“You’d probably like her.” And her Instagram seemed to confirm this, at least on the surface.
My friend Joe, who hosts a pop-culture podcast and enjoys the franchise, finally told me about Dorinda, after I posted the GIF once again in response to a question about my mood. As soon as I downloaded it to my phone, I began posting it regularly: on long threads in secret Facebook groups, in response to silly tweets on my timeline, and weekly in my Instagram stories.
I’d seen GIFs of Dorinda Medley - a peroxide-blonde force of nature from the Real Housewives of New York City - for the last year or two, but this one felt special. Like a perfect empowerment album (Beyoncé’s Lemonade) or a go-to favorite dress (vintage Missoni I got for less than $20), the GIFs are tried and true emotional pick-me-ups. Sometimes I share them publicly, but more often, I keep them for myself for when I’m bored or sad or angry. Like most people with a smartphone and a propensity for excessive social-media use, I keep a collection of GIFs and memes on my phone. I don’t know where I first saw this GIF, but I knew I loved it. Important things appear out of nowhere - important GIFs, too.
