07/23/21
TRENDS THIS WEEK
☞ Youtube Sha'Carri Richardson & Kanye West | Beats Studio Buds
☞ Letterboxd FEAR STREET: 1666
☞ TikTok #OlympicSpirit
☞ Spotify Måneskin - Beggin’
☞ Netflix TWILIGHT
☞ Twitter DUNE
Life & Culture
Sha'Carri Richardson will not be competing in this year’s Olympics (which had a tepid kick-off this week amidst rising infection rates in Japan, with no spectators in the stands, and broadcasting in the middle of the night, West Coast time). Everything about that sucks, and doesn’t make total sense to me. But no matter, she’s still finding interesting ways to shape culture. Beats’ powerful and poignant new commercial depicts Sha’Carri preparing for a run, and promotes Kanye West’s upcoming album DONDA with new track “No Child Left Behind.” This is Kanye’s 10th album, and he was supposed to drop it last night after a listening party in Atlanta, accompanied by a digital live-stream of the event on Apple Music. DONDA, named after Kanye’s mom, is a follow up to his 2019 gospel album JESUS IS KING.
HBO Max is putting some of its most Gen-Z-forward content on Snapchat. For free. Users can now use Snapchat’s “Snap Minis” feature, which allows Snapchatters to watch full-length episodes simultaneously with friends. Available titles include GOSSIP GIRL, EUPHORIA, THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT, LOVECRAFT COUNTRY and GAME OF THRONES. According to Variety, “HBO Max is the first major streamer to build a Snap Mini co-viewing experience to bring full-length episodes to Snapchat.” To me, this is an interesting idea because bringing co-watching content to a space where users are already interacting with each other seems much more intuitive compared to a traditional streaming platform, where users are used to insulated experiences. Plus, the Gen Z-heavy Snap audience is probably the least likely to already be paying for a service like HBO Max, so the efforts probably pays for itself in user acquisition benefits.
And finally, an easy way to improve your weekend vibes is to simply take a few moments to enjoy these lovely bears chilling in a river, doing as bears do. And if that’s too wholesome for you, check out this camel channeling Donkey from SHREK with his family of horses instead.
—Darlene Kenney, Digital Strategist
Film
I felt like I saw LUCA (trailer here) everywhere for weeks — on the trending list on Letterboxd, in the most popular TikTok sounds, even on the massive billboard directly on top of our office building. However, I put off watching it for whatever reason...I guess I just wasn’t ready to be uplifted by a 95-min Pixar movie quite yet. But anyway, I watched it and of course loved it and am here to talk you into doing the same. Set in a gorgeous coastal town in Italy, the film follows Luca, a young, curious sea monster and his fearless new friend Alberto as the two are introduced to a whole new world. It’s sweet, it’s colorful, it has a great soundtrack. But what makes the film so special is the beautiful depiction of friendship, adventure, and finding oneself. It has the heart, adventure, and stakes of all Pixar classics (almost rivaling my personal favorite Pixar movie RATATOUILLE.) And if my words have not swayed you, check out A. O. Scott’s piece in the New York Times aptly titled “Calamari by Your Name” and I promise you you’ll be convinced.
—Darlene Kenney, Digital Strategist
TV
Forgive me for waiting this long to recommend the second season of Tim Robinson’s sketch show I THINK YOU SHOULD LEAVE (trailer here), which came out July 6th on Netflix. I took my time watching, savoring the six hilarious 15-minute episodes as much as I could. If you haven’t seen the first season, what are you waiting for? Go watch! The title hints at the show’s loose theme: sketches in which someone behaves inappropriately in a common social situation. The new installment is just as absurd as the first season, and stills from the show have already begun to saturate my timeline (“I don’t even want to be around anymore” and “I don’t know what any of this shit is, and I’m fucking scared” have made frequent appearances). There’s no better way to enjoy your fri day night.
—Nolan Russell, Executive Assistant
Theater
One of my favorite plays of the last decade, Sarah DeLappe’s THE WOLVES, is available to stream for the next three weeks! Told during the daily warm-ups of a high school girls soccer team, the play is a hilarious and heartbreaking chronicle of female competition, ambition, and friendship. DeLappe has a pitch-perfect ear for teen dialogue, which director Lila Neugebauer and the stellar young cast bring to life with flair. Check it out here for free until August 15.
—Julia Hammer, Director of Production
Short Film
I might be bending the rules by categorizing a Converse ad as a “short film,” but Tyler, The Creator directed a funny spot for them this week that unfolds like a Tim Robinson sketch (see my TV rec above). Tim Meadows carries the short, playing a character refusing to accept expulsion from the “Really Cool Converse Club,” whose membership apparently includes Vince Staples and Bill Walton. Watch the spot here, and trust that I wasn’t paid by Converse to write this (though I’m open to receiving payment )...
And I’m going to continue to bend the rules by sneaking in additional recommendations that aren’t shorts of any kind: Tyler and Vince have both released new albums in the past month that should be soundtracking the rest of your summer!
—Nolan Russell, Executive Assistant
