This week in pop culture has, for the most part, remained calm and quiet! While Sabrina Carpenter released her new album with a hit music video starring her and Jenna Ortega, celebrities and influencers have seemed chill and relaxed. Yes, Chappell Roan may be taking some heat and Tim Walz' son is gaining attention, but there's not too much else going on. 

As for me, I'll be hiding in the woods for the next week—meaning UW–Madison students will be able to read two weeks of pop culture drama after they complete their first week of the Fall 2024 semester. Happy senior year to those like me who are celebrating, and enjoy your last few days of freedom! 

Parker Short goes viral for hyping up Kamala Harris

Parker Short, president of the Young Democrats of Georgia, has gone viral for singing and dancing to ‘Not Like Us' by Kendrick Lamar at a rally for Kamala Harris. Not only has he been extremely active in politics for a majority of his life, whether it be through leading a walkout at his high school for gun safety or interning for local politicians, Parker seemed to be hyper about the rally. 

Parker apparently said that he hopes to aim the attention he gained from the viral video to advocate for more youth to be involved in politics. 

At the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Parker had a short debate with Charlie Kirk, a Republican radio host and internet personality, and he left the argument shortly into it. 

Watch the video here. 

Trump uses AI photos of Taylor Swift for his campaign

Donald Trump used AI-generated photos of Taylor Swift on his app, Truth Social, that showed Taylor supporting Trump. The photos had “Swifties for Trump,” “Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump” and the like. 

Now, those that are familiar with Taylor Swift's past eras know that she does not like Trump and has, in fact, had beef with him to the point where her team was warning her not to say anything in fear that Trump would retaliate. 

While Trump has claimed he doesn't know who generated the photo, he seems to want to use this moment to gain voters, even though many know their history. 

Doja Cat finally bags Joseph Quinn

Doja Cat and Joseph Quinn, who most popularly is in Stranger Things, have been spotted together! While this pairing may seem surprising to some, long-time Doja fans know that she found Joseph hot since Stranger Things Season 4 came out. She famously DM-ed Noah Schnapp asking for Joseph's contact information and tweeted that he is “fine as shit.” 

The two were spotted in London holding hands, eating together and at a club together. Did she manifest it? Have they been dating for longer than we think? Congrats to the two, whether it was their first date or official hard launch… 

Chappell Roan sets boundaries

Chappell Roan, a.k.a. Midwest Princess, has received mixed feedback for two recent videos where she set boundaries to her fans. The videos were released after an incident with a fan because Chappell felt her boundaries were being crossed. 

In the video, she said, “I don't care that this crazy type of behavior comes along with the job… that does not make it okay.” 

Since then, Chappell has also made an Instagram post stating her feelings, in addition to a Instagram story post. 

Fans should remember that Chappell Roan is just the singer's on-stage persona, as she has been vocal about how she wants to be true to herself and set healthy boundaries to protect her mental health. Even if some fans believe that their favorite artists owe them something, it also should be remembered that celebrities have the right to refuse requests—no matter how famous they are. 

Justin and Hailey Bieber's first child 

Justin and Hailey Bieber have welcomed their first child! Their child's name is Jack Blues Bieber. Congrats to the family! 

Tim Walz's son gains attention… but for the right reasons? 

At the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Gus Walz was a center of conversation after he stood, cheering his father while crying. Gus Walz is a 17-year-old and Tim Walz' son. Pictures of him crying went viral, trending on social media such as X for not all of the right reasons. 

Some conservative Trump supporters made fun of Gus for his public display of emotion. Ann Coulter posted an article with the caption of “Talk about weird…” She deleted her post, but it didn't stop a wave of conservatives from making fun of the boy. However, their judgment of the boy quickly received backlash because Gus has ADHD, an anxiety disorder and a non-verbal learning disorder—essentially, they received backlash for making fun of a boy with disabilities showing emotions. 

Is a boy crying really that surprising, regardless of if he has a disability or not? It's 2024; shouldn't we accept displays of emotions from boys and men by now?  

New music now

• Short n' Sweet – Sabrina Carpenter
• Rock With You – Keke Palmer and Diva Gurl 
• That's My Floor – Magdalena Bay 
• Black Ice – AC/DC 
• Beyond Rea5onable Doubt – Young T and Bugsey 
• All In My Head – Blink 182
• Rains in Heaven – NCT DREAM

Upcoming new music

• J – Jaehyun | August 26
• Black Out – Chanyeol | August 28 
• Hello, World. – Baekhyun | September 6
• aboutTZU – Tzuyu | September 6 

My recent media enjoyments

• Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016) … Shout out to my freshman year roommate for showing me this! 
• The Last Feminine Urge – The Last Dinner Party music video | YouTube
• Bottoms (2023) 
• Top Gun: Maverick (2022) … listen… Rooster… 
• Taste – Sabrina Carpenter music video | YouTube 
• Reading blog posts on Substack