Other Voices, Other Geniuses: Cady Drell
hella drella
Our last Other Genius of the year and it’s a GOODIE!
Oh, to study Cady’s brain. She was the editor of, I wanna say, the sex and relationships vertical when I was a wee staff writer at Glamour, and then she went to law school, and now she’s working on fixing the climate or something.
She told me she and her boyfriend didn’t see the point in getting married and then she got married, because life’s crazy like that. She’s really nice and smart and when she gives me a compliment it means more than when other people do, sorry.
Other Voices, Other Geniuses: Cady Drell
What song are you especially into currently?
I’ve had “Kiss an Angel Good Morning,” by Charley Pride stuck in my head for months, and I fear I’m approaching the “where do I stab myself in the ears” threshold.
Also, “Girls” by The Dare. It takes me back to the circa 2004, sleazy-indie heyday.
What is your greatest pet peeve?
Subway patrons who play the volume on their phones out loud. If congestion pricing had gone through, I think a good use of the money would have been installing headphones onto the train walls like they had at Tower Records.
How do you like to waste time?
TikTok, specifically “judgmental house inspection” TikTok. But right now I’ll do anything to avoid studying for the bar exam. Including answering this questionnaire! Thank you for having me!
What book is currently living by your toilet/bed and how are you liking it?
Dune. It’s been on my bedside table for the better part of a year. I’ll read a couple pages and then “real quick” read a seven-book trashy mystery or horny fantasy series before picking it back up again. So I’d say it’s going OK.
What news topic that will always get you to click?
Shark attacks. New shark species discovered. Upticks in the number of shark sightings.
Whom do you consider to be the most overrated dead person?
Literally any of the Founding Fathers, with the exceptions of Gouverneur Morris. So first of all, his name was Gouverneur. Second, he was a NY Senator (go Mets). And third and most importantly, he had a peg leg because it was amputated after what he said was a carriage accident but which was rumored to be from jumping out of a balcony while fleeing the husband of a woman with whom he was canoodling! Land of the free, baby!!
Please put a selfie here:
Taken a couple months ago to show off this lil’ vintage coat I got.
Which was your favorite Spice Girl growing up?
Ginger! Though realistically it was Baby, but her whole thing seems problematic now? Not Emma Bunton specifically, she seems lovely, but the infantilization of an adult woman. Am I reading too much into it?
When have you been or felt the most FAMOUS in your life?
I used to participate sometimes in this event called Drunk TED Talk, which was run by my friend Eric Thurm, where media types would come and give talks about random subjects for an audience while drinking. I was reliably the least accomplished person on the roster but because I lived right down the street from the venue and have a lot of dumb opinions, strongly held, Eric knew he could call me last-minute to fill-in for someone who had to cancel.
One time, while standing outside after my “talk,” a woman came up and told me that she saw my name on the lineup and because she had liked my previous talk about “The Boys Are Back in Town” she decided to get a ticket for that night too. I MEAN! My friend Zach Schonfeld was with me when she said this and he was visibly concerned about what this information would do to my tendency to be insufferable, and he was right to be worried because I am still talking about it!! And this was during the Obama administration!!!
What is your most deeply held but illogical belief?
Mothman was just trying to warn those people about the bridge. Also, Mothman is a woman.
What is your most irrational fear or anxiety?
Well according to the 20 pages of Dune I’ve read, fear is the mind killer.
But it’s cockroaches. I went to a therapist about it and she told me that when we reached the third session we would try exposure therapy so I went to two sessions and then ghosted her.
Who or what is your most problematic fave?
Quite clearly it is a tie between Gouverneur Morris and Mothman.
Please recommend a product. Any product.
Nuxe body oil in Florale, because it’s cheap and moisturizing and makes you smell nice for a long time, even when it’s humid.
Tip: Make sure you spray it into your hand first, rather than directly onto the desired areas, because it can make your floor really slippery. Learn from my mistakes!
What is the most annoying thing about the city where you currently live?
What could be annoying about New York City? Other than how it really is a pain to do laundry. And the aforementioned subway patrons. And the fact that I saw a BLT for $18 on a dive bar menu this week. But we have a really competent Rat Czar now, and you can still get a chopped cheese at 2am on a Tuesday, so it evens out probably?
How did you meet your best friend?
I met my two best friends simultaneously the first week of freshman year of high school when we all joined the debate team. Incidentally, now we are all lawyers.
Who or what gives you the ick?
Those guys that pick the treadmill right next to you at the gym rather than leaving a one-machine buffer. I say “guys” because it is always guys, or at least it’s not a problem unless it’s a guy. Gulag, frankly.
Also people who talk on their phones at the gym.
You know what? I’m realizing I might be too antisocial for the gym.
If you have a pet, put a picture here. If you don’t, a picture of your medicine cabinet. If you have more than one pet, pick the cutest:
This is Dusty. We got him at a bargain bin price but he’s subsequently been very expensive. In this photo, he is trying to offset those costs by running some type of insurance scam.
Which Sex and the City character do you most identify with?
Harry Goldenblatt.
Do you have a weird/useless/random skill? For instance, I make great friendship bracelets.
I’m weirdly good at that game GeoGuessr where you get a Google Maps photo from somewhere in the world and then have to guess where it is by putting a pin on the map. It’s very diverting and, as a bonus, I think it freaks my husband out a little.
Do you want a friendship bracelet?
I do, and I think it is a wonderful display of character that you have mastered something that brings people joy.
What is a conspiracy theory you actually think is true?
I would find it genuinely comforting if this was all a simulation.
Thoughts on God?
Oh, I heard He was dead and we’re bringing back the Dionysian cult? Can someone text me if that’s still happening?
How is a raven like a writing desk?
I don’t have time for this, Lizzie, I am studying for the bar exam.
Okay I think this was my favorite one yet! Sign me up for Cady's next drunk TED talk!