Welcome to the Monday Memo — your pop culture snapshot from Manifesto.
Hey friends, Mondays can be tough. Here are 7 things to make May 1st, 2023, a bit better.
© 2023, Get Stitched
1. Artist of the Week: Katrina Lynn
Katrina Lynn is a Milwaukee-based artist and fashion designer who specializes in bringing new life to vintage textiles in unexpected and sustainable ways. Her latest collection, which dropped on April 27, was created by repurposing items like 1950s seed sacks and old bedspreads into one-of-a-kind pieces.
2. What we're listening to: Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Apple Podcasts
Emmy-award-winning actress Julia Louis-Freyfus wants to know why we don't hear from older women, so in her new podcast, she does something about it! Louis-Freyfus sits down with legends like Jane Fonda, Carol Burnett, Amy Tan—and more, "to get schooled in how to live a full and meaningful life."
3. What we're watching: Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All
Ahead of Ed Sheeran's newest album, Subtract, Disney+ is releasing a four-part documentary following Sheeran's unlikely rise from a young boy with a shutter to one of the biggest global superstars. Fans have often been drawn to Sheeran for his humble approachability and raw talent, and we can't wait to get to know Ed even better. Just thinking out loud, we should watch this when it drops on Wednesday.
4. Trend & Advertising Highlight: A More Inclusive Barbie World
Barbie has long been accused of upholding unrealistic, singular beauty standards. In response, the company has worked to release a more diverse line of dolls with their "Fashionistas" line, including dolls with wheelchairs, vitiligo, hearing aids, and prosthetic limbs. This year, the brand partnered with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) to create a doll that accurately represents individuals with Down syndrome. The doll captures the common physical characteristics associated with Down Syndrome, like a shorter frame, round face, smaller ears, and almond-shaped eyes. But, it doesn’t stop there. The doll also features a necklace with three upward chevrons that represent the three copies of the 21st chromosome, the genetic material associated with Down syndrome. This feels so impactful and not simply a PR move because of the real partnership between Barbie and the folks at the NDSS. Charles, our Associate Creative Director and proud dad to an incredible daughter with Down syndrome said, "The Down syndrome doll is amazing because it's more than just a nod to inclusion; it's a way to raise awareness for the community and give them representation. There have been a number of companies in recent years that have included kids with Down syndrome in their advertising, and it goes a long way toward communicating that these kids have a place alongside neurotypical kids. They make the world brighter."
5. Cognitive Bias of the Week: Illusory Correlation
Illusory Correlation is when we see an association between two variables (events, actions, ideas, etc.) when they aren’t associated. A common example of this bias in action is with "lucky" sports jerseys. Let's say you have worn the same jersey to your football team's home games for over 20 years. You may even tell yourself that the success of the team hinges on whether or not you wear it. When you look at it from the outside, your choice of clothing will have no bearing on how a professional football team plays. We see that certain things consistently occur with or after others, which leads us to conclude that they are related. We may not know why they are related, but we know their occurrence is tied together. It's natural for our brains to attempt to find links between things and therefore believe we have more power over the world than we actually do. So, while there is no harm in having a "lucky jersey," don't place the responsibility of a win or loss on your shoulders.
UPDATE: WE TAKE BACK EVERYTHING WE SAID, THE BUCKS ARE OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS! WHO TOOK OFF THEIR LUCKY SHIRT??? We just wanna talk.
"Are you there Judy? It's me, Karen:" In 1982, 12-year-old Karen McCulloch Chilstrom wrote a letter to author and activist Judy Blume. For 40 years they have continued their correspondence. 6. Good News of the Week:
Milwaukee woman finds friendship, healing with Judy Blume as a pen pal for 40 years (On Milwaukee)
Taylor Swift Is donating to food banks on The Eras Tour route (Billboard)
Writers start a campaign to push publishing towards carbon neutrality (Optimist Daily)
Mom wins lottery with ticket she bought to celebrate her daughter's victory against cancer (GNN)
A Fort Worth woman is helping give warm, comfortable beds to young children who don’t have one (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
7. Bonus: "if i were a fish" by corook (feat. Olivia Barton)
If there was an award for the most wholesome and catchy song on TikTok right now, this would win. Corook said, "I was having a very emotional day, feeling insecure and out of place. So I cried to Olivia and after feeling through it, we wrote this song in 10 minutes to remember the joy in being different.” The tune is sure to swim around in your head for days to come.