Pop Culture Messiness: Palestinian Voices, Celebrity Fails & Red Flags

From Love Island drama to Thom Yorke’s silence: this week’s deep dive into celebrities, activism, and what you might have missed

Hey friends,

My whole family just got sick. Well, me and both kids. Caregiving while sick feels like a divine punishment. I’m running on fumes, but I still wanted to share a few things I’ve been watching and thinking about lately!

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In This Issue:

• A Palestinian on Love Island USA?!

• Can I Come In? Women on Art and Intimacy

• Thom Yorke’s Liberal Zionism

• Take Action: Climbers for Palestine

• 10 Pop Culture Red Flags (Paid Subscribers)

And don’t miss my Pro-Palestinian Artists Spotify playlist!

A Palestinian on Love Island USA?!

When I haven’t been stuck watching kids' shows this past week, I’ve been catching up on Love Island USA, and I was so excited to see a Palestinian contestant, Huda Mustafa!

hudabubbaaa

A post shared by @hudabubbaaa

I love her. She wears her heart on her sleeve, she’s messy, she’s imperfect, and she’s definitely dividing opinions online. Are any of you watching? What do you think? I’m dying to discuss.

Can I Come In? Women on Art and Intimacy

Moving on to something a little more “elevated,” shall we say. Can I Come In? is a cinematic podcast/documentary hybrid directed and hosted by Sarah Bahbah, made in partnership with WePresent (by WeTransfer).

Each guest shares a deeply personal story in a totally immersive, visually stunning set. It’s unscripted and emotionally raw. And the lineup includes:

• Mia Khalifa,

• Nemahsis,

• Liza Soberano,

• Banks,

• Yesly Dimate,

• and Cindy Kimberly.

Bonus: The theme song for the trailer is Radiya by Lina Makoul, the first and only Palestinian to win The Voice Israel. Makoul joined the Saint Levant Deira tour in the fall of 2024, opening for the majority of the concerts on the tour in North America and Europe.

Thom Yorke’s Liberal Zionism

Let’s talk about Thom Yorke, liberal Zionism, and the limits of celebrity activism.

He recently released a statement supposedly addressing Palestine. But instead of naming the occupation, apartheid, or Israeli forces, he focused only on Netanyahu. He scolds “one or two line” messages on social media but conveniently ignores the years of organizing behind campaigns like BDS, which Radiohead actively dismissed when they chose to play in Tel Aviv in 2017.

@illeshamagdalenaThom Yorke recently condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu AND Hamas in an 8-page statement. But here’s some background on his “liberal Zionist” take. Can you name another example of liberal Zionism or a liberal Zionist? #thomyorke #radiohead #humanrights #celebritynews #middleeast

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Yorke frames Palestinians as victims of both sides, a tired and harmful narrative that flattens colonial violence into an insincere moral equivalence. And when he vaguely references “those I work with,” he’s most likely talking about longtime bandmate Jonny Greenwood, who’s married to an Israeli visual artist and collaborates with Zionist musicians.

Yorke’s statement doesn’t show growth. It’s liberal Zionism 101: condemn the “far right,” protect the occupation itself, and shame the people demanding justice.

Take Action: Climbers for Palestine

From May 30 – June 27, Climbers for Palestine is hosting its annual climb-a-thon fundraiser. The goal is to collectively climb 477 miles in vertical height, which is the estimated length of Israel’s apartheid walls.

They’re raising money for:

• Palestinian Red Crescent Society

• Middle East Children’s Alliance

• Wadi Climbing (a local West Bank climbing gym/community org).

Register to participate here! Want to host a climb meetup in your area? They’ve got a starter kit ready for you when you register a team.

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Pop Culture Red Flags