Midweek Quick Hits 5/13/26

From Em

Watch: Brian and I saw The Devil Wears Prada 2 last friday and while I totally enjoyed it, we both left with the same criticism: The script and story missed the opportunity to skewer the media, fashion, diet culture, and anti-feminism that riddled first Devil Wears Prada. The first one is one of my favorite movies of all time. I’ve seen it no less than 50 times and will never not watch it when it’s on (I put it on in the background on most flights so I can work while hanging out with some ‘friends’). But rewatching the OG with my 10 year daughter was hard. The weight shaming and obsession with thinness is extreme and I can’t help myself but reach for the remote to pause and explain how messed up it is to her. Sadly she still lives in this world and allllll the good examples and explanations won’t shield her from this diet culture (that is back with a vengeance now, and I’m still both a victim and perpetrator of it). But I had really, really hoped that the second movie would have taken more aim at the outdated flaws of the first. Media in the 90’s and 2000’s was very much responsible for a lot of millennial women’s relationships with our bodies, our cellulite, our healthy soft tummies. So while we enjoyed the movie, I guess I was hoping for an apology in the form of some clever scripted moments. I also think they could have made some bigger statements about social media, celebrity, feminism. Perhaps I had too high of expectations. I did like the last line where Meryl’s character admitted to liking to work and not wanting her obsession to be written out of Annie’s potential memoir about her. While that isn’t my prerogative and my relationship with Brian and kids are my #1 priority, I appreciated that they corrected that perception (remember in the first how her boyfriend Aiden shamed her so much for caring about her job in fashion and prioritizing her career, which in my opinion in your 20’s is exactly what you are supposed to be doing if you want a big career). What we’ve learned since the infamous and misguided “Girl Boss” era is that ‘having it all’ isn’t possible, so having this movie recognize that felt oddly realistic and therefore empowering. There are sacrifices and realities of having huge career ambitions as women (and men), and I appreciate it when media recognizes that and even celebrates the bad-ass women who blazed trails, while also recognizing the fallout of their personal life.

Do: For my Portland folk (or those of you visiting Oregon soon). We had the best 36 hours in Hood River/White Salmon with the kids for mother’s day. We did the Mt. Hood rail bike which is SO FUN (whole family 10/10) with the most incredible views, enough action to feel active, but the kids loved that it felt like a go-cart ride since you can use the throttle to do electric assist. It’s splurgier than I want it to be but it’s 3 1/2 hours of fun (with a stop for wine and ice cream in the middle). I love being a tourist in my own state - it just makes me feel so grateful to live here. We stayed at The Society in Bingen which I wouldn’t say is a super family oriented hotel, but the kids loved the hydrotherapy spas (hot tub, cold plunge, sauna, repeat) and the town of White Salmon is adorable. I checked another big hike off our list (The Mosier Plateau) which was admittedly very uphill for our kids, but the view at the top was incredible and the wildflowers were magical. Anyway, a big shout out to Oregon in the spring. There is no perfect place to live and we have our complaints for sure, but the access to nature is truly top notch.

From Brian

Watch: If you’re looking for a sweet, calming, yet hilarious escape from the madness going on in the world right now, look no further than the Netflix series ‘This is a Gardening Show’. It stars everyone’s favorite huggable comedian Zac Galifianakis, who apparently is an avid gardiner in real life and thinks that growing our own food is the only way forward. Each episode is only 15 minutes, which is great for a little lunchtime zone-out to cleanse yourself of all the BS going on in your life. It follows Zac as he interviews horticultural experts and others to learn about different types of crops. It’s charming as hell, earnest and sweet, but maintains Zac’s wacky humor - kinda like a gardening-focused Mr. Rogers for adults (though it’s great for kids too). Plus, I learned something about growing apples in episode 1 that blew me away.

Play: My brother and I are 4 years apart, which means we weren’t always aligned in our interests growing up. I was still drawing with crayons while he was learning cursive. But the one game we both loved playing back then was Crossbows & Catapults. It was so cool— you’d build a fortress with cubes made to look like castle walls, then you’d take turns shooting little discs at each other’s castle using either a crossbow or a catapult until one castle would fall. We’d spend hours knocking down each other’s creations and our parents were thrilled we were knocking down each other. Well, he was the first person I texted when I learned that they re-released the game, which I bought for my family and am happy to report is still as fun as ever. Both my kids love it because the rules are so simple and the game is so tactile. Literally you just build and destroy. I mean, who doesn’t love that?

Read (with your kids): Whenever I see a Hollywood celebrity try to break into the world of fiction writing, I get very judgemental. I mean, how good could a TV star’s prose possibly be? They don’t know what goes into writing a novel. See? Judge Judy over here. But I was pleasantly surprised when my son and I read Neil Patrick Harris’ book for kids, The Magic Misfits. I don’t know if he used a ghost writer, but if he did, send me all their books. The writing is so fun and witty that both Charlie and I were swept up after page one. It’s about a ragtag group of kids, each with their own specific sleight of hand talent, taking on a villainous thief. The story is pretty cliche, but the writing and the characters are spectacular. Plus, there are little clues and easter eggs written into the margins that lead you to little surprises throughout the book. Thoroughly enjoyable work from a celebrity author (or his ghostwriter) who knows how to spin a magical tale.