It’s a week of controversy: Rachel Dolezal, the white woman who says she’s black, is back in the public eye thanks to a Netflix documentary, The Rachel Divide. What trauma led to her fraudulent ‘transracial’ identity? And why does Rachel refuse to back down? We called up gal-dem deputy editor and Guardian writer Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff to discuss the documentary - and whether or not Netflix were right to air it.
Also on today’s agenda: the glitzy annual Met Gala and it’s ‘Catholic’ theme, courtesy of Andrew Bolton’s ‘Heavenly Bodies’ exhibition. From Rihanna’s papal mitre to Lena Waithe’s politically charged rainbow cape, via Jared Leto dressed as Jesus (God complex, much?) the dress code might have been crassly interpreted and as camp as Christmas, but does that make it offensive? We run the full gamut of opinions.
Last thing - the Chuckle Brothers have not fallen out. We repeat: rumours of a feud are false.
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Links
The Rachel Divide review by Doreen St Felix for The New Yorker
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-rachel-divide-review-a-disturbing-portrait-of-dolezals-racial-fraudulence
The Rachel Divide on Netflix
https://www.netflix.com/title/80149821
Does Anyone Have The Right To Sex? By Amia Srinivasan, for The London Review of Books
https://www.lrb.co.uk/v40/n06/amia-srinivasan/does-anyone-have-the-right-to-sex
Sean Penn interview, by Emma Brockes for The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/may/05/sean-penn-some-of-my-best-laughs-have-come-out-of-the-worst-reviews
You Think It, I’ll Say It, short stories by Curtis Sittenfeld
https://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Think-Ill-Say-Stories/dp/052552777X/ref=nodl_
Patrick Melrose, starts on Sunday on Sky Atlantic
How The Met Gala Guests Tackled “The Heavenly Bodies” Theme, by Osman Ahmed for Vogue.co.uk
http://www.vogue.co.uk/article/how-met-gala-guests-tackled-heavenly-bodies-them
Radio 4 Soul Music on God Only Knows
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b01jsk
Abi Morgan’s Desert Island Discs
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b01jsk
Strictly’s Scandal, Johnny Depp’s GQ Cover & The Nothingburger
On Brett Kavanaugh; & Why Women Can’t (And Don’t Want To) Have It All
An Author Special with The Guilty Feminist creator and host, Deborah Frances-White
Carrie Symonds & ‘the scarlet woman’; & the end of Big Brother
Serena Williams & Kirstie Allsopp: Why Women Aren’t Allowed To Get Angry
A Bumper Back to School Book Special & Thoughts on the Roxanne Pallet Assault Allegations
Is "hey guys" anti-feminist?; & why we are better people than our worst joke
On Plane Bae; and Teaching Children About Mental Health
An Author Special with Yomi Adegoke & Elizabeth Uviebinené of Slay In Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible
Trump’s Baby Balloon; & Why ‘Natural’ Beauty Is A Damaging Stereotype
The Dangers of Self-Deprecation; & A Deep-Dive Into ‘Nanette’
Fame, Fortune and Phone Sex, with Actor and Memoirist, Gabourey Sidibe
Clemmie Hooper on Misogyny on Social Media; & The World Cup
The Curious Tale of Anna Delvey & Love Island’s Body Problem
Greer’s Fall From Grace; Issa Rae on Kanye; & SATC's 20 Yr Anniversary
Domestic is Not A Dirty Word: An Author Special With The Great American Novelist, Meg Wolitzer
Ireland’s abortion referendum; and a deep-dive into the royal wedding
A Live Episode with Google on Georgina Chapman’s Interview About Ex-Husband, Harvey Weinstein; & Cannes Selfie Ban
Kanye’s Basic Tweets; and an Author Special with Trans Activist and Writer, Juno Dawson
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