The Trend Report™: Old News
Attempting to figure out why a recent rash of reboots, sequels, and prequels feels particularly tired.
unvaccinated kids at less risk than vaxed 70-year-old
This is interesting!
US to Open Borders to Canada & Mexico for Vaccinated
Welcome back!
What Happens When Influencers Post About Vaccinations?
Oop. I’m surprised by this, even if I shouldn’t be!
"lowkey nervous heading into junior year of covid"
Been thinking about this!!!!!!!
CA's Oil Leak Larger Disaster in the Making
US Infrastructure: 25% of Utilities at Risk Flooding
We are in for a bad future.
UN tells youth climate activists it can’t rule on rights case
Alright well...no one can help, I guess! They really went fuck them kids.
Why You Should Talk About Climate Change
An interesting story about how just talking about climate change can help end climate change.
"they're all slashed"
This viral TikTok about slashed Coach bags displays the double-edged stupidity sword brands wield, where they destroy merchandise while publicizing the need to shop circularly. Funny story though, since the TikTok got the company to rethink the practice.
graphics show how far under water your city will be
“Enjoy” this “fun” tool!!
Trump Supporters Are Waving All-Black American Flags
Not to be alarmist on main but this is something.
"administrator advised teachers about the Holocaust”
Education in America’s going great!
record number of workers are quitting their jobs
LucilleBluthGoodForHer.gif
"Walking their dogs #BostonDynamics"
They’re putting guns on robot dogs now
Good morning :)
Wasn’t it cute that Jamie Lee Curtis attended the Halloween Kills premiere dressed as her mother’s character from Psycho? It was pretty cute! All dolled up to celebrate the reboot of a movie she starred in, carrying on the second generation of scream queening at the same time. It was cute!
But there was something off here. Not quite nepotism (Even though that’s true!) and not quite a pop culture rerun (Which is also true!), there’s something strange about the texture of this situation, similar to that bizarre viral Robin Williams impersonation.
These two weren’t the only items that have me this feeling this week. A few other examples –
The press cycle for the reboot Ghostbusters: Afterlife has begun a month out from the film’s release. A big talking point? How director Jason Reitman was beset by a bring-your-parents-to-work-ness as Ivan Reitman – his father, who directed the original films – “haunted” him on set.
The new trailer for Home Sweet Home Alone debuted, offering a British twist on the holiday classic. Not quite a remake, definitely a reboot, the film features a plucky child fending off two robbers in a film that offers the tagline, “Holiday classics were meant to be broken.”
The trailer for Scream – or, more appropriately Scream 5 – debuted and claims to be nothing like the original but seems to be exactly like the original. “Something about this one feels different,” David Arquette says, moments before Neve Campbell says, “I’ve been through this. A lot.” to one of the new teen stars, one of whom goes on to explain, “The attacks were all on people related to the original killers.”
Set pictures and buzz around Timothée Chalamet’s prequel Wonka were a big thing this week as a stan exposed behind the scenes footage, igniting the awful portmanteau “Twonka” (twink Wonka). Yes, the movie is a musical.
This was all this week. The texture here isn’t quite reboot culture bristling me – which we’ve talked about, which this relates to – but is more a feeling that a story is never over, that we’re stuck in a phase of popular culture where nothing is finite and no ending is real. Creative constipation or something.
This isn’t a new musing, as Amanda Hess wrote about this so well in 2018, but the difference is that these items are becoming too self-aware and meta, where they are movies about people and characters and situations that are almost aware that they are being made into something in conversation with something else. They’re not entertaining as much as they are a group of viewers and performers indulging the wearing of someone else’s skin, expecting you to ask no questions and to not mind that this is charmless second-rate version of themself or the original. It might be exciting to watch, in the moment – but it’s old news. It’s never going to be that exciting. It’s an act of creative boredom, echoing a feeling we all have as we live in purgatory. It’s comfort food that has sat out on the counter for too long, cold by the time it gets to you. The heart is missing.
Nothing old dies anymore. We know this, another thing we’ve talked about for a year at this point (largely via Herman Cain’s Twitter). Yet, there’s something so satisfying about completion that is lost in trying to escape what happens to everyone and everything: we all reach an ending. No reboot, no revival, no redo will absolve that. You get a similar feeling from the discourse about Madonna or Tom Cruise’s face. Is it joyous to see age chased? Or is it dour and unsettling to hold onto something a little longer?
Where this gets tricky – or interesting or extended – is that this is the shaky leg of legacy planning playing out on a macro-entertainment scale, where celebrities and properties realize their mortality and try to cash out as best they can. That’s why these old people and old properties are back: to squeeze out more cash, to extend the name by your buying into a name you know. Franchising the self, which is unsurprising that a good amount of these properties have to do with nonfictional and fictional families reminding you that there is a lineage at play. As if that means anything!
I’ll leave you with a salve, via the one and only Tina Turner, who is eschewing this system to do something different – and welcome: she sold off her catalogue and likeness. She is done with being the public person, basically handing over the keys of her kingdom to someone else, to be an idea instead of a person. Does that mean we will see Tina revivals? Absolutely. But is Tina going to be involved? No. And that’s what is so exciting about this: she has stepped out of the system, acknowledging the ridiculousness of it all by taking advantage of the game, rebooting herself without the reboot.
Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder
This is a great Halloween read! A funny book about motherhood, art making, dogs, and “werewolf” culture. It’s a lot of fun!
Laurie Anderson Has a Message for Us Humans
There may be no greater living American artist than Laurie Anderson and this story reminds me of why that is. What an icon.
Forget the Beer: Milk Is What’s on Tap
I love this story about milk bars – literally bars where people drink milk – in Rwanda.
Beer Distribution Game About Supply Chain
Supply chain woes are everywhere as of late. This story about a game that teaches supply chain understanding is very interesting. (And I want to play it!) All this said, to repeat a chorus watching in the wings: start holiday shopping now as this problem is only going to get worse in coming weeks.
Indra Nooyi Thinks Big Business Can Do Better
This is a very interesting interview with the former Pepsi CEO! What’s most interesting is her rags-to-riches sensibility of not taking more money – and the (slightly absurd) insider view of the notorious Kendall Jenner Pepsi ad. I’m intrigued to read her memoir, which is what she’s promoting.
Rich Kids Use Tax Breaks Meant for Low-Income People
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HATE THIS STORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What the $68T Great Wealth Transfer means for advisors
tax impact of the $68 trillion great wealth transfer
Will ‘the Great Wealth Transfer’ Trigger a Millennial War?
Thinking about these three stories, thanks to this TikTok!! Must be nice to be getting a slice of this pie because I won’t be!!
Millennials Are Buying Homes With Friends
Anyway! Fuck the system! Pool your income! Move into a house with your friends!
What Happened, Brittany Murphy?
I know y’all talk about Britney Spears but this is the Brittany I care about most. I will be watching this documentary!
How to Watch With the Right Subtitles
I didn’t realize there was such a difference between closed captioning and subtitles. Makes sense!
“GLOBAL SUPERSTAR cannot afford to buy property in London”
Girl, same Adele.
"kim did such a good job hosting SNL"
“she killed it”
I do not watch, nor am I invested in, Thirsty Boomer Show Night Live™ but I am intrigued by the overlap between internet, celebrity, and fashion culture – and do agree that Kim Kardashian’s opening monologue was quite good.
"Free skateboarding lessons are happening"
New cool reporter just dropped.
"What's the best piece of "right-wing" art?"
I remember when the Louise Linton movie came out but I never actually watched a clip from it and...spectacular.
Eric Clapton Making This Face
Some say the new Gawker sucks and, at points, it does – but posts like this make the case that it does not suck.
"Charlie Kirk SCHOOLED on Abortion"
Leftwing propaganda like this are garbage but...this is so funny. Dumb ass bigheaded toe.
"students stealing other's notes with iOS 15"
Kids these days. They don’t even have to take notes!!
"u see? real guy. real problems."
Life is just as hard for costume models!
"the moesha cinematic universe"
Only MCU I care about!
"shh…watch this trailer without knowing the title"
This does look like a good movie! But what the fuck is the title??
"help"
This killed me. Rise & grind & die!!!!
"Kids are the funniest people 😂"
I could listen to this child say “IMPOSSIBLE!!!” for hours.
"what do MEN write in the notes app?!?"
Really makes you think!
"Straight woman posts for Coming Out Day"
“gay ass person” killed me.
And, finally, how I’ll be welcoming trick or treaters.
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