In every issue of BUST, managing editor Emily Rems chooses her ten picks for the best in pop culture. Check out the list from our Winter 2020 issue, featuring Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” Tour, Bombshell, Dolly Parton’s America Podcast, and more.
1. Bombshell
Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Bron Studios
Based on the true story of how Fox News head Roger Ailes was brought down by the broadcasters he was sexually harassing, Bombshell stars Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly, Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson, and Margot Robbie as a fictional producer. A biopic for the #TimesUp era, this flick opens December 20.
2. Clemency
Paul Sarkis/NEON
Written and directed by rising star Chinonye Chukwu, Clemency stars Alfre Woodard as a prison warden reckoning with the trauma of carrying out multiple executions. Already generating Oscar buzz, it’s bound to be talked about once it hits the big screen December 27.
3. Phoebe Robinson’s New Comedy Central Interview Series
Mindy Tucker
Comedian Phoebe Robinson’s new interview show on Comedy Central may not have a name yet, but we still can’t wait to watch it when it premieres early 2020. Each half-hour episode will feature the podcast queen going on adventures with folks she’s admired from afar, and we’re sure her faves will be some of ours, too.
4. Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” Tour
Lou Rocco/abc
Queen of Christmas Mariah Carey is taking her razzle-dazzle Las Vegas holiday extravaganza on the road for five East Coast dates December 7 through 15. If you live in NJ, DC, CT, MA, or NY (or you’re willing to travel for those sweet, sweet winter tunes), nab tix now at livenation.com.
5. Dolly Parton’s America Podcast
photo by Shima Oliaee
Hosted by Radiolab’s Jad Abumrad, Dolly Parton’s America is a nine-part podcast series that digs deep into the country star’s status as a unique cultural symbol. Starting with the question, “How did the queen of the boob joke become a feminist icon?” DPA goes on to feature material culled from 12 hours of Dolly interviews and commentary from over 50 fans. Listen in at wnycstudios.org.
6. The L Word: Generation Q on Showtime
Hilary B Gayle/SHOWTIME
They’re baaaaaack! Ten years after originally leaving Showtime, the groundbreaking lesbian drama The L Word is returning with a Generation Q sequel series premiering December 8. Jennifer Beals, Katherine Moennig, and Leisha Hailey will be reprising their starring roles alongside cool guest stars including Olivia Thirlby, Fortune Feimster, and Latarsha Rose.
7. Like a Boss
Eli Joshua Ade/Paramount Pictures
Tiffany Haddish and Rose Byrne star in this entrepreneurial escapade as besties who bond while starting a beauty brand together. But when a mogul played by Salma Hayek takes an interest in their company, their relationship and dreams are put to the test. Opens in theaters January 10.
8. Madame Gandhi’s “Top Knot Turn Up” Video
photo by Claire Wilson
Both political and danceable, “Top Knot Turn Up” is a banger by Madame Gandhi off her new Visions EP with a magically rhythmic video to match. Wrapped in punk-meets-South-Asian finery, Gandhi and her crew bust moves in a surreal tropical landscape and create the single greatest women’s-reproductive-system-inspired hairstyle ever erected. Find it on YouTube.
9. The Second Annual Janelle James Comedy Festival
photo courtesy of Janelle James
Taking over The Bell House in Brooklyn December 5 through 7, this comedy fest helmed by L.A. standup Janelle James (opener for Chris Rock and Amy Schumer) will feature great up-and-comers including Marie Faustin, Hadiyah Robinson, and Kristen Toomey. Find out more at janellejamescomedyfestival.com.
10. Cat Call: Reclaiming the Feral Feminine
Red Wheel/Weiser
Occult scholar Kristen J. Sollée (author of Witches, Sluts, Feminists) is back with a tasty tome all about the cat archetype in myth and magic. You don’t need to count a cauldron, a pointed hat, and a broomstick among your possessions to enjoy this lively history of feline familiars, but it wouldn’t hurt.
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