I'm Back in Your Inbox to Share...
It's been a minute.
Hi everyone!
I’ve missed you, Substack fam. So, where have I been?
Well, for one, busy. In 2023, I got a new job (moving from BuzzFeed News (RIP) to Glamour), launched my book baby into the world (Swipe Up For More), and finished my first full year of raising my real baby (she’s 2.5 now!)
All of these things keep me pretty occupied, in a way that I wasn’t when I first launched this newsletter back during COVID. But I’ve been wanting to figure out a way to start it up again, because I have been writing and editing some really cool stuff that I know you’d all love. Also, I appreciate so much those of you who have subscribed, and want to be able to talk to you more directly than I can on Instagram (which sometimes shows my content to like 500 of my followers lol).
So, I’ve decided to make this newsletter ah hoc for now, sharing some of my favorite articles I’ve written on pop or internet culture and other things I’ve enjoyed reading around the web. You can expect it every few weeks or so.
What spurred me to start up again? My latest project: WAG Week!
The genesis of the project was this: I saw the impact WAGs were having on social media and real life, and knew we needed to dig deeper. What resulted is an entire five days of content, 19 separate stories, dozens of interviews, and even more fun social moments.
As I wrote in the main piece, Welcome to Wag World:
“In every sport popular among Americans today, WAGs are ever present. They’re going viral, building brands, and becoming famous. They’re raising not just their own profiles, but that of their athletes. They’re collectively changing the demographics of who watches games, turning sidelines into catwalks, and gracing the pages of glossy magazines—with or without their partners. They’re changing the face of American professional sports as we know it.”
Reporting this package has been such a cool experience. I got to shadow Chariah Gordon and her friends to a box at Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs game, attend a US Open match with Morgan Riddle, talk to so many different influencers and WAGs of all stripes, and help create really fun social content.
Here’s some BTS (I clearly need to work on my Getty Image posing).
Want to read all the content? Here you go!
In 2024 some of the most influential figures in American sports aren’t the players. They’re the women by their side. Welcome to WAG World.
All eyes are on the NFL’s hottest team—and Chiefs fiance Chariah Gordon and her group of friends are having a blast in the spotlight. I tagged along with the queens of the Chiefs kingdom.
WAGs are not a monolith; they come in a variety of flavors. Let’s break them down.
Meet the WAGs changing the game
Morgan Riddle, Olivia Dunne, and all your favorite WAGs answer some FAQs
The original WAGs like Victoria Beckham and Coleen Rooney were instant icons—but treated as jokes
I hope you enjoy these walk through WAG World. And I'd love to hear from you all about what you’d actually love to read about in this newsletter? Summaries of my work? Niche drama breakdowns? Round-ups of internet culture articles like I used to do? A community to chat with like-minded ladies?
Let me know and more soon,
Stephanie