After a brief hiatus (and a looming name change???), the pod returns to discuss the most dominant cultural phenomenon of the summer: "Barbenheimer." "Barbenheimer" fondly refers to the two diametrically opposed films released on the same day, Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" and Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer". However, in this episode I am going to argue that these films actually address the same subject matter: American exceptionalism and the influence of 1950s material culture on the American psyche.

Ultimately, these two films address what I call "American mythology": the stories that form the backbone of our society and the figures that Gerwig and Nolan hold up as mirrors to our modern culture. Digressions include the US's deeply disturbing realization that yes, women also experience sexual pleasure; the proliferation of pink on the streets of New York and whether Wikipedia's ideas of "American myths" are really valid...

Sources:

Barbie is Brilliant, Beautiful, and Fun as Hell - The New Yorker

What Barbie Dolls Have to Say about Postwar American Culture

Christopher Nolan on Exploding Myths & Exposing Humanity in "Oppenheimer" - The Credits

The Rabbit Room | The Myths of Oppenheimer

‘Oppenheimer’ Review: A Man for Our Time

(and of course, my brain)

I revisit "The Fashion One" to reflect on how my personal style has evolved over my year in Berlin, and how it has reflected my state of mind throughout my experience. I’ve been through many an aesthetic crisis, and I realized I wasn’t always staying authentic with how I expressed myself through fashion: from trying too hard to be an Edgy Fashion Girly or abandoning personal style altogether. I discuss learning how to shop in our capitalist hellscape, to discovering various Berlin archetypes (from Y2K art student to Raver Kid) and what to wear to each of the city’s techno clubs (spoiler alert, not always black).

Digressions include a realization that Berlin Fashion Week is Not Like Other Girls (by “girls” I mean international fashion weeks), a sociocultural critique of the Sex and the City archetypes, and devastating Taylor Swift Eras Tour moment…

This week I'm talking about the Writers Guild of America strike, and how streaming and AI are leaving writers without fair compensation for their work. I go into the history of labor rights in Hollywood (including the Academy Awards' unlikely origin story), why creative professions are often subject to exploitation, and whether making it in Hollywood is truly the American Dream - or a mere myth.

Digressions include a brief mention of my own history acting in Hollywood, the unfortunate reason Donald Trump got so much airtime in 2007, and a debate over fandoms: toxic or empowering?

Sources:

Opinion | Can the Writers’ Strike Fix Hollywood? - The New York Times

Strike Rules FAQ

Minimum Basic Agreement (MBA) Overview | Writers Guild of America, East.

Hollywood Directors Reach Deal With Studios as Writers’ Strike Continues - The New York Times

The Luddites of Hollywood - The Atlantic

With Hollywood on strike, foreign shows enjoy the limelight - The Economist

Why Hollywood writers' strike won't end soon. Here are six sticking points

When Will the Writers Strike End? Three Scenarios, From Fantasy to Hellish Dystopia | Vanity Fair

SAG-AFTRA Contract Talks Officially Begin Following “Astounding” Strike-Authorization Vote

The 2023 WGA Strike for Dummies

Inside the writers' 'guerrilla tactics' to shut down live productions

Writers on strike talk pay, family and the future of TV - Los Angeles Times

Actors Authorize Potential Strike With Hollywood Writers Still Picketing - The New York Times

The WGA strike is part of a recurring pattern when technology changes

A.O. Scott Says Goodbye to Film Criticism - The New York Times