culture porn 5/26
our weekly playlist
screenshot me:
you hurt my feelings (a24)
i related to how julia-louis dreyfuss (VEEP) and tobias menzies (THE CROWN) play somewhat hapless new yorkers just trying to do their best as professionals, parents, friends and family members. indie darling nicole holofcener has crafted an intimate story that feels really right for our uncertain times.
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platonic (apple tv+)
we've been tracking the rise of platonic relationships for a few years, so it's about time someone made a show about the sometimes awkward, usually silly banter between men and women for whom sex is definitely off the table. rose byrne always tickles me, and here she makes hanging out with a dweeby seth rogen look fun as they resuscitate a long-dormant friendship.
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anna nicole smith: you don’t know me (netflix)
i couldn't click fast enough on this documentary (similar to the pam anderson doc). as a teenager, the iconic image of anna nicole smith is imprinted on my memory - i remember watching THE ANNA NICOLE SMITH SHOW on E! and buying a bobble doll of anna. her intense femininity was eye-grabbing - a modern day marilyn monroe (with whom anna believed she shared a deep connection, i learned in this doc!). looking back on anna's legacy, i see a woman who had a love-hate relationship with the intense fame cycle thrust on 90s/early aughts female celebs. this documentary really goes into the depths of her drug addiction, which led to her untimely passing.
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the secrets of hill song (fx/hulu)
i've been waiting to see this ever since i read the original reporting in VANITY FAIR, which this 4-part docuseries is based on. was carl lentz a charismatic christian con man, or a symptom of a deeper, darker culture of sexual assault and cover-ups? i find the contrast between the high-flying celebrity megapastor and his now-humbled self to be the most fascinating aspect of the show.
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bone valley (apple podcasts)
amidst a big move and a lot of things going on in my life, i needed a deeply riveting true crime tale to escape into for moments of reprieve. i stumbled on BONE VALLEY, a wrongful conviction podcast that reminded me a bit of SERIAL. it's moving, sad, and raises a lot of questions about our justice system. in the meantime, leo schofield is still in a florida prison for his wife's 1987 murder, most recently denied parole on may 3.
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x (a24)
texas chainsaw massacre meets taxi driver. set in the 70’s, this classic slasher film offered an elevated twist through female empowerment and high end styling and was a refreshing take on a tired genre. with a very talented cast and a director with a nostalgic eye, i highly recommend it if you dig horror-or if you don’t.
- @juliarabbit21, CULTIQUE SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
insights & inspo
goodbye to the breadbasket. hello to the bread course.
i absolutely love bread and at times it’s the highlight of my meal. i think of it as the pregame to a party: all delightful anticipation with the main course yet to come. working at a bakery in high school, i became very aware of the intense labor that goes into making bread. to be clear, i just worked the counter - but the bakers were always well-muscled folk, there every day, pre-dawn. during the pandemic, many at home realized this as well. but would you pay $12 for a bread course? recently, restaurants certainly think so.
🍞🥖✨
- @sarahjaneunger
more insights here
can a travel program really deliver cultural value to an organization?
sarah and linda spoke with @amexgbt about the value of traveling for work and what it does for company culture and employee connection. 💼✈️
more insights here
#LOokforward🌅 with linda ong
getting a read on hollywood's convos on AI, sarah and i joined the AI ON THE LOT conference, presented by AI LA and VARIETY. now we're fixated on terms like "prompt engineering" and how no one's yet talking about the climate impact of all that processing power. this was all great fodder for a private salon we hosted on the potential impact of AI on culture with our coalition and invited guests, featuring expert storytellers and worldbuilders, william kendall and rachel joy victor.
i'm eager to see the AI implications of the recent court decision on andy warhol's appropriation of lynn goldsmith's photo of the artist fka prince. hopefully, blockchain technology will streamline the messy licensing and copyright issues around what is an essential creative process to artists that must be protected.
if you've ever wondered about the origins of romantic kissing, a new SCIENCE study says it might have originated in mesopotamian culture as a post-coital behavior. think about that the next time you plant a wet one on your beloved.
for linda’s full debrief, head here