[SIC] 339: Vive La Portman

Vol 7, No. 29. Open in Browser for best results. [SIC] Talks: Jason Kreher, HIP REPLACEMENT, the Back Door Book, Huang's Whiskies, and all the liiiiinks.

Mar 27, 2025

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Special thanks this week for stories: Ed Cotton, Hugh Dietz, Celeste Blewitt, Iolanda Carvalho andPiers Fawkes Comments, Questions and Contributions are invited from everyone.

Hi all,

Straight into it this week with [SIC] TALKS #98: Jason Kreher

Jason is now the most prolific [SIC] guest - this is Talk number two and he also did a ‘5 Questions For’ back in the day. We don’t really need an excuse to have a conversation that ends up sparking some idea in my brain (minimum obsession requirements for creatives) or his (‘B2I’), but he happens to have started a new gig as CCO at Dejan, the IYKYK experiential shop that’s existed under radar for a decade but works with some of the biggest brands in the world. I like Jason because he’s smart and witty, but also I get the sense that he’s profoundly aware that what he / I / most of us are doing isn’t brain science, and so it’s ok to fuck around and have fun with it. Anyway, it’s a great chat, per usual. Among the items we discussed:

The Greatest Two-Hit Wonders / Cant Get Much Higher
I’m obsessed!: Why following fixations makes our creative work better / It’s Nice That
A white-collar world without juniors? Professional business models may need to change if novices lose the opportunities to learn and progress when AI takes over their work / FT

HIP REPLACEMENT #3

Also new this week is a new ep of the new pod I do with Kyle Raymond Fitzpatrick from The Trend Report - this time with Dejaih Smith of the excellently named “Silence, Brand!” collective, among other notable pursuits of internettery. Great revelatory moments therein, too.

Do us a favor by subscribing via Spot or YT, pls - we’re making a go of this one. New episode every Tuesday. [SIC] homie Bobby Hundreds comes up in the show, re: his new Monologue post, Life Outside the Lines, on his new job at Disney (which Kyle, Dejaih and I speculate about) and why a career path shouldn't stay in a lane, which I agree violently with.

On the topic of pivots: my close friend and Culture Club Show partner

Jeff Carvalho

has rebirth the Selectism name (also IYKYK) as a newsletter. This is going to be fun.

Anyway, I’m writing from the airplane, en route to the desert for Mom’s Celebration of Life. Will be good to see everyone, and to bask in her memory some more, from closer distance. I was going through photos last night to find some favorite shots of her to bring along and found these gems, from the “Men of Penn” fundraiser calendar I was mystifyingly asked to be a part of in my senior year, along with some other left-of-center buddies. We were literally called “the Alternatives” in the final product, if I remember correctly … never not affected,haha.

Speaking of ‘never not’ - I was presented the other day with an archive copy of aNYthing’s legendary 2008 Back Door book to flip through, and it brought back a ton of fond memories of a time when “Never Not Working” and “Don’t Be Bitter, Be Better” were a powerful pair of mottoes.

A-Ron, for all his faults (both alleged and confirmed) is a natural marketing genius and the superformatness of the simple behavior of capturing and publishing shots of cool people in front of a nondescript door has stuck with me forever. Horacio Silva’s “Exclusive Hipster Hangout: Everyone Welcomer” piece from 2006 about the store is still online and casts a gimlet eye on A-Ron’s whole deal, but the magic (of the moment) shines through for me nonetheless. There are a bunch of [SIC] homies pictured, as a bonus.

Last thing, apropos of innovative ways in made powerful by sheer consistency, I liked this contribution from my Dad, Hugh:

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

“I haven't seen anything like this before, maybe you will find it interesting. They are trying to sell "independent bottlings" from a single cask for $700 per bottle. This is so you can invest in whisky. I saw it because in The Nvidia Way it is revealed that Jensen Huang spends Sundays reviewing 500 emails with top 5 bullet points from people up and down the organization. During the reading he drinks his favorite Highland Park single malt. Here is a link: [My Name is Whisky]”

My name is Ben, and I approve this message. Now, the links.

[SIC] 339: Vive La Portman

Macroplexity

Jeffrey Goldberg got the push notification of all push notifications / Nieman Lab
Related: McSweeney's is documenting the "cruelties, collusions, corruptions, and crimes" of the 2nd Trump administration. This is a great resource.
Also related: Buy, Borrow, Die. How to be a billionaire and pay no taxes / The Atlantic
Ergo: The White House is trying to recruit corporate sponsors for its Easter Egg Roll / NYT
Mayor Daniel Lurie’s plans to bring San Francisco’s downtown back from the brink / Monocle
Corollary: White Lotus’s “banal class war” / The New Statesman
A growing number of American women are giving up looking for a life partner. Only 34% of single women are looking for romance, compared to 54% of single men, down from 38% and 61% respectively in 2019 / WSJ
Andy Kaufman: The Comedian Who Anticipated Our Reality-Bent World / NYT Mag Pod
More mindbending: How chatbots could spark the next big mental health crisis / Platformer
But at least?! We are lucky good LLMs were invented at the time they were. If you peer into the souls of the major LLMs, they are (broadly) positive, friendly, universalistic, and cosmopolitan. They are more objective than media as a source of information [per Tyler Cowen)/ Marginal Revolution
Apropos of “overlords...” The tyranny of the top sheet. In the US, debate rages over this additional layer betwixt bottom sheet and duvet. It’s yet more evidence that the obsession with hygiene is out of control / FT
Any correlation to..From Iolanda: One of the few things that matter 🙂 [Mapped: All of the World’s Countries Ranked by How Happy They Are] / Visual Capitalist

The Kids These Days

Finding optimism among the next generation. Further proof that there's light at the end of the tunnel / Network Notes
Ok so… In which areas are young people getting better, or not? /Twitter
Interestingly, kids with smartphones report higher well-being than expected. The first-of-its-kind, long-term study from USF also found 1 in 5 kids turns to reputable news outlets / Poynter
Because?! Young people today are much older than young people used to be. Sean Monahan’s piece on neoteny and accelerated aging ends with a banger: “Technology is turning us into twinks with early onset male pattern baldness.” / 8Ball
Hence: Grab a dabber. Gen Z are bringing back bingo / The Guardian

Media is the Massage

[SIC]Talks alum Daisy Alioto and Francis Zierer in conversation with Charlie Baker. about The Fence Across the Pond. / Dirt
The New York Times profiled Evie Magazine, the “conservative Cosmo” / NYT
The Pool of Art Critics (Salaciously) Shrinks, and More Juicy Art World Gossip / Artnet
Speaking of salaciousness: Nick Denton on Betting Against Elon Musk, Aligning With Peter Thiel, and Selling That SoHo Loft / Vanity Fair
Less snarky, more intrguing corollary: The Making of a Modern Fashion Critic. Inside the opulent world of [RAFTM] Rachel Tashjian, the star writer courting influence between her classic newspaper column and her IYKYK newsletter / SSense
More modern: As the language of texting evolves, we present a guide to the icon. Do you speak modern emoji? / HTSI
And more interior views: “An open door to our inner worlds”: Revue Maison is the magazine dedicated to interpretations of home / It’s Nice That
Also iconic: ‘Tangible & collectible’: i-D back on shelves as gen Z revives fashion magazines / The Guardian
But Can you manufacture overnight fame? The fashion magazine i-D’s unorthodox cover star, Enza Khoury, is an 18-year-old from Ohio / WaPo
Maybe?! Considering: YouTube will now count even the briefest view of a Short… which will likely skyrocket views for everyone / Tubefilter
Less ‘brief’: Reddit is turning 20 – and it’s just getting started: a candid chat with CMO Roxy Young / The Drum
Elsewhere: Formats Unpacked: Rhythm Roulette by Mass Appeal / Storythings

Everyone Advertises

YouTube is currently developing a feature that would allow host-read ads to be dynamically inserted and swapped out within individual videos, as is already the case on other platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts / Semafor
Meanhile Advertisers are starting to walk away from platforms’ AI solutions that once promised them everything / Digiday
Corollary to that: B2B marketers are banking on their own employees to create content for their brands / Digiday
Hence?! H&M's AI Clone Army. Fashion giant creates digital twins of 30 models, allowing them to own and rent their AI replicas to other brands, potentially revolutionizing fashion advertising while addressing ethical concerns through model compensation /BoF

The Creative AI-ndustrial Complex

Jessica Giles on why content trumps medium – The former Cosmo editor-in-chief is now shaping the future of media at Code and Theory. / The Drum
Corollary, from Piers: seems like a book for life [Product Designer Writes Book on Improving the Decision-Making Process] / Core77
Related: Alex Danco on Scarcity and Abundance in 2025 / Dancoland
So…. What is vibe coding, and is it really the future of app and game development? / Creative Bloq
Noah has an answer with The Vibe Coding Edition. On YOLO-ing your codebase, "linting," and the new tool [he] built so you can do it too / WITI
Related: AUTONOMOUS STRATEGY SNEAK PEEK. [SIC] Talks Alum Emily Segal and co with “a bit from one of the first round sessions, where we review part of our current AI tooling stack” / Nemesis
And related to that, from Piers: “how Nothing does a kinda naked ai to rethink the phone experience” [Nothing’s Essential Spaces is an AI-powered app done right] / Engadget
Why LLMs are so good at economics / Marginal Revolution
But… A.I. Is Better at Making Memes Than Humans, a Study Claims. That’s a Joke, Right? / Artnet
From Iolanda: Not AI…Four Trends Shaping 2025 (AI isn’t one of them) / WARC
POV: The physical design studio is waning. Could a residency model replace it? / It’s Nice That
"We want to complicate people's ideas of brutalism" say Capital Brutalism curators / Dezeen
Related: Why do we keep building glass skyscrapers? / Dezeen
Corollary, from Piers: “Kinda feels like everywhere we work and play is going to look like a soho house” [Derwent London's new lounges celebrate workspace in style] / Wallpaper
And: “the alternative is often cool space ship 1972” [Private Client Offices by SPACE] / Retail Design Blog
A third: “possibly the design is lost on the visitors” [ Kelly Wearstler designs luxurious pet hospital to "break away from sterile” / Dezeen

A La Modes

How bad do you want it? Ottessa Moshfegh on the thrill of the sale / Substack
Also… What’s going on with clothing prices? /NYT
Well .. Rimowa Is Selling Old, Beat-Up Suitcases—and They’ll Likely Be Snatched Up in Minutes / Blazer
Redolent of the APC Butler program / APC-US
Related, I wrote about APC Quilts in [SIC DAY 307] / SIC
More French: Printemps, the Luxury French Department Store, Opens in NYC / NYT
Speaking of sustainability: An emerging wave of brands is pitching “clean” fashion made from natural fibres and without harsh chemicals / BoF
Great styling creates a narrative — and ensures commercial appeal off the runway. Meet the fashion stylists having a direct impact on the bottom line / FT
From Celeste: “Who Holds The Power In Fashion Now?’’ / Elle UK
Related: The need-to-know women’s names of menswear / Magasin
From Iolanda: “This one just 'cos Miguel is portuguese... 😉” [Mugler Appoint New Creative Director] / Vogue Business
And elsewhere, former British Vogue editor Edward Enninful is curating Tate Britain’s next big fashion and culture exhibition, The 90s / Tate UK

The Finest of Arts

The Frick Collection is back open after a five-year closure for a renovation / NYT
But Art deco muralist Hildreth Meière was "forgotten in plain sight” / Dezeen
In contrast: I Can’t Believe It’s Butter Yellow: 7 Artworks Drenched in Everyone’s New Favorite Hue / Artnet
More material: A Brazilian Artist’s Intergalactic Wool Paintings / Hyperallergic
The Cinematic Dreaming of Ryuichi Sakamoto / Hyperallergic
Early Thirties, the new book by Josh Duboff is The Year’s Best Coming of Age Novel, per Chris Black / Pulling Weeds
15 NYC Print Shops for Your Most Press-ing Art Needs / Hyperallergic
FFNY Quick Takes with Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello/ Friends from New York
Angelina Jolie Wants to Pick Up Where Warhol and Basquiat Left Off / NYT
From Zero to Hero: 7 Artists With Explosive Jumps in the Artnet Price Database / Artnet
From Piers: “For newsletter but i feel all subscribers should choose a time and go together.” [A Group of Friends Walks Into a Mall, and Stays for Four Years] / Hyperallergic

Sights Sounds and Motions

From Iolanda: “Oooops... [In Warning Sign for Hollywood, Younger Consumers Are Choosing Creator Content Over Premium TV and Movies]
And Deloitte's report on the topic / Deloitte
Hence: Inside Ben Affleck’s Plan to Remake Hollywood / GQ
[SIC] Talks Alum Jesse Kirshbaum’s music industry trends are worth considering given the music biz’s track record as canary in the coalmine of culture / Beats & Bytes
From Ed: “Zane Lowe interview Eno about his new book." What Art Does / YT
Corollary: Is YouTube why Herbie Hancock has not made an album in so long? / BBC
Napster has officially been acquired for $207 million. Yes — that Napster / Linkedin
Matthew Perpetua’s writing on his favorite 90s alt rock radio staples / Fluxblog
amazing Vice doc about Pen and Pixel (starring the late Matt Schoen!) / YT
Model Alex Consani chats chips and backstage shagging with Chicken Shop Date’s Amelia Dimoldenberg / YT
Michael Williams interviewed by Will Schube / The Hobbyist

Marketeering

Which Major Brands Still Care About Sustainability? / PSFK
Rivian is spinning out a micromobility startup called Also / TechCrunch
How ZYN is Championing New Music in the UK / Rolling Stone
Puma enlisted Afroman to remake “Because I Got High” to be abour running / IG
The Met Museum made (art) Band Aids / Artnet
Are viral moments enough for Coperni? Industry experts question whether Coperni’s viral strategy can translate into sustainable commercial success / Jing Daily
Corollary from Piers: Sell your rivals out - Sports teams are getting cozy with their biggest rivals to sell more snacks / Fast Company
Which brings us to: The business of Erewhon / Vogue Business
On a related note: Prada’s dining strategy targets Gen Z / Jing Daily
Retailers — from streetwear to luxury to basics — are putting coffee shops inside their brick-and-mortar stores / Fast Company
How Warby Parker turned its flagship SoHo store into a living gallery / It’s Nice That
Diminishing snowfall sees Alpine brand Rossignol pivot to summer sports / Monocle
While on flat land Lululemon is promoting its resale program with pilates classes and partnerships / Modern Retail
Coca-Cola is rolling out a hydrogen-powered vending machine that doesn’t need to be plugged in to work / The Verge
The Chairman's Lounge - The Downfall Of Qantas / FT
Another from Piers: 2nd hand plant sale [SECOND-HAND PLANTS FOR YOUR HOME: RETIRED PLANT SALE AT PLANTCLUB] / Plant Club

Food, Drink, Hospitality

From Celeste: From Celeste: ‘Chartreuse To 'Wreck-The-Hoose' Juice: Monks And The Art Of Distillation' / Intoxicating History Podcast
And Also: A Three-Tier Theory Of Sandwiches / FT
A query from Piers: Free beer when it rains in england: did they do the maths right on this one? / Secret London
Hence? A drinker’s guide to offshore London / The New Statesman
In London, restaurants that serve classic English food are experiencing a resurgence / NYT
From Celeste: 'What Is The Tea Time Alarm?' / BBC
And also curry-adjacent: [The Quintessentially American Story of Indian Pizza] / NYT

Tidbits, Flotsam & Jetsam, etc.

Secret ceramics, croque monsieurs and your very own Liam Gallagher. Eight ways to give it this spring / FT
Or, from Celeste: 'Step Inside Ripley Castle, on The Market For The First TIme In 700 Years' / Christie's
From Piers: what is robot for FML? [Hackers Build Robot That Launches Gum Directly Into Your Mouth ] / Futurism

[SIC] 339: Vive La Portman

Corollary Sources This Week: Semafor / The Future Party / Offball / A Continuous Lean / Marginal Revolution / Nieman Lab / Kottke / The Unskippables / Future Commerce

[SIC] 339: Vive La Portman

Vol 7, No. 29. Open in Browser for best results. [SIC] Talks: Jason Kreher, HIP REPLACEMENT, the Back Door Book, Huang's Whiskies, and all the liiiiinks.

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