NSFW: The Chronicles of a (Free?) Girl, Chapter 3

I got one thing on my mind: HotD

"Please slap me if I'm ever that bride."

Are you really thinking about anything else besides House of the Dragon? I'm not.

My boyfriend doesn't like the show as much as GOT, and I tell him you can't compare the two because they're entirely different stories. Personally, I love the focus on the many complexities of being a woman: from friendship and the horrors of childbirth to sexism and taking up space, HotD explores hidden crevices of womanhood shielded by shadows. As Simone De Beauvoir says in The Other Sex, "One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman."

It's a man's world, still (sorry, Katy Perry)

My own feminity has been on my mind. For instance, this blog series features plenty of profanity and obscurity, which could negatively impact how prospective employers perceive me. Yet, when viewing the portfolios of my male counterparts, I see fucks and shits and damns and content that can only be funny because it was written by a man.

The tone of my first draft portfolio a few years ago was snarky. My mom's friend Rebecca, who acted as my mentor due to her legacy at the Washington Post, said, "Do you really want to come off as sarcastic and unprofessional? How would the future you feel about this?" I recoiled in horror and deleted everything I'd written, telling myself to "keep that shit inside, Isabella."

Politics and yogurt

Women are judged harshly. We're held to impossible standards. Just look at Kamala Harris: while many fairly criticize her criminal reform policies from when she was attorney general of California, many dislike her because she has the "charisma of a stick of butter," noting her bland voice and inauthentic mannerisms. (See this Reddit thread for the full rundown.)

However, Donald Trump, a convicted criminal and sex offender with 34 felonies, is favored by the general public and will likely win the 2024 election. Among bridezilla conversations and vegan yogurt at brunch yesterday, my friends and I expressed genuine fear for the years to come if Trump wins.

Let's be real: The Handmaid's Tale would, and is becoming, more real by the day. Not only are women's rights on the line, but the global warming crisis is heating up after the overturn of the Chevron doctrine. When will people wake up and see that the detrimental impact of these decisions is happening in real time, right now? Extreme weather patterns, wildfires, women being forced to carry nonviable pregnancies and endure lingering, relentless trauma after their infant dies.

I'm terrified, and you should be too.

Brain dump, with a side of cookies

I've been discussing politics the whole weekend, so now I'm switching the subject to things I did over the weekend.

My boyfriend and I made big, crinkly chocolate chip cookies and now own a 3 lb. box of flaky kosher salt. I accepted a part-time job at the Glossier flagship store in Soho and will be enjoying my store credit, 50% discount, and pink jumpsuit. I drank a lot of sake on Friday night and went to a German beer hall in Murray Hill. And on Saturday I attended a birthday party at a hibachi restaurant in Bayridge.

Oh, and yesterday I accidentally bought a $25 pencil at McNally Jackson. Pray for me.