Is it Cool to be a Supervillain Now?
Plus: falling ski lifts
Welcome to Small Talk, an email I serve out every Monday morning exclusively to our Breakfast Club members in NYC and Charleston. The premise is simple: my top of mind topics for the week’s worth of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners ahead anytime some chatter is required. From now on, I’ll be sharing it with subscribers of The Supersonic as well. Enjoy, and crib topics as necessary.
You’re probably still reeling from the Super Bowl, not to mention that Mission Impossible trailer, Kendrick doing his thing and, uh, Seal shilling for Mountain Dew, so let’s catch you up with your small talk cheat sheet for the week ahead.
For consideration …
Slippery slopes
I’ll stop including ski news in this little weekly roundup when American resorts stop providing so much drama. First it was the Park City Ski Patrol strike, now New Hampshire ski lifts are breaking down. At Attitash, a small, regional ski area owned by everyone’s favorite villain Vail Resorts, a chair fell off its cable, sending one man to the hospital. Such mishaps lend further credence to the complaint made by many skiers – that the Colorado-based parent company cares more about Epic Pass sales than updating infrastructure, especially that found at smaller resorts within their portfolio. Elsewhere in the Granite State, at state-owned Cannon Mountain (home to Olympic gold medalist Bode Miller), 64 skiers had to be evacuated by rope and harness in frigid temperatures when a quad broke down. It wasn’t all bad news for American skiing, as Jackson Hole’s Breezy Johnson took the gold medal at the Downhill in the Alpine Skiing World Championships currently taking place in Austria.Cuffing season
Given that we’re still in the middle of Cuffing Season, and with Valentine’s Day going down this Friday, let’s talk romance. Skiers who aren’t afraid of falling chairlifts or being forced to evacuate one can head to Arizona Snowbowl, where the resort’s Sunset Chairlift will be the scene of speed dating. Each ride up, skiers and snowboarders will be paired with a potential match. Could be the antidote to everyone ditching dating apps. Speaking of which, not only are people turning away from the apps, but also the institution of marriage itself (or just simply the act of cohabitating). Why? Some experts blame the fact that “many young men are falling behind economically,” rendering them—in the traditional sense—not marriage material. But while younger singles are less prone to marry, they do want to share their location with whomever they’re exclusively dating. If a would-be romantic partner refuses to sign up for a GPS-enabled app, well, that would be a major red flag, especially among digital natives. One can’t exactly picture, say, a Mr. Darcy sharing his location with a romantic partner or queuing up for a speed dating event at a ski area, which is maybe why young women are returning to the pages of Jane Austen for some old fashioned romance. Austen’s novels are currently trending among Gen-Z, especially on TikTok, where fan edits of Austen adaptations abound.Vice signaling
Some people argue that we’re now living in a “post woke” society, pointing to Trump’s second term as all the evidence we need. Journalists, of course, are digging deeper, and seeing other signs. The New Yorker spoke to Congressman Adam Smith, a Democrat out of Washington State, who argues that his own party has lost the plot, as does Ritchie Torres, a representative for New York’s 15th congressional district (which covers most of the South Bronx). Others argue that, beyond politics, being post woke is cool now. Instead of virtue signaling, there’s “vice signaling,” a less mainstream way to assert your cultural cachet. Sean Monahan, the trend forecaster who coined “normcore” and “vibe shift,” deems it the “boom boom aesthetic,” which evokes 1980s excess and supervillain energy, something our current Commander-in-Chief, some would argue, has in spades. Rather than looking at the differences between right and left, maybe it’s more about generational differences. How can you to tell if you’re, spiritually speaking, more Gen-X or more Gen-Z? Your response to Mr. Beast’s “Beast Games” (currently enjoying a 13 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes) could provide the answer.
Quicker hits …
Some beaver dams can be seen from space, and these eight beavers saved the Czech government $1.2 million.
Influencer Emma Chamberlain now has a cafe in LA.
Meet the 11-year-old critic who makes Jean-Georges tremble.
Inside Heathrow's renovated VIP lounge.
Enjoy your week.
BL
Ben Leventhal
Founder + CEO
Blackbird