What’s Hot?
This week, we’re taking Jack Wills into the future, gramming like its 2011, finding beauty in the everyday, and talking about snogging.
Life as a reformed Jack Wills addict
I was a real Jack Wills girl aged 14-17, donning a gilet, blue and pink striped everything, and hoodies advertising surfing locations I’d never heard of. It was THE designer brand of my teens, although I’ll never fully understand why.
If I had to say, I’d probably put it down to the quarterly catalogues that dropped through the letterbox. The models laid out in a Skins-style-slump-on-the-floor (of an 18th century mansion, no less) and my parents were perfectly fine with me admiring the models and flicking through because (unlike the real Skins) there wasn’t a can in sight, no one had their boobs out, and there was a very striking ornate mantlepiece behind them.
Jack Wills has more recently been struggling to keep up with the times. Looking like a ‘posho’ isn’t cool anymore (even in Balham…) The brand has therefore taken recent steps to rebrand itself as cool and urban, albeit to much mockery online. But it’s fair enough that Jack Wills moved with the market, right? Rather than continuing to push trackies that say “UNIVERSITY OUTFITTERS” until their very last factory closes?
We can laugh all we want about this change of tact, but I used to be their perfect Surrey girl, and now I’m wearing the puffers and mom jeans like in the latest ad. What can we learn from this? That Jack Wills knows who their audience has grown up into… and maybe that I am the most basic b**** to have ever lived.
‘Gram like its 2011
Retro-lovers, this is one for you! Instagram has brought back a chronological feed option for all users. Yes, that’s right – the one it launched with in 2011! Say buh-bye to the algorithm and hello to weird posts from people you actually know. You’ll have two extra options now – ‘Following’, the old-school 2011 feed option, or ‘Favourites’, where you can select 50 of your BFFs and most influential influencers to prioritise.
Finding beauty in the everyday
We’ve got another Twitter account for you to follow this week, and it’s the most satisfying scroll we’ve had in 2022 to date. Introducing Noah Verrier, the everyday oil painter. Shooting to fame with his painting of a grilled cheese earlier this month, Noah has kept his audience engaged with paintings of fries, burgers, doughnuts, beer… You name the food you were craving after your latest night out, and Noah has painted it.
To quote Pam Halpert, of The Office US fame: “There’s a lot of beauty in ordinary things. Isn’t that kind of the point?”
Short answers on Shorts
The popularity of YouTube shorts is kinda surprising – the TikTok/Reels competitor seemed like a joke at first, but user numbers continue to go up. This week, YouTube shared some new insights into the channel to help budding creators.
Wondering whether Shorts contribute to your overall performance stats? Should you create a separate Shorts channel? Why are Shorts displayed in such an ugly way?
Answers to all this and more here!
Turning Red
I can’t remember the last time a Pixar film caused as much controversy as Turning Red (which is about a girl whose family has a secret – when they hit puberty, they turn into giant red pandas when they get emotional) I watched the film before I heard about any of this, and I was pretty shocked at the reviews…
One controversy around Turning Red is the ‘adult themes’, due to 13-year-old Mei discussing periods and fantasising about snogging boys. Personally, I can’t remember anything I discussed more or fantasised about more aged 13. Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, anyone?
The other main complaint came from Cinema Blend critic Sean O’Connell, who said the film exhausted him due to the target audience feeling “very specific and very narrow”. Presumably by that he meant female, Asian and Canadian. But as a female, Asian and British person, I have to admit that I did not feel exhausted watching the Lord of The Rings, despite not being male, white or a hobbit. Weird that.
