Cassandra's Good Links
April 18, 2019 Feat. Gen X, rats. and 1999
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MILLENNIALS (THIS WEEK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GEN X) While reading an article about millennials (my fave hobby), I stumbled upon this NYMag feature from circa 2005 about Gen X-ers that NYMag has decided to call "Grups" (a contraction of Grown Ups taken from a Star Trek episode) who are also known as yupsters (yuppie hipsters) or alterna-yuppies (self-explanatory). It's an 8 page feature all about Gen Xers in '05 who refused to wear suits and projected status through pricey converse -- they have kids but still go to "shows" (obvi music) and they looooove Death Cab. This article doesn't *really* have a point, but I was fascinated by how apolitical and near-corny it was. The author claims, rather hilariously, that Grups marked the end of generation gaps because they're so "chill" with their kids. Intriguing to read knowing that basically nobody understands a damn thing about Gen Z. That being said, I'm not sure anybody knows a damn thing about Gen X either. A LESS SERIOUS ITEM (ASTROLOGY IS SELLING OUT) More like App-strology! Am I right? Ha ha ha ha ha! We're all laughing here. Anyways, astrology has gone corporate -- see Co-Star, Sanctuary. And every astrology start up wants you to know that they're totally not into astrology for the money -- this has always been about the stars! And yet, doesn't it feel a little Capitalist McMoneyBags to be listening to a Spotify-curated "cosmic" playlist for Geminis? Either way, Wired has the ~scoop~.
I'm assuming the apps just tell you this over and over again.
THIS WEEK'S THEME: RATS & MEMES Rats! Can't live with 'em, but also can't live in a city without 'em. The humans in cities keep producing more and more edible trash, and urban rat populations are up 15-20% in the past decade all around the world. National Geographic has the scoop on the initial spread of rats, the continued spread of rats, and rat extinction efforts worldwide. Also, in true Nat Geo fashion, the pictures are frickin' good, if not somewhat gross because they are... of rats. The author includes some explanation as to why we're so repulsed by rats, as well as some examinations of cultures who worship rats, who eat rats, who breed rats. It's a real...rat...roundup? Sure!
Cities these days.
And who can bring up rats without remember Pizza Rat? The famed 2015 rat and meme who took the internet by storm. I was originally going to put in a lil' pizza rat meme here, but it turns out some kind of monolithic viral-video-stealing company called Jukin Media owns the rights to the video and had a bunch of pizza rat gifs taken down, which you can read about here!
Anyways, the memers of Instagram are unionizing because no one pays them to make memes but they spend all their time making memes.
Godspeed, memers. Godspeed, rats. POLITICS (THE POLITICIANS TAKE ON THE POPULAR CULTURE) Some Online Background: The Cut let Elizabeth Warren write a thing about Game of Thrones (a show I don't care about), you can read that here, if you want. In my opinion, if you're going to read anything about Liz Warren this week, check out this (probably fantastical but still satisfying) student loan debt cancellation policy proposal she rolled out this week.
Anyway, in response to that, somebody wrote some satirical "pop culture takes from 2020 Dem candidates" for Elle and they're very very good. Bernie Sanders on his disappointment with the Lost finale -- art! A CELEBRITY THINGER (ALRIGHT IT'S ABOUT GAME OF THRONES) Game of Thrones is (still) not for me. I watched 11 episodes and then I tapped out because they killed Sean Bean and I liked Sean Bean and I knew that the whole GoT schtick was just "kill people you like" and I have ENOUGH negativity in my life. So I quit, happily! Unfortunately, I have absorbed enough about Game of Thrones from The Culture that I still found this Vulture recap of the Season 8 premier to be distinctly hilarious despite not ever watching the show. I imagine a lot of you watch GoT and might find it hilarious, too, so May the Dragons Be With You or whatever. WOULD YOU RATHER? Would you rather do the Grad Student Shuffle or be a theatre artist? RECOMMENDATION I believe in gifts that keep on giving, so this week I'd like to direct you to to The Ringer's list of the 50 best movies of 1999, part 1 and part 2. 2019 is all about the 90s, and 1999 was arguably the best year for movies out of that whole entire decade. There's comedy, romance, drama, horror -- everything you could possibly want! My personal faves include Dogma, She's All That, and Deep Blue Sea, and The Mummy, but I have not googled if any of those streaming, I am leaving that #work to you.
Um? Cinema.
And if you're really looking for somewhere to start, art heist romp The Thomas Crown Affair, which The Ringer describes as "Pierce Brosnan figuring out his James Bond vibe in the wrong movie," is available on Amazon Prime right! Now!
P.S. I'm a tease because Dogma is streaming nowhere, the article explains why. I do own it on DVD if you ever want to hang out and watch it, though! THE INTERACTIVE BITS (ACTION ITEMS FOR YOU, THE READER) Welcome BACK to my new section, "The Interactive Stuff"! Mostly this will just have links to the suggestion box and to buy merch, like this week, when it just has links to the suggestion box and merch.
Have you come across a really awesome link that you think is "good"? Amazing! I have a Good Link Suggestion Box for that! Link is here, babies!
Do you love Cassandra's Good Links so much that you want some merch to really make it a part of your #brand? (I hate myself??). Idk, click here if you want some stickers or postcards. They cost a buck (stamp fee). I love you all.