Things that didn’t make me throw up – 10 November

I meant to write this before the US vote count was over but then I got obsessed with creating my own Instagram story polls. (I’ll be exploring the results of those later)

Most people turn to me for no-bullshit recommendations on where to eat, what to read, what podcasts are good.

I’ve never written them down before.

Maybe it’s pointless to continue with the written word when the pundits are saying it’s all about video now. It’s all about photos now, podcasts.

I still think there’s a place for anybody with something to say, no matter how archaic the medium.

The art of hand illustration did not become obsolete when photography and digital art became popular.

So let’s talk about what didn’t make me throw up this week.

I only recently discovered Anthony Youn’s YouTube channel. Anthony Youn is an American plastic surgeon. I don’t personally believe in plastic surgery for myself. I’ve never done it and I don’t want to. I don’t feel that I need it, and I wouldn’t even if I could afford it. But having been involved in the fashion and modelling world, I know quite a few people who have done plastic surgery, fillers, Botox and the like. I imagine it offers insight into parts of human nature we don’t always like or acknowledge.

I appreciate Youn’s minimalist take on plastic surgery. I especially enjoyed this reaction video to the old TV show Nip/Tuck – back when Ryan Murphy was still finding his feet as a showrunner. Reaction videos are my favourite YouTube genre. This Nip/Tuck episode; it is about a woman who asks for her nipples to be surgically removed because she wants to be a Barbie Doll. Her reasons for wanting this are complex and you should watch the video. Youn’s reactions are priceless.

Against Everyone Else With Conner Habib is a podcast series by Syrian-American gay former porn performer Conner Habib. A friend recommended this to me. The first episode I listened to was Episode 101: Katherine Angel and the Trouble with Consent. I’ve never read either of their work. This was a compelling exploration of why the concept of consent, whilst absolutely necessary, is a minimalist standard for what sex that doesn’t violate dignity and humanity can be. It’s a challenging listen that I will probably have to listen to again. It’s worth listening to when you have the time to think about the content deeply, not something to have in the background while drowning out a boring work Zoom.

More thoughts and recommendations soon.

In the meantime, check out my shop or my published work, if you haven’t already.