01/22/21
This week: Bernie memes galore—plus, a film that more than lives up to a year of hype.
TRENDS THIS WEEK
☞ YouTube: The Inauguration
☞ Letterboxd: PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN
☞ TikTok: #PlantParent
☞ Spotify: drivers license - Olivia Rodrigo
☞ Netflix: BRIDGERTON
☞ Twitter: #BernieSanders
Life & Culture
Wednesday’s presidential inauguration brought many things, including, of course, endless memes. Bernie simply existing got turned into a meme...again, and it was probably the most viral one to come out of the event. After this photo of Bernie watching the inauguration (admittedly in a very cute pair of knitted mittens that come with an equally cute backstory) started to make the rounds on the internet, it didn't take long for the senator to be edited into a variety of backgrounds. We saw Bernie at an NYC hotdog stand, among the cast of GLEE, and inside works of performance art. NYU student Nick Sawhney even created a website where users could place Bernie wherever they want—but quickly got flooded with so many users that he ended up with a Google Maps bill he couldn’t afford. So, he’s asking for donations to keep the site alive.
We spend a lot of time talking about the Streaming Wars around here, but it’s probably time that conversation included audio streamers, too. . Apple, according to The Information, is “discussing launching a new subscription service that would charge people to listen to podcasts, according to people familiar with the matter.” Sounds like this is an idea in early stages, but if it happened, this would shake up the world of podcasts in a huge way. In 2020, according to Statista, 25% of podcast listeners said they used Spotify, while 20% said they used Apple Podcasts—but a new service could turn those close-ish numbers upside-down. And it would probably also heat up the bidding wars over superstar creators. . As the podcast giants try to snap up top-tier talent (Spotify just signed Ava DuVernay this week!), the deals just keep getting bigger.
Speaking of streamers, Bridgerton is back at Netflix’s number one spot after the company announced that Season 2 is confirmed and will start filming this spring. The announcement came in the form of a letter written by the show’s mysterious narrator, Lady Whistledown, and revealed that the next season will focus on Lord Anthony Bridgerton, played by Jonathan Bailey. The show is projected to reach 63 million households within the 28 days since its Christmas Day debut. And since it’s based on a book series with eight novels, it’s safe to say we probably have a lot more content to look forward to.
And of course, my two favorite TikToks from this week. First, this video that answers the question, “what it would be like to be a bird for a minute?”. And second, this video of a friend group reenacting an iCarly episode that I can't really explain but just has the best vibes.
—Darlene Kenney, Marketing Assistant
Film
After hearing my colleagues rave about PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN at Sundance last year, I have anxiously spent the past year waiting for it to finally be released. I am very pleased to say that even after 11 long months of buildup, it totally lives up to the hype. The film is confident and stylish, and self-aware without being cutesy. I know the ending is somewhat ~controversial~ but I think it’s a perfect parable for the Trump era. Mulligan’s beguiling performance anchors the film, but it’s Bo Burnham’s turn as a romantic lead that steals the show (and my heart)...
—Julia Hammer, Creative Executive
This weekend, I’m looking forward to THE WHITE TIGER, premiering on Netflix today. It’s produced by and features Priyanka Chopra, and also stars Hollywood newcomer Adarsh Gourav. The film, directed by Ramin Bahrani, is adapted from Aravind Adiga’s award-winning book of the same name about Balram, a rickshaw driver, who climbs the social ladder by getting into the good graces of his wealthy boss. This journey of seeking freedom and financial prosperity takes a dark turn when a murder thwarts Balram’s well-planned scheme. The adaptation seems to have a similar tone as the book—socially relevant, darkly humorous, and deliciously thrilling. Check out the trailer here!
—Shuyu Cao, Development Assistant
TV
The long-awaited final season of ATTACK ON TITAN is finally here and my friends, and I can’t stop talking about it. For those unfamiliar with the series, the entire show is on Hulu for you to binge. The story is set in a world where humanity lives inside cities surrounded by enormous walls to prevent Titans, gigantic humanoid beings whose sole purpose is to devour humans, from coming in. When one part of the wall mysteriously comes down one day, and the Titans invade and ravage the city, and our young hero Eren and his friends find themselves on a life-altering journey to protect their community and avenge their fallen friends. The last season answers the overarching mystery of the series: how did the Titans come to be and can they be destroyed? But truly, the complexity of the show lies in the twists and turns that ultimately collapse the gap between grotesque monsters and vulnerable humans. I warn you: Once you start, you won’t be able to stop.
—Shuyu Cao, Development Assistant
Theater
Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins is one of the most exciting playwrights working in American theater today—which means tickets to his plays are hard to come by! I was thrilled to see that the original cast of his 2015 play GLORIA is reuniting for a benefit reading of the piece. The play opens on a group of editorial assistants at a prestigious magazine as they fight for a writing opportunity—but that’s just the beginning. What follows is a jarring, absurd satire about competition and toxic workplaces, and the extreme lengths to which some people will go to get ahead. It’s streaming through the 24th here!
—Julia Hammer, Creative Executive
Manga
AGRAVITY BOYS by Atsushi Nakamura tells the story of a group of four teenage boys who set out from Earth to find an earth-like planet. They fall through a black hole where they meet a god-like being who tells them that there was a great cataclysm in the world and they are the only remaining humans left. The entity tells them they must restart humanity and leaves them with one last gift, a potion that will transform one of them into a girl…
This sci-fi adventure is so much fun and has a great balance of comedy and real stakes. I’ve only read the first chapter preview, but you quickly get a sense of the story. If you’re a fan of Edgar Wright-type comedy and space epics like INTERSTELLAR, then this is a series for you.
—Royce Reeves-Darby, Director of Production
Book
There have been a lot of books/movies/shows that have been said to perfectly encapsulate the Trump era. And many of them definitely have. But one in particular has stuck with me. It’s HOMELAND ELEGIES by Ayad Ahktar. This is a very unconventional fictional memoir-style novel about Ayad’s feeling of belonging in America. The book is epic in scope, with anecdotes from his childhood all the way through the present day. It’s not the easiest to get into as the narrative structure is so unconventional, but there were passages that required me to pinch myself because they were so beautifully written and entrancing.
—Bennett Levine, Executive Assistant
Podcast
This week, I strongly recommend everyone listen to the BBC’s new YA Sci-Fi/Thriller podcast, THE CIPHER. It somehow manages to have it all (murder, romance, the moral ambiguity of technological innovation, and a conspiracy) without sacrificing nuanced characters and narrative clarity. More specifically, the podcast details the life of a high school girl (Sabrina) after she solves an impossible online puzzle called the Parallax. This accomplishment catapults Sabrina into the world of crime as she is enlisted to use her code-breaking skills to find an internationally wanted serial killer. Through this mission Sabrina comes to learn about her herself, her family, and things she never thought possible.
—Lucy Putnam, Development Assistant
