Our weekly recap highlighting the best feature stories from around the internet.
"The Perfect Proposal." Photo: Candlelight Films
The Profound Sadness of the Viral Proposal Video - by Matt Harnett, The Pantograph Punch
"We’re better than ever at self-publishing the minutiae of our lived experience to produce a sort of ‘affect’ online. The aged patinas of Instagram or the ephemeral nature of Snapchat lend themselves towards the production of certain emotions, and there’s nothing wrong with that, shallow and fleeting though they may be; it’s when a meaningful real-world occasion is tarnished retroactively, by virtue of its deliberate mass appeal, that it loses its genuineness."
At 18, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Is Still Revolutionary - by Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic
"Buffy herself arrives in the pilot fully-formed—smart, kind, sensitive, and aware of what she wants in life, which is mostly not to have to kill vampires every night and to just be a normal teenager. What she realises along with the audience during the first season is that there’s no such thing. Every kid has her own demons to slay—some just have pointier teeth than others."
Throwback Thursday: The Mad, Bad and Brilliant 1992 Cricket World Cup Coverage - by Calum Henderson, The Spinoff
"The most striking thing about the commentators of ‘92, aside from reacting to the sight of the Indian umpire as if ALF himself was out on the pitch, is how positive and generous they are in comparison to their modern day counterparts. The rise of the ex-player as commentator has brought a more critical edge to the com-box and it’s become kind of a downbuzz."
Can Apple Sell Wealthy Shoppers on a Luxury Watch? - by Vauhini Vara, The New Yorker
"Apple will face another challenge with its Edition line. The luxury watchmaker Patek Philippe advertises its watches with the tagline “You never really own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation.” The point, of course, is that Patek Philippe watches are investments. Like art, they don’t lose value as time passes; they may even gain value. It’s hard to make the same case with an Apple Watch; at best, new technologies last for three years or so before they are seen as obsolete."
Why the ‘Blurred Lines’ Verdict Is Terrible for Anyone Who Loves Music, or: No One Will Ever Have an Influence Again! - by Chris Willman, Yahoo Music
"There’s another P-word to consider here besides plagiarism: “pastiche,” which means the celebration of the style of a particular genre or artist. It’s not to be confused with parody, which is largely protected by the law. In other words, a vicious satire of someone’s work enjoys a better shot at legal protection than an affectionate homage."
The Bachelor’s sexism has finally gone too far — and viewers are right to be pissed - by Tracy Clark-Flory, Salon
"The sexism is always there and ever threatens to alienate its female viewers, even the more conservative ones. The one thing holding it all together, the thing that for so many viewers makes it a guilty pleasure as opposed to a hate-watch, is that each season of The Bachelor is followed by a table-turning season of The Bachelorette."
Porntopia: A trip to the Adult Video News Awards - by Molly Lambert, Grantland
"Her first agent told her to appeal to dirty old men, because they still buy DVDs, but Carter [Cruise] went against his advice and instead cultivated a fan base of college kids, both boys and girls. She is well aware that these kids have grown up pirating porn and don’t expect to pay for it, but she hopes they’ll buy other products from her — tickets to come see her perform music or DJ, for example. It’s not unlike a musician who tries to make money not from album sales but from tours, merchandise, and other revenue streams."
Kid Sends Letter to Every NBA Team Asking Why He Should Root for Them, Only One Responds - by Jack Moore, GQ
"Well this is adorable. A teenager from Bellingham, Washington grew up a Seattle Supersonics fan. But since they left Seattle for Oklahoma City in 2008 he's been without a favorite NBA team. So, did he sulk about it? No! He went successful Shark Tank entrepreneur on them and made the teams pitch him as to why they should get the honor of being his favorite team. And after sending a letter to each of the thirty NBA teams... Only one responded. But what a response it was!"
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