culture porn 11/3
our weekly playlist
screenshot me:
friends: “best of chandler” (tbs)
kudos to TBS, long the home of FRIENDS reruns, for reminding us what linear cable does best: OG marathons. this weekend, i'm catching up on the late matthew perry's "best and most heartwarming episodes and will be interspersed with special tributes showcasing what he and his character meant to fans." could anything be more reassuring in this world today?
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the american buffalo (pbs)
i tuned into ken burns' latest doc expecting to learn about bison and history. i left feeling intensely about their destruction and the devastating ripple effects on Indigenous people. feeling dismayed by the government in 2023? just wait till you watch the government of yesteryear.
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pain hustlers (netflix)
i can't stop reading and watching stories about the opioid crisis (EMPIRE OF PAIN, DOPESICK, PAINKILLER), pulled in by each take's unique perspective on the pharma epidemic. i love how this emily blunt/chris evans movie channels the naivete, desperation, and greed of the sales reps who fueled the drug's rise at a horrific cost to all.
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paint the town red (doja cat)
this song is 100% stuck in my head. the devilish video, the dionne warwick sample, the raspy tone she uses -- it "slaps" (as the YOUTUBE commenters say). doja cat may have polarized some with comments about the parasocial nature of fandom, but her beats still pull in plenty.
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karangailyg kara hovaa (dyngyldai): yat-kha (spotify / youtube)
i'm mesmerized by the guttural, enigmatic vocals behind the iPhone titanium 15's new spot. leave it to APPLE to elevate an obscure siberian rock star from a "tuvan throat-singing fusion band" (!), reclaiming its status as a global cultural leader.
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event horizon (paramount plus)
it was recently halloween, and as i continue filling in my film gaps, this sci-fi film was perfect saturday evening fare. the film was panned on release, partly due to its gratuitous gore. nonetheless, it's a cult classic now - and the remastered film was impressive aesthetically. i was spooked afterwards and wished i had watched it during the day!
insights & inspo
millions of people see staying home and cleaning as their idea of a good time
cleaning influencers, or "cleanfluencers," gained a massive following during the pandemic, with TIKTOK’s "cleantok" hashtag amassing a radical 84 billion views. and the cleaning craze isn’t just limited to gen z & millennials, it’s triggering ASMR responses from a very broad audience. ann russell, undeniably one of the most popular #cleanfluencers, and the self-proclaimed "very middle class old english bag" has become an unlikely social media sensation offering practical cleaning tips and relatable household woes, while of course landing some major brand deals.
more insights here
the loss of dark skies is so painful, astronomers coined a new term for it
the pain of losing stars is so real astronomers have labeled this sadness “noctalgia,” translation: “night grief.” in an age where everything glows, we’re having to say a pretty dismal goodbye to the beauty of a starry night thanks to light pollution and waste, but astronomers say there is hope for reversal.
more insights here
make sure to check out MIDWEEK with CULTIQUE every wednesday
#LOokforward🌅 with linda ong
since his hit SNL gig, cultural leaders like THE ATLANTIC and LEGO are jumping on the BAD BUNNY train, just as he's launching his 2024 tour. but it's been a long time coming. for almost 15 years, i've tracked the growing influence of latino biculturals - millennial/gen z kids of immigrant families – as their tastes increasingly lead the mainstream. this is a group that consider themselves 100% american, AND 100% country of origin (yes, that's 200%!). that superpower of duality makes them gatekeepers to american culture – and they're still largely untapped as an economic force. if you're looking to amplify and accelerate your brand with younger audience, keep your eyes on this audience!
kim kardashian's new "nipple bra" for SKIMS confused me at first. but it turns out that breast-cancer survivors are grateful for a badly-needed solution. the brand is also donating 10% of proceeds to ONE PERCENT FOR THE PLANET.
thanks to amy daroukakis for pointing out the new campaign by fashion "it" brand LOEWE starring dame maggie smith. and this weekend i found artist judy chicago staring up from a full-page DIOR ad. it's great to still have fashion role models to look up to at any age!
more insights here