10 Things I Wrote About You | Volume 1

Intro: Who is "You?"

I know what you want to ask, “Reggie, who is ‘You?’”

I should never tell, let it remain a mystery for the duration of this newsletter. Gains millions of subscribers and let all of you develop fan theories, and possibly even conspiracies. But its ok, I’ll tell you.

“You” is the hit Netflix’s series You. Yes, that You. The adaptation of Caroline Kepnes' hit book series about Joe Goldberg (portrayed by Penn Badgley in the Netflix series)—the man who stalks, kills, and provides plenty of thrills. I’ve watched that show so many times that each week, in perpetuity, I plan to write 10 things—2 from 2 of the 4 seasons & 3 from the other two seasons—about You until I make that all of my readers are walking encyclopedias ready to spew facts about Joe Goldberg at a moment’s notice.

If you guessed that I was lying then you’re right. That’s not who “You” is. “You” is pop culture—the culture I have had a love affair with my entire life. The culture that provided me with The Ninja Turtles, an affection for pizza & cereal (not to be mistaken as someone who eats, or ever has eaten these two dishes at the same time), basketball, movies, music, television, social media, books, and more. It wasn’t until recent years that I looked into what pop culture is composed of, and the truth is that all of us love pop culture in one way or the other. If you love sports, or even a single sport, you love pop culture. If you love books, you love pop culture. Film, same. Music, ditto. Fashion, damn right. Corporations, yes again. Pop Culture is the ocean and we are all the fish who live in it without realizing that water is a thing that exists.

I chose the number 10 because that’s my favorite number. I like to read 10 books from 10 different decades throughout the year. I like to have up to 10 books in my rotation at any given moment (huge shouts to all my poly readers. I’ll always hold it down). I like my wings in 10 piece increments, I like my lists in 10s (or multiples of it). I like 10 dollar bills (but preferably an abundance of them), I like double doubles and triple doubles since 10 is the number you strive to reach in multiple statistical categories. You get my drift.

Here’s How 10 Things I Wrote About You will work—Each week I will share 100 words or less about 10 different pieces of pop culture that interest me. Simple.

Here Goes 10.

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1. They Cloned Tyrone

They Cloned Tyrone has been living rent free in my mind. Fontaine, played by John Boyega, wakes up the day after he thought he was shot and killed to realize he hadn’t been killed, or did he? From there, we see him link up with Slick Charles, played by Jamie Foxx, and Yo-yo, played by Teyonah Parris, to go on a rewarding and thought-provoking adventure. It’s worth seeing because it will make you wonder who controls Blackness and the possibilities and outcomes exist for those of us existing within the confines of that control? Juel Taylor gave us a gift.

2. The Spook Who Sat By the Door

The Spook Who Sat by the Door is a novel that a lot of people know of but few seem to have actually read. I am now one the latest members of The Few.

Spook is a novel that explores the obtaining and distribution of inside knowledge as the primary vehicle to freedom-fight and organize against the oppressor. A still relevant exploration of class and the way that affects your ideas of the best way forward for Blacks in the U.S., and the expensive tax rate a Black man pays when choosing to be a double agent.

3. The Blackening

Something I enjoyed about the promo run of The Blackening was their use of the mantra “we can’t all die first.” Not only did it make me think of this recent book, but it also enticed me to watch, and I’m glad I did. In The Blackening we see a group of friends link up on Juneteenth Weekend at a cabin—which serves as the proverbial haunted house. The Blackening is a comedic film that uses horror to explore what it means to be “Black enough,” who determines it, and the potential backlash of someone determined not “Black enough.”

4. Luster & The Humanity of Black Women

I finished Luster and it was just as wonderful as you’d expect. Spending time in Edie’s mind was so nice that I'm sure I’ll do it twice. The aspect of Luster that I found the most appealing was her and Akila’s journeys. How, the both of them, were essentially transracial adoptees of Eric and Rebecca. How if there’s one thing people don’t know it is themselves, and Edie, who didn’t fancy herself having much in common with Akila, had plenty.

Some say no Black woman would move through the world the way Edie did, I say Black women are capable.

5. Everything’s Fine & The Humanity of Black Women

Cecilia Rabess’s debut novel, Everything’s Fine, fell victim to a thing that some losers do on Goodreads called review bombing. Review bombing, from what I gathered, is when a collection of readers take time out of their day to go and leave a one star review on a book, a lot of times without having read the book.

Apparently people don’t think that a Black woman would be capable of dating a conservative white man. I guess when you read books and don’t touch grass you’d assume that every Black woman who dates a white man is dating a liberal.

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Can I buy you a guitar when I screw up?

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6. Humanizing the Gods

Steph Curry made an appearance on Hot Ones, and like most episodes of Hot Ones it is a smash. As of this writing Steph Curry’s episode has 5.9 million views inside of its first week. This had me theorizing on why this show is such a hit. My educated guess is that Hot Ones is one of the rare chances where we civilians get to see some of our own civility reflected in the gods of our time. “Look, Steph Curry, the greatest shooter of all time, has a tongue that burns just like mine.”

7. Getting in the Gym

I’ve seen Chet Holmgren, whom the Oklahoma City Thunder selected with the number 2 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, in two interviews—one on KG Certified, the other on All The Smoke—in the past few weeks. In both interviews I saw a young man who is hungry & ready to get in the gym to work on his game. He even pulled his phone out at the end of the Kevin Garnett interview to get his number so he could get in the gym with the Hall of Famer to pick his brain. I’m bringing his approach to literature.

8. A Casual Boxing Fan Watches Bud Crawford Beat Errol Spence

I really enjoy boxing and I usually hesitate to say so, because I have the knowledge of a “casual.” A casual, as in a casual fan. A phrase that  fans of a thing use as a slight to another fan that reveals holes in their knowledge of said thing. I aspire to reach a level of fandom in boxing that resembles my level of fandom in basketball or books. It aspire to recap Bud Crawford’s dismantling of Errol Spence in a manner reminiscent of Kenny Smith on Inside the NBA or Toni Morrison in her nonfiction.

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“But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you.”

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9. Barbie & Positive Influencers

The people want to be able to write honestly about the art they consume and I tend to agree with the people. Manuela Lazic, in this recent article for The Guardian expressed concern over the devaluing of film criticism & mentioned the amount of influencers who were told to feel free to go on Social Media & essentially say positive words about the recent Barbie film after an early screening, among other more legitimate concerns around the state of film criticism.

Her article, which is well done, ultimately has me asking why would a studio find a budget for honest criticism?

10. The Literary Postseason

With the recent announcements of the Amazon’s Best Reads of 2023 so far, Barack Obama’s Summer Reading List, The New American Voices Award Longlist, The Center For Fiction First Novel Prize Longlist, The Booker Longlist, The Crook’s Corner Book Prize Longlist, among others, its safe to say that the Literary Postseason has begun. The time where lists are made, and the book nerds, who give so much of their time to the words, get invigorated when their taste is validated and disappointed when it isn’t.

I look forward to listening to a shortlist (or a few).