capitalist crushes no. 1: my brain is fried
capitalist crushes no. 1: my brain is fried
so here are a bunch of things that have helped me pull thru during this time!!!
Introducing Capitalist Crushes!
A return to form!
For those of you who have followed since the earliest days of Is This What You Want? you might be surprised that I’m putting this edition out. For those unfamiliar, ITWYW’s origins as an e-mail wishlist for my friends and loved ones to buy me stuff (lol, original scammer, hell yeah) quickly evolved into something more meaningful and full of depth. I felt weird about shilling things I loved to people (and asking me, and them) to buy, and there was so much in the world that I couldn’t ignore. Turns out, writing about feelings and difficult topics can lead to burnout and exhaustion. Partnered with a presentation and the amount of travel that’s been happening recently: I’ve been writing, but not diligent about putting posts up on here. At least nothing long-form or resourceful. I suppose. I don’t know.
What has been on my mind lately is the amount of content I’ve consumed. So I thought I’d share some of these things with you. Many of them are books that I’m looking forward to, and might end up on RC2. (That is, the Radical + Critical Reading Collective book club I’m starting up soon!) This is the first edition of a new recurring series on this newsletter that I’ll call “Capitalist Crushes,” where I make very clear that I shill items and beloved things that I’ve enjoyed over the last couple weeks/months/whatever, and share them with you. Here’s the first edition: FRIED BRAIN!
Again, I’m a staunch anti-capitalist forced to live under capitalism. I’m trying my best. I am also the number one captain of little treats, so let me live. For full transparency, links that have affiliate codes (I get a small cut lol) or discount codes are all over. Some links are just linked. You’ll be able to tell which one is which (trust me.)
Take a look, it’s in a book: A book I love
For transparency: You can shop all of the choices below through my Bookshop affiliate link here! All of these affiliate links help support me and make a living, and they also provide you with books. A more sustainable option than purchasing is requesting these books from your local library, or checking to see if they’re available as e-books on Libby or Everand (formerly Scribd.)
As many neurodiverse folks are wont to do, I love procrastination! I will procrastinate anytime, anywhere, on any project! My old therapist told me that people with ADHD tend to work better under a time crunch, but procrastination also comes with the fear of failure. If I leave things until the last minute, no one can blame me if they suck (they can, but eh.) She also told me that "perfect is the enemy of good” and that I should strive to be good enough, not perfect. And that showing up means I’ve already taken a step in the right direction.
So, when it came to my presentation Cosmos of Care for the MWLF, I ended up reading a lot of ARCs (advanced reader copies) from Netgalley to push me through to the last slides. My spouse jokes that I spent six months working on these slides (hyperbolic, much?) And then he shortened it to three months (more accurate.) But in the process, I’ve compiled a list of books I’ve consumed over the last month and a half of working on my slides. Here are some of my favourites.
More Than Two (2nd edition) by Eve Rickert and Andrea Zanin: My therapist recommended the original edition of More Than Two when we started seeing each other. Rickert’s co-author of the first edition is problematic and abusive and did not treat many of his partners ethically. I’m unsure of how Rickert finagled the rights and such, but I’m glad she brought on Zanin to partake in creating this new edition. It feels more inclusive and points out the colonist and imperialist mindset that centres amatonormativity as the end-all, be-all. (Yes, read the book to understand.) I loved Kim TallBear's introduction and the fact that they mention updated references like Polysecure, the new "bible" of the non-monogamous set. The interdependence on other literature and conversing with other works felt wholesome and indicative of the authors’ generosity. For Rickert to provide more resources despite being one of the pioneers of representation, is excellent. It feels like a completely different book from the original in many ways. The authors borrow from disability justice pioneers like Mia Mingus and introduce more inclusive identities and examples. Rickert and Zanin, though both white, are inspired by Black abolitionist leaders, disability justice pioneers, queer elders and theorists-- citing them and giving them space to decolonize the Western hegemony that prevails. I'd say think of this book as a friendly reminder that humanity's spectrum is vast and that relationships are ultimately about being kind to one another. This is an absolute recommendation from me and a must-consume for anyone interested in alternative relationship styles. 5/5
Take me back to the start: TV time
One defining feature of my lore is that I love Sailor Moon. Despite the shitty Funimation dub, I would sit in front of the television and tune in for that familiar theme song. I even went to one of my school photo days dressed like a Sailor Guardian. (This picture is a favourite of my friends.)
When the series had a reboot a couple of years ago, I watched that with glee and rejoiced at the more accurate storyline (compared to the other dubs and subs) that was closer to the manga. The final chapter of the series, the film Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos, was finally released widely on Netflix on Aug 22, 2024. There are two parts and I am SCREECHING. I’ve wanted to view this storyline from the manga for a long time, and this adaptation does it justice.
I will warn you that any way you spin it, Usagi (Sailor Moon)’s voice actor is good at making her sound annoying. I believe this film was released in theatres when it came out in Japan last year, but was unavailable to watch until the Netflix release. Like Eternal that came before, it’s split into two parts. I won’t ruin it for anyone, but the last portion of Sailor Moon (Cosmos story arc) is full of death, trauma, and other challenging themes. It’s also SO FRIGGIN QUEER! The queerest! Anyway, it’s out now on Netflix. Go watch it.
Take a chance on me: Gaming & Entertainment
I’ve succumbed to the gaming bug yet again. I’m a cosy gamer, and when I’m too exhausted to read, I’ll pull up a new game to relax. For the bulk of the initial COVID lockdowns, I obsessed over Animal Crossing. I’ve gone through ups and downs with my gaming, but I’ve found one of the most relaxing cosy games I’ve played in a long time.
Minami Lane (released Feb 2024): You are recruited by this tanuki, Ema, to manage the titular street Minami Lane. It’s a street-management sim that has a sandbox mode. The main storyline took me around three hours to complete, but you can take each mission at your own pace. There’s also a feature for sandbox mode, in where you can build unlimited buildings with your street in a mode with limited resources (you start from scratch, with restrictions and money involved) or creativity mode, where you’re more focused on the aesthetics of the lane, rather than worrying about capitalism. Yes, this game is sort of about capitalism, but this is a feature about capitalism, and also it’s affordable and worth the investment. Again, the main storyline is short, but infinite replayability. The soundtrack is calming. And it’s made by an indie developer!
Thanks for exploring the things I’ve enjoyed that kept me sane over the last month. What things have you consumed this month that you can’t stop thinking about? What have you enjoyed? New favourite books or films? What about video games?
Tell me all. I’d love to catch up with you. Send an email back, if you’d like!
x
Christa