ONE.
Deep dives. Emily Sundberg. AP Physics/A cultural reset. Reevaluation.
Greetings!
This first newsletter is extremely well-rounded, spanning from niche pop culture to AP physics to self-reflection. This week, the DEAR topics taking up the most space in my brain were: Deep dives. Emily Sundberg. AP Physics/A cultural reset. Reevaluation.
Something I am excited about/proud of this week is this photo. La piece de resistance of my Turks and Caicos film roll.
Deep dives.
I am currently watching Vogue’s newest “Objects of Affection” video, spotlighting Claudia Schiffer, and am obsessed with her. Her style. Her demeanor. Her home. Her hair. Her personality. I love it. Historically, when I am intrigued by someone, I commit fully, and the person becomes my muse for a while. I find myself embarking on a path consisting of research and behind-the-scenes stalking (in a completely non-creepy way…I promise.)
If you couldn’t tell already, I am a sucker for “behind the scenes”. Nothing excites me more than spotting a familiar celebrity face within one of my favorite YouTubers’ videos or realizing that a girl I’ve followed for years is now part of an “underground” nepotism baby friend group. When a movie or new TV show comes out, I watch every press interview released on YouTube. I follow the cast’s Instagram and look at their families and childhood best friends. I study their skincare routines and favorite coffee shops to frequent. I pride myself on these deep dives, not because I idolize celebrities, but instead because I want to figure out who the person truly is behind the facade. This may seem stalkerish, but it feels like my personal mission to grant these people what they deserve: human understanding when they are the most dehumanized people in today’s society.
Recently, In my Nutrition and Wellness class, we were tasked with discussing the question: “Do you want to be famous and why?”
My friend and I had a really interesting conversation, starting with the basis that if fame ensures financial stability, then we obviously would welcome it. But, there are so many sacrifices that fame forces individuals to make. I have seen it firsthand. After pondering on the topic, I realized that I don’t want to be famous. I want to be well-known in certain circles. Behind the scenes instead of melting in the blaring rays of society’s spotlight. I want to know these public figures but be the connector without getting swarmed in the grocery store aisle. A perfect example of this behind-the-scenes, omnipresent superconnector, is publicist Cait Bailey. She is the brains behind MANY notable faces. She’s the reason I’m going into PR and Advertising at USC. She has humanized the biggest stars and shared their daily normalities in a world of FaceTune and PhotoShop, and I really admire her for it. However, she is not a public individual herself and instead keeps a very low profile. Her Instagram handle, @whoiscaitbailey, perfectly describes what all of us are wondering. Her mystery and unpredictability draw me in more than any one of her TikTok star clients ever could.
Celebrities are many people’s objects of affection. But that’s just it, people treat them as objects. I love to de-objectify the true people behind the glamor and learn as much as I can from their work. I love connecting with the person underneath who experiences the same daily stressors and anxiety we all are subject to. My expertise in this field of study is not understood by many, but if you find yourself ever wanting a sneak peek into Sofia Coppola’s daughter’s private Instagram or forgetting the names of the entire Stark Chrome Hearts dynasty’s family tree, you know who to call…
Emily Sundberg.
My sister is obsessed with the infamous Substack writer of the newsletter Feed Me, Emily Sundberg. Up until today, I didn’t understand the hype (I 100% take credit for my ignorance surrounding her genius). Making Media’s most recent podcast titled, “Business, Culture, and Content with Emily Sundberg,” filled me in on why I should care (listen!!). After conducting a controlled deep dive on Emily, I have found that she is responsible for writing some of the most thoroughly researched yet hilariously funny articles for NY Mag. I am obsessed with how her immense knowledge of the industry causes the reader to just play along, and act like they too know that Graza Olive Oil is cosplaying behind the title of a “small business” and the artisanal shops that I fall victim to lack any originality. People love the comfort of cuteness. It’s so refreshing to see someone call the trendy Instagram packaging and overdone minimalism out on its BS. I can tell that her dedicated followers are composed of highly educated, interesting individuals and I am very grateful to now be in on the secret.
AP Physics/A cultural reset.
It has come to my attention recently how there is a massive migration to the art of Substack. The sheer amount of creators who have become writers overnight is alarming. This movement depicts the inevitable pendulum action that society is subject to (very fitting as I am studying pendulums in AP physics currently). In physics class today, I was tasked with finding the period of a pendulum, or the interval of time it takes to complete one oscillation. I was confused then and coincidentally, I am confused now. What is the period of our current culture’s pendulum? How long will this oscillation last? We are amid a culture shift in the direction of long-form media: podcasts, books, newsletters, YouTube videos, etc. Who decided when everyone would get bored of the short-form content that platforms pump out and crave something longer-lasting? It is so crazy to me how society can change on a dime and millions of people somehow turn their back on a platform they loved just yesterday. And what is to come now that fillers, TikTok, and pilates princesses, are going “out of style”?
Reevaluation.
Spring break was the perfect reset to the autopilot mode I find myself in a majority of the time. The distance from real life provided time to reflect on how I spend my time, all the time. There are so many seemingly inconsequential moments in a day that I rush to fill with overthinking. I always need an occupied brain which causes incessant traffic in my brain leading to extreme mental fatigue. I have so many aspirations and yet, when the tools to start are not at my fingertips, I don’t have the energy to even try. I want to be the person who reads essays and grows my vocabulary. I want to learn a new language and be educated on politics and March Madness at the same time. My greatest enemy is the mental exhaustion I experience that makes tasks seem unmanageable due to the sheer amount of opportunity out there.
This vacation shined a light on my tendency to over complicate my days and waste my energy. Coincidentally, I am currently reading Atomic Habits by James Clear: a book based on the concept of 1% better each day (more to come on this). Coming home with this calm mindset has me reevaluating where I dedicate my time and brain space, shining light on the toxic practices that drag me down. Constantly living in autopilot numbed me to this discomfort. My body and mind joined together to revolt against me and turn off the symptoms I felt. One example is my phone, specifically, scrolling on social media, which absolutely DRAINS me as the constant refreshing never ends. I refresh on Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Pinterest, Spotify, the Kindle App, and even on Google Classroom, occasionally hoping to be assigned more homework that I can get ahead on.
I have had some intense journaling sessions since being home, realizing that I have so many thoughts in a day, some trivial and some worthwhile, but they all get forgotten within minutes. However, I now have an outlet to keep me accountable by making me consciously attach importance to these previously overlooked thoughts. Any one of them could be the subject of my next newsletter. I am not getting fatigued at the sheer amount of thoughts coming in because I stop and think about each one. It’s not a novel concept, but my whole revelation is based on the truth that quality over quantity is real. My time away from home, having nothing to do and no obligations to fulfill, was the greatest reinforcer of this concept.
Listens + Reads + Watches of the Week
Fascinating TSC podcast about eternal longevity with Brian Johnson
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (still trying to process…)
Steph Shep has started a YouTube channel!!
To close, In goop Health is coming to Carlsbad in April at an absurd price point. If you feel so inclined, my Venmo is @ameliacoons. It would be much appreciated, lol. See you next week
