I wake up, read Thought Catalog, and post my favourite articles on my facebook. I don't receive that many comments, which is okay, but I really am starting to wonder why. The fact is this: You need to know about Thought Catalog, especially if you are a 20something who grew up on the internet (literally spending hours on the web, day and night), lived off MTV or Muchmusic, and read Vice Magazine as a teen. It also helps if you tried to start your own zine, you have a hefty opinion on pop culture, and are currently a recent Liberal Arts grad failing to make it in the real world.
That's all me.
For this, I find comfort in Thought Catalog. One Saturday evening, I refused to go out and instead read the entire 136 pages of the blog. (It takes a lot of balls to publish that on the interwebs.) That night, I started bookmarking my favourite posts. There was something refreshingly new yet very nostalgic about the blog. The tone of writing is similar to Vice, a magazine I grew up with in my teen years, Aspiring To Be Everything Like It. That phase is over now. Though I'm not sure I could categorize Thought Catalog into one "style" due to its diverse number of writers, I see where it's going. Thought Catalog inspires me to want to write again in my own voice. And it's fucking hilarious.
A screen shot captured today, 11-01-11 at 1:00pm.
Here are some of my favourite articles published thus far:
Let's face it, 2010 was a pretty shitty year. It was the year I graduated university, and it was the year I traveled least. I did not make a lot of money doing what I loved; it was the year of odd jobs until I scored a few internships in Toronto's film industry - both of which were great, filling me with hope for this quarter-life crisis, post-grad life. Many successes and commitments were achieved - some on my behalf, some not - mostly by Kanye West. I can only hope that 2011 will be filled with tons of surprises for the better.
2010 was the year of ridiculous noteworthy news: the g20 in Toronto this summer caused a lot of suffering; the oil spill was the most depressing, suicide-inflicting news I had heard in a long time; Rob Ford was elected Mayor of Toronto, forever threatening efficient public transport in the city; Paul the Octopus died; MTV canceled the City; tuition fees rose in England from £3,290 to £9,000, and so much more.
Enough about me and the real world, let's look at the media's top moments.
1. BEST FILMS
Black Swan Natalie Portman is chosen to play the Swan Queen in Swan Lake, and the only way she can become a truly fantastic performer is to lose complete control. Her dark side emerges as the bad guy in this striking, stunning and engulfing film.
Waste Land Brazilian artist Vik Muniz documents the largest landfill in Rio de Janeiro where he finds a group of very characteristic recycling pickers. Muniz encourages the pickers to make their own large-scale portraits out of recyclable items from the landfill. The portraits end up in London for an auction at Phillips de Pury, and the recycling community uses the money to change their lives forever. An underrated film that makes us realize how much garbage can say about our identities.
Catfish Ariel Schulman receives paintings of his photographs from a young girl. After communicating with her through email for some time, he falls for her older sister Megan. He decides to visit Megan in her hometown Michigan, despite his suspicions about her. The viewers are in for a shock that is totally out of left field, with blatant commentary on how one can control his/her identity through the internet. Fake or not, a huge lesson is to be learned through this film.
Les Amours Imaginaires 21-year-old Montreal filmmaker Xavier Dolan surprises the hell out of us with his second feature film that follows two hipster friends and their jealous relationship with beckoning newcomer Nico. Beautifully shot and reminiscent of French New Wave and the director Tom Ford, Dolan will make his mark on Canadian film. Plus, the soundtrack features The Knife and Fever Ray. How else can I convince you to see this?
2. BEST MOMENTS IN FASHION
Clean and classic Influenced by Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant and French fashion designer Celine, the year has seen a palette of clean, simple and well-designed clothing, ranging from classic camel-coloured pea coats to flattering straight leg pants and comfortable, well-combed cardigans. Men have started to dress better thanks to stores like Banana Republic and people like John Hamm. Women have started embracing their curves in a-line dresses cinched at the waist, and their lips with deep red lipstick. Thanks Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton and Christina Hendricks!
Urban Outfitters' AROUND THE WORLD collection This year, Urban Outfitters brought some lesser known designers mainly from Europe to their online store. Designers ranging from Madras by A.P.C., Le Mont St. Michel, and Stolen Girlfriends Club highlighted a new era for Urban Outfitters, with lower-end designer prices and unique looks in cashmere, merino, silk and angora. Scandinavia influenced the collection with designers such as Stine Goya, House of Dagmar, Minimarket, and Wood Wood. It was easy for these designers to stumble and confuse you into using your credit card, because you knew that the quality would be impeccable.
Rag and Bone pre-fall 2011 Aside from Proenza Schouler and Vera Wang, Rag and Bone blew me away with their effortless combination of structure and drape. David Neville and Marcus Wainwright were quoted as saying, "When in doubt, use leather," which is a philosophy that worked extremely well with this lightweight, adaptable collection. A collection for "real girls" in the city, they say.
3. BEST ALBUMS
Caribou - Swim I saw Caribou live this year in Toronto. Two weeks later, I saw him again in Houston. I don't care to see live bands in such a short amount of time, or even twice in their lifespan, but Caribou had converted me with this surreal album that sounded like nothing I had ever heard before. I continue to listen to this album on repeat, having difficulty choosing which track is my favourite.
M.I.A. - MAYA I unexpectedly fell in love with M.I.A.'s latest album. It is annoying as fuck, but not more than her past albums, and that's why I like it. It's the only M.I.A. album on my iPod with all the tracks on it. I want to freak out to this album over and over again. Beat someone up to one song, maybe dance to another, run as fast as I can to the next, and enter a hazy smoke-filled room afterward. Fantastic.
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Honestly, I don't need to talk about why this album is the greatest thing ever. I am blown out of the water, track after track, except for "Blame Game", my least favourite song. Honourable mentions: "Dark Fantasy" (for its haunted muppet-like chorus), "All of the Lights" (because Rihanna is amazing), "Monster" (mainly for Nicki Minaj's verse), and "Lost in the World" (featuring Gil Scott-Heron, need I say more?).
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs An album came out this year, and it was all about my life, my upbringing, my hopes, my dreams, my youth. Lyric after lyric described how I grew up in a boring, bustling suburb. This album is the anthem for all of those kids affected by poor urban planning and malls. Each haunting song reads like a story, making mundane landscapes seem interesting and full of character. The Arcade Fire has perfected pure innocence for that reason.
4. BEST YOUTUBE GEM
Antoine Dodson: Bed Intruder Song
I sang this song way too much this year. I know all of the lyrics, and would be pleased to hear it on New Years Eve. Thanks.
Insane Clown Posse - Miracles
Possibly funnier and more amusing than Antoine Dodson, because it's outwardly and militantly clueless about science. Adults who don't understand how magnets and rainbows work do exist in this world, and they shockingly extend beyond ICP. A true gem in the world of comedy, without trying to be funny at all.
5. BEST REASON TO GET A TWITTER ACCOUNT
whitegrlproblem This mysterious twitter account finally explains the world of people like Kim Kardashian, Lauren Conrad and Miley Cyrus without saying it outright. Oh, and maybe it explains my irrational thoughts a little bit, too. A hilarious read that will make you feel better about yourself.
conanobrien Conan and I are meant to be, and this twitter account illustrates every reason why I could love such a gangly, tall, self-deprecating ginger. Did I mention he's an Aries?
680newstraffic This is the most useful twitter account ever for commuters. Like seriously, this is what twitter is meant for, not #MTV, or #Kraft Dinner. This is twitter put to work, with #real, #hard-ass #information in #small doses. For 2011, #nobodycareswhatyou'redoing, unless you're 680 News.
6. BEST WEBSITES
Tonematrix Make your own music with dots. JUST TRY IT! So much fun!
Variations on Normal A highly creative blog by Dominic Wilcox and all the stuff he creates out of more stuff, without wasting other stuff.
Refinery 29 Refinery 29 is the fashion blog I have been following the most this year, and it's because they have awesome coverage, good style advice and ideas, and lots of fun pictures of fashion collections and street stylish babes. The best part? It's not even boring. Somehow, R29 makes it all seem original and fresh. Plus, they kinda make me wanna do my hair and buy lots of things from Sephora. Writing for 29 = Dream job!
Ignant I can't understand a damn word on this website (it's in German), but it has lots of pretty pictures that I want to emulate. Ignant is totally an inspiration blog for us creative people with so many ideas and not enough time or connections. The clean layout is a major plus.
7. BEST ARTICLES
The End of Men An extremely relevant article written about the rising power of women in the workforce with a clear emphasis on money and the middle class. The article chronicles the (unfortunate) fall of men as well, and how middle class men are unable to keep up with the trend. Women are slowly becoming the main breadwinner in many new families, and this article illustrates the pros and cons of this emerging trend. A well written expose without being pro-feminist or anti-men.
Straight Outta Comp 101 A writer who has never listened to hip hop primarily discovers the genre through reading "The Anthology of Rap" printed by Yale University Press. Fascinating, adorable, and an easy sell to culture junkies (like me).
Interns: Experience or Exploitation? As many new graduates enter this shady workforce, many are encouraged to partake in internships that pay very little or nothing at all, all under the name of "experience". The fact is that many "assistant" full-time jobs are being canceled to accommodate the rise of internships. How much is too much? When will companies that make millions of dollars be legally penalized for hiring on interns, and not even paying for their Metropasses? This Toronto Star article says it all, including legal dilemmas, and perspectives from students who want more from their internship besides filing papers and entering data.
How to Dress for Parties without Freezing Dress Code, my favourite column on Jezebel.com, hit the nail on the head with this article. Time after time, I am disgusted to see fellow women without stockings while peep toe shoes in the dead of winter. Have you no respect for yourself? You can look just as sexy wearing a lot of cashmere, sweater dresses, or boots. Or perhaps fleece-lined tights? Promise they won't make you look bulky!
8. BEST PERSON
James FrancoNew York Magazine recently wrote an 8-page article about enigmatic James Franco. This is why I love him: he is an actor, he has a B.A. from UCLA, he is enrolled in 4 graduate programs (NYU for film, Columbia for writing, Brooklyn for writing, Warren Wilson for poetry), he will have a p.h.D in English from Yale, he takes design courses at Rhode Island, and he is a published author whose work has been featured in an art show in NYC. Basically, James Franco is the dream version of myself in man form. Begin the process of finding out why he is so amazing, and check out the NY Mag article here.
Breaking down the concept of "smart girl, stupid interests"
“Burner Magazine gives you the power to make decisions,” says editor Sarah Miniaci
Photographer: Alexander Browne
Sarah Miniaci doesn’t believe in connections. She is the only person to ever tell me this when I asked how she landed an interview with the Dandy Warhols in Burner Magazine. Burner Magazine, an online publication powered by Issuu, is run by both Miniaci and editor-in-crime Leah Stephenson. On a chilly Tuesday night on December 8th, the girls held their second issue launch at the bohemian Loft 404 on Adelaide Street West.
So far, the magazine has featured the musically-inclined Warhols, Governor-General award-winning multimedia artist Istvan Kantor, internationally renowned artist Sonja Ahlers, and Canada’s only literary erotica magazine founder Jeremy Hanson-Finger. It has also received contributions from former Rolling Stones writer Rob Spiegel. How did such a small, self-funded magazine become so successful in just two issues?
Miniaci called up the Warhols’ public relations company to request an interview with persistence. “Sometimes you get turned down, sometimes you don’t,” she says. Next thing you know, she’s interviewing Yoko Ono of the same PR Company for Burner Mag’s third issue. The magazine itself received over 2,000 submissions internationally through word of mouth and online calls for submissions.
Aside from the well-known names, Burner Mag has a unique mandate. “There weren’t [any publications] I wanted to submit my work to, so I started my own,” Miniaci says. She describes her readers and contributors as “anybody of a certain level intellectually who doesn’t feel the need to be trapped by it”. The Burner Babe reads Cosmo and Kierkegaard; she listens to Lil Wayne and Drake but watches Jean-Luc Godard films; she loves Tyra Banks and Charles Bukowski equally. For this, Burner Mag is a shameless and confident publication full of individuals keeping it real, not trying to be anything else but themselves.
The magazine will continue to grow. Expect to see beautiful full-page ads in future publications, and in print format. If the magazine is not beautiful, including the advertisements, “you end up hating it,” Miniaci declares. The aesthetics are inspired by DIY, zine culture, and Dazed and Confused Magazine; Miniaci wants the magazine to feel like a personal artefact.
“[Burner Mag] has a private and sentimental vision that is not always visible in magazines publicly anymore,” she says. “Magazine layouts have become boring. Burner Mag is art that’s not boring.” After being showered in cupcakes, wine, and an attractive, well-dressed guest list, I headed out of the loft with a sense of self-assurance. The down-to-earth crowd had warmed my soul, and the chat had given me some sort of power to make decisions and to take control of my passions, just as Miniaci hopes her readers will do.
“If you’re passionate about something, if you love something, you will do whatever it takes”.
The French Issue of Too Rude Magazine is a month full of blog posts dedicated to all things French, whether they are Parisian, Quebecois or African. This is the first article of the month.
"Nothing is known to be about style. This is the problem with fashion: trying to define and sell style. Style can't be bought or sold. Fashion can help with having a bit more style, but either it's there or it's not. It's not fair. That's the way it is" - Jean Touitou, A.P.C.
A.P.C. inspiration board created by me
Ever since I read the interview with Jean Touitou, creative director of A.P.C. or Atelier de Production et de Creation, in Corduroy, I became very intrigued by the simple Parisian street wear brand. Blending sometimes military with classical French style and effortlessness, A.P.C. is subtle yet informed, unassuming yet revealing in the design and textures used in the clothing.
Touitou is the driving force of A.P.C. with his strong opinions and no-bullshit attitude towards fashion and its unforgiving marketing strategies. He claims that A.P.C. is a "no sell-out line" and often he refuses to pay attention to ridiculous trends: "The trend now is clothing and accessories for Russian prostitutes. [So] I don't feel sorry to be out of it," he states in the Corduroy interview with Tim Chan.
Touitou exclaims that he hates the word "basic" - it doesn't even exist in the French dictionary and therefore should not be used to describe his clothes. "Basic" for A.P.C. means fake, complicated details completed by robots in factories. His ideal perfect white t-shirt flatters different types of sizes based on their cut and fabric quality above all else. Something so "simple" is actually a complicated process that requires endless tailoring and attention to detail. The brand is credited for using selvedge denim which is known to give a better cut to jeans without unraveling at the seams.
If you follow Paris fashion week bi-annually, you'll notice that A.P.C. doesn't have "half a million to just burn" on fashion shows. Touitou is a self-proclaimed hater of unprofessional model agents and "cheap power". "Life is too short to bother," he says about fashion shows. When asked what his favourite all-time purchase was, he outspokenly responded with "A donkey". He even claims that he would have been an architect in another life but never a writer; "a writer's life is miserable".
Often insightful, the character alone of Touitou makes me appreciate and understand the concept of A.P.C. Despite describing himself as uninspired, Jean Touitou still has a few things he needs to accomplish: "Read Philip Roth's latest remarkable novel and not hang myself". Fashion-related or not, A.P.C. is fashion-forward without really trying to be.
