Category: Blog

Will Golden Hour Part Four Be the Game Changer?

On February 6, Ateez will release their fourth installment of the Golden Hour series. I am excited, after a year and some change of not loving the direction of their sound, will this bring back my hype for Ateez? I hope so!

I discovered Ateez in 2022, not long after their “Don’t Stop” single was released. I was hooked and dove head first into the lore, the sound, the vibes. From their debut Pirate King through the ebbs and flow of Hala Hala, The Wave, Wonderland, Say My Name. I was impressed by their unconventional sound. Their vocals have depth, and the dancing true rhythm. The World was my first album series release to take in.

Each part of this trilogy is a sonic treat. The World Part One drops us in a secret resistance announcing itself. Part Two, follows the members while they navigate the covert mission in the world, and Part Three is the showdown where you learn about a secret school they escaped from. Bouncy will forever be my favorite release. It was such a fun time for Kpop.

In between The World and Golden Hour, the Ateez animal plushies were released. These “Aniteez” live on a floating pitate ship, sailing the skies. All in true concept form.

Next Golden Hour Part One released with a real world flair and explored LA and Mexican flair which I loved. Work helped me process buying a house. Siren and Arriba helped me get through the endless unpacking. This, on top of all their past discography, had me on the edge of my seat for whatever was next!

That would be Golden Hour Part Two, and the disappointing “Ice on My Teeth” title track and just okay B-sides that did not grab me. This had never happened to me as an Atiny! With anticipation, I hoped the next release would be a favorite – but it wasn’t. 😵‍💫

Golden Hour Part Three, was not as bad as Part Two, but dang I just didn’t vibe with it. That is the frustrating thing about art, if a piece of art doesn’t connect with you, you feel like you are stuck on the outside looking in.

But then, Golden Hour Part Three – In Your Fantasy Edition dropped and it sparked my interest again. I gave Lemon Drop another listen, and started to get the different musical format and style. I felt less like a fake Ateez fan, because after two straight releases of not getting it, I began to wonder – am I still a fan? Did I grow out of it?

So, with all that context, when I saw the trailer for the upcoming Golden Hour Part Four, and, I am seriously excited! It sounds like old Ateez but with the new sythesized into a great offering. I think my inner Atiny, may be on its way back!

From the preview Ghost reminds me of b-sides from The World era. Adrenaline has the emotion and power of Hala Hala, Guerilla, Wonderland, etc that pulled me in initially. Nasa, is reminiscent of Wave and the Golden Hour Part One era. On the Road, seems to be the synthesis of where their music explored in Golden Hour Part Three era but in a new way that I connect with. It reminds me a bit of The World Part Three as well! Choose is something new, I’m ready to give a try. It doesn’t sound like Ateez, more like NCT or a Stray Kids Japanese release – and that’s not a bad thing. 😃

I can’t wait to hear the full album and see if this is the missing piece that connects their discography into one melodious note, instead of a stunning concerto ending in a discordant crescendo.

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Why I Quit the Clique and Cliche of Twenty One Pilots

So it’s 2026, and if you’re online, there is a good chance you have seen the 2026 to 2016 posts. The nostalgia for 2016 is real, even making me look at one of the most volatile years of my life through rose-colored glasses. But even though the 2010s were full of change for me, beginning with my junior year of high school, and ending with 2019, globally leading us into the pandemic. How weird is that? I got my license, my high school diploma, traveled to Europe, graduated from college, got married, moved out, had my first job (more like jobs), tried to have a career, reunited with my dad, met my siblings, moved out of state, wrote a novel, and lost several loved ones in 2016. My family fractured – it was so much personal change! But even so, I miss the optimism of the hipster era. I miss the simplicity of the pre-AI era and the pre-social media domination of our world. We were less logged in, less screen addicted. I’ve been drawn to watching Portlandia again, yearning for a coffee shop to spend the day in while listening to indie music, a simpler time. This week, I’ve found myself walking down memory lane in the form of 2010’s alternative music. Bands I haven’t thought of for a decade – The Joy Formidable, Phantogram, Joywave, Bear Hands, Sir Sly, etc. But one band, I determined in this holiday, into nostalgia I will not listen to again, even though they were a band I loved in the 2010s – Twenty One Pilots.

This is a bit of an oddball post. I haven’t listened to Twenty One Pilots since 2018, but for a three-year stretch, they were my favorite band. I collected merch, CDs, and ate up the lore. The para-social relationship was built on mental health struggles, faith, and being “quirky” felt comfortable. I mean, this was the mid-2010s and the height of the “not like other girls” trope. I relished in the alternative feel of their music, what I now understand to be noise music, and the darkness I felt in my own life craved the outlet to plug into. Josh understood my shyness, and Tyler understood the anxiety and depression I was feeling at the time. It felt safe because they were “Christians” and their music had “biblical references,” but they were also questioning everything and challenging the void. I didn’t see at the time how much un-aliving yourself idealization there was in the nihilistic moments of their music. The more I listened to their music, the more depressed I felt, and that is where I began to wake out of the dream I was walking in. I haven’t seen them or their music the same way since.

I think right now, with all the ways Christianity is being watered down, misused for political manipulation, and trampled upon by religious fundamentalists, I don’t want to listen to a band that is “somewhat Christian” again. That is not an estimation of their music either; that is what I found when I looked at the TOP subreddit today. That sentiment reminded me of what turned me off the most from their music, Tyler’s waffling. Or should I say deconstructing? That was another discussion I found on the subreddit. Now it is only fair to discuss this, with my own struggles out in the open. There were some things that came to light in recent months about someone I know, who is a pastor, which contradict the Bible, and it made me furious. Combine that with the DHS sharing misquoted scripture to claim their racism and violence as a “holy” thing turned me into this character.

What has my spiritual life been like in 2025 and now in 2026? Clinging to who I know God is in the midst of all these evil, power-hungry syncophants. Have I been reading my Bible daily? No, I have been a slacker. Have I been praying consistently? Yes, more than I have been reading my Bible. Have I been avoiding Christian culture? Yes. Where have I found myself gravitating towards? People who are acting out their faith and non-believers acting in ways that mirror what the Bible calls us to do. Never in this muck and mire have I wanted to imagine a world without God. If anything, it has made me crave God’s presence in this world with more frequency. It has to be a real connection. Faith is not a feeling, and it is not something you choose one day and rip apart the next. It calls for trust and for submission to align every part of your life under what you believe in. Faith is telos. Faith does not exist in a vacuum, nor do our relationships. Some days, having faith in good triumphing over evil feels like an extremely radical thing. There is no space for indecision.

Now, Tyler is allowed to feel and think what he wants, as long as he is not hurting anyone. I don’t care. But do I think he is a good example? No. There is an immaturity to his faith. A fence sitting that is only hurting him. As Earl Smooter says in Sweet Home Alabama, “You can’t ride two horses with one ass, sugarbean.” My need for conciseness and clarity is, for sure, part of my neurodivergence. I like it when people communicate directly. Honestly. I prefer the path laid out by another favorite artist.

I give life to my words
(Yeah, I’m doing what I say)
I reach heights from the dirt
(Yeah, I’m doing what I say)
You know I bite the way I bark
(Yeah, I’m doing what I say)
(Doing what I say, doing what I say)

Creed by Stray Kids

Decision matters. Being aligned with what you believe in, in every aspect of your life, which takes being truly honest with yourself, will bring mental peace. Mental peace was something I never personally felt from their music. I could feel the overthinking, tearing at the seams, the complete drifting in the current. It could be dressed up with lore or cringing lyrics, but the identity was never solid. Taking time away from their music gave me such relief. Ironically, my time of being part of the Clique was followed by a period of listening to mostly worship music for a few years before landing in K-pop. I think I personally matured out of the place where the Clique remains, waiting for identity. Where their leader remains. I think it is easier to not confront ourselves than it is, to have these times of personal crossexamination. But I think it’s a poor witness for your faith to never pick a side. How can something so integral to your life, your worldview, be left with unresolved doubt? What a loose end.

Deconstruct with integrity. Affirm your faith with integrity. I’m all in favor of confronting the church for its cowardice over injustice in America. Jesus showed us how. So did his servant Paul. But to leave it as a vague, Blurryface, is immature thinking. Through my research for this post, my searches for a clear answer about Tyler’s faith left me with more questions. Like a politician, it is vague and hard to define. Answers offered were that he can’t put it into words, he is wrestling, still defining, or can’t put it into words. What? More digging led to answers outlining TOP’s music as his way of communicating his search for understanding. To explore doubt by supposing a world without God – well, that’s why I found their music so dark! I am actively shaking my head. Again, there needs to be more maturity in songwriting, creative writing, philosophy – something to explore these themes with more nuance. I am just not impressed. Especially when you contrast Tyler’s exposition of his faith and the world we are living in, to the faith journeys of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. In summation, I find the faith and doubt of TOP to be cliché and played out. Go deeper. Tell us what you believe in, like fans have requested, concerning the genocide in Gaza.

Now, TOP fans, this is my opinion, and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. None of this was written as an attack on you or your favorite group, just my honest reflection on a time of my life where Twenty One Pilots spoke to me. I’d say really the only part of this “lore” I’ve listened to is these four albums – Twenty One Pilots (2009), Vessel (2013), which was my favorite, Blurryface (2015 the album I started with, and Trench (2018), which I disliked so much I sold my concert tickets and donated my merch. You, Clique, have popularity on your side. I know I am in the minority, but I’m also in the minority of thinking Taylor Swift is a terrible songwriter, and that hasn’t stopped me.

What kind of music did you enjoy in the 2010s? Has your music taste changed? Thanks for spending time with me today, dear reader. Until next time ❤

If We Were Villains

I read a book, that woke me up from a dream. At least that is what it felt like. That book was by M.L. Rio, entitled “If We Were Villains” a dark academia book compared to the “Secret History” by Donna Tartt. But honestly, I found this book to be far more about literature and what happens to your brain when you lose yourself in Shakespeare, than just a “dark academia” book.

It reminded me of the time we spent in high school studying Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets under the intense direction of my English/Speech teacher.

In English class, we would not simply read and discuss, we would perform. To my chagrin, we were tasked with memorizing scenes and performing them in front of the class, either solo or in pairs. I vividly remember performing the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet, and reciting Mark Antony’s speech from Julius Caesar in a bed sheet toga over my clothes. Probably red faced, and heart pounding by the need to make eye contact as part of the assignment.

Later, when we dove deeper into the plays, I remember reading many parts for Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, King Lear. Performed with fake swords and random props with our desks pushed in a corner to make a stage floor in the front of the room.

For senior year, we went to see two plays in Stratford, Canada at their globe theater. We saw Taming the Shrew, and later on As You Like It which I preferred. Although I struggled to follow at points, I loved how the play felt like it swallowed up the actors in a world all their own, in verse and story that has endured for centuries.

That is what I felt once again, reading “If We Were Villains” like I was back in Stratford, in the audience. The way Rio pairs plays to the plot, shows a deep intelligence for theater in a way, I don’t think many authors could do.

Some claim the plot was predictable, but I’d say, too mamy twists would have spoiled the point of this book. Which I believe is a love letter to the stage, and the pressures, and the bizarre obsessive love that comes with passion for you craft. I could have done with less of the f-word, it was a bit grating, so was the amount of drinking and drug use. I’d compare it to Skins UK, but I understand everyone’s college experience is different. I appreciate that all the main characters were in the early twenties, with the source material being so dark.

Anyways, I came away from this book feeling inspired. Inspired to read and study Shakespeare once again, not for a grade this time, but to remember how to tell a story. I’ve felt the desire to write another work of fiction, but loose all momentum once I begin writing. Because no matter what your opinion is of Shakespeare, there is no denying that he could write a good story, stories that continue to remain popular for the stage and film. If I want to remember how to write, this is a good place start, along with reading other books. Like I’ve reflected on before, to write you must read.

Now, before I end my reflection, I’d like to talk about something that is weighing on me. The shooting and killing of Renee Good by ICE agents, who shot her inside her car in broad daylight, in Minnesota.

This was an illegal and evil act, but it is just one of many evil acts carried out by organizations violating my country’s constitutional ammendments.

In addition to that the people who are being kidnapped, and persecuted by racism and hate, we must stand with them. They are suffering. We cannot ignore their pain. As a believer it is clear what we are called to do.

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Galatians 6:2 NIV

So my fellow Americans, if you are under the spell of political manipulation, and believe the acts of ICE are necessary – wake up and speak up against evil. If you are believers – wake up, repent, and speak up against evil.

The Search for Affordable Yarn – A Review

When my go-to yarn, Big Twist, was temporarily discontinued in 2025, I felt adrift in a sea of unfamiliar yarns with unfamiliar prices. Which raised an interesting question: what will be my new tried and yarn? I thought I would share this journey with short reviews of the yarn I explored in search of a new favorite.

Yarn Criteria:

What am I looking for in a yarn? Big Twist was my favorite for a few key reasons – affordability, quality, color range, and ease of accessibility. Big Twist had a large selection of colors in a worsted weight that did not split easily or snag in knotted tangles. The skeins contained 380 yards, selling for 4.49 USD, which made sweater projects affordable. It was easy to source in person. Now I am not looking for in-person yarn purchases like I used to. It’s just not possible at this time.

Wool of the Andes

Wool, worsted weight, has a large color range, and can also be purchased in a superwash variety. This yarn is a Knit Picks, made from Peruvian Highland Wool is sold for 4.99 USD per 110-yard skein. I like how sticky this yarn is. When it is stitched up, it stays in place and has great stitch definition. It’s not too itchy. I am sensitive to wool, and I find this yarn to be fine. I also used the superwash for a hat, so that could be where the extra scratchy feeling came from. I think this is a great yarn for budget wool, and for beginners, the best part is that it arrives in a skein, not a hank that you have to unwind. Yes, I would buy this again. I just purchased this for an upcoming rabbit-related project.

Mighty Stitch

Silky and soft. This yarn had great sheen for an 80% acrylic, 20% wool fiber. It was labeled as worsted, but I found it to be too thin compared to my other worsted yarns, which created some issues in my project. This Knit Picks yarn is 7.99 USD for 208 yards. When I purchased this yarn, it was on sale, but still more than I am used to paying for acrylic. Due to the thinness of the yarn, I failed to meet the gauge. I found myself using a lot more than I thought I would. The most disappointing thing was the way it slides out of knots, which was a problem for the colorwork and color blocking sections. The yarn also doesn’t respond well to my husband’s beard. I found this out because I knit him a sweater, and the top was falling apart where it caught on his beard. Would I buy again? No. I don’t trust it not to pull out of the weave, and I felt let down by the price for the experience.

Lion Brand Pound of Love

I found these oversized yarn skeins at Michael’s, and I was thrilled. Lion Brand is a fantastic budget yarn that I used before on a previous sweater project. At 1020 yards for 11.99 USD, this yarn has been a game-changer for experimentation. I can try new projects, have room to mess up, or be able to make gifts, blankets, etc, on a budget. It does not split. I can knit or crochet easily, and it meets the gauge. My only negative critiques are the color range and the composition of the fiber. I wish there were more colors; the range is small compared to Knit Picks or Big Twist. I also wish acrylic were not made from plastic. I wish this were wool, and was kinder to the environment. Yes, I will buy this again. It is the best budget acrylic yarn I have found that is easy to purchase and would be a great beginner yarn to learn with.

Loops and Threads Soft Classic

Before Big Twist fully came back in Fall 2025, I thought Loops and Threads may be Michael’s brand expression of Big Twist, after they acquired Joann’s IP and the yarn vendor contracts, so I gave it a shot, and I have some mixed feelings. The color range is large, which I like. Some of the shades are lovely, and some are a bit garish. Some of the yarn dyeing is odd. Some of the texture of the acrylic fiber is also odd. It can be a bit limp, almost too soft. I love the mushroom and curry color ways. The black yarn I purchased, however, smelled like a cheap pleather purse- a bit fishy and a bit like burnt hair. I still can’t get the smell out of the yarn with airing out, Febreeze, and laundering. Maybe it was the chemical dye? For this reason, I have some pause. But you can’t beat the 3.99 USD price and 354 yards per skein. Let the creativity reign! Yes, I will buy again.

Palette

Palette Fingering Weight yarn from Knit Picks is a 100% Peruvian Highland wool yarn that has become my go-to winter accessory yarn. With its lightweight ply, I combine it with other yarns to create marled and warm hats, mittens, and socks. The hat to the left is three strands of Palette held together on US 7 needles. The hat to the right is made with two strands of worsted-weight acrylic (Big Twist) and one strand of Palette. It’s a non-superwash and has a lovely squish to the skeins. This yarn is already skeined up, no Hanks to unravel, and contains 231 yards for 5.49 USD per ball of yarn. I will rebuy. I actually panicked on New Year’s Eve, that I had drained my whole stash, to find they were at the bottom of a tote bag.

Caron Cakes

I have worked with two Caron Cake varieties in 2025 – Blossom Cakes and Big Cakes. The Blossom Cakes are a blend of 61% cotton and 31% acrylic fibers. They are variegated, worsted-weight cakes of 481 yards that sell for 14.99 USD per cake. They tend to do a BOGO sale at Michael’s, so I get them on sale, or else I would be less enthused about this item. The Big Cakes are also worsted-weight acrylic yarn, which is self-striping. I love the quality of the yarn, but the striping is a bit tricky. I am currently using them for blankets, but I did consider separating the sections of color to make something different. The Big Cakes contain 603 yards, which are sold for 14.99 USD. On a sale, you can make a blanket for a great price. For this reason, I will try the cakes again, with the proper project. They are complicated, and without a plan, they feel like a waste of money. With a good plan, they are a great resource.

Final Thoughts:

I found more options than I expected last year, and this led me to actually be happy that I had to find a new option for my tried-and-true yarn. Moving forward, I don’t have a sole favorite; instead, I feel like a nuanced palette of tastes is the better way to describe it. If you are a new knitter or curious about trying some of these yarns, I hope my thoughts helped. These are all my opinions, and all the yarn was purchased with my own money.

Emotional Endurance, No Cap

What do you do when you need a break, but you can’t? I’ve been wrestling with this for months. It’s been a tricky thing to discuss on here, and without feeling ready to write without revealing too much, I have been spinning on it, to quote NMIXX.

Any time I feel overwhelmed, I take that space. But what if you can’t? Like what if the thing that is weighing on you is as interwoven in your life as a single thread in the warp and weft of your jeans? It’s a tricky one that I don’t think anyone has taught me; it’s just kinda hanging there. We struggle alone, because we are human.

Relationship University

I’ve been thinking alone, pondering my frustrations, my overwhelm, my weariness for a break because I am a neurodivergent, deep-feeling, overthinker. It does not come easy to me to pause, to force my mind to stop and breathe. It’s something I wish we had learned in school. Any of the schooling – elementary, high school, or college? How wonderful would it be to learn about emotional intelligence and algebra? Traumatic stress coping mechanisms and world history? What about grammar and proper communication tools to de-escalate a tense argument? Literally would be life-changing. Meditation with a side of physical education? We mostly played soccer(football) because it was cheap, and it was monotonous. Both Kyle and I would feel less we are drowning in the complications of personal struggles if we had an education in relationships.

We did the brief marriage counseling, sure, which I guess prepares you for marriage? I think getting through the first year is truly what teaches you the most. (We are a few months away from celebrating ten, so we do have some experience.) We also had the years of friendship experiences, some previous dating experiences, and the lifelong knowledge of being part of families – but they don’t prepare you for the stress that comes with multiple, personal struggles that you and your spouse sometimes have to tackle all at the same time, meanwhile life keeps moving forward, and you feel like a hamster in a wheel.

Burnt Out, Like Toast In Obsidian Crumbs

What I felt the most since these stressful situations began to weigh on Kyle and me was the desire to hit pause and process what I was feeling while the world held still. You know? Just a moment, where you could feel without the expectation to be who you are and do the things others depend on you for. Even the little things, you depend on yourself to do. Of course, that feeling grows to a desire to stop the world for days, and escape to a zone where the stressful things can’t bother you. A yearning for the before and a hunger for the after, this is all resolved and back to normal. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the big emotions of personal things that you forget to have fun together. You forget to just be yourself. It’s a bizarre version of your life that doesn’t feel familiar, and I think after months of feeling like this, 2025 ended with me feeling chewed up and angry.

So why do we pretend like this is a normal state of being a responsible adult? Like if I hadn’t decided to stop drinking alcohol in 2021, this season would have been months of riding out a buzz, ignoring my problems, and choosing unhealthy coping mechanisms. Subbing in a source of temporary joy, depending on a thing or a feeling to get you through, is avoiding the inevitable mess that upset you in the first place. But I think this is the box we put ourselves in as adults, to stop from appearing weak or vulnerable. Substitute a drink for a shopping haul, sports betting, s*x, doom scrolling – what I’m talking about is far more common than we admit. So why do I feel so alone in this feeling?

It is still my present burden to bear, Kyle’s present burden to bear. Contrary to the calendar, your problems on Dec 31 are still there when you wake up on Jan 1. Doesn’t that suck? I felt myself wishing more than ever at the end of 2025 that the “fresh start” effect was real. Because life requires emotional endurance with no cap. That is quite difficult for us humans to do. It requires patience, hope, faith, self-control, gentleness, and love. We grow weary, we hide our struggles like they are something to be ashamed of, instead of a common part of life. We are odd creatures. That’s why I decided to share this, because I don’t think we discuss this enough, and I plan to talk about it more.

Marriage is hard, in more ways than I could even comprehend, but that doesn’t mean it is impossible. As we are both kids of divorce, we stubbornly refuse to address the stress that is negatively affecting our relationship because to do so feels like we are already failing, but that’s not true. So I’m writing this for you, the one who feels the weight of their parents’ divorce on all of their relationships, like a curse you are inevitably going to repeat. It’s not true. Keep going and stop bracing for the bottom to drop out, like I waste time waiting for. We are survivors, and we are going to make it through the mess.

New Habits to End 2025

First off, Happy New Year! Thank you to anyone and everyone who took the time to check out our work in 2025. You are a blessing to us!

It’s been a much better end to the year, from where we wandered in 2025. I swear this year was mentally, more taxing than others. I never knew marriage could be this difficult. Or being a daughter. There were some big moments, behind the scenes where I felt like my life as I know was as stable as an earthquake and I couldn’t tell anyone.

I’ve gotten better at sitting with my problems by myself. That is one thing, I am finding comfort in again. Being by myself, without a bunch of screens to make me feel like I am being “social” when I am not.

Habit #1

Since Thanksgiving Day, I have been limiting my time on social media. I have a timer set to a few minutes for Instagram, most days. I have done this successfully now for 5 weeks. At first it was a but tought to keep it at zero, so I cushioned myself to 15 mins. By Christmas week, I didn’t feel any pull to open the app. The only connection I do feel to my account is a few online friends I have met, who without Instagram, are disconnected from my life. Therefore I am keeping my account, but I am detoxing my addiction. With a record of two weeks without posting.

Habit #2

In December I started challenging myself to do pushups again. They started with knee pushups and have risen to a record of 20 real pushups in a set. My goal moving into 2026, is to do these consistently throughout the week and be more fit, along with the other exercises I do – rebounding, wall pilates, and yoga. More consistency.

Habit #3

Books. I am watching less Youtube when I knit and reading more. I listen to audiobooks through Libby and read while working on other days. So far I have completed four books, which sounds pathetic, but I had not been reading at all for years. I would read a book or two per year since we moved to our current town. I missed the previous city’s library and the mental wellness to focus. But this summer, we joined a local to us library and restoked my desire to be bookish again.

Final Thoughts

Unintentionally, I already started my “resolutions” and it feels great. It shows me that maybe finishing a year on a good note is about setting yourself up with good habits before the “fresh start” and if you are feeling a bit off going into 2026, maybe get off of socials too? Except for wordpress, truly a great group of people on here. 💖

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Unrelatabilty and 2025 Holiday Campaigns

I had plans originally to write about Ralph Lauren Christmas on its own, but then I saw two advertisements, one from local brand Steel City and another from Banana Republic, so bizarre that I knew I would be here. Hopefully not ranting too much, for the goal of this discussion for me is to think more deeply about the subtle oddities in my culture, I see weaving themselves in, like they are normal. Overconsumption, cultural appropriation, and the cosplay of wealth.

Banana Republic’s Holiday Edit

So what does fippery have to do with it? Fippery is another word for ostentatious; it’s showy. Frivility in dress or style. I also find the attitudes of these two brands, and I do want to write about exactly that. Banana Republic has always been in my mind, a bit ridiculous. But with every re-watch of Seinfeld, I see J. Peterman in Banana Republic’s threads, but their recent holiday commercial pushed me over the edge. They are that nonsense.

The holiday commercial is set in Ireland, County Cork, and I know I haven’t been to Ireland in 20 years, but dang, nothing about this commercial felt authentic. They play a cover of “Linger” from the Cranberries over the holiday scene in a pub, wandering around the town, finding a telephone booth with Irish Gaelic on the sign. They are all wearing vaguely Irish clothing, but really it looks like cast walked through a Premium Outlets on their way to Castletownshend, Cork. There are lovely Irish Christmas songs and many other songs by Irish bands that would have captured the spirit of the season better than a breakup song. No shade to the Cranberries, I love them. There were better Cranberries songs to pick. Personally, I would have looked at Dreams, Ode to My Family, and I Can’t Be With You to capture the nostalgia of the season with a non-traditional song.

Moving beyond the music, there was nothing really Irish about this ad. We barely see the town, we barely see the people, or the ancient beauty of Ireland. Think about movies such a Waking Ned Devine or Banshees of Inisherin – the landscape is a character, so is the music, and community. Ireland felt warm, not in temperature, but in the warmth of the people. The land feels like there is magic just under the surface, an imagination unbreakable, and a spirit that carries the culmination of all those who came before in an essence that makes you want to know more. The sweaters are intricate, made with the intention of preserving heritage crafts. Just take a look at Banana Republic’s holiday page compared to Blarney Woolen Mills, which is based in County Cork! The source material was right there. I guess what I am trying to say is obvious: Banana Republic’s collection is the fast fashion version of Irish style, don’t fall for it, no matter how they try to sell you on the “luxury” of it all. Now, what really bugged me about this ad was, in my opinion, the cultural appropriation of it all.

There is a fairisle sweater in this Irish collection, which is actually a Scottish heritage craft from the Shetlands. This sweater contains wool from Italy, being sold as an Irish-inspired sweater. You couldn’t even use Irish wool? Or include iconic Aran sweaters? Fisherman sweaters like the iconic one from When Harry Met Sally? The Donegal Wool sweater and sweater vest, straight up annoy me because these are again Italian wool. There is a wonderful mill in Donegal called McNutt that could have supplied true, authentic craftsmanship. We still have our clothing pieces from this store and Blarney Woolen Mills, 20 years later. I don’t like Ireland, which has been used for centuries, been the butt of the joke for centuries, being used again to peddle some lackluster clothes.

Gap, Inc. is a huge brand; they should have invested in sustainable Irish materials and supported the local Irish economy by using Irish craftspeople to create this collection. But just like J. Peterman, they come and see, then they steal other cultures’ designs to make a quick buck from subpar clothing. Look at the prices! The Banana Republic sweaters, made in Italy with Italian wool, versus the Blarney Woolen Mills sweaters made in Ireland from Irish wool, both made from merino wool, too. Local is better. Also, look at the craftsmanship of the Blarney sweaters; those cables are stunning and also affordable. Shame on you, Gap!

Steel City, What Are You Doing?

Actually, to quote the Big Fat Quiz Show, “You slag!” Steel City is a brand no one outside of the Pittsburgh area will know about, and that’s okay. Small businesses are great, and when this brand first started, they were cool. Their claim to fame was hyper-local graphic tees of beloved cultural things such as Turners Tea, the Stillers (aka the Steelers), Kennywood, Mr. Rogers, the Pens (Pittsburgh Penguins), and nostalgia. Over time, though they have expanded, which is great, creeping out to the suburbs of Cranberry and Ross Park Mall, and that is where things have taken a bizarre turn. In 2022, I went to their location in Cranberry Township and was appalled by how tissue-paper-thin the new items were. We had bought pierogi and Potato Patch shirts, which were of great quality, but the new stuff was off. The prices, quite higher than before, and I was no longer interested in their stuff.

But as targeted ads go, I keep seeing their stuff everywhere, and it has gone in some random places. There was a motorcycle and a desert aesthetic to their pieces now? Okay, odd. Neither of these things has anything to do with Pittsburgh. I guess the name is the only connection? Next, I got ads for quiet luxury workwear pieces, the local graphic tees, now behind a t-shirt club paywall. It felt soulless, and I was incredibly disappointed. I thought in the beginning maybe they were going to make the items in Pittsburgh, but they are made overseas. This morning, though, I got an ad that straight up felt out of touch.

Seriously? In this economy? With the amount of destruction the fashion industry creates on our planet? Honestly, Steel City, what the flipping heck are you doing? This brand is neither relatable nor cool anymore. Wasteful consumption is not in style, no matter what the internet says.

Ralph Lauren Christmas

Now, Ralph Lauren isn’t promoting this; this is just a TikTok trend, and I just wanted to drop my two cents. I’ve spent the last five years chasing the nostalgia of old Christmas, Christmas before everything hurt. Before people died. When I was a kid, things were simple. No matter how much you spend, decorate, chase – this aesthetic is not going to fix what is broken in your heart. I encourage you to seek out authenticity this Christmas. Volunteer time at shelters, donate supplies, check on neighbors. Call those friends or those family members you haven’t seen in so long and connect once again. The Home Alone house is stunning, but remember, what brings the true Christmas spirit is the relationships reconciled for the Old Man and Kevin on Christmas morning. People over things, always.

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