Coco Reports: 2020 wasn't all bad
10 (somewhat personal) reasons to celebrate this horrendous year 🎊
Hello fam!
Sure, 2020 has been a Russian Doll of a nightmare with no modern precedent, yet somehow I managed to make a few mems worth sharing. If you’re reading this, you’ve probably made a contribution to my happiness and well-being over the past year, and it cannot be overstated: THANK YOU FOR THAT.
My year in review slowly morphed into a Top 10 list as I wrote this newsletter because, at first, it seemed like there wasn’t that much to celebrate. I wound up having to cut two entries… so either I’m a hopeless optimist, a terrible brag, or 2020 wasn’t all bad!
TOP 10
I GOT A HAPPY ENDING IN TOKYO — This year was totally backwards. I literally started the year with a happy ending. Confused? Let me explain… In early February, I took a trip to Tokyo with my bestie Sofiya Alexandra. It was our third international trip for Private Parts Unknown, our podcast about love and sexuality around the world. In 2019, we went to Helsinki and Mexico City. Tokyo was bucket list for us, and boy, did we do it up right! On our last night in town, local reporter and creator (and now-friend) Hiroko Imani dared us to get happy ending massages (a service call “home delivery health”). I used to think happy endings were for sad, desperate dudes, but I stand corrected. The experience was erotic, empowering, and nothing short of mind-blowing, as chronicled in our episode America Sex Tourists in Tokyo and this Business Insider feature.
I FINISHED A DRAFT OF MY ESSAY COLLECTION (& FELL IN LOVE WITH A GROUP OF WRITERS) — Soon after we returned from our Tokyo trip, the coronavirus began to spread like wildfire in the U.S., and I became slightly obsessed with documenting the pandemic. I pitched the “Pandemic Stories” series to Catapult, and everyone in my writing workshop contributed an entry. Here’s my corona diary, recounting my May 1st field trip to the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve with my boyfriend and the love of my life, Georgia (pictured below).
BTW whatever remaining shred of sanity I carry into the New Year comes courtesy of these super-talented women scattered around the U.S. and our fearless leader Chloe Caldwell (whose writing I have adored for years now since her first essay collection Legs Get Led Astray). The act of showing up for each other every Sunday and nurturing fledgling essay collections of our own over the past year has given me the structure and community I desperately needed. It feels like I found some new friends for life — and I’m pretty stoked to have a draft of my collection done (!!!), even though I know there’s still so much work to be done before it finds its way out into the world.
I WAS ON TV — If you watched a lot of E! this year and had your eyes peeled, you may have spotted me on Total Bellas playing myself, podcast producer to the stars. I’m so proud of all 91 episodes of The Bellas Podcast we’ve done thus far, and I can’t wait for what’s to come in 2021. Nikki and Brie couldn’t be more lovely, funny, down to earth people — and as of this year, MOMS! We got to document their journeys through pregnancy and into motherhood on the weekly podcast, which, I have to admit, made my crusty ol’ ovaries hurt on occasion.
We were also #blessed with an embarrassment of riches in the guest dept., including: Lisa Vanderpump, Vanessa Lachey, Garcelle Beauvais, Drew & Linda Scott, Marianne Williamson (WOWOWOW, what a trip!), the LadyGang, a gaggle of bad bitches from the WWE, Zen master doula Latham Thomas (who I’m now lowkey obsessed with), and more.
Here are some of my favorite eps from this year:
I TOOK A MUCH-NEEDED ROAD TRIP — Normally, my parents take a road trip every summer, making it to LA in late July/early August right after they run the San Francisco Marathon (an activity which makes me question if we’re even related). They’ve been doing it for a decade since I moved to Cali. This year they had to cancel tradition, so I drove to Minnesota to see them instead. I was also eager to spend time with my grandparents (outside). Plus, I got to stop and see an ex and my college BFF along the way. And cry in the car A LOT. Highly cathartic. I might make it a new summer tradition, though I hope to ditch the pandemic next time.
*I’m happy to report that my whole fam stayed healthy this year, which was a minor miracle. I pray we keep the streak (and ourselves!) alive in 2021.
I BECAME A BETTER ALLY (WIP) — The protests in LA were so inspiring, and the national conversation surrounding the police brutality they were in response to gave me an education I didn’t even realize I needed. This year was the first I understood anti-racism as an active concept. As I was looking for ways to be of service, I saw that Sammy Mowrey had offered nudes as an incentive for others to donate on Twitter. I was like, “An opportunity to thirst-trap for justice? Sign me up!” So I put my own tweet out: Donate at least $50 to Black Lives Matter as verified by receipt (it better be legit bc I’m a stickler!) and get a topless pic in return. My DMs were a madhouse for a few weeks, but I kept a spreadsheet, and by the end of my campaign, I’d raised $33K for BLM and other Black-led and focused non-profits, which was exponentially more than I could have contributed on my own.
We also did an anti-racism series for Private Parts Unknown to better educate ourselves and our listeners, as well as use our platform to amplify Black voices, featuring interviews with:
Ashley Ray — Hoe Summer, Scammers & Why You Shouldn't Give Your Money to Shaun King
Selena the Stripper — Sex Work, White Supremacy & Happy Ending Massages
These folks are dope, and they make dope art, follow them! We plan on dropping part two to this series in 2021.
I WON AN LA PRESS CLUB AWARD — It was totally unexpected (I didn’t even know it was nominated lol), but my Maebe A. Girl story won an LA Press Club Award for gender/LGBT reporting! Every time I work on a human interest radio story, I feel like it’s an act of self-care for myself and the world I wish to live in. KCRW’s Sonia Geis is such a fantastic editor; she really helped me hone my chops. Check out the story here: For Maebe A. Girl, gender nonconformity isn't her only political act.
I ACTUALLY DID SOMETHING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE — I went into 2020 as a modeDurable fellow after a two-day deep dive into sustainability and slow fashion last December. Angel mentors Manuela Zoninsein and Natalie Grillon started modeDurable as an incubator for creators wanting to seed awareness and action from the public about industry impact on climate change. My project was the Climergency podcast. I did 15 episodes. The first was with Kevin Green, who leads RARE’s Center for Behavior and the Environment, offers six ways to make a big impact as an individual. It’s a great place to start if you’re trying to do more for the environment in the new year. I also loved:
These episodes with my fellow modeDurable fellows Jessica Defino (clean beauty) and Nyleve Henry (wardrobe rental)
This episode with Swap Society’s Nicole Robertson (if you haven’t heard me evangelize about Swap Society, I will take you to church)
My interview with Sammy Roth, who reports on energy and the environment for the LA Times… oh shit, they’re all my favorite.
I STARTED WRITING FOR NETFLIX — Last winter, we launched the Know It All podcast, hosted by Jayus of TikTok fame (aka @onlyjayus or Isabella Avila IRL). I’m the show’s scriptwriter, and writing each episode has been a soothing escape and fun creative outlet. I’m also getting faster as we go, which is thrilling because my process for this show serves as great exercise for the rest of my screenwriting, so it’s like I’ve been lifting weights and getting jacked all year, and I’m ready to bang out TV procedural scripts like a hoss. The only shitty part is that I have to (read: GET TO) watch early previews of new Netflix titles for work. Woe is me, what torture! Seriously, it took every ounce of self-control in my possession not to run around screaming, “THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT IS SO FUCKING GOOD, IN TWO WEEKS YOU’RE GONNA WANT TO RUIN YOUR WHOLE LIFE POPPING TRANQUILIZERS AND STUNTING ON CHESS NERDS” before the series dropped.
Some of my favorite episodes were:
Everything You [Did Not] Want to Know About Poop (Connected)*
*I should go to jail for how excited I was to write that ep.
Writing for a TikTok star has made me realize that… *sigh* I’m getting old, which has been a profound experience that I hope continues indefinitely (?? never thought I’d say that, life is so weird). Anyway, I’m super excited that the show is going WEEKLY in 2021 for double the episodes, double the facts, and quadruple the fun!
I WORKED THE POLLS — This November, mama (me) was a first-time poll worker! Mama tries to vote in every election, and she’d wanted to work the polls for years, but mama always had other work conflicts in the past. This year, mama was determined to make it happen. I worked three looooong days at a polling station in Highland Park; the experience was both exhausting and invigorating. I got to see for myself that democracy isn’t broken. A few days ago, I got an email stating that first-time poll workers were awarded the 2020 Joseph H. Kanter Citizen of the Year Award by the National Conference on Citizenship. It was a distinction that made me smile, and I — excuse me, mama — aims to take more of that energy in 2021.
I CEMENTED MY SEXPERT STATUS — I basically sowed my seed all over the internet by supplying stellar sex tips (with my BFF and Private Parts Unknown co-host Sofiya) to major publications… fingers crossed they provided enhanced pleasure to readers and maybe even got someone pregnant (not me tho)!
Here are a few of my favorite articles:
Rolling Stone: Jerk from Home: Masturbating During Quarantine Can Seed Self-Love
Men’s Health: How to French Kiss Like a Pro, According to Sex Experts
Men’s Health: Here's How to Get Way Better at Fingering, According to Women (this is perhaps our proudest, most influential work!)
MEL Magazine: How to Last Longer in Bed When You Haven’t Had Sex in Months
We also gave MEL the exclusive on our “Comedians of OnlyFans” series, which drops January 6th on SiriusXM’s She’s So Funny channel and January 13th on our podcast feed. Here’s the article. Don’t miss the series.
I will spare you my BOTTOM 10 of 2020, which were truly grim, and none of us needs that kind of content right now… though you may have inadvertently caught a couple of those moments on my IG Stories if you follow me. *cringe*
So aside from sending out this lengthy report that literally no one asked for, how am I celebrating the New Year? Well, after an excruciating three-day road trip worthy of an epic poem, Georgia and I made it to Austin to spend the holidays with my boyfriend (and escape the 0% ICU capacity back in SoCal), so we’re winding down the year here in Texas. I’ve been busy eating TexMex and learning the local culture (mainly neon signs and tchotchke stores?). It’s very relaxing.
Much love and good vibes going into 2021! We deserve it!!
Courtney
P.S. If you’re a nerd about New Year’s resolutions like I am, may I suggest considering the anti-resolution? A couple years ago, I made a resolution to get rejected at least 200 times, and this mission resulted in a Washington Post credit and an all-expenses-paid residency in Helsinki, Finland for Private Parts Unknown. My article about it struck a chord, and it quickly became my most popular piece of online writing. Just wanted to share for any kindred masochists out there!