MAY - R.E.P.O.R.T.
"perfect" as the eternal enemy of "good"
I just deleted the entire intro I’d written for this post. It was an overwrought and, quite frankly, annoying diatribe about depression and how my life feels like a dial tone lately. I even dragged The Bell Jar into it. Sorry, Sylvia. The whole thing was the written equivalent of a contemporary sculptural art piece made from my empty psych med pill bottles.
In lieu of shouting out to the void about the void inside of me, I will instead offer you this:
This morning, I anointed my cheeks and lips with the juice from an overripe cherry. Hours later, my face is still sticky sweet and rosy. It’s the first time I’ve felt pretty and alive in a long time. Now, let’s get into the R.E.P.O.R.T.
At the intersection of diary entry, listicle, wishlist, and acrostic poem lies the ~ R.E.P.O.R.T. ~
R - reading
I can never think of poetry without Adam Lazarra’s voice in my head “…those words, at best, were worse than teenage poetry.”
I wish I “understood” poetry. I’ve never formally studied it beyond whatever Ms. Pittner and Mrs. Gomez taught in my high school English classes. You’d think poetry would be right up my alley as a certified lover girl, bleeding heart romantic, cluster-b witchy type, former theater kid, and chronic yearner. And I think it may be? But for so long, I couldn’t get into poetry simply because I couldn’t define it.
I looked up how poetry has been defined by, I don’t know… the people whose work you’re supposed to have opinions on by the time you go to college? Aristotle, Socrates, Eliot, Ginsberg, Kierkegaard, Rumi, Mishima, Lorde, Seurat, Dostoevsky, Dickinson, Woolf, Hughes, Angelou, Berger, Keats AND Shelley, and The Tortured Poet herself, Taylor Swift.
Most of them described poetry in a way that was concise, emotional, full of metaphor, and driven by poetic devices. So there’s that answer, I guess? But now I’m stuck on my real question and the whole reason for my exploration: What makes good poetry good and bad poetry bad? And why does the internet hate on Rupi Kaur? Hopefully, the very act of putting these questions out into the world will bring some answers my way.
In the meantime, I recently read Make Believe: Poems for Hoping Again by Victoria Hutchins. Hutchins is an Ivy League attorney-turned-internet-yogi poet. I enjoyed her book almost as much as I enjoy her yoga videos, which is to say I give it 3.9 out of 5 stars.
E - eating
Cooking has been a big part of my slow-maxxing journey lately. I’m focusing on activities that prioritize delayed gratification as opposed to chasing cheap dopamine hits through getting high and scrolling on social media. Simply put, I’m attempting to rewire my brain so I’m not so fucking miserable all the time.
This morning, I slowmaxxed by spending an hour removing pits from fresh cherries to make a modified* version of this smoothie:
* substituted the cocoa powder with chocolate pea protein powder and added 1/2 a banana and 2 dates
P - playing
Life is particularly chaotic lately, so my general sense of play isn’t what it once was. No video games or board games interest me right now; if anything, they make me even sadder. But this puppy has been the perfect antidote. He tricks me into playing with him every day, out of necessity, when he runs off with my shoes or lunges to eat something he shouldn’t. He makes my life better.
O - obsessing
Last year, I correctly clocked keychains and bag charms as one of the fastest-growing trends in fashion/pop culture. I’m kicking myself for not investing in this earlier, but I’m more confident than ever in my ability to observe + report on emergent pop culture trends. Although they’ve had a relatively small cult following for years, Labubu has experienced a significant surge in popularity recently, contributing to a 500% increase in POPMART’s stock over the past year. There are fascinating global sociopolitical implications with these seemingly tariff-proof collectibles, the brainchild of a Hong Kong designer, inspired by his Nordic upbringing, and distributed exclusively by the Chinese collectible toy company, POPMART. To say nothing of blindboxes easing kids into gambling…
IIRC, once we get to the part of the story where adults are camping outside for days and getting into physical altercations over a toy, the bubble is about to burst. The crazed hype can only last so long. Think Cabbage Patch Kids, Tickle Me Elmo, or Beanie Babies, but in the trend cycle hyperspeed of 2025. Even though they’re sold out everywhere right now, like every micro-trend originating from TikTok, I believe Labubu’s days are numbered. I don’t say all this just because I hate them, but I do hate them.
You’d think I’d be all over these highly sought-after bunny/monster abominations, but they just don’t do it for me. It’s not even a contrarian thing. I don’t need to prove I’m cool by hating on something popular, that’s so 2009 Mallory.
POPMART’s Peach Riot figurines though… are a different story. Poppy, Frankie, and Gigi (AKA Peach Riot) are the creation of artist Libby Frame. She cites PNW Riot Grrrl culture of the 90s and FLCL’s musical instrument weapons as inspirations for her illustrations, which were turned into blindbox figurines in 2024. I also see echoes of Nana, Josie & The Pussycats, and Scott Pilgrim, especially in Libby’s short animations.
Y’all know I LOVE my Bratz dolls, but their parent company, MGA, consistently misses the mark with their PR, brand collabs, and social media posts. With Peach Riot, it’s nice not to be disappointed all the time… A pop-up at a fast-casual vegan burger spot for a collectible toy based on a waitressing day job and a night spent playing in a punk band makes sense! A pop-up at a designer eyewear store that requires you purchase a $430 pair of glasses to get a Bratz doll does not make sense. These tone-deaf collaborations and their use of AI-generated art are rapidly eroding goodwill between the Bratz brand and its fans. This disconnect was first set in motion during the most recent relaunch when the original creator lost the rights to Bratz and MGA’s CEO handed the creative direction over to his nepobaby daughter who has completely bastardized the creativity, uniqueness, nerve, and talent of the original messaging, choosing instead to lean into brand partnerships that continue to isolate the core audience in favor of foriegn money but I digress… Trust that the Bratz subreddit and f*cebook groups are on fire right now.
Should I make a YouTube video essay about this…?
ANYWAY
The newest Rush Hour line features the 3 Peach Riot gals in a series of day job uniforms because these ladies just want to finish their shifts and get back to their music!! Also, Libby writes and records music to accompany each release!!! I’m obsessed!! Let’s all manifest me collaborating with Libby Frame soon 🙏. And if you catch me making sponsored unboxing content someday, mind your own business because I’m minding mine.
R - recommending
I’m not afraid to admit that I’m very afraid of AI. I’m afraid of the environmental implications. I’m concerned about the way people use ChatGPT as their therapist, confidant, or friend. I’m disheartened by how quickly AI image generation has normalized and streamlined the theft of artists' work. I’m terrified when I see deceitful videos created and posted by “news” outlets, and no one in the comments realizes the video isn’t real.
The poetry, the slow-maxxing, the desire for tangible art from authentic creators, it feels like all my interests lately are in direct opposition to how I understand AI. I constantly reflect on my role in all of this, as someone who makes images for myself and manages social media accounts for both large and small brands.
My recommendation for this month and beyond is to please remember what it is that makes you human and keep those things sacred.
T - treating
As always, I intended to keep this R.E.P.O.R.T. brief, but I ended up yap yap yapping. Short and sweet, my treat this week is spending time in the ocean.
Happy weekend, talk soon 🫶
xo mal