[SIC] 164: The Had Matter

Vol 4, Number 8

Oct 28, 2021

Join them by contributing here. Your manager will approve if you expense it as ‘research.’ Or put it down as “ground transportation,” if that’s easier.

Barring that, shout it out to your social graph / smartest colleagues / business crush or your fave LinkedInFluencer. Anyone who likes you will like [SIC]. Or your money back.

Hi all,

Apropos of the maelstrom around FB, the algos, the big techs, etc … there’s obviously a lot most of us don’t know about how our digital environment works (and doesn’t).

For instance, this [12ft.io] is really interesting / useful. It’s an easy cut-and-paste that defeats 90+% of media paywalls. According to the site: “The idea is pretty simple, news sites want Google to index their content so it shows up in search results. So they don't show a paywall to the Google crawler…[which] will cache a copy of the site every time it crawls it. All we do is show you that cached, unpaywalled version of the page.” Legal? Dunno. But definitely worth knowing about. s/o [SIC] Talks alum Matt Klein for the tip.

Speaking of … Recho Omondi had to postpone, so my guest today on [SIC] Talks will be the photographer, author, car / watch / spirits connoisseur and bon vivant mag publisher Matthew Hranek, of @WmBrownProject and Wm. Brown Magazine. Matt’s a friend from upstate and a fascinating guy, but also a real embodiment of modern media / creator economy at its most refined, IMO. This’ll be a fun one. Check it out live at 4p ET / 1p PT on my IG Live @dietznutz - or find it for posterity in my grid. Related: if you’re a cocktails, person - get yourself a copy of Matt’s new book, The Martini: Perfection in a Glass.

Also - I wrote an edition last Friday of Why is This Interesting about why it’s gotta be the shoes for me and maybe you’ll like it. [SIC] homie Jann Schwarz’s “Omentenashi” edition from yesterday is also a keeper.

Lastly, thanks to everyone who contributed ideas this week. Matt, David, Celeste, Iolanda, Isaac and Syd. Keep them flowing in, all.

Ok. Links now. Remember: Bypass any paywall (except Bloomberg, apparently) bt pasting https://12ft.io/ in front of the (www.) URL.

Padmore & Barnes 204Ps with proper 2” cuffs

=====[SIC] 164: The Had Matter=====

Trends

Another tip from Zine’s Matt Klein: “Watch the r/AntiWork subreddit this week, as its growth is currently exponential and will join the ranks (size) of r/Startups, a signal of further institutional hatred and power to the people…”
READ THIS: NotBoring’s Packy McCormick returns to the Scenius. Key Quote: “Web3 seems to be a toolkit for conjuring Scenius.” (Substack)
Via Public Announcement: The Faux-Culture of Internet Fandoms (Ed Zitron)
Sea change alert, via Howard Lindzon: “[VC giant] Sequoia said the VC Model is outdated and announced a change to their structure.”
Related, via Declarative Statements: The Future of Money: A complete revolution. (Bain Capital)
Taking the Temperature is an ongoing effort to track how the U.S. public feels about energy and climate. (Morning Consult)
Lindy Letter’s predictions for the future are intriguing. Key Quote: “Boring will be important for keeping a job. Social media will make people paranoid of what they do online. LinkedIn is a place where you post with a gun to your head.” (Substack) [Paywall]
Corollary? Wunderman Thompson on New Wave (digital) creatives.
And apropos of that, via David Bloom: Tour de Moon’s Open Call for Radical Young Creatives (Coolhunting)
The great social burnout: why are we so exhausted? (The New Statesman)
Maybe it’s woke capitalism! How the managerial class created a dangerous myth about ethical business and the virtuous company. (The New Statesman)
Ergo, revisiting “The 4-Hour Workweek” The 2007 Tim Ferriss manifesto may have heralded changes in how we're approaching work in the postish-pandemic era. (New Yorker)
Here’s how the rise of the 'Softboy' Fueled the Culture Wars Politico
Salty’s algorithmic bias reading list (Hubspot)
More numbers: via Lean Luxe: The Mathematics of Cancel Culture (Wired)
Via Lean Luxe: 'Why does everything have to be large?’ “It's an excellent question, and a thoughtful one, posed by last week’s [SIC] Talk alum Michael Williams. His frustration starts with SUVs and homes, but could be applied to many things.” (Acontinuouslean)
The cool kids at Day One agency had Gen-Z trendcaster and [SIC] Talks Alum Casey LEWIS on their podcast.
Finally: Blowfishing is the new catfishing (Salty)

Style

Via After School: Grailed kicks Heroine after four years.
From Celeste Blewitt: “Loving this light style piece on the resurgence of Vivienne Westwood via Tik Tok generation. (NYT)
Are your cosmetics really ‘cruelty-free’? How to make sure you’re shopping kindly (FT)
Related, via Lerer Hippeau: Glossier’s blog reports on a controversial water-only beauty approach. (Into the Gloss)
Luxury fashion brands have decided that their brand activations are about everything but the product itself. (Highsnobiety)
Paul Pogba and Stella McCartney came together on the world’s first vegan soccer boot (Sky Sports)
The ultimate “Penny” Loafers … are maybe not what you’re expecting. (Hidden Research)
Bas Timmer Transforms Deadstock Textiles and Upcycled Sleeping Bags Into Wearable Life-Saving Shelters for people experiencing homelessness. (The Slowdown)

The Arts

Via New Statesman: Celebrated writers on their favourite overlooked black authors (Guardian)
Related: How To Spend It’s best book stores in the world.
From Iolanda Carvalho: In Oslo, the Munch Museum—rebranded as MUNCH—is out to redefine what a museum is, and can be. 11 exhibition halls are spread out across 13 stories along with a panoramic restaurant"
Apropos, via Jing Culture & Commerce: What A Museum Wants To Be In The 21st Century (NYT)
Hence, museums around the world are using smell to connect with viewers. (The Slowdown)
Elsewhere, a virtual museum called VOMA is pushing the boundaries of what can be shown in a museum — namely, pieces from all around the world or ones that don’t even exist anymore. (Wired)

Entertainment + IP

From Syd Allen-Ash: “Ok this is very cool: Social / political history of the Walkman, this is the first of what will be five episodes.” (Spotify)
Picasso auction reveals Vegas shift from gambling to ‘experience’. The casino and resort industry has adopted Steve Wynn’s art-focused formula beyond baccarat and slot machine (FT)
The EA and FIFA breakup could remake the world of sports games (Protocol)
Elsewhere in IP, via Future Party: [SIC] homies Superplastic want to be the “weird Disney” of the 21st century… (Fast Company)
While Hasbro is Developing 30 Brands For Film/TV to "Supercharge" Entertainment Strategy (The Hollywood Reporter)
And (s/o [SIC] homie Jaci Hays): how FaZe Clan is planning for its next stage of growth after going public. (Digiday)
Separately: How the smartphone camera became the best camera (Axios)
Related to that, via Public Announcement: Photos Are Too Flattering Now atlantic

Platforms & Influencers

The new TikTok Surveillance State (is all around us) (Embedded)
Undercover Influencers Test the Patience of China’s Censors (Jing Daily)
Corollary, via Garbage Day: Borrow your lipline, bro?! The Chinese male beauty influencer Lipstick Brother sold over $2 billion worth of beauty products on a 12-hour livestream. (Caixin)
Also via Garbage Day: Changhsumath666, real name Changhsu, is a Taiwanese math tutor on Pornhub. His channel is totally SFW. (Mel)
Via After School: Inside the world of #Sobertok ( i-D)
Instagram Rolls Out Branded Content Ads for Reels (Adweek)
Related? Brands and designers are wiping their Instagram feeds in a snap. The rise of short-lived marketing. (Vogue Business)

Selected from FastCo’s “Brands that Matter” list

Marketing & Advertising

[SIC] Talks alum Ana Andjelic’s “Brand Starter Kit” is on point. (Sociology of Business)
The Rise of the Chief Sustainability Officer as Brands Aim to Overcome Suspicions of Greenwashing (Adweek)
Fast Company’s 95 brands that matter for 2021.
From Iolanda: This is nice too 😉 [Interbrand’s ‘Best Global Brands’ list]
Also from Iolanda: “A new stunt from my "business crush", ahaha” [Call of Duty got actual combat photogs to shoot their ads] (Muse by Clio)

Media Business

Vox Media has built a visual way to experience podcasts accessible to deaf audiences (Nieman Lab)
While Vox CEO Jim Bankoff touts Audio Investment as Key to the Company's Evolution (Adweek)
Oh and, from Iolanda Carvalho: "This project’s big goal is to democratize and reinvent the radio." ?!?!? (The Verge)

Metaverse & Web3

Vanity Fair charges in claiming “The Metaverse Is About to Change Everything”
From Isaac Dietz: = 2Yeahyeah (@YeahYeah) Tweeted: 1/ The Super OG CryptoArt Thesis. Key Quote: “The first successful and category defining NFT projects are historically significant. These projects will have power law returns relative to all other NFT projects”

Food & Drink

Blame it on the chain. Via After School: The kid from Stranger Things launched a Nutella competitor called TBH
The rise of vegan food in unexpected places (Axios)
Via Ruby Dispatch: Whole Foods Market’s Top 10 Food Trends for 2022 (Progressive Grocer)
From Iolanda Carvalho: Tropicana solves the orange juice and toothpaste dilemma (Foodsided)
How locally sourced clay can be used to create natural water filtration systems. (Brooklyn Rail)

Miscellany

Hot commodities — shipping container swimming pools (Axios)
While 3D-printed houses seem poised to go mainstream (Axios)
Via The Early Majority: Is Climate Change Racist? (YouTube)
Related? Via Ruby Dispatch: what animals might look like in a million years (Vox)
Holy shit, the pacific garbage patch can be cleaned?! (Monster Children)
The Muppet Lord of the Rings does not exist – although it is evident to any respectable individual that it should. (The FACE)

“From the personal collection”

Things to Do:

Via Leo Fitzpatrick- Go see The Museum of New York’s music show New Music New York IRL.
Via Hilary Pecis: Get the Rx Art fundraiser coloring book for someone you appreciate.
Go see [SIC] Homie Jacob Kiedzierski’s “World of Napkins” show (from his expansive personal collection) in Buffalo, which seems wild.
Pre-order [SIC] homies Ben Detrick and Andrew Kuo’s ‘Joy of Basketball’ book (Instagram)
Right-now-order Hamburger Eyes No. 50: The Continuing Story of Life on Earth.