09/24/21
It all begins with an idea.
This week: Art, sex, laughs, and a warm blanket of literary magic. Plus, “an absolutely batshit, giallo-inspired trip of an original horror film.” And a Fugees reunion (!!).
TRENDS THIS WEEK
☞Youtube Coldplay x BTS - My Universe
☞Letterboxd MALIGNANT
☞TikTok #TheAssignment
☞Spotify Shivers - Ed Sheeran
☞Netflix SQUID GAME
☞Twitter #BritneyVsSpears
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Life & Culture
Filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles, widely hailed as the godfather of modern Black cinema, died this week, at the age of 89. If you’re looking to watch some of his work this weekend in memory, start with second film and biggest hit, Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song. Which, by the way, he not only wrote, directed, and starred in—but he also raised the financing to produce.
We’re also mourning the loss of Willie Garson, who lost his battle with cancer this week, at 57. He acted in 75 films over the course of his career—and was beloved for his role as Stanford Blatch in SEX & THE CITY. I’m going to honor him by rewatching Season 3’s “No Ifs, Ands or Butts,” which is one of the best Stanford episodes of all. Because in case you forgot, Stanford is the one who introduced Carrie and Aiden. And he’s also the one who convinced Carrie to go to therapy in Season 2. And is one of the few people who called her out for being so self-obsessed all the freaking time.
And then, a few things I read this week that I wanted to pass on:
Vulture’s review of last week’s Lil Nax X album release makes the case that he deserves a better industry to support him. This part stuck with me: “It is so rare to see Black gay men living in their truth at the top of Billboard charts that we’ve had to run defense throughout what should’ve been a peaceful rollout. Even in triumph, there’s a fight.”
Slate draws parallels between the race to the bottom that was the past 10 years of digital media clickbait—and what’s going on at Netflix right now. The heart of the argument: “Clickbait works—at least when users first encounter it. And once an algorithm sees something working, it’s going hell-for-leather to replicate those results as much as possible.”
—Neha Gandhi, EVP Digital & Strategy
My screen time has been blissfully limited this week, but this dad living his best life made me very happy. And I also found this incredible face actor, Mare Kell on IG, who had me scroll allll the way back in her feed. Here, she’s face acting how different celebrities would meet your dog on the street—enjoy! And know that there are many more treasures to be found in her feed.
—Martina Lund, VP Marketing & Media Design
GUEST CURATED BY THE BRILLIANT MINDS AT
Artist to Know
In my humble opinion, there are few artists cooler than Wendy Cabrera Rubio. Her art has been exhibited in some of the world’s best museums and galleries, like the Museo Jumex and anonymous gallery. She uses pop cultural references—riffing on objects like old Disney film posters—to comment on the politics of the frenzied world we live in today. Paint and canvas don’t interest her; she’s an artist who uses materials like felt and velvet, and whose works sometimes stretch outside the four sides of a rectangle. Her vibrant and beautiful work is completely relevant to the world today, and she operates outside all of the norms.
Wendy also lives in Mexico City, one of the most exciting cities for contemporary art today. She even put together a guide—available in both English and Spanish—of insider spots she loves in CDMX. Trust, you won’t find any well-tread tourist spots like tHe Frida Kahlo house here. Instead, you’ll find recs for what Wendy calls the “very, very, very south” of Mexico City to get the best drinks and cured meats. Enjoy!
—Bettina Huang, GM and Head of Platform
Wendy Cabrera Rubio
Health for the Americas, 2021
Hand-stitched synthetic felt, on velvet, on stretcher
27.0 × 18.5 × 1.5 inches
$2500 (available through September 30th)
Film
James Wan’s MALIGNANT (trailer here) has been out for a couple of weeks and it’s an absolutely batshit, giallo-inspired trip of an original horror film. Based on a story that James Wan and actress Ingrid Bisu (Wan’s wife) came up with, the film follows a woman named Madison (Annabelle Wallis) who has haunting visions of people being murdered by a monstrous apparition named Gabriel. Madison soon realizes these murders are happening in real life, and may have a connection to her troubled past. I don’t want to give too much away but I will say this: I cannot remember the last time I had this much fun watching a movie. With hilarious, jaw-dropping body horror (pulled off by contortionist Marina Mazepa) and a third-act twist that had me and my friends quite literally hooting and hollering, this one is a must-see for anyone who’s able to suspend disbelief and tolerate gore. If that’s you, consider this your sign to run to your local theater or check it out on HBOMax before it’s removed in early October.
—Neal Mulani, Development Assistant
TV
The third season of SEX EDUCATION just dropped and I have been feeling so fed. The British teen dramedy follows the lives of the students, staff, and parents at Moordale Secondary School as they deal with all kinds of personal stuff—but mainly, their sex lives. The main character, Otis Milburn, is an awkward teen whose mother happens to be a sex therapist (by the way, she’s amazing and I wish every school in the country had someone like her around). In the first season Otis and his friend Maeve create a sex therapy business to help his hormonally charged classmates. In the latest season, the school is kind of flipped on its head, thanks to a new headteacher (played brilliantly by GIRLS’ Jemima Kirke). We see Otis come out of his shell and hit a stride in his own sex life, and we get deeper look in the lives of some of the other students like his best friend Eric (my personal fave) who is a gay first-gen Nigerian student navigating a new relationship and what it means to be queer in his home culture. I truly love this show because of the diversity of experiences, and of characters, and the rawness with which it tackles some really complicated issues. If you haven’t yet, go watch now, on Netflix.
—Eden Bekele, Digital Associate
The New Yorker TV critic Emily Nussbaum recently took to Twitter to lament the fact that the second season of THE OTHER TWO wasn’t receiving more buzz. Well, I’m here to take up her cause! Sarah Schneider and Chris Kelly’s half-hour comedy takes a leap in its new season, which continues to follow Brooke and Cary Dubek, the overshadowed older siblings of teenage sensation Chase Dreams, as they struggle to build legitimate and rewarding careers of their own. The writing is funnier and more incisive than ever in its mockery of celebrity culture and the entertainment industry, and it’s matched by hilarious performances from leads Heléne Yorke and Drew Tarver (not to mention Molly Shannon, Ken Marino, and Wanda Sykes in supporting roles). It’s truly so funny—I watched episode 7, in which Cary shadows a nurse as research for an acting role, late at night and woke up my roommate with my cackling. As of this week, all episodes of the second season are now available to stream on HBO Max.
—Nolan Russell, Executive Assistant
Book
I’m excited to dive into folklore scholar Maria Tatar’s new book, THE HEROINE WITH 1,001 FACES. In the book, Tatar takes aim at Joseph Campbell’s seminal text THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES, in which he unpacks the structures and symbols of “the hero’s journey” and other fundamental myths and stories. Campbell claims that there were three purposes for women in these foundational stories: “one, to give us life; two, to be the one who receives us in death; and three, to inspire our spiritual, poetic realization.” Tatar, finally, is calling bullshit. She doesn’t attack Campbell’s analysis outright, but rather labels it incomplete. Tatar looks at characters from Jo March to Wonder Woman, forming her own list of characteristics that define a heroine. I can’t wait to start reading and learn more about what she’s found!
—Julia Hammer, Director of Production
Podcast
As the leaves change and we head into fall and back-to-school season, I’m hankering for that academic feeling of sitting amongst classic tomes with the scent of leather and a gently crackling fire in the air. If you’re in the same boat, I have to recommend episode 15 of the Paris Review podcast titled “Memory, Rich Memory.” Let Salmon Rushdie read you the beautifully written letter of apology from Dylan Thomas to his editor. Feel the educated intrigue as poet Sharon Olds identifies the sexual solution to America’s singles problem. Allow yourself to be haunted, disconcerted, and perhaps even triggered by Alexandra Kleeman’s story “Fairy Tale—which, trust me, is anything but. And ponder the value of a memory as Devendra Banhart reads the legend of “The Woe Shirt.” This is adult story time and will leave you feeling richer of mind and spirit. It takes me back to the university days of enjoying literature for its own sake—which feels very much missing from adult life. And even if you’re listening on a 99-degree LA day, go ahead and pour a glass of hot cocoa or red wine, and throw a wool blanket by your feet to complete the effect.
—Emmanuelle Stahler, VP Audio
Music
On Wednesday, the Fugees threw a surprise pop-up concert at Pier 17 NYC to announce a reunion tour. Yes, you read that correctly. Wyclef Jean, Pras, and the iconic Lauryn Hill haven’t performed together in over 15 years, and the split between Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill was painful—both personally and professionally—and the kind of thing you don’t expect anyone to come back from. I, personally, am hype, but a lot of fans are feeling skeptical. But it seems to really be happening. Anyway, I love them, I really love Lauryn, and this will be amazing.
—Eden Bekele, Digital Associate
FINALLY, Hatchie is back! Last week, the Australian dreampop artist released her first single in over two years. And it’s good. If you're sad about summer coming to an end, "This Enchanted" might be what you need to fool yourself into thinking it's still August. It's the ideal song for all things easy and fun, from driving with the windows down with friends to jamming alone in your room. It's shoegaze you can dance to. I only pray this means there's a new album on the way...
—Alicia Devereaux, Executive Assistant
Theater
I’m incredibly eager to see Playwrights Horizon’s first show of the off-Broadway season, Aleshea Harris’ WHAT TO SEND UP WHEN IT GOES DOWN. The piece is billed as a “play-pageant-ritual-homegoing celebration,” to acknowledge and honor the deaths of Black Americans as a result of racialized violence. The piece is a mish-mash of scenes, songs, sketches, and dance intended to create a “space for catharsis, reflection, cleansing, and healing.” And audience members are encouraged to participate in the rituals led by the performers onstage. I find it interesting that Playwrights Horizon has noted on their website: “The play was created for a Black audience, but all are welcome. The intention of the play is to create a space for as many Black-identifying audience members as possible.” I appreciate how upfront the theatermakers are about the intentions of their piece, and I hope they achieve those intentions with full houses every night!
—Julia Hammer, Director of Production