Friday Fixations
What I'm into right now
Happy Friday, my fellow suffering beings. Each week, I share two things I’m digging right now (books, TV shows, movies, music, and the like) plus one online video of nearly zero cultural merit
Adolescence: Simply put, this is the finest work of art I have beheld in quite a while. I know I’m a minute behind the cultural dialogue on this one (I write these columns weeks in advance), but my wife and I binged this show on Netflix the weekend it came out. I get why some people don’t have the stomach for this show, given how disturbing it is (most especially, I would imagine, for parents), but the skill on display here is jaw-dropping. Rarely have I watched a show that grabs you by the throat in the first few minutes and never lets you go. The acting is wrenching. The filmmaking is off the chain; every episode is shot in one take—no edits. It will be very hard to dislodge Adolescence from the number one spot on my year-end list.
Seven new tracks I’m digging: There hasn’t been a new full-length record that knocked my socks off in a minute. But here are seven recent songs that are in heavy rotation:
These kids melted my face.
Oh, one more thing: Waking Up is a top-notch meditation app run by my friend Sam Harris, with amazing teachers and a ton of courses for all levels. I highly, highly recommend it. If you buy a subscription via wakingup.com/tenpercent, you'll get a 30-day free trial (and you'll be supporting me and my team as well.) Full and partial scholarships are available. Hope you check it out.
Agree or disagree with these recommendations? Subscribers can comment on this and all other posts. You can also chat with me, my staff, pod guests, and one another. And there’s lots more: ad-free versions of my podcast; cheatsheets for every episode (which include time-stamped highlights and full transcripts); and twice-monthly live video sessions where I guide meditations and take questions. Join the party.
I agree about Adolescence, gut wrenching and soooooo real. The heartbreak for the parents and his sister. The acting is off the chain. The seen that really got me was when the parents were talking about how they raised their son. As a Mom of boys, you think you are doing the right things and you don’t know until you know. 💔💔
Hi folks--I'd like to know why you want me to subscribe to Sam Harris's app to get the full 8 hours of conversation among Dan, Sam and Joseph. I was a subscriber to Sam's app but am no longer and kind of resent having to resubscribe to get the full program -- when I'm paying Dan for a Substack subscription. I realize I could subscribe, listen and cancel within 30 days, but it just seems off that you guys aren't making the full 8 hours available for Dan subscribers. Thank you. Michael Brumas