Burn, baby, burn

This week, it was suspected that actor Channing Tatum was running a burner account on Instagram under the handle @bidness_nonya. Though the speculation was quickly shut down, users initially suspected the account of being Tatum's burner as it was leaving comments trolling his ex-fiancee Zoe Kravitz, and the only person that followed the account was dot dot dot Channing Tatum.

In addition the trolling there was some (apparent) self praise:

(Side note: this reminds me of when former Bachelorette contestant Madison Prewitt actually did have a burner account and referred to herself as "genuine and real")

This was immediately funny to me, as it seemed to match Tatum's persona, as revealed by the Sony email hack in 2019 AKA his best work:

Even though the account was proven to not be a burner, it speaks to a larger phenomenon. On the surface, it seems that we have more access to celebrities than ever. Thanks to social media, for better or for worse, celebrities can now speak directly to us.

Here's the thing - it turns out most of them don't actually want to talk to us. At least on their verified channels. In a world of TMZs, blind items, and internet sleuths submitting to accounts like Deuxmoi, celebrities don't want to over or unnecessarily expose themselves via social media. The result? Finstas, private accounts, and burners. (NBA star Kevin Durant is NOTORIOUS for using burner accounts to respond to his trolls on Twitter. Tbh, I think it's very funny and it makes me like him more.)

While it's understandable that celebrities seek privacy, even in their digital lives, I can't help but question how it's affecting the celebrity ecosystem overall, and Hollywood at large. One of the ongoing conversations centers around the fact that there are no more or young movie stars. Actors like Tom Cruise, George Clooney, and Will Smith seem to be a dying breed. Why is this?

There doesn't seem to be a lack of talent, plenty of young actors seem to have what it takes. Many are blaming social media. The ability for talent to choose to speak directly to the public and let people into their lives leaves little room for intrigue. Why go see someone in a movie if you can just seem them on Instagram or TikTok? Not only has social media changed the way celebrities interact with us, it's changed traditional media as well.

Although the box office has yet to return to pre-Covid numbers, it's not for lack of trying. Many stars still go on late night or daytime shows for interviews when they're promoting something, but they are also now expected to play two truths and a lie, make pizza, and eat chicken wings for videos and clips manufactured to go viral on YouTube and other platforms. (Don't even get me started on the podcast circuit.) If press campaigns of the past seemed tiring, the ones today seem downright exhausting. Not to mention, consumers today are far more savvy and can recognize these "viral" videos for exactly what they are.

This leaves us in a weird place where celebrities are equally likely to be criticized for being too open as they are for not being open or authentic enough. There are probably other factors that are contributing to the lack of young movie star problem, for example a virtually nonexistent monoculture, but the rise of social media is definitely a leading one. How this problem gets solved, I don't know. Maybe we should just burn it all down and start over.

What Else Is New?

The New York Times released their list of the 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century. Earlier this week I posted my top 10 on Instagram, but have since made one tweak. Here's my final list:

My honorable mentions are Succession, I May Destroy You, Atlanta, Schitt's Creek, Parks and Recreation, Insecure, The Great British Bake Off, and Gilmore Girls. Yes, there are a quite a few. It was extremely hard to narrow down to only 10, so deep cuts had to be made. If you feel there are some top shows missing, there are actually a handful I haven't watched yet, like Mad Men, Breaking Bad (I've watched season 1 and need to finish), and The Walking Dead (I watched the pilot but couldn't do all that gore).

Make sure to drop a comment and let me know what's on your list!

Speaking of Bake Off, there were a handful of shows that I somehow left off of my fall TV preview last week. Many apologies, there's just so much TV! To be clear, this is an amazing problem to have. A few already have a couple episodes out, but here are some additional shows I have been and will be watching this fall (in chronological order):

September 15th
Agatha Christie's Tommy & Tuppence (BritBox) - NEW
Earlier this year I somehow got into the rendition of this series that ran in the '80s, so I was really excited when a new version was announced. This latest iteration stars Antonia Thomas (Misfits, Lovesick), Josh Dylan (The Buccaneers), and Imelda Staunton (AKA Professor Umbridge).

September 16th
Slow Horses, Series 6 (Apple TV)
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, Season 7 (Bravo, next day Peacock)

September 25th
The Great British Bake Off, Series 17 (Netflix)

October 14th
Love Is Blind, Season 11 (Netflix)
This season takes place in Boston. Make sure to grab your Dunkin' before you binge!

October 22nd
Nobody Wants This, Season 3 (Netflix)
Was season 2 bad? Well, yes. I'm still gonna watch.

Hopefully that wraps up everything. I'll probably give another update on what's coming out in November and December. Until next time, I hope you have a lovely weekend and are able to enjoy some fall weather!