041 - the field test, one year on 🚀
if you're new here then just a reminder I write about things I see offline, but mostly online which includes, culture, tech, humans, anything I want...
Okay first off, idk if you’ve noticed but I have a new icon / sticker that my wonderful friend designed and i feel so established. If you’re in amsterdam, let me sticker you!! (consensually)!!
i am truly in love with it. it makes me so happy looking at it!!
I’ve been finding it hard to write lately, because whilst I’ve built lots of discipline in this writing, I am still struggling with the balance of work output and this output. In more normal terms, honestly what the hell am I writing… And I guess listening and reading things have always been a source of inspiration, which is what happened when I listened to this podcast with Ezra Klein (founder and former eic of Vox). He spoke about how one of the hardest thing about creation is being transparent with ourselves, because its often the case that you can’t hear what it is that you’re [actually] thinking about a particular topic because there are so many other voices in your head (51:58). So here’s a little reminder about doing things even when you don’t feel like it or don’t believe in yourself etc - just do it anyways.
oh and also before I start, I’ll be co-hosting a LinkedIn Live panel with a colleague to talk about We Are Social’s Think Forward 2024 Report Trend, Post-representation on the 30th of November. If you’re interested watching, or even if you’re not, here’s the link. Come be my digital cheerleader!
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On visual context: For this album, Jungle also collaborated with Wetransfer to release an interactive music video for their song Back on 74 (featured in the tiktok, and 13M views on YT). Along with the beautiful dancing, and the stunning visuals, the collab works by showing viewers pieces of art that they can claim (by downloading) if they like it. By taking part, or being interactive, they also get a chance to win some of the tickets to their tour (currently touring). Music videos have always been such a joy to watch, and while also giving visual context and creating more emotional connection with the song/ artist/ story, these interactive music vidoes make it even more fun, making you feel like you’re part of a secret club (which more and more is rare). Other amazing music videos include, but are not limited to: This is America (Childish Gambino), OK Go’s are always pretty cool (upside down & inside out filmed in zero gravity), Beyonce’s visual album Lemonade. Bob Dylan’s also interactive Like a Rolling Stone, Outkast hey ya! Fatboy Slim’s Weapon of Choice. What are some of yours?
On tattoo regret awareness: last week a girl went viral for getting her boyfriends name tattooed on her FACE. Most people thought it was fake, and guess what, it was. Her reasoning was because she regrets all her other tattoos. And all because she wanted to raise awareness about tattoo regret. I mean it got 39M views on tiktok (At time of writing) so maybe it worked...
On creating for quality: ICYMI, Marvel is flip flop flopping. “The various MacGuffins, Easter eggs, and pseudoscientific explanations of superpowers used to be fun. Now they feel like homework.” TL;DR: (1) Marvel is over-producing, ultimately affecting their quality; (2) The recent strike plus generally underpaying their VFX workers with most employees struggling to keep up with all the output and demands; (3) Cost!! Apparently one episode of She-hulk cost around $25MIL!! need i say more?; (4) more Legal problems in the form of Jonathan Majors (who plays Kang the villain) who has been charged with domestic violence…and ultimately (4) there is such thing as too many super heroes. With the amount of output, and different hero storylines that are being released (32 films + 23 TV shows and specials = 55 MCU titles), the public are confused and bored. Instead, they want marvel to refocus, produce less and better quality.
On parasocial relationships: I’ve been seeing some conversation about Emma chamberlain lately. Namely a debate on whether her lack of college education is stopping her from being a critical thinker. embedded thinks that its actually her audience needs to change. “there does come a point where you're a relatable influencer and then you get too famous that you're no longer relatable. So who are you now, what's your identity?” and an article on fandom and taylor swift post brazil tour: “And as the anger is rising in Brazil over what happened — Swifties have begun fighting with each other about whether or not the singer deserves any of the blame for what happened. They’ve, also, started making up all kinds of conspiracy theories about how Benevides didn’t actually die. Which speaks to the great irony about all of this.” Also, on this topic, the cut covers ‘the fan-girlification of F1’!!! Some of my favourite f1 girlies: f1toni (politics & tech); twogirls1formula (bio: live, laugh, lando)
on man of the year. GQ Middle East gives Man of the year to Palestinian photographer Motaz Azaiza cover: “he reminds us that no matter who we are or where we’re from, it’s us – ordinary people, men, and women – who have the power to enact that very change that we want to see.”
on Andre 3000. And then on feeling like not being able to right, though of course not being the same caliber as him: Andre 3000 and his new album. I like it. Here’s GQ’s profile of him: “Why anything? Why did we record these albums before in my career? It is just kind of: Those are the things that came…When expectations become suffocating, defy expectations.” If you haven’t listened yet, this creator recommends listening to his EP Look Ma No Hands first, as it gives context to the new album.
on being so bad, you’re good. You may have heard of DJ Mandy. If not, she’s not what you expect. She’s what I think is the result of people being too serious. She’s bad at djing, but on purpose? Because being that bad is hard? So actually she’s good. Her virality came from her going live on tiktok, and mixing so bad, which would lead to people replying with their tips. My favourite? When she steps off screen to laugh because its so hilarious that she’s trolling us. And I guess thats how we can get community nowadays, by playing a joke and getting people to be a part of it. Also this (and the first comment at the time of writing “Dj Mandy”).
on the film with that drain scene. I watched Saltburn on Tuesday, and it was so visually mesmerising, and here is Emerald Fennel on Barry Keoghan’s and Jacob Elordi’s performance. I’ve read reviews (nyt, gq), and honestly they are so much better that what I would be able to say… Its poetic, it’s shocking, and great. I loved how it made me laugh, swoon, no it did not make me cry, it made me CRINGE, because thats the emotional journey a film should take you through. Also just off the topic of parasocial relationships, this creator dissecting pr scenes of Elordi and Keoghan is just amazing.
on tech drama. If you wanted to know about the OpenAI saga, here’s morning brew with a recap, another video commentary on why he was fired and also MIT on it, if you’d rather read. Oh and in the time it took for me to draft this up, he’s now back as CEO. “I feel like I have whiplash from this whole thing. I don’t think we are done yet.”
on tiktok turning into the new streaming place. Remember when paramount released mean girls in parts on tiktok, now the director of Don’t Look Up, has released a new tv show on tiktok, called Cobell Energy. watch it here.
on tiktok commentary. my favourite tiktok creator is back! With amazingly insightful commentary on NPC AI robots, and the 0.5 lens.
on palestine. more resources on palestine: decolonial on the colonial world, atmos on the tatreez, how skateboarding is a political act, Why western politicians are refusing to call for a ceasefire, refresher on the nakba, more collated resources, this creator’s palestinian grandma’s recipe for hummus, an essay by mosab abu toha.
also just random thought, when you ‘copy link to clipboard’…does anyone ever wonder what the digital clipboard looks like?
Congrats on 1 year. Enjoyed this one.
Loving Cobell Energy stuff on TikTok.
Personally I'm loving the anti-Marvel takes on the super hero genre right now. The Boys on Amazon is excellent. As is the K-drama Moving, on hulu/Disney+
Save a sticker for me!