The Brunch round-up: The week and how it made us feel

This week, we’re watching sequels sink and soar, singing along with Malala, loving the Punjabi shout-outs, and getting inspired to do cardio

• 
  Seeing double

  Stree 2 is a sequel that gets it right. Scares, yes. Laughs, also yes! Cameos, perfectly placed. There’s even a plot. Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba, on the other hand, has NOTA. Why sleep on a great story and send it out into the world? Up next: Pushpa 2, Metro In Dino, Raid 2 and Singham Again. No, we didn’t ask for follow-ups. Yes we’re judging every bad sequel.
• 
  Here for our queen

  Turns out, Malala is a Swiftie. She attended her first Taylor Swift concert in Wembley, UK last week and did what all Swifties do: She wore all her wristbands and posted about it. Swift, BTW, has been facing some criticism for wielding pop-feminism to make money. Calling out your ex’s flaws is brave no matter who you are. Why shouldn’t Tay make money off it? 
• 
  Stepping up on diversity

  The Umbrella Academy has a trans lead. But we’re loving the other subtle touches on the show. In one episode, when Two (played by David Castañeda) contacts his mother-in-law, he speaks fluent Punjabi. It’s better than Sia in Hass Hass (a song with Diljit Dosanjh). Castañeda slips in an out of accents effortlessly. Learning your partner’s native language is a legit love language.
• 
  Saying YOLO

  We’re talking about the 2024 Chinese comedy-drama. It follows Du Leying, who lives at home, has put on weight, and doesn’t know what she’s doing with her life. She meets a boxing coach, who inspires her to start a new life. It’s fun, it doesn’t shame overweight people, and it’s inspiring and never preachy. Reminds us of Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019).
• Going to bed

  One more classification to worry over. Researchers believe that each of us has a unique sex personality, which affects how we behave in the bedroom. Performative types like role-play and focus on their partner’s pleasure. Explorers are up (ahem) for new kinks. Hedonists just want a good time. Surely we can be just one type, right? One Instagram user believes they’re a different personality each day of the week. Keep it spicy, people. Confuse the scientists.
• 
  Hating on streaming

  Who’s even waiting a month to watch Emily In Paris? It’s bad enough that releases are delayed. Then, Prime goes ahead and cancels My Lady Jane, even though it got good reviews from critics and fans. Why is it that the people who watch – and pay – for all this, don’t get a say in any of it?
• Tuning out

  The Alphabet Song, universally sung by English learners across the globe since 1835, isn’t the same anymore. The famous ”elemenopeekew” part has been usefully broken up so the letters are not mushed up: H-I-J-K-L-M-N and O-P-Q-R-S-T-U. Adults say the new version makes them forget the alphabet. Are kids picking it up any faster? No? next Monday morning/Come to me...