I’m taking the weekend off from the usual Sunday newsletter, but pre-programmed some long weekend recommendations:
If you want to read more about Steve’s pillow use — here’s Some Dogs
“Why would Americans change their behavior to save the disabled and elderly if we’re presented as disposable to begin with?”
Big fan of this celebrity relationship development
Really interesting piece on the cultish language of wellness/mommy influencers [“DO YOUR RESEARCH!”]
How flight attendants became “punching bags for the public”
The Scams Friday thread turned out to be ridiculously good
The joys of re-adopting a childhood hobby
I’ve really been enjoying Maggie Rogers’ B-Sides album
My friend Irene’s exquisite jewelry is 30% of this weekend (I am obsessed with these ones)
Get ready for the LuLaRoe FOUR PART DOC coming September 10th (Meg Conley and I will have a conversation on this for the newsletter)
Gorgeous ceramics out of Tlaquepaque, Mexico (thank you Culture Study reader and Taco Report author Daniel Agee for sending these my way)
I have been making my way through The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast prepping for a forthcoming newsletter conversation with Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of Jesus and John Wayne. The podcast has some problems (more on that soon) but what a fascinating/horrifying document of 2000s masculinity
I am in love with Kristina Barker’s work and just took three of her prints to the frame shop and can’t wait for them to make their way to my wall
A perfect pasta recipe for the last gasp of summer
This week’s just trust me
If you read this newsletter and value it, consider going to the paid version. This is a taste of what Paid Subscribers get at the end of their Sunday email every week.
Other Subscriber Perks = weirdly fun/interesting/generative discussion threads, just for subscribers, every week, plus the Culture Study Discord, where there’s dedicated space for the discussion of this piece, plus channels for Job Searching, Advice, Chaos Parenting, Spinsters, Productivity Culture, and so much more.
If you are a contingent worker or un- or under-employed, just email and I’ll give you a free subscription, no questions asked. If you’d like to underwrite one of those subscriptions, you can donate one here.
If you’re reading this in your inbox, you can find a shareable version online here. You can follow me on Twitter here, and Instagram here — and you can always reach me at annehelenpetersen@gmail.com.
OMG I cannot wait for the LuLaRich documentary! My cousin-in-law and sister-in-law both used to sell LLR (and I used to buy a lot of it) and had wildly different experiences based on when they joined. My CIL was one of the early adopters and did super well but quit after having her first child in 2015; SIL came on later and thankfully broke even because she got out in 2017 (after she got pregnant) before everything came crashing down and was able to sell off her remaining inventory to other sellers.
The huge tragedy to me about LLR is that it could have been a more legitimate MLM like Mary Kay and Avon if they regularly carried basic colored items (in addition to their unique exclusive stuff) and the owners weren't so greedy and money driven. Their clothing was a lifesaver for me when I gained 45 pounds in 2016 because I didn't need to go out and buy a new wardrobe and awkwardly try on bigger sizes in the process - I was the same "Tall and Curvy" sized leggings as always. Plus those leggings were super soft which I appreciated as someone on the autism spectrum who struggles with texture.
Yet in their stupid business model black leggings were unicorns! I have knock knees (which means no thigh gap no matter how skinny I am) so I wear out leggings quickly so if they regularly carried black I would have have them on auto-order now for the past SEVEN years now!!! Also the fact that as a seller you couldn't pick your inventory styles and sizes was maddening. I loved their Amelia dresses yet I often had to buy them from SIL's friends because she rarely was able to get any in my size because inventory shipments were random. This makes zero business sense in any other business!
The quality of the clothing really took a nosedive, too, between when my CIL and SIL sold. The material felt less soft (especially on the Amelia dresses I loved) and the patterns were less likely to line up correctly. Also, because CIL got in early, she always got gorgeous patterns while SIL was shipped the ugliest stuff. It was disgusting how much money you had to put down to start ($5K) and yet had zero control over what ugly inventory they sent you and were continuously encouraged to buy more ugly inventory that you had zero control over what they sent you. As a result they encouraged sellers to team up, which made it harder for buyers to be loyal to just one person (which to me defeated the purpose because I would have bought so much more if I could just buy it from my family members).
Similar to the issue with few solid leggings they had few solid tops and dresses. I would have bought a lot more crazy patterns if I had solids to match them with. But no, the idea was that everything was supposed to be weirdly mismatchy. Um, no.
The whole thing is just tragic to me. Growing up, my mom was loyal to her Avon lady as if she were a small business owner with a storefront on Main Street. My mother-in-law used to sell Mary Kay and had a similar following of loyal customers. LuLaRoe could have been that, too, if they kept a regular product line of things you could order if your local person didn't have it in stock. OMG they could have make a killing during the pandemic, too - comfortable clothing in very flexible sizes that doesn't require a lot of trying on! In solids and trendy patterns! This whole thing breaks my heart more than it really should because as an aspie who hates buying and trying on clothes I would have been such a loyal customer to them for perhaps forever.
Very excited for the convo with Kristin Kobes Du Mez! I have Jesus and John Wayne on hold and am currently reading the similarly themed Unholy by Sarah Posner.