Pop Culture Mondays/7.6.21
The “Did He Really Do That?” Edition
HAPPY Tuesday my darling pop culture junkies. I hope you are all rested and recovered from your weekend…whether you were standing in long lines in the cold Hamptons or pool hopping in LA or surf foiling with a GODDAMN American flag somewhere (more on that later), I hope you had a lovely time. Or if you were curled up in your AC watching Netflix all day…GOOD ON YOU babes…we DID it. Each day that passes we forget a little bit more it seems about the crazy freaking year we have all had. The human brain is a wild thing. BUT, it is time to SORT of get back to it (I know I know, those lazy days of summer are kicking in and it is hard to concentrate and do anything productive) but let this be a fun little escape. This week is a hodge podge of things that were trending and some things that HAVE been trending and I just have not gotten to, and some TikToks in between.
And while there were some FUN Trump-related spectacles again this past week…WE ARE TRUMP (AND TRUMP-FAMILY) FREE!
XOXO..
OBVIOUSLY, THE OCEAN IS BURNING:
When I first awoke to the “Ocean is on fire” headlines I thought this was a metaphor, but for what, was anyone’s guess…it could be SO MANY THINGS. But alas the ocean WAS ACTUALLY burning. It was an under water gas line in the Gulf of Mexico that had caught on fire and it was really a sight to see people putting a fire out IN the water WITH water. Here is actual footage:
But as always, the Internets took over and did the heavy lift here. Here are some of my faves:
For more on the FIRE OCEAN and how horrible humanity is…
ARE YOU HUMAN…OR ARE YOU DANCER…?
If you do not know the classic Killers song well here you go:
Because it is MY TRUEST BELIEF if Mark Zuckerberg had chosen a different song to go along with his video, it might have HIT DIFFERENT. Look, I think one of the coolest jobs in the world is a MUSIC SUPERVISOR. They are the ones who ultimately determine the tone and feel of a movie. Like think of your favorite movies and then think of the music and I assure you, the music is KEY to the vibe of the movie. Whether it’s Quentin, who I am LOATHE to ever discuss but that dude knows how music will impact emotion better than anyone, to basically ANY HUMAN OTHER THAN MARK Z. SO, in case you missed the video that the internets has lost their mind over (except for Kara Swisher who apparently has a soft spot for John Denver because her dad is from West Virginia so I will totally give her this one obviously).
ANYWAY, here it is:
Obviously there is a lot to unpack here. I really do think the video would have hit different with different music other than John Denver but like is he IN WEST VIRGINIA? Also, as the internets have unleashed…a man sort of singularly responsible for the fall of democracy holding a massive American flag whilst doing a rich man sport like this is a BIT TOO ON THE NOSE. And yes he also just seems a bit animatronic too.
Here’s the deal. I like Mark personally. I think he’s actually a nice guy. I do not like what Facebook has done and I wish he and his exec team and board would have made SO MANY different choices HOWEVER…I am going to be controversial and say I think he’s a nice guy personally, I think he is entitled to have fun and do fun things. BUT…and I am so sorry for all the Facebook PR people who have over the years given their entire LIVES to making him seem more relatable and human…like for example, when he got in on the joke his last surf outing had, due to the inexplicable amount of sunscreen he used, by turning the meme from Adam the Creator into a surfboard. (CLICK HERE)
OHHHH see he is FUNNY. He can make fun of himself…as ANYONE in communications knows, there is nothing more appealing than someone in a powerful position who can make fun of themselves. While one has to imagine the surfboard was done by savvy communications people working for him, I think his July 4th video was ALL his. Like he is NOT in on the joke…the joke being the end of our democracy BUT who is counting. (I am.) If he was just another suburban dad doing silly dad things this may have been funny to his friends and family….but to the world who feels he has sacrificed their civil liberties and freedoms for AD DOLLARS….well, it’s a NO from us.
AND the Internets again, did not disappoint:
I highly recommend watching this one…
Maybe my fave:
OK…that’s all I can do. Have fun.
LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO BO BURNHAM:
It is possible you have NO idea who this man is. Not the face nor the name. Then again it is possible you are vaguely aware of his name and his existence. And if you have a TikTokker IN the family you may have heard his name but likely at very least heard a part of one of his songs. According to Wikipedia, Bo is an “American comedian, musician, actor, film director, screenwriter, and poet.” I mean this gives me an identity crisis like NO one’s business because like I don’t even think I can say I am even ONE ANYTHING let alone 6 somethings. OK, fine I can say I share being an AMERICAN with him and that’s that. But the kid IS talented and he grew up on the Internets as he was born in 1990 and he started his career on the YouTube racking up HUNDREDS of millions of views. In case you are unsure, that’s a lot of views. He actually wrote and directed the film Eighth Grade (wow I have not typed the word “eighth” in a long time and I am not going to lie…that took a FUCK TON of tries…but I digress…) and I really loved aka was shook by that film.
WELL, ENTRÉ COVID and lockdown and what better forum for CONTENT is there for a writer/director/actor/musician/poet/comedian? SO voila…he has a Netflix special called INSIDE with Bo Burnham and it is weird and wild and poignant and traumatizing and hilarious all at once. I have read a lot of OTHER people writing about it and they do a much better job so I have linked to those stories at the bottom but in the meantime you come here for VIDEOS so videos I shall give you. Here is the trailer:
OK before I get to more of Bo…humor me as I go down a little musical theatre journey. I was a theatre kid…every play I could be in I would be in it but as many were musicals and I had little actual singing talent, but I can speak sing REALLY well, SO I learned that the narrator role was the KEY role in many ways. You were the STORY TELLER. You set the tone. You are the MC like PT Barnum…some GREAT “narrator” roles include:
JOEL GREY/CABARET:
OR the incredible André De Shields as Hermes in “Hadestown” (OMG HE IS AMAZE):
And speaking of PT Barnum…if you have NOT watched The Greatest Showman (BIG SCREEN TV, LOUD AS FUCK SPEAKERS) then you must do nothing else this week than this, we have Hugh Jackman, PCM GOD, as PT BARNUM himself:
SO I digress (and there are many more examples) but the point is, my feeling is Bo is sort of a modern-day take on this…and even mimics the sound in his hit song from his solo show (shot entirely by himself in his apartment during lockdown) AND it is a truly genius and correct take on the INTERNET. I assure you, watch this, Bo as the narrator of the Internet:
HOW GOOD IS THIS? It’s baffling how good it is. And terrifying. It is not joyful but it feels good but then bad. Here are some others:
AND FOR ALL THAT IS GOOD AND HOLY is this the funniest yet truest take ever… “White Woman’s Instagram” for which I am particularly guilty of especially the posts of dead parents like look I can be honest, this speaks to me and I am actually the worst. HALF OF YOU, my darling readers, ARE GUILTY of this. Don’t ever stop:
OK ok last clip but if you have a TikTokker you have heard this “sound” so now you get context and truly there are some amaze references in here:
Sorry I lied but this was important AND FRANKLY, this should be the new theme song of Kara Swisher’s and Scott Galloway’s PIVOT podcast don’t you think?
Must read articles on our Bo:
AND JUST A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS (AND SOME DESPICABLE ONES TOO…)
WOOOOO that was an adventure. And I am not going to lie…there is more content. I understand this may be a newsletter you have to read and watch in parts this week, it’s OK I understand.
- PILLOW SLIDES. GODDAMMIT I tried to avoid these monsters but I NO LONGER CAN when they are surrounding me from coast to coast and friends of all ages are sporting these poofy shoes. You either have seen these, OR you have these, OR you have been asked to buy these. And if not…well, welcome to PILLOW SLIDE PCM.
THESE things are ugly and delightful and they are like walking on clouds and now you know, if you didn’t already.
Leave it to my darling angel Tinx to break it down for us:
- And just when you think De Blasio, the ridiculous incompetent Mayor of NYC and his team could not get stupider…THIS IS WHAT THEY TWEET:
LIKE WHAT??? CLEVELAND?? You are going after Cleveland?? FOR WHAT REASON??? I am a born and raised NYER and I say GO FUCK YOURSELF to this tweet. Sorry sorry, I MAY be out of NY but you cannot, under any circumstances, take the NY out of me.
- HAVE YOU SEEN SEX/LIFE??? Um…OK…well, it’s a thing. It’s on NETFLIX and it’s all sorts of hot and well the socials are PARTICULARLY HOT under the collar for: EPISODE 3 at the 19:50 mark…GO RUN LITTLE ONES…do not forget to thank me (or yell at me). I will not link to this particular scene but here is the trailer and WOO BOY….and if you were a fan of the OG “L WORD” (who wasn’t?? Then you will love this show for it’s main character who you will recognize from that show…)
And here is a TikTok telling you to go check it out…so blame TikTok, not me…
- And one of the most relatable TikTok trends right now is comparing rescue dogs to specialty bred doggos just like my 🥔 the dog who is allergic to air.
- And this sound is making its way on the TikTok and there are so many and for the sake of time, here is my fave which will give you an idea:
- And TikTok had a field day with the 4th in the Hamps. PEOPLE WERE NOT HAVING IT. Now look, if you FANCY Hamps (you know I know you and you are reading this right now in your pool with your 21 Seeds cocktail and you’re like, “OMG she is TALKING ABOUT ME?” and I am…but if you have a big ole house in the Hamps then you did not encounter this but for those youngs who went for a party weekend and were met with cold and rain and long lines and Ubers that cost $500, yeah so, maybe not the best weekend:
- OK there are so many more to cover but I cannot but this has been a mesmerizing trend on TikTok that’s not new but I have yet to show it so have fun:
I WILL SAY THIS AGAIN…I CANNOT BELIEVE TIKTOK IS FREE.
THAT IS IT. A MONSTER this week. Take your time with this newsletter, with work, with life. Have a beautiful week my darling lovely readers. STAY COOL.
Be safe, be kind.
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