Weekly Culture Menu 1.16.24

A healthy dose of Emma Stone.

Jan 16, 2024

For this first installment of the Weekly Culture Menu, we have a sampling of content across a variety of mediums, lengths, and sensibilities so that you can dip in and out all week. Once you subscribe, you can expect a weekly menu delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.

🍤 Amuse-Bouche [ -10 mins ]

📺 “Make Your Own Kind of Music.” Saturday Night Live (Season 49, Episode 6). I know this happened a month ago, but I’m still thinking about it. Emma Stone’s commitment to the bit is *chef’s kiss* and harkens back to Christopher Walken’s role as music producer Bruce Dickinson in the iconic “More Cowbell” skit. And honestly, they’re right - that song is everywhere (see viral TikTok trend, recent Barbie trailer, and this infamous Lost scene to start). Yes, Mama.
🎰 Greta Gerwig on Ryan Gosling. Last week, Greta Gerwig presented Ryan Gosling with the Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film. While I’d realistically read/listen/watch anything Greta creates, one bit (linked above) was particularly poignant as it perfectly articulated why Barbie meant so much to so many. Ryan Gosling getting this award also reminded me of the delightful film that is Lars and the Real Girl. Highly recommend!

🍟 Appetizer [ -30 mins ]

Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder in *Hacks*.

📺 Hacks. I recently rediscovered this show. It’s about a legendary Las Vegas Comedian on the decline and an ousted comedy writer who reluctantly joins her staff. It’s bitingly funny, has a lot of heart, and Megan Stalter’s scene-stealing assistant role will have you in stitches. Do yourself a favor and watch (or rewatch) Hacks before the third season premieres this spring.
🎧Greta Gerwig on Desert Island Discs. Desert Island Discs is a radio program on BBC Radio 4 that’s existed since the 40s (yes - the 1940s). Each week, a guest is asked to share eight songs, a book, and the luxury item they’d take if they were stranded on a deserted island. If you’re a musical theater kid, this Greta episode is for you! If you’re not a musical theater kid, someone else you love has probably been a guest. These episodes always uncover something new about my favorite people.

🍽️ Main Course [ 1 Hour+ ]

Jeffrey Wright and Issa Rae in *American Fiction.*

📺 The Curse. It’s been a few days since the finale of this show aired, and I’m still talking about it (my poor husband). It’s a dark, satirical comedy centered on a couple filming an HGTV show about the eco-conscious homes they’re building in a New Mexico community (read: their gentrification project). It perfectly blends Safdie mysticism, Nathan Fielder’s signature cringe, and Emma Stone’s award-winning talent. The last episode is maybe the most creative and wild finale I’ve ever seen, and it’s a well-deserved payoff for nine episodes of discomfort (though, warning, some of you will probably find it frustrating - a general theme of the show).
🎬 Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret. After Benny Safdie makes you lose your faith in humanity in The Curse, see him in a totally different role in this feel-good film based on the Judy Blume novel of the same name. I initially overlooked this coming-of-age story, but I’ll happily admit I was wrong. Rachel McAdams gives a wonderful (and also overlooked) performance as the mom, as does Kathy Bates as the grandmother. In many ways, all three women at the story's heart are all coming of different ages.
🎬 American Fiction. This movie is getting some well-deserved buzz. The plot centers on a frustrated novelist and professor tired of offensive tropes about Black culture in entertainment. In a drunken fit, he writes an outlandish book steeped in the stereotypes he’s frustrated by to make a point, only to find that the book has more commercial interest than any other novel he’s written. That part of the plot is featured heavily in the marketing, but it’s also a compelling family drama about grief, aging, love, and the things we don’t always say. A must-watch.
📚 A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. I’m about 14 years late to the party on this one, but when I think about the books that stayed with me last year, this one is at the top of the list. The book is a collection of thirteen interrelated stories about different people, all ultimately connected to one of two central characters. Every chapter is stylistically very different, and each is a brief snapshot of one moment in the character’s life. There are gut-wrenching and beautiful surprises along the way as you discover more about each character’s journey through the stories of others. And it will eventually be a movie! Olivia Wilde is adapting it for A24.
🎭 ‘Job’ by Max Friedlich at The Connelly. I saw this show during the first run in the fall and was delighted to hear it’s returning for a limited engagement. Set in a therapist’s office, an overworked tech employee attends mandatory counseling after a work breakdown forces a leave of absence. Intense, thought-provoking, and brilliant performances - snag tickets if you can. (PS - when I went, Julianne Moore was in attendance, and she looked as chic and fabulous as ever!)

🧁Dessert [ -1 hour ]

🗞️🎧”How to Discover Your Own Taste” from The Ezra Klein Show. At the risk of being too meta here, I really enjoyed this conversation about how the algorithm has sanitized our internet experience and made it more difficult to stumble across new culture outside of the bounds of our preexisting interests. I particularly enjoyed the discussion about how curation is a dying art, and *spoiler* that’s part of my thesis for this Culture Diet project. If you’re short on time, the article gives you a good feel for the author’s argument.

And I’ll close it out with an important reminder from Niecy Nash-Betts: don’t forget to thank yourself!

If you like what you read, subscribe for next week’s menu. And don’t forget to tell me about your meal and make requests for next week’s menu in the comments!