culture porn 10/7
our weekly playlist
screenshot me:
saturday night live (nbc)
this season's opener was a fresh crop of talent, with many new faces in the mix. it sort of feels like the first day of (sketch) school in a way. and having taken sketch writing classes back in my NYC days, i can appreciate how much skill it takes to birth comedic shorts in such a short timespan. did i think this past week's episode was particularly good? not really... no sketches that i was psyched to rewatch and relive with friends. on the upside, miles teller was a good peyton manning and kendrick lamar was incredible as always. i'm cautiously optimistic to see where the season goes.
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do revenge (netflix)
maya (daughter of uma thurman and ethan) hawke and camila mendes shine in this YA black comedy. if you love HEATHERS and MEAN GIRLS, this is for you.
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little big boy (netflix)
nick kroll has always been one of my reliable laughs. as our team knows i’ve watched his “pubLIZity” sketches from THE KROLL SHOW more times than i can count. here kroll is older and wiser but still childlike, and it delivers - maybe not for all audiences (with each passing year, sadly less & less people will get Eagle Eye Cherry references) but for me, it landed.
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the u.s. and the holocaust (pbs)
ken burns’ latest opus brings an american lens to the holocaust - exploring domestic anti-semitism and the collective reluctance to get dragged into the war in europe - as it was burning.
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sometime around midnight (the airborne toxic event)
with the whole vibe shift back to indie sleaze happening in the visual world, rather than doubling down on smudged eyeliner, i'm turning to one of my faves from circa 2008. this song will build you and break you in two, remembering the emotions of being a young person (and remind you why you may have been told as a kid that nothing good happens after midnight).
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gangsta’s paradise (coolio)
RIP the rapper, who catapulted out of compton to over a billion views on YOUTUBE and gave the 90s its haunting soundtrack.
insights & inspo
the rise of the menopause vacation
it's always fascinating to see two major cultural trends combine into one new emergent theme. now, as Gen X drives convos destigmatizing women's bodies, and "revenge travel" is at a high thanks to loosening COVID restrictions, "resorts and wellness properties are offering new getaways to help well-heeled women manage the changes of midlife," according to WSJ. now, more women can help manage their hot flashes, insomnia and mood issues with the comforts of a soothing spa stay.
more here
#AdventuresWithSarahAndShep
a family friend was getting married in Big Sur - one of the most majestic places in California. having been last year, this time we decided to return on motorcycle. i rode on the back of eric’s bike, and was pleased at how comfortable it was. the twisty roads are my favorite part! the wedding was beautifully set in the Henry Miller library, in the woods. we hiked into the ceremony! my aunt, who came to the wedding, also took a short ride on the back of eric’s motorcycle, which was a beautifully surreal moment.
more of sarah’s adventure here
#LOokforward🌅 with linda ong
the art world has always been one of my fave culture-vulturing haunts, so lunch with arthur lewis, head of UTA ARTIST SPACE, at SVB was a fun treat. a few days later, sarah unger and i took our YOUTUBE partners karissa zigarovich and kaley mullin to see my friend kim mccarty’s new show at DANZIGER GALLERY, where we also swooned for karen knorr's vivid photomontages of animals in indian palaces.
we've been tracking the infinite ways that AI is infiltrating culture, most recently in the gasp-inducing renderings of dead celebs like princess di, freddie mercury and heath ledger. scary or cool??
for linda’s full debrief, head here
cultique x culte collective
do you have fine jewelry with sentimental value that you’re just not wearing? or something that no longer has meaning that it used to?
culte collective x cultique have teamed up to repurpose, recycle and reuse your fine jewelry that’s no longer being worn. our Infinity Ring was designed by linda ong and each ring is produced by julia iglesias-musachio.
DM us on instagram for information.
for more on our collaboration, head here