Spring is around the corner, so listen to this album that I want to embody as we all head back outside while you read this. 

Modern Musings

Takes on what’s happening both big and small

The MBJ Win
My Super Bowl Sunday (aka The Oscars) was an interesting one. It was genuinely heartwarming to witness just how beloved Michael B. Jordan is by the industry. The Best Actor race felt chaotic right up until the final moment, and when his name was called, you could feel a collective exhale. MBJ has been in this game for a long time, which makes the moment even sweeter. (My personal MBJ deep cut is That Awkward Moment with Zac Efron and Miles Teller. If you’ve seen it, we need to talk.)

But it was Fruitvale Station that made me recognize his range and his intention. I watched it at a time when I was beginning to more critically examine the role of policing in our society, and the film still stays with me. Years later, he’s still expanding, still evolving. MBJ is a veteran actor, but it somehow feels like he’s just getting started. 

The Oscars also marked a historic win in cinematography. Autumn Durald Arkapaw, the first woman to take home the award, used her moment to honor the many women whose work powers this industry. There’s something incredibly special about experiencing a film shaped by a perspective that remains underrepresented.

And finally, I’ll always ride for Ryan Coogler. There’s a warmth to him, in how he speaks and how he shows up for his collaborators, that feels grounding. Watching him have his own moment on stage, accepting Best Original Screenplay, felt both so earned and deeply affirming.

If you’re in the mood to relive the Oscars, tune in to Consider [The Oscars] For Comfort. And if you need a break from awards season, I get it (even though I’m already counting down to the Emmys in September).

Who Was Carolyn Bessette?

Personal recommendation + online discourse = you can probably get me to watch any TV show. Another winning formula for me is a 90s period piece (give me more period pieces outside of the Regency era please!) + NYC. I’m no stranger to Ryan Murphy’s work (The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story is still my favorite) and I’m definitely no stranger to his controversies. All that to say: I did watch Love Story. And yes, I have thoughts.

Firstly, I’m not afraid to admit that I legit had never heard of Carolyn Bessette before this show (Am I really the last to know or are some people flexing for the Internet? We may never know!). I also only vaguely knew of John F. Kennedy Jr. and their tragic end. Going into a dramatized biopic-like show knowing basically nothing is actually my favorite way to go.

The show introduces Carolyn as she was at her peak: chic, sharp, and commanding as a publicist at Calvin Klein. It’s both inspiring and quietly devastating, knowing what’s coming. Watching her gradually shrink under the weight of fame, marriage, and relentless paparazzi is one of the most compelling arcs of the season. That character transformation is exactly why Sarah Pidgeon deserves serious Emmy consideration.

As for JFK Jr., Paul Anthony Kelly is obviously a beautiful man but his performance feels one-note. Some of that is because his character doesn’t evolve, which is a central tension in their marriage, as Carolyn is forced to adapt while his world largely stays the same. But also, Sarah Pigeon is just acting circles around him.

And then there’s the character of the paparazzi. For me, early 2000s tabloid culture was my entry point, but this show traces those dynamics further back, revealing just how embedded and systemic it all is. There’s a whole ecosystem between paparazzi and entertainment media that feels worth interrogating more deeply.

What the show ultimately captures though is a love that feels visceral and intentional. Their lives were fundamentally incompatible, and yet they chose each other anyway. Love not just as a feeling, but as an active commitment. It sits in tension with the less romantic, more practical realities that determine whether a relationship can actually survive. If only they could’ve existed in a vacuum, one of their choosing, not the one imposed on them in their Tribeca loft. In a moment where so much of the Internet frames modern dating through cynicism, it felt meaningful to see a story that insists love is still, at its core, a choice.

Consider This for Comfort 

SEASON 4 only has 3 episodes left!

Catch up on what you’ve missed: Drag Race, The Parkers, Heated Rivalry, Stranger Things, The Oscars, Everybody Hates Chris, Mad Men

And here’s what’s coming up next: Girls5Eva (April 1), Desperate Housewives (April 8) and Degrassi (April 15)

Want to be featured in the NEW hotline segment? Leave me a 20-30 second voice message with your dilemma. To hear your personalized TV recommendation, you’ll have to tune in to the podcast and make sure you’re following along on Instagram for the latest updates.

Eteng Recommends

Film/TV

• Paradise. If you haven’t watched the show, I feel bad for you because you need to stay off the Internet until you do. The writers’ room has already finished writing Season 3 and it seems like some searing commentary about AI is on the way.

• Q1 TV. My favorite shows that came and went in the first 3 months of the year (in addition to Paradise): Industry, Tell Me Lies, Love Story. If you’re not into appointment viewing (slightly judging you), these are perfect to binge start to finish.

• April TV. Spring means a fresh wave of buzzy releases. Here’s what I’m tuning into: Your Friends & Neighbors (April 3), Hacks (April 9), Big Mistakes (April 9), Beef (April 16) and Euphoria (April 12). That last one I’m tuned in purely for the chaos. Something continues to go down on that set and I’m determined to figure it out.

• Task. I wouldn’t have guessed I’d be really into crime-drama shows set in rural PA but here we are. A searing and tender tale of two working-class fathers trying to hold their families together by taking two radically different approaches. Here’s my favorite piece about the show (entertainment journalism does still exist!) and Mahershala Ali is joining Season 2. (I’ve missed him a lot and hopefully he’s back on our screens for good).

• Disney Channel Mount Rushmore. Raven-Symone was recently asked to name hers and the Internet had thoughts. I appreciated that she shouted out Lee Thompson Young (RIP) and his incredible contributions to the early days of the channel. Like UPN and so many other channels, Black talent paved the way for these channels to even have the legacies they currently do. On my Mount Rushmore (defining this as the pioneers of the channel), I’ve got Lee Thompson Young, Hilary Duff, Brenda Song, Raven-Symone and Ryan Merriman. Ryan Coogler cited The Luck of the Irish as one of the inspirations for Sinners.

Lifestyle

• TMZ using their powers for good (for once) by showing Congress on vacation while TSA agents weren’t getting paid.

• Reach out to one person every day for the next 100 days. Saying things like “your network is your net worth” is both kinda corny but also very true. This person details how they changed their career (and life) by abiding by just that.

• Acting on your creative ideas is a form of self-love.

• The Scent of Burnt Flower. A good friend of mine recently hosted a birthday at BEM, a Black-owned bookstore in Bed-Stuy and I picked up the novel. Very on brand for me to pick up a book that FX has the rights to turn into a limited series with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II attached to star. 

• NYC Ferry. I love a good boat and riding the NYC ferry is one of my most anticipated spring rituals.

Sincerely,