Every week brings such an overwhelming onslaught of news that sometimes the most entertaining bits can fall through the cracks. Here, we’ll recap the pettiest squabbles, juiciest feuds, and other niche drama you didn’t know you were living for.
Trump vs. “Church Lady” John Kelly
No Week in Drama recap would be complete without an entry about our president. This week he’s picked a fight with his new chief of staff, General John Kelly. The general has reportedly put Trump on a tight leash, controlling who he can meet with and call. This hasn’t sat well with the president, who is used to being allowed to eat endless amounts of Lay’s, binge-watch Fox News, and call whoever he wants, to complain. Instead of sucking it up, he’s resorted to sneaking personal calls on his cell phone, like a teen in a blossoming middle-school romance. Hopefully this will end the way those furtive teen calls do: with Trump grounded for three weeks without internet access.
The Chris Christie–Ted Cruz Spat Nobody Asked For
I regret to inform you that your two least favorite Republicans are at it again.
Chris Christie and Ted Cruz engaged in some weather-related drama this week when the two duked it out over Hurricane Sandy. Ever since Hurricane Harvey devastated the Texas coast, lawmakers from the state have been lobbying for federal aid to help support rebuilding efforts. Some, including Christie, pointed out the hypocrisy of this, considering many of them voted against federal aid for Sandy relief. Christie also took issue with Cruz’s false claim that two-thirds of Sandy recovery money went to non-Sandy-related projects. Cruz fired back, claiming Christie was just “desperate” to have his name in the news. Hmm, seems like that goes for you both.
Margaret Atwood’s Canadian Condo Controversy
Beloved author and famous Canadian Margaret Atwood found herself at the center of some serious Twitter drama this week when it was revealed that she opposed a new condo development coming to her neighborhood.
Some backstory: There’s a planned eight-story condo coming to the Annex, which Atwood and many of her neighbors oppose. Per the Toronto Star, she wrote a letter to a local council member stating, “I join my neighbours in their concerns about setbacks that violate bylaws, and about privacy issues, and about the precedent such large violations of bylaws would set, not only for the neighbourhood but for the city.” She also expressed concern for some trees that might be impacted by the building. Her husband, Graeme Gibson, was slightly more, uh, direct, stating that the condos “hover close to a brutal and arrogant assault on a community that has been here since the 19th century.”
People were quick to call Atwood out, with Maclean’s attributing their criticism to “her perceived embrace of the ‘not in my backyard’ (NIMBY) philosophy that’s frowned upon in the progressive circles the celebrated author usually occupies.”
Atwood, for her part, has continued to comment by … tweeting back at almost everyone who criticizes her.
The Cyclist Magazine’s Bad Caption
Here’s your media scandal of the week: U.K. magazine Cycling Weekly made an unfortunate caption choice when they featured a cycling team in their latest issue and labeled one of the members “token attractive female” (same).
Readers did not take too kindly to it, while Cycling Weekly is sorry and trying to remove it.
Catch up on previous drama here.