culture porn 9/23
our weekly playlist
screenshot me:
serial (apple podcasts)
with adnan syed's sudden release from prison, i'm turning back to sarah koenig to help me process the events. serial was my inaugural experience of being hooked on a podcast and i wish the new drop was longer. either way, since it originally aired in 2014, criminal justice reform has become a more broadly recognized issue - this turn of events will hopefully inspire more content and more change.
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elvis (hbo max)
i've never been an elvis fan, but the visual dazzle of baz luhrmann's always-luscious spectacle is as yummy as a peanut butter and banana sandwich.
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love is blind: after the altar (netflix)
i can’t break my addiction to this show, despite my desire to. at this point, it feels like slightly manufactured drama but i’m still watching for the cast whose lives i’m now interested in. at this point, it doesn't have much to do with the original premise.
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american gigolo (showtime)
while it's hard to fill richard gere's giorgio armani loafers, star jon bernthal does an admirable job taking on the role of fresh-out-of-jail gigolo. along with gretchen mol in the lauren hutton role, the two try to uncover who framed the lover boy julian kaye. while not as steamy as the original, the storyline and performances deliver.
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black phone (peacock)
having heard about ethan hawke’s turn as a villain, when i found this movie on a hotel TV, i was excited to watch. the most haunting part, frankly, was the movie poster. the film itself was creepy, too, if not a little trope-ey.
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out of office (comedy central)
created by paul lieberstein of THE OFFICE, this may be the first workplace movie with hybrid work as its conceit. mining comedy in cubicles like its predecessor, it's a fresh take with familiar faces like jason alexander, ken jeong, jay pharoah, oscar nuñez, chris gethard, and cheri oteri - often on ZOOM!
insights & inspo
CULTIQUE x CULTE COLLECTIVE
inspired by the idea that every woman has fine jewelry she no longer wears, cultique x culte collective have partnered in a sustainable project to repurpose, recycle and reuse your fine jewelry. we’re launching our collaboration with a hero style Infinity Ring designed by linda ong and produced by julia iglesias-musachio.
a meditation on creating small batch, locally produced, bespoke pieces that we both love and love making with the intention of contributing to the conversation around sustainability, slow fashion, recycling, craftsmanship, and local manufacturing.
if you’re interested in participating, DM on us instagram with your email and we’ll send you info on the process.
for more on our collaboration, head here
know your chronotype? it could be the key to better health
i've never considered myself a morning person – until the pandemic upended everyone's lives. for some reason, i wake up at 6:30am every morning, and struggle to keep my eyes open past 9:30p. well, it turns out that understanding your chronotype (your natural circadian rhythms) could make for better sleep and more energy during the day. what's not to love?
more here
why do we approach fitness as consumers?
when i lived in NYC in my twenties i loved trying new boutique fitness classes -- work out in a freezer? sure, why not. a bootcamp imitating school recess and playgrounds? yeah, i'll try it once. but as i've gotten older, i'm most intrigued by... walking. yes, you heard it! i have yet to find something i enjoy quite as much. that's the part of NYC that stuck with me, and it takes no special equipment or reservation system. regardless, fitness fads still seem to resonate with our consumer mindset, despite long-held intel that the oldest living people in the world (hello, blue zones) tend to get exercise more organically, living naturally active lifestyles. no matter what method makes you move + groove, cheers to being active and finding the pleasure in it.
more insights here
#LOokforward🌅 with linda ong
in a leafy beverly hills backyard, i attended an eclectic, off-the-record salon dinner, hosted by a well-known media platform's founder. i got to mingle with his top execs, one of his OG investors, and some of the brand's biggest talent. as the lockdown played to my hermit-like instincts over the past 2 years, i loved being in an environment where i barely knew anyone. luckily, i managed to push through my inherent shyness in order to truly enjoy myself. fave part: the revealing dinner party games!
"a king can't live in someone else's castle" - so decried ye (fka kanye west), upon announcing the termination of his $3B deal with GAP, 2 years into his 10-year contract, in a move surprising no one. i'm fascinated to see the reaction to the just-dropped pieces from YEEZY X GAP x BALENCIAGA.
for linda’s full debrief, head here