THE RETURN OF YEEHAW (RE-HAW)
Hey folks - Well, as you may have noticed, you haven’t received a YeeHaw newsletter in quite some time (cough six years cough). I became busy with other things, and putting these newsletters together just dropped in priority. However, that is changing for me, and hopefully you have been yearning for more YeeHaw. I am hopping back on the wagon, and this is the first of the facelifted and lipsticked pig of the YeeHaw newsletter. Things look a bit different, as I have updated the website and email templates, so I encourage you to visit YeeHaw.io to check it out there too.
Hope your summer is treating you well. I have been down a few rabbit holes lately and, as usual, I am dragging you with me. Good mix this week, I think. A little silly, a little heavy, a little Athens pride.
-Taylor
WATCH THIS
Widow's Bay (Apple TV)
A New England mayor decides his cursed little town is actually a tourism goldmine waiting to happen. The locals disagree. Strongly. Kinda a "what could possibly go wrong"-type premise. It manages to strike the right balance between horror and comedy that I find few movies or TV shows ever achieve. But there are some legit scary scenes, so if you are sensitive, proceed with caution.
via Apple TV
The "Rock 'n' Roll Sports Classic" 1978
Somebody found footage of a 1978 celebrity track and field competition, and everyone should be aware of this. Pop stars and TV personalities competing in actual athletic events with full broadcast seriousness is exactly the kind of programming we gave up when we got good at television. Now you will know what Michael Jackson and Kenny Loggins looked like sprinting.
via Pantheon Media - Where Fans Belong
READ THIS
Why the Healthiest Generation Is the Loneliest
Derek Thompson makes a pretty compelling case that Americans optimizing harder than ever for personal health might actually be part of what is making us more isolated. I don't agree with all of the connections he draws, but as someone who has definitely leaned into fitness and optimization at times in my life, this helped me reflect on some of the social costs of that focus. Worth the read even if you disagree with the conclusion.
The Inside Story of the Athens Music Scene
Garden and Gun put together the oral history of how the BEST COLLEGE TOWN IN AMERICA produced the B-52s, R.E.M., and Widespread Panic, among others. If you have any connection to Athens, and I know many of you do, this is mandatory reading. And even if you don't, it is a great story about a strange and special creative moment that probably could not happen anywhere else.
via Garden & Gun
Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life
William Finnegan's Pulitzer-winning memoir about a life spent chasing waves around the world. I'm not a surfer, have never been a surfer (aside from a handful of days out), and this book had me completely hooked anyway. It's one of those rare ones where the obsession on the page becomes contagious. And the summer is a perfect time to check it out.
LISTEN TO THIS
The Walt Disney Company | Acquired
Acquired has become one of my favorite podcasts. It's known as a history podcast for great companies. But really, they tell the stories of people pursuing a passion. You always come away feeling like you know the founders like a character in your favorite TV show. Many of the companies they cover face such tumultuous periods that you realize how much luck and crazy stubbornness are the only reasons these companies still exist today. And Disney is no exception. The podcast follows the life of Walt Disney and how his obsessiveness created some of the most enjoyed cinema ever made. They cover the early years of synchronized-sound cartoons, all the technology and processes he basically invented from scratch, and how a Kansas City animator who failed over and over built the most recognized brand on earth. Good for a long drive or a weekend project around the house. They do, at times, analyze Disney as a company, and if that isn't your thing, do not let that deter you. But 95% of it is just a compelling oral history of one of the great American storytellers.
via acquired.fm
The best 90s alternative rock playlist of all time
I may be a little biased as I created this playlist, but it does rock. I tried to recreate my 90s radio station's (Bulldawg 103.7) greatest hits, which comes to 32 hours of raw grungy angst. I actually created this right after my last YeeHaw newsletter (in 2020) with the full intention of sending it out in the next edition. Well, here we are.
The Destroyed Sweater Playlist via Spotify
WHAT'S ON THIS WEEKEND
Jul 17 – Jul 19
FIFA World Cup (USA · Canada · Mexico) — FOX / Telemundo / Peacock
Tour de France (cycling) — NBC / Peacock
The Open Championship (golf) — NBC / Peacock / USA