Welcome to your Sunday edition of Culture over Coffee. I missed last week’s issue because I was busy (pun not intended) spending time with one of my college BFFs. I just gotta say, please cherish any time you get to spend with your friends IRL! Especially if it’s a friendship that’s lasted over 15 years. That’s rare.
Anywho, back to the issue at hand - what you missed this week amidst external war (Iran, Middle East, sigh) and internal war (I’m hearing now Vermont needs our help against ICE). Hopefully you’ll find a few laughs, a few good videos to dissociate into a nostalgia dream for a moment, and general good vibes as we try to exist with *gestures broadly*.
Top 5 cultural moments of the week that you may have missed:
Alert!! Iconic millennial pop rock duo The Veronicas performed a 2026 version of their 2007 hit “Untouched” with live violins and it’s the only thing getting me through the week right now. Be warned, you will want to give your undivided attention to the video and the song will be stuck in your head forevermore.
This week in if-we-don’t-laugh-we’ll-cry news: Trump has apparently been gifting all the men who kiss his ass shoes that are too big for them. He literally bragged about it on something called “The Brian Kilmeade Show” on Friday: “When they tell me they have a problem, I say, ‘Let me get you a pair of shoes,'” Trump said during the interview. So far, we have confirmed sightings of VP JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio (I didn’t remember he was Secretary of State omg) wearing shoes that are clearly two sizes too big. Additionally, Fox News host Jesse Watters recently revealed on air that Trump bought him a shirt that was too big and he felt pressured to wear it. I will continue to stay on the clothes-too-big beat and report back on any breaking updates. For your entertainment, here are the pictures as proof:
This is just dumb and eye roll worthy, but this week Gen Z got mad at us again: Gen Z thinks millennials are weird for having a gap of space between the top of our heads and the top of the frame when we film videos. What’s funny to me is it’s clear that they never took a photography class growing up or never heard of the rule of thirds. Bring back the arts!
If you haven’t heard, the Oscars are tonight on ABC. I won’t be tuning into the 98th Academy Awards despite Ryan Coogler’s Sinners receiving a record breaking 16 nominations because I’m no longer in the business of watching deserving black people lose awards to their mediocre peers. Without even seeing many movies this past year, my prediction is Sinners won’t win best picture because the Academy loves to vote for people who look like them. Representation matters and not just for people of color. Gratuitous gif of Michael B. Jordan:
The official poster for the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary special was released. Mark your calendars for March 24th, when it premieres on Disney+ and Hulu. Hannah Montana actually premiered on March 24, 2006, exactly 20 years ago. Give me a moment… The special was recently filmed in front of a live studio audience and will feature an exclusive interview with Miley Cyrus, hosted by Call Her Daddy’s Alex Cooper. They will also walk through the sets, show archival footage, and I assume, Miley will perform at least one of her iconic songs. I’m less excited about it now knowing it’s a Call Her Daddy podcast episode, but of course I’ll be staying up to date on everything on socials.
Honorable mentions from the week:
Harry Styles’ new record Kiss All the Time, Disco Occasionally was finally released (I still haven’t listened after his Brits performance two weeks ago that’s still giving me the ick), Jack Harlow is apparently releasing a new album and says he “got blacker” on it (excuse me??), Timothée Chalamet is still getting dragged by e v e r y o n e, since his comments criticizing ballet went viral a few weeks ago (just this weekend Steven Spielberg, Nathan Lane, and Andrea Bocelli shamed him), Maya Rudolph was announced as the new Mary Todd Lincoln in critically acclaimed play Oh Mary! (it’s her Broadway debut!) and I already have tickets to see her for my birthday, and the Pussycat Dolls (well, three of the Pussycat Dolls) announced a tour.
Best Tiktoks of the Week:
If you haven’t met Planthony, owner of a gay plant store in Seattle, giving us the hehe-hahas to survive our present day horrors, please enjoy: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTh3XHyDb/
One dog/goat one (so cute!): https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8qw8kUg/
One cat one (so silly!): https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8qwRN6o/
Astrology/Energy for last week…
In NYC, vibes were high after a string of 70+ degree days, and then we got snow, and now Mercury Retrograde is ending, Meta is saying they’re going to lay of 20% of their employees, and we’re spending $1B a day on a war no one asked for and no one can explain. All of that to say, since the government can do whatever they want, and the future is so uncertain, now’s a great time to reclaim your whimsy and take on a hobby you’ve been putting off - anything to just have fun. Joy is an act of resistance after all.
…and the week ahead:
It’s still Mercury Retrograde…. but it’s ending March 20th! It’s been a rough one, but hang in there, we’re almost through! We also have a big clearing moment with the New Moon in Pisces on March 18th and have the Spring Equinox on March 20th ushering in rebirth/renewal/fresh energy. @alina.align on tiktok has a great explainer video about what’s going on!
What’s new on the blog this week:
The Busy Woman’s Guide to Understanding Why AI is Bad. Are you overwhelmed (and frankly, scared) by all of the AI news, but at this point you’re so confused about what is going on, why we should care amidst everything going on, and why it’s bad? Then I have the series for you. Check out the first part of what is shaping up to be a many part series to help you understand what is AI, why it is bad, who is benefiting, and what we can do about it.
part 1 up now!
Ta ta for now, I hope you enjoyed this issue of Culture over Coffee as much as I did writing it. I’ll leave you with the ultimate millennial throwback in honor of our government’s big shoe-epidemic:
Please don’t forget to subscribe for future issues of Culture over Coffee and feel free to forward along to your friends!! prettybusy is a new blog featuring this weekly cultural digest newsletter and deep dives into news, entertainment, tech, culture, and anything else that affects ambitious and overwhelmed millennials who enjoy being informed. Chat soon!
