4/18 - DVDs are hot again
Friday’s Newsletter: soccer’s in love with me, a D&D fascination, and eurodance
I have the day off and I’m thrilled the universe decided to line up the perfect frolicking weather. Currently writing this newsletter in the backyard of a coffee shop and this feeling can only be matched by a surprise $0 copay at the doctor’s office.
On Wednesday, I attended The Drift’s panel on Twitter: what it was, what it became, and how it shaped our culture along with our understanding of social platforms. It was wonderful. I mean, there were certainly bleak moments. The conversation focused on the first Trump administration and how Twitter once was an ideal conduit for breaking news and organizing but now it’s just waves of hateful bots and tired meme formats. But it was wonderful to be in a room of journalists, some of the same folks who used to make an appearance on my timeline, and chronically online writers. It mattered to see all of us packed into room at 20 Cooper Square. It was a reminder that despite the SEO throttling, algorithms, and paywalls these writers still exist, even if the internet is a less hospitable place. Twitter has gone to shit, but we will always find each other in the real world.
Sometimes, I unintentionally give y’all whiplash. In a newsletter like this, it’s challenging not to because I have so many topics to cover. This is one of those moments. We’re pivoting from my earnest feelings on media to the 2014 romantic comedy, They Came Together, starring Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd. I watched it last night for the first time and it honestly reminded me so much of I Think You Should Leave that I had to look up if Tim Robinson was a writer (he was not). If you haven’t seen it, it’s a satirical Rom/Com leveled at every cliché in the genre with an airtight screenplay and a million cameos. Incredible work.
Last thing, listen to this:
:)
Thought Starters
Dissecting the American mind
*article*
If you want to ingest content that’s succinctly discussing what’s happening in the U.S., consider subscribing to Culture Study:
“I don’t mean to be alarmist, but the alarm is ringing. When an email goes out to your partner’s workplace about very explicit precautions to take as a journalist when leaving and re-entering the country — particularly as someone who’s been critical of the administration — the alarm is ringing. When a citizen of the United States is sent to an ICE detention center, the alarm is ringing. When the president shrugs off the demand of the Supreme Court to return a man who was unlawfully deported to a death prison in El Salvador, the alarm is ringing. When the Health and Human Services secretary claims that autistic people will never pay taxes, hold a job, go on a date, or write a poem — the alarm is ringing. When the administration is strong-arming private institutions into adhering to their ideology around freedom of speech and trans rights — the alarm is fucking ringing.”
A Pond of recommendations
*lists? not sure what to call this*
I read a lot of recommendations. I make a lot of recommendations. The Pond is serving up curation on a different level. In support of Mura Masa’s Curve Club tour, The Pond asked friends, DJs, and creatives to share their favorite pieces of the city they’re from: Barcelona to Brussels. They recently published the last addition to their running list of gatekept secrets and it’s all about Brooklyn. It’s like a scrapbook of the best parts of the city.
Things to do
Tape Fair
When: April 27, 12 - 6 pm
Where: Selva, 1329 Willoughby
What: The folks at Night Owl in Williamsburg are doing the Lord’s work by making DVDs hot again. The same can be said about the organizers of Tape Fair, a pop up at Selva for cassette and VHS lovers. This is guaranteed to be Vibe Central™️.
The Cave at Public Records
When: May 30, 7 pm
Where: Public Records, 233 Butler
What: The Cave’s shows are so fun. My friend, Tori, first brought me to one of their shows which took place at an indoor soccer pitch. (Side note: it’s a running joke with my friends that I somehow end up at soccer themed parties. I know nothing about the game but it’s like it calls to me from the ether.) It’s the light, the smoke, the bass, the eurodance beats and philosophical lyrics. Find me on the dance floor, I’ll be the “girl who is going to be ok.”
Products
Psychobabble
*games*
I’ve been really locking into old school games recently. I don’t know what it is but whenever I pass a board game store, I have to walk in and yesterday I found this intriguing collaborative game on the shelf.
Going analog is cool. My friend, Josh, has a podcast about a D&D campaign they’re running with friends and while I only have one casual D&D session under my belt from last year (sorry for flaking, Will) it’s so wholesome to listen to them build a world together. Recession indicator since we will no longer be able to afford Nintendo Switches? Maybe. Friendship fodder? A million percent.
What is it? Psychobabble
How much? $16.99
d&d as a recession indicator 😂
love ya