Welcome to The Fuss!
The Fuss is a place for me, Emily (hi!), to put my pop culture obsession to even remotely meaningful use, and a place for you to (hopefully, no worries if not!) find suggestions for things to distract you from The Times We Are Living In. And maybe, occasionally, god forbid, some things to force you to engage with them.
Thanks so much for being here. Away we go!
Something Good
Every post on The Fuss will include a section at the end called Something Good. It could be a song that restored my Will to Live, an episode of a show that made me laugh until I cried, or a friend being forced to summarize whatever just happened in the romantasy novel she’s reading.
In the inaugural post, as we close out another trying year on this planet, the Something Good section will take up the whole! damn! thing!
Here are 15 things, in no particular order, that brought me joy this year. Fingers crossed that even just one of them does the same for you (again, no worries if not!).
Wake Up, Robby Hoffman
The importance of a hard towel. Why straight men watching football makes them a little gay. And why birthday parties should be held only for women and children. Robby will save us. She’s the last American dream, after all.
Come See Me in the Good Light
“My story is one about happiness being easier to find once we realize we do not have forever to find it." -- Andrea Gibson, "Life Anthem."
What's Our Podcast with Beck & Kyle
Beck and Kyle might be the only two straight white men I’d happily listen to for hours. Their banter is delightfully, refreshingly dumb, buoyed by an undeniable love for each other. Pro tip: start with the Meg Stalter episode.
Parcels Tiny Desk Concert
The outfits! The chemistry! The instrumentation! I had no idea what I was walking into when I turned this on - I’ve managed to watch it at least every other day since. Choose your fighter!
English Teacher, Season 2, Episode 3 on Hulu
For extremely unfortunate and also totally understandable reasons, there will not be another season of English Teacher. This episode perfectly encapsulates what was so great about it while it lasted. 80/20 gay/bi, iykyk.
IMO Podcast, Katt Williams Episode
All you really need to know is that Michelle calls Katt “a layered little dude” at the end of this.
Pluribus, Season 1, Episode 3
The choreography of delivery trucks and possessed neighborhood locals restocking a Sprouts grocery store—just for the (mostly) insufferable protagonist, Carol—made me feel something beyond the show’s usual What the Fuck Is Going On energy.
Long Story Short on Netflix
There were so many moments in this show that made me wonder if I’d blacked out, written it myself, and sent it straight to Netflix without ever realizing it—and yet I still find it impossible to describe. So instead, I’ll leave it to James Poniewozik: “Long Story Short operates in the great Jewish tradition of believing that love is often best expressed through criticism.” Amen.
Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, Season 6, Episode 11
This episode begins some of the best Housewives vacation content we’ve seen. The ladies are humbled by seasickness. Mary M. Cosby, per usual, isn't having any of it. If Robby Hoffman doesn’t save us all, I'm certain Mary will.
The Chair Company
I've never seen anything like it. Tim Robinson at his best.
Josh Johnson on The Cardi B Trial
Josh is one of the smartest comedians we have. If we all got all our news from him, the world would be a much better place.
Manchild, Sabrina Carpenter SNL Performance
I can’t quit SNL. I still watch every episode from start to finish, but more often than not, I can’t make it through a single musical performance without fast-forwarding. Not only did I not fast-forward this one—I rewound it and watched it again and again. I still put it on whenever I’m in a bad mood (often).
Live and in the Flesh, Sarah Squirm
Speaking of SNL, now that Bowen Yang has departed from the show, Sarah is the reason I will continue to watch every episode. Her first stand up special, Live and in the Flesh is totally insane and absolutely disgusting. It's a masterpiece.
Best Guess Video, Lucy Dacus
The Queer version of Charli XCX's Boys video. A total joy. Again, choose your fighter!
LOOK OUT FOR ME Video, Turnstile
Baltimore 4ever 💜
Wow, thanks for reading!!
More to come in 2026 ✌️