culture porn 8/26
our weekly playlist
screenshot me:
house of the dragon (hbo/hbo max)
172 years before daenerys targaryen, GAME OF THRONES' king's landing was ruled by her ancestors. in this prequel, the feuding and fighting is between the family members, but the intrigue and machinations are already shaping up to be just as juicy. matt smith (THE CROWN) is wickedly delicious as the brother who didn't get to sit on the Iron Throne.
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indian matchmaking s2 (netflix)
i was eager to dive into s2 of this show, which prompted a lot of positive & negative reactions when it launched. many applauded the show’s ability to buck western reality dating show conventions, featuring the more family-centric indian romance process. others criticized the show’s glorification of problematic ideologies like colorism, the caste system and more. either way, it’s worth a watch, especially if you’re a fan of dating & relationship shows, to show how challenging finding a partner is, and how magical it can be when it does happen.
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holy fvck: demi lovato
strung-out vocals and crafted genre-blurring across punk x pop x rock tracks make up a glorious album from start to finish that feel reminiscent of the late 2000s. *chefs kiss*
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powder days: heather hansman (audible)
on my long motorcycle ride up to a wedding in big sur, i listened to this tale of ski bum life from hansman. while i was expecting the details on winter parties, the book had a lot more psychology and societal analysis in it, which i enjoyed. topics like climate change, the economics of ski resort consolidation, and the broader lack of inclusivity in the sport dovetailed with deep dives into why dedicated skiers are addicted to skiing. of course the book touched on the dangers of the sport - which are not lost on me as i tore my ACL skiing last season. that said, i can't wait to get back out there.
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on earth, we’re briefly gorgeous: ocean vuong (penguin)
this memoir-like coming of age novel of a queer vietnamese immigrant in hartford immersed me deeply in the mind of an "other." framed as a confession-like letter to his mother, the words and images haunt, but give hope.
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flight (netflix)
having never seen this film, and also loving aviation, i decided to finally watch. goodness, the scenes in the plane were terrifying - my adrenaline was soaring. then post-plane, the rest of the movie was still engaging, thanks to denzel washington always being a stellar actor. also worth a watch for an awesome supporting role from kelly reilly pre-YELLOWSTONE!
insights & inspo
what makes STRANGER THINGS and its fandom so powerful?
it's been less than 2 months since STRANGER THINGS S4 VOL. 2 was released and fans are counting down the days until season 5 [estimated to come summer 2024]. sarah unger breaks it down to NEXT TV.
more here
the ultimate yuppie status symbol, a diamond tennis bracelet, goes mass
my love of jewelry is well-documented, but it was only recently that i became interested in diamonds. partnering with SHOWTIME on the marketing tell-all doc NOTHING LASTS FOREVER, i learned how the diamond industry is filled with a rogues' gallery of unsavory characters and charlatans, and how the synthetic diamond market is bringing scrutiny to how the opaque global industry values the gems. now, thanks to the affordable (but possibly fraudulent) lab-grown sparklers, tennis bracelets are no longer a signifier of elite status, but of mass-market must-haves.
learn more here
all those books you’ve bought but haven’t read? there’s a word for that
i love books but get through only a few a year. probably a mix of the overstimulation i'm always trying to escape from and reading an insane amount of articles for work. because of this, i sometimes feel guilty buying more or being gifted good reads - my stack of books to read is so high that i will never read them all! turns out, this is a profound way to collect books and build my own antilibrary. one that inspires me for the knowledge yet to come!
for more, head here
#LOokforward🌅 with linda ong
it's always great to hear someone mention liking a project we worked on without knowing we worked on it, so i was tickled when UTA's chris jordan named RAP SH!T as a new fave, in an afternoon with his colleague jeremy barber (not pictured here, but turns out he's a CULTIQUE superfan!) and stephanie moore, pictured here. our team loved seeing the characters in this issa rae-produced show come to life on the page – even more so on screen – and vibing to the hoorae media-produced soundtrack as we follow mia and shawna's (kamillion and aida osman) rise to rap superstardom in miami.
both rajiv menon and i share a background being high school debaters growing up in houston, so tess mcnulty's piece in HARPER'S brought back memories. while my freshman debate partner kyra buchko and i placed 3rd in state, we should have won but for the fact we were 2 women in a patriarchal extracurricular.
for linda’s full debrief, head here