friday five 7.7.17

FRIDAY, JULY 7TH

1. putting 'don giovanni' on a truck, and returning opera to its roots

I love this so much! Sometimes you hear complaints of a lack of appreciation for good art, but I think accessibility cultivates appreciation. I think that it's nice to have some things that still exist in a pure form, not simply to be consumed through the lens of an Instagram filter.

2. china's rich girls - 101 east

I have so much respect for Al Jazeera's storytelling. This feature series is a little bit of a different direction, but I really like that. Chinese "new money" is absurd, but unlike the Kardashians, I think this actually puts a rather relatable face on the ultra-rich. Maybe I'm biased, but even these girls appear to have more substance, and I think that's what makes this feature so interesting. I started watching and disliking them, but I felt sympathetic toward the end. That's a good narrative.

3. equality hits a glass ceiling in liberal dreamland

Countries like Denmark and Sweden are often the gold standard of gender equality, so it's disheartening to see that these problems still exist. But no one ever said equality was easy; it's a state in flux, not an achievement or a project to be completed. It takes constant work.

4. watch this guy play super mario bros. irl in central park using hololens

This is legitimately one of the coolest things I've ever seen. I can't even imagine how much work went into this.

5. a new museum is preparing people for the downfall of capitalism

We often think of of capitalism as this infallible, naturally-occurring phenomenon, but it's interesting to examine exactly how capitalism came to be, and where it's going. While capitalism may be a permanent fixture of our society, it's not sustainable in its current form (see: "The Story of Stuff" or just Google "fast fashion"). It's food for thought. I think interacting with these exhibits will make people realize what income inequality really means (I actually wrote about the minimum wage machine on Canopy's "How To Start A Fire" blog a couple years ago, check it out!), but the key is connecting these lessons to apply to our everyday lives and our everyday choices.