Rebel Wilson’s appearance on Call her Daddy is making headlines because of her comment about her weight and her Pitch Perfect contract, which  required her to stay the same weight (within 10 pounds) for years. Actors constantly transform themselves for roles (it’s a pipeline to an Oscar) and it’s often seen as artistic commitment. Some people feel like these kind of contracts remove a person’s body autonomy but when the work is physical, as it is for actors, and there’s a continuity issue with sequels or long-running TV shows, something as simple as a haircut can be a huge deal. Henry Cavill’s mustache was an international incident.

 

Ryan Seacrest is a one-man media empire. He works, a lot. And a lot of his work requires travel and early mornings, so it’s no surprise that he started experiencing exhaustion. Today he announced he’s leaving Live With Ryan and Kelly and unlike so many media departures that are draped in scandals, this one does not seem gossipy. Ryan has other long-standing jobs and Kelly’s husband Mark Consuelos is stepping in as her co-host. 

 

Gina Rodriguez has a new show out about an obituary writer who is guided by ghosts. Gina Rodriguez’s reputation took a serious dip after Jane the Virgin (read here for a refresher) and she’s back and much more guarded on social media. She’s an incredibly charming performer and no one was (or is) trying to cancel her. In a way, her trajectory reminds me of Lea Michele’s and she’s also making a big comeback right now. 

 

So there’s still a lot of Valentine’s Day posts and some people might be sick of it but think of it as a sociological experiment. As comedian/TikToker Jake points out, “we’re updating records.” It is an information holiday, a gossip holiday and a community holiday. This is when we snoop on each other and send our friends DMs about cryptic posts so we can analyze things that are none of our business. Valentine’s Day is the most useful holiday for that. 

@jakewcornell

Have fun with it! #newyork #lifestyle #comedy

♬ original sound - Jake Cornell
 

One thing that has fallen off is Valentine’s Day proposals (Christmas seems much more popular). Have you ever witnessed a public proposal? I’ve seen two: one in a very crowded restaurant and another in a semi-private space and it was awkward. It was just the couple and me and my family and it’s like – do we offer to take a photo? Do we congratulate? Do we let them have their moment in peace? I think I settled on a half wave. At least that proposal was well-received. Read this thread for a public proposal gone wrong. Someone buy this woman a martini!

 

But love is not dead – especially not on Duolingo! This would make for a great meet cute in a movie.