Girl World #21: Alix + Alex, Safari Trips, Tinashe Reminders, Female Leadership Approaches, Spring Fashion, Training Social Media Algorithms, Crushes + Not Faking Orgasms

Happy Last Day of February! One of our favorite SNL 50th Anniversary special outcomes has resulted in catapulting Robyn’s 2010 hit Dancing On My Own back into the cultural zeitgeist. It’s been trending on social media the last couple of weeks, and it’s still the bop it was in 2012 when Hannah and Marnie dance to it at the end of an episode of Girls.

So, here’s our call to action for you this weekend: take a 2-minute break and dance it out to Robyn. Maybe even do it tonight, k? It’s giving serious TGIF vibes.

The Alex & Alix Narrative: If you’re chronically online or follow media news, you probably heard the news that two of the most popular women in media—Alex Cooper and Alix Earle—parted ways this week. TLDR: Alix Earle is a TikToker with a mass following who starred in that Carl’s Jr Super Bowl ad that everyone talked about this year. We’ve featured Alex Cooper of the Call Her Daddy podcast a few times in Girl World—she’s a podcaster in pursuit of building a large media company (The Unwell Network). This isn’t a gossip newsletter so why are we talking about it? Because Girl World is talking about it. There are so many theories as to why Alix’s podcast was leaving the network: whether Alex Cooper is hard to work with, whether Alix was threatening to Alex because of her success, whether their differences in politics played a role, etc.

Of course, it gets personal as fans take sides with words and phrases like: Difficult personality. High standards. Ambitious. Jealousy. The conversation and dialogue around the end of a contract or business agreement immediately got personal—something that doesn’t happen as often with men.

As women in business, we can take a step back from the online narrative and look at the parting in business terms: Alix Earle’s podcast, Hot Mess, isn’t performing as well as expected, which means that it’s not a high-priority property to keep in the network. She likely had a two-year contract with the Unwell Network, which is typical for the podcasting world. She’s also continuing to grow in popularity and scaling her own brand, which means she likely would want to command a higher fee or percentage. This very likely wasn’t a fee that Alex Cooper and the Unwell Network was willing to pay given the podcast’s performance.

Two successful women—with completely different brands, purposes, and missions—decided that continuing their business partnership didn’t make sense for either side. It’s business, it’s not personal. And, there’s nothing wrong with having just a business relationship and not being friends—a standard that we hold women, but not men to.

On a side note: Alex Cooper has built a business from a successful podcast. It’s her business and it’s still very early on in the company. Entrepreneurs are ambitious. Entrepreneurs are relentless and have high standards. In fact, Silicon Valley is notorious for it. The conversations around Alex Cooper wouldn’t happen if she were a man. So, let’s celebrate women building businesses with the skills and approach often needed to succeed—and holding them accountable, if needed.

Speaking of gossip, a new book by Kelsey McKinney, You Didn’t Hear This From Me, recently dropped. It’s an exploration of gossip and everyday storytelling. We already added it to our TBR list.

2025 SAG Red Carpet: We love a red carpet and the 2025 SAG Awards didn’t disappoint. The glamour. The sparkle. The lace. We love it all. Our top four picks: Kerry Washington: Glam perfection. Leighton Meester (aka Blair Waldorf) is a lacey goddess. The scarf is very trendy for SS2025! Selena Gomez looked incredibly sleek. The neckline on her dress is a big trend for 2025 as well—expect to see it across both casual and formal fashion. The colors in Kristen Bell’s dress were perfection and the dress was perfectly feminine, but still classic.

1. Who defines women in rock? is an excerpt from Tanya Pearson’s new book Pretend We’re Dead. Its an exploration of the women who rocked in the 90’s, how they were positioned in the media, the consequences of that branding, and the eventual backlash they faced. We can’t wait to dive into the book.

2. What’s in BLACKPINK/The White Lotus’ Lisa’s bag? Hot sauce, popcorn, a cutesy wallet, and more. Even if these videos are slightly curated, they give us great ideas. Why don’t we carry more snacks? We need more snacks—and teeny tiny hot sauces.

3. Millie Bobbie Brown’s Vanity Fair cover is chic. Period. We learned something new: she’s an author and lives on a property in rural Georgia with her husband Jake Bongiovi (yes, Jon Bongiovi’s son!). She details her challenging experience as a young actress with social media and media critiques, and it serves as a reminder that those in the public eye are humans, too.

4. Women are leading on climate change—through collaboration and courage. TIME magazine’s Chief Climate Officer Shyla Raghav highlighted that their approach to climate change through collaboration, community, and care are often labeled as “feminist.” When the world encourages us to be divided and individualists, we love the female leadership approach. Women will save the world through leadership and collaboration. Literally.

5. Tinashe’s Marie Claire cover story is perfection. Tinashe imparts so many bites of wisdom throughout the story with reminders to always bet on yourself and not to count on the super big wins to carry you through.

6. This Swiftie saw The Eras Tour 12 times and spent over $10,000. It was a fascinating journey through her experience and how she spent that budget.

Colorado Rep. Brittany Petterson flew to D.C. with her newborn son to vote against the GOP budget because GOP leadership wouldn’t allow her to vote by proxy despite it being common practice.

Lesson: you can’t control everything, but focus on what you can do. Standing up for what’s right and persevering through challenges is empowering—even if you don’t achieve the desired outcome.

The women at town halls: Women have been on the frontlines and using their voices to push back on what’s happening in D.C.—so much so that GOP elected officials have cancelled town halls. Women are just getting started though.

Lesson: there’s power in numbers. We do more together than apart. Find community around an issue that matters to you and tackle it together.

Mental Health: We’ve all heard it: You are what you watch, what you read, who you hang out with, etc. This week, let’s tackle social media and mental health. It’s no secret that social media can negatively affect your mental health. A few weeks ago, a TikTok creator discussed how their FYP page is representative of what they’re focused on, where their mental health is, and what their interests are. That makes a lot of sense because, generally speaking, social media algorithms deliver you content you want to see in order keep you on the app. Take an objective look at your FYP and you’ll likely get a pretty good look at where you’re at currently. Tip: TikTok is more accurate than Instagram.

So, how about a little Uno Reverse? What if we used our social media algorithm (aka FYP page) to benefit us?

• Are you interested in fashion? Search for fashion creators and brands, and engage with them. You’ll get more fashion.

• Are you trying to build a business? Engage with entrepreneurs and business creators. You’ll get more business inspiration.

• You want more motivation from your TikTok tarot girlies? Only engage with the positive, uplifting messages. Tiktok will deliver more of what you want.

Swipe away from content you’re not interested in and the algorithm will stop delivering it after a few days or a week. With a little bit of effort, we can become stronger curators of the content we absorb. It can make all the difference in our mental health.

Weekly Hits: The best detox baths, 5 signs you’ve had too much sugar, learn more about zone 2 training, 10 probiotic foods to add to your diet, and tips for achieving dewy skin.

In honor of Oscars Weekend, explore Vogue’s favorite Oscar dresses over the years.

This California beach house is dreamy escapism with its depth and warmth.

Summer Fridays Limited Edition Birthday Cake Lip Butter is back in stock. So good.

Meghan Markle shared some BTS footage from her upcoming new show. Can’t wait!

The planets are literally aligning this weekend. Here’s how to see them—and try manifesting something magical!

Spring fashion trends to explore—we’re loving ladies who lunch, prep school, and all of the accessories!

Never fake an orgasm—and other life lessons from a 40-year-old.

Crushes make everyone embarrassing—you’re not alone.

The best street fashion from Milan Fashion Week.

We’re obsessed with this new resort and safari experience near South Africa's northern border with Zimbabwe.

Going Out: Our hobbies now include always being in pursuit of another happy hour. We’re also heading to a winter farmer’s market on Saturday for some seasonal produce. Chicago’s Field Museum just opened a brand new exhibit, Africa Fashion, and it’s a must-see. Weekend museum trips are typically crowded. If you have space in your schedule, explore museums on weekdays! This exhibit is in Chicago until June 29 so you have plenty of time to add it to your to-do list.

Watching: The Oscars on Sunday, with snacks and drinks. And, finishing the last two Best Picture nominees we haven’t caught yet: Anora and The Brutalist. Of course, we’ll be continuing with White Lotus Season 3. Grosse Pointe Garden Society on NBC/Peacock is fun and light. It just premiered last week so catching up is easy!

Reading: Self Care: A Novel by Leigh Stein

In the Kitchen: Raspberry Donuts and making this Crispy Rice Salmon Salad (obsessed)

Moving our Bodies: The weather is slightly milder so we’ve planned a long walk outside with friends to catch up. We’re running stairs this weekend so send us good vibes. Of course, a long yoga class and a fiery barre class are on the agenda, too.

💋 Jamie | Late August Media Founder

Girl World is a Late August Media publication.