Why Jennifer Coolidge Credits Ariana Grande for Her Career Revival

Oh snap! Jennifer Coolidge shared how Ariana Grande helped kick-start her career revival with an on-point impersonation and why she nearly turned down her iconic role on The White Lotus.

Jennifer Coolidge is giving a special shout out to Ariana Grande. 

While chatting with Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show on Jan. 20, The White Lotus star shared that the "7 Rings" singer helped spark her career revival after she impersonated Coolidge while on the show back in 2018.

"You should know that it was sort of the beginning of a lot of cool things that happened for me," Coolidge said of the imitation. "I was going through a dead zone. Not much was going on. And then Ariana did this imitation on your show and you encouraged her and then this ball got rolling." 

After watching Grande's impersonation, a friend of Coolidge's recommended she slide into the singer's DMs—but Coolidge was doubtful she'd actually get a response from Grande. 

"I was like, ‘No! She's got 260 million followers! Those are robots. The robots answer the DMs,'" she told Fallon. "I did it anyway and then this response came back and then the next thing you know, I was like going to her house getting a wardrobe fitting for ‘thank u, next.'"

Since the epic music video dropped in November 2018, Coolidge has gone on to portray a variety of roles including the wealthy and unstable Tanya McQuoid on the popular HBO series The White Lotus.

However, the Golden Globe-nominated actress admitted that she initially tried to think of a creative way to turn it down. 

"I tried to figure out these ways to get out of it with like, medical excuses," she said. "I was just trying to think of something that sounded believable, like I had partial hip problems where I couldn't turn. I came up with all these weird things but then [show creator Mike White] just said in [a] text, ‘Are you afraid?' I was like, ‘Oh, Jesus, he's onto me!'" 

These days, Coolidge is grateful for the little push that she needed to sign onto the show. "You know when you're actors, this big moment can happen sometimes and then you just blow it," she said. "Mike White is brilliant. He wrote a great show." 

As for returning for season two? Well, she coyly deflected the question. "There's a rumor I'm coming back. There's a rumor that Legally Blonde 3's happening. There's a lot of rumors out there," she said. "I don't know!" 

(E! and NBC are part of the NBCUniversal family.) 

For some, the pandemic has helped them find their style

During the coronavirus pandemic, Kennedy’s style evolved from chunky boots and crop tops to oversize white button-down shirts and bicycle shorts as her work-from-home uniform. (Source: New York Times)

The phrase “crop top” was not in Laken Brooks’ vocabulary before March 2020. Months of working from home at the start of the pandemic, though, gave the 27-year-old Ph.D. candidate a chance to reevaluate her fashion choices.

So when the chance to own a cropped T-shirt — short-sleeved and charcoal gray with images of wildflowers on the chest — presented itself, she took it. While for many people, style has been, at best, a secondary concern during the pandemic, some, like Brooks, found their personal style.

Before the pandemic, Brooks mostly wore business-casual wear to teach her students at the University of Florida in Gainesville. A couple of weeks into working from home, she decided to step out of her comfort zone and ordered a pair of leggings, having previously sworn them off lest they be considered too unprofessional.

She realized that she didn’t feel confident in her clothes from prelockdown life. Brooks has health issues that create intense bloating but wore clothes that were uncomfortable for the sake of appearing professional.

“I was just kind of trying to ignore what I was wearing and focus on my work,” she said.

While the leggings were comfortable for teaching from her desk at home, they were also a significant step in her style journey. This seemingly small act “made me feel comfortable in my body for the first time,” Brooks said.

Style in Solitude

For many, the isolation of the early pandemic days meant that there was no reason to dress up. Wearing sweatpants every day of 2020 became a social media trope, and articles about how the pandemic ruined style abounded. But that solitude is what helped some people break free of the noise that once influenced their style decisions.

Dressing up during the pandemic was also a form of control, and dressing up made people feel better, said Lillian Gray Charles, a personal stylist in Atlanta.

“We had fewer options for where we can go, where we could visit people, travel was so much more limited,” Charles said. “Something that we did have control over is what we put on our bodies.” Clients would email her to share that getting out of yoga pants and into something more put together would lift their spirits.

---

With the structures of prepandemic life removed for Amelia Crook, a 43-year-old mother of two, she felt compelled to rediscover her style a little more than a year after the first significant lockdown. With a professional background in technology and an affinity for the connecting powers of TikTok, Crook, who lives in Kyneton, Australia, posted her first video in May 2021. It was a plea: “Hi, I’m Amelia, I’m 42 and I’ve misplaced my personal style. And I need you to help me find it.”

“Previously I bought clothes to fit in,” Crook said in a Zoom interview. “That was a big revelation for me. It was like, I have my work wardrobe, I have my mom wardrobe, and these are the acceptable things to wear.” While she didn’t necessarily dislike her clothes before the pandemic, she realized that she was dressing for others.

With the help of her 127,000 followers, Crook polished up her style into one that she describes as “structured with feminine whimsy.” In her videos, Crook tries on outfits composed of clothes from her closet and new purchases (she likes secondhand clothing from shops like Depop) and tests out makeup and jewelry while receiving feedback from her followers.

When Crook stepped out in her new outfits, it was with a better sense of which clothes make her feel good.

“I have a more refined view of how I want to show up in the world,” she said.

Dressing for Joy

The quest for a mood boost is why Sara Camposarcone, 25, embraced her penchant for maximalism fashion. Before the pandemic, she worked in a sales role at a technology company in Toronto where she dressed in traditional office clothing and couldn’t flex her creative chops through style.

Wearing pajamas every day at the beginning of the pandemic made Camposarcone sad, so she decided to lean into an exaggerated aesthetic even if she was staying put. Before the pandemic, her clothes were mostly black and her style was trend focused, she said.

She now wears vibrant colors, layers and textures. One of her favorite outfits, for example, is a yellow suit set with shorts. She wears it with a puppy-print blouse and a matching vest over the blazer.

“Then I also had a bag that matched the puppy print. It was full puppy look going on. I felt so cool,” Camposarcone said. “I’d probably rewear that outfit a million times more because it was too good.” She buys many items secondhand and describes herself as a sustainable maximalist.

---

Camposarcone shares her outfits on TikTok. While some of the comments can be less than kind, she brushes them off because her outfits bring her joy.

“It’s truly what I look forward to every day the most,” she said. “I like to plan my outfit sometimes the night before, and even just putting it together, the excitement I have doing it is unmatched.”

Dressing for the Camera

It wasn’t all puppy blouses and kitten purses when it came to finding style during the pandemic. For some, it was as simple as streamlining their style. Alicia Kennedy, 36, a food writer who lives in San Juan, Puerto Rico, felt more visible than ever when the pandemic took hold. Instead of phone calls, people suddenly wanted to meet on Zoom. She was also new to San Juan and wanted to create a visual identity for herself. She began investing in pieces by sustainable designers like Mara Hoffman and Puerto Rican brands like Luca and Muns.

Kennedy’s style evolved from chunky boots and crop tops to oversize white button-down shirts and bicycle shorts as her work-from-home uniform. When she’s not wearing that, she’s likely to be found in a slip dress or billowy button-down.

“I’ve come to be more interested in really simple silhouettes and things that are really adaptable,” Kennedy said.

When the world felt chaotic, Kennedy found structure in her outfits even when working from home.

“Just the idea that I still needed to get up every day, still needed to work, even if everything was unpredictable and strange, meant that I needed more of an identity through what I wore,” she said. “Also, it’s an easy time to just become absolutely sloppy. So it was kind of a conscious choice just to not do that.”

For Camposarcone, experimenting with fashion during the pandemic led her to a new career. She recently began a marketing role with Cakeworthy, a clothing company.

For Brooks, embracing her new look gave her a whole new appreciation for her body.

“Now that I’m able to try out these different outfits, and especially wearing crop tops, I realized that I really like my booty,” she said. “It makes me feel that much more confident in myself.”

Of course, one’s sense of style can be a work in progress, Crook said, and the search for it never really ends. She’s a different person in many ways now than she was five years ago.

“My kids are older. I’m not burping babies anymore,” she said. “So it’s an evolution. Something that will continue, and I’m up for that.”

New Brand Direction for Reebok with Debut of “RADICALM”

Reebok Showcases its FW21 Women’s Collection with an Unexpected Narrative in New Film Release

Shop Reebok here.

Following the debut of Reebok’s new brand direction revealed earlier this season through films including CrateMaster  and Reconnect, today Reebok continues its evolving brand narrative with a 60-second film titled ““Radicalm.” Directed by Reebok Senior Director of Marketing Creative & Design, Jide Osifeso, the thought-provoking piece explores the intersection of radical optimism and radical acceptance: radical calmness, while highlighting a curated Reebok FW21 women’s collection inspired by the same premise.

Featured in the story are musician Joyce Wrice and entrepreneur Candice Craig wearing Reebok’s new FW21 women’s collection, while a voiceover plays out an inner monologue that spotlights the back-and-forth struggle between profound and superficial thought.   Further examining the universal concept of wondering, the story shows how one can think as seriously about how their shoes look, as where they stand in the world within the same minute, leaving the audience wondering themselves about their own thought-process in navigating simple and superficial, as well as the deep and dramatic.

Speaking to the film’s unexpected narrative, Reebok’s Senior Director of Marketing Creative & Design, Jide Osifeso shared, “I’ve been noticing a lot of anthemic and performative pieces from brands that aim to address big, serious topics. There is a place for that, of course. But here we wanted the opportunity to relate to people on a more personal level by acknowledging that our own internal thoughts are all valid, as weighty or trivial as they may be. And in doing so, we hope the film's acknowledgment of wonder and concern without claiming to have all of the solutions leads to a sense of calm and optimism.”

“As a creative, to create with someone you look up to, and with a brand you have literally worn and respected your whole life, is truly a magical combo,” said Candice Craig, creative and entrepreneur, and one of the subjects featured in the film.  “Working with Reebok and Jide as Creative Director on this film was nothing short of an inspiring experience.  I could relate to this campaign because it unveiled my everyday thoughts.  We all go through life wondering, always being curious and I’m proud we got to share that curiosity is normal and it keeps us going.”

Mirroring the themes of the film, the products in this seasonal women’s assortment were developed on the premise of radical calmness and belief that optimism is a radical choice.  Muted neutrals paired with contrasts of bold neons signify the equilibrium between radical and calm and bring to life a collection made up of lifestyle and fitness footwear and apparel silhouettes including the Nano X1, Club C Double Geo, Techque T, Zig Kinetica II, Lux Highrise Tight, Lux Racer Bra and more.

The FW21 women’s collection is available now at www.reebok.com/us/women. 

Fans Are Loving RedrumSociety's New Single, "Its Too Late"

According to the reports, the kings of alternative rock, RedrumSociety recently released their new single, “It’s Too Late”. The renowned blues and alternative rock band is still making waves in the industry. Recently, they managed to reach new heights on the Billboard Music Charts with their hit release, “All Night”, debuting at #22.

RedrumSociety’s lead singer, Zach Cohen, is leading the band to glory with style. He stated that their latest song is funky and will be dealing with a retro vibe. Fans have eagerly awaited the release of “It’s Too Late”. The cover art was revealed with a glimpse of the song’s official music video on social media and received great responses. The video clips display fashion and scenes from the early ’90s. Sources wanted to get more out of this amazing announcement and got in touch with the band. Apparently, “It’s Too Late” was set to be released earlier. However, due to some changes, it was postponed until November.

Zach also shared some insights on the song, He said this song is the band’s alternative rock sound mixed with a retro vibe. As always, Zach is the one behind its composition and he has put together another one of RedrumSociety’s hits. It looks like “It’s Too Late” is following the footsteps of its predecessors, and is mixed with a modernized musical touch.

After the success of “Seeing Things”, the band has been continuously performing on various platforms and live shows. Live concerts and performances have made RedrumSociety one of the fastest-growing bands in such a small amount of time. Not to mention, the composition ideas by Zach are astounding. This makes their songs communicative and engaging for their listeners. It seems that the alternative rock genre has truly been accepting of RedrumSociety and are now looking for a series of successful releases in the upcoming year.

In conclusion, the band is also offering discounts on merchandise for those that have made purchases for “Seeing Things”. We are anxious to see how well “It’s Too Late” becomes. It is quite entertaining to fans and continues RedrumSociety’s flawless imagery.

Be sure to follow their movement on their Website, Facebook & YouTube and purchase “It’s Too Late” on Amazon.

21 Savage Threatened With Lawsuit

If fan captured footage is any indication, FreakNik Festival 2021 went off without a hitch earlier this month. But now, more than two weeks following the event’s conclusion, organizers are threatening rapper 21 Savage (and his manager) with legal action over a FreakNik-themed birthday party held in Atlanta.

FreakNik Festival took place during October’s second weekend, and the (age 18 and older) fans in attendance had the chance to enjoy performances from north of 60 acts – Juvenile, Trick Daddy, Trina, and Twista among them. But the decades-old happening has developed a controversial reputation over the allegedly rowdy behavior of its attendees as well as guests at associated parties.

Former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed cracked down on the function and related occurrences in 2010, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and FreakNik higher-ups indicated on their website that the 2021 edition would be “the LAST FreakNik as the negativity is just [sic] been too overwhelming.” (Of course, given the ongoing threat of litigation against 21 Savage and other factors, it remains to be seen whether the event will stick to the commitment.)

The much-publicized feud concerning 21 Savage’s initially mentioned birthday party appeared to initiate yesterday morning after the official FreakNik Festival Twitter account published a message reading: “Saw @21savage and @megameezy #Freaknik21 last night at @underground_atlanta and looked like a super dope event. Sucks we gonna have to sue them when all we asked was that they acknowledged us since it was a free event and they declined.

“Spending over a million to revive a brand, fighting negative public perception and proving we can do it 2 years [FreakNik also took place in 2019] with no issues, comes at a cost,” states a follow-up message from the FreakNik Festival. “We can’t let others just infringe on that. So know when you hear them talk about we tried to work it out very easily beforehand.”

A brief clip of what appears to be the party in question is included with the first tweet – though the “@underground_atlanta” handle doesn’t link to an account. Plus, it bears noting that London-born 21 Savage, who moved to Atlanta at age seven, turned 29 on Friday, October 22nd.

The “A Lot” creator specified in an Instagram post last week that he would celebrate his birthday at a party on Saturday the 23rd, and the event’s poster makes clear that attendees “must be dressed in FreakNik 92-95 styles,” whereas text at the promo material’s top reads “FreakNik 21.”

21 Savage fired off a firmly worded response to FreakNik’s first tweet on the subject – “Y’all better sit down somewhere” – and a company called After 9 Partners (not to mention all manner of fans) then entered the social-media battle.

“@21savage we are the owners of the Freaknik trademark,” wrote After 9 Partners, including with the message a photo that seems to show this trademark’s registration. “All we asked is for you to acknowledge the rightful owner and we would have asked you to do something positive like post a link to raise money for charity. Since we always do something good in the hood every Freaknik.”

More than a few other responses have been issued – on Twitter and Instagram – in the multifaceted war of words, and multiple fans have noted that Saweetie celebrated her birthday at a FreakNik-themed party over the summer, seemingly without pushback (or threats of legal action) from the namesake festival.

Notwithstanding the aforementioned post from 21 Savage (in addition to a couple of tweets from his manager), the rapper doesn’t appear to have issued further responses to the possible lawsuit from FreakNik – nor had a complaint been filed at the time of this piece’s publishing.

Organizers doubled down on their litigation-minded criticism in a decidedly lengthy Instagram post today, however, writing in part: “We saw [the] @saweetie event earlier this year and thought it was dope…we learned about it afterward too and she didn’t promote it in Atlanta. We saw @quavohuncho and @yungmiami305 and we love it but haven’t decided what we want to do.

“But @21savage and @megameezy event was another level. Super dope also so congrats to @mshannahkang for the dope layout, but that event was a smack in our face to all the hard work we put in. We said we will give you [a] license for FREE and was gonna ask to make sure it has a nonprofit presence there. They said no…I didn’t want this smoke…again we said ‘man put on for the city just acknowledge us and we will give you the license FREE.’ Meezy said he would just change the name. He didn’t…”

Read more here.