It’s getting darker in Seattle. The real rain started today, the kind that soaks through Patagonia jackets (did you know we call them Patagucci here in Seattle? Rich Nerd Energy!), the kind that soaks through the hoodies that often pass as rain gear. It feels inappropriate (and entirely unfunny!) to talk about weather right now, what with it being a hundred degrees in California, what with the hurricane horror stories being passed around group chats and slack. And the election, and the middle east. Also, my mother is quite ill. And I have a painful zit inside my nose. It is getting darker, no?
The good news is I don’t feel alone: my few friends that are “doing okay” are actually manic and buzzy, and my friends that are depressed are so tired of being depressed they’ve doubled down and are now depressed about being depressed (we’ve all been there; I get it). And I really do mean this is good news, as there is nothing lonelier than being the only depressed person and nothing funnier than shared despair.
And things are funny right now! We are all despairing and therefore the culture is POPPING. We might be a dying country, but we are living in the golden age of memes (have you seen the JD Vance face photoshopping?). Some people say '“it could be the end of democracy.” I say, don’t go democrazy, at least we have a new season of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City! (This week’s episode is comedy gold). Just today, Ben Affleck Just-for-Men’ed his beard! Comedy is alive and well!
Just in case you too are feeling despair and need recommendations, here is the culture making me laugh as the darkness creeps ever closer: Nobody Wants This (HOT) , Love is Blind (DUMB), RHOSLC (GENIUS),
‘s Substack (HILARIOUS), Las Culturistas podcast (COMPANY).Company is the secret, yes? The feeling of being kept company in the darkness? Not to be funny about it, but that’s the best feeling of all. It’s why I sat down to write to you, as the rain came down. I wanted to say hi, look at this dumb thing, it made me laugh. I’m here writing, and you’re there reading, and that feels like the opposite of darkness.
THIS MADE ME LAUGH/MAKE A WHALE FACE
How did they get this picture of me waiting in line at the doctors office behind a very crabby person?
This is me when I pull on my wool sweater for the first time this fall.
This is me buying candy Gummy Nerds to hand out on Halloween eat for the next 4 weeks.
This is me looking at pictures of Moo Deng AND this is how I feel about Bowen Yang.
This is me pressing send on this message to you, grateful for a few minutes of laughter together.
xx
Kathleen
PS What culture is keeping you company as the darkness descends? Please share.
Nate Bargatze on SNL as George Washington! Haven’t laughed this hard in a minute!
Tea. So many cups of tea.