July 2023 Reading List (Patreon)

Another month, another reading list! I actually feel like I had a lot more to share this month as I have been watching a lot more YouTube recently (some new stuff, some old from my watch later playlist). As usual feel free to continue the conversation over in the reading list discussion channel in discord! 

Articles

How Monopoly Taught Me More About Intuitive Eating - Michelle Elman talking about her experience with mobile phone games and what that taught her about her habits and diet culture etc. I enjoyed this article because I’m in a bit of a mobile phone games phase right now. Re-downloaded Candy Crush (oops) and then also spent £2.99 to get the ad-free version of the colour test tubes sorter game goddamnit. I basically only play them when Rowan is going to sleep on the boob or for wakeups before I’ve gone to bed so I don’t get bored out of my mind. I’ve been advertised so many other games though and I’m trying to resist downloading them but I am weak… anyone play Royal Match or Gardenscapes? Do I bother? 😅

Bed Rotting and Loud Quitting - Anne Helen Peterson going into different phenomenon of Gen Z work culture post-pandemic. I loved the observation of how the different language can evoke a completely different vibe e.g. “duvet day” vs “bed rotting”.

Videos

WE BOUGHT SMOSH! - haven’t watched Smosh in over a decade and yet this still appeared on my homepage. And then that led me to watching over an hour of Anthony and Ian talking about the business history of Smosh and how that impacted their friendship, and how they got to where they are now with owning it together again. Fascinating stuff if you’re into YouTube history/culture.

Mamma Mia 2 is an Absurdist Masterpiece - this video had me laughing and crying. So good. I love Mamma Mia. I love this guy’s energy and enthusiasm and love-filled critiques of the film whilst also championing its brilliance. Mamma Mia (1 and 2) really hit my heartstrings and even just by the end of this video essay, a goddamn video essay!, I was in tears 😅😭

We Thought We Were Ready - really loved this video from Shan Boody and her husband, Jared. They talk about a big work project they recently took on and how they tried really hard but a lot of mistakes were made and the size and demand of the project was actually too much for where their skills/business was at. I think it was really admirable of them to be so publicly honest about their “failures” and it was so refreshing to see them do so whilst still being able to laugh together and be kind to themselves.

I Dated a Gay Ai (and it was extremely unsettling) - this video was hilarious, Alayna is so funny. Pure comedic entertainment. Excellent.

The Creepy Implications of Time Travel Rom-Coms - loved this from Rowan Ellis because HARD YES. I read the Time Travellers Wife years ago and I liked it but also deeply unsettled by it. Curious to see how they handle the relationship in the new adaptation.

Getting a Professional Bra Fitting!  - was not expecting to get emotional watching this video but oh boy it did occasionally hit me in the feels.

Podcasts

Organization Hauls, Suburban Sprawl, & The Hamster Wheel of Consumption - caught up on some Financial Confessions this month. This episode Chelsea chats with one of the hosts of their other show Too Good to be True, Ryan Houlihan. They talk about some of the other episodes in TGTBT and then that led me to listening to more about Disney time shares/Disney Vacation Club and Candy Crush… 😅

Give your audience a taste of membership with free trials - only really relevant to those of you who may be patreon creators yourselves but I recently learned about Backstage, a podcast by Patreon for creators. They have rolled out a new feature where new patrons can get a 7 day free trial to your patreon and I wanted to learn more about the best way to use it i.e. on permanently or turn on/off for specific events and promotional periods. I’ve not turned it on yet because I’m waiting for this annual memberships promo I’m currently doing to finish so I can track results of that and not muddy the results with throwing a different experiment in the mix! But free trials soon! (unfortunately won’t impact any of you but thought I’d keep you posted as it’s something I listened to this month lol!)