MARION THIS IS ME. I didn't even think I could find a podcast more up my alley. Wow. "Too Scary; Didn’t Watch is a podcast starring two women who don’t watch scary movies listening to their horror fiend friend recap the scary movies she watches. They’re hilarious and have accompanied me on many a road trip. (Aja: Sometimes I read Wikipedia recaps of scary movies I didn’t watch, so this sounds right up my alley.)"
Something that’s been on my mind: is it time to reexamine our relationships with Super Bowl commercials? Anyone else feel a little strange obsessing over ads that big corporations spend… is it billions now? to air on a given Sunday? (I’m new here, so hopefully that doesn’t come across as a critique—more of a conversation starter, or continuer because technically you guys brought it up!)
Oh my gosh, I so appreciate you bringing this up! TBH, I had a similar thought when I added the question last night around what commercials people were enjoying... but I also know there's a lot of creativity that goes into the media. I don't have an answer either, but always appreciate the critique / conversation starter.
I think this is such an interesting point! Commercials in general in the US are fascinating - living abroad has totally shifted my perspective on them, from your question of how much companies spend to the narratives being perpetuated (like the Dunkin one this year…)
I was teaching Kendrick’s To Pimp A Butterfly earlier this school year and used a bunch of American car company Super Bowl commercials to compare how symbols of nationalism were used in the two and my non-American students were like …is America ok?? 😂
I wonder what your students would make of the “playing the national anthem at sporting events” debate!
Yeah, I just find it odd how it remains culturally acceptable to hyperfocus on this specific form of advertising (because lets be serious, a good chunk of viewers aren’t there to watch the game but rather the ads), where elsewhere we’re criticizing influencers crafting alternate realities (i.e. the TikTok ice lady) to shill their Amazon storefronts, the whole discourse around Elon Musk and billionaires affecting our sociopolitical climate, etc. But maybe I should just eat a chicken wing and enjoy the show 🤷♀️
I think it's such a good call-out (and definitely came across as very open/not critical at all!) You're right, it's a staggering amount of money and a weirdly unexamined paean to capitalism... On the other hand, I love how fun and unifying it can feel; streaming has become so siloed that anytime there's a show or event that everyone is all watching and can talk about, it feels good! (I say this and I haven't watched a single commercial from yesterday, let alone the game.) I don't know! I'm conflicted!
Totally valid point about the event itself fostering a sense of community on a grand scale, like a water cooler moment—I can see that, for sure.
I’m conflicted too, if I’m honest. Because while I side-eye, say, a brand like elf and their part in stimulating overconsumption in the beauty industry, I really enjoy wearing makeup, and I also own stock in Ulta (and therefore hope to profit from overconsumption in the beauty industry)! That’s one of the salient points I took out of reading The Waste Makers, this interesting book about consumerism written in the 60s: we all, in our own ways, are waste makers ourselves. Here’s hoping awareness is the first step to… change? Improvement?
A book rec based on your choices for the Lovestruck Books event: Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell. It's probably the most "literary" of romance books I've read. Emma Straub recommended it in her Substack, and I devoured it! The writing and characters are so good and so real, and I think you both would enjoy it. (You might have read the author's most famous book Eleanor and Park, which came out in 2012.)
That’s a reference for children of all ages, because I can’t tell you how many of my fellow millennials have sent Farfetch’d to me! In Japan his name is Kamonegi 🦆
I never knew looking up the plot and endings of horror movies and promptly never watching them was my version of what Carrie Bradshaw would refer to as my secret single behavior until today. 😂
I watched the Super Bowl at a friend's house and didn't get to listen to most of the commercials so you two linking to the Google Gemini one just now was dirty; I'm crying!!
MARION THIS IS ME. I didn't even think I could find a podcast more up my alley. Wow. "Too Scary; Didn’t Watch is a podcast starring two women who don’t watch scary movies listening to their horror fiend friend recap the scary movies she watches. They’re hilarious and have accompanied me on many a road trip. (Aja: Sometimes I read Wikipedia recaps of scary movies I didn’t watch, so this sounds right up my alley.)"
I’m the horror fiend friend in any given scenario, so these episodes really do feel like conversations I have with my scaredy-cat friends 🤣
Those were great links, thank you for sharing!
Something that’s been on my mind: is it time to reexamine our relationships with Super Bowl commercials? Anyone else feel a little strange obsessing over ads that big corporations spend… is it billions now? to air on a given Sunday? (I’m new here, so hopefully that doesn’t come across as a critique—more of a conversation starter, or continuer because technically you guys brought it up!)
Oh my gosh, I so appreciate you bringing this up! TBH, I had a similar thought when I added the question last night around what commercials people were enjoying... but I also know there's a lot of creativity that goes into the media. I don't have an answer either, but always appreciate the critique / conversation starter.
I’m glad it came across as intended! The internet got me thinking that every take is automatically a Hot Take™️ and will be roasted accordingly 😅
I think this is such an interesting point! Commercials in general in the US are fascinating - living abroad has totally shifted my perspective on them, from your question of how much companies spend to the narratives being perpetuated (like the Dunkin one this year…)
I was teaching Kendrick’s To Pimp A Butterfly earlier this school year and used a bunch of American car company Super Bowl commercials to compare how symbols of nationalism were used in the two and my non-American students were like …is America ok?? 😂
I wonder what your students would make of the “playing the national anthem at sporting events” debate!
Yeah, I just find it odd how it remains culturally acceptable to hyperfocus on this specific form of advertising (because lets be serious, a good chunk of viewers aren’t there to watch the game but rather the ads), where elsewhere we’re criticizing influencers crafting alternate realities (i.e. the TikTok ice lady) to shill their Amazon storefronts, the whole discourse around Elon Musk and billionaires affecting our sociopolitical climate, etc. But maybe I should just eat a chicken wing and enjoy the show 🤷♀️
I think it's such a good call-out (and definitely came across as very open/not critical at all!) You're right, it's a staggering amount of money and a weirdly unexamined paean to capitalism... On the other hand, I love how fun and unifying it can feel; streaming has become so siloed that anytime there's a show or event that everyone is all watching and can talk about, it feels good! (I say this and I haven't watched a single commercial from yesterday, let alone the game.) I don't know! I'm conflicted!
Totally valid point about the event itself fostering a sense of community on a grand scale, like a water cooler moment—I can see that, for sure.
I’m conflicted too, if I’m honest. Because while I side-eye, say, a brand like elf and their part in stimulating overconsumption in the beauty industry, I really enjoy wearing makeup, and I also own stock in Ulta (and therefore hope to profit from overconsumption in the beauty industry)! That’s one of the salient points I took out of reading The Waste Makers, this interesting book about consumerism written in the 60s: we all, in our own ways, are waste makers ourselves. Here’s hoping awareness is the first step to… change? Improvement?
A book rec based on your choices for the Lovestruck Books event: Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell. It's probably the most "literary" of romance books I've read. Emma Straub recommended it in her Substack, and I devoured it! The writing and characters are so good and so real, and I think you both would enjoy it. (You might have read the author's most famous book Eleanor and Park, which came out in 2012.)
Added to list! Thanks so much, Rachel!
Ooh! I LOVED Eleanor and Park — I remember staying up to finish it. Will definitely check out Slow Dance... thank you for the rec!
thanks for mentioning the how to find your people club!!!
Thank you for starting it!!
you guys were so charming, insightful, and warm at the lovestruck event! xoxo, your newest & most excited fan🫶
Aww, Grace, this made my entire day 💛 thanks for coming to the event and subscribing to PL!!
ME TOO. Thank you so much for being there, and for this sweet note!
Re: Marion’s #1, you can tell I have young children because Farfetch’d from Pokémon immediately came to mind 😂
That’s a reference for children of all ages, because I can’t tell you how many of my fellow millennials have sent Farfetch’d to me! In Japan his name is Kamonegi 🦆
I never knew looking up the plot and endings of horror movies and promptly never watching them was my version of what Carrie Bradshaw would refer to as my secret single behavior until today. 😂
Oh that is CLASSIC SSB!
I watched the Super Bowl at a friend's house and didn't get to listen to most of the commercials so you two linking to the Google Gemini one just now was dirty; I'm crying!!
As someone who also reads Wikipedia recaps of scary movies I’m definitely checking out that podcast.
Whenever someone asks me for a memoir rec, I always say Inheritance! It's so, so good.
That Google Gemini commercial. 🙌🏻🥹. Oh yes. Can’t wait to make it to your next event ladies! Heard last weeks was fabulous! 💜