6/03 - follicle farming
Tuesday’s Newsletter: sauna rave propaganda, rose colored glasses, and finding life’s purpose around a mahjong table
I saw Friendship this weekend. It’s a perfect film if you’re a weird little freak, and I am. One of my favorite parts about the experience was sitting in the audience while the trailers played and observing the crowd it attracted. Everyone looked like Conor O'Malley’s cousin. Everyone was giddy, practically rubbing their hands together in anticipation. The 5’1” bald man in front of me actually pumped his fist when the lights faded and the A24 logo appeared on the screen.
Ah, da movies.
I know I’m late to the trend and the only “propaganda” we’re back to talking about is broadcast on Fox News but let me just say - I’m not falling for the sauna rave propaganda. I’ve had a couple opportunities to try it out and I’m not biting. I can see it now - I’m chugging electrolytes, trying to stay lucid in the stifling heat. The sweaty finance boy to my left is not letting the booming techo music dissuade him from adding decibels to my eardrum as he tries to explain why Palantir isn’t all that bad. After the final drop, the music fades, and we woo one last time before filing out of the cramped room. There’s a smattering of stilted conversation. Peeling the soaked swimsuit off my body and showering, I’m hit with the realization that my reward for getting up this early is logging onto Slack for a full day of work.
Gives me the ick.
My friend, Emma, is co-organizing this art auction for a family in Gaza featuring works from Oklahoman artists. Look through the items you can bid on (this moth is a personal fav). The auction ends tomorrow!
I’m hosting a froyo meetup every two weeks, the next one is June 16th, 6 pm - RSVP! I had to cancel yesterday because I was feeling under the weather : (
If you want to get in on Wishlist Offline, the new project I’m launching, please fill out this form. More to come on this bbs 🫶
: )
Thought Starters
Follicle farming
*article*
I can’t stop reading about hair transplants. It feels trivial and harrowing at the same time. If you are also fascinated by them, I recommend this animated short film, Beautiful Men.
“My eyes were wet. This all felt rushed and rudimentary. ‘I just want to double check with my friend,’ I mumbled as I took selfies of the area — you can’t really ‘undo’ a procedure like this. I had more questions, but the doctor was already brushing past me. From the doorway, he called, ‘This is going to be a very beautiful result.’ This was the first and last time I’d see the doctor. The assistant noticed my nerves and reassured me. ‘Don’t worry. He is the architect. We are the builders,’ he said.”
“‘I mean, sure,’ he said. ‘But I wanted a hair farm! The people who say, ‘I want something more personal — I want to get to know the doctor, and I want the doctor to do the procedure,’ I think, are kidding themselves.’ His logic was that the more rote the transplant, the better. ‘I want a team that’s been doing this day in and day out for years. It’s muscle memory for them.’ This guy has it all figured out, I thought, feeling more at ease.”
“Back in L.A., I isolated myself in my apartment for two weeks, scabbing and worrying about all of the post-op guidelines. I made soup and panicked — what if the steam loosened the grafts? I found solace in the r/HairTransplants subreddit. One post asked if a transplant could be ruined by sneezing or masturbating too soon. It ended with, ‘I need to see a shrink tbh.’ I upvoted it.”
Things to Do brought to you by Eventbrite
Eventbrite noticed a massive uptick in cozy, tactile activities listed on their site. They’re dubbing it Granny Core and, yes, the trend points to a desire to be connected to our familial roots but there is also something interesting in the fact that so much of Gen Z’s lived experience is entwined with the internet. Learning how to make things with our hands and lean on strangers to develop these new skills is something elusive and mysterious to many of us. If we are trying to find meaning and purpose offline, maybe we can discover it around the mahjong table.
Our friends at Eventbrite put together this curated list of Granny Core activities in the city for you to try your hands at:
Mahjong
When: Biweekly, the next is June 14th
Where: Sparrow's Nest Studio, 36 West 36th St, 5th Floor
Weekly Tuesday Game x pinkFROG Mahjong Night
When: Every Tuesday night
Where: pinkFROG cafe, 221 North 9th St
When: June 3rd, 10th, 17th
Where: 14th Street Y, 344 East 14th St
Needlework Crafts
Knitting & Crochet (Magic) Circle
When: Every Tuesday night
Where: Nook, 45 Irving Ave #Unit 1
Sewing Machine Class: Lined, Reversible tote bag with pockets
When: Every Wednesday and Saturday afternoon
Where: 1887 3rd Ave, Manhattan
Master the Art of Hand Stitching: A Beginner-Friendly Workshop
When: June 8th
Where: D4D Studios, 252 West 38th St
Baking
In-Person Class: Sicilian Cannoli Workshop
When: June 4th and 25th
Where: Selina, 518 West 27th St
When: June 15th
Where: Harry's Table, 235 Freedom Place South
In-Person Class: Classic French Macarons
When: Biweekly, the next is June 6th
Where: 338 West 36th St, Manhattan
Bento Cake Decorating Workshop
When: July 6th
Where: 36-03 Prince St, Queens
Products
Pink Sunglasses
*accessories*
Little pink sunglasses kind of make everything better. I wore them while working from home and they gave me a little pep. Efficiency and emoji usage was up 10%.
What is it? Slim Oval Sunglasses With Wavy Temple In Pink
How much? $125