culture porn 8/4
our weekly playlist
screenshot me:
barbie (warner bros. discovery)
sooooo much has been said about this box office x marketing phenom, but here's my 2 cents: for my taste, it was too silly, too clever, and too long, but here are the things i appreciate about it: greta gerwig is the ONLY person i'd trust to make this with an enormous challenge that she unquestionably nailed. ryan gosling sticks the landing with his full-on commitment to the bit. margot robbie walks the line between satire and sincerity perfectly. and i can't get that indigo girls song out of my head now!
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austin: post malone (mercury/republic)
my mind is still blown just thinking about seeing post malone at the HOLLYWOOD BOWL a few years ago. and his new album is equally thrilling - playing guitar on every track. and i'm still in awe of his seamless ability to cross genre, mood, weaving nods to culture and mental health into his personal stories.
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august blue: deborah levy (fsg)
having spent some time lolling around the mediterranean, levy's latest signature stream-of-consciousness novel reminds me of a lazy afternoon by the sea. she slyly infiltrates a talented woman's mindset, as she faces personal and professional crossroads. cracking open the book with an aperol spritz seems the perfect way to slip into this summer read.
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kendhal landreth (youtube)
i quite enjoy following rising comedians on YOUTUBE who do highly specific impressions. lately i've been loving landreth's characters, which i consume via SHORTS. i highly recommend her parodies of liberal parents and her impressions of "your boyfriend's mom who has always wanted a daughter."
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the cost of happiness: tony hseih (imperative entertainment)
with culture re-evaluating big tech, i took a long motorcycle ride to binge a podcast about "delivering happiness" author - and iconic zappos founder - tony hseih, who tragically passed away in 2020. this listen primarily delves into his involvement in the DTP (the "downtown project") in las vegas, and many of the ethical questions it raised.
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death becomes her (freevee)
lately i've been diving into nostalgia, much like the rest of the world. this week, that was a revisit of robert zemeckis' 1992 cult camp classic on its 31st anniversary. meryl streep, goldie hawn - need i say more? it's zany, it's sassy, and it's not at all subtle. the perfect summer escape.
insights & inspo
living room salon: leveraging culture, data, and behavioral science for positive change
earlier this year our cofounder, sarah unger, spoke at a napa rise event on the intersection of wine and culture highlighting that sustainable wine, once emergent on the curve of culture, is now rising up in conversation. 🍇✨
more insights here
portable urinal, but make it cool: redesigns change the game for health products
chic medical products are in and incognito. some fashionable styles are trending in the newly emerging “nursing-home chic” category, making once-taboo health topics easier to talk about and more able fly under the radar in our daily lives.
more insights here
#LOokforward🌅 with linda ong
this time last year, william kendall and i hiked to the top of the acropolis on a sweltering evening. i mistakenly thought the end of the day would mean a cool ascent, but it turns out the bedrock of athens is like an oven that's been heating up all day long. i'm sad to hear authorities close the famed archaeological site due to the even more extreme temperatures, which are tragically fueling wildfires all across europe. around the globe, this year is the hottest on record – and ironically forecast to be the relatively coolest of the coming era, unless extreme action is taken.
sinéad o'connor's passing had me listening with newfound appreciation for her unique blend of pain and hope, expressed so hauntingly in song. i learned about the lifelong struggles that informed her art while working on the stunning documentary NOTHING COMPARES on SHOWTIME, in case you haven't seen it.
travis scott launched his latest LP with an extensive line of UTOPIA-branded merch, including a 6"x8" zine. increasingly, we're seeing cultural shapers (i'm looking at you, A24) look to old-school analog aesthetics to stand out in the digital age.
more insights here