphere. I’m obsessed — any time a rich bitch includes an outdoor shower in their home, I automatically think of them as a genius.
Chamberlain’s house tour has become one of my new favorites of the series; it’s up there alongside Liv Tyler’s brownstone and Vanessa Carlton’s loft apartment. In a lot of these celebrity home tours, there’s a lot of excessive “stuff” featured that makes no sense for a home unless you’re super rich and don’t know what else to spend your money on (see: both of Cara Delevigne’s houses featured on AD). That’s why it’s refreshing to get a celebrity house tour like Chamberlain’s because, while you know she has the amount of money needed to make her house look rich, she’s also trying to make it into a home and not a weird art gallery museum that you can’t sit or sleep in.
WHAT I’M LISTENING TO
After waiting for 84 years, Paramore released the lead single off their new album, This Is Why, which will be coming out in February 2023. I’ve been a fan of Paramore for as long as I can remember, ever since my older sister started playing “Misery Business” on a loop in her bedroom for my entire family to hear against our wills. It’s a testament to their musicality that they have managed to keep such a loyal fan-base throughout the years. It feels like every time we get a new album from them, we also get an introduction to a new soundscape to explore.
Their lead single, also titled “This Is Why,” is that perfect introduction, as it lays down a funky pop-rock instrumental before Hayley Williams cuts through with her raw, tender vocals. The chanty chorus of “This is why I don’t leave the house,” is wildly fitting after the past few years that we have had, but I also think it alludes to a more personal meaning for Williams since she has had a tough time in the public eye following her divorce. I love the dreamy bridge that kind of slows down the rock instrumental and makes you feel like you’re floating in a free fall. It’s a great, triumphant song to return on after such a long hiatus and has a fun music video to accompany it. I’m excited to hear what the rest of the album will sound like when it releases next year.
WHAT I’M READING
In my pursuit of trying to break my addiction to my phone, I found this article from 2020/2021 by Barrett Swanson, an English professor at a university in Wisconsin, called “The Anxiety of Influencers.” It’s a really well-written and well-researched article about TikTok’s huge influence on brand engagement and on influencer culture. For the article, Swanson spent a few weeks at one of the content-creator houses that were big at the time, Clubhouse For the Boys, to observe how the influencers make content and to get an insight on how they view their relationship to their job and TikTok as a social media platform. Not to spoil anything, but it’s fucking bleak.
The influencers he interviews often go through mental gymnastics to justify their livelihood. There are moments where they are happy to have the opportunity to make content and they are content to ride the wave that got them to an expensive house in Beverly Hills, no matter how short the ride is. In juxtaposition, there are many more moments where they feel huge apprehension and anxiety for the uncertainty of their future when the platform they are dedicating their time and energy to is unstable (at the time of the article, Trump was threatening to ban TikTok, which would have put these influencers out of work.) Swanson points out that the reality of their jobs is posting three to five ten-second videos a day, which, if you’re doing the math at home, results in a work-day that’s less than a minute. However, the article emphasizes that the job for them is 24/7 due to the constant anxiety of trying to stay relevant and likable to an ever-changing audience. The influencers express that they are constantly thinking of ideas and strategies to engage brands or to get a “blue-check” or to increase views on their videos.
Swanson compares this anxiety that influencers feel with the anxiety that his college-students are facing in the current social climate. He references a study that shows that more than half of Americans would become influencers if they really thought they could, which puts a different pressure on young people who decide to pursue academics, a career path that is seemingly dying out. When young people see their peers making insane amounts of money by being influencers, what sense does it make to go through the rigorous work schedule that academia requires? Additionally, it appears more and more that college students are more concerned about how likely they are to enter the workforce in their chosen field when they graduate and less concerned about receiving a higher level of education. I felt that same pressure while I was in college — I burned myself out on several occasions through extracurriculars because I thought that would translate into getting a job as soon as I graduated.
I liked this article a lot because it gave a more empathetic angle on young influencers, but also tackled the issue that these influencers are exacerbating their own anxiety by participating in a culture that depends on likability. If nothing else, it’s done a good job of convincing me to stay off of TikTok for a little while longer.
WHAT I’M EATING
It’s officially the fall season so you know what that means: time for Trader Joe’s to release a million pumpkin-flavored products for the freaks to enjoy for a couple of months. I am not a big pumpkin-flavor fan and do not at all understand the hype around celebrating it every September-October-November, but if that’s what gets you going then who am I to judge?
there is one Trader Joe’s fall dish that is popular in my household. Shout out to my roommate for being obsessed with their Butternut Squash Mac N’ Cheese. I’ve eaten it a few times this week just because it’s an easy lunch-time meal and it is hitting the spot for me this year. If you know me, you know I am something of a squash-hater, but the squash is subtle and just adds more of a savory veggie flavor to the dish that is pleasing to me. Treat yourself to a little $3.49 macaroni and cheese this fall season.
WHAT I’M FEELING
Like I mentioned in last week’s newsletter, I saw Michelle Branch on Monday night at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. I had never been to that venue before, but it was extremely intimate and my friend and I secured a really good spot on the floor close to the stage, but it felt like any spot in the venue would have been perfect for viewing the show. Seeing her live was a good reminder of how much I love live music and how much I have missed it in the past few years. In high school, I went to a venue in DC called the 9:30 Club frequently because they always had the indie, Tumblr-approved bands that I liked at that time in my life. That venue is a lot like the Troubadour, small and intimate, and it’s truly shaped my relationship with music. There’s something about being in a crowd with people who love the same music as you, singing and dancing along, that is extremely unifying and euphoric.
My first concert was at the 9:30 Club and I saw (you guessed it) Ellie Goulding when she was touring her first album, Lights. I had just turned 14 and begged my mom for the tickets as a birthday gift. She took my sister and me to the show and it was one of the best nights of my teenage life. I’ve been to a lot of concerts in the decade since that first show and it’s always been something that I have used as an exciting marker for the year. In recent years, I have ventured away from artists who play smaller venues because a lot of the music I like now is in the mainstream and also because I can’t do standing room only shows anymore, but I’m trying to go back to my roots of listening to smaller artists.
The concert on Monday was such a singular experience because Michelle Branch played so much of her old hits that it felt like a very nostalgic night for me and 700 strangers to revel in. I have one more show planned for this year and I am currently trying to save money because a few artists that I am desperate to see are planning to tour next year. I prefer to drop big money on experiences like concert-going: a once in a lifetime experience and the memories that come with it are priceless.
MEME OF THE WEEK
I have been tormenting my loved ones with this meme that features Harry Styles face superimposed onto Lord Farquaad this week. Something about the way his head fits into the royal bob is so cursed and delightful at the same time. I did see Don’t Worry Darling this past week — yes, I have many opinions and thoughts and feelings about it, but ultimately will need a few years of therapy to unpack it all. Please respect my privacy at this time, thank you.
