These days, when someone asks me to recommend something to watch, read or listen to, my answers are unpredictable. “Can I interest you in this 14-year-old mini-series following a group of American marines during the first 40 days of the Iraq war?” Perhaps a bit of Until Now, a 2012 compilation album featuring the biggest collaborative hits from revered house supergroup Swedish House Mafia, in this trying time?
I don’t do this to be awkward, or out of some curmudgeonly belief that things “aren’t as good as they used to be”, which is something exclusively said by people who reach a certain age, and decide “Yep, that’s me done, just these films and albums on rotation for ever then, and wait for death.” No, I am culturally ravenous. As much as I spend my free time compiling supercuts of all my favourite songs from the American Pie soundtracks, there are also podcasts whose episodes I look forward to every week. I have opinions about the new Kendrick Lamar album (a masterpiece). I, too, watched Conversations With Friends. I haven’t given up on the new by any means, but I have given up on keeping up.
