[SIC] 294: Content Companions

Volume Six, Number Thirty-Four

This time: The launch of [SIC] Talks on Spotify, plus the [SIC] Weekly digest of pertinent developments, compiled and published free on Thursdays to 5784 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.

You can pay, too. 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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Corollary Sources for this week: After School/ International Intrigue / Dealbook / The Future Party / Public Announcement / Tease / Garbage Day / Business of Fashion / Morning Brew / Strat Scraps / Ben-Evans / Feed Me / Network Notes / Kottke / 1440 / Axios What’s Next / The Deep Dive / Best Made

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Contributors this week Eric Korsh, Ben Pruess, Piers Fawkes, Aaron Stern, Iolanda Carvalho and Celeste Blewitt. Contributions are invited from everyone. If you got ‘em, send ‘em.

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Hi all,

I recorded a great episode of [SIC] Talks yesterday with Heather Pieske, the Chief Creative Officer at Super Bloom, but a technical issue means it’s not ready to embed here yet. Sorry about that (especially to Heather).

To compensate, two things: 1) I’ll send tomorrow’s [SIC] Day post for paying subs to everybody, with the video embedded - so look out for that, and 2) I’ll point you to the newly launched [SIC] Talks profile on Spotify, which has got most of the episodes recorded since I revived the series (and will soon have all of them). This is something I’ve been asked for a bunch - so hopefully you dig having a more portable option to tune in. Leave a comment if so - and please subscribe to help me juice the numbers.

Speaking of juicing the numbers: some of my favorite sources are offering a discount on paid subscriptions right now; maybe it’s a Spring thing? Either way, I might as well do the same. Click here to get 20% off [SIC] paid subscriptions, and get not only [SIC] Day and [SIC] Sundays, but also earn my eternal thanks. Clicky button:

One other development in the universe of me: Breakfast Clubbing launched last week; it’s the companion update to the weekly breakfast I chair in Williamsburg every Wednesday. Feel free to subscribe - and feel free to join us for breakfast sometime. Everyone’s invited, especially you.

Apropos of that, and last thing before the links: I’m stoked to check out the Aaron Stern-curated Hard Copy Photo Show next Friday May 3rd at Water Street Associates in NYC. It’s got a TON of great photographers included (John Divola!! Shaniqua Jarvis!!). And per Aaron, “Entire show is printed on large format Xerox machines,” which is super cool. Anyone wanna meet up there? Drop me a line. Serious offer.

ok, now the links (and some of my rephotography, inspired by Aaron’s show).

Ben

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[SIC] 294: Content Companions

The Macro Narrative

• “You’re already in the elite, you’re just pissy because you weren’t able to make it into the ultra-elite.” Is the first Hate Read that I didn’t literally hate read / Hate Read

• Related: The Age of "De-Bossification" / The Future Does Not Fit In the Containers of the Past

• And The End of Childhood / The Trend Report

• Corollary: Columbia’s Once and Future “Folx” / AEI

• Meantime, Homo Economicus is Patrick Bateman / Springer

• Hence? Welcome to Scam World / NYT

• Related, from Eric: “Factual beliefs v symbolic beliefs - terrific piece here that disputes a lot of conventional wisdom on media and susceptibility” [Don’t Believe What They’re Telling You About Misinformation] / The New Yorker

• Which lead us to: Tax breaks to hire local journalists approved in New York, a national first / Politico

• Silly trend designation of the week: “Microfeminism” is a trend on TikTok that involves small, intentional acts of kindness and empowerment towards women / Hypebae

• Related? The “Feminist” Case Against Having Sex For Fun / Vox

• Speaking of celibacy, from Celeste: “Links back to a few years ago when there was the growth of reverting back to religious beliefs and Catholicism:” [More TikTok Vicar] / FT

• Hence? TikTok warns millions of Americans would be censored if U.S. enacts a ban / Fast Company

• 2nd order effects: More apps could get tangled up in TikTok ban / Axios

• And A TikTok ban would crater the creator economy / The Future Party

• But ban or not, this is the end of TikTok as we know it / Spyglass

• Actually? It’s the end of the web as we know it / The Atlantic

• Hence: Peter Zeihan is a bit worried about the Global Internet / YouTube

• Speaking of the global internet: North Korea releases new song praising leader Kim Jong Un / YouTube

• Corollary: Can Canada stave off populism? / Vox

• More state stuff: Colorado is the first state to pass a law that ensures your biological and neural data receive the same protections as your fingerprint or biometric data / The Future Party

• And construction on a high-speed rail line connecting the LA area and Vegas kicked off / AP

• Elsewhere: New Book Magnifies the Art of Sectarian Murals in Northern Ireland / Hypebeast

• Related: Snapshots of Everyday Palestinian Life Before the Nakba / Hyperallergic

• Corollary: Modesty. Why would God care what we wear? / Articles of Interest

• While the FTC is banning non-competes / Semafor

• The Prisoner’s Dilemma of Non-Competes / Marginal Revolution

• Corollary: Companies are increasingly fed up with employee activism that’s disrupting the workplace / WSJ

• Compassion is making a comeback in America. A decade ago, research showed a troubling dip in empathy. A new study provides more hope / Vox

• How to Be Less Busy and More Happy /The Atlantic / AEI

• But please don’t go climbing: Welcome to Mass Market Mountaineering / The Walrus

• Corollary: Is a plastic-free future possible? / Dezeen

• Related: A 60 per cent reduction in plastic is the bare minimum we need the world to do/ Dezeen

  

Generationations

• RIP millennial groceries / One Thing

• While Gen Z trades college for trade school / The Future Party

• Corollary: Gen Z has its own version of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (except instead of comedians it’s…Gen Z VCs) / Tubefilter

• From Iolanda: "A rise in old aesthetic feels like life, memories rather than recordings" [Why Young People Are Embracing Analogue] Media Cat

• Conversely, Gen Z would rather take a Chance on a New App than “Embarrassing” Instagram (if TikTok gets banned) / Business Insider

Platformations

• The Social Playbook Is Dead. Long Live the Social Philosophy / AdWeek

• Hence? Zoomers are making their own Myspace / Bustle

• While Reddit is quietly changing the way its homepage works / Sherwood

• And Threads Offers Creators $500 to Post about “Positivity” / The Information

• Meanwhile, LinkedIn is Testing Paid Company Pages with AI-created content / TechCrunch

• And Substack rival Ghost confirms it will join the fediverse in 2024 / TechCrunch

• From Iolanda: “As expected... 😉” [Google Delays Third Party Cookie Demise Yet Again] / Digiday

• Also from Iolanda: Google search boss warns employees of ‘new operating reality,’ urges them to move faster. Key Quote: “Wearing a hoodie with the words “We use Math” on the front, Google search boss Prabhakar Raghavan had an important message for employees at an all-hands meeting last month. But he first wanted them to settle in and get comfortable” / CNBC

• Corollary: Is Xiaohongshu fueling Gen Z’s fast fashion obsession? / Jing Daily

• Streaming platforms are scrubbing the soundtracks from your favorite shows. Due to intricate licensing deals …certain music cues don’t make the cut / Fast Company

• Speaking of making the cut, from Iolanda: “The formula behind The Lyst Index takes into account Lyst shoppers’ behavior, including searches on and off platform, product views and sales. To track brand and product heat, the formula also incorporates social media mentions, activity and engagement statistics worldwide, over a three month period” / Lyst

Stylistics

• TikTok is making the case for dressing like Ralph Lauren's Polo Bear / TikTok

• While Models nap on Thom Browne bedding during Milan design week performance / Dezeen

• ‘He-vage’ and ‘babygirl men’: Is China updating menswear’s identity? / Jing Culture & Commerce

• Here are the eight finalists for the 2024 LVMH Prize / Vogue Business

• Nike is getting back to the basics after its exclusive sneaker bid fell short / Quartz

• Nike is re-releasing some of the most popular sneakers via a new program called “Cult Classics.” /  Complex

• Veja wants to repair your sneakers / Fast Company

• Related: Retro Future. The Hundreds and eBay introduce Greatest Hits / Monologue

• Fast, but not fast fashion: Inside Saint Art’s test-and-react model / Vogue Business

• Corollary: Uniqlo says return-to-office mandates are also re-introducing women to “day-to-night” looks / Quartz

• From Piers: How the everyday belt became spring's hottest accessory / Glossy

• From Celeste: ‘’I have visions of joining a run club.....but for a power walk” [For Runners, Marathons Have Become The New Fashion Weeks] / FT

• Apropos: Talking shop with Tracksmith’s Creative Director, Rafa Oliveira / Sprezza

• Meanwhile, from Piers: “On [Running] office / gym / concrete” -  On Running Office Tour is bonkers / Linkedin

• Also bonkers: This scares the shit out of me. The absurd ice ramping video / YT

Culturations

• Jerry Seinfeld Says Movies Are Over. Here’s Why He Made One Anyway  / GQ

• Related: The Strikes Are Over, But Hollywood Isn’t Back to Normal / Bloomberg

• Corollary to that: The majors, the indies... and the "mindies"? How the music landscape is changing and how indie labels could capitalise on that / Network Notes

• Hence: Post Malone is making a cinematic universe with Michael Bay / Instagram

• While Ye Is Reportedly Launching an Adult Entertainment Venture Called "Yeezy Porn" / Hypebeast

• From Iolanda: Fortnite has revealed its next major musical collaboration, and it will see Billie Eilish become a playable character / The Verge

• AI is the newest weapon in hip hop beefs / Highsnob

• Speaking of beef: Taylor Swift-mania has given way to another feeling: Taylor Swift fatigue / NYT

• So… Is Social Media Killing the Music Icon? / Dazed

• Irrespective: Hopeton Overton Brown is "The Scientist". To watch him mix is like watching man and machine become one / Tape Op

• Corollary: Leonard Cohen: Hippie Troubadour and Forgotten Reactionary / The Walrus

• Nicola Sturgeon, the former first minister of Scotland, has written a lively and intriguing review of Salman Rushdie’s book Knife / The New Statesman

• Related? Yes, It’s Okay to Throw Away a Book / The Walrus

• But not this one! The Freaks Came Out To Write: How The Village Voice Helped Make CBGB’s, E Street Band, Blondie, Ramones (Book Excerpt) / Pollstar

• Corollary: Every New York City spot mentioned in Taylor Swift's songs / Thrillist

• Also cursed by Taylor songs? Kim Kardashian’s private equity firm is struggling to raise funds / Axios.

• Unrelated? David Beckham sued Mark Wahlberg  / The Sun

• Elsewhere: How to Melt The Chicago Bean (and Why We Should) / YT

• More art: From Piers: Caravaggio is our screen age’s art superstar / The Guardian

• Related: Caravaggio Made Darkness Visible. In his violent, carnal visions, sparks of divinity may glow even from within the blackest confines of our fallen reality / Hyperallergic

• From Celeste:  “A few months old, but a treat for the eyes, to read of the fab art from Paris to Biarritz. What a design eye and such an eclectic taste.” [Yves Gastou - An Eclectic Eye] / Sotheby's

• Melissa Cody: A Millennial Weaver Carries a Centuries-Old Craft Forward / NYT

• Guide to NYC’s 2024 Spring Art Fairs / Hyperallergic

• What 80 artists are up to next / NYT

• Adam Pendleton on His Ongoing Exploration of “Black Dada” / The Slowdown Pod

• The WWE’s complex “Black” history / YT

Technopolis

• From Celeste: “Mesmerised by this account of the robots pick and packing.” [How Robots Are Taking Over Warehouse Work] / BBC

• But Sam Altman says the era of ever-larger LLMs is over / Wired

• While Australia’s intelligence chief warned AI will supercharge radicalization / Bloomberg

• Because? Young engineers seem unprepared to grapple with AI’s ethical implications/ The Conversation

• IE: the First 'AI beauty pageant' showcases the creepiest side of new tech / Creative Bloq

• But at least? New AI Girlfriend Constantly Yells at You in Perpetual Fury / Futurism

• Related: We’ve had ChatGPT for 18 months, but what’s it for? Looking for AI use-cases. What are the use-cases? Why isn’t it useful for everyone, right now? / Ben-Evans

• Ummm…. this Camera tech generates poems based on photographs …? / Tech Crunch

Media-tions

• From Iolanda: "Channel 4’s sponsored programme and The Sun‘s recent coverage show that mainstream media has been slow in catching up to what real people are doing" - and that's not good…/ The Media-Leader

• Ergo? Subscription hopping is the new channel surfing / Morning Brew

• Hence: Apple and FIFA, are signing a $1B deal to stream a new tournament in the U.S. next summer / NYT

• While the NBA broadcast rights bidding war begins / Axios

• Has "distribution" dethroned content as the new KING? / Napkin Math

• Related: Jacob Donnelly’s AMO Podcast with Andrew Perlman, co-founder and CEO of Recurrent/ A Media Operator

• Also related: Graydon Carter opens Air Mail Newsstand / NYT

• And Jarret Myer, Rich Antoniello and will.i.am have formed UPROXX Studios, after acquiring assets like Uproxx, HipHopDX, and Dime Magazine from Warner Music Group / Hollywood Reporter

Market / Influence

• Zyn is probably the fastest growing CPG product in 50 years / Twitter

• Also blowing up: The Women’s Sports Boom Edition / WITI

• From Piers: “Cannes-USA?" Industry flirts with making the Possible conference a must-attend tentpole event /Digiday

• And New Ad Agencies Are Opening Rapidly — Inside the Trend and How They Can Survive / AdAge

• Also still surviving: Louis Vuitton hasn’t given up on NFTs just yet. Its latest drop is a €7,900 Western-inspired varsity jacket designed by Pharrell / Vogue Business

• But Has Hugo Boss bitten off more than it can chew in Web3? / Jing Daily

• Sprite’s Classic ‘Obey Your Thirst’ Tagline Returns  / Ad Age

• Corollary: How Long Can Adidas Surf the ‘Terrace’ Trend? / Bloomberg

• From Piers: Why Detroit Lions uniform was inspired by Ford Bronco / All Lions

• From Iolanda: McDonald’s set itself apart from rivals by maintaining a level of “stillness” around its strategy, while adapting its tactics / Marketing Week

• Old Dominion Freight Line has a podcast where various guests talk about shipping logistics and supply chain management. The podcast is called Cargo Shorts / Apple

• No cargo shorts allowed: Aimé Leon Dore launched a golf line / Hypebeast

• FaZe Clan's $75 million product licensing business could represent the future of esports / Digiday

• Fans are torn over radical new Arsenal Football Club logo / Creative Bloq

• From Piers: “Easy to rabbit hole this one”: [From K-pop to TikTok: Is China’s color analysis boom a missed opportunity for brands?] / Jing Daily

Eats, Drinks and Ephemera

• RocketFizz sells sodas in flavors like pickle, bacon, and pumpkin pie / Rocket Fizz

• Canned wine may be about to take off after researchers developed a way to reduce its distinctive “rotten egg” smell / Semafor

• America’s produce has a ton of pesticides. About 20% of fresh fruits and vegetables have them, with watermelon, bell peppers, and blueberries / Quartz

• From Celeste: Plant Based Meat Boomed. Here Comes The Bust / Wired

• In contrast, the ultimate classic, via A Martini Tour of New York City / The New Yorker

• Corollary: Michelin-starred chef Charlie Mitchell of restaurant Clover Hill breaks down the ins and outs of keeping the lights on at a fine dining restaurant in NYC / Forbes

• From Ben Pruess:Keith McNally Claims a Revenge-Seeker Unleashed Mice in Balthazar / Eater

• So that’s Why You Can’t Get a Restaurant Reservation?/ The New Yorker

• Tokyo’s top female sushi chefs / FT

• How Champagne Lallier’s Dominique Demarville Blends Precision And Art / Forbes

The Natural (?!) World

• From Celeste: [US Farms Are Making An Urgent Push Into AI] / BBC

• Trillions of cicadas are emerging / NYT

• Athens: A Saharan dust cloud has turned the city orange / NYT

• Finally: This Beaver Dam is So Huge, You Can See It from Space / Kottke

[SIC] 294: Content Companions