I am a collector of information. I’m not a hoarder — once I have it, I distribute it gleefully, whether you want it or not — but my mind palace is stacked to the rafters with things to know. I’ve never met a Wikipedia K-hole I didn’t want to fall down. It’s how I do what I do. Random-ass knowledge, applied properly, turns into great copy later on down the road.
What do I learn about? I mean… whaddya got? Who wouldn’t want to learn about advertising-related stuff, music-related stuff, history-related stuff, stuff that I randomly ran across on Facebook? Who wouldn’t want to discover that there was a historic battle between Helvetica and Univers, and that someone put to print 2,500 words on the subject? I mean, right?
Right?
I’ve loaded up on some great ones of late, and as always, I love to share. If you like your knowledge-bombs straightforward and succinct, this is not the post for you. If you like your deep dives Mariana Trench-deep and extremely specific, read on. These are the subjects that have kept me trapped in place, collecting knowledge I’ll probably never have any use for when I should be folding laundry.
In other words, heaven.
Helvetica
I’ve taken heat because of my affection for Helvetica. (No, I’m serious — someone once looked at my old, pre-CGC business card and said, “Is that… Helvetica?” like I’d just presented him with a turd in a hot-dog bun.) It’s just so straightforward and simple. And yeah, maybe art directors and typography nerds and whatever hate it because it’s so ubiquitous, but I’ve made it a point not to turn my nose up at something just because it’s popular. I mean, then I wouldn’t be able to appreciate the joys of “sweater weather.” (#Basic)
However, Helvetica wasn’t always the go-to it is today. Back in its infancy, it had a rival for neo-grotesque supremacy, and that rival was Univers. Print magazine looks at the history of the two fonts and the path by which Helvetica ultimately rose to the top.
Appoggiatura
If you aren’t a musician, you might have first heard the word appoggiatura during a discussion of the tear-jerkingness of Adele’s “Someone Like You.” (If you are a musician, you might have heard that discussion and thought, “But that’s not technically appoggiatura.”) But whether or not appoggiatura is the reason that one specific song has you crying into your ice cream, it definitely can contribute to such qualities in other songs.
At its most (over)simplified level, appoggiatura is just a way of creating and releasing musical tension in a way that makes you choke up. Cassette Theory takes a surprisingly accessible look at this phenomenon, for those of us pedantic enough to care whether or not that note change in “Someone Like You” is technically an appoggiatura and emotionally vulnerable enough to cry into our own ice cream while we’re listening to it.
Blue
What’s your favorite shade of blue? Mine is cobalt. Always has been. (I went to some lengths to refresh my stock of cobalt-blue cafe mugs when mine started to diminish for some reason. I mean, I can’t be expected to drink my coffee from a clear mug, can I? On a weekday, of all days?) I’m a big fan of ultramarine, though, possibly because it’s so bright, possibly because it was so expensive. I’ve had a relationship drift apart in part due to ultramarine, though, so it’s a bittersweet love. (Who hasn’t been there?)
Well, if you’ve yet to settle on a favorite shade of blue, My Modern Met is there for you with a look at the history of every shade of blue ever. Are you more of a navy or a cerulean? Might you be a YInMn? (And what the hell is YInMn?) Don’t try to choose yet — there’s a lot to unpack before you make this very important decision.
The sad Zoloft blob
Were you heartbroken by the sad li’l oval in the early-‘00s Zoloft commercial? The one who couldn’t even appreciate a pretty tweeting bird? And then he was smiling and bouncing and following the bird, because he took Zoloft? Of course you were. You have a soul. (I’m assuming.)
Well, Mel magazine has taken a deep look into the history of Sad Blob, the elegantly simple brainchild of erstwhile Beavis and Butthead and Daria animator Patrick Smith. Lauren Vinopal talks to Smith and to a few medical professionals to get a thorough idea of its origins, implications, and legacy.
The
The what? Just, y’know… the. Because it’s awesome in its simplicity. Those three little letters carry power beyond our understanding. It’s dictated the very way we speak. Six little strokes of a pen, and everything changes.
Or something. I don’t know, BBC Culture’s Hélène Schumacher seems SUPER into the unappreciated power of the, and I have no reason to question her. She certainly makes a good argument in this article.
I know, right?
My sincerest apologies for seducing you into spending your entire afternoon engrossed in the history and significance of the. (Because I’m sure you did that.) Honestly, I get a lot of sincere joy out of reading this kind of lengthy, extremely detailed explorations, because it’s likely that the person is SUPER interested in what they’re writing about and enthusiastic about sharing it, and people being interested and enthusiastic about things makes me happy for them. (What? Yes, I’m still a cynical harridan. I’m just a cynical harridan with layers.)
Anyway, read up. And be aware that I’m always on the hunt for my next overthorough exploration of a Thing. Any opportunity to share in someone else’s unusually specific enthusiasm. And, because I’m honest, any excuse not to fold laundry.