My personality is Green Wing, country music and International Klein Blue

Welcome along! Here's everything you need to know about me and my relationship with Culture at the moment...for now. Just right now. Don't hold me to any of it. We are all capable of change.

Some of you might know me from my musings on comedy. Some of you might know me from being my close personal friends and family. Some of you might not know me at all. Whatever which way you know me or don’t, I thought a little introduction might be in order. 

So, in the spirit of getting to know each other, I’m sharing a list of my favourite things at the moment — some of which I will probably expand on in future posts or retract with a full and unreserved apology. This is not a complete list, so I’ll do more of these to make sure everyone knows me fully and properly.

I can get a little obsessive about cultural things (in a cute way). I do a lot of repeat watching and listening and get reeeeally into the things I like. I often describe things as my ‘favourite’ or ‘the best’, but I’m not being hyperbolic, my capacity for enjoying stuff is large like an 18-wheeler or the whole of space. On the other hand, I also don’t like a lot, but I’m not here to talk about that. If you want to know, you can ask me directly for 1 (one) object of my dislike and I will tell you as a secret.

Anyway, this is what I’m into at this juncture of my life. Do let me know if you can relate to any of this. Am I relatable? I’ve always wondered…

My country music playlist

I adore country music. Nashville country. Texas country. Country pop. Trad country. Bluegrass. Bro country. I don’t care, if it’s twingen’, I’m twangen’.

My Twingen’ Twangen’ Country Bops is an ever-growing pile of country songs with no order at all and is the only playlist I never get sick of. The one that holds up in every season, though nothing beats a windows down summertime drive. I played it while driving the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina with two of my favourite people and their dog. Can you imagine listening to Heads Carolina, Tails California while in actual Carolina!? Anyway, now the weather is not horrific in London, I* will be driving around (*my sister, I can’t drive) blasting it. Feel free to save!

Who’s in it: Willie Nelson, Luke Combs, Beyoncé, Loretta Lynn, Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves, Brittney Spencer, Jo Dee Messina, Tanner Adell. A million more.

Ratatouille

I know every second of this film better than you. It’s my Mastermind topic. I can mouth along to the entire confection. It’s perfect. Don’t come to me with complaints about rodent hygiene — take that to the health inspector. The fact of the matter is, I’ve never in my life wanted to eat ratatouille. It looks rubbish! But when little Remy the Rat makes it I want to eat it all down! Give me that overpriced plate of root vegetables whether it’s got droppings in it or not! 

Defying Gravity

You haven’t really gotten to know me until I’ve karaoke-d Defying Gravity with/at you. I am Elphaba obvs, you’re free to be townsfolk or Glinda if we’re close. My ability to hit the high notes may have decreased as I’ve aged and my voice has broken (honestly was not expecting to go through a second voice break when entering my 30s?? Wtf was that about??), but I make up for it with extreme effort and commitment. A bar near my home has a recording of me singing it on my birthday which I know because I SAW one of the bar staff filming me but I haven’t had the tits to ask about it.

Green Wing

In my opinion, Green Wing is the best British sitcom of all time. It’s one of the first TV comedies I watched that made me laugh with my entire gut. I have formed friendships off the back of this show. The writing is perfect, the acting is perfect, the editing is perfect. It’s perfectly unhinged. I really think it was quite instrumental in my tastes in comedy and what I find funny.

I’m SO happy that Green Wing is back in audiobook form. It took a few minutes to get used to the new format and not being able to see Mac’s lion’s mane or Dr Statham’s stylish elan with my own eyes, but I love it. They’ve carried the story on in the full original spirit of the series. I know that hospital so well that I can watch it in my mind’s eye.

If you’re new, it’s essential you watch the TV series before listening to the audio show. I’m going to write a massive deep dive on Green Wing at some point. Just you wait.

Chris Riddell’s illustrations

These have been with me for as long as I can remember. Before I was old enough to read the Beyond the Deepwoods chronicles (by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell), I would see my sister devouring them. They’ve become inextricably linked in my mind with her, and I think that’s why I love these images so much. Their unique intricacy and expressiveness made swamp-dwelling creatures and sky pirates real like nothing else. So imagine my joy when he teamed up with Phoebe Bridgers (I’m bi* and worried, don’t act surprised that I love her).

I have a set of cards he created called Paths — they’re a pack of different landscapes with paths that align, letting you walk around and discover new worlds. I’ve never managed to commit to learning what Tarot is all about, but I use these cards regularly for personal storytelling and emotional grounding purposes. 

*technically

Going for a little walk to get a coffee and coming straight home <3

Taking my own mug to the local coffee shop before work, with my hair curler still in my fringe, getting my coffee and drinking it as I walk back home, clutching it in both my chubby little hands.

favetiktoks420

I don’t have TikTok. I had it for a week for work a few years ago and it drained my phone battery and life force so I deleted it. Instead, I rely on whatever makes it to Instagram to keep up with the kids. The best of all is favetiktoks420 by Leia Jospé, who does the lord’s work in curating some of the most bizarre and general best TikToks directly to me. Some are painful to watch, some are not. It’s called FAVEtiktoks not CRINGEtiktoks for a reason. One of my fave regulars is a guy who does a really weird lizard robot walk to electronicky music. Another is a sweet guy who loves Jesus and smiling and exhaling heavily between every sentence. Heh. Tiktok behaviour is beyond my understanding. But I have a deep anthropological interest in it and favetiktoks satiates that academic hunger.

Swimming (outside)

I’m not good at swimming, but I do like it. And that is what is important! I don’t have to be good at something to want to keep doing it! Therapy works, you guys.

Baths (inside)

If I haven’t posted a picture of my bath for a long time, my friends get worried about me. I’m very specific in my requirements for bathing. No artificial light. Lavender-based scents only. Generally an oil/salt gal over a bubble gal.

International Klein Blue (or close enough)

It seems to be the colour of the moment but it was mine first. Ever since I was allowed to pick out my first duvet cover and chose a blue checked pattern. I’ve been blue da ba dee da ba di for my whole life. It’s only recently that people have caught onto it being the most soulful colour. It's this very particular shade of Yves Klein blue as well — not sky blue, not turquoise — because it’s deep and warm. Don’t think blue can be warm? Try harder!

The BBC Interiors Cinematic Universe

Ok, so we’re talking about a few major players here. Let’s start with Interior Design Masters. You’ve got 10 amateur designers of VERY varying ability and taste competing for the win. The best contestant and winner remains Banjo Beale, who went onto host Designing the Hebrides, in which he gives makeovers to the small businesses in his local area. It’s wonderful and features Piers, one of the tradesmen in Interior Design Masters, who comes along to help him out. But that’s not it! Rob the carpenter from Interior Design Masters is ALSO in Stacey Solomon’s Sort Your Life Out, the most satisfyingly therapeutic show ever. (They get really cluttered houses, put all their belongings in a warehouse, make them get rid of 50% of it and then put everything else back but organised.) I haven’t noticed any overlaps with Angela Scanlon’s Your Home Made Perfect yet, but if you see, you’ll let me know won’t you?

Greece

Everything about it, except ouzo. No, thank you!

Las Culturistas

Readers. Publicists. Kayteighs. Finalists.

I love Wednesdays, they’re my favourite podcast day. Sorry to all my other podcasts but I can’t get enough of Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers. I love them. I love Las Cultch. They are the Conversation. They are the culture that made me say culture is [still] for me. I go to see movies and listen to new songs earlier than I otherwise would because I want to fully understand what they’re talking about. If you like The Culture and you’re not yet listening to Las Culturistas, you don’t know what’s good for you and I should be sole executor of your estate. 

thanks for joining me for this LONG introduction :) I hope you stick around. I’m lining up lots of great features, interviews and reviews so there’ll be a whole lot of variety around here.

Love,

Zoe xx