Hyperfixations for the week of Feb. 10, 2025
And a new feature: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Corner
Here’s a roundup of my latest pop culture obsessions, this week with a heavy slant toward last night’s Super Bowl. What has gotten your attention lately?
Haters, rejoice. Our king, Kendrick Lamar, reminded us that there’s nothing like a common enemy to unite a nation when he performed during the Super Bowl1 halftime show. *Stefon voice* His performance had EVERYTHING — Samuel L. Jackson dressed as as Uncle Sam, Black dancers forming an American flag with K. Dot dividing it in two, Serena Williams crip-walking, SZA crooning, a flared-leg jean!
But when I heard 70,000 people singing “A-minooooooooooooooor” along with Kendrick on the Grammy Award-winning diss track, Not Like Us, I knew someone needed to do a wellness check on Drake. Like, how can he show his face in America ever again? This cutie pie EVISCERATED him in front of millions of people!
“Say, Drake, I hear you like em young.” When you’re speaking to your enemy, make sure to look them straight in the eye. Speaking of Kendrick, shoutout to Heinz for taking the standout line from his song tv off (“MUSTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARD!”) and turning it into a whole ad campaign and partnership with the producer of that song, DJ Mustard. Who knew saying a condiment could be so fun?
Mother Monster is back. Lady Gaga dropped her new single/Mastercard commercial Abracadabra during the Grammys last week, and I’m low-key obsessed. It gives Bad Romance-era Gaga, and I’m here for it.
I’ve watched American Fiction three times and it just keeps getting better. Do yourself a favor and queue it up on Amazon Prime Video.
Millie De Chirico, the co-host of my favorite podcast I Saw What You Did, has teamed up with producer and host Casey O'Brien for a new podcast called Dear Movies, I Love You. Essentially, this is an inclusive podcast for movie lovers with wide-ranging tastes (complimentary!). I knew I would like this podcast when they made a Salute Your Shorts2 reference in the first episode. I’m excited to hear what Millie and Casey will talk about next. Just take a look at some of the topics they’ve covered in the first two episodes:
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Corner
Allow me to introduce a new feature to the blogletter: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Corner. DEI has become a bad word in business government America thanks to their lil president. However, in THIS house, we honor the differences we each bring to the table. Each week, I’ll feature cool products, companies and nonprofits run by people who come from historically marginalized communities. In capitalism, money talks, so let’s say it loud with our dollars.
DomoINK is a Black woman-owned brand run by illustrator Domonique Brown. Domonique’s designs play front and center on the artwork, home goods and apparel available on her website. This sentence from her About Me page says everything I need to know: “DomoINK is more than a brand; it is a celebration of diversity.”
I first saw DomoINK’s work in Target and fell in love with how colorful, bold and unapologetically Black all of the products are. Target has since rolled back its DEI initiatives, and customers have understandably began to boycott the retailer5. Unfortunately, this has impacted the Black creators with products are available in Target stores.
Let’s show a little love to creators like DomoINK by ordering products directly from their websites. DomoINK is currently running a Black History Month sale where everything is 10 percent off. I have my eye on this print called “Girl with the Bamboo Earring,” a print of Louisville’s own “Cassius” and these hot comb earrings.
I was vaguely rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles because I love Abbott Elementary and wanted that fiction cast to have a win. And Jalen Hurts’ face card NEVER declines, my GAWD.
“Get it right, or pay the price!” Oh, Ug, you grumpy bastard.
I’m partial to the original 1937 version with Janet Gaynor. We love classics ‘round these parts!
This movie came out my sophomore year of college, and BAYBEE. When I tell you I thought this was HIGH ART…
In an example of “play stupid games, win stupid prizes,” shareholders are now suing Target “for allegedly concealing the risks of its diversity and social initiatives, leading to a backlash that caused customers to flee and the stock price of the Minneapolis-based retailer to plummet,” according to Reuters.