A few weeks ago we asked for your current “I shouldn’t but I do” habit, and almost half of you admit to adding something to your cart to feel something. This week’s poll is inspired by the 🫖 at a recent show.

If you’re in the mood to add something to your cart today, maybe try tickets to our next live show? We will be back at The Bohemian Wine Bar on 9/4.

Skylar: Did anyone else see the full-blown foodie social media soap opera unfold on their feed this week? A TikTok food blogger in San Francisco went to a restaurant, and was brutally humiliated by the owner, who believed the host never should’ve let her do a collab in the first place. She went to her 15k followers, tearfully shared how poorly she was treated (which, to be fair, she was), and the post exploded. The internet turned on the restaurant overnight. We’re talking bad reviews rolling in, the owner stepping back, and the restaurant eventually shut down.

The food blogger? She’s sitting at half a million followers now.

It’s a textbook case of be kind, it costs you nothing. I mean, the girl was already there, eager to create and collab. The owner chose ego over grace, and the universe delivered a karmic check. But… I’d be lying if I said a small part of me isn’t unsettled by the power dynamics. A single TikTok can now launch someone into influencer stardom, shut down a restaurant, and rewrite everyone’s storyline — all without much space for nuance.

And while creating content is hard (truly), it’s also easier than ever to pick up a camera and call yourself a food reviewer. This wasn’t just any restaurant — the owner was a two-time James Beard-nominated chef. And if you’ve watched The Bear, you know those restaurant personalities aren’t exactly “words of affirmation” types. High-stakes kitchens are brutal. Years of training, critics, thin margins, and constant pressure. It’s not an easy life.

I’m not defending what the guy said, and maybe the food was mid and the place was circling the drain anyway. But zooming out? I don’t know that I love what this whole thing says about where we’re headed and what/how we choose to reward.

👖 Hailey Bieber just stepped out in black capri pants straight out of 1999 — honestly, she might’ve stolen them from Jessica Biel’s closet. I’ve repressed every memory of ever owning these, since I now associate them with a bob-cut Karen buying a “Life Is Better at the Lake” pillow and sipping buttery chardonnay. I also spent years calling them petal pushers not pedal pushers, so I’m not super eager to relieve this preteen trauma.

Carol: Fake fall has me savoring the final few weeks of Savvy B season. This crisp bitch is the only thing that gets me through the hellscape that is summer. She’s truly the only thing I miss when the leaves turn. To honor the end of the season, I’m looking for recommendations for the best Savvy B. If you have a favorite, please let me know.

🎀 School is back in session and so is RushTok. Work weeks are back, and as a former sorority girl, I’m locked in. Lots of schools are flaunting a 2016 theme, but if you actually lived those trends, you know these throwbacks feel more like a confused trip back to 2009. Millennials watching from the sidelines have been quick to call out the timeline mix-up. The “2016 girlies” clutch their bandage dresses, chokers, and aviators, horrified anyone would confuse them with the “2009 girlies” rocking chevron prints, bubble necklaces, and “Keep Calm and Carry On” mugs. I lived both, but 2009 was my rush year.

The fascination with rush week has become almost entirely material, focused on OOTDs, bracelet stacks, and the staggering money poured into rush wardrobes. But here’s what deserves real attention: sorority girls are still executing at the highest level. Completing crisp choreography, casually tossing stunts, and executing themes to outfits and logistics. They’re running intricate operations worthy of any campaign strategist.

If you were a sorority girl, you know that raw, grinding feeling deep in your gut that came with rush week: exhaustion and relentless (cough…exec…cough) determination, No room for weakness. Most SEC schools were “lucky” enough to have rush before classes started. Those of us at smaller campuses juggled moving in, first-day classes, and rush all at once. We sprinted across campus in nude pumps and matching comfort colors tees, attempted to pay attention to syllabus day, crafted intricate name tags with X-Acto knives, and chatted up PNMs (Potential New Members) like seasoned politicians.

The days were long and brutal. I’ll never forget being up at 2AM my senior year, finalizing votes for our new pledge class while sisters argued over bids, knowing full well I had to be at the hospital at 5AM for my nursing preceptorship.

What I’m saying is this: if you want something done, find a sorority girl. We’ve mastered a unique kind of warfare, a strategic, emotional, and unrelenting hustle that leaves no room for failure.

Anyway, enjoy these photos of Skylar and Carol circa 2010 Rush Week.

At one of our last live shows, a girlie in the crowd asked “is it a red flag if a guy has been a sperm donor?” I was intrigued in the moment, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. I decided to deep dives into the ethics, emotions, and identity questions that come up when donor DNA enters the chat. Read the whole article here. 🧬🍼

One key chat worthy takeaway? Becoming a donor is surprisingly selective. Stats show that somewhere between 1-4% of applicants are accepted.

We’ve been sourcing ’90s nostalgia for some upcoming projects, which has led us down a variety of Facebook Market rabbit holes, but the American Girl listings are the crown jewel. $150 for a doll described as “light use” without a left arm. A “rare” Samantha whose hair looks like she fought in the Revolutionary War.

But the absolute best: a now unidentifiable AG, who has somehow acquired a full beard and an assortment of Grecian war items. Honestly, we can’t believe someone is basically giving this set away at only $75.

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Meet: Callista Marina™ ancient Corinth’s fiercest 10-year-old captain-in-training with dreams as big as the sea.

Want to know her backstory, see her battle-ready accessories, and learn why she might just be the fiercest doll in history? Check out her full backstory here.

If the American Girl Doll creative team is looking for new employees, look no further. GCG is here and ready to serve.

Have a Trader Joes snack or hack you can’t stop talking about? An unhinged recommendation from the algorithm? email us at [email protected]

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Don’t wait til the last minute, grab a ticket to our show on 9/4 at the Bohemian. The first 10 tickets sold get a special treat at the show.