It’s been a week for news. It’s not our place to comment because if we start we aren’t going to be able to stop and you don’t come to The Cut for unhinged political rants. You know what’s going on. You don’t need us to make smart comments.
Instead, join us as we celebrate the return of Miyazaki, try to talk to Generation Z and enjoy the choicest restaurant review of 2021.
Now is the time. Here is the place. This is The Cut.
Oh yeah, you heard right. Possibly the world’s greatest animator and founder of Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki has come out of retirement in his 80s to helm one more film. We know next to nothing about it. There have been no character sketches or spoilers. Miyazaki is making something. That’s all that matters.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/23/t-magazine/hayao-miyazaki-studio-ghibli.html
When we talk about comics, we never limit ourselves to the usual superhero fare. Comics is not a genre, it’s a medium, and it contains multitudes. We loved this bit in The Nation about Black editorial comics in Chicago and the neat way they navigate and comment upon racial politics in one of America’s biggest cities. Sometimes a picture and a caption is honestly worth a thousand words.
https://www.thenation.com/article/culture/chicago-comics-life-see/
We’ve read a lot about streamers, kids who play games online and hope they’re good enough to attract a viewing (and more importantly, paying) audience. At the peak of the E-Sports industry, players can be worth millions. But it’s not a glamorous life. For many, spending up to eighteen hours a day in a virtual world quickly and brutally takes its toll.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/12/02/twitch-loltyler1-tyler-steinkamp/
Map makers have often sought to protect their copyright by placing towns and streets that don’t exist on their work. If a competitor includes this so-called ghost town, then it’s a trip to the courts. Sometimes, the story becomes a little more complicated. What if you visit a point on the map that should be empty to find something there?
https://everythingisamazing.substack.com/p/the-imaginary-town-that-refused-to
Communication is key to understanding. The alleged culture wars (don’t get us started on the misuse of the word ‘woke’) are often confusions between what people say and what they mean. It’s been this way for a long time, of course. The older generation have never quite known how to talk to their kids, and slang and jargon can be an impenetrable barrier to comprehension. Dr. Sarah Ogilve explains the problems and offers, if not solutions, then roadmaps to a clearer way to chat…
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/nov/20/dr-sarah-ogilvie-generation-z-explained-interview
Complaints have been growing over the past ten years that movie and TV dialogue has become more difficult to understand. The works of Christopher Nolan are prime culprits, but people have been moaning about the words in shows as disparate as Jamaica Inn and Call Of Duty. The causes are manifold and disparate and solving the problem is a task that will need a many-pronged attack.
This list on Messy Nessy Chic on forgotten Christmas specials is, of course, heavily US-centric, but there’s plenty to enjoy if you’re a big fan of festive cheese. From Dolly to Judy and all points inbetween, we think there’s something for everyone here.
https://www.messynessychic.com/2020/12/23/a-brief-compendium-of-forgotten-christmas-specials/
We know some of you have already read this extraordinary takedown of Lecce, an Italian restaurant which has taken the idea of the tasting menu and made it virtually inedible. Rejoice, there’s more. In the second link, the chefs have exercised their right to respond in a truly surreal fashion. Complete with drawings of horses!
https://www.today.com/food/brutal-review-michelin-starred-restaurant-bros-goes-viral-t242696
We are delighted to see the return of Scott Levene, a British artist whose writing and song craft are deeply pleasing to those of us who love both power pop and deadpan poetry. His story is extraordinary, and you can see how his experiences have informed his writing. The article is well worth your time. The album even more so.
Normally, we’d put a track by Scott up as our Exit Music and have done with it. But last night news broke of the passing of Michael Nesmith. He was a member of The Monkees, sure. But he was also a brilliant songwriter in his own right, helping to create the genre of country rock. He was also a film producer and pioneer of music television. His influence goes far and wide. We’re sorry to see him go. Now, listen to the band.
See you next Saturday, monkees.
EXCUSES AND HALF TRUTHS 