Next Week: Spotlight on Hyperbole and a Half

Although I have mentioned the work of Allie Brosh many times, I have never dedicated a full post to her 2013 book, Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened.

This is alarming, as I love this comic/memoir very much. As in, "I would save this book in a fire." As in, "if we were friends in December 2013, you received a copy of this book as a gift."

Next week, the remedy --- with nearly 400 pages of content to work with, I'll be highlighting a different snippet each day. 

Get ready for dogs, absurdist hilarity, and almost tangible devastation!

Rec. #796: Black Panthers in the 1960s

What: The Guardian highlights works from a 1968 photo essay by Ruth-Marion Baruch and Pirkle Jones. The photo essay captures community activism, political education, and overt resistance.

How to get it: The exhibit at the San Francisco Art Institute has closed, but you can still see a curated photoset on The Guardian. 

Rec. #795: Nobody Panic

What: The weekly podcast Nobody Panic is hosted by Tessa Coates and Stevie Martin, two-thirds of the brilliant sketch group Massive Dad. The podcast's tagline is "Your guidebook to being a fully functional adult without screaming all the time."

The tone is somehow both firmly tongue-in-cheek and reassuringly sincere. Plus, they're British! Everything sounds better coming from them.

Representative episodes:

"How to Stop Losing Things"

"How to Move to a New City"

"How to Act When Your Friend's Boyfriend Is Trash"

Representative quote:

"What's your adult thing [that you did this week]?"

"I'm beginning to explore the idea of wearing a silken turban to bed."

Connections to previous Wreckage: I saw Tessa Coates at Edinburgh last summer (Rec. #749) and she was so great. She's also gotten a development deal with Greg Daniels (executive producer of the US version of The Office). So, catch her now.

Rec. #794: Emily's Cartoons - On Writing an Email

What: That cartoon right up there. That's it. Probably feels familiar, doesn't it?

Comparable to: This cartoon is veering straight into the gut-punch-of-human-fragility humor territory of genius Allie Brosh and her masterpiece, Hyperbole and a Half.

How to get it: See more on Emily's Cartoons with Rec. #413.

Rec. #793: Spoiler-Free Recap of Every Episode of Queer Eye

What: Captain Awkward is so, so great --- hilarious and smart and also wise in the ways of the world. "Spoiler-Free Recap of Every Episode of Queer Eye" is a very funny thing that she wrote.

Representative quote:
Tan: "Ok, let's back up. Could you NAME a color. Literally, any color, just say the word out loud."

How to get it: Read it on Captain Awkward's Patreon. This piece is free by now, but while you're there, buy her a cup of coffee.

Connections to previous Wreckage: See more about Captain Awkward on Rec. #487 and Rec. #705.

Rec. #792: The Mystery of Shipwrecked Garfield Phones - Solved

What: Novelty Garfield telephones have been washing up on beaches in Brittany for more than 30 years.

This is true, and now we know why.

How to get it: At the end of March, this story was covered in many, many places, including the BBC, The Guardian, The AV Club, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and Vulture.

It's worth clicking through each source to see the images they chose. Some are extra creepy!

Rec. #791: The Romance in Disappearing

What: Side Saddle's "The Romance in Disappearing" is from a concept album idea about running away to join the circus. Seems about right!

Representative lyrics:
There's romance in disappearing
it's so appealing now
And if I break my old plans and flee the scene
I could have mystery, I could be anything

How to get it: Stream/download on Bandcamp. Watch the video on YouTube.

Rec. #790: Talia Lavin's Philosophers Online

"wittgenstein: posts long, incomprehensible threads without knowing how to use the thread function. big time trust fund energy. has a cartoon avi to obscure that he looks like this (mega hot)"

What: Talia Lavin, writer and former fact-checker for The New Yorker, made a Twitter thread imagining famous philosophers existing in an online world. It is both hilarious and accurate.

Representative tweets:
"sartre: your posts make him nauseous. he retreats from Online but always comes back to the discourse. cafe selfies. sees through media cycle bullshit but it drives him insane. big polyamory guy. mad that simon de beauvoir has more followers than him"

"kafka: still on facebook, so heartachingly sincere you make a dummy profile after deactivating just to read his posts. wins flash fiction contests. deeply neurotic and posts about his health problems from time to time. strong needs a hug vibe."

Connections to previous Wreckage: Talia Lavin was previously featured as part of List #66: Public Voices to Pay Attention To. Hungry for more philosopher talk? List #68 has a whole lot of content about The Good Place.

How to get it: Jump into the Twitter thread here. Find Lavin on Twitter @chick_in_kiev.

Rec. #789: Heaven or High Water

What: In the article "Heaven or High Water," author Sarah Miller dives into the cognitive dissonance necessary for the luxury real estate market in Miami to even exist, much less be doing well.

The reporting itself is fascinating, but Miller also gives us sharp vignettes of the real estate agents who, one after another, make the case (apparently sincerely) that rising water levels are nothing to worry about.

Representative quote: "The Zen-like bedrooms all looked like ideal places for thinking about not looking at screens at night, while looking at a screen."

How to get it: "Heaven or High Water" was published this week on Popula.

Rec. #788: Strand Tote Bags

What: Of course, the Strand is a major NYC bookseller, with its taglined "18 miles of books." You may not have realized, though, that it's also a great place to purchase bags for carrying your new books (or whatever).

The bags come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and designs. Crucially for me, many of the totes now have zippered main pockets and interior pockets, making them ideal for travel. 

Comparable to: Tempted by Baggu? Do this instead and support an independent bookseller.

How to get it: If you're in NYC, la-di-da, good for you, go in person. If you're not, you can also browse and buy on the Strand website.

While you're there, you might also check out their current petition.

Rec. #787: Novocaine for the Soul

What: Alt-rock band Eels made a minor alt-rock splash in the late '90s with "Novocaine for the Soul," the lead single off their debut album.

Representative lyrics:
Novocaine for the soul
Before I sputter out
Before I sputter out

Connections to previous Wreckage: "Novocaine for the Soul" has popped up in multiple films and tv shows, including the astoundingly good My Mad Fat Diary, which was Rec. #283. (I first heard the song during the 1996 movie Dream for an Insomniac, which is a sentimental favorite of mine. And which, incidentally, has a really, really good soundtrack.)

For another example of Eels singing about things I want, check out Rec. #568: Friendly Ghost.

Rec. #786: Secret Talent Theatre

What: Yes, you definitely want to spend a little time watching very short videos of celebrities doing party tricks. What else are you doing with your life that's so great?

Some examples -- Amy Adams throws a football, Oprah gets a stain out, Greta Gerwig fences, Jane Fonda escapes handcuffs, Michael B. Jordan irons a shirt, and Janelle Monáe ties a Windsor knot while [checks notes] impersonating a puppy.

How to get it: Secret Talent Theatre is from Vanity Fair, and they've put the series on YouTube.

Rec. #785: David Tennant Does a Podcast With ...

What: David Tennant Does a Podcast With... is a great listen because it overcomes two General Truths of Podcasting. 

[#1: Generally, actors are not good hosts. They are too interested in their own bits. #2: Generally, men do not have good podcasting voices. They interrupt and they mumble.]

To his great credit, Tennant comes across as someone who is genuinely interested in what his guests have to say and is focused on encouraging them to say as much of it as possible. He's started with his friends, which leads to the additional delight of hearing Tennant and Olivia Colman casually refer to one another as "DT" and "Collie."

Representative guests: Olivia Colman, Whoopie Goldberg, Ian McKellen

How to get it: David Tennant Does a Podcast With... is available on all the usual podcast platforms. New episodes drop on Mondays and are about 50 minutes long. The podcast just launched in January, so it won't take you long at all to catch up.

Rec. #784: Reality Bites and Helen Childress

What: The title is "Reality Bites Captured Gen X With Perfect Irony," but this article from The Atlantic is centered on giving a long-overdue spotlight to Helen Childress, the movie's screenwriter. Her name is likely unfamiliar even for those who are highly aware of the movie, despite the story being roughly autobiographical.

This article should help that a bit, but it also explains the movie for a new generation (including descriptions of several scenes) and clarifies that most people have been using the title all wrong.

All of which is good and interesting ... but I'd also like an all-out profile just on Childress, please.

Representative quote: "These snarky asides, surrounding a central romance, formed an ad for a generation that appeared to prefer, in the end, to be overlooked."

Comparable to: Women not getting credit or recognition for their own work happens all the time, in every field I can think of. A very recent example is the framing of a couple of articles about a new Hulu series.

How to get it: "Reality Bites Captured Gen X With Perfect Irony" was published online at The Atlantic earlier this month.

Rec. #783: Rami Ismail's Thread on #PeacefulMosques

[Text of tweet: Since several news networks emphasize that the mosques at the Christchurch shooting were #PeacefulMosques, as if most aren't: Hey muslims, tell me something painfully mundane and common at your mosque, whether you visit it five times a day or one time a year. Non-muslims, RT.]

What: This twitter thread does what it says it will -- highlights the mundane and ordinary at mosques, to counteract media coverage of mosques as places of conflict.

Representative responses:

"at my local mosque, the third floor has been abandoned and completely taken over by pigeons"

"The water cooler next to the sadaqah box leaks often and I hate having wet socks, so I have to dance around the wet spots to drop the donation."

"The battle of the thermostat in the ladies' prayer room. We compromised and the menopausal women now have a fan blasting in front of them."

How to get it: This thread was started by Rami Ismail (@tha_rami).

Rec. #782: Q.U.E.E.N.

What: Janelle Monáe's "Q.U.E.E.N." manages to be a banger, an anthem, and a cooler-than-thou hangout all at the same time. (The video for the song sits heavily in the "cooler-than-thou" realm.) And it ends with some surgically precise, slicing lyrics.

Representative lyrics:
Are we a lost generation of our people?
Add us to equations but they'll never make us equal
She who writes the movie owns the script and the sequel
So why ain't the stealing of my rights made illegal?

And that last rallying cry stanza:

And while you're selling dope, we're gonna keep selling hope
We rising up now, you gotta deal you gotta cope
Will you be electric sheep?
Electric ladies, will you sleep?
Or will you preach?

How to get it: You can watch the video on YouTube.

Happy International Women's Day

Rec. #781: Borderline - Frontiers of Peace

What: Photographer Valerio Vincenzo conceived of his ongoing project Borderline - Frontiers of Peace as a way to challenge our usual notions of what borders look like.

These images of open borders that were once sites of violence effectively bolster the idea that the Schengen Agreement was "probably the most important historical event in Europe since World War II."

How to get it: You can view many images from this project on Vincenzo's website. You can also purchase the book or (if you're feeling particularly flush with cash) individual prints.

Rec. #780: "What is the weird thing that you say to your dog?"

What: Dog stuff on Twitter is one of the rare delightful corners of the internet. Last month, Emily Nussbaum paused in her work as tv critic for The New Yorker to ask a very important question: "What is the weird thing that you say to your dog?"

The resulting thread is a joy, reminding you that dogs are great and some people are okay, too.

Representative responses:

"God-Emperor of Whatchu Dune"

"Why are so much cry? We are not cry girls."

"You put the goober in gubernatorial."

"Come inside guys!" Then quieter, "It’s the zeitgeist."


One of my possible responses:

"Who's a pickle pudding?"

Initial reaction

... Still thinking about it

Connections to previous Wreckage: Emily Nussbaum was part of List #66. Dogs on Twitter (as a concept) was Rec. #747.

Rec. #779: The Art of Process with Aimee Mann & Ted Leo

What: Aimee Mann is amazing and I will follow her to whatever she does. Her latest thing is a podcast co-hosted with frequent collaborator Ted Leo. The two of the them talk with "friends across the creative spectrum" about --- you guessed it --- their processes.

Four episodes in, they've talked to an actor/comedian, a tv showrunner, a songwriter, and a director. Promised future guests include producers and novelists. Each episode functions like an extended conversation about what a day-in-the-life looks like, except, you know, actually insightful.

Connections to previous Wreckage: Aimee Mann is just so great. See also Rec. #414 and Rec. #579.

How to get it: The Art of Process is available from Maximum Fun. Get it from the podcast purveyor of your choosing.

Rec. #778: Nothing Like a Dame

What: Nothing Like a Dame (called Tea with the Dames in the U.S.) cozies up to Dames Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, and Maggie Smith as they chat about theater life, the swinging '60s, problematic husbands, first movies, and the benefits of not being beautiful.

All four women are charming, mildly cranky, and happy to tip back some champers -- and they can still recite entire soliloquies from memory, thank you very much.

Representative quote:

(Dame Maggie Smith, to the director and camera operator, near the end) 

"I'm sorry, but we're very tired. Has anyone told you how old we are?"

Connections to previous Wreckage: I will always have a special fondness for Eileen Atkins from her role in Cold Comfort Farm (Rec. #34 and Rec. #158). And if you're looking for a lesser-known Judi Dench performance, I heartily recommend the film Rage (Rec. #20), which I think was ahead of its time.

Also -- see backstage theater photos of these actors and more in the glorious collection The Half (Rec. #178).

How to get it: Pay to rent it now, or wait until it's available to stream on Hulu (March 16).