TeenNick Nostalgia and Fashion Mainstream-ification

"New York famous"

The big nail color at NYFW is brown (we saw this coming); why greeting cards are getting longer; how “lol” and “lmao” became punctuation marks; Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney has a TikTok burner dedicated to renovating classic cars; and speaking of Euphoria, The Cut just published a great cover story featuring the cast (which kind of got overshadowed by that other story published by The Cut yesterday — tbh both are worth your time).

sydney sweeney and a car

TEENS FIND RISING USED-CAR PRICES DASH HOPES OF FIRST CAR, wsj
Speaking of Gen Z and autos, not everyone has the means for a classic car (or any car at all). Though young consumers had been showing more interest in automobiles before the pandemic, purchases of new cars have slipped for this age group over the past couple of years and “the number of 16-to-25-year-olds purchasing a used vehicle dropped 35% between 2019 and the end of 2021, more than for any other age group.”

WHAT HAPPENS TO IYKYK FASHION WHEN EVERYONE KNOWS?, i-d
Maison Margiela’s Tabi boots, for example, “went from being a best-kept secret and extremely esoteric to the subject matter of viral TikToks, until one day, in late 2020, they were spotted in an episode of Emily in Paris, worn by none other than Emily ‘ringarde’ herself. The mainstream-ification of Tabi boots was complete.” So, what does happen next? Mostly nothing — “newfound hype and a few tourists don’t seem to turn die-hard fans off. If anything, even though there are some purists (read: gatekeepers) out there, most fans will appreciate.”

‘LESS HIGH SCHOOL, MORE HORROR FILM’: WHY IS TEEN DRAMA SO MISERABLE NOW?, guardian
Because the world is so horrible now. Today’s teen shows make The O.C. look like a TeenNick series.

It’s not hard to see why these shows have become so serious. When Gossip Girl first hit our screens in 2007, it was glitzy fluff. Fifteen years later, times are darker to the extent that it would be almost impossible not to engage with more serious issues. Especially as, in the intervening years, the technology that made the original concept so fun – an all-knowing, gossip-starved blogger! – has become something uglier.

‘I’M SCARED’: RISING COSTS ARE MAKING STUDENT LIFE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE, dazed
“I am worried that however hard I try to create a better future for myself, it will never be enough.”

‘MINECRAFT’ TEEN GETS PRISON TIME FOR PLOTTING ‘TERRORISM’ IN VIRTUAL WORLD, designtaxi
Now that’s a headline. Welcome to the metaverse, baby!

CAN SINGLE PEOPLE ‘MANIFEST’ A NEW PARTNER?, nyt
No, they can’t. And on that note…

AMERICANS LESS LIKELY TO HAVE SEX, PARTNER UP AND GET MARRIED THAN EVER, cnn
But at least Valentine’s Day is over.

One last thought:

trash jones @jzux

going Valentine’s Day caroling (walking down the street screaming)

February 14th 2022

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a reminder that v-day candy is half price today