Hi all! Coming to you from a very grey and rainy Scotland.
First thoughts
This week has been a bit crazy at my end. Which is why the newsletter is a bit late today. I am now quarantining in a very pretty Airbnb in Edinburgh (videos/photos to come on my Instagram soon). The travels, and all the arrangements over the last week have been completely exhausting. Of course I know I’m very privileged to be able to stay somewhere comfy and work, but it doesn't mean that it’s been completely easy either.
Currently I have Classic FM on (with classical Christmas music on), a coffee to my left, and an overwhelming sense of tiredness. Tomorrow it’s back to work, but I will have to get up even earlier due to the time difference. (An 8:30 start becomes 7:30 here...) I have a kitchen full of soups and mince pies and tea and chocolates - so I’m all set. I’m determined to get this newsletter out however, and all this time alone has given me the chance to consume a huge amount of media stuff which I want to share with you.
Hope you’re doing well where you are, and not stressing out too much about the festive period. The whole point of it is ultimately about kindness and joy (not stress and pressure). At least, I’m trying to keep that in mind for myself too.
Photo by Annie Spratton Unsplash
Podcasts
Lessons in Uncertainty, Anxiety, and Resilience - The Anxious Achiever
I loved this because it went further and deeper than your average straightforward discussing-the-issues-at-hand type of interview. It quickly moved into the emotional context. Aarti Shahani starts off sounding very straight-to-the-point, extremely competent, professional and a bit brisk. After a few thoughtfully phrased questions by Morra Aarons-Mele, the conversation becomes much more nuanced, personal and authentic. I was left with the feeling that Shahani is an absolutely incredible human, even more so given what she has had to deal with. But also that her story is one which I think will resonate with many people who are 2nd or 3rd generation in a country, those part of a diaspora, or who have been dealing with immigration in their family. It’s really worth a listen.
Looking back at 2020: a year like no other - Guardian - Today in Focus
Guardian editor Katharine Viner gives a really insightful overview of the year in news, full of observations which are extremely astute and well backed up. I love the way Anushka Asthana interviews, I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I think a big part of it is because she is such a good listener with a clear, firm, but kind manner. This overview didn't leave me feeling all doom and gloom, rather I felt informed, pensive and cautiously optimistic.
Articles
Why do we still love “The Office”? - The New Yorker
It feels ironic that around the end of 2019/ start of 2020 I started watching the American version of The Office properly. (I had just seen episodes here and there previously.) Then, as lockdown and working from home became the norm, I continued the series to the end. It was very weird to watch the small observations of office life, when I was slowly starting to forget what it was like to work in one. This article is really well written, and puts into words our weird attachment to office spaces. I loved this phrase in particular: “when you watch “The Office” now, if you peer past the shtick, the subtler details—moments so strikingly mundane that they might have seemed invisible a year ago—stand out.”
YouTube
“i’m not like other girls” - Jordan Theresa
I am obsessed with her work. I love her observations on internet culture which are approached with such thoroughness that I really hope that these videos are turned into academic sociology essays. It’s like internet archaeology. It’s also fantastic as she used to be a beautician, and is not from an upper class background. Yet she speaks to progressive politics with such eloquence and accuracy that I want her to stand for Parliament. I really like that she constantly defies expectations and stereotypes.
It’s also really helpful for me, as I am not part of the TikTok or digital native generation. I still remember dial up internet, when we first got WiFi, when phones were not smart. So sometimes I feel I don’t ‘get’ quite a bit of modern teen internet culture. Her videos function as helpful explainers for those of us a bit lost in it all.
The phenomenon of girls that say “I’m not like other girls”, or for short: “NLOGs”, is something which has been around for a while. It’s not new. I think most women have engaged in playing this role, or have seen others playing this role, or both. The fundamental problem is that it comes from a place of internalised misogyny. The idea that this role is played fundamentally for the approval of men, and in doing so it is undermining “other” women. ie. “I’m not like other women”, “I would never wear make-up”, “I hate hanging out with other girls, there’s always so much drama” etc. I studied gender studies for around 3 years in The Netherlands, but that was quite a few years ago now, and definitely before the big ‘trendy’ Feminism boom in c. 2014 ish. I found these videos really refreshing in terms of looking at academics that I used to study (like Laura Mulvey - who, incidentally, I saw speak live at the ICA in 2017), applied in the context of current internet culture. It’s especially interesting for me as some of the things touched upon are specifically to do with (British) teen/youth digital references which I am probably around 5-10 years too old for. It’s funny (read: depressing) how the same patterns play themselves out, even if the context changes. Especially when it’s to do with sexism at the intersection of social class and race. This video is really really worth a watch (as are her other videos).
a deep dive into the “pick me girl” phenomenon - Tara Mooknee
I had never heard the phrase until today, but it turns out I had seen this happening and just didn’t have a name for it. It’s quite a sad phenomenon, but one I think we need to look at as a society. It’s the concept that some women perform and police what it is to be a “good” woman (wife/girlfriend), with the aim of gaining the approval of men. Tara Mooknee’s video is another internet archaeology job, and very well done. I am painfully aware that there is a racial and cultural element to this concept too, which I would like to read up more on. The phrase used towards the end of the video “it’s a natural response to patriarchy”, unfortunately couldn't be more true.
Michelle Chubb - @indigenous_baddie
Her work is fantastic. It really breaks down indigenous stereotypes, while exploring her culture, explaining elements, and deconstructing others. I especially loved this reel, this reel about moccasins, and her comedy content too.
A few other accounts I would recommend following:
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with your thoughts, ideas and suggestions at catrionamedia@gmail.com
(If you are nosy - like I am - you can find out a bit more about me here).
Until the next time,
Catriona
(🔊“cah-tree-nah”)