March was so long and full of heartbreak that I’m just too tired for pranks. I do have a silly story that I often tell about my favorite prank we ever played as kids. Of course, it begins at a school-sanctioned summer camp program in Oregon.

It’s 2002, and we’re just a group of middle school girls in our cabin for the night.

The principal’s daughter decided to dress up like Samara from The Ring. It had just come out and we thought it would be funny to lower her between the cabins to write “seven days” on the window of the neighboring cabin.

She was quick, and we got her in and out with our ominous message scribbled on the window in lipstick. It’s Oregon, so it had been raining and naturally, she came back soaked.

As with any good prank, you don’t expect to get caught. 

We did. And that’s not the funny part.

The funny part was when the principal walked into our cabin, likely after hearing screams from one of the cabin’s. When my friend finally came out of the bathroom, she looked straight at her mom – with her hair covering her face in a white nightgown – and said:

“Mother. This isn’t what it looks like.”

Even her mom cracked up. Maybe you had to be there, but this is still one of the funniest things I watched from beginning to end. 

As I mentioned, March was unexpectedly difficult and I expect April to be turbulent, too. April 7 marks the two year anniversary of losing Elan. A week later, it’s my birthday, and time keeps passing. 

Needless to say, the cadence and depth of this newsletter is gonna continue to shift. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

Happy reading,
Dakotah

Since I think it would be inappropriate to refer to a podcast series about racism in Hollywood as a “lovely thing,” I reverted back to the old “here’s what’s holding my attention” title. No theme either, but hopefully interesting none the less.

You Must Remember This is a podcast that uncovers hidden or perhaps mistold stories from early 20th century Hollywood, often referred to as “Classic Hollywood.” In 2019, the host released “Six Degrees of South of the South” squarely focused on Disney’s 1946 film, Song of the South.

Most of us haven’t seen the film, as Disney hasn’t released it on any home video platforms (such as VHS or Disney+), and only know it because of its Academy Award-winning song, “Zip-a-dee-doo-dah.” Since I haven’t seen it (though this history really shattered my view of Splash Mountain), it sounds… rough. If you’re familiar with the Magical Negro Trope, it likely originated here.

There’s so much more to say about this, which is why I am hoping to convince a few of you to check it out and let me know what you think.

I’ve been having a really tough time with music lately for a variety of reasons. I’ve been keeping notes these last few weeks about the types of pop culture I want to recommend and it doesn’t come out. I have a theory why, but I’ll leave that be.

This album is really special to me because it introduced me to a completely different style of hip-hop than what I was used to. Brick Body Kids Still Daydream by Open Mike Eagle is another wonderful listen from track one through the end of the album. If your attention span is too short, then I’d recommend either “Legendary Iron Hood,” “(How Can Anybody) Feel At Home,” or “Hymnal” featuring the video-game nerdcore rapstress herself, Sammus.

(Some of you might also recognize the second track as the opening theme to my 2022 podcast that explores Gotham and Batman through an anti-prison lens called Abolish Arkham.)

I had the chance to meet Open Mike Eagle (and Video Dave!) in Cleveland in 2023 at Grog Shop. When I met him, I asked his permission to use “(How Can Anybody) Feel At Home” as the theme and he laughed and said absolutely.

Anyway, this is just a solid hip-hop album that is full of storytelling. If you have already heard this one or want another one, I was obsessed with Anime Trauma and Divorce (2020) and Dark Comedy (2014) will always hold a special place in my heart. 

“There is no before, only after.”

This is one of the central quotes from a hidden gem called Station Eleven. Based on a book, HBO’s adaptation is nothing short of gorgeous.

The ten-episode limited series premiered in December 2021, and I think most of us missed it because it was too hard to think about watching “another pandemic show.” 

Unlike other post-apocalyptic shows featuring deathly diseases, this one isn’t interested in finding a cure. In the first episode, the flu eviscerates most of humanity within a few short weeks, if not days. It’s basically over as soon as it begins, leaving the characters with no choice but to accept what has happened and adapt to the new world.

Most of the characters are some type of artist, whether it’s a young Shakespearean actress or a fallen Pulitzer prize-winning journalist. The most famous actors in the series are — in my opinion — Gael Garcia Bernal (Coco), who is forever charming, and David Cross (Arrested Development), who plays an eccentric theater director.

Honestly, it’s my favorite of whatever the heck this genre is, mostly because it really is about art and hope. It’s about making the best of an awful situation, without feeling toxically positive. 

Isn’t that what we’re all searching for?

Want to see cute zoo animals minus actually going to the zoo?

The Cloud Zoo is a website that allows you to watch the livestreams of dozens of zoos and aquariums across the globe. You can actually see multiple streams at a time and even sort by which animal you’re looking for <3