culture porn 7/8
our weekly content recommendations
screenshot me:
only murders in the building (hulu)
after reading a wonderful article about the building where the fictional Arconia is filmed, i had to tune in being a former Upper West Side-er in NYC. steve martin, selena gomez, and martin short were a delightful saturday morning watch. humor meets true crime quirk. season 2 dropped on june 28, but i'm still playing catch up in season 1.
***
julia (hbo max)
while JULIA's vibe is 180 degrees from my obsession THE BEAR, the heart of the kitchen is on high boil in both. i binged this light retelling of THE FRENCH CHEF's rise to TV fame on a 12-hour flight from europe and learned that the secret to crusty bread is a tray of water at the bottom of the oven – also a plot point in THE BEAR!
***
snowflake mountain (netflix)
i found the premise very gimmicky but had to tune in to see a bunch of young people (snarkily written about in reviews as both Gen Z and Millennial - showing the lack of cultural consensus on generational parameters) thrust into outdoor situations. the show finds its way to moments of heart but plays heavily into stereotypes to get there. i'd have been interested to see a show that leans less on tropes, and more on the magic of the outdoors.
***
chris blackwell: the islander (gallery books)
years ago, i was a lunch guest of the ISLAND RECORDS founder (who "discovered" bob marley) at his idyllic jamaican home, PANTREPANT. we sat at a perfectly-appointed table under a 300-year old tree, and swam at his crystalline swimming hole, both of which i was so pleased to see fondly in this fascinating memoir of a life in music, but defined by an island.
***
chloe (amazon prime)
if you've been craving more stories about scheming cons like INVENTING ANNA, BAD VEGAN, and THE TINDER SWINDLER, check out this mesmerizing tale of assumed identities and social climbing. it's a star turn for erin doherty, who played the chilly, riveting princess anne in THE CROWN.
***
wimbledon (espn/espn2/abc)
i grew up having "breakfast at wimbledon" with my mom, a former player and the ultimate spectator. this year's bracket has been full of surprises, with 5 of the men out due to sanctions, injuries or COVID, and players like the controversial nick kyrgios battling accusations of sexual assault off court. while the matches are always intense, half the fun is seeing which celebs are in the stands (i'm talking to you, david beckham!).
insights + inspo
punctuality is having a moment
do you have the feeling you're running behind lately? you're not imagining things. these days, cultural expectations of punctuality are shifting. being 5 minutes early is the new "on time"!
- linda ong, @lindaong100
for more insights, head here
why does everyone have IBS?
tummy troubles may sound cutesy, but for many it's much more chronic. i had been noticing the rise of gastro-talk on social forums, and it indeed is symptomatic of broader societal stressors, food allergens, and disordered eating conversations still being ascendant. there's no easy answer, and thus i applaud integrative doctors with inclusive approaches, mixing multiple modalities, looking to forge a path forward.
- sarah unger, @sarahjaneunger
to see more, head here
is longer hair the signature style of inflation?
over the pandemic, i gave up on consistently keeping my hair colored and cut, preferring to VENMO my longtime hairstylist every time i took a pair of scissors into my own hands. now i have just adopted a topknot, which is either a new signature style, or a sign of giving up (!). now it seems like more people might opt for longer, shaggier hair, as inflation has taken over the hair salon as well. will you be changing your style as a result of rising prices?
- linda ong, @lindaong100
for more, head here
elsie eiler is the sole resident of monowi, neb.
we think so much about the growth of areas, but it’s also important to look at areas with diminishing numbers. i have a soft spot for rural america - it’s why i choose to live on the edges of cities, finding as rural a life as i can within reason for my culture mining profession. what happens when a town disappears? and how do we keep pockets of culture alive? rural planning is a discipline not to be overlooked.
- sarah unger, @sarahjaneunger
more here
#LOokforward🌅 with linda ong
my flight to the east coast was easy peasy, i was lucky not to get caught in the travel crazy and instead focus my energies on catching up with dear friends like katherine barna, a fellow north fork transplant!
the trial of NBA star brittney griner has begun, and i was struck by the sartorial semiotics of her jimi hendrix t-shirt. what message do you think she was trying to convey? i'm looking forward to seeing what she wears next!
UPDATE: on thursday, griner pleaded guilty in russian court.
for linda’s full debrief, head here