NO NONSENSE #29
Hey dolls,
It’s 2024 and we are back with our New Year’s recommendations. It’s January, it’s dark and miserable, and we’re all taking a moment to contemplate what we’re hoping for this year. Here’s the culture we’ve been taking in while we do that!
Misha M-N, Culture Editor
Film - Pink Narcissus
I think it’s best to bring in the New Year by rewatching things that set your taste level for the next twelve months. For me, that’s James Bidgood’s seminal (and semen filled) Pink Narcissus, an erotic odyssey into queer sensuality, all handmade and filmed in Bidgood’s tiny New York apartment and released anonymously in 1971. After being misattributed to Andy Warhol, Bidgood’s reappeared to claim his work and became an inspiration to many. His recent death hit hard but his legacy lives on forever.
Book - Idols of Perversity: Fantasies of Feminine Evil in Fin-De-Siecle Culture
Like everyone else, I’ve vowed to read more this year, so I’m starting with this. I think I found this book a while ago when I was watching the Suspiria remake and paused the film so I could read the titles of some of the books in the psychiatrist’s office, or in the staff room of the school, and spotted this. The title alone was worth the purchase price. I haven’t actually started yet, but I’m very excited to. “A witty and rewarding study of the ‘iconography of misogyny,’” what could be better?
Music - VSPRS, by Fabrizio Cassol
Intellectual, elevated classical music for new year new you? Girl I got you. This incredible album was made by Cassol in response to the glorious Monteverdi piece “Vesper della Beata Vergine,” alongside choreographer Alain Platel, which then featured in his fantastic dance theatre show VSPRS in 2006 with the company ‘Les Ballets C de La B”. I don’t know. I saw it on sky arts when I was hungover once and I loved it so much I cried real tears during the Magnificat section when the dancers just lie on the floor and vibrate. Aspirational.
Hatti Rex, Contributing Editor
Game: The Sims For Rent
Realistically this is the only way any of us would become a landlords which has turned out to be quite fun, don’t cancel me. The tenants do fight back if you’re particularly unethical though which is nice to see, not that I’m being evil on there. Your sims can also die from mould poisoning which hits a bit too close to home as I’m currently in a dispute with my old estate agents who allowed me to live in a black mould cave for a year. Maybe I should have revolted too.
Product: Laneige Water Sleeping Mask
Only realised how much my skin relied on this after running out, turns out I’m a scaly freak without it. My 2024 resolution is to physically, mentally and spiritually descale myself so I’ll be getting more.
Charlotte Landrum, Platform Editor
Dry Jan
In the least annoying way possible, I cannot recommend doing sober January enough! I did it last year and truly thought I would never complete it but I did and felt so good by the end. To have no hangovers, save money and practise some self discipline feels GOOD and everyone should try even if you think it'll be impossible.
Gina Tonic, Deputy Editor
Game: Animal Crossing
I got this for Xmas and I am addicted even though I’m so far behind the trend on it, but adding it as a recommendation anyway because last year saw me get a switch and get started in gaming and it really changed my downtime!! If you need more relaxing activities in your life, this is a great one to get stuck into.
Lauren O’Neill, Copy Editor
TV: Darts
I’m the least sporty person of all time myself but I do really weirdly love watching sport of all kinds, it’s my least girlypops trait but we contain multitudes. The World Darts Championship is kind of the highlight of my year in this regard – I went this year and last year and I’ve written about it (Opens in a new window) in the past too – because it combines all the excitement and tension I look for in my sports with the type of silly British culture that I also enjoy so much (everyone goes in fancy dress and sings football chants, basically). I know this is a weird recommendation but it’s really thrilling to watch and it’s pretty easy to pick up the rules so if you’re ever bored, whack it on girls you might be surprised x
See ya next time!
XOXO,
The Polyester Team
