Newsweek #5: Anthony Bourdain, buying the paper, and watching lots of documentaries
Lists & Recs
Welcome back to another newsweek, a list of all the things I enjoyed, read, and watched. I haven’t done one of these in a while due to work. The past months (June, July, and half of August) were filled with tons of work that left me unable to consume much content to fill one of these each month. But by now, my notes app is filled enough with all the recs and things I enjoyed, so I can finally share this very mixed bag of documentaries, interesting articles, and videos I devoured.
Newsletters/Articles
Back to Black Honey: Clinique Black Honey has been a staple of mine for years. When it began trending on TikTok a while ago I immediately purchased a spare to make sure I wouldn’t run out (TikTok trends have a habit of surprising brands which makes the ‘sold out’ sticker industry really happy). This article in AirMail manages to perfectly describe the allure of this one specific lipstick shade. What Clinique created here is more than just a product, it is a lifestyle, a cultural moment, one that crosses generations and timelines.
My favorite quotes:
In 1989, Black Honey was transformed from a gloss pot into a long bullet encased in a chrome tube that was as pleasing to hold as a Marlboro Light.
My friend Alisha used it as a personality test. Girls whose Black Honeys ended in a sharp tip were volatile, impulsive, not to be trusted. A flattish nub meant honest and reliable.
Interview: The very, very private life of Ms Donna Tartt: I have yet to read her novels (I know, I know, shame on me), but even without having read her work, the aura of Donna Tartt cannot escape me. For an author of her caliber to decide to live a private life, far away from the spotlight, is fascinating to me. I love someone who does their work, does it well, and then simply decides to enjoy their success in private.
Everyone Is Mad At This Former Olympic Gymnast: Ever since Substack recommended me this newsletter I can’t stop reading Impersonal Foul. “If Bravo and ESPN had a baby, it would be Impersonal Foul” is exactly what this newsletter is all about. Sport meets Gossip Girl and I am here for it.
Inside the Harvard Business School Ponzi Scheme: This was a great and fascinating read that doesn’t need much explanation or description (the headline says it all), except that this is excellent reporting and reads like a Netflix documentary.
TV/Movies
At the beginning of the summer, work had not fully enwrapped me yet, so my brain was still able to comprehend a lot of information outside of the hours of 9 to 5, able to go on a real documentary kick, and I really enjoyed these:
How to Fix a Drug Scandal: I’d never heard of this scandal before, but the second I found this documentary, I knew it would be for me; I love a good legal scandal. The documentary was really well done, with great paperwork throughout, well-balanced journalism, and the story is fascinating and shocking. I watched it in one go.
Wild Crime: On the hunt for another documentary, I stumbled over this one. I love national parks and true crime, so this seemed like the perfect documentary for me. The first season is incredible; it combines stunning nature, true crime, and a marriage gone wrong. The second season is meh, not worth your while, I’d say. But the first: excellent!
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: I am not the first and won’t be the last person recommending this documentary. For a reason! It is entertaining and thought-provoking from start to finish. To this day, weeks after watching it for the first time, I am still not sure if the documentary hit the tone the Dallas Cowboys wanted it to hit. Somehow the producers turned, what I assume was supposed to be a promotional documentary about the cheerleaders, into a think piece about feminism.
Homicide: New York: New York is one of those cities that gets your attention no matter what. When this was announced on Netflix, I knew that I had to give it a go. Each episode tells the story of a crime in the city, told from the perspective of law enforcement. It equally paid attention to the victim’s stories, as well as how detectives, medical examiners, and defense attornies experienced the crime. Most of the crimes also happened well in the past, adding a touch of nostalgia to each episode. Definitely worth a watch.
Things
Buying a physical newspaper each week: The news and I have had a complicated relationship for years now. Whenever I watch or read the news online, I am left with a lot of negative feelings and many confusing thoughts. And worst of all: I NEVER feel informed (something the news should do, in my humble opinion). All I feel is pessimistic about our future. In my job, I speak English all day. And as it has become a habit, I consume most of my online content in English as well. That leaves out a lot of national news here in Germany that I’d like to be informed on. So, I decided to go analog and buy a physical newspaper each week to make sure I am up to date on local and national affairs.
The drama of reading a physical newspaper is unparalleled. I sip my coffee and hide behind this huge sheet of paper while sitting in my armchair in the living room. I can’t wait to recreate this in the winter, with the fireplace going. And on top of all of these excellent vibes I am creating with this moment, I actually do feel informed and calm, not anxious and annoyed by all the stuff that is going on in the world. That depends on the newspaper, some are good, others are not, but it sure is a vibe.
Videos
I Dumb-i-fied my iPhone and Got My Life Back: When I did my research for ‘Art isn’t allowed to take up space anymore’ I did find a lot of videos and articles about dumbphones. This one got my attention straight away and made me turn my phone into a way dumber phone to take control over my attention span again (no social media apps, greyscale display, simple home screen). The entire series (this is part three) is a great watch and I highly recommend watching them all, but this video specifically captures a lot of what I wrote about in my essay.
Anthony Bourdain - Our Last Full Interview: This summer has been surprisingly book-less and I haven’t read one book since May. Determined to change that, I watched some videos on YouTube about books in genres I tend to gravitate towards. The algorithm did some divine magic (doesn’t happen often, but it does happen) and somehow recommended me this Anthony Bourdain interview. Watching ‘Parts Unknown’ and ‘The Layover’ was a staple during my University days and I somehow had forgotten about this man’s incredible way of talking. I somehow hadn’t read his books yet, so I ordered the first straight away and am reading it right now.
Art
Classic American Diners by Nathan A. Bauman: Twitter and I will never be friends again, but every now and then you find something great. The fact Germany doesn’t have anything close to a diner or pub culture annoys the hell out of me, because the beauty that these places have, the calmness, the familiarity, is unlike anything I know when it comes to restaurants/cafés/bars. These pictures caught my attention and I felt like sharing.
XOXO
Annika
Man do I miss Anthony Bourdain. The one celebrity death that really gutted me. Still feels like I lost a friend. Thanks for posting this interview. I am getting ready to put my headphones in and give it a listen. If you haven't read In the Weeds by Tom Vitale, I highly recommend it! It was written by Bourdain's long time director and producer and takes you behind the scenes on his travel shows. So fascinating and funny.
Love the part about reading a real newspaper! With news apps, we tend to click into headlines that catch our eye but most of us will read through the whole paper, so you really are better informed!