The Comedy Specials, Country Songs, and Yassified Mugshots That Got Us Through the Week

If you’re in need of some catharsis in the form of beautiful vocals, commitment to the bit, and sensual rumination creating a divine hour of comedy, do I have a recommendation for you. John Early’s latest special on Max is an indulgent mix of music and comedy that, like all of Early’s work, made me laugh until I wept.

Early’s comedy does such a fluid and thorough job of uncovering and playing with the discrepancies of modern life as it’s discussed versus as it actually is. It never feels pedantic or caustic, but rather mischievous and thoughtful. There’s a joke about the syntax of Apple’s privacy policy that I’ve thought about every single day since attending the taping of the show last winter. Watching this hour is watching an hour of a genius at work!!!! —Kady Ruth Ashcraft

What does a nuclear pharmacist do? They compound all the radioactive doses for patients (duh), label kits for cardiac imaging (of course), and work with isotopes that have a very short half-life (obviously). I still don’t know what any of this means, but I have greatly enjoyed @thenuclearoption’s “Day in the life of a nuclear pharmacist living in San Francisco” series on TikTok.

She works the night shift (all those half-life isotopes) and takes us through her day—her skincare routines, snacks, walks with her adorable new puppy, and half-marathon training—starting with her 12:30 a.m. wake-up call. Her voice is soothing and, even though I have no idea what the fuck she is doing at her job, I feel more educated just watching someone working with radioactive material. —Lauren Tousignant

Kacey’s back!! The votive candles worked! And it’s a moody doozy of a return. With Zach Bryan, an Oklahoma veteran who’s giving us country music that has something to say, she dueted on “I Remember This,” which listens like thunder-boomers rolling over the desert and threatening to break right over your head. There’s some incredible, stark songwriting at work here in this ballad about love and desperation and alcohol. I’ll let you sink into it on your own time but will offer this line from the chorus as an example: “Strange words come on out of a grown man’s mouth when his mind’s broke.” The “Whiskey Lullaby” of our time? It might just be. —Sarah Rense

I know, I know. I already recommended Bottoms after I saw it at a screening in June. Now that it’s officially in theaters though, I must do so again. Emma Seligman’s sophomore film about two high school friends who form a fight club to get closer to their cheerleader crushes is just delightfully deranged at every turn. Months ago, I wrote that Bottoms is what Booksmart wanted to be if it hadn’t been so afraid of looking silly, and I stand by that. Thanks to its very sharp, sardonic writing and endearing ensemble, it somehow never feels so stupid that it shouldn’t be taken seriously. I’ve already seen it twice and will likely make it a third time this weekend. —Audra Heinrichs

Since Trump’s actual mugshot (and the underlying criminal charges) probably won’t change the dynamics of the GOP presidential primary at all, I am finding more solace in people making Trump look like an absolute idiot via filters and Photoshop. There’s yassified Trump with long hair and heavy makeup (plus another version based on a fake pic, in which he looks alarmingly like Melania), yassified Trump with short hair and heavy makeup, one of him with a precious little bob, and one where he has very long acrylic nails. This one is less ridiculous and more realistic, such that I expect this person actually works as a Newsmax anchor. Trump could still become the nominee and that’s not funny, but these edits have given me just a little bit of levity. —Susan Rinkunas

The queen who brought you “Pink Pony Club” released another single from The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess: “HOT TO GO,” which has the manic energy you get from needing a new crush to love you and also the sheer joy of a long night spent with friends. Roan’s entire look is over-the-top chaos. In the music video, she has a sequined marching band leotard, a cheerleading uniform, a green dress and a pink dress, two drag queens, a monster truck, and also multiple Springfield, Missouri, landmarks. Her grandparents even show up! While the song itself is about well-trod territory in pop music, the music video is what I’ve been missing from visual media. Plus, if you watch, you can learn the dance :) —Caitlin Cruz

I’m a huge fan of Olivia Rodrigo and continue to be a massive fan of her debut album Sour. But it wasn’t until after reading “Olivia Rodrigo, Pop’s Brightest New Hope, Just May Be a Rock Star” by Caryn Ganz in the New York Times that I realized that—apart from her Disney beginnings, drama with that Josh guy, and friendship with Iris Apatow—I really didn’t know anything about her.

The profile paints Rodrigo as a deeply thoughtful and strategic artist who seems to know exactly the type of career she wants to build. Her list of musical references is long, eclectic, and filled with riot grrrls and punk rock bands; she considers St. Vincent a mentor; the drama between her and Taylor Swift seems to be real; and she had bed bugs in her NYC apartment.

It’s a great read about someone I suspect will have a very long career—and it got me excited for her upcoming album, Guts (where she apparently “lets out cathartic screams,” and has plenty of “poignant” piano ballads and a “hilarious rap-rock banger”), even more so than her latest two singles, which I’ve had on repeat. —LT

This week I left my house for my commute without a sweater in hand and felt…cold. That’s when I checked a calendar and noted it’s the end of August, and fall is pretty much here. But, of course, instead of checking my calendar, I could have just walked into a Starbucks, where the seasonal autumn menu is back. In addition to the PSL, new menu items include the iced pumpkin cream chai tea latte, iced apple crisp oat milk shaken espresso, and a new baked apple croissant. If, like mine, your internal body clock is a bit slow and you’re having trouble processing the fact that summer is essentially over, perhaps some seasonal fall treats can help with that. —Kylie Cheung

On my last day working at this cranky (not derogatory) feminist website, might I recommend Jezebel Dot Com? Sure, color me self-indulgent or at the very least overly nostalgic. Both of these things are true! And yes, I’m also biased as hell. But over the last two years that I’ve been a staff writer here, this site has housed some transcendent works—from Kady Ruth Ashcraft on the Taylor Swift-ification of prestige television, Rich Juzwiak on Emma Cline’s The Guest (and all works of literary genius, really), and Susan Rinkunas’ beautiful essay on the abortion-reporter-to-chronically-unhorny-person pipeline, to Audra Heinrich’s searing portrait of an Ohio abortion provider’s legacy and Kylie Cheung’s ever-expanding NBA fanfic addiction. —Emily Leibert