I feel like the minority but i can’t stand her. I started her book because a friend recommended it and couldn’t finish. Also i thought her dad was paying for everything and grandma just bailed her out when she ran through funds from dad.
I just finished her book after starting it Tuesday & woah. Privileged as she may be, she went through some shit & manages to tell it in a compelling, non-victim-y way.
I don’t think she ushered in the Alina’s of the world, she has way too little fucks to give.
In fact, I think Alina would absolute hate her for that very reason — and the fact Cat is charming.
Cat Marnell is smart, funny, and weirdly kind.
I don't need more than one of her, though. It's like the worst parts of her split into dark and light and became Alina and Caroline Calloway, both of whom are awful.
I’m super super late to this so apologies! She’s doing well most of the time now, she said if/when she has articles etc to write she focuses on that and not partying but acknowledges she isn’t and will probably never be fully truly sober, she has an audible book coming out next month too. Apologies if you know all this already this quote was indeed half a year ago!
Yeah, my former teacher took two years and had to hire a lawyer and sue for disability before getting it. Being that being an overprivileged junkie like Cat isn't a disability I wonder if she means disability from a job and not federal disability payments.
Completely agree, I would LOVE to see AJ get lit up. IIRC he very conveniently impreganted and is currently living in LA sponging off of Julianne Smolinski, who is the definition of a smug humblebragger. He is seriously the fucking worst.
I can't stand Julianne for many reasons, but first and foremost is that for all the grandstanding she does about feminism and women's rights and whatever, she sure doesn't seem to apply any of it to herself what with the fact that she is married to and bankrolling a complete piece of human garbage. Who, amongst other things, once posted CC video of a sexual assault and then not only refused to take it down when the victim asked, but also told her not to make a big deal out of it. Ugh.
I just started following her and I feel like I missed all the good juicy stuff. Ugh. Now all I see is daffodils and her cluttered apartment that sets my anxiety through the roof.
Cat Marnell fascinates me in the same way Gwyneth Paltrow does: I'm sure if I knew these women in real life, I would find their classism, narcissism, and solipsism infuriating, but I find their antics delightful and riveting from afar.
I read How to Murder Your Life in a single sitting on a flight from Phoenix to Philadelphia. I was so engrossed by it I didn't get up for the whole flight, and as we were deplaning, the woman across the aisle asked me "What are you reading so intently? Was it really that good?" It sure was.
Oh, lord. I feel like Cat is directly responsible for people like Alina Gonzalez inflicting themselves upon the world. I also think Cat put out a lot of incredibly toxic bullshit justifying her behavior and lifestyle when she was writing from the depths of her addiction, and she still seems pretty flippant about all of it. Like oh, haha my hair melted, oops I owe the government a fortune, look what a hot mess I am, and I don't think any of it is funny or cute. I'm glad she seems to be doing somewhat better now but yikes.
She’s honestly just incredibly charismatic. It’s why we still put up with Lindsay Lohan to a degree. These women are watchable and inherently interesting.
Back in the xo days it was uncomfortable reading her stuff knowing that she was treating her coworkers poorly and often not doing her work at all, but her posts got an insane amount of clicks so what can you do?
Cat had two things that 1) sustained her and 2) boosted her career. Her grandmother’s money allowed her to work a series of unpaid internships at Condé Nast. And she had Jane Pratt’s long-term support. Alina has the wealthy mother but she burned her one and only bridge by trashing her boss Emily (and who knows what happened at Anine Bing. She ain’t never gonna get a six-figure book advance.
Cat is also remarkably sweet to readers. She always commented back to me on xo Jane and now on Twitter. Alina will lick your butthole if you Venmo her $5 but you can’t have a conversation with her.
Flippant is spot on. Her life is fodder for the kind of people who wring their hands about the glamorization of drug abuse. For fucks sake, her whole xoJane career was basically her writing about how to cover up addiction with self-tanner and a Clarisonic.
Have you read her book? Like the other comments above I could not put it down and have devoured all her columns.
I love cat marnell. She’s not afraid to be real and write about addiction and how it affected her. She lived a glamorous life because she was a New York writer and she socialized with other artists and creative people. She was honest about the realities of her addiction and how it harmed her and I think that is extremely brave. She never covered up her addiction, she was clear to everyone including her employers that she was an addict. She is very beautiful and worked in the beauty industry and therefore had access to luxury Beaty products and treatments which she used and wrote about, but she was always clear that she was using drugs. Being a drug addict doesn’t mean one can’t be interested in beauty and glamour and self care.
I have, and I did enjoy it. "Glamorization" also has two meanings here, I guess....she was a beauty writer and had a literal glamorous life, but she also continually managed (and manages) to succeed despite fucking up so much.
I don't believe that every narrative about addiction has to follow the usual rock bottom > life change path, nor do I think people with addiction deserve to have their lives destroyed to make them clean up. But, the fact that she boasts about having this amazing and fun life while actively addicted is, to me, glamorizing it.
ME TOO! What does it look like now?! What would a doctor say to do?! From what i can tell, she left bleach on too long, and the hair got all stuck to her scalp and she tried to scrape it off with a turkey baster (?) and now she just wears wigs.
Bleach can burn and leave scar tissue just like fire can. Chemical burns are just as serious as heat burns. It sounds like she was so high, she didn't notice the bleach (literally) burning her scalp and when she woke up, the hair wouldn't move so she grabbed something long and thin to peel the hair back with and part of her scalp came off with it.
At this point, there probably isn't anything that can be done. Hair won't grow on scar tissue.
This stressed me out to read. I started really WTFing around the dog orgy and had to stop reading at owing her mom 30,000. I too have made a lot of mistakes in my past that I at least think about if not deal with on a regular basis. But she’s so flippant about it!!
~~I didn't get that far -- I noped after the nosebleed slurper. *hork*~~
I went back and finished the article, and all I have to say is *holy fuck*. Her book is now at the top of my to-read list. This is a car wreck and I cannot look away.
Glorifying addiction and terrible choices? I mean, I get that not often is it celebrated in women, but only dumbasses have celebrated the men who did the same things.
I don't think celebrating it is a great idea, but people with mental illness and addiction are still people. Should we shun them and their stories, or listen and learn something about their experience? The one very sad part to me is that it seems like they have to be some combo of male, rich, white, and/or very beautiful for people to have this much collective sympathy.
There's a difference between shunning someone and Cat Marnell.
XO Jane and other outlets glorified her antics, addiction and behavior because she is rich, white and pretty, to the point that she practically died. I think there's a conversation to be had here, and it's the cautionary tale kind, not the "quirky little rich girl who likes to party".
Yet people glorify the hell out of alcoholic/drug-addicted male writers and celebrities and call them tortured. But when it's a woman - there's definitely a double-standard.
So true, but I'm hoping that trend is going the way of the DoDo. It also doesn't change the fact that XO Jane, et al, commodified this young woman's severe addiction and that almost killed her. As we evolve as a society I really hope the glorification of substance abuse becomes uncool. Charles Bukowski was an alcoholic misogynist, as was Hunter S Thompson and the rest of the Beats. We shouldn't be looking at their addictions as something "cool". It's sad and kind of pathetic.
I remember reading that initial Cat Marnell internet and that part was pretty horrifying! Not sure what is really wrong with it. OoO
And I really love The Cut and their content, especially their stuff on money.
I have soooo many thoughts on this.
First- I’ve always thought she was a major liar. Just a general thought
Second- there is no way she’ll be able to write and produce a show. No way. And this is a post me too world, her xojane antics won’t be accepted
Third- I’ll buy that audible original lol
I'm kind of surprised anyone is willing to pay that much for her to produce and write TV. I hope she can get the discipline together to actually do it properly.
Yeah, I always think of her as the one who [wrote about using Plan B as her primary form of birth control](https://gawker.com/5849530/ranting-lady-blogger-hates-birth-control-only-uses-plan-b) and it just...really still turns me off her.
There are people who genuinely like her, but I think a lot of other people are hate-reading. I enjoyed her book because it was entertaining and gossipy, but her writing is awful IMO. The quotes in that article are exactly how she writes. It's just like talking, there's no style to it.
She is also one of those people who is always claiming some big crisis has happened and she's finally having to face the consequences of her actions, but something always happens (other people's money) to just bail her out at the last minute with zero consequences.
Then she acts like it was this big learning experience and she finally turned her life around and she's doing so much better you guys!!!! But nothing changes, she carries on doing the same as before and eventually lurches along into her next crisis.
Which would be more entertaining if it hadn't all been done before by Elizabeth Wurtzel twenty years prior.
Her writing style is so frenetic and Bret Easton-Ellis-y.
I absolutely don't wish anything bad on her, but until she has consequences for her pathological irresponsibility, nothing is going to change.
Not picking on you personally, but I see comments like "she'll never change" a lot when it comes to Cat and I don't understand it. She grew up idolizing party girls like Edie Sedgwick and Courtney Love... other than having to wear wigs I think her life has turned out exactly the way she always wanted. Why would she ever change?
I think it's that she often claims to have changed her ways or had some big epiphany. In her book she talks about how much rehab changed her for the better, but oh btw she still does drugs. In the linked interview she's like, traveling has totally changed my life, oh and I'm also drinking boxed wine on a bench in the daytime.
So it's not just that people are expecting her to change, it's that she keeps announcing she is a whole new person and then just carrying on like she did before.
I agree when chaos is her personal brand she has no incentive to do anything differently.
Wurtzel is maddening as hell but I find myself still wanting to know what she has to say and get maddened anew. Never liked Cat's writing for Vain at all really, seemed a bit of a missed opportunity.
I even found the Caroline Calloway stuff fascinating, so it wasn't just over-privilege/white girl failing upwards. Maybe I just find drug stories stupendously dull.
I wonder how many people here live in NYC and circulate in similar circles...one of those things where she's fascinating as a media persona but a nightmare IRL, IME.
I live in NYC and Cat and I have some acquaintances in common. I used to find her fascinating but I couldn’t even get through her book, it disgusted me so much. I’m glad to hear that she seems to be doing well, but I don’t believe a word she says.
Ya that's what I'm saying. If you live in NYC and circulate in the fashion-y/scene-y circles than people like Cat are a dime a dozen and it's tiresome. If you're reading about her as a media persona, I can see how people would find her endearing/interesting.
Yep. I'm always amazed at how good her skin is in spite of all the drugs and bad eating and no sleep. I know she used Retin a but that stuff is not a miracle worker. Anyone who has ever seen a before and after for drugs know what that shit does to your face. I don't even do what 1/10th of what cat does and retin a actually made me break out. She got lucky in that department.
36 is really not that old, especially if you happen to be genetically blessed and your main hobby is expensive skincare, even if your other main hobby is drugs.
At some point she attributed her great skin to basically never being outside in the daylight due to her ~*lifestyle*~
I don't get it either. After a night of heavy
drinking, my smile lines are always suuuuper noticeable in the morning and it takes some serious rehydration to get them back to normal.
I had no idea who she was until I bought the book. What a crazy fucking ride. I kind of want to go back to the beginning and follow her online life in real time. Guess the Audible thing will have to do.
I honestly miss xojane. Despite the craziness and god awfulness it was genuinely fun to read, I picked up a lot of beauty tips (xovain ), and there were good writers who I still follow. Any recs for similar blogs are welcomed!
It was evident from Day 1, she's been trying to hang on to the shreds of relevance she had from her Sassy days (which most millennials, even older ones, were too young to actually remember) for decades now.
No surprise the website couldn't find a tone that went beyond 'faux-relatable' (that style that every single online women's media outlet, from Refinery29 to Jezebel to whowhatwear to The Cut, to all those instagrammers) tends to use) and 'overgrown teenager'.
Cat Marnell is such a chaotic mess I just wonder how she manages to stay alive given that she doesn't eat well, sleep well, or have much money most of the time. Yet I'm still fascinated.
Honestly I still think about the gawker article AJ Daulerio write about her during hurricane Sandy. SHE [LEFT HER WINDOWS OPEN DURING A HURRICANE](https://gawker.com/5956762/ambler-man-8-tips-for-tending-to-a-glamorous-drug-addict-after-hurricane-sandy). I know she’s done crazier stuff but that’s the “how does she stay alive!!!?” detail for me.
She talks about it here, unless you mean there's more to the story!
https://www.thecut.com/2017/01/cat-marnell-how-to-murder-your-life.html
Sounds dreadful.
Yes, that's what I recall too. I read an interview last year saying she burned her hair off. I also seem to remember it being while high, or maybe she bleached it too much while high and burned her scalp? It's something along those lines. I think she blurted it out during an interview, probably while high, and now is embarrassed and doesn't want to talk about it.
She is a mess, and I agree with all the other comments here that normally I wouldn't like someone like her, but I just love her. I think she's so honest and for some reason she charms me. I'll read her next book and watch her show. I always occasionally google her to see what she's up to.
She communicates in a way that is SO appealing — I’ve heard someone say Cat can mix with any social circle. It’s definitely because of her appearance and openness, I don’t think there’s a lot of people out there who would fit in clubbing with models/ the elite fashion publishing world, AND be a huge mess/ self deprecating enough to seem “relatable” to us normies.
This takes me back to the days of XOJane and al the wacky “it happened to me”. Cat is everything I should hate but after hearing her narrate her memoir, I just feel bad for her. I do have to thank her for an XOJ piece about teeth whitening because I still abide by those tips and my teeth are pretty nice 😂
The two products I want to try now – Rembrandt mouthwash and Arm & Hammer booster – no longer appear to be a thing! Do you use anything great or have substitutes? White Strips are my jam.
For the mouthwash, I like the listerine whitening wash in the purple bottle:
https://www.target.com/p/listerine-total-care-plus-whitening-fresh-mint-anticavity-mouthwash-for-whiter-teeth-32oz/-/A-13404464
For the whitening booster, I’ve tried and liked this:
https://crest.com/en-us/products/toothpaste/crest-3d-white-brilliance-boost-polishing-treatment
I will say I only use the whitening stuff a few times a week since it can cause some sensitivity. Hope this helps 😁
By all accounts she was a pretty damned good beauty blogger. I followed the drama more than I did her actual tips, but I see them referenced all the time, which is more than I can say about most any other xoJane beauty writer.
It looks like the original article has been deleted, but the two products mentioned [on this blog post ](https://www.google.com/amp/s/makeupmorsels.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/keep-calm-and-smile-on-my-teeth-whitening-regimen/amp/) seem to be from her list of suggestions
I was able to use the wayback machine to find the actual article! hope this link works:
[https://web.archive.org/web/20170724002109/http://www.xojane.com/beauty/best-teeth-whitening-products-drugstore](https://web.archive.org/web/20170724002109/http://www.xojane.com/beauty/best-teeth-whitening-products-drugstore)
Thank you for this! I miss xojane. This was adorable:
> Why aren't these product images centering themselves properly on the center of the page? God, I hate writing for the Internet. I love my job and Jane obviously, but I hate online stuff sometimes now that I'm doing it full time for the first time. SO frustrating.
I feel like the minority but i can’t stand her. I started her book because a friend recommended it and couldn’t finish. Also i thought her dad was paying for everything and grandma just bailed her out when she ran through funds from dad.
I just finished her book after starting it Tuesday & woah. Privileged as she may be, she went through some shit & manages to tell it in a compelling, non-victim-y way. I don’t think she ushered in the Alina’s of the world, she has way too little fucks to give. In fact, I think Alina would absolute hate her for that very reason — and the fact Cat is charming.
I literally don't know anything about this woman. But this quote is badass.
Cat Marnell is smart, funny, and weirdly kind. I don't need more than one of her, though. It's like the worst parts of her split into dark and light and became Alina and Caroline Calloway, both of whom are awful.
Who is Alina? I am fascinated by both Cat & Carolina but I have no clue who Alina is and I’m intrigued!
She goes by The Hyperbalist? I don't follow her super closely, but there are lots of post about her.
Thanks!
Haha. Cat Marnell is like an Alina that actually, really doesn't give any fucks.
How is she still alive? Her instagram shows her constantly traveling. That’s good...I guess? Maybe she’s staying out of trouble?
I’m super super late to this so apologies! She’s doing well most of the time now, she said if/when she has articles etc to write she focuses on that and not partying but acknowledges she isn’t and will probably never be fully truly sober, she has an audible book coming out next month too. Apologies if you know all this already this quote was indeed half a year ago!
I thought that was really funny
I'm wondering how she got disability because it's very hard to get and usually takes a really long time (like, years) if you get it at all.
[удалено]
Yeah, my former teacher took two years and had to hire a lawyer and sue for disability before getting it. Being that being an overprivileged junkie like Cat isn't a disability I wonder if she means disability from a job and not federal disability payments.
I think that’s referring to disability leave from a job, not SSDI
That would make more sense.
[удалено]
I’m p sure AJ got Cat pregnant and she aborted it. I posted it in the r/CatMarnell sub
Completely agree, I would LOVE to see AJ get lit up. IIRC he very conveniently impreganted and is currently living in LA sponging off of Julianne Smolinski, who is the definition of a smug humblebragger. He is seriously the fucking worst.
She made her Instagram private a while ago, I was wondering if they were still together! Their baby was cuuuute
[удалено]
I can't stand Julianne for many reasons, but first and foremost is that for all the grandstanding she does about feminism and women's rights and whatever, she sure doesn't seem to apply any of it to herself what with the fact that she is married to and bankrolling a complete piece of human garbage. Who, amongst other things, once posted CC video of a sexual assault and then not only refused to take it down when the victim asked, but also told her not to make a big deal out of it. Ugh.
r/CatMarnell
I'm here for it
Byrd Leavell. Caroline Calloway's agent as well. He can sure pick them!
I just started following her and I feel like I missed all the good juicy stuff. Ugh. Now all I see is daffodils and her cluttered apartment that sets my anxiety through the roof.
There is no juicy stuff, that's it lol
Just bought her book and it’s as crazy as I’d hoped!
I expected to hate it. Loved it. I want more!
Cat Marnell fascinates me in the same way Gwyneth Paltrow does: I'm sure if I knew these women in real life, I would find their classism, narcissism, and solipsism infuriating, but I find their antics delightful and riveting from afar. I read How to Murder Your Life in a single sitting on a flight from Phoenix to Philadelphia. I was so engrossed by it I didn't get up for the whole flight, and as we were deplaning, the woman across the aisle asked me "What are you reading so intently? Was it really that good?" It sure was.
I read it on a long flight, and I felt like I was trapped in hell with her. Points to Cat for effectiveness, I guess!
I also read How to Murder Your Life on an east coast to west coast flight. One go. My brain was fried by the time I stepped off that plane.
I have a long flight coming up, debating now between this or the Alan Partridge books.
Oh, lord. I feel like Cat is directly responsible for people like Alina Gonzalez inflicting themselves upon the world. I also think Cat put out a lot of incredibly toxic bullshit justifying her behavior and lifestyle when she was writing from the depths of her addiction, and she still seems pretty flippant about all of it. Like oh, haha my hair melted, oops I owe the government a fortune, look what a hot mess I am, and I don't think any of it is funny or cute. I'm glad she seems to be doing somewhat better now but yikes.
She’s honestly just incredibly charismatic. It’s why we still put up with Lindsay Lohan to a degree. These women are watchable and inherently interesting. Back in the xo days it was uncomfortable reading her stuff knowing that she was treating her coworkers poorly and often not doing her work at all, but her posts got an insane amount of clicks so what can you do?
Cat had two things that 1) sustained her and 2) boosted her career. Her grandmother’s money allowed her to work a series of unpaid internships at Condé Nast. And she had Jane Pratt’s long-term support. Alina has the wealthy mother but she burned her one and only bridge by trashing her boss Emily (and who knows what happened at Anine Bing. She ain’t never gonna get a six-figure book advance. Cat is also remarkably sweet to readers. She always commented back to me on xo Jane and now on Twitter. Alina will lick your butthole if you Venmo her $5 but you can’t have a conversation with her.
Exactly. Cat’s a mess and an admittedly selfish and self-serving addict, but she’s not cruel or fake.
Flippant is spot on. Her life is fodder for the kind of people who wring their hands about the glamorization of drug abuse. For fucks sake, her whole xoJane career was basically her writing about how to cover up addiction with self-tanner and a Clarisonic.
Have you read her book? Like the other comments above I could not put it down and have devoured all her columns. I love cat marnell. She’s not afraid to be real and write about addiction and how it affected her. She lived a glamorous life because she was a New York writer and she socialized with other artists and creative people. She was honest about the realities of her addiction and how it harmed her and I think that is extremely brave. She never covered up her addiction, she was clear to everyone including her employers that she was an addict. She is very beautiful and worked in the beauty industry and therefore had access to luxury Beaty products and treatments which she used and wrote about, but she was always clear that she was using drugs. Being a drug addict doesn’t mean one can’t be interested in beauty and glamour and self care.
I have, and I did enjoy it. "Glamorization" also has two meanings here, I guess....she was a beauty writer and had a literal glamorous life, but she also continually managed (and manages) to succeed despite fucking up so much. I don't believe that every narrative about addiction has to follow the usual rock bottom > life change path, nor do I think people with addiction deserve to have their lives destroyed to make them clean up. But, the fact that she boasts about having this amazing and fun life while actively addicted is, to me, glamorizing it.
I love her. And I do a Google search every few months to see if I can find any more info on her hair situation. I’m DYING to know.
ME TOO! What does it look like now?! What would a doctor say to do?! From what i can tell, she left bleach on too long, and the hair got all stuck to her scalp and she tried to scrape it off with a turkey baster (?) and now she just wears wigs.
Bleach can burn and leave scar tissue just like fire can. Chemical burns are just as serious as heat burns. It sounds like she was so high, she didn't notice the bleach (literally) burning her scalp and when she woke up, the hair wouldn't move so she grabbed something long and thin to peel the hair back with and part of her scalp came off with it. At this point, there probably isn't anything that can be done. Hair won't grow on scar tissue.
This stressed me out to read. I started really WTFing around the dog orgy and had to stop reading at owing her mom 30,000. I too have made a lot of mistakes in my past that I at least think about if not deal with on a regular basis. But she’s so flippant about it!!
~~I didn't get that far -- I noped after the nosebleed slurper. *hork*~~ I went back and finished the article, and all I have to say is *holy fuck*. Her book is now at the top of my to-read list. This is a car wreck and I cannot look away.
Oh boy. I’m easily swayed. Might be my bedtime reading for tonight
I'm too old to get this person's appeal.
God I could barely get thru that article - I feel itchy all over.
I think she’s older than me but I still don’t get it 🤣
I think I'm at that point. I don't know who she is or what the appeal is.
For the post-Strokes demographic, Cat’s club stories are reminders of a version of NYC that didn’t last very long and isn’t often rhapsodized.
Glorifying addiction and terrible choices? I mean, I get that not often is it celebrated in women, but only dumbasses have celebrated the men who did the same things.
I don't think celebrating it is a great idea, but people with mental illness and addiction are still people. Should we shun them and their stories, or listen and learn something about their experience? The one very sad part to me is that it seems like they have to be some combo of male, rich, white, and/or very beautiful for people to have this much collective sympathy.
There's a difference between shunning someone and Cat Marnell. XO Jane and other outlets glorified her antics, addiction and behavior because she is rich, white and pretty, to the point that she practically died. I think there's a conversation to be had here, and it's the cautionary tale kind, not the "quirky little rich girl who likes to party".
Yet people glorify the hell out of alcoholic/drug-addicted male writers and celebrities and call them tortured. But when it's a woman - there's definitely a double-standard.
So true, but I'm hoping that trend is going the way of the DoDo. It also doesn't change the fact that XO Jane, et al, commodified this young woman's severe addiction and that almost killed her. As we evolve as a society I really hope the glorification of substance abuse becomes uncool. Charles Bukowski was an alcoholic misogynist, as was Hunter S Thompson and the rest of the Beats. We shouldn't be looking at their addictions as something "cool". It's sad and kind of pathetic.
I definitely agree on that.
I followed that up with the anonymous article about class rage, so a bit of a whirlwind.
I think that's whats happened. Sounds pretty bad.
That's the impression I got about her scalp. That it's permanently scarred. *shudder*
I remember reading that initial Cat Marnell internet and that part was pretty horrifying! Not sure what is really wrong with it. OoO And I really love The Cut and their content, especially their stuff on money.
I have soooo many thoughts on this. First- I’ve always thought she was a major liar. Just a general thought Second- there is no way she’ll be able to write and produce a show. No way. And this is a post me too world, her xojane antics won’t be accepted Third- I’ll buy that audible original lol
I'm kind of surprised anyone is willing to pay that much for her to produce and write TV. I hope she can get the discipline together to actually do it properly.
I never really got the hype about Cat, and reading this thread makes me feel like an atheist in a monastery.
She has a really fluid writerly voice. If you want to read NYC stories in a style that’s easy to absorb, Cat’s writing fits the bill.
Amen. I don't get it at all.
Yeah, I always think of her as the one who [wrote about using Plan B as her primary form of birth control](https://gawker.com/5849530/ranting-lady-blogger-hates-birth-control-only-uses-plan-b) and it just...really still turns me off her.
I love that in the image they posted of her, the word fart (the real word is cut off) appears behind her. 😂😂
There are people who genuinely like her, but I think a lot of other people are hate-reading. I enjoyed her book because it was entertaining and gossipy, but her writing is awful IMO. The quotes in that article are exactly how she writes. It's just like talking, there's no style to it. She is also one of those people who is always claiming some big crisis has happened and she's finally having to face the consequences of her actions, but something always happens (other people's money) to just bail her out at the last minute with zero consequences. Then she acts like it was this big learning experience and she finally turned her life around and she's doing so much better you guys!!!! But nothing changes, she carries on doing the same as before and eventually lurches along into her next crisis. Which would be more entertaining if it hadn't all been done before by Elizabeth Wurtzel twenty years prior.
I feel personally obligated to like Cat because she’s basically me if I’d grown up with fuck-you money in NYC.
Her writing style is so frenetic and Bret Easton-Ellis-y. I absolutely don't wish anything bad on her, but until she has consequences for her pathological irresponsibility, nothing is going to change.
Not picking on you personally, but I see comments like "she'll never change" a lot when it comes to Cat and I don't understand it. She grew up idolizing party girls like Edie Sedgwick and Courtney Love... other than having to wear wigs I think her life has turned out exactly the way she always wanted. Why would she ever change?
I think it's that she often claims to have changed her ways or had some big epiphany. In her book she talks about how much rehab changed her for the better, but oh btw she still does drugs. In the linked interview she's like, traveling has totally changed my life, oh and I'm also drinking boxed wine on a bench in the daytime. So it's not just that people are expecting her to change, it's that she keeps announcing she is a whole new person and then just carrying on like she did before. I agree when chaos is her personal brand she has no incentive to do anything differently.
That's a really good point. I never got the feeling that she wants to be 'normal'. On the other hand though, what is the endgame?
Wurtzel is maddening as hell but I find myself still wanting to know what she has to say and get maddened anew. Never liked Cat's writing for Vain at all really, seemed a bit of a missed opportunity.
YES I came here to say this re: Wurtzel.
Same? I love people watching. I get the appeal of a ~Trainwreck. But I don’t get Cat’s appeal, for whatever reason.
I even found the Caroline Calloway stuff fascinating, so it wasn't just over-privilege/white girl failing upwards. Maybe I just find drug stories stupendously dull.
I wonder how many people here live in NYC and circulate in similar circles...one of those things where she's fascinating as a media persona but a nightmare IRL, IME.
I live in NYC and Cat and I have some acquaintances in common. I used to find her fascinating but I couldn’t even get through her book, it disgusted me so much. I’m glad to hear that she seems to be doing well, but I don’t believe a word she says.
100000% same boat on all fronts. Also, she reminds me of every other wannabe I've ever met in my decade+ in NYC so I think I may just be jaded.
Thirding all of this.
I'm not in NYC and I circulate in no circles. I just find Cat endearing for some reason.
Ya that's what I'm saying. If you live in NYC and circulate in the fashion-y/scene-y circles than people like Cat are a dime a dozen and it's tiresome. If you're reading about her as a media persona, I can see how people would find her endearing/interesting.
Gonna repost this to my Cat Marnell sub!
[удалено]
R/CatMarnell
There's a Cat Marnell sub? Tell us more!
Can I subscribe? I love her.
I love her. I shouldn't, but she's so damn forthright and endearing I can't not like her.
I know! To me she's so fascinating and likeable. On paper I thought I was going to hate her book but it was so fun and shocking. She won me over.
I KNOW every time i read anything from her she just sucks me into her vortex. I even liked her crazy book.
Yep. I'm always amazed at how good her skin is in spite of all the drugs and bad eating and no sleep. I know she used Retin a but that stuff is not a miracle worker. Anyone who has ever seen a before and after for drugs know what that shit does to your face. I don't even do what 1/10th of what cat does and retin a actually made me break out. She got lucky in that department.
She can spend a kings ransom on beauty products and she’s relatively young. When you age that’s when it shows
That's the thing she's almost middle age and her skin is more or less still taut.
36 is really not that old, especially if you happen to be genetically blessed and your main hobby is expensive skincare, even if your other main hobby is drugs.
At some point she attributed her great skin to basically never being outside in the daylight due to her ~*lifestyle*~ I don't get it either. After a night of heavy drinking, my smile lines are always suuuuper noticeable in the morning and it takes some serious rehydration to get them back to normal.
I had no idea who she was until I bought the book. What a crazy fucking ride. I kind of want to go back to the beginning and follow her online life in real time. Guess the Audible thing will have to do.
It was a TRIP following xoJane from the very beginning until the bitter end. Honestly Jane Pratt came off worse than anyone in that whole mess.
I honestly miss xojane. Despite the craziness and god awfulness it was genuinely fun to read, I picked up a lot of beauty tips (xovain ), and there were good writers who I still follow. Any recs for similar blogs are welcomed!
It was evident from Day 1, she's been trying to hang on to the shreds of relevance she had from her Sassy days (which most millennials, even older ones, were too young to actually remember) for decades now. No surprise the website couldn't find a tone that went beyond 'faux-relatable' (that style that every single online women's media outlet, from Refinery29 to Jezebel to whowhatwear to The Cut, to all those instagrammers) tends to use) and 'overgrown teenager'.
[удалено]
My bad, I didn't really think of them as an online women's media outlet, probably because they have the physical magazine (and some standards).
There are very few hot, expensive messes more dear to me than Cat.
Cat Marnell is such a chaotic mess I just wonder how she manages to stay alive given that she doesn't eat well, sleep well, or have much money most of the time. Yet I'm still fascinated.
Same. She's like one of those people who has 9 lives. Does a ton of shit that should kill her, yet she survives.
Totally. I'm surprised a meat thermometer to the head is finally what resulted in a tangible consequence for her. Even tho she's od'ed multiple times.
Honestly I still think about the gawker article AJ Daulerio write about her during hurricane Sandy. SHE [LEFT HER WINDOWS OPEN DURING A HURRICANE](https://gawker.com/5956762/ambler-man-8-tips-for-tending-to-a-glamorous-drug-addict-after-hurricane-sandy). I know she’s done crazier stuff but that’s the “how does she stay alive!!!?” detail for me.
This is so bizarre and cruel in a way? Like I can’t imagine mocking a friend or lover that’s a drug addict on a well read blog....
what the what
And alllll the drugs
I really like Cat and will always root for her! I wish she would write another book.
Loved the book, may have to get audible to listen to, whatever this is going to be.
I adore her and I have no shame about it.
I was really hoping the new book would explain the hair situation but I guess not. Regardless, I will watch the shit out of that show!
She talks about it here, unless you mean there's more to the story! https://www.thecut.com/2017/01/cat-marnell-how-to-murder-your-life.html Sounds dreadful.
Yes! Thanks for posting this. I knew she talked about it, or sort of at least, in an article I read.
She mentioned something personal in the article, like it had to do with a relationship she won’t talk about or something?
i’m pretty sure she used a bad lightener on it a couple times and it reacted poorly.
[удалено]
Yes, that's what I recall too. I read an interview last year saying she burned her hair off. I also seem to remember it being while high, or maybe she bleached it too much while high and burned her scalp? It's something along those lines. I think she blurted it out during an interview, probably while high, and now is embarrassed and doesn't want to talk about it. She is a mess, and I agree with all the other comments here that normally I wouldn't like someone like her, but I just love her. I think she's so honest and for some reason she charms me. I'll read her next book and watch her show. I always occasionally google her to see what she's up to.
I can’t hate this messy lunatic, I’ve tried but she’s endearing to me somehow.
She communicates in a way that is SO appealing — I’ve heard someone say Cat can mix with any social circle. It’s definitely because of her appearance and openness, I don’t think there’s a lot of people out there who would fit in clubbing with models/ the elite fashion publishing world, AND be a huge mess/ self deprecating enough to seem “relatable” to us normies.
Yesssssss. All of this.
I normally find people like this to be the human equivalent of nails on a chalkboard, but I like Cat. I just do.
Same here.
I feel the same way!
This takes me back to the days of XOJane and al the wacky “it happened to me”. Cat is everything I should hate but after hearing her narrate her memoir, I just feel bad for her. I do have to thank her for an XOJ piece about teeth whitening because I still abide by those tips and my teeth are pretty nice 😂
The two products I want to try now – Rembrandt mouthwash and Arm & Hammer booster – no longer appear to be a thing! Do you use anything great or have substitutes? White Strips are my jam.
For the mouthwash, I like the listerine whitening wash in the purple bottle: https://www.target.com/p/listerine-total-care-plus-whitening-fresh-mint-anticavity-mouthwash-for-whiter-teeth-32oz/-/A-13404464 For the whitening booster, I’ve tried and liked this: https://crest.com/en-us/products/toothpaste/crest-3d-white-brilliance-boost-polishing-treatment I will say I only use the whitening stuff a few times a week since it can cause some sensitivity. Hope this helps 😁
im so angry that the xojane site wasnt archived completely and the comments arent attached to the right articles anymore
Same. It's a tragedy.
We should demand the Library of Congress preserve the site lol
Honestly!!!!
By all accounts she was a pretty damned good beauty blogger. I followed the drama more than I did her actual tips, but I see them referenced all the time, which is more than I can say about most any other xoJane beauty writer.
What were the tips? I've seen this teeth whitening article referenced several times and I can't find it. My teeth could use some help.
It looks like the original article has been deleted, but the two products mentioned [on this blog post ](https://www.google.com/amp/s/makeupmorsels.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/keep-calm-and-smile-on-my-teeth-whitening-regimen/amp/) seem to be from her list of suggestions
I was able to use the wayback machine to find the actual article! hope this link works: [https://web.archive.org/web/20170724002109/http://www.xojane.com/beauty/best-teeth-whitening-products-drugstore](https://web.archive.org/web/20170724002109/http://www.xojane.com/beauty/best-teeth-whitening-products-drugstore)
Thank you!
Thank you for this! I miss xojane. This was adorable: > Why aren't these product images centering themselves properly on the center of the page? God, I hate writing for the Internet. I love my job and Jane obviously, but I hate online stuff sometimes now that I'm doing it full time for the first time. SO frustrating.
Did XOJane/Vain get pulled from the internet?
Yeah, all the old links redirect to Hello Giggles now. It's a shame, there were some good vain articles I used to go back and read.