culture porn 2/17
our weekly playlist
screenshot me:
fire of love (disney+)
in honor of valentine's day, i watched sarah dosa's film about maurice and katia krafft. the kraffts were renowned volcanologists, united by their love for getting extremely close to volcanic eruptions in the noble pursuit of studying them. narrated by the ethereal tones of miranda july, the footage has a dreamy quality. it's terrifying and awe-inspiring and also some lovely ASMR, too. a wonderful documentary.
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the climb (hbo max)
i like watching rock climbing films so i thought i'd like this show...oddly i felt it was kinda slow. it features legendary rock climber chris sharma and his BFF jason momoa, who was a rock climber before an actor. the show itself features a pretty repetitive and too much emotional backstory. the settings were stunning but the pacing was off. which is too bad, as i'm so happy we have more content about rock climbing! perhaps this will inspire more in the genre.
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women holding things (harper collins)
a dear friend gave me this book by maira kalman and it filled my heart. having met tibor kalman (the artist's late husband and founder of the legendary design firm M&CO), when working on the rebrand of LIFETIME in the 90s, her innocent but pointed illustrations connect me to my early days as a creative.
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dear edward (apple tv+)
it's great to see connie britton (THE WHITE LOTUS) team up again with creator jason katims (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS). here, they find new depths amid tragedy, exploring the aftermath of a lone survivor and the many families left behind by a plane crash. based on the ann napolitano novel.
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cunk on earth (netflix)
if you like the brilliant nonsense of british comedies like ALI G and MONTY PYTHON, you'll love the pretentious airs of philomena cunk (diane morgan). in this 5-part mockumentary, the fake journalist takes a drool-worthy trip to archeological and historic finds, only to ask the stupidest questions of leading academics, historians, and scientists. david attenborough should not quit his day job.
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sorry to bother you (netflix)
this surreal, smart film is leaving the service on 2/28, so watch or re-watch it soon. lakeith stanfield wows as a Black telemarketer who uses a white voice to rise a conspiratorial corporate ladder. it was very weird seeing armie hammer play the villain in the film because...you know. anyway, this movie has aged well since it came out in 2018 and still deserves all its praise for being original and creative.
insights & inspo
with help blocked, rescuers in syria despair as survivors die under rubble
yesterday marked the 10th day since the earthquake hit turkey and syria. a full on humanitarian shitshow that left over 40,000 people dead and thousands more missing. while the response in syria was minimal in comparison to turkey each country is left in total devastation with a long road of grieving and recovery ahead.
our partners @wearecivic have shared a list of trusted resources that are accepting monetary donations to aid those affected by what is one of the deadliest natural disasters of the century. we’re sharing them with you here with the hopes that we can all make a positive impact to aid those in need. 💔
PLEASE join us in an effort to provide aid to those impacted in syria & turkey.
SYRIAN AMERICAN MEDICAL SOCIETY (SAMS)
TURKISH CULTURAL CENTER OF NEW YORK
more insights here
‘ghosting,’ ‘orbiting,’ ‘rizz’: a guide to modern dating terms
what love language do you speak? modern day dating has a whole new set of terms and phrases that are hard to keep up with and constantly in flux. it seems the bottom line, whether financial or emotional, is that love in the modern day is stressful, complicated, indefinite and down right confusing. good luck out there. 💘❤️🩹
more insights here
#LOokforward🌅 with linda ong
for this week’s look forward linda ong talked cultique projects, rebrands, and of course, rihanna’s special guest at the superbowl.
aside from riri’s bump, the biggest super bowl winner was: gambling. with DRAFT KINGS an official partner of the NFL, and states increasingly granting casino licenses (hello, times square), betting is becoming more mainstream. but are some legit-looking enterprises actually fronts for organized crime, fraud, and even state-sponsored dark ops? at least that's what i learned watching SKANDAL! on NETFLIX.
now a proud angeleno for 7 years, i'm excited to have helped LA's "other" public radio station KPCC rebrand to LAist. the new name focuses on the locals who love where they live, and connects a growing global community with the region's core values.
speaking of rebrands, i'm so impressed by the luminous and powerful interpretations of DISNEY princess dolls by atlanta-based photographers CREATIVE SOUL, now available at the resorts and online.
for linda’s full debrief, head here