What do Timothée Chalamet, Trisha Paytas, and your favorite niche TikToker have in common?
spoiler alert: they aren’t afraid to be seen trying
Like clockwork every January, my TikTok FYP floods with monologues, photo dumps, and montages all promising this: “If you just start posting now, you could be the next Alix Earle!” A flurry of micro-creators reiterate their dreams of sticking with it this year, embracing the cringe, and letting the people from your hometown mock. As the weeks go on, one or two become my new comfort creators, sticking to their guns and churning out content while the others slowly drop off. Regardless, there is something addicting about watching people live out the question we all come back to: “What would happen if I really went for it?”
This week at the SAG Awards, Kristen Bell took the stage singing a parody titled “Do You Want to Be an Actor?” (to the tune of "Do You Want to Build A Snowman?”) as images of the greats flashed behind her on the screen. Selena Gomez in Barney, Timothée Chalamet as “Patient in ICU,” Colin Farrell as “Unnamed Man” and many, many more. Later that night, our boy Timothée stole the show with a speech unapologetically outlining his desire to be great, which provoked a storm of internet discourse with the sentiment “Open mouths get fed.” This all comes on the heels of Trisha Paytas’ Broadway Debut (something that we have been dying to find a way to include in this intro for weeks!). The sold-out show she "manifested" after participating in an April Fool’s joke, has inspired a world of Gen-Zers (Rachel Zegler among them). Say what you want about the fraught history of Paytas' stardom, but there’s no doubt this gal has made a career out of being seen trying.
It seems for a few years (perhaps an overreaction to the girl boss era) it became uncouth to struggle in public. Achievements must be earned and recognized with the same quiet simplicity of a curated photo dump: an allusion to hard work but without a whiff of pride! Downplay, redirect, soft launch. The aesthetic of greatness without revealing that you wanted it. But maybe something is shifting. Like the transition from harrowing high school halls to college or post-grad years, as a culture we are rediscovering that the cringy parts of ourselves we hid to fit in are perhaps the best things about us. We are realizing that maybe trying is what felt the best all along.
Now, we’re not saying you need to chase fame or fortune or social media stardom. But, we can all benefit from being a little less ashamed. So it’s a yes to being seen trying in every extension of the phrase. Be seen trying to be a friend, be seen yearning for connection, be seen breaking your routine to sit in the sun and feel the grass beneath your feet. Apply to grad school, quit your job, and become a barista just because you think it might bring you joy! Dump that man, get back together with him three months later, then dump him again. Plan a dinner party that is entirely too elaborate to be logical, invite more people than could possibly fit in your apartment, let them flake on you, and do it again anyway. Whether you’re chasing fame and fortune or just a life worth flashing before your eyes, DO things, make mistakes, make people cringe, live loudly. Maybe we’ll see you on Broadway next.
Until then… here’s what else you need to know this week.
In Other News:
One caveat to the manifesto above… If you are a family vlogger leaving California so you can continue profiting off of your children, then it is in fact embarrassing to be seen trying and you should stop!
Alix Earle has abruptly left Alex Cooper’s Unwell network for some unknown reason… We’ll keep you posted on the beef between the two most iconic blonde, fake-tanned party girls the internet has seen since the reign of Paris Hilton.
Duolingo killed the owl… then brought them back. Tbh, we expected this one to be as iconic as the biblical resurrection and were kinda underwhelmed.
Our fav Ayo Edebiri is set to write (and maybe star in?) a live-action Barney. Which is frankly brilliant, because this is probably the only thing that could get us excited about a live-action Barney!
Love Is Blind is back and kinda boring! Also, why are there so many of them? Why are this many people willing to subject themselves to this? Do we all really hate Hinge that much?
SNL had their 50th anniversary special and it makes more sense to ask who wasn’t there instead of who was. Feeling incredibly left out from that after-party even though I have zero credentials or connections to even be considered.
Captain America: Brave New World (aka the 6346879th movie of the Marvel cinematic universe) comes out this weekend (despite the fact that Captain America is supposed to be dead).
Things We Hate Right Now:
Trying to see a concert being the modern-day equivalent of the Hunger Games!
We’re somehow already behind on our Goodreads yearly goal.
It’s getting very hard to romanticize our meals when strawberries are getting recalled and we still can’t find eggs.
The fact that there's somehow another Captain America movie coming out this weekend (STOP making Marvel movies!). Actually… Stop making prequels, sequels, and remakes in general! Bring back originality? Take away the MCU’s credit card!? Do not promote patriotism right now!
On Repeat
Brain Break!
For the girlies that still have TikTok on their phones:
For the girlies that don’t (RIP)
Quick Hits
Stop asking me about…where I’m buying cute but affordable yet high quality swimwear for summer. Girl I do not know.
Something living rent-free in our head… the photoshoot in the Ayo Edebiri W cover story.
Food for thought… should your partner really be your best friend?
Cheers,
the everygirlz
P.S. Want to ask us a question? Submit one here!
I love this I couldn't agree more!
I get the frustration with Hollywood’s reliance on sequels and franchises, but Brave New World is more than just another Captain America movie. It’s not about patriotism to the state—it’s about patriotism to the people. That’s a fundamental distinction, especially given that this is the first time a Black hero has taken up the mantle of Captain America and is positioned to lead the Avengers.
Sam Wilson’s journey isn’t about upholding the government; it’s about challenging it when necessary. The line from President Ross—"You are not Steve Rogers"—isn’t just about legacy, but about Sam rejecting blind loyalty to institutions in favor of serving the people. I'd argue it's actually a very timely story.
And while the MCU is often used as shorthand for Hollywood’s rinse-and-repeat cycle, it’s worth noting that in the last five years, it’s been one of the biggest forces pushing mainstream representation forward in blockbuster filmmaking. Shang-Chi brought a predominantly Asian cast and deep martial arts influences to the genre, Eternals gave us a diverse ensemble and the first openly gay superhero family with a non-military approach to conflict/powers, Ms. Marvel centered a Muslim teen superhero and brought the story of the Pakistani/Indian partition to a mainstream audience, Echo showcased Indigenous and deaf representation, and She-Hulk played with fourth-wall-breaking feminist satire in a way no other comic adaptation has.
Are sequels exhausting? Sure. But not all of them are just cash grabs—some are actively reshaping the genre.