Don’t worry, guys. This month’s issue will not be yet another PSA to watch Barbie, because, well…you don’t need another platform marketing the film to you. (You do have to give it up to whoever at Warner Bros came up with their marketing strategy though, because they successfully made the film a part of the zeitgeist.) Don’t get me wrong. I had a great time watching the movie — I laughed & cried & laughed some more. Ryan Gosling as Ken was the most inspired casting, and his one liners will forever be uttered in our household (“My job is just…beach.”). America Ferrera’s monologue about how hard it is to be a woman was tear inducing and true. But the film overall wasn’t as earth-shattering for me as it seemed to be for some people. Maybe because I didn’t grow up playing with Barbies (chalk it up to having a little brother, since we always played together & mostly played with stuffed animals), so my connection to the film wasn’t as deeply nostalgic as it was for the scores of women I saw decked out in pink in the theater. Maybe because I watch a lot of films commenting on misogyny & women, and this movie was good but not singular in its impact. Who knows.
Regardless, the point of the Rabbit Hole is to share recommendations of content you may not have seen or heard, so Barbie, which has now made $1 billion at the box office (!), does not make the cut. Interestingly, two of my 3 recommendations are series from different countries, a commentary on the streaming culture of our time, and how content truly is global. What a treat.
#1 Made in Heaven (Season 2, Prime Video)
It’s been four long years since the first season of Made in Heaven, an Indian television series on Amazon Prime created by Zoya Akhtar & Reema Kagti (for Bollywood fans, Zoya Akhtar is the director of films like Gully Boy, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara & Dil Dadhakne Do and is also the sister of Farhan Akhtar (!)). I absolutely loved its first season so I was extremely excited when its second season premiered a few weeks ago, and binged the whole thing over a few days.
If you have not seen the first season, then be like my mama, who binged *both* seasons of this meaty show in one weekend (go mama!). If you’re not a Bollywood fan, or maybe if you are, keep in mind: this is nothing like a Bollywood film — there is some glossiness, sure, but it’s also unapologetically real and courageously showcases Indian society in all its nuance and messiness. The show is best described as an anthology, depicted through the lens of Made in Heaven, a wedding planning company co-owned by best friends Karan & Tara. Every episode centers on a different wedding, and, as a result, is a snapshot commentary on class, sexuality, caste, gender, power and much more. Tara & Karan, and their supporting cast of characters (my standout favorites this season were Meher, the trans character, and Bulbul) also have interesting and substantial storylines that play out through the whole season. It’s a show that has something to say, and hopefully will lead to great conversations, like I had with my friends after I was finished watching.
#2 Dark (Netflix)
A show my husband and I just finished bingeing is Dark, a German time travel thriller series. It’s not new, premiering in 2019 and ending in 2020 after three seasons, but it was a new discovery for us, so hopefully it’s something you have yet to encounter. Although the show is three seasons long, each season averages only about 8 episodes, so it’s not overwhelming to consume, BUT (this is a big but): it is VERY complex and totally messes with your mind, so, though it’s bingeworthy, I recommend watching it over a few weeks and with someone who can share in the inevitable confusion, because there will be a lot.
The show, which ultimately centers on four families in a small town in Germany, can overwhelm you with multiple timelines, interconnected family generations, and many, many names. For that, I give you this guide, concocted by Netflix because I think they, too, anticipated that most viewers would be like “Huh?! What the eff? Who the eff? When the eff?”
I love how time travel is showcased in popular media, but there are always plot holes and faults (case in point: even though Back to Future I & II are two of my fave movies, I’m still like ‘c’monnnn, Marty…’). Dark is probably the most well thought out time travel show I’ve encountered, but it’s also a commentary on self determination and free will. Ultimately, it begs the question, “Are we truly the arbiters of our own fate, or are we just pawns in a much larger narrative?” It’s not for the faint hearted, but it’s one of my favorite shows I’ve watched this year.
#3 Eric Nam, Don’t Leave Yet (Wherever you stream music)
Eric Nam is a Korean-American artist who’s had a really under the radar non-linear music career, which, in my mind, is what makes him super interesting. He started his music/hosting career in Korea after graduating from Boston College, foregoing a life in consulting to audition for a Korean music competition show (!), and then began singing, but also hosting shows & interviewing celebrities in Korea. As a k-pop fan, his podcast the Daebak Show has been one of my bookmarks for years, and I’ve always found him extremely smart, funny and entertaining. However, I only truly started listening to his music recently, and I think he also only started to discover his own authentic sound in the past few years.
What’s interesting about Eric, but also other Asian-American artists, is they’ve often had to find and build a following in Asia first, given the lack of diversity in the U.S. music industry. Once Eric achieved that, he was able to produce and release primarily English-language music (versus a mix of Korean and English) for the world. He just dropped two new singles, House on a Hill and Don’t Leave Yet ahead of his new album and tour next month, and both songs have been on repeat in my house the past week (I shared the MV of Don’t Leave Yet above, which is just gorgeous). For those who want to double click on Eric Nam (you’re welcome), here are two other great recs: (1) Eric featured on one of my other favorite podcasts Song Exploder (which I’ve recommended before in this newsletter), delving into the creative process behind his song Love Die Young, and (2) He has a really random and funny YouTube show, Happy Hour, in which he gets drunk & cooks with other Asian American celebrity friends. It is a true display of his hilarity & charisma:
I hope wherever you are in the world, you’re enjoying the end of summer & gearing up for the last few months of 2023 (how?!).
Cheers,
Kals