📺
Even though I am a certified Bravo Boy™, I do have a soft spot in my heart for MTV’s reality programs. My best buds and I have spent hundreds, if not thousands, of hours watching the Real World, the even better spin-off The Challenge, and of course, Are You The One. The show is basically about a bunch of young, hot people who all “suck at relationships” and are trying to find their Perfect Match: another contestant on the show, predetermined by the producers but unknown amongst themselves, who is meant to be their ideal romantic partner. I’m in it for the shitty laser effects, the snarky host Ryan Devlin, and of course, the never-ending drama. If you’re in need of a mental vacation, check out the first two seasons streaming on Netflix now.
Dec 8, 2020
Related Recs
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There are two seasons on Hulu and then a channel on Pluto tv that plays all 40 seasons on repeat, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can tune in whenever and probably the same exact thing will be happening: people throwing themselves into the water off of really high platforms or rolling around in the dirt at the behest of a very blasé former bmx professional, then getting really drunk and screaming at each other at night. There are women accusing each other of not having their head in the game and one really handsome guy who is probably evil. There is a man whose legal name is John who everyone calls bananas. The same people come back season after season, sometimes they’re enemies or friends or in love. It’s very stupid. I am entranced.
Jan 27, 2025
💍
All of the episodes are on Youtube and if you’re a nostalgic reality show nerd like me, you’re welcome. For those who aren’t familiar it’s an old MTV show that follows Tommy Hilfiger’s daughter Ally and her bff Jaime around NYC. Watching the daughter of the America-obsessed designer Tommy Hilfiger say she doesn’t understand “American, um, uh, uh, products at all” while scarfing down crudités is truly the “Rich”ness of the show! They say the most insane and dumb shit sincerely and I still love it. A true study on delusion. A horror reality show. Def not for everyone. They dress like we do now so there’s style inspo too if you want to watch it on mute. Some might call it nauseatingly cringe, but I like to live on the edge.
Jan 27, 2022
😃
My ex showed me this excellent reality tv show from 2007. In the show, 8 nerdy guys receive training from a master pickup artist (named Mystery), then implement their training in a series of field tests, where they go to bars and try and hit on real women. You can watch it via the link below.
https://rumble.com/c/c-1660892
https://rumble.com/c/c-1660892
Feb 7, 2024
Top Recs from @shyam-mervana
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Gonna kick things off with a tune I’ve had on repeat pretty much all year long. Everyday, I Don’t by Anna Domino is one of those rare tracks that makes you feel warm, isolated, hopeful, and subdued all at the same time. It’s been a go-to source of respite for me throughout this historically shitty year. Not to like, be a total “my life a movie fr” dude but listening to this song while biking through the city at night really is an inimitable vibe. Truly cathartic. I will be listening to it on repeat while I write the rest of this newsletter.
Dec 8, 2020
📚
I recently revisited this book of photos by Michael Jang, an incredible photographer who’s been documenting life in California since the early 70s. Jang’s photos distinctively capture the sincere humanity that exists in San Francisco but is often overshadowed by today’s pervasive tech bro agenda. There’s something extremely tight about how he was able to capture high-energy situations––from parties at the Beverly Hilton to punk shows at the Civic Center Plaza––in a way that just feels so tranquil. As a Bay Area native, I deeply appreciate his work and hope you will too.
Dec 8, 2020
🗣
For somebody that works in podcasting, I hardly ever listen to them. NPR’s new show Louder Than a Riot, however, is the rare exception. Hosted by Sidney Madden and Rodney Carmichael, the show interrogates the relationship between mass incarceration and hip-hop by diving deep into the experiences that artists like Bobby Shmurda and DJ Drama have had with the criminal justice system. I’ve been fucking with Rodney and Sid’s music coverage for a while now and this pod really highlights their skills as storytellers.
Dec 8, 2020