All the Things I Dropped in the Group Chat This Week
By Stacy Lee Kong
Image: Apple Music
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It’s the long weekend! Which means today’s newsletter is an extra-long list of And Did You Hear About recommendations, because the girls (me) may be tired, but we are also well-read. So: here are 27 entertaining, informative or just plain bonkers things to read, watch and listen to this weekend.
OBVIOUSLY we have to start with my favourite Benito Bowl recaps, hot takes and cultural analysis: this explainer from Vox’s Izzie Ramirez is a good read, as is Mekita Rivas’ lovely essay for Elle, the L.A. Times’ reflection on Ricky Martin’s cameo and NPR’s dispatch from Bad Bunny’s official watch party in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Also: this blog post by Yusra Suedi, assistant professor of International Law at the University of Manchester, on how the halftime show reflected international law, and this TikToker who talks about colonization and plants, who has posted two really interesting videos about this in context of the halftime show, one on sugar cane and the other about plantain.
My favourite Carnival masquerader.
And speaking of Carnival: I wrote a story about learning to make oil down in Grenada for the most recent issue of Serviette magazine, which the magazine featured in its newsletter this week, alongside a Q&A with me about some of the details that didn’t make it into the story.
Xtra’s senior editor Mel Woods on the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., and why it’s important not to allow bad actors on the political right to weaponize the shooter’s trans identity.
This important Olympics-adjacent content.
Also, this fascinating story about Ilia Malinin’s history-making Olympic backflips—and iconic Black figure skater, Surya Bonaly, who was penalized for her own backflips in the late ‘90s.
The New Yorker’s new surrogacy exposé, which hasn’t taken over my timelines like Wired’s feature on venture capitalist Cindy Bi, but which might actually be even more disturbing.
Music journalist Alim Kheraj on the problem with Taylor Swift’s self-mythologizing.
The TikToker who’s re-purposing clichéd dating advice for her married friends, which is just as funny as you think it would be.
Important analysis on why all the literary heroines are cannibals right now. This is also a really smart video essay about the ‘hungry woman’ trope in horror.
This fascinating Substack on “Chinamaxxing,” or the recent trend of Westerners celebrating (ahem, appropriating) Chinese fashion, culture and ways of life. Related: Fashion’s piece on the Tang jacket trend, GQ’s recent feature on the streamers who are trying to gain a foothold in China and my friend Madelyn Chung’s very moving post about being in a very Chinese time of her life, which I’ve shared before but which def deserves the re-up.
Husband-and-wife comedy duo Rod and Karen, who tackle pop culture, politics and current events on their podcast, The Black Guy Who Tips.
Photographer Peter DeVito’s grandma’s annual birthday photo shoot.
The design direction behind Ikea’s adorable new children’s furniture collection.
Writer Eli Cugini’s convincing argument that fanfiction has influenced not just romance novels, but literary fiction, too.
The Cut’s Q&A with sociologist and author Dorothy Roberts about her new memoir, which details her anthropologist father’s research on interracial couples, her Black Jamaican mother’s contributions to his research—and the question of whether her own family was a social experiment.
These very smart takes on the most recent season of Bridgerton.
(P.S., if you enjoy these recommendations, a reminder that paid subscribers get access to curated list of the most interesting things on the internet at the end of every newsletter. Upgrade here!)
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