All Caught Up: Trump cologne, raw milk, getting sexy
Took a wrong turn down Djerf Avenue
It’s the final countdown to break – and that means this is our final newsletter of the year. If you have comments, feedback, or suggestions… let us know! Otherwise, your regularly scheduled programming returns on January 10th.
This week's picks include AI friendships, SWEAT VR and Important Flowers.
Christina’s weekly scroll –
I'm very pleased with Pleasing x JW Anderson (🥁) and regret not buying the Bumper Bag.
SWEAT Tour is coming to Meta Quest VR... If this is the only way I can relive SWEAT, I won’t be participating/purchasing. Thanks!
Donald Trump was named Time magazine’s Person of the Year for a second time. Time went on to post this right after. And then this video was shared by his son. Overall, pathetic! Bad.
On the topic of Trump… Trump is still selling a lot of stuff, even after the election. The man is now peddling cologne. Smells like another scam to me!
Sofia Coppola is launching her own imprint: Important Flowers. The 2025 planner is already sold out, but have no fear, MACK is already taking pre-orders for the 2026 planner, lol.
Emergency Intercom x Heaven: Drew and Enya, photographed by Richard Kern. Fans are PISSED. Enjoy the comments!
Forget Erewhon smoothies, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are getting signature Sonic drinks. Which one are we trying first?! I’m (naturally) leaning Nicole…
Hilton's drink is "fruity & fun and sure to slay all day," according to the announcement, and is made with Sprite, dragonfruit flavor, real lemon and lime, topped with whipped cream and Nerds. Richie's drink, which is "sleek & berry sweet," is made with Dr. Pepper, sweet cream, vanilla flavor and real strawberries, topped with whipped cream.
Duolingo x Squid Game. Another Duolingo slamdunk. For this partnership, Duolingo released Korean or Get Eaten (now available on Spotify, lol) with this silly lil music video to promote the track. Duolingo is also adding over 40 keywords and phrases from Squid Game to its Korean course. FUN!
Nikita’s weekly scroll –
Continuing on my wellness is MAGA now, really… NY Mag took on the whole…raw milk thing. It’s funny how anti-establishment distrust and attitudes play out at such different frequencies. I’m curious how wellness brands will navigate this in 2025.
Would you live in a mall?
Are AI chatbots the cure to the loneliness crisis…probably not. Her is prophecy, as far as I’m concerned. (TW: suicide on this one.)
There’s a new wing opening at the Met in 2030! The Oscar L. Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Wing, designed by Frida Escobedo, will house 20th and 21st-century art.
The new rules of media.
Louise Trotter is in at Bottega 👀
This literary men's piece in the NYT has been making the rounds. I agree, we need something for men that isn’t AG1 ads, seed oils, and misogyny, but… idk.
This one feels useful to bookmark in your next pointless “but it’s not big enough” deck review re: niche audiences.
It's not a slow news week at all, but maybe it is at Bustle because there’s a trend piece about invisible ink. Like most things,
and I have been early adopters here.Everyone needs to cool it on the QAnon vibes of it all between the New Jersey drones (???) and the accused UHC CEO shooter 286 lore. It’s not responsible to link it. You can do a keyword search.
A certain dating app that is designed to be deleted’s CEO is brute-forcing AI into the dating process… because modern dating isn’t dehumanizing enough. My general vibe with AI is that people appreciate the utility, but do not need extraneous AI where they did not ask for it, thanks.
The intimacy beat surfaced in some fascinating threads this week. After seeing a deeply concerning piece defending pedophilia (???) on Substack (not linking), I landed on two pieces that hit side by side: NYT's exploration of "porn literacy" and Nonfiction's stark data on American loneliness (21% have no one they can be fully themselves with - yikes).
What strikes me is how these connect to our collective retreat into aesthetic safety.
We've optimized and sanitized ourselves into perfectly curated beings who take solitary walks (37%) instead of risking real connection. The great minimalist flattening has left us in a beige purgatory where "aesthetic" trumps authenticity, and sensuality is treated as something to be managed rather than experienced.Between clinical approaches to intimacy and our obsession with optimization, we're creating spaces that are more "productive" but fundamentally less alive. Maybe that's why 24% of Americans still have one-night stands just to feel connected - at least it's messier than a perfectly curated Instagram grid. Sharmadean Reid’s piece on forgetting how to be sexy triggered this chain event of thoughts for me.
Matilda Djerf took a wrong turn down Djerf Avenue because employees are coming out with some heinous accusations.
First We Feast (aka the home of Hot Ones) sold for *checks notes* $85M.
Hims and Hers wrote a report about the state of weight loss – and attitudes around it in America today. Really staggering stats in here, and a very loud signal of a massive paradigm shift in how we talk about bodies – rough to see a lot of progress in how we talk about weight and think about weight undone… (again all the obvious warnings here about this content).
70% would rather lose 10 pounds than gain 100 friends
59% agree, or somewhat agree, that their entire life would improve if they lost weight
79% would rather be incredibly fit than incredibly famous (this one is especially pointy for me! because of all the trend reports we see about people aspiring to fame.)
˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚Little Treat Corner ˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚
Christina’s weekly report:
READING: The Nonfiction deck
linked. Here if you missed it the first time!EATING: Sapphire AB&J parfait. Blue-green algae, layered with coconut yogurt, almond butter, cinnamon-infused granola and a chia seed grape jam base.
PLAYING: Catching up on Dune: Prophecy.
OBSESSING: Over last-minute shopping... and it’s not just for me, I promise!
RECOMMENDING: Take a break. Log off! Enjoy your holiday!
TREATING: Myself to the above <3
Nikita’s weekly report:
READING: Decks. Lots and lots of decks.
EATING: Lamb meatballs.
PLAYING: Whatever algorithmically generated playlist Spotify has curated for my lifts.
OBSESSING: Over going on break.
RECOMMENDING: A full night’s sleep. Is anyone else sleeping terribly this week?
TREATING: Myself to a pedicure.
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