Sincerely, Saskia

We all know social media is one ragebait video after the other, but these last few weeks have given me one too many reasons to throw my phone in anger. I have written three or four blog posts this month and haven’t published any of them because as soon as I put them down for a second, something else happens that makes me shift focus.

So, instead of flooding my blog with multiple angry rants airing out my pop culture grievances, I thought, why not write a list.

Here are six things from this month alone that have left me wanting to scream into a pillow…

The Odyssey backlash

Having not been surprised but still angry about the treatment of Lupita Nyong’o for playing a Black Helen of Troy in The Odyssey – you can read my thoughts on that here – the response to the film on a whole has been infuriating. As those of us with any sense can see it for the instant classic it is, the difference of opinion isn’t the issue. It’s the bizarre insistence that your racism, transphobia (Elliot Page) and bodyshaming (Anne Hathaway) are justified because the cast is not historically accurate. The Odyssey isn’t real. The Odyssey didn’t happen. I cannot believe how many people have had to reiterate this just for it to fall on deaf ears. I physically can’t say it again.  

Black Americans response to David Jonsson being cast as Black Panther

I have love for all my Black people across the diaspora, but some Black Americans make me question everything about myself. A small group of Black Americans (sadly screaming the loudest) are mad a Black British African is assuming the mantle for the late and great Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther. David Jonsson (Rye Lane, Alien Romulus) is playing T’Challa’s son, you know, the one we meet at the end of Wakanda Forever. Black Americans are mad because he’s Black British, and they don’t want a British Black man playing the fictional son of fictional a King of a fictional African country where the actors are putting on generic African accents… I just, I have no words. This divide Black Americans have forced upon Black Brits goes so deep, but for now, I’m just going to sigh in despair and say congratulations to David Jonsson, I think you’ll do just fine.

The reaction to Olivia Wilde’s comments on Louis Theroux’s podcast

Olivia Wilde went on Louis Theroux’s podcast and said she didn’t want to give too much significance to incels, a small community with too much of a platform as it is. The overwhelming response in the comments was that Wilde doesn’t care about male mental health or men dying and then they proceeded to use Robin Williams, Heath Ledger and Avicii as examples. The lack of critical thinking – which is just common sense at this point but it is 2026 after all and we seem to be going backwards in terms of education – is astounding.

Obsession overtaking Sinners’ record – because what?

Obsession was not a good film. Although I didn’t mind the premise (albeit infuriating), it was not revolutionary, nor pioneering and sadly, for straight women who have dated at any point in the last decade, too on the nose. It should not have been able overtake Sinners’ record for highest-grossing original film and I wish I had trusted my gut and stayed home that day. This one is personal taste, but damn, I will never get taken in by a positive review ever again. Dumbfounded.

The outrage over Jameela Jamil’s comment about British people

For women of colour, Jamil’s comments about British people being the absolute worst, is a standard conversation between friends. It’s so easy to forget that people who haven’t experienced life in your skin would be completely offended by something that is a fact to every non-white person on the planet – and I can say “planet” because Britain has colonised half of it. The lack of critical awareness to not be able to differentiate between the every day Brit and the Empire is astounding. Anyway Jameela, I hope you’re having a good day.

The Hollywood Reporter in general

Can we please take this magazine out of circulation already. First, we have the AI-generated “new face of Hollywood” telling us what the perfect actress looks like today (obviously, she’s white), pulling facial features from those most adored in Hollywood. This inadvertently, but not subtly, tells us what the new beauty standard is – according to them – and I’m not biting.

Second, they write an op-ed called: “Bring Back the Hollywood Asshole”. There are so many tone deaf elements to this one; using a picture of Jeremy Piven’s character in Entourage to help make their point being one, but the general climate and recent history of Hollywood tells us assholes are, in fact, in plentiful supply and we don’t need anymore. Especially when the driving force behind this writer’s reasoning seems to be about money, clearly not taking into consideration everything that comes with that and those who fall victim to that level of power. I’m not this magazine’s target audience but I fail to see who is.

And breathe…