Smoke Screen
It takes me roughly four hours a day to write this newsletter about the news. That leaves me twenty hours to binge television shows in order to take my mind off the news. You already have a pretty good idea of what I notice during the news portion of my day. But here’s something I’ve noticed on TV. Everyone is smoking. The cigarette may have surpassed the gun as Hollywood’s most popular prop. Maybe it makes it easier to get into character, maybe a cigarette serves as some sort of dramatic crutch, or maybe cigarettes just look cool again. Whatever it is, the smoking is not limited to dramatic limited series. It’s on social media as well. And there, the people doing the smoking are only playing themselves. “Whether you’re scrolling through social media or sifting through party inspiration online, you’ll find young stars like Addison Rae, Paul Mescal, Gracie Abrams, Hannah Einbinder, Rosalía, Doechii, Jeremy Allen White or Charli XCX holding a cigarette, oftentimes in a social setting. Regardless of how those images make it to the internet — they might be posted by the celebrities themselves or by outlets — the photos shape what’s cool and aspirational for stars’ impressionable teen and 20-something fans. Perhaps that’s why college students around the country are noticing smoke wafting around their campuses.” Bloomberg (Gift Article): Is Gen Z Romanticizing Cigarettes Again?
+ If you missed my election wrap up, I explained why Tuesday’s Dem sweep could be described as the McDonald’s election. And I’m not just talking about the ketchup-throwing Hamburglar. The Donald McDonald Election.
+ And I’d like to wish a happy 97th birthday to my favorite subscriber. She’s been here since the beginning, she has the highest open rate of any of you, and she’s drawn in many new subscribers from her community. You all benefit from her subscription, because she dramatically skews the NextDraft demographics upwards when it comes to smarts and ethics. She also provides the most useful feedback, such as, “David, the article you shared in the top spot today was really interesting. Maybe you should actually read it.” Happy Birthday, Mom!
