for fans of...
march 2024: crying at cartoons, giggling at gossip and flipping straight to games section of the virtual morning paper. a culture guide! by me!
hi everyone, remember me?
will this be my signature intro because I’m incapable of forming patterns, routines, consistency? only time will tell.
I’m back with another cultural dispatch! feeling mildly excited about life again after a hectic & numb few months, and wanting to share what’s been reviving me with all of you in case it can be of service.
quick disclaimer: I’ve cheated slightly and skipped the PAGE section this time, because I’ve been deep in my non-practicing intellectual bag and frankly who can read in this economy? *looks into camera*
but I do have some books I’m really excited to finish and shout about for next time. until then, please enjoy the rest…
SCREEN
TV: Bob’s Burgers: The Plight Before Christmas (S13 E10)
Bob’s Burgers is one of those shows I love, but go in and out of seasons with. In my more hectic phases of life, I sometimes need “more” from TV to pull me in and distract me from the overwhelm of my everyday. But when I’m in a quieter space and seeking a sense of comfort that still feels unpredictable and whimsical, the Belchers form such a hearty home for me. I know their neighbourhood, their idiosyncrasies, I’ve grown alongside them and I truly want the best for them, as silly as that may sound.
So I had a lot of catching up to do now that I was back in cycle. At first when I hit this Christmas ep I was a little reluctant, given that it’s March, but I was soon sucked in by the conundrum at the centre of it. One night, two parents and three kids each with their own unmissable Christmas showcase. It’s such a straightforward premise but it comes alive in new ways with these chaotic, lovable characters and the razor sharp, empathetic storytelling, as usual. Linda repeatedly sobbing at the stress of not being able to mitosis herself into 3 places at once to be there for all her babies, Gene’s xylophone symphony disaster, Tina as ‘a star’ not ‘the star’ of a very democratic Christmas play and Louise’s hyperindepence masking something softer and more fragile at her middle. To me it just captured the essence of this family that love each other so deeply and are doing their best to express that in whatever language they can muster. It’s just achingly sweet.
And by the end of it sobs - and laughs at said sobs - were falling out of me one after another. It took me a few days and a couple more watches to understand exactly why it had rocked me so much, which is my favourite kind of viewing experience. And hey, isn’t that what all of *gestures vaguely* this is about really? Finding the simplest ways to pluck at buried nerves within all of us and teach or heal something in ourselves. In lieu of therapy, that is.
ffo: The Simpsons, This Is Us, Parks and Rec, your family
Available on Disney+
TV: Physical: 100
‘Roids at the ready for this one. I don’t subscribe guilty pleasures but this is a rogue choice even for me. 100 of the henchest people in Korea battle it out, performing a range of challenges, matches and tests to determine who is the Henchest of Them All. Women stacked to the heavens, men as wide as lorries being featherlight on their feet, Olympians and K-pop idols alike… It’s primal, it’s sweaty, it’s brutal and no one dies - which I don’t think is a spoiler. It’s also really wholesome and genuinely funny. Everyone’s so respectful and supportive of each other’s #gains it almost brings a tear to the eye. I was completely glued to Season 1 and Season 2 has started off just as strong… as the people in it…. who are also very strong.
Available on Netflix
ffo: Takeshi’s Castle, World’s Strongest Man, Squid Game: The Challenge
SOUND
PODCAST: Normal Gossip podcast
In a world of far too many podcasts taking themselves far too seriously, I’m always on the hunt for a podcast that is consistent, casual, well-made and fun enough to get me in a silly, goofy mood. Up until this year I’d found approximately 1.5… enter Normal Gossip. I’m seriously late to the party which started during Covid I gather but there was a lot going on that year understandably. If, like me, you enjoy the thrill and intrigue of true crime storytelling but also like to be able to sleep at night, this will be your type of shit, precisely. The host, writer Kelsey McKinney does the lord’s work in crowdsourcing and anonymising the most weird and wonderful gossip stories you can imagine that she delivers to a charismatic cast of guests. She has such an infectiously warm way of being and an eye for the best low-stakes, high-chuckle tea, that each episode feels like a juicy catch up with a friend. I’ll sometimes start doing chores just for an excuse to put it on, my flat has never been cleaner in fact.
Alongside absurd twists and turn tales, her guests that mostly come from the world of journalism and comedy also bring really interesting perspectives on the art and value of ‘gossip’ in the modern world as something we all interact with in a unique way. While some have been raised believing it’s forbidden, others trade in it as cultural currency. Some define it broadly as everything from high school rumours to political commentary, while others narrow in on the often gendered nuances and dramatics of how it’s distributed. So much to unpack, get stuck in.
Available on Spotify
ffo: NPR, Modern Love (the happy ones), Your Receipts, piping hot mess honey
OUTSIDE
PLAY: A Mirror
This run is actually the play’s second, originally at the Almeida Theatre, where I caught it for the first time. I loved it the first time I saw it, but it shifted something in me when I took my parents with me the second at the Trafalgar Theatre. It’s a play about the search for and danger of truth in a society of fear and propaganda. Directed by Jeremy Herrin, written by Sam Holcroft, it features a true tightrope performance from Jonny Lee Miller (Trainspotting) with so much grounding from Tanya Reynolds (Sex Education) and BAFTA-nominated Samuel Adewunmi as the stealth force at the centre of it all. It’s filled with pitch-black deadpan humour, gut punch twists and a deeply original, immersive narrative that entices you in as a co-conspirator.
I don’t want to say much more about the plot than that, for obvious reasons once you’ve seen it, but it’s such an exhilarating piece of work that gets your thoughts racing in so many directions. It made me think a lot about the dual meaning of the word ‘compromise’: as something we’re encouraged to do with those we love to reach happy mediums, but in other contexts is used to describe what happens to an object or system when it’s breached or vulnerable to corruption. How does that come into play when we think about our own morals, our sense of self, or even just the role of art and expression in the liberation movement. What are the myths we tell ourselves to accept and justify selfish or oppressive means, of deconstructing regimes from the inside, being one of the good ones, of a seat at the table as the ultimate aspiration. Why not build a new one entirely? Just little girly thoughts like that. Go see it if you can!
At Trafalgar Theatre until 20th April
ffo: Station Eleven, Black Mirror, Margaret Atwood, trojan horses
ONLINE
GAME: Movie Grid
As someone who a) works mostly from home b) likes to avoid a thought occurring and c) is aware she’s been losing IQ points ever since she graduated, I’d say I jumped on the puzzle train quite early in life. It’s become the perfect little dopamine hit and mental rep set over my morning coffee or in the evening while watching TV. But between the rise (and fall?) of Wordle, NYT finding its successor in the addictive, infuriating Connections game and general Gen Z nostalgia for the consoles of yesteryear, in the last year or so it’s become clear that games are back in a big way! More people than ever before, esp. young people, are incorporating them into their commutes and morning routines and with it, of course the corporations have cottoned on, commercialising and gamifying trivia and brain twisters to the nth degree. The latest move comes from Vulture who have adopted a format called Movie Grid, created by Sam Shulman and Alex Nunan, that had been gaining traction both on its own site and when used as content but film bros across social media too. It’s a 3 by 3 grid with actors, genres, stats and title lengths along the axes. The aim is to test your film knowledge by filling in the corresponding boxes. The more obscure your guess, the higher your final score.
Now known as Cinematrix, dropped every weekday morning, I’ve found it’s a great way for me to ruin my day before it’s even begun, as all good hard games should be.
ffo: Letterboxd, NYT Connections, trivia games, feeling uncultured af
and that’s all from me today folks. my last offering is just a playlist of songs that have been Getting Me Through the last few months, some from joy, some from the trenches. I’m going to try and keep up monthly (she says) as a little postcard of where I’m at energetically this year. wishing you all the best and thanking you so much if you made it this far. if you watch, listen to or play any of these recs, do let me know and make my day.
take care,
Natty xx
I can reallly relate to feeling numb these past few months, but the promise of summer is re-energising! I've popped on Normal Gossip thanks to your reco ¨̮