Staring & Questioning
Wait, what? Also, why?
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I spent time letting two spots swirl in my head the last couple of days. And much of this dispatch stems from that.
There are questions aplenty circling around Rick Rubin and non-gambling gambling platforms. Come, wonder with me.
And there is the furious and fiery short from India with women behind, in front and all around the camera, the story, the narrative.
Also, some takes on A24 and Enhanced games- with some nuns thrown in for fun!
You can get every missive here on Substack, or over on Linkedin, if that’s your jam.
Cheers,
Shakey
Eloquence of Prediction: Questions are everything, what is this?
Curated/Cut: Stare: powerful intensity from two Indian brands.
Takes: Enhanced games? A24 and Google? What say you.
➕ with · nuns on pods · Tidal on AI · Singapore’s animation pride ·
And oh- TCB will be away next week, don’t go calling the cops.
1. The eloquence of prediction
Here is a good-looking, profound-sounding, important-feeling spot.
Directed by Gabriel Moses, we have eight-time Grammy winner, genius musical producer and now very visible creative guru to the world Rick Rubin bookending the spot, as he narrates what sound like significant questions of our time.
Indeed, “Questions Are Everything”, we are told.
Questions like, “What borders will matter in 100 years? Do aliens exist? Will tradition evolve? Can the youth lead a nation? Can you predict the future? Do elections matter? Will we be divided? Do you believe in anything?”
But the existential queries start with football hooks, because it’s FIFA World Cup time, and all messaging must be passed through that filter. “Can the US win it all? Will France return to glory?”
Getting into the spirit, I had some questions of my own. I will also answer some (Rick didn’t), but as per the vibe, most shall remain rhetorical.
What is this ad for? Polymarket.
Great. Erm, what is Polymarket? It is an online ‘prediction market’, a thing that’s become a thing in recent months or a year or two. You have a take, a guess, a hunch? Stake money behind your opinion and stand to win. Or lose.
So, betting? It is essentially a stock market for predictions. Instead of buying shares in companies, you buy shares in the outcome of future events. So no, clearly not gambling at all.
What? Yeah, if you don’t live in the US, large parts of the world won’t know what this is, and wouldn’t have heard of this great new not-gambling trend.
Who are these people? Besides Rubin, the spot features rapper Future and Mexican singer Peso Plumas, and many other anonymously important global people.
What is this ad? This is a borderline rhetorical question, because clearly this ad does not need to be questioned, even though, of course, questions are everything.
Polymarket wants to inhabit a space that makes the brand seem intellectually stimulating, a lofty space about truth, uncertainty, knowledge and the future. Almost like they wish to be a ‘cultural brand’, if that’s a thing.
Douglas Brundage termed this spot ‘Nikeslop’, saying “unlike the glory days of Nike or Apple manifestos, it says almost nothing.”
But now, back to some more questions- sans answers.
Why is Rick Rubin doing this ad?
How is gambling a way of life?
What about the high heels?
Do you know a Spaniard who cares about the ‘football vs soccer’ debate?
Is it a skill to elevate words without elevating their meaning?
Did you feel swept up by the poetryness poeticism of it all?
Did you know poetryness is not a word?
Do you like to gamble? Did you know it’s not gambling to have an opinion?
What percentage of world cup watchers will pause to see and hear Rick Rubin?
What is Rick Rubin doing?
Why?
· Directed by Gabriel Moses · Better Half · Four Four Ent ·
Look, I might come across as disparaging the spot, but I am not sure that’s it. It is finely made, its vibe could well be the kind I myself would have made in times gone by (and kinda have- on opinions too- way, way back). Heck, I would like to do a spot like that now too. So, well done to the production teams (and against a crazy deadline too, I hear). It’s the wider frame that leaves me sceptical, the use of a faux-philosophical feel that (in my humble view) doesn’t hold up to deeper scrutiny. The fact that it is for a slightly questionable product, sigh, doesn’t help.
Many commenters have felt a kind of sadness seeing Rick Rubin sell a gambling platform, and find it all head-shakingly incongruous. The other leading prediction market is Kalshi; they did a spot with a certain Chalamet a while back. It similarly said nothing about the product, was a bit surreal or lateral, and had a similar “no Timotheee, not you too!” reception.
Predictive markets are engulfed in debate around gambling and targeting young people with the promise of easy money. Both platforms have been accused of deceptive (even outright false) marketing efforts. And more here ($).
Vaguely relatedly, Rick Rubin is speaking with Jay Z in an 8 part docu on HBO coming later this year.
Also relatedly, it is said Meta explored acquiring Kalshi. Because, Meta.
2. Curated/Cut - Staring
Stop. Stare. Watch this.
Very bold, very wild, a bit weird, a lot of power, some mystique, plenty of fearless expression.
But what is it?
Is it another spot, like Polymarket’s, where the vibe is primary and the product incidental? Maybe, but unlike that spot, once you know what this is for, it falls into place much better.
This is made for a jewellery line. And its not intended to feel like an ‘ad’.
Nor Black Nor White (NBNW) is a young Indian fashion brand started by two friends raised in Toronto, returning to Bombay to dig deeper into their roots- “to respect the past is to respect the process and the people who carry it forward”. You might have seen their striking partnership with Nike last year featuring Indian women cricketers.
Bhavya Ramesh is a jewellery maker, “a silverware brand, fostering love & oneness “.
They have come together to a self-described exploration of feminine extremes and the power of the mystical, ”Reflecting on the softness in rage, strength in vulnerability and the beauty in acceptance.”
The result is STARE. A line born from the collaboration of three creative minds, three women and their shared perspectives.
“Diving into the ideas of how we deal with an unwanted gaze, what measures we take to protect ourselves and honour the feminine experience of it all.”
The film comes from the fiery mind of director Bijoy Shetty (you might know him from the killer Hanumankind music videos). Inspiration seems to come from myriad places, like the nazar battu, Kerala, chudails (?), even this viral staring lady.
The short feels like a spectacle, its intensity burning through every frame, leaving you wondering what exactly that was, why it made you feel that way, and why you aren’t watching it a second time.
And yes, the ‘product’ is very much alive through most of the film. There is craft, flair, style- but there is also intent, substance, power. In a very intense piece, the jewellery shines. It is as much about the mood and the suggestions of elemental power, as the specific artefacts.
· Brown Crew Productions · DoP Abhinay Kumar · Editor Meran ·
An aside. I did pause to think- did the fact that I knew beforehand this was made for jewellery change how I viewed it? I think, yes. I was likely drawn to the specifics in each visual a bit more than I expect I would have on a ‘regular’ viewing.
This is, of course, true of so much of our digital viewing, where the most exquisitely crafted or cleverly hidden or twist-ridden pieces lose some of that ‘a-ha!’ element, because we already know what we are being served up.
You can read more about the line here.
3. Takes
Enhancing what?
“Boring as f**k with washed up athletes and Nickelodeon announcers.”
One of many takes on the Enhanced Games, which concluded a few weeks ago.
For some reason I decided to look up some reactions. I was careful not to spend too much time on it though, because… well, because though it is a fascinating sign of our times, I don’t really consider it worth more than a little attention.
What are these games, you may well ask.
The Enhanced Games aka the Steroid Olympics is a multi-sport event that permits athletes to use performance-enhancing substances under medical supervision. Founded by Australian businessman Aron D’Souza (who once said, ““This is the route towards eternal life.”), its aim is to “push the boundaries of human performance.”
Or, as Steve Magness preferred, ”more like the top of a sales-funnel for steroids masquerading as sport… [the] long game is to sell peptides and other drugs to the person watching at home.”
Another Redditor said it “felt like the AI version of an athletic event.” And though someone offered some concessions, “Imagine if they had 100 top athletes. Gotta start somewhere,” I am happy to continue my apathy for it. Steve’s post on “Schmexcellence” (something that has the veneer of excellence, with no substance underneath) is worth reading, where he described it as
a tech-bro fever dream where arrogance was prioritized over any actual knowledge of performance.
Indie darling to the dark side?
A24 has entered into an AI deal with Google. You likely saw the headline or tweet. Google is investing $75m into A24 for a combined research project, “to learn, iterate, and build, having an active hand in shaping new tools and workflows.” Many have had much to say about this. Is it the inevitable stamp of a new era, or the fall of a great indie brand? Many felt that a studio built on the culture of taste and craft was selling out to big tech.
The Ankler called it an “odd-couple pairing,” reckoning this was “Google borrowing A24’s credibility to make its own AI ambitions seem cooler”.
Indiewire’s piece lays out the rationale, “The most credible argument in independent film, that taste and creative authority are a distribution strategy, is now a research asset.” The piece has an undercurrent of betrayal, saying “it’s a little stunning to see A24 spend years fiercely protecting its ‘how’ and then selling it to the highest bidder.”
For their part, A24 will want to maintain their artist-friendly profile, framing this with “We’d rather have a seat at the table than on the sidelines.”
➕Quick Hits
Singaporean Ervin Han (of Robot Media Playground) has lived with his film for over ten years. ‘The Violinist’ just won the Annecy Cristal, a brilliant achievement; Variety spoke to Ervin and co-director Raúl Garcia about it.
Music streamer Tidal released a new policy around AI music on the platform, aiming to protect artists. Among the steps, 100% AI-generated tracks will have AI ‘badges’ and no royalties, and listeners will be able to filter all 100% AI-generated content out- well done.
A podcast with nuns is doing quite well! ‘Dominican Sisters Open Mic’, is apparently endearing and wholesome, with insights into the daily life of a nun. A Tiktoker called it ‘Like a sorority for Jesus.’
