Never News: searching for something real
Hello one and all and welcome back to Never News, the every-two-weekly newsletter that I, Producer Georgia, lovingly write for you. Since the last time we spoke, the air has turned to ash and it's now dangerous to eat berries and lettuce in the ole U.S.-of-A. Thankfully, soft serve remains safe and plentiful, but I only mention that to keep myself, and perhaps also you, from screaming and screaming and screaming.
Let's jump into the news!!
CURBED: Why [not] wait? An ode to standing in line
This is a topic that we at NP HQ have been discussing for a while: the growing presence of lines all over the city. This piece in Curbed focuses its examination squarely on New York, but I have certainly seen this phenomenon alive and well in Chicago, too. The virality of food or a certain brand of T-shirt isn't new, but the prevalence of lines for these things – and the disdain for them – has reached a fever pitch within the last year. Now, the act of waiting in line for a matcha concoction or what have you is largely understood to be directly linked to the social internet, though the nefariousness of this connection is still debated. Though I think it's worth pointing out that this piece relies heavily on the commentary of other influencers, terminally online posters, and, bizarrely, one Real Housewife whom the author of this article knows personally. I find a lot of this piece a bit too navel gazy-y, a bit too "the call is coming from inside the house," but I do think it's worth discussing in a more nuanced, curiously-minded way. I leave you with this quote as an example, taken from someone's Substack (sigh) and placed in this article: "Some people read Substack, some people wait in a line. Some people have vintage denim and read books by dead people. And really we all die."
SHOW NEWS: Member drive stream week approaches!!!
HEAR YE HEAR YE! The rumors are true! From August 17th through the 21st, we will be doing a member drive livestream week on our Twitch channel, twitch.tv/theneverpost! There, we will have a variety of delectable events for you to enjoy – there will be morning coffee chats, game streams, perhaps a return to my closet, and also perhaps a return of the Wikipedia Race games with a few beloved guests!! I'll have more info for you here in ye olde newsletter when we get closer to the start date, but for now, get ready!
DAZED: the endless irony of posting about "going analog"
The premise of this article is very familiar to me at this point; basically, that a vocal contingent of people are declaring their intention to stay off their phones and live a more analog life. But I share it here because it butts up against the constant problem with content about this topic – namely, that the people supposedly leading the charge on this bold new lifestyle....are still posting about it. And, listen. I agree with the sentiment here. I think it's a good idea for all of us – especially those [me] whose relationship to the Internet is also connected to work – to intentionally find ways to prioritize a life that isn't spent looking at a screen all the time. But I think the unsexy part of this is that to truly do that in a meaningful way, you can't make content about it. And you certainly can't make ongoing, series-based content about your digital detox journey because if you are still dining at the table of online engagement, then this so-called journey can never end. I am heartened, though, that some of the folks interviewed in this piece recognize that. 26 year-old Shaunessey writes, "What an oxymoron it is for me to sit on my soapbox and preach about why this is good for people, when, in order to do that, I need to do the exact opposite of what I’m preaching."
ITSNICETHAT: pop stars yearn for the easel
As Gary Grimes writes for the design publication It's Nice That, there's a relatively new trend taking place among, as he calls them, Main Pop Girls. Once they reach a certain degree of fame, they turn to fine art, specifically painting, as the inspiration for their next album cover. At first, this is one of those trends that seems like it has a pretty simple explanation – fine art is a world of prestige, it is historically serious and widely lauded (if not also derided) for its high class, its mastery, and its taste. Why wouldn't a pop star want to court that kind of reputation, or that flavor of respect? But this piece also touches on another element of painting that feels crucial here: it is a physical medium with visibly textured qualities, the exact opposite to our frictionless, smooth-faced digital experiences. And I think that is very, very interesting here. The medium of fine art chosen for the likes of Lorde and Olivia Rodrigo matters. They don't choose digital animation, they don't choose a blank cover with text, and they don't even choose photography. Photography, despite it being what I went to undergrad for and a very beloved medium to me, doesn't really hit the mark when it comes to showing you a piece of art that looks touched by human hands. Painting, with its visible brush strokes and thick globs of paint swiped with a palette knife, certainly does. It's not a shock that any of us digital dwellers, pop star or otherwise, would want to get closer to real-life sensation.
And now, once again, we have come to the end of the newsletter. In my neck of the woods, July marks the moment when big box stores start rolling out their Halloween stuff, an event which I do genuinely love, though I understand why some people don't feel that way. I love seeing the skeletons and pumpkins in the middle of the summer – it makes that relatively short-lived season feel that much more special. I also think the summer is the best time to read horror novels, which I have been doing a lot this season. Summerween, as they call it, is one of my favorite times of the year, and I plan to enjoy it.
Here's a fun little song in the vein of If You Give A Mouse A Cookie