Episodes
Eugene and Charis discuss what makes a critique good as well as how to give and receive feedback well. Plus, they talk about overcoming Web3 bias in the context of understanding paradigm shifts.
00:03:37 Critiques
00:25:16 Paradigm Shifts
How to Take Criticism by Chapell Ellison
Google Slides from Charis’ PolyU class
Overcoming Web3 Bias | How to navigate strange new paradigms that could change everything—unless they don’t. by Nathan Baschez
Cryptopilled by Drew Coffman
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Published 09/22/21
Charis and Eugene talk about a single topic inspired by “Nike’s End of Men” by Ethan Strauss. Their conversation covers a shift in Nike’s values (whether internal or what they project to the public), target audience, and marketing strategies.
00:04:17 Change at Nike
Nike’s End of Men by Ethan Strauss
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Published 09/13/21
Eugene and Charis talk about the illusory nature of tech solutions for the climate crisis as well as personal responsibility in the face of it. They also discuss the artistic merit of the release of Kanye West’s DONDA.
00:04:42 Climate crisis
00:24:15 DONDA
It’s Time to Replace Ambition with Adaptation by Rosie Spinks
The Other Crisis by Jon Leighton
DONDA, Kanye West
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Published 09/09/21
Charis and Eugene talk about the attraction to and difficulty in thinking rationally. They also discuss the awkward relationship between tech and fashion.
00:05:52 Rationality
00:27:39 Tech/fashion
Why Is It So Hard to Be Rational? by Joshua Rothman
Worn Out by Drew Austin
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Published 08/30/21
Eugene and Charis discuss “Ghosts” by Vauhini Vara, a creative writing piece written with the assistance of the language AI GPT-3 (Generative Pre-Trained Transformer 3). They also talk about sexism and double standards in sports as seen in recent discussions around uniform requirements in women’s sports.
00:07:02 Language AI
00:29:01 Sexism in sports
Ghosts by Vauhini Vara
Facing Outrage Over Bikini Rule, Handball Federation Signals ‘Likely’ Change by Jenny Gross
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Published 08/24/21
Charis and Eugene talk about the factors that lead to the prominence of curators and curation. They also discuss the trend, as WGSN calls it, of “genuinfluencers”, who interact with their audiences differently and share content that is a departure from the traditional influencer fare.
00:07:54 Curators
00:33:39 “Genuinfluencers”
Curators All the Way Down by Gaby Goldberg
Meet the “genuinfluencers” who don’t want to sell you anything by Kati Chitrakorn
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Published 08/17/21
Eugene and Charis discuss why elite female athletes are turning away from formerly major sponsors in favor of alternative options. They also talk about the launch of the Culture Pass in France which gives all 18-year-olds €300 to spend on a selection of cultural offerings.
00:05:45 Female athletes
00:24:51 France’s Culture Pass
Why Elite Female Athletes Are Turning Away From Major Sponsors by Sapna Maheshwari
France Gave Teenagers $350 for Culture. They’re Buying Comic Books. by...
Published 08/09/21
Charis and Eugene talk about how our memories of the pandemic will differ and what narrative arcs the stories we tell of our lives usually take. They also discuss the term “wang hong” (Chinese for internet famous) as written about in Chaoyang Trap.
00:04:18 Pandemic memories
00:29:34 “Wang hong”
You Won’t Remember the Pandemic the Way You Think You Will by Melissa Fay Greene
S01 Episode 9: We Built This City on a Camera Roll in Chaoyang Trap
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Published 08/02/21
In a different format to the usual Making It Up episodes, Eugene and Charis announce the launch of the online MAEKAN Shop. They discuss the process that lead to this point and talk about the products that are available.
00:01:52 MAEKAN Shop
MAEKAN Shop
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Published 07/28/21
Charis and Eugene talk about Naomi Osaka’s essay in TIME magazine that elaborates on her relationship to the press and the subject of the mental health of athletes. They also discuss an article about “the inner ring” of the internet and how that affects the creative work you do.
00:07:35 'It's O.K. not to be O.K.’
00:30:58 The inner ring
Naomi Osaka: 'It's O.K. Not to Be O.K.'
The Inner Ring of The Internet by Ali Montag
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Published 07/19/21
Eugene and Charis do an episode completely on sports. They talk about the new NCAA ruling that allows student athletes to make money in whatever way they like: co-founding businesses, as YouTubers, as country singers, etc. They also discuss Australian cyclist Lachlan Morton’s attempt to ride the full Tour de France route on his own with no support and to beat the peloton to Paris.
00:03:39 NCAA
00:22:40 Alt Tour
Let's make a deal: NCAA athletes cashing in on name, image and likeness by...
Published 07/13/21
Charis and Eugene talk about new Kotaku editor-in-chief Patricia Hernandez’s letter to readers on the subject of the future of video games and video game writing. They also discuss erratic sizing within the fashion industry and the sustainability as well as psychological issues that creates.
00:04:33 Video game writing
00:24:12 Sizing issues
Hello Kotaku, It's Me, Your New EIC by Patricia Hernandez
How fashion’s erratic sizing is fuelling a clothing waste crisis by Sophie...
Published 07/05/21
Eugene and Charis talk about why the funding model of venture capital is flawed and doesn’t build the things society needs. They also discuss the rise of curation as a strategy brands and individuals are adopting, plus what makes for good curation.
00:04:33 Venture capital
00:23:38 Curation
Why venture capital doesn’t build the things we really need by Elizabeth MacBride
Creativity is dead, long live curation by Ana Andjelic
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Published 06/30/21
Charis and Eugene talk about cohort-based courses as compared to massively open online courses. They also discuss the Barbell Strategy method of balancing security and risk as a structure for creative careers.
00:04:00 Cohort-based courses
00:28:18 The Barbell Strategy
The Barbell Strategy: How Not to Be a Starving Artist by Richard Meadows
In Online Ed, Content Is No Longer King—Cohorts Are by Wes Kao
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Published 06/21/21
Eugene and Charis discuss how the nature of the internet collapses time, space, and context, resulting in a volatile environment that breeds bad faith discussions with no room for nuance or complexity. They also talk about the cooperation economy as the next phase of the creator economy/the passion economy.
00:03:28 The internet is flat
00:22:25 The cooperation economy
The internet is flat. by Charlie Warzel
The Cooperation Economy Or How to Build a Liquid Super Team by Packy...
Published 06/15/21
Charis and Eugene talk about Naomi Osaka choosing to not do press at the French Open and what the relationship is between press and athletes should be. They also discuss the shift in perception of creatives signing corporate deals.
00:04:40 Sports journalism
00:38:28 Selling out
Naomi Osaka's withdrawal from the French Open highlights the tenuous relationship between athletes and the media by Scottie Andrew
Welcome to the post-sellout era by Yasmin Gagne
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Published 06/07/21
Eugene and Charis talk about how Willie Norris is reimagining menswear from a trans perspective at Outlier. They also discuss a recent Atlantic article by Ed Yong that goes into the reasons why people aren’t necessarily feeling better as the pandemic decreases in intensity.
00:02:09 Willie Norris
00:22:48 Trauma
This Designer Is Reimagining Menswear From a Trans Perspective by Michael Love Michael
What Happens When Americans Can Finally Exhale by Ed Yong
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Published 06/01/21
Charis and Eugene talk about the Disgusting Food Museum in Sweden and where disgust, as an emotion and judgment comes from. They also discuss China trying to find ways to standardize the behavior of online fan groups.
00:04:05 “Disgusting”
00:32:00 Fan groups
The Gatekeepers Who Get to Decide What Food Is “Disgusting” by Jiayang Fan
China Targets ‘Chaotic’ Online Fan Groups to Tame Teen Culture by Yuan Ye and Liu Mengqiu
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Published 05/24/21
Eugene and Charis discuss what alternative forms of value there are, beyond financial, in engaging with NFTs in museums. They also discuss “keeping the line alive” in creative work as written about by artist Mateusz Urbanowicz.
00:02:48 Museum NFTs
00:27:21 Loose lines
What Makes A Museum Object NFT Valuable Beyond The Scope Of The Technology? by Frances Liddell
Keeping the line alive. by Mateusz Urbanowicz
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Published 05/18/21
Charis and Eugene talk about an article by Anne Helen Petersen describing the current US economy as the “capitalism is broken” state of things. They also discuss load management, a basketball strategy that conserves the energy of star players, in the context of creative work.
00:04:21 The economy
00:28:39 Load management
The 'Capitalism is Broken' Economy by Anne Helen Petersen
Try this NBA strategy to help manage hybrid work by Tim Sanders
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Published 05/10/21
Eugene and Charis talk about the difficulties that social media managers face and how platforms as well as businesses could do a better job of supporting workers in that area. They also discuss an essay that describes the author’s life growing up on a commune and what non-commune individuals could learn from that mentality.
00:03:21 Social media
00:25:30 Commune life
What It Was Like Growing Up on a Commune by Kathryn Jezer-Morton
I’m a social media manager. Facebook and Twitter have...
Published 05/03/21
Charis and Eugene talk about Eugene Rabkin’s essay, “Read This Before You Decide to Work In Fashion” published in Highsnobiety which goes through a laundry list of negative aspects of the fashion industry. They also discuss an artist zine created by Marco Marzocchi called “How To Destroy Everything”, which is connected to a discussion of digital devices as an extension of human memories and the emotional significance we give digital archives.
00:08:05 Fashion industry
00:37:37 Deleting...
Published 04/26/21
Eugene and Charis discuss our relationship to work and our sense of ownership over our time. They also talk about challenges scientists face when communicating their ideas clearly around how to present complex thoughts.
00:06:05 Time and work
00:30:33 Communications
Scientists need to get better at talking to the public. Why doesn’t training seem to help? by Robert Wyss, Margaret Rubega, and Robert Capers
Against “Feel Free To Take Some Time If You Need It" by Anne Helen...
Published 04/20/21
Charis and Eugene talk at length about streetwear brand Chinatown Market deciding to rename themselves. This comes in response to people in the Asian American community expressing their concerns with the use of the name. Eugene and Charis discuss this situation in light of the current context of increased anti-Asian racism in North America as well as discussing whether personal wardrobes should carry sentimental value.
00:04:06 Chinatown Market
00:50:42 Filipino Attire
Chinatown...
Published 04/12/21
Eugene and Charis discuss Cathie Wood’s perfect content strategy for the portfolio of ETFs she runs at ARK Invest. They also talk about A.D. Carson, a hip-hop professor, and his thinking behind getting his rap album peer-reviewed and published by an academic press.
00:03:50 Cathie Wood
00:22:52 Peer-reviewed rap album
Cathie Wood and Content Strategy by Ranjan Roy
Hip-hop professor looks to open doors with world’s first peer-reviewed rap album by A.D. Carson
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Published 04/07/21