UKRAINE, ARTHUR & HEAT WAVES
Russia invaded Ukraine this week in an act of war with devastating human consequences. We normally try to keep things light in this newsletter, but this is too big and terrible a thing to ignore. So, I wanted to open with a few recs for content that might help us all better understand what’s going on. Vox’s TODAY EXPLAINED podcast dropped an episode on Wednesday that contextualizes the conflict and the effects it will have on future generations. Amazon has a 2018 documentary, BREAKING POINT: THE WAR FOR DEMOCRACY IN UKRAINE, that gives an important history lesson as well as chilling insight into the tactics Russia has used in invading this region in the past. A STRUGGLE FOR HOME: THE CRIMEAN TATARS (also available on Amazon) tells an on-going piece of the story that gives background to one of the most devastating pieces of this conflict.
If you listen or watch any of the above and feel motivated to help, Ukraine is currently crowd-funding in order to raise money for its army. A few other options for donations: The Ukraine Humanitarian Fund benefits the most vulnerable people in the country, Army SOS benefits the army, and Kyiv Independent benefits independent journalism on the ground.
It’s hard to follow that up with, well, anything, but children’s television is where I’ll go next. Because my personal favorite show as a kid, ARTHUR, came to an end this week. Running for 25 years, it is the longest-running animated kid’s show of all time. The final episode (which fellow nostalgic PBS KIDS kids can watch for free on YouTube) depicts the beloved characters as adults, when Arthur and his friends play a fortune-telling game that shows what their futures might hold in 20 years. It’s wonderful, and for a minute, it might just make you feel a little bit better about this world.
As the person who updates the “trends” section every week, I can definitely tell you that Glass Animal’s HEAT WAVES has been hot for a long time. It broke the record for the “longest-simmering slow riser in the history of the Billboard Hot 100”, now in its 57th week on the chart.
And finally, I’ve decided to share three very calming TikToks this week, because I think we all need it. This one brings you directly into the peace of nature, this one invites us into a unique perspective of a hummingbird, and this one depicts the flight of what feels like a million monarch butterflies.
—Darlene Kenney, Digital Strategist
I came across a Twitter thread from popular artist Mitski last night, where she implored her fans to put down their phones at her concerts.
What do you guys think—does an artist have the right to ask this of their concert-goers?
➙Yes, concerts should be like movie theaters
➙No, if I’m paying good money for a ticket, I should be able to do what I want
