The Girl's Guide
Issue 103: Happy Early Valentine's Day (feat. Karin Lips)
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Rom-coms, Reimagined
Obviously, February is the best month to watch your favorite romantic comedies. Whether you’ve been married for years or just went through a breakup, you’ll find there’s nothing as cathartic as watching a good rom-com as Valentine’s Day approaches. Sadly, they don’t make rom-coms like they used to. Highly anticipated rom-com Anyone But You, released in 2023, barely cracked 50% on Rotten Tomatoes. Maybe I’ve lost hope for the genre after a recent viewing of 1934’s It Happened One Night, which feels more relevant than anything being put out nearly 100 years later (and the characters are so sarcastic, you’d think they were from the 21st century).
So, since Hollywood can’t make a good rom-com anymore, here are my free ideas to update everyone’s favorite rom-coms for the digital dystopia that is 2024. I hope you enjoy.
You’ve Got DMs (1998): The original rom-com revolving around AOL users falling in love is ripe for reinterpretation in the age of anonymous social media accounts. Kathleen and Joe are enemies IRL – she’s keeping her family’s small grocery store afloat while he manages the construction of a nearby Amazon Go grocery store that’s sure to put her out of business. But on the Internet, Kathleen aka @shopgirl and Joe aka @NY152 get along swimmingly. They are constantly flirting on the timeline and even their mutuals say they should date! However, they both worry – will the magic disappear when they put a face to the username?
50 First Zoom Dates (2004): Henry, a successful veterinarian, is falling for Lucy, a carefree artist. There’s just one problem – Lucy became an amnesiac after she had a terrible accident the day that the Covid-19 national emergency was declared. Every morning when she wakes up, she thinks she still needs to wear a mask and social distance. Her family has an elaborate ruse to convince her it’s still March 13, 2020, so she won’t have the painful realization that her short-term memory is gone. Henry begins falling for her on their Zoom dates – but can he figure out a way to stay in her heart for more than a day?
Never Been Picked (1999): In the original film, Josie goes undercover as a high school student while working for a newspaper. In the 2024 version, she’s a YouTuber with a hidden camera (duh). Josie is a self-proclaimed nerd who has never been picked by a guy – but at least she’s never been a pick-me. That all changes when Josie decides to relive her high school experience and finds herself actually becoming cool. Will she lose herself or find herself? And most importantly, will she hit one million views?
The Holiday (2006): I hate this rom-com so much. Instead of updating it, let’s burn it.
Interview with Karin Lips
Today’s interview is someone I’m sure many of my readers are familiar with:
, President of the Network of enlightened Women! Connect with Karin on Instagram and Twitter and order her new book, You’re Not Alone: The Conservative Woman’s Guide to College.What does your life look like right now?
Life is packed, but in a good way. I am a mom to young boys, so I get to see the world through their eyes. That is so special. I don’t understand their fascination with sticks, but I appreciate that my boys sure love them. Also, I work for the Network of enlightened Women, known as NeW, to educate and empower young conservative women.
We live in Washington DC and like to spend time outside as a family. We like to go to local parks. As for museums, the National Museum of Natural History is a family favorite right now. It has dinosaurs, animals, and rocks.
What inspired you to write You’re Not Alone: The Conservative Woman’s Guide to College?
Over the years of running NeW, I have heard the same questions from young women again and again. I decided to gather the best advice and stories from almost two decades of leading NeW to share with readers to answer those questions. This way, young conservative women would be better prepared for some of the challenges they may face, such as dealing with hostile liberal professors, fighting back against silencing peer pressure, and more. This book aims to mentor young conservative women during college.
How does your college education and experience continue to impact you to this day?
I founded NeW while I was a student at the University of Virginia and now work for the organization, so I’d say my college experience is very much directly impacting my life today!
Also, I have been out of college for more than 15 years, but I still stay in touch with a few of my college professors. They have helped me far beyond writing letters of recommendation and making introductions. Steven Rhoads, one of my professors at UVA, served on the Board of Directors of NeW for years and became a trusted advisor and friend. Mentor-mentee relationships don’t just benefit you during college; they can enrich your life for years beyond.
What do you think higher education will look like when your children are adults? What will be your advice to them when they're older?
I hope there are a lot of changes. Higher education would benefit from more accountability, transparency, and intellectual diversity, for example. I want my children to be intentional about choosing their path. One of the themes that emerged from You’re Not Alone: The Conservative Woman’s Guide to College is the importance of being purposeful about picking a school, selecting a major, building friend groups, and so much more.
What are some of your favorite anecdotes in the book?
One of the joys of writing this book was getting to share the stories of NeW students, NeW alumnae, and friends of the organization.
In the book, former NeW intern Abby Daniels shares advice for students looking to find friends as a conservative on a liberal campus. She wrote, “This is when I began a practice that I attribute my positive social experience in college to. I learned to lead with my personality, not my politics. What I mean by this is that upon meeting a new person, I would first make an attempt to get to know them and allow them to get to know me for the type of person I believe I am: kind, genuine, considerate, and compassionate. It is critical to remember that first impressions matter.”
Dickinson College graduate Jordyn Ney shared her advice for thriving in your relationships with friends who may not agree with you politically. "My social life has definitely been impacted by my conservatism, as I am well-known as a conservative on campus. However, as conservatism is part of who I am, my true friends accept that I see things from a different perspective and treat me with respect. We see each other for who we are as fellow human beings and do not confine each other to our political identities."
Mary Kate Cary, an adjunct professor at UVA, shares advice for young professionals post-graduation in the chapter on finding a professor mentor. Cary explains how important it is to keep in touch with mentors who have supported you. “Once you graduate, keep in touch. Anyone who has taken the time to give you a good referral or write a great recommendation letter is automatically rooting for you.” I interviewed Mary Kate Cary on our podcast, The Conservative Woman's Guide, and she shared great advice during that interview as well.
The Haps
Everyone’s Mad at Ballerina Farm!
Ballerina Farm, the online alias of dancer-pageant-queen-homesteader-Mormon-mom Hannah Neeleman, is a controversial figure on the Internet. Her latest crime? Competing in the Mrs. World beauty pageant at 10 days postpartum. I would consider myself ambivalent about Ballerina Farm — I certainly enjoy her aesthetic, but I do not dream of labor. Hannah, who is married to the heir of JetBlue, is out here milking cows and making bread when she could be sipping champagne and eating caviar, and I salute her for it. If you’re wondering how Ballerina Farm got dragged into the culture war, check out this essay by Sarah Wilder at Dailly Caller and this essay by Patricia Patnode at The Conservateur.
Here are more links to what I’m reading and writing this week:
3 Things Marilyn Monroe Did To Be More Attractive (That You Can Do Too): My latest for Evie Magazine — and no, none of these tips have to do with hair, makeup, or clothes!
Meet Cat Janice, the DC Musician Who Became a Viral Pop Sensation—From Hospice: The Washingtonian interviews the musician and mom who is topping charts amid her cancer battle.
‘Situationships’ Aren’t Sweet, No Matter What Corporate Candymakers Try To Sell You: Andrea Mew writes in The Federalist about rejecting what candy companies are trying to sell us.
Kindness won me over to the pro-life movement: Alina Clough writes in The Washington Examiner about her experience.
‘Succession’ Alum Matthew Macfadyen, Michael Shannon to Star in Netflix Series About President James Garfield’s Life & Assassination: The miniseries no one asked for, except maybe my history-loving husband.
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