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[SIC] 313: Silverback Millennial
Vol. 7, No. 3: [SIC] Talks with Austin from Substack. A Request for Sharing. 5 Questions for Heidi Hartwig (Friends From New York) All the links as usual. Open in a browser for preferred viewing.
"I get my links from Ben Dietz" - Foster Kamer, EIC Futurism
The [SIC] digest of developments is published free on Thursdays to 4931 subscribers as of this issue.
Paid Subscriptions are available. Paying subscribers get a [SIC] Day dispatch every Mon, Tues, Weds, Fri, and the [SIC] Sundays mini-digest. Many paying supporters expense their subscriptions as research for their work in marketing, advertising, entertainment and tech. Hi all.
Late send prompted by frenetic pre-travel day. Excuse the tardiness. I’ll keep the up-top shortish and just say I appreciate the response to Volume 7 so far. A big shout out to those among you who’ve upgraded to paid in the last couple weeks. Makes me feel like I’m doing something right with the new section array, [SIC] Talks and 5 Questions For now recurring regularly, and the dedicated section of reader contributions, included as they’re sent to me. Submissions welcome from everyone, btw. If you got em, send away. Also take a second and share [SIC] with somebody smart…
Apropos of the array, this week and moving forward I added a “Screentime” section, since the streaming, social and broadcast stories weren’t fitting well anywhere else. And apropos of reader contributions, I achieved the unlikely this week by managing to meet superstar source for the first time; she was in NY from Lisbon. Such a pleasure - and a mere four years after she first sent a contribution. Probably a thousand links later, it was great to put a face to the name. Iolanda brought me The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Passoas, the notorious Portuguese writer. Amazing.
Hope I’ll get to meet more of you soon. As a reminder Breakfast Clubbing has all the details about the weekly IRL series I initiated three years go, which is free, open to all and pay-your-own-way, has now spread to more than 20 cities around the world (and three different spots in NYC) - so if not me, there’s maybe a bunch of interesting people breakfasting together near you. Breakfast Club Manhattan co-host and founder of Friends From New York Heidi Hartwig indulged me with her thoughts in 5 Questions For (Heidi you’re too kind)
Lastly a bit of a coup; Substack launched livestream video for ‘best-selling’ newsletters yesterday, and I manage to talk Substack’s Podcasting and Video Lead, into only joining me, but testing the product for the first time himself. I’d say the tool has a ways to go yet, quality and options wise - but the experience was really fun because of the Twitch/IG Live style live interaction with the folks watching. And Austin’s a great dude. Let me know what you think - and of course the conversation is up on YouTube (and i’ll imminently be on Spotify). Feedback will help me figure best way forward so I really appreciate it. And share.
[SIC] 313: Silverback Millennial
Fits and Starts
What's Happening to Entertainment? An arts & culture briefing paper / An Honest Broker
Whatever happened, The last eight years made young women more liberal / NYT
b/c? “A Decade After ‘Lean In,’ Progress for Women Isn’t Trickling Down” / WSJ
Meanwhile, male readers now are driven by hubris. How to read like a man. / Unherd
And The New Public Intellectuals Are All on TikTok / Cosmopolitan
b/c? TikTok Live is a strange and dystopian place / Taylor Lorenz
Also dystopian: Chinese influencers turn to AI clones for livestreams / Jing Daily
Unrelated but true: It’s never been more “About Fucking Time” / Highsnobiety
Corollary: The femininomenonal ascent of Chappell Roan / The FACE
b/c? Chappell Roan makes sense / The Washington Examiner
Also sensical: The bicycle designer Grant Petersen has amassed an ardent following by urging people to get comfortable bikes, and go easy / The New Yorker
TLDR
Don’t Fool Yourself About the Exploding Pagers. Your phone is not a bomb / The Atlantic
But the apps on it might be? Instagram makes teen accounts private by default / Platformer
Apropos, oddly: i know what you did last summer / As Seen On by Ochuko
Looking ahead, a College Course That’s a History of the Future / The Conversation
Corollary: A possible AI future. Persistent, connected and kind / Seth Godin
And Zeihan on What the Future Holds for Taiwan and Semiconductors / YT
Fascinating: Frostbitten: the hidden worlds of the global coldchain / Scope of Work
What Charlotte Shane Learned from Sex Work / The New Yorker
So… Are We Now Living in a Parasite Culture? In the new consumer economy, you get consumed / An Honest Broker
Ergo Donald Trump’s unlikely weed wager / Politico
And Trump's mysteriously changing golf score / Media-Events
Not in the tank: Sharks are back in Boston Harbor / Semafor
Related: “Boat fish don’t count” in the secretive world of wetsuiting for striped bass / The Atlantic
Meanwhile Michelladonna wants to meet your bodega cat / Embedded
[SIC] Talks #84:
Austin is the podcasting and video partnerships lead at Substack (and has the “Food recs, nightlife and light judgment” newsletter Bangers & Jam. We talked on the eve of subtack's live video feature release - so a video pod recorded on the app felt apropos. We talked variously about:
The Customized Drink Is Out of Control / NYT
Amazon is giving up on Remote Work / Quartz
Amazon employees are furious about the end of remote work/ Quartz
We know why journalists leave the profession. A new study looks at why they stay. “To learn for a living” / Nieman Lab
Gen Z Has Regrets / NYT
Via Ken Miller: Demand for high-end cameras is soaring. The ubiquity of smartphones has helped / The Economist
Plus bands, NY vs LA, platform discovery favorite substacks and lots more.
Other Conversations
Tyler Cowen’s conversation with the excellent Tobi Lütke / Marginal Revolution
Marlene Dumas Speaks Truth to Power / Frieze
While Asma Khanis the chef calling out restaurants’ bad behaviour / FT
Elsewhere: Gillian Anderson has written a book about female pleasure. Now: you read an interview / NYT
Hipcityreg’s Reggie James sat down for an hour long conversation with ex iPhone designer Freddy Anzures, of Humane/ YT
New Uniqlo Creative Director Clare Waight Keller on Finding Opportunity in Discomfort / Spotify
A wide-ranging interview with [SIC] homie Laura Doyle covers market froth, the power of the underbidder, and the alchemy of auctioning one collection so that one might create another / Affadavit
Exploring Art in Marble: Adam Parker Smith's Creative Journey / Exhiibition A
Machine Gun Kelly interviews Jelly Rollfor the first episode of Spotify’s Countdown To video series / Spotify
lol fashion's giving me an existential crisis 😅 An interview with fashion writer Max Berlinger
‘Instead Of Saying You’re Welcome, Say Thank You’: An Open Letter To The Surf Industry From The People Of The Places It Visits / Monster Children
Style
Everybody dies. But not everybody is embalmed at Frank E. Campbell / NYT
AKA Cynthia Talmadge’s unexpected architectural muse / Architectural Digest
Corollary: Saints, stigmata and solace: Tracey Emin dives into the spiritual / The Art Newspaper
And related: Christian Art Wasn’t Always So Straight. Contrary to what tradwives might have you think, the church was once a safe haven from anti-queerness / Hyperallergic
First Things First: Affadavit asked collectors [they] admire about the first items they admired enough to acquire / Affadvit
1980s art carnival Luna Luna will come to NYC’s Shed in November /NYT
Emma Chamberlain got her face in / The FACE
Byline is launching a Fiction section / Byline
Non-ficution: Celsius has become Red Bull for women / The Guardian
Related? The gold rush in men’s grooming. A wave of new brands is promising beauty for men / FT
Corollary: Hairstyles popularized by Liam and Noel Gallagher are back in the spotlight, too / NYT
And Soccer fans are increasingly shelling out on expensive vintage shirts / Semafor
So I guess It’s Time to Start Wearing Vans Again / GQ
While VFC sibling Timberland is collaborating with Biggie’s estate on a limited-edition 6-inch boot / IG
Screen Time
A24's Horror Films Are Returning To Theaters For Halloween / Hypebeast
Hollywood Keeps Getting Ayahuasca Wrong / Doubleblind
Snap is overhauling its app to make it simpler, bringing the most-used features to the forefront, spotlighting content from well-known brands and investing in AI / Hollywood Reporter
Snap says it’s trying to make computers fun again. Smartphones Are So Over. / The Atlantic
While unsurprisingly X is on the hunt for more ad dollars / Digiday
Spotify is making a pitch to YouTube creators to bring their video content / Bloomberg
Streamers Want Celebrity Docs, but There’s a Problem: ‘Who Hasn’t Had a Documentary?’ indiewire
Yahoo! is debuting four original series from prominent financial influencers / Tubefilter
Related: Babish Culinary Universe got multimillion-dollar investment / Made In Network
And MrBeast, Logan Paul, and KSI are launching a Lunchables competitor / Hollywood Reporter
Apropos: MrBeast's Media Business Secrets / Context Collapse
Update: MrBeast’s production company and Amazon are being sued for alleged harassment of contestants on his reality show / CNN
The Marketplace
The Man Who Made Nike Uncool / Bloomberg
And hence: Nike CEO John Donahoe to Step Down / BoF
Next up? Investors are losing patience with luxury brands / Jing Daily
But McDonald’s $5 meal deal is a ‘psychological’ success / Quartz
Blip — the cool girl’s smoking cessation brand – tapped [SIC] Talks Alum The Cobrasnake to help announce their expansion into CVS.
Tucker Carlson is launching a Zyn competitor called Alp for finance bros/ USA Today
And Air Mail, Graydon Carter’s digital media start-up, has hired the merchant bank Raine to find a buyer / NYT
While Urban Outfitters bets on college culture and comfort to win back Gen Z / Glossy
London's newest art bar is a 'sexy, gay living room' / The Art Newspaper
Tech is powering the art market’s expansion into luxury, finance and science / The Art Newspaper
But United Talent Agency suspends its fine arts division / The Art Newspaper
Tupperware’s bankruptcy should remind us what marketing actually does / The Drum
Hence: why You Need a Killer Marketing Strategy for Your Advertising Agency / LBB Online
Cadillac’s new concept car has interior accents made from Reishi mushroom mycelium leather / Doubleblind
Sustenance
Greed, Gluttony and the Crackup of Red Lobster How missed opportunities, a $1.5 billion real estate deal, all-you-can-eat shrimp and the global pandemic sank the country’s largest seafood chain / NYT
Corollary: A little history of the anchovy / Engelsberg Ideas
But Maple Syrup production is bouncing back / Food Dive
Friends Section
[SIC] Talks alum Matt Klein’s Critical meme analyses / Zine
Speaking of critiques: shout to [SIC] Talks alum Tricia Romano for The Freaks Came Out To Write on the best books of 2024 list / Linkedin
And to [SIC] Homie John McSwain whose Sade Night Turned 10 in black tie style / NYT
Meantime, Dan Ozzi wrote a book with Mark Hoppus called FAHRENHEIT-182 / Zero Cred
Breakfast Club Mexico City host Steve Bryant posted The Old PC Video Games Edition: on low-res childhood comfort, Darklands, and Paul the Tall / WITI
And [SIC] Talks Alum Ilirjana Alushaj dropped her Pop Manifesto Issue #2 / IG
NYC is the Capital of Tiktok say [SIC] Talks alums Adam Faze and Kareem Rahma/ Gothamist
Meanwhile the creators of HBO’s “Industry” tell WITI’s Louis Cheslaw that Nobody’s ever watched porn wearing a Rolex... via last week’s [SIC} Talk star, Brynn Wallner / Dimepiece
And the premiere episode of my longtime colleagues Trace Crutchfield and Jason Mojica This Is Now will be screened at Lo-Res bar at Nitehawk Cinema in Williamsburg on Monday, September 23rd. I’m out of town, but you go! / IG
Playlist
A Taxonomy of Background Music. Making sense of one hundred years of noise / Dirt
The power to change the world: The oral history of “Look at Wrist” / The Fader
The music indies make a move back towards their own ecosystem / Network Notes
Cheers to a Fcuking good nightThere’s a lot of hype around New York indie-dance trio Fcukers right now. In a semi-closed Chinese restaurant, they proved why everyone’s banging on about them / The FACE
the LCD Soundsystem subreddit officially bans talking shit on the Dare / Stereogum
Rebecca Black played a Friday x 360 mashup at her Boiler Room set / X
Fast Times, Nettspend High. He blew onto the scene fully formed at 17, the unholy lovechild of Bladee, Playboi Carti and Justin Bieber. He’s loved and hated in equal measure. / i-D
Getting Rec’d
Wild (but only metaphorically): Superstudio’s model of total urbanization called The Continuous Monument / Cristiano Toraldo DiFrancia
This CDG x Carhartt chore coat is special / Basic Sapce
Kyle’s Vetra DB in bleu de travail is special too / One thing
You (and I ) gotta visit the new exhibition celebrating iconic skate videos from the 80s and 90s / Museum of the Moving Image
Wisdom of the Crowds
From Piers Fawkes:
to design the future bmw creates a powerhouse team… of men Innovative, holistic, future-forward: BMW Group Design team implements new organisational structure / BMW
From Piers: unsure if the writer just mistook cheap as cozy….Super budget-friendly retro Tokyo hotel feels like having your own 1960s Asakusa apartment / Sora News
From Iolanda Carvalho:
Very cool new report from We Are Social / We are Social
"Fandom drives culture, shapes moments and creates lifelong connections between audiences and the things they love. In this series of interviews, I’m diving into what makes fandom so powerful, exploring how it evolves and explaining the role it plays in industries ranging from music to sports and beyond”[How Fandom Drives the Evolution of Formula 1 / Muse by Clio
New York Minute - "Jewelry brand Mejuri celebrates extraordinary moments in an otherwise ordinary life through a series of artful microfilms directed by Gia Coppola" / Muse by Clio
"“Creating new work with artists is exciting,” she says, “but authentic collaborations and understanding of process is so important. Tapping into why an artist makes their work in the first place and using its originality and purpose will connect with its power.”" [The Fine Art of Brand Collaboration] / Shots
From Soren Wrenn:
“We're hosting an artist meetup and event on 'How to train your own custom AI models and earn from them' on October 3rd at our offices in Brooklyn … with a variety of artist communities like Refraction, AAWH, The Hug, and Coinbase.” / X
From Josh Gardiner:
Kia ora, Ben. Do you catch this section of POSSESSED mag? Where they answer a letter from "a goofy-ass alien from another planet." It's fun, and weird. And the artwork is bonkers. [What is a Run Club] / Satisy Running
Sorry to bring up The Dress …Am I late to the party on this one? Check your green threshold, ask a friend, start a fight about it. [Do you see blue or green? This viral test plays with color perception]
From Ashley Pollak:
I thought you might be interested in today's Firehouse Salon - It's a 1:1 conversation with Liquid Death's VP of Creative Andy Pearson. We're streaming the LinkedIn Live video”
From Celeste Blewitt:
'Australians Travelling Overseas Again In Record Numbers Despite The COst-Of-Living Crisis' (ABC) This piqued my interest, having witnessed the non-Qantas travel over the last few weeks, Australians have always flown long-haul, it's a reminder we live on an island half-way around the world. It is also a strong figure noting pre-pandemic travel is back, despite different economic times.
'The Perfect Watch Costs $20' (The Atlantic) Loved reading this following my jaunt to a luxury watch event over the weekend in Melbourne. Nostalgia, lighter times and perhaps a feeling of how the future will play out, all while describing the perfect $20 Casio watch.
'Vintage Has Become Its Own Luxury Status Symbol: The Rise Of Archival Fashion' (BBC) Vintage, archival, resale, it's all one and the same and yet now, it trawling a website to find the perfect vintage piece has less of an appeal than traipsing through opshops (otherwise known as thrift shops), and nowadays the every popular vintage stores. An interesting insight into the current trends of nostalgia and vintage.
'Change Of The Guard Complete: The Gen Z Young Guns Have Successfully Muscled Through To DOminate The World Of Tennis' (Tatler) Another tennis moment, tenniscore is the buzzbord amongst many others, but loved a quick history lesson on the next gen rising up to take the reins of tennis. It's always a great fashion plate, so I will be interested to see who jumps on the plane and makes it to the Australian Open in a few months time.
'Why Fiction In No Longer Interested In Financial Complexity' (FT) Perhaps it is nostalgia, but I have become drawn to delving back into historical fiction, films and tv series. Although this article goes further than pure nostalgia, debating the current lack of the use of the word 'financial' in English fiction and also societal and attitudinal changes to finance and money. Fascinating to think how swiftly the world continues to move in comparison to historical fiction.
'Is That AI? Or Does It Just Suck? ' (NY Mag) Loved this comparison between the world of plenty, of more and more, AI is making the world great, in contrast with the everyday evolution of AI into how we use it and is it just another 'thing' to engage in. Great closing paragraph on the current brand of AI and how the general public perceive this.
Five Questions For Heidi Hartwig (Friends From New York)
What are your favorite sources of daily information? Do they overlap with sources of inspiration for your work?
My daily sources of inspiration come from all over. On my nightstand, I keep The Pocket Pema Chödrön and a meditation series by Osho for morning and evening contemplation. Both help me stay grounded and maintain positive vibes. When I need an extra boost, I turn to Louise Hay’s morning affirmations, especially if I’m feeling overwhelmed—they keep me in line with my belief that everything is always working out for me.
I’m also into exploring new search engines outside of Google, and lately, I’ve been relying on Perplexity for news and cultural insights. I appreciate how it brings together many sources and keeps me informed on stories from around the world.
I’m also reading Rick Rubin’s book, which has been a huge source of inspiration. His wisdom on how creatives approach their work has been especially helpful as I focus on launching FFNY as a lifestyle brand. On days when it feels like too much, his perspective reminds me that chaos is often part of the creative process.
What’s one place that you’ve been recently that’s worth mentioning?
You never have to leave this incredible city to be amazed by it. One of my favorite spots is The Inn at Irving Place, a hidden gem on 17th and Irving, owned by my 2nd family or my sister from another mister as they say. Every time I step inside, I’m transported to the old New York that I love so much. It's an unmarked, magical place, perfect to recommend to anyone looking for a unique place to stay in the city. Over the years, it’s been home to celebrities seeking low-profile stays, like when Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, and their daughter Frances, lived there for a stint. The inn is made up of two pristine townhouses, with rooms named after famous writers from the Gramercy Park area. When you walk in, it feels like you're stepping into The National Arts Club. You can drop by for high tea or visit the cozy, romantic bar downstairs—perfect for a first date. Everything this family creates is a work of art. If you’re curious, take a walk over or book a room directly on their site: theinnatirvingplace.com.
It’s an average Thursday afternoon. Where do we find you, and what’s keeping you busy?
I’ve become the host of the Manhattan chapter of the Breakfast Club. We’ve shifted our start time from 8:30 to 9:00 a.m.—the hustle in Manhattan is a little different, as are the creatives that come through. It’s a great way to kick off my day, bringing people together for a no-agenda face-to-face hang. We talk shop, catch up on what everyone’s working on, and just grow community. Some early risers appreciate having a coffee and chatting with like-minded, open individuals. New friendships have formed, and I’ve even heard about some dates that have sparked from this morning gathering. For me, it’s all about connecting and championing the incredible people across the city. You never know what can come from sitting down with someone. I’ve always wanted to create a salon-style meetup, so I'm grateful to you, Ben, for starting this and trusting me to lead the NYC chapter.
It's not easy finding places at 8:30 a.m. open to host a breakfast of around 20 people, but we’re lucky to have found Eva's Kitchen on Grand St. (Check them out: evaskitchennyc.com). It’s a real mom-and-pop spot, reminding me of the good old days of chilling at diners with friends. NYC often makes you feel like you’ve got to keep moving, so it’s refreshing to find a place where they just let you chill, eat something good for not a million $ and drink my friend Manny’s delish coffee Nueva York Coffee (nuevayorkcoffee.com), while shooting the shit. It’s the perfect reflection of what Friends From New York is all about—supporting our city and the community that makes special. Hope to see more of you there! I’ll be hosting every Thursday, ongoing.
Who do you admire? And what for?
It’s always my incredible friends who inspire me, and to be honest, Ben—you are someone I truly admire and look up to. Watching what you’ve built over the past few years, from in-person gatherings with Breakfast Club to your writings on Substack, and your work with SIC Talks and Culture Club—you’ve inspired me to keep pushing forward with FFNY. You’ve shown me how powerful it can be to bring people together, tell meaningful stories, and spotlight the incredible community who are doing top-level, inspiring things with their lives. You’ve helped me see that FFNY has the potential to create its own media tribe, one where I can continue to take pictures, share stories, gather people in real life for some FUN and support NYC’s cultural movers and shakers. You've always operated at the highest level, and you’ve been there for me whenever I needed guidance or support. You’ve helped me lay the groundwork for what FFNY can become—a space that connects NYC’s finest and celebrates the city’s unique spirit and joy in getting up and enjoying what this city has to offer. You're never too old to participate in nightlife and shake a leg with a friend. You’ve made me realize that if I just stick to it, tell the stories, and trust the process, I can have a lasting impact and create something fun and meaningful for people. So, I know you probably didn’t expect me to say you, but honestly, you’ve been a big inspiration to me. Your continued support is worth its weight in gold, so thank you, Dieters!
What can [SIC] readers help you with?
Keep showing up and having fun at our FFNY events, support the Substack I launched for the FFNY interview series, and be ready to grab some fresh gear when we launch the Friends From New York website—so we can become a full-fledged brand. Big up your people, support the scene, and never stop going out and enjoying life! Just because we’re Gen X'ers doesn’t mean we have to stay home and chill. We can still run this town, create new endeavours for people to enjoy, and be there for the up and comers looking to make their mark. Oh and if you know any talented graphic designers who can help me create this map I’m working on, hit me up! I appreciate your support in advance!
[SIC] 313: Silverback Millennial
Corollary Sources This Week: The New Statesman / Dealbook / Champion Weekly / After School/ The Publish Press / Blood & Champagne / BK Mag / The Future Party / Understanding TikTok / The Unskippables / Beats and Bytes / Who Do You Know / Public Announcement/ Retail Dive / As Seen On By Ochuko / Taylor Lorenz’s Newsletter/ Context Collapse
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