Strong women giving the stink eye: what I’ve saved on Instagram this week

Every Monday, our Deputy Digital Editor trawls through her saturated ‘saved’ folder on Instagram and recaps her thoughts on the week’s weird and wonderful social media happenings. 

That J.Lo moment

As if this week’s listings could begin any other way. Sashaying down the runway, J.Lo showed her skill at breaking the internet in a green Versace dress has not waned over the last 20 years — in fact, it may have gotten even better. Although she is absolutely not of this earth, Lopez’s firey runway walk at age 50 is an example to all of us — beauty and confidence do not have a sell-by date.

Patti Smith making me feel things again

As the original rock chick, you could be forgiven for boxing Patti Smith firmly into the music category in your mind’s filing system. But for me, she will always be the one who introduced me to New York before I’d ever seen it (as well as love and loss and growing up) in her stunning memoir Just Kids. To come across her words is always a joy, but this particular little caption on Instagram really punched me in the feels this week. What a gorgeous thought, and how excited I am for her upcoming novel.

Gal pal Rachel Green mood board

It was inevitable that our collective Insta-feeds would be saturated with Friends-related content this week (given that it’s the 25th anniversary of the show), but amongst the samey group pictures in front of the New York fountain, I was reminded of what is perhaps my favourite edition of Rachel Green above. From The One That Could Have Been (Part 2), the scene takes place in an alternate timeline (very meta for Friends, I know, but stay with me) where all the characters have taken different life paths, and are wondering if they would still end up as friends.

Rachel got married to Barry instead of leaving him at the altar, and is visits Joey in his decked-out actor’s apartment for a date. Rachel’s drunken efforts to seduce Joey are hilarious enough, but where she really shines is in Central Park after finding out Barry has cheated on her. She’s done with men, done with suburban life, and she’s angry about it. “Do wedding vows mean SQUAT to you people?!” Classic.

The summertime goddess that is Lizzo

Far be it from me to praise Lizzo (obviously joking, here’s 1000 words of me waxing lyrical about her) but this shoot from Billboard is just another stunning example of why I love her. Unfiltered self-confidence and joy in self-love? Shouting your abilities and achievements from the rooftops, while serving Diana Ross 70’s realness? Hook it to my veins.

A lesson in self-love from Jada Pinkett Smith

Staying on the self-love train, last this week is from a current obsession of mine, actress Jada Pinkett-Smith. I have become irrevocably hooked on her Facebook Watch series Red Table Talk, and the way she speaks about her history and self-image with absolute honesty, warts and all. Getting to a place where you even feel any kind of fondness or kindness to yourself is a struggle, but Jada’s incredulous “y’all are babies!” makes me feel a little better that it will come in time.

Featured image: NBC

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