Things YOU Liked in 2022
And a few things I liked too.
Seasons Greetings, Bonjour, Hello there, etc.
Welcome to the second to last TIL of 2022.
All year you’ve been reading about things that I liked, all while I was wondering what YOU liked. So here are some lists, bullet points, pictures, memes, a musical, anything and everything that a few Likers liked. And, of course, some things I liked too because I can’t stop.
Thank you to everyone who subscribed and especially those who paid to subscribe. Things I Like has been my favorite part of 2022. No contest. I never expected anyone to care about my inane thoughts, but having a place to share and talk about them with you has, not to be dramatic, fulfilled a dream that I didn’t even know I had, and I’m SO grateful.
With that said, I hope 2023 is exponentially better than 2022—filled with silly lists, inside jokes, earth-shattering pop culture news, and Taylor Swift concerts (for me, at least).
As usual, this is too long for a regular email. I’m sorry.
things *I* liked:
Clear American Flavored Sparkling Water from Walmart. Wired headphones. M3gan. NY Mag Crosswords. Nuance. Big slay. Low-stakes hangs. Low-stakes lies. Getting the hot waiter. Long lists. Claiming everything as a write-off. Celsius. Baby nut (still). F1. Summer camp crafts. Glou. Selena Gomez. Taxi (My #1 song on Spotify in 2022). Barbie movie anticipation. Taking a bit too far. Wordle, Quordle, Octordle. Used books. American Girl Doll jokes. Tweeting and deleting sentimental thoughts. Teresa’s wedding hair. Party buses. Buying CDs. All-Inclusive Resorts. Believing you can get a table at Bar Pisellino. Pools. Making your slack profile picture something obnoxious. Digital Cameras.
Rewatching comfort TV shows. Last Summer (my #2 Spotify song). Courtroom drawings. Being out of my Saturn Return. Getting Taylor tickets :). Screenshots. French classes. Going to bed at 10:30PM. Asking people how old they think Michael Cera is. Ordering a round of Chardonnay for the table. Teatok. Forest Hills Stadium. The TikTok account where the woman re-stuffs old stuffed animals and puts a little bit of their old stuffing back in as their “memories.” Twitter drafts. Search Party. Negroni Sbagliatos. The thought of 1989 (Taylor’s Version). Braided pigtails. Relooking at history through the lens of pretty privilege. Watch parties. Artist’s Way. Trains. Molly Mae.
things Frank liked:
Carly Rae Jepsen’s plastic surgery. Fake crying. Phat asses. Orecchiette. Fog machines. BDSM wear. Gaslighting coworkers. Gender-neutral clothing. Texture. Middle tea. Anetha. Canceling oat milk. Wall paint. The binary. My new apartment 💗. Orange Theory. Housewives. Alison Roman soups. Hybrid working. HR. My humor.
things Ricardo liked:
Lydia Tár. Whole milk. Staying off TikTok. Kate Berlant’s “Kate.” Masculinity. Walk-in only restaurants. Miniatures. “A Strange Loop” musical. Rosalía chewing gum. Hating Rosalía chewing gum. Middle tea. Valentina feeding stray cats. Monkeypox vax bump. Natalia Lafourcade at Carnegie Hall. Faith and spirituality. Pharmacy skin care. Espressos after lunch. Ramona Singer. Sky Ferreira’s one single.
the musical Erin made:
For a while now, I’ve been mentally categorizing certain songs in a very specific way — whether or not they’d be in a vampire musical.
On a plane a few months ago, I rewatched Forgetting Sarah Marshall and was reminded of Jason Segel’s aspirations to write a musical for Dracula. I always like a sad man (my toxic trait), and when the movie came out, Jason Segel’s character really did it for me. So maybe all these years, I’ve just been trying to impress Peter.
Until now, I’ve never actually attempted to make a real vampire musical playlist, and I’m begging you, please, listen to this in order. I’ve created a cohesive story of life and love, tragedy and joy, blood and glory, a journey for the senses, and a musical masterpiece.
Enjoy.
things John liked:
Visiting London, my hometown <3
When the Queen, ya know…
Wait. No. The Queue.
That 3 week period when twitter absolutely popped off
Voting! (Kelley Note: Does he mean El*n’s polls or his civic duty? Are voting in Elon’s polls your civic duty?)
“You could actually add a sub-bullet under voting. Furiously texting anyone I know with twitter to vote in the Elon polls the right way. And making Erin redownload twitter to vote to take Elon out.“ (Kelley Note: A hero amongst men)
(Kelley Note: Maybe voting was John’s number thing he liked of 2022.)
Framebridge
Gobbies (gay hobbies): candle making, leather sculpting, paper arts, and of course, knitting
Having an allergic reaction to protein powder
Making t-shirts for birthday parties (Kelley Note: This might be a gobby)
Pina Coladas
Laser Hair Removal (Kelley Note: He goes to Bared Monkey)
Funny jokes for my fans
NOT ordering the Branzino.
New abbrevs.
places hot girls, like Kaileigh, liked:
The Spaniard (stop rolling your eyes and keep reading)… ok but only go on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday after 9 pm ET. Just go and please trust me. Hotties don’t lie to other hotties.
Brooklyn Mirage/Avant Gardens. Now I know why all the rave girlies and gays (I’m an ally) are so happy all the time. The amount of serotonin produced from one show will likely last you 4-6 months. 12/10!
I’ll know it’s real when he takes me to Rolo’s (Uber both ways, of course). There’s nothing but good vibes, fab cocktails, tasty food, a quirky waitstaff, and everyone there looks ~interesting~ AKA hotttttttt.
Chelsea and Nick’s living room. Chelsea and Nick’s kitchen. Chelsea and Nick’s Patio (#1). Chelsea and Nick’s bedroom (for coats and party naps). Chelsea and Nick’s bathroom (DON’T EVEN F*UCK*NG THINK ABOUT STEALING THE SHOWER PRODUCTS). Chelsea and Nick’s office/drink room. Chelsea and Nick’s Patio (#2) (this is only for water).
Caveat for a comedy show. Laughter is HOTTTTT (so go and laugh more in 2023).
Honorable Mention: The Munchies.
things Jack liked:
The queen dying and being reincarnated as Trisha Paytas’ baby.
Top Gun: Maverick. Boner alert!
Using my credit card “for points”
Midnights (3am version ). Holy fucking shit. I wanted to spend 10/21 absorbing it and really feeling the music, but I ended up blacking out with a friend. So I absorbed it on the 22nd. Beautiful nonetheless.
Glee covers (fuck off, I know)
things Tommy liked:
The dance from Wednesday
Top Gun: Maverick. (Straight) Boner alert!
Making things that aren’t ads
The prison episodes of Andor
Alex Mill baggy pants
Eric Adam’s dedication to doing LITERALLY anything other than being the mayor
things Max liked:
Getting arrested. House parties. Paella from The Eagle. Volodymyr Zelenskyy (not in a political way). Multiple servings of Jennifer Coolidge. The fall of the negroni sbagliato. Weed trucks. Trixie Motel. “Crossfit gays.” Hasidic trade. Little beanies. My Unorthodox Life season 2. The 2-3 weeks BeReal was actually fun. DJ sets that push the room to its breaking point with the velocity of a Formula 1 car hugging the turns. “Is this fetish enough to get in?”
things Chelsea liked:
Embracing butter & full-fat dairy
European trains (including the metro)
Not being chill (aka having high standards for yourself)
Manuka Honey
Getting an accountant
Stanley cups
Dry, dirty, Grey Goose martinis
Lifting heavy things (good for your heart, body, ego, etc)
Walking becoming more popular than running
Leeks
things Catherine thinks are:
In:
Drip coffee
Using debit card ( chic )
Frozen pizzas
Taking the train
Bird watching
Western Beef
Dill
Sports
OTF
Porches
Racket sports
Banana ( ice cream )
Out:
Peloton
Lattes
Retinol
Giselle
Natural wine
Lyft
Book clubs
Union market
Hot chocolate
Shopping
Setting an alarm
Spotify
Chickpeas
Dogs
On the fence:
Glou
Breakfast burritos
Candles
Pilates
Pick up Laundry service
Reading books on cellphone
Cortados
401k
things Killian liked:
Lisa Barlows Wendy's ad. Decaf black iced coffee. Organic raw honey. A nice pen. Bread and butter. Julia fox eyebrows. Real Christmas trees. Kathy calling Rinna "the biggest bully in Hollywood." Matching pajamas. Uggs. Black nails. Spray tans. Eggs. Britney Spears. Fast iPhone charger. Portable heaters. Chilled red.
things Barney ranked:
Top 5 Cosmos of 2022:
The Ritz, London
The Grill, New York
Super Lyan, Amsterdam
Horses, LA
Musso & Franks, LA
Top 5 Things About White Lotus S2:
Lucia
Valentina’s unfounded but justified hatred of men
Portia’s Bucket Hats
Confirmation that good guys do finish last
Colour blocking pants suits in Summer
(Kelley Note: Barney also wants it known that he would have included his top five CVS coupons, but they’re in New York and he’s in Australia)
things Lexie liked:
New Jersey. Specifically, rewatches of RHONJ + Jersey Shore. They’re timeless. I could have an endless list of sub-bullets that I liked this year from these two. I love love love them.
Yoga Pants (stop calling them flared leggings).
Calling Arnold Palmers “Sunjoys.” This started as a joke to annoy my husband and it’s now a real part of my personality. So it goes.
The Downfall of Tom Brady. He stinks now. And Giselle is still perfect. sorry, not sorry!
Anne Hathaway. She became a fashion girlie, gave us a tasteful Devil Wears Prada flashback, and announced the Princess Diaries 3. I’m here for more Anne appreciation!
Chili Oil/Chili Crisp.
Meeting Friends For Coffee. Sometimes I prefer it to alcoholic drinks! (but pls still invite me to drinks)
Setting Work Boundaries. No meetings after 5? My mental health is skyrocketing!
The fact that someone called my daughter “baby Michael Strahan”
Reading. I didn’t see this for myself, but I’m enjoying it. Send me recos! (Kelley Note: I also want book recos so pls send and I will pass along. Lets read in 2023!)
things Grace did that told the world, “i’m here, and i’m queer!”:
Bisexual hair dye
Cutting fingernails short “for ceramics hand building” after 6 years of 2-inch nails
Non-returnable, half-off Norma Kamali baby pink sleeping bag coat that looks like the world’s fattest p*ssy
Mesh tops. Purchased one, worn once (was too 30 to pull off :/)
Wearing strictly hand-dyed tube tops the entire summer
My girlfriend’s overalls
My girlfriend’s cut-off wife beater (Kelley Note: we get it, you’re in love!!!)
things Sarah liked:
Updating my twitter followers on my life like we used to do on Facebook (“taking a bath,” “drinking a dr. pepper,” etc). Rent the Runway. Starting sentences with “when I was in Europe…” Evelina’s stuffed squash blossoms. Making my roomba a social media star. Saying, “all this to say…” Being kind of rude on Hinge. Saying [redacted] so much that no one knows what I'm talking about. Talking to Kelley on multiple platforms at once. Posting to grid. L'occitane almond bath oil. Extravagant lunches. Audio books. Saving TikToks I will never ever watch again. Men’s shirts, short skirts, oh-oh-oh. Orange Theory. Taylor Swift again. Getting the gals on the horn to debrief every date. The phrase “on the horn.” Hot girl walks. Wednesday Addams’ braids. Calling people perverts. “It’s like that episode of SATC where…” Referring to past events as “lore.” Going to get a little coffee. My drill. My friends.
things Jen liked:
things Amanda liked:
Finding a therapist. Microblading. Taylor Swift. Telling people who don’t like Taylor Swift that I love Taylor Swift. Not having kids. Pretending moon juice vitamins do something. Jennifer Coolidge (we don’t deserve her). Tanya’s death. Portia’s outfits. Valentina finally having sex with a woman. Reformation’s emails. Buying a water pik and using it every night. Levoit Humidifier ($35 on Amazon and works better than canopy). Sleeping, slippers, bath robes. Being the most cozy. Being the most Taurus. The Foodbaby NY family (local royalty). Alo sherpas. Hate watching And Just Like That. Angus Cloud and how he was pulled off the street to read for Fez. Muting every commercial. Carly Aquilino’s ig stories. Deleting seamless (liberating). The TikTok algorithm. Trees (literally stunning). Astoria Park. Seeing Billie Eilish (a religious experience). Free covid tests. Canceling plans. Not making plans. Not wearing a bra. Not having hobbies. Friends who don’t try to hang out. Ignoring RTO policies. Working from home (it’s going great!). Being engaged so I can stop saying “my boyfriend” (cringe). A dead rat on a street near my apartment that I watched decompose into dust week after week. Costar memes. Muting every teams chat. Season 1&3 of love island UK. Jon & Hannah 💔. Kourtney & Trav. Jordan Firstman’s in and outs for 2023. Telling people to watch Everything Everywhere All At Once. The massage chair at LGA. The idea of reading a book. Making friends with a couple on a plane, following each other on IG, then never speaking again! Podcasts: We can do hard things, terrible thanks for asking, the toast. Glennon, Abby and sister (adopt me). The drama of getting Taylor Swift tickets
things Stevie liked:
3 out of 4 of The Sister Wives leaving Kody Brown.
Top Gun: Maverick. All of it.
Wide-leg pants. It’s Jammies that are for outside. What’s not to like?
Harry and Meghan aligning their content drops and announcements to every time Kate and Wills have a major event.
When we found out that Jason Sudeikis laid down under Olivia Wilde’s car because she was making her special salad dressing for Harry Styles, which turned out to be very basic vinaigrette.
Candle warmers. They really extend the life of my very expensive candles, and I’m not sure why we weren’t using them all along.
Jennifer Lopez’s cheesy wedding sign.
books Sarah liked:
I also like reading books but as an insufferable Gemini, it is more important to me that people know I have THOUGHTS about books. Here are a few.
Cult Classic by Sloane Crosley: Loving this book is my personality now. It’s about dating, it’s about New York, it’s about men, women, and all the insufferable people we love for better and worse. I underlined so much of it that underlining started to lose meaning.
The Will To Change; Men, Masculinity, and Love by bell hooks: This book challenged my feminism for the better and I think about it all the time. Felt like opening a window in my brain.
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy: As good as everyone says. Made me laugh and cry. I would voraciously read a new volume of memoir from her every five years.
Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman: This book bravely answers the question, “what if you fucked your celebrity crush?” A fun read! But honestly? I like smut, and horny this is, but porny it’s not.
My Body by Emily Ratajkowski: I listened to this one. Her voice, in the literal and literary sense, is sharp and depressing. I like how she examines her complex relationship with the privilege and burden of being unbelievably hot for a living. I felt sad for a while after reading this.
How to Fall Out of Love Madly by Jana Casale: A booktok recommendation. Hit and miss! Sometimes painfully insightful, other times flat and try-hard.
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey: This is horny and porny. I read both books in the series. The characters’ inner conflicts are silly, because they’re mostly just a vehicle for building sexual tension. Once you learn to stop caring about the flimsy logic, it’s fun.
I am currently listening to Big Friendship by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman: So far? So good.
Other than that I read a lot more romance novels. I liked them all, even the ones I hated, inquire for more details.
Aaron has COVID and this is what he remembers liking:
Covid destroying Cody Browns polygamist bs (sister wives on TLC)
Married at first sight Australia season 9 (lots of accents)
Station Eleven (came out end of 2021 but I didn’t not see until spring 22)
Amelia, obv.
things (human) Lily liked:
Press-on nails. My dog. TikTok rabbit holes. Tahini salad dressing. Love Island. Peloton. Dinner at the pool. Quality massages. Pina Coladas. Olive oil. VO gigs. Wings. BeReal. Nuuly. White Lotus. Lessons in chemistry. Dune. Apples never fall. Hosting parties. Babka. Derry Girls.
things (dog) Lily liked:
Living in Colorado. Bacon.
MORE things *I* liked:
Going to sporting events. The third glass of wine. HERstory. Duolingo. Seeing celebrities at Benihana. Foregiveness. Blorbos. Horses (the song). Abandoned notes in the notes app. The Spy Museum. Boat N Tote Summers. Smoking inside. Eating at the bar. “You’re a liar. An actress.” Board games. Getting the big table at Carbone. Lil Huddy’s diss track about Charlie. @PopCrave. Making new friends 🥲. Ennui. A pretentious wait staff or wine shop owner. Baked by Melissa salads. The questioning reaction. My drill. Maladaptive daydreaming. Babylon. Leftovers for breakfast. “Dit a moi.” Christmas in New York. Watching Love Island on Twitch. Clouds. Punchbowl drinks. Listening to only my liked songs on Spotify.
Depressing poetry. Maraschino cherries. The Hacks 2 finale. Going to Europe for weeks at a time with no plan. Compression socks. The Virgin Suicides. Sofia being on IG. Octopus. Tumblr. Assigning TV shows to a season. Pastel jackets. Not drinking water. All of your friends being friends. The Giudice girls. @SylvanianDrama. Learning. Being brave (not deleting tweets that only get three likes). Laser facials. Not fighting. That manic period after a night out but before your hangover really kicks in where you’re laughing the hardest you’ve ever laughed in your life. Voice notes. Turning off my screen time notifications. People who get it. Sharing Things I Liked with you <3
And sorry to the people who asked me if they could do a things they hate list. My intentions were to end the year on a positive note but I have some things to get off my chest before the new year.
some things I hated:
Making that GD 2022 pop culture things you should know newsletter (sending out tomorrow). Catch NYC. Gathering tax documents. Being a Swiftie. Magic shows. There are only 25 blimps in the world. The lack of critical thinking in society. Jetlag. My new iPhone. Going viral on twitter. BeReal. Retinol purges. The fact that no one is talking about Olivia Holt, and this BOP. Forgetting to venmo because I don’t want to do math. Horses (the animal). My couch cushions going flat. Bucca di Beppo in Times Square closing. Cystic acne. BJ Novak on R*y*. Leaky pipes. Remembering that Jen thought Dress was about Ed Sheeran. Creative Circus closing. Concussions. Screenshot blockers. The 2 months I only ate CocoJune. Straightening my hair.
Deuxmoi. When something gets super popular and then it’s everywhere for days that feel like weeks that feel like years. Looking at your face too much. Blast Zones. Pickles that are too close to being cucumbers. Not having a word for a casual swim (NOT a dip). Florence Pugh breaking up with Zach Braff. “Your smile, my ghost.” Street sweepers. Not winning the big Powerball. Being the last person in the entire world to get COVID. Current fashion trends. The crypto dorks having a conference at the Margaritaville in Times Square the weekend we wanted to go. Caroline Calloway leaving New York. Outdoor dining structures. Not posting TILs that I’ve had done for months because I don’t want to reread them. Jet Blue. New pictures of space. The phrase “you guys” getting canceled. Citrus sun burns.
Thanks for reading. <3 Auld Lang Syne and all that. Feel free to leave a comment with everything you liked this year.
2023 is the year we finally go to margaritaville
never forget citrus sunburns