Matthew 
McConaughey’s 
(“Sing 
2”) 
memoir 
has 
no 
business being as good as it 
is. As I perused Audible for a 
nonfiction book, “Greenlights” 
caught my eye — not because I’m 
a diehard McConaughey fan, but 
because I had seen it circulating 
Bookstagram 
and 
BookTok 
and decided to give it a go. This 
was two years ago. I’ve read 
McConaughey’s memoir six times 
since. 
The following statement is 
probably going to haunt me 
forever, but here goes nothing: 
Matthew 
McConaughey’s 
“Greenlights” is one of, if not 
the, best celebrity memoirs ever 
written. 
I’ve listened to “Greenlights” 
in each season, on nearly every 
mode of transportation, alone 
and with others. I listened to 
the memoir lying in the grass 
in my front yard. I listened to it 
biking the 24-mile trail behind 
my house. I forced my best friend 
to listen to it on our road trip up 
north to Petoskey. I read it while 
wrapping presents, under the 
glow of my Christmas tree. 
The charm of “Greenlights” 
can 
be 
fully 
attributed 
to 
McConaughey’s 
musical 
southern drawl. It is crucial — 
essential — that first-time readers 
listen to the memoir for the best 
experience. 
McConaughey’s 
book is meant to be heard; the 
style of “Greenlights” leans more 
informal 
than 
formal, 
more 
personal than professional. On 
paper, the sentences might seem 
unfinished and lengthy, but it’s 
because they’re supposed to be 
spoken: 
“We all step in shit from time 
to time. We hit roadblocks, we 
fuck up, we get fucked, we get 

sick, we don’t get what we want, 
we cross thousands of ‘could 
have done better’s and ‘wish that 
wouldn’t have happened’s in life. 
Stepping in shit is inevitable, so 
let’s either see it as good luck or 
figure out how to do it less often.” 
No, McConaughey is not the 
next great American novelist. 
His writing is unrefined and 
relaxed, but that’s the point — 
McConaughey 
is 
sharing 
an 
intimate look into his life, and 
he’s doing it faithfully. There 
is no ghost writer, there are 
no unnecessary frills or false 
philosophical fillers. It is just 
McConaughey telling his story 
and telling it absurdly well at 
that. 
I’ve read numerous celebrity 
memoirs in my day — they’re 
my “guilty pleasures,” if you 
will. From Emily Ratajkowski’s 
“My Body” to Betty White’s “If 
You Ask Me,” I have crossed out 
title after title from an extensive 
spectrum — and nobody does it 
better than McConaughey. I’ve 
wept through emotional memoirs 
like Michelle Zauner’s “Crying 
in H Mart” and Carmen Maria 
Machado’s “In the Dream House,” 
and I’ve laughed with celebrities 
like Issa Rae and Stanley Tucci as 
they’ve recounted entertaining 
tales in their respective works, 
“The Misadventures of Awkward 
Black Girl” and “Taste: My Life 
Through Food.” Yet, though I’ve 
collected celebrity memoirs like 
infinity stones, the only one I’ve 
returned to is McConaughey’s. 
“Greenlights” is sentimental 
and serious, amusing and clever. 
McConaughey does justice to his 
book with his gripping recital; his 
talent for storytelling — his gift 
of gab — is what sets his memoir 
apart from others and keeps me 
crawling back. 
“Greenlights” is divided into 
eight 
parts, 
chronologically 
retelling 
McConaughey’s 
life 

experiences 
starting 
from 
childhood. 
In 
each 
part, 
McConaughey 
interrupts 
himself with what he calls 
“bumperstickers” — “lyrics, one-
liners, quick hitters, unobtrusive 
personal preferences that people 
publicly express” — in addition to 
snippets from past journal entries 
and extended soliloquies. They 
make the listening experience fun 
and exciting because they bring 
the authenticity of storytelling 
to the page. They resemble the 
familiar 
tangents 
of 
friends 
going off-track when recounting 
last night’s events, the sudden 
realizations people uncover when 
they relay past incidents. By 
extension, the memoir feels more 
realistic, more true, like you’re 
eavesdropping on the stranger 
across the bar rather than reading 
a polished autobiography.
On top of the personal, lyrical 
style of writing, what makes 
McConaughey’s memoir great 
is the memories he shares. The 
stories are hilarious — from 
the bizarre rites of passages 
McConaughey and his brothers 
underwent, like winning a 3 
a.m. pissing contest, to the time 
McConaughey showed up on 
set without looking at his script, 
only to find he had a four page 
monologue in Spanish — and are 
brought to life by McConaughey’s 
captivating narrations. There’s 
nothing funnier than when the 
person telling the story can 
barely get through it themselves; 
hearing McConaughey’s laughter 
magnifies the hilarity of it all. 
“Greenlights” 
is 
freckled 
with 
sentimental 
moments 
too, including the story of how 
McConaughey 
met 
his 
wife 
Camila Alves, whom he first 
encountered in a dream. In fact, 
McConaughey 
relays 
several 
dreams in his memoir, many of 
which guided him figuratively, 
and all of which guided him 

literally 
to 
places 
like 
the 
Amazon and Africa. 
Of 
course, 
McConaughey 
talks about his career in show 
business; he began college as a 
straight-A pre-law student and 
ended as a barely passing film 
major intent on making his way 
in Hollywood. He recalls walking 
into the casting room for “Angels 
in the Outfield” and being 
hired immediately for his all-
American look, when he got the 
call that he’d be acting alongside 
Sandra Bullock (“The Lost City”) 
in “A Time to Kill,” the dreadful 
amount 
of 
romantic-comedy 
scripts he’s read and the moment 
when he decided to only take 
on projects he believed would 
challenge him as an actor. He is 
honest about his struggles to be 
seen as a legitimate actor and 
his frustration with numerous 
box-office failures. I imagine 
that anyone interested in show 
business could learn a thing or 
two from these remembrances, 
which are full of advice and 
nonchalant wisdom.

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts

Dune, dune, dune! For a time last 
fall, it seemed as if all anyone could 
talk about was “Dune.” Met with 
approval from both critics and fans 
alike, it made over $400 million 
at the global box office. Beyond 
commercial success, it went on to 
win six of its 10 Academy Award 
nominations, sweeping in nearly 
every technical category. Within 
four days of its official release, 
“Dune: Part Two” was greenlit. To 
get ahead of the madness that will 
inevitably occur once people figure 
out that Florence Pugh (“Don’t 
Worry Darling,”) and Austin Butler 
(“Elvis”) are in the sequel, I beseech 
you to think critically next time you 
see Timotheé Chalamet (“Bones 
and All”) crusading across the 
desert. Because although we may 
praise “Dune” as being a critique 
of the white savior narrative, its 
adaptation is nothing more than a 
white story in culturally ambiguous 
clothing. 
The first and only time I watched 
“Dune,” I went in with a clean 
slate. I’d taken peripheral notice of 
the trailers, Timotheé Chalamet’s 

tweets and the fact that Zendaya 
(“Euphoria”) was in it, but that 
was about it. I dragged an equally 
uninterested friend with me for 
a 10:30 opening night showing, 
looking for entertainment and little 
else. Two and a half hours later, it 
was past one in the morning, we 
were struggling to stay awake in 
our seats and I was in for one hell of 
a rude awakening. 
Once the credits rolled, my 
friend and I exchanged a glance 
of mutual contempt for what we 
had just witnessed and sat in 
bewilderment as the rest of the 
theater erupted into applause and 
unanimous exclamations of praise. 
On the sleepy walk back home 
and during brunch the next day, 
we discussed the film’s superficial 
merits (easy on the eyes, or “good 
cinematography” if you’re a film 
snob), as well as its faults (too much 
sand, not enough Zendaya). But 
in all seriousness, I found myself 
returning to a persistent state of 
uneasiness as I reflected on the film, 
a disquietude that crept into my 
mind, a consternation that seemed 
to rapidly pool within the pit of my 
stomach at the mere thought of it. 

‘Dune’ isn’t worthy of 
your praise

Wednesday, October 19, 2022 — 5

Design by Abby Schreck

SERENA IRANI
Daily Arts Writer

Kat Stratford isn’t the 
feminist icon we all 
make her out to be

We’ve all wanted to be Kat 
Stratford (Julia Stiles, “Save 
the Last Dance”) from the 1999 
blockbuster film “10 Things I 
Hate About You” at some point 
in our lives. Admit it. From her 
style, to her confidence, to the 
books she reads, to her “I don’t 
care” attitude, she is THAT girl. 
Her theme song is Joan Jett & the 
Blackhearts’ “Bad Reputation.” 
Can she get any cooler than 
that? She seems to achieve the 
façade she effortlessly puts on, 
but while this “aesthetic” is 
appealing to modern audiences, 
myself included, we should walk 
on eggshells when idolizing 
characters like Kat. Thinking 
Kat is an icon is fine (and 
accurate), but I don’t think 
I’d call her a feminist. In her 
patronizing version of feminism, 
Kat is the epitome of a white 
feminist, and her idolization 
serves as a vehicle to silence 
minority 
experiences 
while 
giving white experiences most, 
if not all, of the attention. 
Basking in her minimalistic 
style, angsty-girl music and 
feminist prose, she is perceived 
by many as a “heinous bitch,” 
as explained by her guidance 
counselor. She places herself 
on a pedestal of confidence. We 
may call her the queen of “fake 
it ’til you make it” since, as she 

shows near the end of the film, 
she does have feelings similar 
to those that her traditionally 
feminine sister Bianca (Larisa 
Oleynik, “The Secret World 
of Alex Mack”) experiences. 
Nonetheless, 
her 
personal 
portrayal of her superiority 
over 
everyone 
around 
her 
is 
problematic, 
ultimately 
contributing to her performative 
feminism and privilege.
She constantly judges her 
sister — and every girl around 
her, for that matter — for 
expressing 
their 
femininity. 
Although Bianca is wrong in 
criticizing Kat for choosing 
to opt out of doing what’s 
considered “cool” and “popular,” 
Kat is similarly wrong in making 
fun of her sister for enjoying 
being feminine. She emphasizes 
her 
sister’s 
shallowness, 
claiming she comes from “Planet 
Look At Me, Look At Me” in an 
attempt to ridicule her sister and 
her interests. Kat thinks that 
Bianca is defenseless as a result 
of her hyperfemininity. Kat also 
goes so far as to criticize her 
best friend for wanting to go to 
the prom, not understanding 
why anyone would go to such 
an “antiquated mating ritual.” 
In the end, Bianca proves, albeit 
in a stereotypical way, that her 
femininity does not impede her 
from standing up for herself 
and those she cares about. 

GRACIELA BATLLE CESTERO
Daily Arts Contributor

Matthew McConaughey’s memoir is more 
than just ‘alright, alright, alright’

LILLIAN PEARCE
Managing Arts Editor

puzzle by sudokusnydictation.com

By Bonnie Eisenman
©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
09/21/22

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Nichols Lewis

09/21/22

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

Release Date: Wednesday, September 21, 2022

ACROSS
1 Thwack
5 Informed (of)
10 Compensation
14 Tuck out of view
15 Wrinkled
16 Many a univ. 
donor
17 365 days
18 Rub ingredient
19 HBO political 
satire starring 
Julia Louis-
Dreyfus
20 Impractical way 
to get dressed?
23 Barack and 
Michelle’s eldest 
daughter
26 Family room
27 Impatient
28 Lives
30 Cookie fruit
31 Planning meeting 
for the costume 
department?
35 “Stop filming!”
38 Broody sorts?
39 Sir or sri
40 More than dislike
41 Donkey
42 Disappointing 
sign on a 
store selling 
warm-weather 
garments?
44 GPS display
45 Small village
46 Food cart snacks 
in South Asia
49 Texting letters
52 Swerves
53 Really pulls off a 
jacket?
56 Initial poker bet
57 Japanese noodle 
dish
58 Carried debt
62 Appear to be
63 “You __ kidding!”
64 Grow tiresome
65 Jekyll’s 
counterpart
66 Basil-based 
sauce
67 Yields, as a profit

DOWN
1 Bashful
2 Blip on a 
polygraph, maybe
3 Hugo-nominated 
novelist Palmer

4 Continues
5 “One more 
thing ... ”
6 Totally beat
7 Ouzo flavoring
8 Scouting mission, 
briefly
9 Garden with 
forbidden fruit
10 Fluttering in the 
wind
11 Warning signal
12 Ballpark figure
13 Like cans in a 
recycling bin, 
hopefully
21 Doth own
22 Fall flat
23 Anime genre 
featuring giant 
robots
24 Wheel-
connecting rods
25 NFL team whose 
mascot is named 
Roary
29 Punchline lead-in
30 __ and blood
32 “Pull up a chair”
33 Corp. computer 
exec
34 Fuzzy sitcom star 
of the 1980s

35 “The Grouchy 
Ladybug” writer/
illustrator
36 Out-and-out
37 Tries, as one’s 
patience
40 Place of origin
42 Cheerios grains
43 “__ Nagila”: 
Israeli folk song
44 Defiant retort
46 Cymbal sound
47 Bee product

48 Performed
49 Open up, in a 
way
50 Fast-spreading 
social media 
posts
51 Fragrance
54 Hip hop genre
55 “I’m __ your 
tricks!”
59 Pint-size
60 “Mangia!”
61 Many profs

SUDOKU

By Lisa Senzel & Christina Iverson
©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
09/14/22

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Nichols Lewis

09/14/22

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

Release Date: Wednesday, September 14, 2022

ACROSS
1 Spanish tennis 
great Nadal, 
familiarly
5 Upgrade, as 
machinery
10 Uncertain
14 Cabbage buy
15 Glazer of “The 
Afterparty”
16 Skating 
commentator 
Lipinski
17 Analogy words
18 Bridal path flower 
piece
19 Stash, as gear
20 Japanese drama
21 Cookbook 
contents
23 Author Rand
24 Genre for 
composer 
Terence 
Blanchard
26 Informal “You’re 
oversharing”
27 Caramel candies
29 Like some 
dangerous 
isotopes
32 Curry of the NBA
34 Bike part
35 Quintet for most 
starfish
38 Prefix for a 
lifesaving “Pen”
39 Not so big
41 Knock
42 Try to hit
44 Tell it like it isn’t
45 Speed skater 
Ohno
47 Act parts
49 Past the point of 
caring
50 Michelle of “Crazy 
Rich Asians”
52 Neighborhood
53 *Secretive email 
option
60 Uncommon
61 Assertion
62 Cookie used as a 
12-Down topping
63 Admit frankly
64 Omit in speech
65 Spreadsheet unit
66 Soaks up the sun
67 Calf-roping event
68 Diet that’s high 
in fats and low 
in carbs, as 
illustrated by 
parts of the 
answers to the 
starred clues

DOWN
1 Safari herbivore
2 Fabulous writer?
3 *Figure often 
depicted with a 
scythe and an 
hourglass
4 Hubbub
5 Ready for 
picking
6 __ college
7 *Pakistani-born 
chef who was 
posthumously 
honored with a 
James Beard 
Award
8 Up the creek
9 Story
10 Part of FWIW
11 *Serious 
software 
problem
12 Dessert from 
16 Handles, 
familiarly
13 Signs of 
boredom
21 “Wicked!”
22 __ Lanka
25 Sidelines cheer
28 Fertility lab cells
30 Maker of the 
Deep Blue chess 
computer
31 Workout top

32 Bodies of water
33 __ fail
36 Timbuktu’s land
37 Predicament
39 Fine horse
40 Black bird
43 “What’s the 
latest?”
46 NBC symbol
48 Abby Wambach’s 
sport
49 Juliet’s cry
51 Winnie-the-Pooh 
greeting

52 Tolerate
53 Sassy kid
54 Chocolate 
__ cake
55 Waffle maker
56 “Kills bugs 
dead!” spray
57 Hockey Hall 
of Famer 
Willie
58 Hit, as with 
snowballs
59 “Seize the day” 
initialism

PARKING

Parking Space 
for Rent

North State & Kingsley

734-904-0649

CLASSIFIED ADS

Your classified 
ad here! Email 
wmg-contact@
umich.edu for more 
information.

‘When Harry Met 
Sally’: I WON’T have 
what she’s having

Whenever I tell people I don’t 
like “When Harry Met Sally” I am 
always met with the exact same 
reaction: incredulity. People have 
a hard time understanding how I 
don’t like a film that is regarded as 
one of the best comedies of all time 
— perfect material for the Hot Takes 
B-Side.
It’s not that I particularly dislike 
romantic comedies, either. I grew up 
watching every classic rom-com that 
a person could name. Whenever I go 
home for winter break, my dad and I 
rewatch more ’90s rom-com classics 
than most think possible. But the 
one film we never watch anymore is 
“When Harry Met Sally.”
The film follows Harry (Billy 
Crystal, “The Princess Bride”) 
and Sally (Meg Ryan, “Sleepless in 
Seattle”) as they run into each other 
over multiple chance encounters in 
New York City after initially meeting 
during a cross-country drive from 
Chicago. They initially become good 
friends, discussing their personal 
lives intimately with each other. 

Over time, they find themselves 
attracted to each other and attempt 
to set up each other with their friends 
Marie (Carrie Fisher, “Star Wars: A 
New Hope”) and Jess (Bruno Kirby, 
“Donnie Brasco”), which backfires 
and leaves both of them alone. 
Eventually, they pronounce their 
love for each other at a New Year’s 
Eve party, and the movie ends with 
an interview of Harry and Sally, now 
married.
Rewatching the film after not 
having seen it for many years did 
make me realize that my initial 
dislike of the movie was a bit strong. 
I found myself laughing at more of 
the jokes, appreciating the idealized 
aesthetic of New York City in the fall 
and winter and obsessing over Ryan’s 
outstanding acting skills. I started to 
see what made everyone else fall in 
love with this movie. After watching 
the scene in which Ryan hilariously 
fakes an orgasm, I thought I might 
not be able to write this piece 
anymore. I thought that maybe I did 
like the film now. However, I kept 
watching and remembered why I 
dislike the movie. 

ZACH LOVEALL
Daily Arts Writer

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

