Wear, Watch, Want #223: The Masked, Rainy Puberty Edition
Wear: KN95 Mask
Last weekend, mask mandates ended in Washington. Personally, my own mask wearing did not end - I’m KN95-ing any time I’m in public for the foreseeable future. In addition to the Gata mask, I’m also wearing these disposable KN95 masks I got at the Costco Business Center. You get a box of 50 for like $25! And I imagine I’ll be masking for a long while yet, so best to stock up.
Watch: Turning Red
I never realized before watching it that Turning Red takes place in 2002. The film’s main character, Mei, is 13, and in 2002 I myself was 15. I know it’s a millennial thing to be really into nostalgia, but watching Turning Red I kept being struck by how great it was to be a teenager in the early 2000s. We had some internet access, but not too much. We had cell phones, but they didn’t do anything but make calls and maybe have one crappy game. We had parents who cared about us and what we were doing, but also gave us the freedom to just ride our bikes or take the bus wherever as long as we were home by curfew (Mei’s mother is perhaps overprotective, but she lets her ride public transit by herself!). There were a lot of bad things, there always are, but the early 2000s were a real sweet spot for a certain age group, and I appreciate that I got to go through my roughest growing up during such a simpler time. I cannot imagine being 13 AND having an Instagram. Sounds like absolute hell.
I had read about negative reactions to Turning Red before I watched the movie, and now that I’ve seen it, my verdict is that you’d have to be a fool to assign someone to review Turning Red who wasn’t 1) A teen in the early aughts, 2) Raised as a girl, or 3) Ideally both (Chinese and/or Canadian, even better). If you want to read a review that understands the film AND explains the controversy, I loved this piece by Aja Romano.
The only thing I found unbelievable/unrelatable in Turning Red was that concert tickets cost $200. I didn’t grow up in a big city or go to huge stadium concerts, but I saw Destiny’s Child in 2001 (in the fifth row of a decently sized arena) for $40.
Want: Land’s End Squall Dog Jacket
Ruby, my foster dog, is afraid of the rain. She’s blind and struggles to even navigate the backyard, so I guess if you add in rain it’s even more overwhelming. She needs a raincoat! I’ve heard rave reviews for the Land’s End Squall Jacket, and I’d love to get her one - get it monogrammed even! - but they are sold out in her size! Well, there is a bright teal one available for full price, but other, better colors are on sale for drastically less. Land’s End, please restock your dog jackets! Ruby needs your help!
