culture porn 8/12
our weekly playlist
screenshot me:
not okay (hulu)
zoey deutch stars & serves as EP on this quinn shephard dark satire, which rips apart influencer culture, the attention economy, and manages to do so in an entertaining way. at times, it's not easy to watch, knowing that everything will collapse. the main character fakes surviving a terrorist attack, which of course will be discovered (as they lay out right from the movie's opening). still, watching the mess unravel - complete with plenty of nods to youth culture - i thought the movie was well done, especially in the aesthetic choices. a film perfect for 2022.
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the rehearsal (hbo)
NATHAN FOR YOU’s dry comic creator nathan fielder once again pops up to “help” ordinary citizens solve ordinary challenges with wit, quirk, and compassion. by creating meticulously crafted sets and scenarios that “rehearse” uncomfortable moments and situations, his unspoken message in these times seems to be “hope for the best, but plan for the worst.”
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betty (get money): yung gravy
self-professed lover of MILFs, yung gravy rocks 70s dad vibes, rickrolling his way into fame and blowing up tiktok with his very active use of the platform. damn gravy, you so vicious!
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sid the kid: deaton chris anthony
DCA embraces vulnerability by facing lingering past experiences coupled with intricate synths that illuminate the emotional yet liberating healing of his inner child.
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the gray man (netflix)
if you like nonstop, over-the-top action, this densely packed thriller is for you. and if you don’t, but enjoy watching ryan gosling squeeze out of hairy situations, this one’s for me!
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dubliners: james joyce
after visiting our wonderful analyst @riaknapp in dublin, i was inspired to buy joyce's book of short stories about irish life in the early 20th century. reading it reminds me how interesting the short story format can be - a slice of life into another time, where you get just a few pages to interpret characters.
insights + inspo
the magic of your first work friends
my early 20s in NYC were a magical + messy time. i was fortunate enough to make friends with some of the most special humans while in my first job. we were self-annointed "farmers" - sitting in a "cube" farm at a rapidly growing agency. even at the time, i sensed it couldn't last forever - marriages, moves, new jobs were to come -- but it was so special for the years it lasted. how amazing to find that sense of community while finding your footing? it benefited us personally and professionally. though i live across the country now, happily working remote for the rest of my days, the midtown manhattan era holds a special place in my heart - an irreplicable time that 20-somethings today may never experience in a permanently altered working world: an atmosphere of chaotic, spontaneous ambition mixed with lots and lots of fun.
more here
core is the new chic
i knew our work partnering with HBO MAX on THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT hit a nerve with its target when i caught a tweet describing a visit to the east village as "a very FLIGHT ATTENDANT-core day." that validation of a recognizable vibe is solid gold to a strategist like me, signaling a cultural infiltration most shows and brands only dream of. here, sarah spellings of VOGUE looks at the short history of "-CORE," and takes a critical eye to what it actually means for fashion – and for the planet.
for more, head here
#AdventuresWithSarahAndShep
okay, okay — not a conventional adventure but talk about a ride! i am obsessed with these images of my knee’s internal brace that repaired my ACL. and those jellyfish looking things? my meniscus. though the experience was arduous, USC Keck School of Medicine - and Dr. Seth Gamradt - helped me find my inner orthopedic surgeon. adding it to the list of alt careers!
more of sarah’s adventure here
#LOokforward🌅 with linda ong
my quickie trip to greece – the birthplace of democracy – found me in the company of a lively bunch of european academics, (neuro)scientists and global executives from athens, florence, paris, brussels and london. for the first time in my life, being an american felt apologetic; i sensed their pity, empathizing with how our country's current political tumult has hurtled the US towards a sad role on the world stage – something these older countries have long known is part of the cycle of civilization. it was a good reminder to always look farther afield for where cultures are new and invigorating.
VALENTINO’s pier paolo piccioli lends luxury cred to BARBIECORE, swathing zendaya in his PANTONE-collabed pink-only PP collection for the fall campaign. he says pink is "the liberation from the ordinary, a space to be oneself, a loud symbol for equality and love."
for linda’s full debrief, head here