[SIC] 348: Hot Doublebody

Vol. 7, No. 38. DEAD END. at the Everson Museum, Gordon Hull at the Ace, FOR-SCALE = RAD, Less links that usual (but still plenty). Slugs.

May 29, 2025

I'm Ben Dietz, longtime media/entertainment business guy, and now advisor-for-hire to brands, publishers and agencies. 

[SIC] Weekly is my digest of developments, published free Thursdays.  It's intended to be read as you would a bulleted list. Feel no compunction to open every item in a new tab. 

This digest was sent free on 5/29/25 to 7607 subscribers. Original source is cited. Corollary sources are listed at the end of each digest. Art courtesy of Gordon Hull.

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Special thanks this week for stories: Hugh Dietz, Gordon Hull, Iolanda Carvalho, Celeste Blewitt, Anu Lingala and Piers Fawkes. Thanks, guys. 

Comments, Questions and Contributions are invited from everyone.

Hi all,

A bit of personal news: I’ve been working nights and weekends over the past few months as the Exhibition Producer of DEAD END., the summer show at The Everson Museum in my hometown of Syracuse, NY.

DEAD END. is the curatorial debut from William Strobeck, the filmmaker and photographer best known for his work as Supreme’s in-house video auteur. Along with him, the show includes photo, video, sculptural and multimedia work from Spike Jonze, Ryan McGinley, Larry Clark, Dash Snow, Ari Marcopoulos, EARSNOT IRAK, Dave Schubert, Julien Stranger, Tobin Yelland and Mark Gonzales.

Bill and I grew up skateboarding in the plaza next to the museum along with a crew of guys (s/o EVS) who had a major influence on how I see the world, so it’s a huge privilege to be able to bring it to life with his direction and the help of Jade Berreau not to mention Elizabeth Dunbar, Steffi Chappell and the team at the Everson (as well as Supreme and Vans, who’ve generously supported.

For me, for Bill, for Jon Cannon, whose photo of our boy Korey White titled “Fuck School, I Skated” is a hero image of the show, this is a dream come true. For the first time ever skating will enter the museum itself via a ramp / sculpture that’s being installed as I type this. And we’re taking over the plaza next Saturday and Sunday (June 7th and 8th) for a weekend long celebration that’s open to everybody. If you can make the trip let me know; it’ll be fun. Four hours by car from NYC. And if not next weekend for the opening, it’s running all the way til Labor Day.

Since I’m on the subject of art shows, here’s another: stalwart [SIC] contributor and it’s newly-appointed Art Director, Gordon Harrison Hull has a show of his own next week that we should meet up at - It’s Thursday (June 5th) at the Ace Hotel in Brooklyn.

As Gordon wrote Marcella and me: “I'm sure you're wondering- are they actually pinatas? tbh, they are really just art objects/hanging ornaments but because i'm me and I can't resist making them as ridiculous as possible, inside each one I have put a scratch off lottery ticket worth up to a million dollars :) not that anyone would actually break one. They are also wildly expensive (for piñatas) because I have built and painted them by hand (this project took me literally like 3mo start to finish).”

Stoked for that. And for an event [SIC] Talks 100 guest David Michon is throwing TONIGHT in LA, to launch his new print zine in his place of residence (after it too premiered at the Ace last week. To wit:

FOR-SCALE DECIDED TO THROW AN IMPROMPTU LAUNCH PARTY FOR “FOR SCALE IN PRINT ISSUE 2” THIS THURSDAY.

[Per David’s email): You’re all invited, RSVP.

In previous volumes of [SIC] I used to recommend events regularly, and I kind of miss that. Anyone else? LMK in the comments or something, I’m really curious.

Meantime, the links follow. Fewer than normal this week b/c of DEAD END., but a wild array as usual. Enjoy.

Ben

The Discourse

The Era of DEI for Conservatives Has Begun / The Atlantic
Corollary: Harvard has revoked the tenure of Business School professor Francesca Gino for falsifying a study on honesty. It’s the first known case of a tenured professor being dismissed since Harvard formalized its process in the 1940s / Harvard Crimson
Speaking of falsifying: How to Hide a 350-Foot Megayacht / NYT d
Hopefully not false: China may have met an important climate goal — ahead of schedule / Vox
Elsewhere: Cocaine Hippos, Monkey Copyrights, and a Horse Named Justice: The Debate Over Animal Personhood / Reason
Also debatable, from Anu: “To make up for the sad Gen X article I sent last time lol” What if Gen Xers are Actually the Cool Ones? / Vogue
Apropos of that: Why Gen Z hates the smiley face / Parents
So… Should we give our kids fewer choices? / The Cut

The Arts and Artists

RIP Sacha Jenkins. “GSXL” is Steve ESPO Powers’ tribute and it’s a moving one. I never met Sacha but I’ve admired his output for years. One of the greats. / First and Fifteenth
Moving in a different way: Conner O’Malley’s back with slugs and it’s as twisted as you’d expect / YT
Also twisted: What’s The Story Behind Salvador Dalí’s Famously Freaky Mustache? / Artnet
And also freaky: Florence Museum Now Has a Statue of Disney’s Stitch to Rival Michelangelo’s ‘David’ / Artnet
Corollary to that?! ‘It is not good or bad’: in a frantic age, Beeple seeks a more nuanced take on technology / Artnet

The Aesthetics

Gatekeepers get their day in the sun: Certified snobs on a sinking ship / Blackbird Spyplane
More elevated opinions: PLINTH CULTURE / FOR-SCALE
Corollary to that: Fourteen of the best furniture designs from NYCxDesign / Dezeen
And Let there Be Neon: The New York Neon Shop That Became Legendary / Hyperallergic
More gatekeeping: Considering the NBA's swag crisis. Toward a Unified Theory of Uncool / Never Hungover
Related: the best sports photo ever taken / NYT
Also v v photogenic, from Celeste: No-One Is Better At Being Looked At Than Kim Kardashian / The Atlantic
In contrast? Middle America’s indie perfume boom. The secret ingredient? Earnestness / Dirt
Somehow related? Why, in Egypt, creatives are returning to calligraphy in their droves / It’s Nice That

Entertainin’

The Musicians Getting Gen Z Offline & Into the Crowd / W Magazine
Turnstile Blew Up. Now What? / Pitchfork
A Serious Band That Doesn’t Take Itself Seriously. The Return of Pulp / NYT
Pulp’s Got to have love video is all footage taken from the glary days of Wigan Casino
Apropos: Why can’t young people dance? / Monocle
Speaking of Pulp’s original era: The Lollapalooza 1995 playlist/ NYT
Related, from Hugh “This is the compendium of Dylan covers that is so interesting to me. Let me know what you feel about it” / Powerline
On the subject of complete unknowns: Fame and Frustration On the New Media Circuit. Publicity used to be so straightforward. Now, for stars and their teams, ‘no one’s sure what works.’ / Vulture
Hence [SIC] homie Syd Allen-Ash talks to Perrin Drumm (head of publishing at A24) for vowels References / YT
Sort of apropos of that, from Celeste: Mission Relatable. Forget The Stunts, The Key To Mission Impossible Is Office Dynamics / The Guardian

Semi Conductions

Also relatable? Non-tech people are starting to use AI’s coding capabilities to build their own bespoke apps / WSJ
Meanwhile, from Piers: OpenAI’s bold vision for ChatGPT seems poised for a familiar business model: ads / Digiday
Because?! OpenAI is burning billions. Advertising might be the exit plan/ Digiday
Not to mention, from Celeste: Google Is Burying The Web Alive / NY Mag

Platformations

Which brings us to: The winners and losers of Google’s AI Mode. Google’s rollout of AI Mode has rattled publishers / Digiday
Google ushers in age of "expressive" interfaces with Material Design update / Dezeen
Corollary: BI talks with Meta head Adam Mosseri about the vibe shift happening on the platform / Business Insider
Related to that: How new, platform-driven news outlets are attracting young audiences / Nieman Lab
But, from Celeste: Can Social Media Get You Access To New York's Most Exclusive Buildings? / Town & Country

Screentimes

Clipping culture has evolved from a way o build viewership into a bona fide marketing channel/ Digiday
From Iolanda: “From Shakespeare's “All the world’s a stage” to Zuck's All the world's a screen…?” [Beyond the screen: How the next five years will redefine how we watch] / Shots
Ergo?! A24 is shutting down their documentary division. / Variety

Marketations

Oh good! Mormons can wear tanktops now. Many are “stoked.” / NYT
More tops news, from Celeste: ‘Y2K but make it Charlie XCX’ The 90's Baby Girl Tee Has Officially Grown Up / Vogue UK
Less grown-up: How Labubu Became a Must-have Luxury Accessory, and Why ‘Prices May Fluctuate’ / WWD
Corollary to that: Hacking the Gen Z streetwear revival. Seoul’s Thug Club and London’s Corteiz are leading new-era hypebeast culture, each built on the influence of celebrity founders and community-driven marketing.
On the subject of up and comers, Dries Van Noten’s smooth handover is a masterclass in creative succession / Monocle
More smooth transitioning: Nordstrom leaves Wall Street on a high note. The department store returns to family control with traffic and sales comps up, and in a position to steal share from Saks Fifth Avenue / Retail Dive
More stealing? Steve Madden sues Adidas alleging it ‘does not own all stripes’ / Reuters
Also allegedly not good: Blacklisted fashion photographer Terry Richardson returns to the newsstands / The Guardian
Unrelated (I think): Why Food Is Everywhere in Fashion Advertising / BoF
And definitely unrelated to that: Village PM is Creating Progressive Skateboarding Footwear / Monster Children

Marketations

From Iolanda: ‘Being a longtime US fan myself, this is something I think about often in recent times’ [When we export brands, we export culture]/ Creative Boom
Ergo: KFC 'vandalises' city with doodles in chaotic new campaign. KFC takes its message to kids, eschewing billboards in favour of scribbled street art / Creative Bloq
Meantime, Nespresso’s [got a] cool strategy to captivate Gen Z / The Drum
Whereas Elf just ponies up: Rhode to be acquired by Elf Beauty for $1 billion / Vogue Business
More cosmetics: From Iolanda: “Jetpinkandorange’ [Here's How to Fly in the Dunkin'-Themed JetBlue Plane]/ People
Also re-coloring: GroupM is suddenly gone as its parent company rebrands it as an AI-powered, streamlined agency called WPP Media / Variety
Related to that: In-house agencies navigate a new phase of purpose and pressure. The fragile promise of in-house agencies meets economic reality / Digiday

Foodstuffs

The power of fungi / The Carbon Almanac
From Celeste: Our Protein Panic Is Making Whole Milk Cool Again / Bon Appetit
Walkers’ Sensations Poppadoms vs HMRC: the Chip of Theseus. I care not when you call me big poppadom / FT
And while we’re busy not caring, how about you stop being weird about people eating alone at a restaurant / NYT

[SIC] 348: Hot Doublebody

Corollary Sources this week: NYT / Feed Me / Offball / 1440 / Beats and Bytes

[SIC] 348: Hot Doublebody

Vol. 7, No. 38. DEAD END. at the Everson Museum, Gordon Hull at the Ace, FOR-SCALE = RAD, Less links that usual (but still plenty). Slugs.

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