our weekly playlist
screenshot me:
daisy jones & the six (amazon prime)
any show whose title song is patti smith’s “dancing barefoot” is worth paying attention to IMHO. by the third episode, i was hooked by the psuedo-story of a FLEETWOOD MAC-esque band through its ups and downs, but i only wish the music was as good as the actual group.
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the reluctant traveler (apple tv+)
linda said: eugene levy (SCHITT'S CREEK) may not like leaving his house for exotic destinations abroad, but i had a great time re-living my own travels through this show. in fact, he stayed in the same room where i stayed in costa rica. and it was great seeing venice, one of my fave cities, through his jaundiced eyes.
sarah said: i love the premise of this show - travel is intimidating! eugene levy is a great proxy for the audience, dabbling in new experiences abroad that put him squarely outside his comfort zone. levy's reactions to the experiences - both skeptical and delighted - make watching fun.
- @lindaong100 & @sarahjaneunger
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the consultant (amazon prime)
tbh, this odd thriller had me scratching my head. but i'm a longtime admirer of christoph waltz (INGLORIOUS BASTERDS), who's perfect as a creepy corporate advisor who makes faustian bargains with CEOs in trouble. and as a new-ish fan of brittany grady (WHITE LOTUS), i couldn't stop watching til the macabre ending.
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all quiet on the western front (netflix)
in an attempt to see more oscar films pre-oscar, i settled in on a rainy saturday to watch this WW1 german-language drama. it's not an easy film to watch, but it's a very well-made one. the soundtrack especially won me over: creative, emotive, and beautiful.
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snl (peacock)
travis kelce hosted last weekend's episode following kansas city's superbowl win, and based on the number of sketches i bookmarked to replay and share, it was a very good one. his acting chops were quite solid, and though many of the sketches relied on hyper-masculine stereotypes, in several he also subverted them.
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weather report: birdland (youtube)
i spent a lot of time in my college days listening to jazz, so i was sad to hear of the passing of legendary sax player wayne shorter. it was comforting to listen to some of his seminal work with WEATHER REPORT, which i'm sure will sound familiar to anyone who was sentient in the 80s.
insights & inspo
with its future at stake, the academy tries to fix the oscars (again)
if you’re tuning in to watch the oscars this weekend keep an eye out for some new updates. our co-founder, linda ong, spoke with THE NEW YORK TIMES about the efforts the academy is making to regain viewership and the new cultural norms they’re up against.
more insights here
rupaul urged fans to fight back against the right-wing “stunt queens” who are legislating against drag
anti-drag bills have been brought to state houses across the country but last week tennessee became the first state in 2023 to restrict public drag show performances.
linda responded in this week’s #LOokfoward🌅:
WTF tennessee, banning drag shows on public property? smh. #dragisnotacrime 🏳️🌈
more insights here
watson lecture series at caltech
last week i went to my second warson lecture series at caltech. it’s an incredible 100-year old public (free to attend!) program offering leading scientific research from some of the best experts in their field.
in this week’s we learned from mory gharib - an aeronautical engineer - on the way the heart is constructed and pumps fluid. this has implications for cardiovascular health & early disease detection. my mind was so stimulated!
#LOokforward🌅 with linda ong
in this week’s #LOokforward linda ong talked chris rock, sustainability, and darkness in all its forms.
good to see chris rock in fighting form, punching back at the world – and will smith – pushing culture's hottest buttons: wokeness, trans people, social media, racism, politics, war, abortion, meghan markle, even the kardashians. i'm interested in the implications for streamers after NETFLIX’S attention-getting move, and shared our thoughts with toni fitzgerald for FORBES:
“We expect to see more live programming at all the streamers, including Netflix—sports, live events, music, festivals, etc. It drives differentiation, reaches broad audiences, and provides valuable IP [intellectual property] for their libraries,” says Linda Ong, CEO and founder of CULTIQUE, a strategic cultural advisory. “On top of that, live programming is very advertiser-friendly, a key constituent as Netflix builds their AVOD [advertising-supported video on demand] offering.”
-Linda Ong, (as quoted in FORBES)
read the full article here
the first time we met, i could tell Elise Loehnen was a special creature. now the former content chief at goop has an exquisite newsletter,
. i love that she's embracing emotional darkness, as i'm learning about physical darkness. i just got THE DARKNESS MANIFESTO, which examines the ways light pollution impacts the environment.
IKEA and MUJI U.S.A. Limited are making bold moves in sustainability, showing that despite all the ESG-shaming, global corporations can still do well by doing good.
for linda’s full debrief, head here