So you wanna watch something…
The Chair: The highly awaited comedy series stars the super-talented, Emmy-winning Sandra Oh as the chair of an English department at a prestigious New England liberal arts college. Ji-Yoon Kim is desperately trying to hold it together while dealing with petty academic politics, a ‘woke’ student body, a love interest and her relationship with her adopted daughter. Variety loves the show and you may too! Streaming on Netflix.
Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes: This is a documentary about Dennis Nilsen, serial killer who was convicted of fifteen murders in London—another in the long list of Netflix’s true crime catalogue. It features 250 hours of previously unheard cassette tapes of his private recordings, and a melange of interviews with police, journalists, and survivors in an attempt to dive into his mind and psyche. Decider calls it “another slick, moody, and morbid addition to the annals of Netflix true crime offerings, and its addition of the killer’s own voice only makes it more of a horror show.” Streaming on Netflix.
Bell Bottom: “Inspired” by a real life story, Bell Bottom follows a RAW agent—hello, Akshay Kumar—codenamed Bellbottom (what else) who is given the responsibility of saving 210 passengers taken hostage on an Indian Airlines flight back in 1984. Also: Lara Dutta plays Indira Gandhi. Indian Express calls it a “racy and pacy” thriller. You will have to head to the theatres if you want to catch Akki’s latest.
The White Lotus: Everyone is talking about this successor to ‘Succession’—a series about filthy rich white people behaving very poorly except there is no media empire at stake. This time around, they are guests at a super-posh resort in Hawaii. Read why New Yorker calls it one of the best shows of the year. Season 1 streaming on Disney+Hotstar.
A list of good reads
- What is the average penis size? This older but still useful Mashable piece offers sensible answers to this age-old question, using examples such as crayons, wine corks and the likes.
- We now have a new emoji to spark those generational wars: The smiley face. Bustle dives into why its ‘incorrect’ use is making Gen Z very cranky.
- And speaking of silly generational wars, Psyche explains why 'generationalism' is a socially constructed myth that explains nothing.
- Vice offers a compelling but alarming report on the clandestine world of 'adult breastfeeding' in India.
- Vulture has an engaging read on the ‘Spine Collector’—a mysterious figure who has been stealing books before their release for reasons no one can fathom.
- Pallavi Aiyar makes an interesting case for cultural appropriation as a curiosity-driven exploration of foreign cultures that has the capacity to defuse culture wars.
- The Verge has a nerdy read on how drones are challenging our view of sharks as nasty, human-attacking beasts.
- ABC News offers an immersive deep dive on the journey of fast fashion—from the shops and closets in the West to the trash heaps in Ghana.
- South China Morning Post looks at why Indian women are scrambling to freeze their eggs during the pandemic.
- Is your super-healthy diet making you feel tired all the time? CNN explains why this may be so.
- Wired has the perfect ‘smart & curious’ long read on animals’ ability to count.
