Current Obsessions: Ayo Edebiri on Conan, "The Black Pack," 'Mr. Robot' + more!
Things move so fast these days. It’s nice to sit down and track what you’ve been focusing on.
Oh, the things I am enjoying! Outside of media consumption, I’ve been obsessed with writing again! Not that I’ve necessarily not been writing (as you know from reading every one of these emails, right?!) but a lot of it hasn’t been writing that relies on getting into a deep flow-state.
The mysterious project I keep referencing has finally stopped requiring my constant attention and that’s allowed me to get back into the pile of ideas and projects that have been stacking up on my guilt list. Namely - stories in ’s sister-publication . I’m doing double duty to fill the voice of content I’ve promised to paid subscribers there. And, as a reminder, paid subscribers to this publication can also get full access to the other, you’ve just gotta message me about it. It’s all helped me realize my real goal for all this newsletter stuff. Like my REAL real goal is to build it up to a point where I can pay others to be involved. How great would it be to get five curated jokes each day from a dedicated crew of Black talent? How stellar would it be to get weekly bursts of excellent sci-fi from future pillars of the genre? Pipe dreams…
I’ve also been carving away at the pile of scripts people have sent me (over the… years) for feedback. I have such deep shame about not getting back to people on these because I know how it feels when you want to just bring someone into the world you’ve constructed and see if they like it. The trick to this, I’ve learned, is printing out the manuscript and physically moving the pages as you take notes. I enjoy doing this more than I thought. But, at some point down the line I’ll likely need to charge for this sort of thing or just be more honest about my ability to read it in a timely manner. Regardless, Hannah Dickinson has a killer feature film script and any big time Hollywood execs who read this should pester her about it.
But enough about me. Time for some more me.
This post is my faulty attempt at molding the sludge of content I consume into a presentable sculpture. Things move so fast these days. It’s nice to sit down and track what you’ve been focusing on.
And this week, I’ve obsessed over…
YOUTUBE/PODCAST: Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend w/ Ayo Edebiri
Ayo is a natural talent. Unfortunately for me, I have vivid memories of incorrectly pronouncing her name at standup shows and never asking her the right way. Shame! Shame! It’s fun seeing/hearing her in this podcast with Conan. It continues his tradition of ushering in new waves of comedy superstars. I mean, Ayo has already broken through, but there’s still something electric about getting the Conan stamp of approval—especially in cases like this where it’s so clear that this moment really means something to his guest.
BOOK: The Black Pack by Artel Great
Only a few chapters in, but there’s nothing sweeter than getting the inside scoop on how some of the funniest movies and TV shows were made. Grateful for Mr. Great narrowing down the history of this comedy collective, and for for suggesting I read it.
TV: Mr. Robot
Netflix knew what it was doing by getting the streaming rights to Mr. Robot at this exact time in America. I started the first season years ago and never kept up despite wanting to. I’m finally immersing myself into the world of the show now and it’s amazing what it pulls off. It’s like the best parts of The Matrix, Fight Club, and V for Vendetta smushed together. It also reminds me a lot of the film Pi — which felt like a fateful discovery back in the DVD days. I’ve gotta rewatch Pi. It’s the reason Go is the only game I enjoy. Have you seen Pi?
FILM: The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie
Everyone, stop what you’re doing and watch this film right now. It’s… beautiful. And the science behind this beauty is explained quite well here by Toonrific Tariq:
