culture porn 10/14
our weekly playlist
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hocus pocus 2 (disney+)
i love fall, i love witches, and i love the sanderson sisters. i’m less into milking IP for all it’s worth, but in this case i’ll allow it. on an october friday eve with pizza and ice cream i let myself travel back to salem in 1993. it’s goofy ghoulishness and fans of the original will relish the haunted ride.
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a friend of the family (peacock)
jake lacy – who was perfectly awful in THE WHITE LOTUS – deploys the facade of his nice-guy persona in service of his evil-minded intentions towards the young daughter of a friend. i couldn't stop bingeing this series based on the real-life abduction of jan broberg.
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dahmer (netflix)
this show has courted its fair share of (warranted) controversy, notably around re-traumatizing victims + their families. i gave into the rubbernecking and had a watch. i was impressed by the performances: episode 6 was mastery (especially actor rodney burford) and left me very emotional. i found myself shouting at the TV, horrified and heartbroken. the show raises a lot of questions, more than answers, and leaves us awash in ethical murkiness -- a microcosm of our world at large.
i really did not want to watch this but now i can't stop. episode 6, is a must-watch for its astounding storytelling from the heart-wrenching POV of tony hughes, who was hearing impaired – and (spoiler alert!) the 12th victim of serial killer jeffrey dahmer.
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the come up (freeform)
when i first moved to NYC, i only wanted to live downtown – just like the cast of this reality show set in "dimes square," at the hottest intersection of the city's lower east side. if you're missing the vibe of searching and seeking the next big scene, follow the fabulous, fierce and queer/fluid group of 20-somethings chasing their dreams.
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girl with the dogs (youtube)
the niche genres i watch on YOUTUBE are too numerous to count, such as ASMR, chiropractic videos, and dog grooming. of the dog grooming, my favorite is "girl with the dogs" featuring grooming pro vanessa, whose salon is based in canada. her videos range from dogs relaxing under the blow dryer to dealing with pets that are not grooming fans. no matter what, the before + afters are always fun to see.
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the palace papers: inside the house of windsor (crown)
i picked up tina brown's tell-all on the royal family after the passing of queen elizabeth spurred me to glean more juicy gossip on palace insiders.
insights & inspo
millennials want to retire at 50. how to afford it is another matter.
for the past few years, we've been tracking convos around the millennial-fueled FIRE movement (financial independence, retire early). this sounded like a good idea to many in the now-bygone days of "hustle culture," but in the new paradigm, where quality of life beats late-stage capitalism, enthusiasm is waning and expectations are being recalibrated. "Dreams of stopping work, or doing only fulfilling work, 15 years before their parents did are colliding with the realities of amassing enough money to do so," writes lisa rabasca roepe in THE NEW YORK TIMES.
more here
why adults still dream about school
ever dreamt you were still in school despite being decades out of it? yeah, me too. i find dream analysis beyond subjective: anything can pretty much mean anything, or at least that's what i took away from a mini-course on it years back. nevertheless, with the rise in social media-led "pop psychology" as of late, it's still a buzzy ask: what does it mean and can we make anxiety dreams stop?
more insights here
#LOokforward🌅 with linda ong
for the HAMMER MUSEUM’s fall gala celebrating its mission of art + activism, i opted for "metallic maximalism," layering a silver sequin dress over a gold knit polo, topped by a surrealist cloud-adorned cardigan and dangly gold earrings. it was a stellar choice for meeting luminaries like steven spielberg and kate capshaw, and hearing soaring tributes by laverne cox (honoring trans-rights activist chase strangio) and my fave mark bradford (introducing artist honoree charles gaines). but i was blown away getting face time with the legendary hilton als, who curated the emotionally vibrant exhibition inspired by joan didion's prose, and brought this must-see show to life.
i'm always fascinated when someone declares the "death" of a trend. and while the GIF has been long rumored to have seen its last day, i still lean onto two go-to's whenever a text needs that emotional boost. do you still GIF?
for linda’s full debrief, head here
CULTIQUE x CULTE COLLECTIVE
linda ong + julia iglesias-musachio break down what inspired the cultique x culte collective collab and how our Infinity Rings are upcycled 🔥
listen to their conversation here