[SIC] 290: Generalists Generally

Volume Six, Number Thirty

This time: Not one but two [SIC] Talks, plus the [SIC] Weekly digest of pertinent developments, compiled by me (Ben Dietz) and published free on Thursdays to 5591 subscribers who’ve opted in. [SIC] is a one-person operation that grows exclusively by via word-of-mouth. Pass it along to people you like. Here’s a button:

Paid subscriptions are also available. Paying subscribers get an additional [SIC] Day microdigest of 10 links every Mon, Tues, Weds, Fri, and the [SIC] Sundays dispatch. And founding supporters get invited to dinner parties at my home in NYC, with special guests. Many paying supporters expense their subscriptions as research for their work in marketing, advertising, entertainment and tech.

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Contributors this week: Zach Sokol, Erik Lavoie, Molly Raskin, Celeste Blewitt, Iolanda Carvalho, Geoff Renaud, and Melissa F. Clarke. Contributions are welcome from everyone, and are greatly appreciated.

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Hi all,

Trying something different this week. I wanted a little break from the huge link list, and since I had two interviews scheduled (not to mention Culture Club Show ep), I thought it’d be interesting to put “conversations” front and center this week. So, everything below is, or relates to, an interview of some kind. Hope you like. LMK.

[SIC] 290: Generalists Generally

I said it in my conversation with the author Tricia Romano a couple weeks back, but oral histories are my favorite. I would have loved the Oral History of the Old Blue Last in TimeOut London that Erik sent anyway, but having spent a bunch of time there made it that much more fun.

Elsewhere from the ex-VICE diaspora, Zach wrote to say “Wanted to let you know the new issue of Hypebeast Magazine is now live for pre-orders, and we have an exclusive cover story + interview with Ye. I was Deputy Editor for this one!”

Separately, another former colleague, Dan Ozzi, did an Interview with Skate Photographer Matt Price in his Zero Cred letter, that leads right into…

[SIC] Talks 70: Ted Barrow

Ted is somebody who means a very particular thing (erudite analysis) to a very particular group of people (grown-up skateboarders), but I think his show This Old Ledge is the kind of thing that could work on HGTV or something. My wife would watch it, my kids would watch it, my dad would watch it. It’s great. This was a fun conversation.

Also fun, and interestingly tied to skating: Lil Jon on Popcast this week, talks growing up skatepunk/ Spotify

Apropos of This Old Ledge, from Melissa: There’s a Brooklyn Banks Skate Jam on Saturday 3.30. I’ll be out of town, but you should check it out / IG

Moving on:

• I spent the morning listening to [SIC] Talks alum Emily Sundberg on People Vs. Algorithms, which made me think she needs a show, too.

• Corollary to take, another recent alum, Sami Reiss did a Snake Q&A 024: Charlie Morgan / Snake

• And alum Pia Baroncini had [SIC] homie Jason Stewart on “Everything is The Best” / Spotify

• Collecting, creativity and the beauty of nerds. Ben Fainlight on Unorthodox Blends / Unorthodox Blends

• While Haein Dorin talks How I Became… Global Head of Partnerships and Community at Ssense / BoF

Which leads us into another origin story, of sorts, in the second new [SIC] Talks this week:

[SIC] Talks 71: Jacob Donnelly

A bit like “This Old Ledge,” Jacob’s newsletter and burgeoning company A Media Operator is heavily in the weeds, but translates beyond the core topic in an important way, to my eyes. Like the music business, the media industry is an important future indicator of the effects of wider technological trends (not to mention, like music, tremendously ego-driven, as Jacob notes). Jacob is also clearly an Operator himself in a way that I’m jealous of, since I don’t operate well, myself - but like me he’s an optimist on the future of the business being bright (albeit smaller). Have a listen.

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• Corollary to that discussion: Can one billionaire fix the Internet?: Frank McCourt interviewed / History Club

• Maybe. But elsewhere, Michael Imperioli Knows Art Can’t Save Us / The New Yorker

• So… Do We Want Anarchy Or Guerilla Warfare? a roundtable with Comme De Garcon’s Adrian Joffe, founder of RASSVET Tolya Titaev, and artist Julian Klincewicz /032C

• Apropos? Peter Zeihan interviewed by the Times Radio on the decline of Russian Military might / YT

• Gustav Eden on the “Beyond Boards” pod that Ted mentions / Spotify

• Speaking of Swedes: The Talks talks to Noomi Rapace / The Talks

• And to (to be clear, not Swedish) Sandra Hüller / The Talks

• From Molly: Author Hanif Abdurraqib on Writing About LeBron, Loving Ohio, and the Seductive Power of Nike Commercials / GQ

• While another writer, Marlon James and others will get interviewed at the Deep Water Fest Fundraiser next Tuesday 4/2 at Neuehouse NYC / Give Butter

• From Celeste: “This was a great listen, with the stats on streaming vs social media, the TikTok neverending debate and why platforms such as Apple need to develop a steady library for viewers. A thought - Matt Belloni on SIC talks?!” The Battle For Attention: Streaming Vs Social / The Town With Matt Belloni Pod

• Speaking (again) of [SIC] Talks: I talked to Ryan McGuinness for [SIC] Talks #42, and since he’s got a new show of paintings at Miles McEnery opening tonight and running through May 11th. I’ll be there tonight if you want say hi.

And barring that, here are alsost the other [SIC] Talks in reverse chronological order.  Some big names herein.  I’m taking guesses on which one(s) you think have been viewed most in the comments. You’ll be surprised, I’d wager. Thanks again to everyone who’s taken the time. And let me know who you’d like to hear from in the future.

Tricia Romano, Emily Sundberg, Kyle Raymond Fitzpatrick, Jason Kreher, Ryan Broderick, Daisy Alioto, Caitlin Thompson, Aaron Rose, Sami Reiss, Jeff Carvalho, Joy Howard, Mark the Cobrasnake, Sam Valenti, Gutes, Eugene Rabkin, Darren Hemming, Justin Staple, Recho Omondi, Ben Pruess, Thobey Campion & Benjamin Palmer, Davide Baroncini, Ana Andjelic,Ilirjana Alushaj, Matt Hranek, Michael Williams, Jian DeLeon, Ryan McGuinness, Sam Bompas, Andrea Hernandez, Ariel Wengroff, Brynn Wallner, Casey Lewis, Avery Booker, Noah Wunsch, Paul Munford, Mecyver, Matt Klein, Camella Ehlke, Cheryl Dunn, Elva Ramirez, Ken Miller, Josh Peskowitz, William Strobeck, Walter Schriefels, Diallo Riddle, Stephen Van Asco, Pia Baroncini, Chris Black, Jon Wexler, Ruba Abu Nimah, Matthew Davis, Theo Keetell, Steph Simon , Piers Fawkes, Corinna Freedman, Alyse Archer-Coite, Jauretsi Saizarbitoria, Jeff Kling, Thalia Mavros, and Ricky Engelberg.

Ok. Great weekend, all.

Ben

[SIC] 290: Generalists Generally