Cramped Style Weekly
Issue No. 220: February 20, 2026
So I was struck down last Friday with a 24-hour plague, and didn’t get this newsletter out, but on the plus side, it was the perfect opportunity to zone out to my most recent favorite comfort TV — British comedy shows, in this case, “The Big Fat Quiz Show”.
Scott and I watched an episode that introduced us to British 90s phenomenon Mr. Blobby. I don’t want to write more about this clip I’ve linked because if you, like me, were previously unaware of Mr. Blobby, I don’t want to spoil even a second of the sheer hilarity and joy this clip gave me. And if you find it as funny as I did, know that I went down a Mr. Blobby rabbit hole and learned that he had a #1 Christmas single in 1993 and it is absolutely unhinged. Do not miss the comments section of that YouTube video.
For a week, I’ve been waiting to bring you the gift of Mr. Blobby, thinking I’d show you the funniest thing you’d see all week. But I have to say, I think RFK Jr. and Kid Rock stole my thunder with their equally unhinged workout video. If you haven’t seen it, please treat yourself (but don’t blame me if you die from secondhand embarrassment).
Onto more recommendations…
What I’m reading
I picked up When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger from my Little Free Library. Of course, I read and watched The Devil Wears Prada back in the day, and after it, I diligently picked up anything Weisberger wrote. About Lululemons though…
The Devil Wears Prada (shockingly) published the year I graduated high school. In the early 2000s, we were still into “heroin-chic” and fatphobia seems correct for a book about a magazine based on Vogue. Lululemons published in 2018 though, and is a spinoff of Devil. The characters do not work in fashion and they live in Greenwich, CT. While I am sure the pressure to stay thin in Greenwich is real, reading this in 2026, it feels very dated. Even right down to the many Starbucks cameos. It’s a good story, but the constant fat-shaming is making me cringe. That said, it’s readable, escapist, and a good revenge story. But I wish this 2000s-era mindset didn’t persist throughout it.
What I’m listening to
In nonfiction, I listened to Eat Your Ice Cream by Zeke Emanuel after hearing him on the “Freakonomics” podcast. The book is a distillation of six common-sense healthy lifestyle behaviors (eat well, exercise, sleep, see friends, etc.) backed up (mostly) by research. I say “(mostly)” because he relies a few times on “blue zones” research, which has been debunked, but overall, simplifying health advice isn’t the worst thing right now, especially for someone like me who constantly tracks her stats.
What I’m watching
I’m a week behind but I adored the Bad Bunny halftime show. It absolutely filled me with joy. As did the right-wing reactions. What a bunch of losers.
Scott and I also finished the latest season of “The Night Manager” and while I will say I enjoyed it, it didn’t leave me feeling great about the world and the role Western governments like ours play in arms dealing.
What I’m eating
For Lunar New Year, NYT cooking had a lot of great Asian dishes, including these very easy and tasty longevity noodles.
This week’s obsession
RFK Jr. being a never-nude.
How I’m staying healthy
I’m still staying strong with a 200+ day streak of learning French on Duolingo, and thanks to Emanuel’s book, I now know that learning new things is one way to keep your cognition healthy.
This week’s local favorite
Scott ordered us matzah ball soup from Attman’s deli last Friday when we were sick, and although it does not compare to my mother’s matzah ball soup, it definitely hit the spot.
Have a great weekend, and don’t take health advice from never-nudes who drink whole milk in the sauna!
