From the Group Chat: “Barbie” Backlash Sparks Backlash, Narcissistic Rats, and Everyone’s “So Babygirl”

EDITOR’S NOTE

Happy Sunday. In case you missed yesterday’s newsletter, our vibe has changed. This weekend, the Daily Skimm is debuting two new weekend formats: Read. Eat. Go. on Saturdays and From the Group Chat on Sundays — which, as the name suggests, recaps the week’s most fun, interesting, and gasp-worthy stories. Essentially, the ones we’re sharing with friends. 

This week, my own group texts lit up with shirtless, bellowing Jason Kelce and toe ring shoes. The ketchup challenge also made the rounds. But my favorite thing to surface in the chat this week is this fridge-drawer-turned-salad-bar. I’m not sure what that says about me, and I don’t need to know. 

— Melissa Goldberg / Senior Editor / Washington, DC

📱 A discovery we didn’t have on our 2024 Bingo card: Some rats apparently love taking selfies. Who knew we were so similar.

🍫 You’re not hallucinating, magic mushroom chocolate is having quite the trip — and it’s bougier than ever.

📺 Former “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Monica Garcia on becoming one of reality TV’s biggest villains — and what we didn’t get to see on screen.

Hey Barbie, we have to talk about all that went down in the real world this past week. On Tuesday, the 2024 Oscar nominations came out — and neither Greta Gerwig nor Margot Robbie got their expected best director and best actress nods. It didn’t take long for many to voice their outrage. After all, “Barbie” brought in nearly $1.5 billion in ticket sales globally, making it the highest-grossing film of 2023 and Gerwig the highest-grossing female director ever. Plus, Gerwig managed to elevate a film about plastic dolls into something entertaining and meaningful. The snubs were proof that Hollywood is “still one big mojo dojo casa house” — and “could have been a storyline straight out of the Barbie movie.”

But did Uncle Jesse really need to weigh in? Or, HGTV, for that matter? Definitely not, according to the backlash to the backlash. And in some ways, we have to agree: While we appreciate the solidarity posts, we’d love to see the same “Kenergy” for the “Past Lives” snubs. Or, for any of the other Oscar nominees whose achievements were largely overshadowed in the last few days. That includes “Barbie” costar America Ferrera, who was nominated for best supporting actress. If she wins, that may change. We hear she gives great speeches.

Would you believe it, Nicole Kidman is once again playing a rich, beautiful, and tormented woman. This time, in “Expats,” the Prime Video limited series by “The Farewell” writer and director Lulu Wang. It’s based on the bestselling novel “The Expatriates” and follows three Americans in Hong Kong whose lives are forever changed by a sudden tragedy. Expect Kidman to do what she does best — besides wearing designer clothes on beautiful sets.

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Just in case you think all body wash is the same, we promise, it’s not. This downright indulgent cleanser transforms into a velvety foam — so you get a deeply satisfying, skin-softening cleanse. Plus, you can use it in place of shaving cream for an even closer shave. But, best of all, it smells like you’re eating an almond pastry in a chateau’s rose garden.

Wondering what makes six-foot-five Jacob Elordi or 48-year-old Pedro Pascal “so babygirl”? Gen Z, obviously. But to define it: Either 1) a man who’s cutesy, vulnerable, and sensitive — so, someone you want to protect at all costs. Or 2) a miserable, middle-aged antihero (Walter White, Kendall Roy), who, actually, you may also want to protect at all costs.

In things that never got the attention they deserved: Colman Domingo’s Critics Choice Awards ‘fit. The head-to-boots gold. The cut of the suit. The COAT. No one does it better.

Have you tried Flipart yet? Everyone’s loving this new game — and we get why. It’s such a rush when all the pieces fall into place. See for yourself.