The Curiosity Dispatch - #010

10 things I’ve consumed, discovered, bookmarked, lusted over, etc to expand your search terms, outlook, desires, personality, knowledge

Happy Friday!

Welcome to the first “10 Things” of the year, now with a refocused purpose! If you missed this year’s first newsletter, in 2024 we’re concentrating on developing our personal style/taste/world through getting curious. That means going down rabbit holes, trying something new, revisiting something we don’t like, and seeing where our thoughts and feelings end up on the other side.

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In case you missed it….

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And on that note, let’s get into it.

1. “How to Discover Your Own Taste” - The Ezra Klein Show, Podcast

   I’m not much of a podcast listener, a thing I sway back and forth on whether I care about or not. I think it falls into the “too much content on the internet to consume” anxiety that I get when I feel my screen time climbing and my information fatigue maxing out.
   
   This episode was recommended to me by my friend Serena earlier this week and since then I’ve seen it, funnily enough, floating around my sphere of fellow folks looking to burst free of the algorithm dictating their taste. I think this interview is a great jumping off point for personal reflection on if you like something because it reflects your tastes and values or if you’re just giving into the internet spoon feeding you recommendations based off popularity and data. Klein discusses with author and New Yorker staff writer, Kyle Chayka, on why it feels difficult to find “weird” niche stuff on the internet nowadays, the history of the term “curator,” and how algorithms prevent us from feeling challenged to sit with new, uncomfortable feelings since we are usually being fed content that fits within the same realm.
   
   Though this discussion honestly barely grazes the surface of this topic and focuses (perhaps a little too much) on some of their personal niches (on top of Chayka’s vocal fry - which was a little hard to move past), I found it to have some decent food for thought, mostly in this year of diving into learning and breaking free of the “sameness” the internet loves to market. Give it a listen and tell me your thoughts! I think “taste” and “curation” is a massively expansive and deeply intricate topic that needs more dialogue as we continue to function in this age of technology.

2. “Whatever Happened to Having Taste?” by Rachel Tashjian for The Washington Post
   I feel like I can’t mention the above without mentioning this opinion piece which also floated around the cracks and crevices of the internet I spend most of my time in, and left a decently bitter taste in my mouth. A sentiment that very interestingly did not seem to be shared by many? (Except the comment section on WaPo, which is a hot, hot mess.)
   
   I find Tashjian to consistently write in an uppity, caricatured tone that irks me, and this article was no different. For what Klein and Chayka lament about not being able to easily find the interesting, strange, unique and mildly macabre in-between on the world wide web, Tashjian basically reinforces this by boosting the same bland voices of the thin/rich/white/privileged content creator and Housewives echo chamber (my personal opinion, since we’re all having opinions here!). It felt like an ad for the top performing fashion Substacks, many of which use their “kooky personal style” facade to sell sponsored luxury designer goods and push gross overconsumption while glorifying the idea that “thin = fashionable and stylish.” Sorry, I’m feeling spicy!!!
   
   Taste is personal (a point I think she missed), and while this is an opinion piece, if you’re going to talk in these large, sweeping superior tones about it, I’d like to see more thought put into it. More about the micro/diverse/minority content creators/artists/designers/bloggers who better represent the landscape of our society as a whole/would actually help people who exist in predominately white spaces realize there’s a great big world out there - and yes, I’m including myself in this!! Money and luxury is a very convenient and honestly lazy, stuffy, aristocratic way of thinking about tastemakers - it’s not the only way to dictate what is “aesthetically good.” I wish someone with such a large platform would have gone deeper in their analysis, challenged their own views, and made it more apparent that the concepts of taste and style are, in the end, in the eye of the beholder. Tell me your thoughts!

3. Good Grief, a film by Dan Levy

   

   We had an end of the year budget meeting/streaming purge, and decided it was finally time to axe Netflix. (This is when I chant in my Andy Cohen voice: Bring! Back! Physical! Media!) Luckily, I was able to stream Dan Levy’s new movie before our subscription lapsed and ugh, how I wanted to love it!
   
   I thought the story concept and overall focus was unique and interesting, but the execution and tone made it feel very glib. The lack of character development and clunky dialogue led me to loathe everyone and the story didn’t take the time to drive home why the complexities of queer identity, aging out of friendships, and living with grief is such a messy, intricate part of being human. That being said, the interior sets and costuming were very, very visually satisfying and like many, I’m rooting for Dan Levy to make more movies and TV shows. I think I wish this had been a mini series, à la Normal People?

4. Mila Textiles

   

   While I’ve been avoiding spending too much time on my TikTok FY page, I have made a few discoveries these past few weeks that have made the mindless clicking between videos seem worth it. These meticulous, wildly colorful beaded balaclavas from London based designer, Kamila, are beyond extraordinary. As someone moving to freeze-your-butt-off weather, I am in the market for cold weather gear that doesn’t feel sterile and lackluster. I will definitely be adding these to a wish list! (They make very intricate, magical hand bags as well!)

5. Vintage 1930s/40s Buttons

   

   Sometimes all it takes is one photo to spark an interest and send me down a deep vintage rabbit hole. This week it was this vintage Schiaparelli jacket from 1938 that lives in The Costume Institute at the Met.
   
   Buttons are that tiny detail that serve both function and charm - an unsung hero of adding a little pizazz to your ensemble. This jacket led me down a vintage Bakelite (I love Bakelite!!) Etsy hole and while I will certainly include more of my finds in a future newsletter, enjoy this selection of cool old buttons.

   

   1 // 2 // 3

6. Top Hat, 1935

   Speaking of the 1930s, I rewatched Top Hat over the holidays and remembered why I had the biggest crush on Ginger Rogers when I was a kid. Though my favorite Fred and Ginger movie is The Gay Divorcee, this one is honestly the same movie, repackaged. Filled with plenty of crazy! insane! dreamy! Art Deco sets, costumes, and dancing, it’s an absolute visual delight. If you’ve never watched any musical films from this era of Hollywood, I feel like this is a good entry point. A little over 90ish minutes, with plenty of humor from Helen Broderick, you will wonder why we don’t have more night clubs where we can all watch big bands and tap dancers and drink champagne under romantic bar lamps. But maybe that’s just me… Watching this reminded me how much I love old Hollywood and I immediately looked into where to find Ginger Roger’s memoir because this is the year I’m diving deeper into drama of the silver screen glory days.

7. Vintage Red Calf Hair Gucci Bag

   

   
   I rarely audibly gasp over things, but I audibly GASPED when I came across this bag browsing eBay this week. While I could have waited and included this in another newsletter, I think it’s wildly important the Trash Panic community sees this!! and hopefully someone buys it to treasure forever!! It. Is. Special.
   
   How I wish I had the budget for this beauty right now!!! I know everyone is saying red is having a “moment” but I think this bold, lipstick tone is forever, ever. The size, shape, and condition of this bag is rare! Someone snatch her up!

8. Blood Milk Moon, Hermanos Gutiérrez

   If you’re looking for non lyrical music to add to your WFH or study playlists, I would highly recommend exploring the tunes of Ecuadorian-Swiss brothers Alejandro Gutiérrez and Estevan Gutiérrez. Their instrumental vibes are perfect for so many moods, occasions, and seasons. Blood Milk Moon is their newest release, and was immediately added to my current rotation of vibey chill playlists.

9. Lily of the Valley glasses, Lore and Lea

   

   I am a Taurus girly and May baby and lily of the valley is not only my birth flower, but one of favorite flowering plants. And as someone who also still regularly plays Animal Crossing, these blooms remind me of peak shelter-in-place life and island visits with my niece and nephew over FaceTime as we raced to achieve 5-star islands and be rewarded with the lily of the valley. These glasses from Lore and Lea are gorgeous and perfect and when I’m not in the middle of stress moving crazy panic, they *will* be mine!

10. Fran’s Friday Roundup

    

    While I think I’m likely phasing out how much time I spend on TikTok because the community is seemingly becoming more toxic by the day, I do still believe there’s a handful of creators on the app that are doing uniquely creative things and standing out amongst the viral trends. Francine, @franslittlelife, does a roundup every Friday of inspiration (very similar to this dispatch!) and I always enjoy seeing what she’s getting into (she discusses buttons!). I would highly encourage following her space if you’re looking for more people who dive deeper in their creative processes and approach (also, her vibes and style are cool, cool, COOL.)

Well, did you make it this far? 2,000 words later, and you’ve successfully reached the end!

This year I’m focusing on becoming more confident in taking up space and sharing my opinions/thoughts in hopes of creating an open, honest, imperfect dialogue and fighting against the internet trend of “yucking someone’s yum.”

I’d love to hear your thoughts/feelings/emotions on anything shared in this space, as well as your recommendations for what you think I should explore/read/watch/listen to next. Leave a comment or reply to this email — I want to hear from you! Also please ignore any typos as I’ve read this 234928347 times and my brain is melting.

Until next time,
xo,
G