#133: The Day That Britpop Died
On Fridays, we listen to music!
If this is your first Friday newsletter, a heads up that this isn’t the usual format.
On Fridays, we listen to music.
MUSIC THING:
“It’s the sound of a bunch of guys on coke, in the studio, not giving a fuck. There’s no bass to it at all, I don’t know what happened. All the songs are really long and all the lyrics are shit.” - Noah Gallagher of Oasis on Be Here Now, from Live Forever: The Rise and Fall of Britpop.
23 years ago today, English rock superstars Oasis released Be Here Now, their third studio album. Despite going 7x platinum in the U.K., the album is better known culturally as a representation of the end of the Britpop phenomenon. Bloated and grandiose, the album was somewhat ravaged critically upon release, though it has been reconsidered and re-reviewed with a kinder lens in years since.
I share this lil’ tale for a reason. For the sake of our mission here at Office Hours, we should be diligent in exploring and analyzing the factors that kill cool things.
The way I see it, if your mission is enduring cultural relevancy in your creative pursuit, then you should be researching the end of popular trends and movements in your discipline. What factors led to a decline in popularity? What shifted? What took its place?
To me, observing and researching the end of a cultural movement is equally as important as learning how to create one.
NEW PLAYLISTS FOR AUGUST:
Art School Alumni Party Playlist
Scenario: Your thesis “Acceptance to Plural Identities in Art Therapy: Examining Colonization and Multiculturalism Training through Autoethnography” sits on your hard drive, never to be read again. You long for the days of questionable decisions and even more questionable outfits.
Songs to Kill Your Plants To
Scenario: Look, you started with good intentions. It’s not your fault. There’s a lot going on, nobody can be expected to keep a fiddle-leaf fig alive right now. In this economy?
Hotel Pool VIBES
Scenario: You were supposed to be at a cool hotel pool right now getting some sun while drinking a $17 cocktail that’s essentially Dole fruit juice, half a White Claw and a shot of Effen Black Cherry. Instead, the only glow you’re getting these days is from your laptop screen.
Apple Music/Spotify
UPDATES:
1st batch of August updates is done!
Cool Men’s Boutique
Cool Dive Bar
Cool but Overpriced Sushi Fusion Restaurant
Stoned in the Shower
Older Millennial Instant Party Starter
HOW TO HELP BLACK LIVES IN 30 MINS OR LESS:
When it comes to taking the steps needed to create a racially equal America, I’ve heard from many well-intentioned non-Black people over the last two months that one of the most daunting things for them is trying to figure out what they can personally do make things better.
Some folks see these massive issues as a significant problem that cannot be defeated, so they struggle to figure out what one person can do, which leads to them not doing much other than posting to IG. Some of that is not wanting to seem like you’re doing too much, some of that is fear your intentions will be misunderstood.
What if I told you that for only 30 minutes a week, you can help black lives no matter where you are or how much money you make? Here’s how:
Carve out 30 minutes in your calendar this week. Call it “Being A Better Person Time” or “Set a Good Example for my Kid” Time, whatever works.
Click a link and make a call or donate or sign a petition. Just do one thing in that 30 min window.
This weekend, share the above link with your three closest friends and say, “Hey, I’m (calling/donating/signing a petition). I’m worried about how things will be for future generations, so I’m doing something about it. If you’re interested, here’s the link!” If you have a group chat, drop it into your group chat!
Repeat the following week for as long as you can. Do it while you online shop, do it while you’re on an annoying call, hell, you can do it while you poop, I genuinely don’t care! Whatever it takes! It is the absolute least that you can do, but you’ll get a sense of accomplishment and the knowledge that you at least did SOMETHING to help. You have a vision of who you want to be, right? That ideal version of yourself that does the right thing when given a chance and leads by example? This is that chance. You can do it!
BONUS: You won’t have to lie to your kids or grandkids about being on the right side of history! You can be all like, “Children/Grandchildren, we don’t tolerate that racist shit in this house. If anyone says otherwise, send them to me.” and you’ll sound all tough and cool, and your kids or grandkids will respect and love you and not want to be racists…guess what? That means less racist people in the future!!!
Look at that. It turns out you had a bigger impact than you thought the whole time!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
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Office Hours is written and curated by Ernest Wilkins.
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