32. Ten things to watch when it's too cold to go outside
I watch it so you don't have to (or so I tell myself)
Today’s letter includes: 10 shows to watch, Netflix’s wild $72B play, Gen Z choosing butler life over offices, the death of the billable hour, and why Michelin apparently believes Brooklyn doesn’t exist.
I’m in LA, the city where every street corner screams “For Your Consideration,” and yet I’m somehow the only person at this leadership offsite that cares about Lulu Wang and Barry Jenkins tying the knot (Lulu and Barry forever!).
Before LA, there was a 6 hour flight and before that, there was NYC. At “30 degrees, feels like 10” I did what I always do when I need to hibernate inside, warmed only by a small Chihuahua and a weighted blanket: watched relentlessly.
Here’s 10 ideas for occupying a few hours of your life.
Eddington. Iconic. No notes. You have to see it. [HBO]
Weapons. Kinda camp. Justin Long cameo felt random. Lots of Naruto Running. [HBO]
Frankenstein. It’s funny to think about how it’s Jacob Elordi under there. This is a dude movie, but still worth it because Del Toro visually never disappoints. [Netflix]
Smoke Signals. A 1998 classic coming of age story (one of the few about modern Native Americans) based on Sherman Alexie’s short story collection. Thomas will charm your pants off. [Paramount Plus, Delta Flights]
Folktales. Sundance doc about a Folk High School above the Arctic Circle in Norway where kids learn to dog sled. Watch it on your next Delta flight and weep. [Delta Flights or $4.99]
Secret Lives of Mormon Wives S3. I mean, I can’t claim to know about culture and not partake? Demi, it’s not looking good for you girl! [Hulu]
House of Guinness. The Irish soundtrack slaps. All I can think about is how the guy who plays Edward is dating Olivia Rodrigo IRL. [Netflix]
Sirens. A show that seems like it should star Nicole Kidman but we’re really glad it’s actually Julianne Moore. Meghann Fahy does a great job as well in a very different character than she played in White Lotus. [Hulu]
Wicked 2. Better than everyone said. Still laughing about the Wicked Sex Sweater. [Theaters]
Overcompensating. Loved it, Benny Drama is funny. I fear this does not need a second season though, sorry. [Prime Video]
Need to watch I Love LA next. Lmk if you’ve seen anything good lately.
Netflix buys Warner Bros. Discovery in $72B deal. Lawmakers and industry groups such as the Directors Guild of America have already raised antitrust concerns. One “expert lawyer” literally was like, “I don’t really understand why Warner Bros. agreed to this….”
Even more... billionaires...The global billionaire population has surged to 2,919 this year, with the collective wealth of the world’s richest cohort reaching $15.8 trillion, according to a recent study by Swiss bank UBS. Which may bring context to the fact that…
….Gen Z is ditching cubicles for billionaire butler life. Young workers are increasingly choosing private staff roles—nannies, chefs, yacht crew—over traditional corporate jobs, lured by six-figure salaries and the promise of watching the ultra-rich up close. The trade-off? Being on call 24/7 and occasionally cleaning up after someone’s $10,000 pet while they close million-dollar deals.
Consulting’s billable hour era is officially over. McKinsey now makes 25% of its revenue from outcome-based pricing instead of the traditional “pay us whether this works or not” model. Strategy work has shrunk to under 20% of revenue as AI transforms how consulting actually works. Other Big Four firms are scrambling to catch up, with some considering full software-as-a-service pivots. The question remains: when AI projects inevitably fail, who takes the blame?
I can’t decide if I like this. Do we like this?
Slack CEO departs for OpenAI. Slack’s CEO Denise Holland Dresser to serve as the AI giant’s new chief revenue officer as it looks to bolster its enterprise growth.
The Team Behind Public Records is reimagining a 10,000-square-foot warehouse space. It will be a venue at MADE Bush Terminal along the Sunset Park waterfront and hopefully opening in 2026. Not sure how much clubbing one wants to do after Hot Pot, but soon we’ll find out.
Michelin gave six New York restaurants new stars—none in Brooklyn. Brooklyn Magazine throwing the shade: “Apparently, Michelin believes the world ends at the East River. Bold for a company that sells tires!”
Substack is testing a pilot program for native ads. Let’s watch this play out.
Rumor has it that Substack is suppressing free content. If you’d like to resist the algorithm pushing paid content only, then liking, sharing, quoting and restacking this newsletter will help! <3
If I was a model, this is my ideal campaign. Just sleeping.
