Kayleigh Donaldson
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ceilidhann.bsky.social
Kayleigh Donaldson
@ceilidhann.bsky.social
Pop culture writer and critic.
Everyone remembers the iconic Rolling Stone cover of Britney Spears and her Teletubby. But do you remember the article that accompanied it, and the way it shaped her image as a "sultry teen virgin"?

I wrote about it for my newsletter.

gossipreadingclub.substack.com/p/issue-31-t...
Issue 31: The Introduction of Britney Spears (and The Crafting of Her Image)
Everyone remembers the Rolling Stone cover, but what about the profile?
gossipreadingclub.substack.com
November 9, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Look, when JCO is on, she is *on.*
lol she got his ass and he knows it
November 9, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Reposted by Kayleigh Donaldson
Help me out.

Next week, I have a two day break planned with my sister where I hope to spend a solid chunk of it doing nothing but reading.

I need the absolute perfect book for this endeavour. Something juicy but with heft. A book I can languish in.

Give me all your recommendations!
a cartoon character is reading a book titled war and more war
ALT: a cartoon character is reading a book titled war and more war
media.tenor.com
November 5, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Reposted by Kayleigh Donaldson
We're talking about a classic royal scandal on my newsletter this week: Fergie and the toe sucker!

open.substack.com/pub/gossipre...
Do You Remember: The Fergie Toe-Sucking Scandal
The erstwhile Duchess of York created a very royal disgrace.
open.substack.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Reposted by Kayleigh Donaldson
Sydney Sweeney and Scooter Braun Are Kissing For the Paparazzi (And It's Hilarious)
Sydney Sweeney and Scooter Braun Are Kissing For the Paparazzi (And It's Hilarious)
The news that Sydney Sweeney was dating Scooter Braun felt like it was brewed in a Celebrity Hot Takes lab designed to leave us all even more exhausted in 2025. The actress and jeans saleswoman had paired up with Justin... Read more...
www.pajiba.com
November 6, 2025 at 6:26 PM
I wrote about the return of the face-lift.
November 6, 2025 at 8:23 PM
We're talking about a classic royal scandal on my newsletter this week: Fergie and the toe sucker!

open.substack.com/pub/gossipre...
Do You Remember: The Fergie Toe-Sucking Scandal
The erstwhile Duchess of York created a very royal disgrace.
open.substack.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Reposted by Kayleigh Donaldson
When people talk about the excesses of MeToo, they have to lie, because the reality is that there was no massive social reckoning forcing people to believe survivors or hold perpetrators accountable. In fact, there has been a significant backsliding and new punishments in rejection of MeToo
November 6, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Help me out.

Next week, I have a two day break planned with my sister where I hope to spend a solid chunk of it doing nothing but reading.

I need the absolute perfect book for this endeavour. Something juicy but with heft. A book I can languish in.

Give me all your recommendations!
a cartoon character is reading a book titled war and more war
ALT: a cartoon character is reading a book titled war and more war
media.tenor.com
November 5, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Have you wondered how Bugonia differs from the film it's a remake of, Save the Green Planet? I compared the two for @pajiba.com.

www.pajiba.com/film_reviews...
How Does 'Bugonia' Differ From 'Save the Green Planet!', the Korean Film It’s a Remake Of?
Yorgos Lanthimos's remake of a cult Korean sci-fi drama is surprisingly faithful, but with a few twists.
www.pajiba.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Reposted by Kayleigh Donaldson
#AllsFair fails due to a lack of fun and the stunt-casting of Kim Kardashian as the lead, according to Kayleigh Donaldson.

A cast that includes Naomi Watts, Sarah Paulson and Glenn Close "cannot make this stinker of a girlboss soap watchable."

The full review: https://bit.ly/4hIYK0N
November 4, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Reposted by Kayleigh Donaldson
Any Chinese speakers/learners on here? I'm looking for advice or tools and such that'll help me with practicing writing and using the characters.
November 4, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Are you interested in Hollywood and true crime?

I wrote about one of the oddest unsolved crimes in Hollywood history: Bob Crane.

open.substack.com/pub/gossipre...
Hollywood & Crime: The Mysterious Death of Bob Crane
The star of Hogan's Heroes is the subject of one of the oddest unsolved crimes in entertainment history.
open.substack.com
November 4, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Reposted by Kayleigh Donaldson
'Mary Shelley's Frankenstein' was released on this day in 1994. It's one of the least loved entries in Kenneth Branagh’s filmography, @ceilidhann.bsky.social writes, and one of the most interesting: crookedmarquee.com/the-messy-br...
The Messy Brilliance of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
With “Belfast” an Oscar frontrunner, a look back at one of the least loved entries in Kenneth Branagh’s filmography–and one of the most interesting.
crookedmarquee.com
November 4, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Reposted by Kayleigh Donaldson
Every time she comes up, I remind you all that Pamela Paul killed a pro trans paragraph in a review I wrote for the New York Times, lied about it in the press, then when I confronted her with receipts, said “Let’s keep this to ourselves.”
In which a straight woman highlights a bunch of known anti trans activists and claims there's a divide in the queer community.

It's pure propaganda and gaslighting.
November 2, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Reposted by Kayleigh Donaldson
This is the kind of coverage that Teen Vogue just decided to stop doing.
dissatisfied by the New York Times coverage of Zohran Mamdani?

great news! I talked to the guy Thursday about his campaign’s success at bringing community together beyond this election, and contextualized how it’s potentially shifted youth engagement with politics by simply listening @teenvogue.com
Zohran Mamdani's Establishment-Fighting Campaign Built Community for Young People
“What Mamdani has done is not only inspire and mobilize young people, but he has exposed the establishment and some of their calcified views of participation and inclusion.”
www.teenvogue.com
November 3, 2025 at 8:22 PM
What books did you read last month? Come chat with us on Pajiba!
November 3, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Reposted by Kayleigh Donaldson
Box Office Report: 'Regretting You' Slumps to Top Spot In Record Weak Halloween Weekend
Box Office Report: 'Regretting You' Slumps to Top Spot In Record Weak Halloween Weekend
Ooft, it was a bad week for the box office. It was the lowest-grossing Halloween weekend in 31 years, according to The Hollywood Reporter (excluding 2020, when COVID shutdowns were in place). In fairness, there weren't any major new releases,... Read more...
www.pajiba.com
November 3, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Reposted by Kayleigh Donaldson
Because it’s cis kids.
The NHS will quite casually give cis kids whatever treatment they need, even PBs👇
No trials. No concerns about side effects. No moral panic.
November 2, 2025 at 8:10 AM
I reviewed Bugonia, which is good but lacking a view of the big picture, despite two great lead performances and a prickly gender swap.

gossipreadingclub.substack.com/p/review-yor...
Review: Yorgos Lanthimos Gets Conspiratorial With Bugonia
Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons take on aliens, corporate evil, and bees.
gossipreadingclub.substack.com
November 2, 2025 at 9:57 PM
This is an excellent book.
November 2, 2025 at 9:46 AM