Welcome to the Hump Day Motivation (HDM), a bi-weekly edition of Gangletown. Hump Day is all about the things that make me happy, hopeful, and horny. So buckle up, and enjoy a mid-week digital wiggle!
Television: Squid Game and Survivor 41
[To the tune of “Roxie” from the musical Chicago] The name on everybody’s lips is gonna be (::blomp::) Squid Game.
Much like we saw with Birdbox, The Queen’s Gambit, or The White Lotus, the new show Squid Game burst onto the global scene via Netflix a couple of weeks ago and, seemingly out of nowhere, became the only thing that anyway could talk about. The show, created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, catapulted to number one almost immediately and is poised to be the most popular Netflix show…ever.
I started watching Squid Game last Friday with my sister-brother Paul, and after three episodes, we were both pretty fuckin’ disturbed. So, we took Effie on a walk to decompress a bit and debated about whether it was worth it to finish the rest. Paul seems to have decided to give up. Without giving away spoilers, it’s intense as fuck, and I will offer anyone that hasn’t watched it yet a hardcore trigger warning for gun violence. In the end, I decided to keep on with the show and finished the nine episodes by late Monday evening. Overall takeaway? It’s intelligent, well-acted, and packs a powerful punch. I’m sure there will be plenty of critical commentary on the story to come, but for now, my recommendation is - if you have emotional space for something objectively disturbing - to hop on the bandwagon and see how you feel.
Note: Netflix will auto-play the show in the US with English dubbing, but we were watching it in Korean with English subtitles. I watch most tv with subtitles anyway because I can’t hear shit, and I found it wonderful to experience in the language it was scripted. Though I don’t speak Korean, it is nice to listen to the energy and momentum of the story as it was intended.
SQUID GAME HUMP DAY BONUS: The cast is stacked with absolute HOTTIES. Like, though there is not much sexual tension to speak of in the context of the show itself, we’ve got some game-changing spice in this cast. Now living rent-free in my head are the absolutely stunning Jung Ho-yeon, Park Hae Soo, Wi Hae-joon, and Gong Woo. World, keep casting them. Next time something a little less bloody? Mmk.
+ Also! Survivor is back with season 41! This is the first season I’ve watched in real-time as it aired since…the year 2000. So far, I’m having a blast. Who else is watching? So far, I love Shan, Evvie, and Ricard as potential winners. And I feel like we’re getting solid narratives around Xander and JD that I can’t quite figure out.
Who are you rooting for?
Topics of Conversation: “Who is the Bad Art Friend?” by Robert Kolker
Leading this week’s ~*oNlinE diSCouRse*~ is this piece by Robert Kolker for the New York Times. It’s long, but it is fascinating. And it is spawning a slew of commentary, memes, and beyond. Read the article HERE.
IRL: The Movies at the Theatre
A couple of weekends ago, Blaine and I took our first trip back to the movie theatre since pre-pandemic, and we saw Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. We also made a very unfortunate decision to eat at a Hoolihan’s before the movie, and that was a hot mess. But the movie! The movie was great. In my humble opinion, it was one of the absolute best Marvel movies so far, and seeing it at the theatre was definitely the right choice. Several genuine “wow” moments knocked my socks off. And, weirdly, seeing them on the big screen felt special. I mean, I’ve been fortunate enough that going to the movies has been something I’ve been able to do pretty much my entire life, and I didn’t even realize how different the experience can be when you see the right movie on the big screen.
Since then, I’ve now made plans for three other movies at the theatre. Next up is No Time to Die, then Scream (the original is coming to theatres this weekend for the 25th anniversary!), then Halloween Kills, which I am just so stoked about.
Have you gone back to the movies yet?
SHANG CHI HUMP DAY BONUS: This cast is ALSO stacked to the brim with a supremely delicious cast. Simu Liu? OH MY GODDDDD…Could get it. Awkwafina? Could get it. Meng’er Zhang? Could choke me, and get it. Michelle Yeoh? Like. Come on. GET IT.
Thirst: The Death of Facebook and Instagram?
On Monday, the tentpole list of Facebook-owned businesses went offline for about seven hours, including Instagram and WhatsApp. Naturally, people went to the darkest place imaginable and started speculating about what happened. Many people seemed to think it was a hacker, and rumors spread quickly that the platform(s) were going to be offline permanently.
Conveniently, I opted for a permanent delete of my personal Facebook sometime last week. Why? Because I hate it, and it brings me no joy. So, Facebook itself going down didn’t concern me much. I also tend to delete Instagram from my phone every other day so that I don’t get distracted. I only use WhatsApp to talk to a small few people. So, this shouldn’t have stressed me out too bad. For me, these are social platforms only, and I don’t have any significant stake in them personally when it comes to work or communication with those I truly need to connect with.
But still. When I started thinking about the ripple effect of a major tech company like Facebook et al. potentially crumbling, it freaked me the fuck out. At first, it may seem like, “Oh well, just Facebook pages.” There might even be a positive side! Maybe with those platforms gone, the misinformation about politics and science and anger we have all been stewing in for the last six years might dissipate a bit. Wouldn’t that be stunning?
But then, I thought about how many people have businesses built around these platforms, entirely reliant upon them to survive. Or the massive number of people and communities that use WhatApp and messenger as their primary digital communication mode. If these platforms truly go down, it isn’t necessarily as cleansing and straightforward as it might appear. They are woven into the fabric of our society and economy in a significant way, and if they blip away like all those people in the Marvel universe, we could be… fucked?
So, what I’m saying is that I think we need to divest our stake in these platforms asap, and take up knitting again. If they fall and cause the collapse of society, I’ll be like so annoyed.
LOL HAHA ANYWAY welcome to my brain. It’s a fun place to be.
Ending on a high note, The Great FB Blip of 2021 was yet another great reminder of how we could all use a little less social media and a little more real-life energy. I’m interpreting Monday’s outage as a warning signal and, while not 100% divesting from social platforms, I’m using it as inspiration to increase the value and enjoyment of other things. Like rollerblading, movie theatres, yoga, museums, reading physical books, spicy make-outs, and creating things with my own two hands. Like calling and talking to the people, we want to communicate with, instead of DM’ing them. Like hopping on a bicycle and going to a friend’s place to hang out, instead of DM’ing them. You know? Anything other than posting and DM’ing would be great. The options are endless. I’m full-blown hump-day-thirsty for the days of no-social.
I hope that one day I’ll be willful enough to pull the plug altogether, but we’ll see. I’m just as sucked in and addicted as everyone else is.