Weekend plans?
Whether you’re heading out on an adventure with friends or staying in for some coveted solo time, your coveted recommendations for what to watch, listen to, and read are just a short scroll away.
This curated list is my absolute favourite thing to put together for your each week, and it’s meant to be shared. Do send the June playlist to your favourite people, or grab a friend for a spontaneous trip to the movies to see Ilana Glazer's gut-busting comedy Babes. Send Anna Wolfe’s essay On Women and Alcoholism to your buds and discuss! Add Miranda July’s All Fours to your book club’s reading list and enjoy coveted time bonding over shared interests.
One more thing: if you're looking for more laughs and intimate conversations, pull up a chair and join us for the silly and smart podcast, Your Weekly Breakdown. It's funny, informative, and crass, with one listener calling it "The Fleabag of Podcasts". You're obviously invited.
Watch
Am I Okay? is a drama-comedy loosely based on the hardships faced by the director of the film, comedian Tig Notaro. Expect feel-good coming-of-age vibes and queer culture. (HBO Max/Crave)
Babe, you’ve got to get out of the house and go see Babes in theatres. It’s a hysterical and gross comedy about pregnancy and friendship, and it’s extremely heartwarming.
The Outfit is a psychological crime thriller about mob wars and is set in 1956 at a local tailor’s shop. It’s not flashy but it's very satisfying, and it’s very comfortable for those of us who prefer old-school thrillers. (Netflix)
Listen
Dehd’s latest album Poetry is a playful and upbeat rock album to blast in the car with the windows down. Just try not to tap your foot to the 3rd track on the album.
Camera Obscura–yes, that Scottish indie pop band we remember from over a decade ago–are back with a dreamy, poetic, and beautiful easy rock album.
True capital P-pop lovers rejoice: Charlie XCX’s latest album BRAT is an energetic, club-culture hit, perfect for an epic dance party or (for the more tame of us) your running playlist.
Read
But How Are You, Really? by Elle Dawson tells the story of a depressed queer millennial attending her college reunion and guess what? Her past comes crawling back! Charming, coming-of-age.
If you enjoy hilarious and sardonic stories where the protagonist decides to upend her life, then you’re due to pick up All Fours by Miranda July. Funny, sexy.
For those in need of some suspense, Colin Walsh’s Kala should do the trick. A heartbreaking thriller about estranged friends.
What else?
Tech + Work
Will the future of Artificial Intelligence be one of concentrated safety, or of unfettered advancement? There is an intense debate within Silicon Valley over the future of artificial intelligence and its broader implications for society. Key tech leaders emphasize AI's potential to revolutionize various sectors, including healthcare and education, and its capacity to alleviate laborious jobs, ultimately improving quality of life. This optimism is counterbalanced by concerns over national security and ethical deployment. (Forbes)
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is named the CEO of the Year for 2023. Also, Microsoft is laying off over 1000 people due to the “AI Wave”. (The Verge)
How do tech companies feel about using all of this data? Unbothered. To obtain the vast amounts of data they need, tech companies including OpenAI, Google and Meta have cut corners, ignored corporate policies, and debated bending the law. For example, at Meta (Facebook, Instagram), managers, lawyers and engineers last year discussed buying the publishing house Simon & Schuster to procure long works. They also conferred on gathering copyrighted data from across the internet, even if that meant facing lawsuits. Negotiating licenses with publishers, artists, musicians and the news industry would take too long, they said. (NYT)
Women
The bush is back! Writer Jessica Defino polled over 14,000 women about the state of their pubic hair. To what do we owe this pubeaissance? The cyclical nature of trends, for one. In addition, maybe we’re just tired? Women will spend as much as $23,000 and two months of our lives managing our body hair over the course of our lifetimes. (The Guardian)
What is a bombshell? Four models from photographer Ethan James Green explores the question in his new monograph share their perspectives on the word. (Vogue)
This is a pretty incredible story: Lola De La Mata, a composer and musician, suffers from vertigo and severe tinnitus. The artist worked closely with scientists and audiology specialists and managed to record the sound of her own tinnitus onto her album. Music! Health! Women! So cool. (The Quietus)
Culture
A remote Amazon tribe got connected to the internet, thanks to Elon Musk’s satellite internet company Starlink. The tribe is now hooked on porn and social media. (Global News)
It’s hockey night tonight! The Edmonton Oilers take on the Florida Panther’s for the Stanley Cup final. (Sportsnet)
Really important listening for parents out there on real teens and fake nudes: the rise of deepfakes in American schools. (The Daily)
Arts + Entertainment
With creative director Virginie Viard now out of her role at Chanel, fashion industry insiders are all aflutter with their dream replacements. While they fuss about the musical chairs of creative directors and legacies of luxury fashion houses, we get the pleasure of simply hiding away, unaffected in our living rooms and enjoying the fantasy of the Resort 2025 collections. (Vogue)
Alan Cummings is 59 and is known to have reinvented himself time and time again. This delightful profile on the polymath will delight any fan of his! (Rolling Stone)
I’ve started watching old Survivor seasons with my kids and they are obsessed. If I’m being totally honesty, so am I! This guide to the show’s highlights over 46 seasons is epic. (Vulture)
As always, I love your thoughts, feedback, and appreciate requests. You can email me anytime - I love it.
Until next week, take good care of yourself!