The Pop Culture Cold Brew is a collection of pop culture adjacency news that’s sincerely piqued our interest during these wildly unprecedented times— only without the celebrity worship culture. The Cold Brew also comes with a side of candor in critique pieces on pop culture and societal mores; get into it below.
Escapism can come in many forms, musically or quite literally, in need of wanting to get away and not being able to do so. That’s when my favorite mini versions of escapism come into play, vintage shopping.
While some people tend to get overwhelmed by the number of tchotchkes or clutter, for me, it’s familiar and comforting to be surrounded by such a history of previously loved items. Perhaps the nostalgic sentimentality reminds me of my Abuela’s house— with many figurines and breakables that always had their place. Secondhand lifestyle was a priority growing up in a family of six.
Being a middle child, more often than not, hand-me-downs were a vital part of my sartorial existence. Saturdays growing up were spent doing the usual ritual of early morning cleaning followed by bargain hunting or thrift shopping— something I always loved until I got a little older.
Somehow I convinced my then young impressionable mind thought it was less than if I kept shopping secondhand with exasperating middle school insecurities that shadow all growing kids. Fortunately, my feelings changed in high school as the bohemian chic look was unavoidable, and I stumbled onto my favorite thrift shop by happenstance. Embracing this inner joy I previously denied myself while navigating through the social mores, let alone adolescence’s messiness, isn’t easy— the 2000s aesthetics are highly romanticized, but unless you looked like the girls of The O.C. or The Hills, your fashion experiences are more on the traumatic side— the term ‘low rise jeans’ should make anyone shudder.
Getting older also means gaining hopeful life wisdom, even if we don’t realize it. I’ve learned that vintage shopping is sustainable and less expensive— if you know where to look. Good Will or Salvation Army have thrift shops and are great local shops to try— but keep in mind where your money goes to support, as the S.A. has a long history of supporting anti-LGBTQ+ causes. I’ve also learned that surrounding smaller cities in your vicinity have great local shops that are usually even more affordable. I’ll go a couple of towns over to browse and make a day of it.
Along with the pros are the cons; as we know, gentrification is inescapable, and the vintage aesthetic has become commodified by outlandish landlord behavior.
Finding preloved items and then price gouging for a greedy profit has become a go-to for TikTok, Depop, and Instagram. The amount of online window shopping during my breaks has become a tamed fixation that quickly dissipates with the ridiculous overpriced sales tags; not even my favorite local vintage shops are safe. Yet, I can’t keep away.
Even though athleisure wear or fast fashion is more accessible, they aren’t viable options. However, I understand affordability and others’ reasonings since it’s not the consumer’s fault but rather the moral bankruptcy of the fashion industry, which prioritizes profits over people— or the planet. The new societal pressures I’ve continued to notice online are a constant need to keep up with so and so in a turnaround consumption habit of an alarming rate. Vintage shopping isn’t about the latest or greatest or even labels, albeit they’re nice surprises and bonuses— like when I found a vintage Judith Leiber bag for less than thirty dollars. It’s a way of life when finances are limited.
The pandemic refueled my passion for prioritizing the importance of sustainability and self-expression, even when mixed with designer labels or luxury items. It’s about balance, as we’ve seen with vintage lovers the fictional Carrie Bradshaw and Kate Moss. While getting lost in the hunt or the thrill is easy, the secondhand lifestyle is a much-needed break from the over-consumerism of H&M, Zara, Shein, and more. The growing need to wear and easily discard is a wasteful subculture.
That’s when I realize I should be less online and spend more time in the present. One of those is taking time for myself and doing something I enjoy, which is shopping aimlessly and scavenging many historied items that I’d probably never know but am fascinated to learn. I don’t always purchase something when shopping— something I learned along the way; not even my anxiety can make me guilt purchase the cheapest thing anymore. Mostly, I love looking around without someone calling or rushing me, so I speak for those who also find the thrill of practicing the three R’s of sustainability; reduce, reuse, recycle. For those who love searching and treasure hunting, find that one item that you can’t be without from then on— within reason because that little dopamine rush convinces us to treat ourselves when pursuing niche preloved purchases since, as my Abuela used to say, they don’t make stuff like they used to do.
Shia LeBeouf’s redemption press tour continues as he’s been making ‘amends’ by telling the truth via press rounds; we’ve heard him speak on the ongoing drama with Don’t Worry Darling— which sounds like we need a docuseries from behind the scenes of Olivia Wild’s psychological thriller. Now he also confesses to Jon Bernthal’s podcast to come clean about the fabrication that is Honey Boy (2019). Now, days after his own words of men accused of abuse in the industry/redemption as further news of his being cast in Francis Ford Coppola’s 100 million dollar epic, Megalopolis— and now it all makes sense.
In news we all saw coming, the leader of the 90s’ Pussy Posse’ is single again as Leonardo Dicaprio and Camila Morrone split. I’m sure Lukas Haas and Tobey Maguire will help mend his broken heart like in old times.
Chris Rock announced at his Phoenix show that he turned down hosting the 2023 Oscars, comparing the possibility of returning would be like returning to the scene of a crime. Rock then references the circus speculative murder trial of O.J. Simpson, whose ex-wife’s killing began with her leaving a pair of eyeglasses at an Italian restaurant— returning to the award ceremony would be like asking Nicole Brown Simpson “to go back to the restaurant.” That joke wouldn’t be funny in 1994, and it’s not funny now; it’s just a bad take that continues to land him among other comedians as the old man
that yells at cloudscancel culture while profiting from being so-called canceled by being booked and busy. Cancel culture has seemingly become a transparent marketing tool where old heads complain about not getting away with what they used to like in the good ol’ days.There’s another new Selena album titled Moonchild Mixes as Abraham and the Quintanilla’s continue to shamelessly exploit for the sake of legacy— this time, it’s by way of voice-aging technology.
Olivia Newton-John’s passing was a hard hit. Her familiar ethereal voice was a constant in my life growing up. My parents were big fans of the film; in fact, it was among their favorites— my mom hadn’t yet learned English but knew the soundtrack as it was usually blasting as we did the usual ritual of Saturday cleaning like most Latinx diaspora.
Olivia always stuck with me, whether it was the glittering spins of Xanadu but especially as the archetypal good girl as Sandy opposite John Travolta’s greaser, Danny. Embracing her hidden duality, Sandy unleashes her inner bad girl despite doing so for a guy and not for herself— she realizes that being bad and going against expectations can feel pretty damn good. So in honor of my favorite good girl gone bad, here’s an inspired film list.
Carrie White of Carrie (1976)
Veronica Sawyer of Heathers (1989)
Selina Kyle of Batman Returns (1992)
Julie and Fern of Jawbreaker (1999)
Jennifer Check of Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Nina Sayers of Black Swan (2010)
Girl Gangs Gone Bad Double FeaturesThelma & Louise (1991) / Thirteen (2003)
Sugar & Spice (2001) / Set It Off (1996)
Spring Breakers (2012) / The Bling Ring (2013)
Youthquake playlist is a musical amalgam of personal favorites from the week we can’t get enough of— varying from the genre; they’ll cover all sorts of moods, so get into it below.
Arctic Monkeys are officially back with There’d Better Be A Mirrorball. If you thought I was passionately annoying about them before— it seems like my long, hidden away fangirl mode is being activated— my dear apologies beforehand.
Britney Spears is back with new music with Elton John’s Hold Me Closer, marking the first since 2016 and since her nefarious conservatorship ended. She sounds strong yet effervescent; it’s exactly the fun and dancey track she deserves as she dips her toe back musically.
Gorillaz announces a new album, Cracker Island, and an accompanying single titled New Gold, featuring Tame Impala and Bootie Brown.
Last week was challenging as it was my Abuelo’s birthday, but spending more time with my sisters and family has been a wonderful distraction.
Lately, I’ve been re-watching a lot of Nathan for You to balance out the binge-watch of The Rehearsal on HBO, which incidentally unlocked some PTSD of my conditioned religious growing up thanks to Angela and her obtuse mindset. It helped inspire my next piece that’s taking longer than expected as ERCOT and Governor Greg Abbott continue to do nothing about outages. I’m trying to make the most of it and work around the chaotic, unplanned disruptions while reminding myself that my overdue vacation is around the corner.
Con Amor,
Naomi x