Left Field Report #2 – The Sheep Edition

VOL.2 2024

THE SHEEP EDITION Psychology of Influence • CAPS LOCK Dads • Trends vs Trending • Fandom

VO L . 2 – T H E S H EEP ED I T I O N

September 2024

CREDITS Editor Mary Kromberg Creative Direction Blair Kimber, Mary Kromberg Strategy and Research Laura Agricola, Zach Edwards, Harris Galloway Writing Laura Agricola, Mitchell Blincoe, Caroline Catterall, Ty Ellison, Zach Edwards, Harris Galloway, Ruby Gill, Blair Kimber, Tim Lele, Larissa Thorne Design and Illustration Hannah Palmer Art Direction Blair Kimber Insights The whole Keep Left community

We acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation and the Gadigal ​people of the Eora Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the Country we work o ​ n. We recognise their continuing connection to the land and waters and thank ​t hem for caring for the Country for thousands of generations. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all First Nations people.​

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E dit or’s Not e

PULL THE WOOL OFF YOUR EYES Growing up, I was the type of kid most people would gently call, well, gullible. Though precocious and smart, I was too easily swayed by the opinions and ideas of those around me – easily excitable, easily convinced and quite often late to the joke.

An auntie once called me a ‘joiner’ – I’d start dating a vegan, and suddenly I don’t eat meat anymore.

Friends would start listening to Evanescence and next minute I’m asking to borrow my dad’s very unflattering leather jacket.

I wasn’t spineless, and I certainly had my own stances on things, a knack for leading in group settings, and very strong ideas of where I wanted my life to go. But there, simmering under the surface, was this innate desire to follow a flock. Any flock.

Why? Maybe to feel like I belonged. I felt like such an outsider all my life, that any chance I could get to get ‘in’ on a crew, I’d take it – even if it required heavy eyeliner and an iron deficiency I’m still trying to kick 15 years later.

Maybe I just had a high capacity for wonder, and an earnest desire to explore everything new that came my way. Or maybe I was ‘joining’ in order to make others feel seen. Ah, ye olde cardinal sin of people-pleasing.

As an adult, I’ve tried hard to lose the leash of sheephood (especially when it doesn’t serve me). Tried to stick to my own path a little more stringently.

But the world out there needs gullible kids like me: to engage, to convince, to move, to activate, to join forces with, and yes – to sell to.

THE SYSTEM WE LIVE, SCROLL AND WORK IN IS INHERENTLY FOLLOWABLE.

In reality, few people are immune to influence. The system we live, scroll and work in is inherently followable. There’s a shiny sign up button and a flashy trend wherever you look, and if you’re not careful, you’ll get herded right up in the heart of it all. Which oftentimes is fine. Fun, even. A groundswell can do a lot of good, and many beautiful communities are built off following your leaders or your peers. Other times, being a sheep lands you in some confusing spots where you’re not sure why you bought that incredibly expensive vitamin mix, or why your CEO is suddenly trying to do a dance on TikTok. For this edition of the Left Field Report, we wanted to – for a want of a better phrase – help pull the wool off of the ad and marketing industries’ eyes a little when it comes to the power of influence – how to wield it, when to follow it, and when the grass is not really greener on the other side (p8).

We invite you to unlatch the paddock gate and join us from a new viewpoint in the same old wild, wild field as we crack the code on Trends vs Trending on p10, get some leadership inspiration from a CAPS LOCK dad on p26 and explore the down-low on unfashionable lingo on p24, or a new definition of a subculture on p18.

Plus of course all the usual: cults, podcasts, mutton and soda.

We hope you leave this edition with a couple of new perspectives, your assumptions challenged and feeling a little less sheepish.

Love, your local ‘unlikeminded’ Left Field Reporter, Mary Kromberg

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CONTENTS P6

P8

Feature Article

To Trend or Offend

Shear Genius: The Art of the Flock

When Soda Met Social Justice

P10

P12

Follow Along

Thoughts?

P14

P18

Historical Influence

Strategy Street

Trends vs Trending

Lightning, War and an Unhealthy Obsession with Poo

Can’t Fight This (Very Specific) Feeling

Diving Into the Real Stuff

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P22

Behaviour, Behaviour

No-stalgia

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P26

All Together Now...

The OG Influencer

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P28

Pineapple Express

Spoiler Alert

The Six Prinicples of Persuasion

Vernacular Spectacular

Am I Exercising Free Speech, or Just Dishing Out Annoying Opinions?

Style Trends that Should StayGone

One Dad. One Keyboard.

33,000 Eyes.

Review: Society of the Snow

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P30

Katy Perry

A Fandom Fever Dream

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P34

The Top 5 Records

A Leftie Perspective

Jumping the Shark

Scene and Heard

Swarming in My Seat

Decisions, Decisions

THE EDITION VOL. 2

In the words of The Killers, are we human, or are we... sheep? Whether our trend-following tendencies as a modern society are a benefit or an affliction remains an open question, but us Lefties are curious as to their roots and results. In this second edition of the Left Field Report, we’re peeling back the layers of influence in today’s world and delving into the intricate dynamics that shape opinions, behaviours and trends. Because these are the kind of existential questions that keep us up at night (lucky us). And, as you would likely know, influence poses huge importance to us as advertisers and marketers!

So, if you don’t mind taking our lead let’s explore the big Qs: Is mucking around with influence ethical? Are us advertisers and marketers really the masters of influence we think we are? What drives us to follow the flock: nature or nurture?

And is fandom all it’s cracked up to be?

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Fe at ure Ar t i c l e

SHEAR GENIUS: THE ART OF THE FLOCK

BY Z AC H EDWA R D S, CU LT U R A L ST R AT EG I ST

It’s a cold, early start. The first few rays of morning sun can almost be seen behind the scattered clouds, but not yet felt.

Last night’s dew glistens on the thick grass, where groups of woolly sheep gather – some laying under the eucalypts, others lining the wire fence as if keeping watch. Hundreds of white flecks on brown-green pasture.

FU

N FACT

The internet told us that sheep can self-medicate. They eat plants and other things in nature that hold no nutritional value and scientists believe that this is to ease disease. They also teach their lambs to eat these things, passing it on.

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THE CULTURAL FRAME

On a small hill above, patient and silent, a pair of sharp eyes.

Ears pointed, tail bouncing to an internal rhythm. Mouth is open, tongue out. She’s relaxed, eager, focused. This sheepdog has a job to do, and she’s going to do it well.

Quick commands, a short whistle – that’s her cue. Tearing down the hill with almost too much excitement, she bounds toward the flock before they can chew their next mouthful.

There’s no conflict here, no second guessing. The sheep push and follow each other like it’s scripted – they have a role to play too. Flashes of black and white, back and forth, circling, back again. She barks rarely; restrained and gentle.

The flock moves together toward the small opening between fences. Some strays aren’t convinced of the move, making solo attempts to turn back and climb the hill. But the border collie is quicker and smarter than they are – her ears redirect, eyes lock, all limbs launch her to the clumsy lambs in a blink.

Over almost as soon as it begins, the sheepdog moves the flock into the greener pasture on the other side. The dance is done. But to the casual observer, the question remains: how can a lone dog move hundreds of heads in a matter of minutes?

These five pillars each have a unique impact on culture (our way of translating and viewing the world around us).

Directly or subconsciously, we’re all influenced by these things – what we think, what we value, what we desire.

And that (among other things like language, religion, spirituality and politics) is where we find our identity.

PEERS & FAMILY

The sheepdog sees the big picture. She doesn’t directly interact with each individual animal, but with sections at a time.

This is the process of influence in action. As real as it gets. The sheepdog knows that to get everybody moving, it needs to go after just a small portion, and the group will do the rest, influencing each other, a natural domino effect.

CULTURE

It’s the same in the human world, in terms of culture and identity. We’re all guided, pushed and pulled by a range of sources – our ‘sheepdogs’. We follow what our friends and family tell us. Social media, advertising and fashion shapes our perspectives. Influencers, celebrities and figures of authority have a sense of command over what we engage with. While the news, media and even niche groups on the outside of the mainstream all impact our perspective.

This is our ‘cultural frame’ – our way of translating the world.

Every single moment of every single day, when we see or hear a new idea, we are all going through the same continual process of asking ourselves, “Should I go this way?” – even if we don’t realise it. Whether we like to admit it or not, we’re all sheep in our own way, following the movement of the flock, at the guidance of the sheepdog which keeps us in line.

What makes me, me? It’s something we all experience, every single day. The shared human experience of influence and influencing. Even if we wholeheartedly believe we ‘move to the beat of our own drum’, that rhythm has been shaped and created by all these outside forces, competing for attention, moulding our individual and collective identity.

AUTHORITY FIGURES, CELEBRITIES & INFLUENCERS

IDENTITY

NEWS & TRADITIONAL MEDIA

ADVERTISING & FASHION

FRINGE SOCIETY & NICHE GROUPS

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To Tre n d or O f f e n d

Strategy Director Laura Agricola throws back this fizzy example of brands reading the trend room wrong...

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It’s 2017, a year brimming with tension in America as the Black Lives Matter movement dominates headlines.​ ​ epsi saw an opportunity to tap into the highly P charged, trending social justice discourse that had gripped the nation. Bold choice for a beverage brand. But if it worked, it would help them to connect, and be seen as a catalyst for conversation, a bridge between divided communities, and a symbol of hope during challenging times. ​

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And so, they unleashed a two-and-a-half-minute ad campaign featuring a bevy of attractive young people holding signs with vague calls to ‘join the conversation’. The protesters in the ad were all smiles, sharing laughter, applause, hugs, and high-fives. In the ad’s climactic scene, a police officer is handed a can Activists vehemently argued that the ad couldn’t be of Pepsi by none other than Kendall Jenner, a white further from the actual experiences of those protestcelebrity. Her gesture was met with an ing police brutality.​ enthusiastic response from the protestPEPSI ASKED FOR Elle Hearns, executive director of the ers and a satisfied nod from the officer. ​ PEOPLE TO JOIN THE Marsha P. Johnson Institute and a Pepsi asked for people to join the CONVERSATION. AND THEY former Black Lives Matter organiser, conversation. And they did – it made a poignant remark: “No one is just wasn’t the conversation they DID – IT JUST WASN’T THE finding joy from Pepsi at a protest.” ​ had hoped for. ​ CONVERSATION THEY Pepsi pulled the ad within 24 hours.

Social media erupted with accusations HAD HOPED FOR. ​ Kendall tearfully said she regretted that Pepsi was appropriating the imagery of serious protests to peddle its products, all while doing the advert. ​ downplaying the real dangers and frustrations faced ​Pepsi eventually issued a formal apology, acknowlby protesters. One social commentor posted “This is edging that they had aimed to convey a message the best example of white and economic privilege / of global unity, peace, and understanding but had ignorance I’ve ever seen.” ​ undeniably ‘missed the mark’. They assured the public that they had not intended to make light F R of any serious issues.​ O W M

Brands need to ‘walk the walk’ when engaging

Clearly, Pepsi’s bid to tap into the social justice discourse failed to quench the thirst for meaningful change, leaving their message feeling more flat than refreshing.

with sensitive social issues. It’s not enough to say something without real change to back it up.

More importantly, brands need input from people directly impacted by injustice, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.

Pepsi clearly failed to do this, and we doubt they’d have ever found themselves in this position if they had.

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TRENDS VS Foll ow Al ong . . .

Don’t get it twisted. Not everything that’s trending is a bona fide trend – a harsh truth for brands and content creators to remember. Our strategy team breaks it down for you...

TRENDS Discovering and unpacking cultural ‘trends’ helps us to connect with audiences by understanding the bigger picture forces at play – environmental, social, behavioural. These are slow-moving moments that have a snowball effect as people join the conversation. Trends are about what’s starting to happen, and is going to happen in the future.

Trends

You’re a Leader

What’s ‘trending’ in culture is often dictated by social media – and it moves at the speed of light. These are fleeting moments that change quickly, often without much substance. By the time brands arrive, the moment has passed and people have moved on. Trending is about what’s happening now.

Trending

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You’re a Follower

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We’ve seen what it’s like when

Bet you haven’t thought about these in a while.

We just wanted to remind you that trending moments come and go.

What’s hot in May, is just not come June.

retailers try to cash in on Pride month or when politicians start to experiment with memes and influencers. It can feel unnatural, contribute to the growing noise online and, above all, demonstrate that brands aren’t always prioritising relevance in their efforts.

2023

JA N

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The problem with always

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is that it will only lead you one place: behind the leaders.

Great brands spot powerful MAR

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following social media trends

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ideas on the horizon that resonate with their core values, and they discover ways to advance those

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ideas. That’s the secret of growth:

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being proactive by anticipating JUN

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or leading cultural movements.

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STRAT CHAT Not all trends are created equal, and understanding their nuances can help brands make informed decisions about whether to follow, leverage, or ignore them.​

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Thoughts?

BY M ITC H ELL B LIN C O E

Senior Account Director reflects on his influence immunity.

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CAN’T FIGHT THE (VERY SPECIFIC) FEELING One of my core early memories of influence happened when I was in Year 9. The teaching staff of my regional public school hoarded the entire cohort onto buses and drove us to fields of empty paddocks.

We were marched off the buses and looked out at the paddocks when we were told, “This land will all be developed into housing estates over the next 10 years, and you will all live here.” Well, that was my cue to leave.

In Melbourne, the first obvious sign of influence is the north-south divide. When we think of northsiders, we either think of people with a carabiner clip of 20 keys hanging from their belt loop that surely opens a door to a share house somewhere in Preston, or there are the more slick inner-northsiders – typically laden with the scent of broccoli salads, houseplants and incense used as a tool to lure their ilk into their trendy abodes.

15 years on and they weren’t wrong – many of my classmates at the time now have multiple children and do live in those estates, with streets named after Game of Thrones characters and star signs – not that there is anything wrong with that. The people who have chosen that lifestyle are far further ahead financially than I am. But to me, it seemed like a classic case of social engineering exemplifying the power of influence.

When we think of Southsiders, we think of bottomless brunches designated to align on outfit selections for the hens parties being attended as a collective over the next 10 consecutive weekends.

Or the private schoolers who would gawk at the arranged marriages seen in non-western cultures, yet marry the girl from Lauriston who they met through their parents in the MCC when they were 12 years old.

I WASN’T ESCAPING THE COOKIE CUTTER. MY PATH WAS, IN FACT, BEING CARVED BY AN EVEN STRONGER FORCE.

So, like the many other disgruntled, not-quite-mainstream teens that I’d seen played out in film and TV time and again, I thought to myself, “I’m better than this – I don’t have to settle for a suburban life, I’m going to move to the big smoke for my big break”. And little did I realise at the time that I had played right into the hands of an even grander scale of influence.

I wasn’t escaping the cookie cutter. My path was, in fact, being carved by an even stronger force. The only difference between big cities and small towns when it comes to influence is that cities offer more options for well-trodden paths to follow.

You can usually tell at first glance if someone has been influenced by northside or southside sensibilities. However, if it’s not immediately obvious – you can always ask them how they plan to celebrate the Spring Racing Carnival. A Southsider will give you an intricate rundown of every outfit they plan to wear and a site map of where to meet them in the carpark, while a northsider will roll their eyes and say ‘nup to the cup’ (but wouldn’t turn down a free ticket to the Birdcage mind you).

The takeaway is that none of us are immune to influence. Ultimately, the ones who fight it the hardest are the ones who end up its most tragic victims.

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H I STOR IC A L I N F LU E NCE

Lightning, War and an Ungodly Obsession with Poo: HOW T H E WOR L D ’S F I R S T T ROL L C H A NG E D H U M A N I T Y

Our National Director of Public Relations, Tim Lele, winds the clock back a little...

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o one likes coming home from a holiday. Camper hitched behind, three over-tired, sunkissed kids strapped in the back, and my co-pilot at the end of her tether playing the most important role in the vehicle: hostage negotiator. It’s no blissful escape.

Which is why, seven hours from home after a family getaway this year, I needed some form of miracle that would simultaneously lull my four passengers into a deep slumber, all while keeping me alert and enthused for the long drive ahead.

“And also, where’s the lightning and poo.” Good point. Let’s get to it, shall we?

Before Martin Luther came along, the idea that you could choose your religion was unfathomable. If you were born in a Catholic country, you were Catholic, and the laws of the Holy Roman Empire were the laws you were bound by. In this life and the next. This was not questioned, it was just fact. And the punishment for not being Catholic enough, or even falling foul of the local priest, was to be called a heretic (derogatory) and burnt at the stake.

Luckily, I had just the wizardry at hand. A podcast called The Rest is History, with which my obsession runs so deep that Spotify wrapped informed me last year I was in the top 0.05% of listeners. I thank housing in-affordability and my two-hour daily commute for that.

As I hit play, the audible groans from my son in the back were immediate. The snores from my wife not far behind.

And while the topic on offer, the rise of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation, didn’t immediately capture my excitement either – not as much as tales of Rome’s rise and fall, or conquistadors in South America – I remained captivated until the moment my car finally sat idle in the driveway at 1am. So, now it’s your turn.

M A R T I N L U T H E R ’S I N F L U E N C E I am not a religious person. I don’t come from a religious family. I hold no particularly strong views when it comes to religion, but I am curious. Mostly about history. And how the more you delve into anthropology the more you understand how religion has shaped the way we live, how our society is structured and even the way we think – whatever your beliefs.

In fact, it’s quite easy to argue that religion has been by far the most impactful cultural influence on humanity of all. But that’s not what this article is about. “Thank god,” I hear you thinking.

Luther’s Protestant reformation completely changed the way people at that time thought about their relationship with god and how they live their life. Some say it was the birth of modernity and individualism.

Luther’s influence was such that an eighth of the human race is now Protestant. How could one man completely change the way the world thought, and incite a war of ideas, a war of religions and people?

T H E O R IG I N A L B I B L E B A S H E R Luther was born into unspectacular family in 1483 and grew up in a small mining town in Saxony (modern day Germany). His father wanted him to study law to help the family business, but like most teenagers, he preferred to do the opposite.

Disowned by his family and disillusioned about his future, it wasn’t until he was caught in a violent thunderstorm in 1505 at the age of 21, that his destiny changed.

As lightning struck a nearby tree to where he cowered, Luther went up the chain of command and vowed to St. Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary, that if he survived he would become a monk. He was ordained two years later.

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Fast forward 12 years. As Wittenberg University’s Professor of the Bible (what a title), Luther became jaded by the commercialisation of the Catholic Church. And to his credit, put his neck on the line to call out the rort.

Strapped for cash, funding a massive reno on St Peter’s Basilica and fighting off the Turks to the East, the church had ramped up taxes and escalated other forms of revenue raising, namely ‘indulgences’.

These were a kind of medieval get-out-of-jail-free card, where you gave the church cash, and they reduced some of your time in purgatory. The more money, the less waiting to get through the pearly gates. Indulgences were so lucrative that their trumpeted power also inflated to the point that Christians didn’t even need to feel bad for their sins if they coughed up enough.

Luther’s influence stemmed from his ability to use the latest technology – Gutenberg’s printing press – to spread his ideas. A transformative moment in our civilisation (and industry): from a hand-written society to a mass-communication one overnight. It was the original media, social media and the birth of public relations. And Luther was the first to capitalise on this new war of ideas.

I’d hate to see his printing bill, but Luther wrote a third of the books published in German during the first half of the 1500s.

He churned out pamphlets, books, and translations at a dizzying pace, making his ideas accessible to the public. His translation of the Bible into German allowed ordinary people to read the scriptures for themselves, democratising religious knowledge and undermining the Church’s monopoly on biblical interpretation.

Luther’s following would make modern influencers jealous. But he wasn’t just about uplifting content and positive vibes.

On his hundredth or so reading of the old-testament, Luther decided he had to call out this false divine economy. It was then he published his Ninety-five Theses, and his two guiding principles of theology.

The first, sola fide – ‘by faith alone’, is essentially as George Michael said – if you got faith, you’re good.

The second, sola scriptura – ‘by scripture alone’, means to only trust what’s in the bible, not what the church tells you.

And boy, did those words land hard.

T HE FIR ST V IR A L IN FLU ENCER Guided by his newfound convictions, Luther denounced the indulgence trade and all the other ways the church made money. His ideas took off and soon, Luther became the biggest celebrity in the German-speaking lands. When he travelled, people flocked to the high road to see him. He was a charismatic man, and maniacally energetic. Particularly in writing. But above all he was a shit-stirrer.

A shit-stirrer with a brand new megaphone.

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FROM IN FLU ENCER TO T ROLL There was a side to Luther that thrived on controversy and conflict. He was the kind of influencer who loves to start Twitter feuds for headlines, lurking in the comments section looking for the next invitation to unleash a bit of scathing vitriol. He didn’t just disagree with his opponents; he eviscerated them.

Take his pamphlet Against the Robbing and Murdering Hordes of Peasants, where he urged nobility to ‘smite, slay, and stab’ any peasants found revolting.

Or his attacks on the Pope: “The Church is the whore of Babylon, and the Pope is her pimp.” Hectic.

@martinluther

All those vile miscreants, those damned papists, should be pelted with dung.

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Even within the Protestant camp, Luther was quick to attack. He labelled fellow reformers as heretics, often resorting to name-calling and ridicule. “You are a pretty good buffoon and jester, but no soldier of Christ.” Ouch, cop that Erasmus of Rotterdam.

B U T YO U P R O M I S E D P O O !

Like any modern troll, Luther was more than willing to resort to vile language to make his point. Most often he’d stoop to poop.

Targeting the theologians opposing him he said: “All those vile miscreants, those damned papists, should be pelted with dung.”

Discussing a conversation he had with the Devil in 1531 (which took place on a toilet), Luther said, “I am cleansing my bowels and worshipping God Almighty; You deserve what descends and God what ascends.”

In 1542, Luther described his depression in faecal terms: “I am ripe shit, so is the world a great wide asshole; eventually we will part.”

These days, one might palm most of this off as a poop emoji in the DMs, but back then, Luther’s words had significant power.

The Reformation emboldened German-speaking lands to assert their independence from Rome.

Impoverished agricultural workers used Protestantism to start a class war. As a result, more than eighty thousand poorly armed peasants were slaughtered when the rebellion failed. For the following decades of the horrific Thirty Years’ War, approximately 8 million died as Europe’s Roman Catholics killed all the Protestants they could, and vice versa.

Now, unless you’re like my family and fell asleep 10 paragraphs ago, you might be wondering, how can one man cause so much havoc? And I would ask whether you can see some of the parallels between this account of history and today’s consequences of influence?

I F YO U TA K E O N E T H I N G AWAY, LET IT BE THIS: People like to blame social media on a lot of problems with modern society. But history shows us that if you give people a megaphone (no matter how analogue), they will not just use it for creativity, enlightenment, to influence culture and change the course of history – they will also use it to stoop to the lowest forms of bullying, abuse and propaganda.

The example of Martin Luther shows that all these can happen at the same time. It’s just human nature amplified.

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DIVING INTO THE REAL STUFF

STRATEGY

STREET Culture / Subculture / Aesthetic. Ah, the holy triad of strategy teams. These three terms are often (incorrectly) used interchangeably, but there are some important differences between

CULTURE Overwhelming, large-scale system to make meaning Shared traditions, language, art, laws, politics

them. So, our strategy team has broken down the definition of each to help you understand your audiences (or yourselves) a little better...

SUB CULTURE Self-organised and voluntary Shared norms, lifestyle, fashion, beliefs and values

AESTHETIC Self-expression, not always collective Visual, fashion, art

THE GORPCORE TOOLKIT HOW TO SPOT THIS AESTHETIC IN THE WILD (A.K.A THE CITY)

OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS People who love being outside, respect and care for the planet, value peace and mental wellbeing.

Carhartt cargo pants $299

Salomon sneakers $224

ROCK CLIMBERS Thrill seeking, exercise for fun, love nature, socks and sandals, patagonia-wearing.

Arc’teryx jacket $820

The North Face bum bag $70

GORPCORE Beanies, functional fleece, utility pants, GORE-TEX, parkas, ‘hiking’ shoes.

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Behavioural Strategist Harris Galloway dissects the science of sway.

Us agency folk like to tell ourselves that we’re all very different from one another. We’re strategists, we’re creatives, or we’re in account service. But as far as I can tell, we all have the same job: influence people. Mentally, emotionally or behaviourally – so that they think, feel or do something that will lead them to choose our brand. If we’re not influencing people, we’re not doing our job. No matter our title.

So, let’s take it back to basics and look at some behavioural science that can help us do a better job of, well, our job…

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I simply couldn’t talk about ‘influence’ without talking about Robert Cialdini. A professor of social psychology, Cialdini worked ‘undercover’ in places like telemarketing firms and car dealerships to observe how persuasion happens in the real world, leading him to develop ‘the six principles of persuasion’. Here are some examples to bring them to life:

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1. RECIPROCITY

4. LIKING

Ever wondered why Mecca’s membership program is so bloody successful? Well, you mustn’t have ever received one of their beloved Beauty Loop Boxes!

These pint-sized packages are filled with such good stuff, you just can’t help but go back for more.

Ever found yourself going back to the same café because the barista remembers your name? How about ordering a few more schooners than you planned on because the cute bartender was laughing at your jokes?

We tend to give something back when we receive something.

We agree (and comply) more with those who say or imply they like us.

2. COMMITMENT & CONSISTENCY

5. AUTHORITY

Does Duolingo’s evil owl mascot scare you? No? Yeah, me neither… Fears aside, the reason the app is so effective is due to this principle. We don’t like breaking the promises we’ve made to this menacing little guy (and to ourselves), and we love to see our streak ticking up.

We feel compelled to be consistent with what we’ve said or done in the past.

3. SOCIAL PROOF (CONFORMITY) Hotels like to put those little cards in the bathroom that tell you their guests often choose to reuse their towel. You know, those ones you ignore half the time? Well, it turns out with one small tweak – ‘guests in this room’ instead of ‘guests in this hotel’ – these cards become way more effective!

“9 out of 10 dentists recommend.” Can you believe somebody actually thought of that? Genius.

We obey those with perceived expertise and credibility (the ‘white-coat effect’).

6. SCARCITY We’ve all fallen victim to this one. You’ve been eyeing off that new jacket for weeks and suddenly you see that there’s only one left in stock! All of a sudden, buying the jacket feels all the more urgent, doesn’t it?

We see things that are less available as more valuable.

We look to others who are similar to us to determine what to do (‘herd mentality’).

A NOTE ON CULT PSYCHOLOGY Cults are just an [extreme [extreme/hyper/ hyperconcentrated] manifestation of the way that all (or certainly the vast majority of) groups work in ourour in society. society.

Hear me out...

They have charismatic leaders, and they have obedient followers. They’re made up of people who all believe similar things, and who all adhere to the social norms that are laid out for them by the leaders – norms that prescribe how to behave and what is or isn’t acceptable within the group. Members are often so indoctrinated in the group that they lose the ability to think critically about what the leader’s telling them. And mere membership to that group fosters a strong sense of belonging and an in-group identity that’s a powerful motivator, both in following the beliefs and norms of the group, and in ostracising those who disagree or dissent.

Now, I’m not trying to point any fingers, but there are a number of groups I can think of that fit that bill...

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VO L . 2 – T H E S H EEP ED I T I O N

No - st alg i a

STYLE TRENDS THAT SHOULD STAY GONE Director of Content and Performance Larissa Thorne rants about her most hated hairstyle and other style trends she hopes to say ‘baa-bye’ too.

And I’m not going to lie, as someone who changes their hair more often than some people change their sheets, I find the desire to conform when it comes to your hair – something totally unique to you, that has the capacity to grow and respond to different things (chemicals and scissors in my case) – to be such a waste of a natural resource.

The recent pandemic years saw a rise in the mullet among young men. This wasn’t the same mullet of the 80s: fluffed up and with severe length disparity.

A crowning achievement and testament to Aussie yobbo culture. No, the 2020s variation takes a shortcut by shaving the sides of the head, making it easy for most to replicate with shaggy hair, two minutes, and a pair of clippers.

Do what makes you feel good, sure. But don’t jump on style trends just because you don’t want to be left out. Trust me, those will be the photos you look back on with regret.

What made so many thousands of boys and men decide that this was a wagon they couldn’t miss? It feels like it started as a joke and somewhere along the way we forgot what we were laughing about – until we finally reached peak saturation.

TH

EW

FRO M

H E

Here was a hairstyle that did few men favours, and those who did look good tended to be the kind of men who were, well, just plain good looking. So why did it feel like you couldn’t turn your head in 2023 without seeing this quaff?

VI

ER

I don’t know why, but the proliferation of this hair trend infuriated me.

E

When it comes to style, trends are cyclical.

Every couple of years they get regurgitated, rebranded, and sold to us as something new. Just when you think you can breathe a sigh of relief that something may be gone for good it rears its ugly head again with a younger generation (I’m looking at you, low-slung jeans).

Going against the grain isn’t an easy sell, especially for more conservative brands.

When everyone else in your category is using Corporate Memphis and a serif typeface, it can be hard to resist temptation. After all, as the wisdom of the crowd would have it, they must be onto something.

It might feel like a bold choice to buck the trend, but this is where the magic happens. If you don’t, you might as well be just another mullet.

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VO L . 2 – T H E S H EEP ED I T I O N

SUPERFLUOUS BELTS This was big in the early 00s, and with all things from that era returning I hope this part stays buried.

OVER-PLUCKED EYEBROWS We might have gone from fluffy to laminated, but let’s leave the overzealous tweezing in the past.

HERE ARE FIVE MORE TRENDS FROM MY LIFETIME I DON’T WANT TO SEE RESURRECTED

TOO MUCH LIP FILLER FLUFFY PERMS These didn’t look good on anyone, but then the 80s weren’t kind to most.

Controversial? This has been enduring in the beauty world and I kinda miss seeing a range of lips on real life people.

WHALE TAILS Wear whatever underwear you find comfy, but if I can see your G-string it just screams Kath & Kim to me.

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VO L . 2 – T H E S H EEP ED I T I O N

All Tog e th e r Now. . .

VERNACULAR SPECTACULAR Can you believe we really used to say some of this stuff?

What’s popular lingo is always changing. Get your colouring pencils out, match the definition to the terminology to remember just how transient our everyday language is...

1.

YOLO

A.

something desirable, often food or music

2.

No cap

B.

gen z’s favourite retort against older generations

3.

Cray

C.

acronym, modern carpe diem

4.

Yeet

D.

crazy

5.

Yasss

E.

to discard an item at high velocity

6.

Totes

F.

totally

7.

Slaps

G.

on fire

8.

Adulting

H.

the process of performing grown-up tasks

9.

Bae

I.

acronym, used to describe a loved one

10.

OK Boomer

J.

living your best life

11.

Lit

K.

adjective or expression, usually when something tastes amazing

12.

Sliving

L.

without lying, complete honesty or truth

13.

Bussin

M.

yes or yay

1-C

2-L

3-D

4-E

5-M

6-F

7-K

8-H

9-I

10 - B

11 - G

12 - J

13 - A P24

VO L . 2 – T H E S H EEP ED I T I O N

1.

Slay

A.

something you can’t stop thinking about; living in your head ___

2.

Cap

B.

cool, fashionable

3.

Facts

C.

narcissism

4.

Low key

D.

attractiveness, game, charisma

5.

Rent free

E.

hyping someone up, or feeling yourself

6.

Drip

F.

killed it, succeeded in something amazing

7.

Stan

G.

significantly better than usual

8.

Hits different

H.

of average quality

9.

Main character

I.

a super fan

10.

Mid

J.

lie

11.

For real / fr

K.

expression used to convey totality or seriousness

12.

Go off

L.

used to agree with something or someone

13.

Rizz

M.

discreetly or slightly

1-E P25

2-J

3-L

4-M

5-A

6-B

7-I

8-G

9-C

10 - H

11 - K

12 - F

13 - D

VO L . 2 – T H E S H EEP ED I T I O N

SAT NAV COULD NOT FIND IT, SHAME ABOUT THE SEWAGE

WILL GREATLY MISS THIS PLACE

Th e OG Inf lu e n c e r

ONE DAD. ONE KEYBOARD. 33,000 EYES.

Senior Account Director Gem Mejer celebrates her dad’s dedication to online reviews.

Some people have diaries. Some people have therapy. Others choose sport as an outlet for their emotions or to de-stress.

My dad chooses the CAPS LOCK button and the public review platform – TripAdvisor.

Thanks to him being a born and bred cockney man from West Ham, I can’t say his method of coping with stress, criticism or difficult situations was to naturally talk it out, ask for STARTED OFF BAD help, or calmly address the probAND DID NOT lem atGET hand.

ANY BETTER Just going to say Green Street Hooligans and leave it there.

But my Dad, now in his mid-60s and uses a JCB phone *pause to let you Google that* managed to find the world of online reviews.

So much so that I’m not sure if he connects the fact that over 33,000 people worldwide read his reviews.

A man that knows what he wants - a cold pint and a good burger (on a warm plate) - my father travels the south east of England reviewing mainly food - but also most things - Heathrow Terminal 5 was a good one back in March 2017.

But from a business perspective, do they take this to heart? Do my dad’s inner monologues damage their reputation, how they see themselves – or do they take on board the customer feedback?

Online reviews have power because they are personal. They are from customer to business and they are honest. That third party validation can’t be bought with advertising.

Outside of relating it back to what I do for a living, I’m happy my dad has a place he feels comfortable to share how he feels, with an audience he doesn’t know, having an impact we may never be able to measure.

For now, I know that when I get my weekly ‘inner circle’ email update from Gregg, it’s going to make me laugh – and if it brings him joy, even better.

DELIGHTFUL BUT NOT QUITE PERFECT

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SIGN SAID OPEN BUT IT WAS NOT

And it seems to work from all angles. My dad has over 700 entries, my mum, brother and I don’t need to listen to what he thinks about the bar staff, and the people and pubs of Kent get an honest – albeit sometimes misleading review – and I hope a bloody laugh.

Whether anyone bases their decisions on my dad’s reviews is an unanswered question. I can certainly speak for the fact I like to look on Google before I visit somewhere, or read through the experience someone has had at an Airbnb before I stayed there.

I REALLY HOPE I NEVER EVER HAVE TO VISIT AGAIN

And my god, what an outlet it is for him.

STRANGE SPOOKY LACK OF ATMOSPHERE

WHAT A FANTASTIC LOCATION, SPOILT

BY THIS PUB

VO L . 2 – T H E S H EEP ED I T I O N

P in e appl e E x pre s s

AM I EXERCISING FREE SPEECH, OR JUST DISHING OUT ANNOYING OPINIONS? ​ In the grand circus of opinions, one anonymous Leftie has always had a front-row seat.​ You see, I’ve always believed in the power of speaking one’s mind, a true advocate of free speech.

But lately, I find myself caught in a rather peculiar conundrum. Is it possible that I’m blurring the line between genuine expression and just downright annoying everyone around me?​ On one hand, there’s this belief that we should be able to voice our thoughts and opinions without fear of censorship or repercussions. And I stand by that, firmly and resolutely. But there’s the undeniable reality that speaking one’s mind in certain situations can lead to more trouble and controversy than it’s worth.​ This happened recently at a family dinner. We were at an authentic Italian restaurant, the kind where the staff seem like they’ve just teleported off the shores of Sicily. A relative boldly ordered a Hawaiian pizza, despite it not being on the menu. She beckoned the waiter, requesting this rarity. She wanted to know if they could make it for her. I made a comment that it was offensive as it’s not even Italian cuisine. She retorted that it’s her favorite and she should enjoy what she wants.

It begs the question, is that just self censorship and not in the spirit of free speech? ​ The short answer is no. Social etiquette doesn’t mean silencing your opinions entirely, but rather being discerning about when and how you express them.

I immediately think of Malala Yousafzai. Nelson Mandela. My nan. All of whom spoke freely about human rights (and food rights) in a thoughtful and constructive way. ​

SOCIAL ETIQUETTE DOESN’T MEAN SILENCING YOUR OPINIONS ENTIRELY After all, just as free speech is a right, so is the right to create an environment where everyone feels heard and respected. ​ What I have learned of late is that is beauty in both speaking freely and knowing when to let the silence speak for itself.

I was championing the cause of culinary purity, while she was all about pleasing her taste buds. In the end she told me to keep my opinions to myself.

My nan finally interjected and said, “Well, if pizza can cross the ocean to reach our table, I suppose a bit of pineapple can make the journey too.”​ Which got me thinking – there is a middle ground. It’s called social etiquette; choosing the right moments, reading the room, and knowing when to engage in spirited debate. ​

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VO L . 2 – T H E S H EEP ED I T I O N

Sp oil e r Al e r t

REVIEW: SOCIETY OF THE SNOW Junior Art Director Ty Ellison explores the big questions that the Oscar-nominated plane crash epic brought up.

On October 13, 1972, a plane carrying 45 people – including members of a Uruguayan rugby team and five crew members – took off from Uruguay bound for Chile. The plane did not make the journey, crashing in the Andes and resulting in the immediate death of 12 people. I think everyone can safely agree that a plane crash is one of the most horrific ways to leave this world. But in some ways, is surviving one worse?

Over the duration of the next 72 days (!!), the remaining survivors were forced into “a transformation... a real metamorphosis from being a rugby player to becoming a survivor of a plane crash” (Roberto Canessa, who was 19 at the time when the plane crashed). As the weeks passed, a point arrived where the survivors had consumed all remaining food from the plane. Faced with starvation, they grappled with an unthinkable decision: was cannibalism an option?

What the movie does brilliantly, is not for a second convey this tension as being one of ‘right vs wrong’ which like... it’s cannibalism?! But instead, handles it with care, focusing on the both internal and external quandary of the legality, and more importantly, morality, of eating their friends.

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One passenger, Numa Turcatti, is set apart by his refusal to conform to what had become the group’s norm.

As an outsider from the rugby team, he remains true to his religious and ethical beliefs without passing judgment on others who chose to survive in their own way. Over the film, he emerges as a sort of peaceful, passive leader within the group, and is eventually the last to pass away before their eventual rescue. He tells the remaining survivors before passing, “I want you to know you have my permission to use my body. I know I won’t make it out, but I’m at peace with it.”

With this report in mind, I found myself asking several questions in my most recent rewatch – how influenced was Numa in his eventual decision to give his body? How long does it take for the norm of a society to shift, and under what conditions? I like to think that in the position myself – I wouldn’t even THINK about resorting to cannibalism to stay alive, but if someone else makes the first move, could that change my decision? And more importantly, if everyone else in a society are all doing something, and the instinct of survival kicks in, does that make it okay? I don’t know?

Thankfully, I don’t have to answer these questions today. But back in our cushy lives in Melbourne, maybe it’s just worth considering what is normal, and what is a bit fucked, and where we stand with it all.

“At the heart of the story, there is this message that says that when everything has been taken from someone, you still have a chance of deciding what to do – why do you want to live?”

– J.A. Bayona, Director of Society of the Snow.

RATINGS REVIEW FROM MY BRAIN

3.8/5

REVIEW FROM MY HEART

5/5

VO L . 2 – T H E S H EEP ED I T I O N

K at y Pe r r y

JUMPING THE SHARK CEO Caroline Catterall wades into the awkwardness of trying (and failing) to stay relevant.

In the glittery world of pop music, even the brightest stars can find themselves struggling to keep up their shine. Katy Perry, a once-unstoppable force of talent, charisma, playfulness and radio dominance (don’t forget that ‘Last Friday Night’, ‘Teenage Dream’, ‘Firework’ and ‘California Gurls’, were all on the same 2010 album) has found herself the latest victim of falling off – a classic example of an artist jumping the shark.

Remember that notorious episode of Happy Days where Fonzie literally jumps over a shark while waterskiing? It signalled the show’s creative decline – a line in the sand moment that collectively audiences agreed the show had run its course. Now, the term ‘jumping the shark’ is used in any moment when a TV show, brand, or celebrity veers into desperate, cringe-worthy territory in a bid to remain relevant. A marker of the end.

In July, Katy Perry dropped her new single ‘WOMAN’S WORLD’ – with a resounding thud. The track was immediately criticised by fans and haters alike, for its cringey and awkward lyrics and its attempt to brand Katy Perry as a feminist icon.

girl summer’ with artists like Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Taylor Swift and Chappell Roan individually and collectively leading the charge for authentic female empowerment and enjoyment.

Enter Katy Perry, a former pop superstar who once would have been an inspiration to names like these but hasn’t been relevant for many years. Her song tries WAY too hard to be culturally relevant. It’s inauthentic, and a bit embarrassing (one theory suggests she wrote this song for inclusion in the Barbie film, but it was rejected for being too cringe and on-the-nose).

This whole scenario underscores an important lesson for artists, brands, and celebrities: know your limits and stay true to what makes you unique.

Katy Perry’s attempt to jump on the ‘pop girl summer’ trend is a textbook case of jumping the shark. It’s a reminder that trying too hard to fit in can often lead to standing out for all the wrong reasons. We don’t have to insert ourselves into every trend or cultural moment. Sometimes it’s best to recognise when to let other stars shine, and find your place elsewhere.

In theory, an anthem like this couldn’t come at a better time. We’re experiencing a full throttle ‘pop

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VO L . 2 – T H E S H EEP ED I T I O N

A Fan d om Fe v e r D re am

IN MY SEAT Donald Glover might be one of the most creative people alive.

Strategist and self-professed TV addict Harris Galloway gives his take on Donald Glover’s Swarm and confronts his own undying faith in the show’s creator.

Dre (Dominique Fishback) is a brainwashed superfan of fictional pop superstar Ni’jah and a devoted member of The Swarm – an intentional and notso-thinly veiled analogue of real-life pop superstar Beyoncé and her BeyHive.

He started writing on 30 Rock at age 23. He stole the show in Community. He’s had an accomplished rap career as Childish Gambino. And his first show, Atlanta, is (in my book) one of the best to grace the The pilot opens with Dre maxing out two credit small screen in recent memory. Its unique brand cards to pay for tickets to Ni’jah’s imminent Housof afro-surrealism produced a kind of uncanny ton show, and before long, she’s on a cross-country valley-esque depiction of the rap game in its epon- road trip, murdering any Ni’jah naysayer unfortuymous city that has stayed nate enough to cross her path with me long after the and fail her “who’s your favouTHESE THINGS MADE ME TRULY credits rolled. rite artist?” test. No spoilers, DESPISE THIS CHARACTER. AND I’M but suffice to say the murders My point is: I will watch (or grow increasingly ridiculous listen to) anything he touches. SORRY TO SAY, BUT THEY MADE ME as the show goes on.

DESPISE DONALD GLOVER TOO. So, when I heard last year he had a new project tackling Where Swarm shines is in its the extremes of modern-day pop music fanaticism, more surreal, stylistic elements: in its look and feel I was all in. (thanks in large part to glorious 35mm film); in its score and Ni’jah’s (singer-songwriter Kirby’s) music; Swarm is billed as a satirical horror-comedy. It is, it in the buzzing noise that rises to a fever pitch before claims, rooted in reality. As a title card at the start of she takes another victim; in its nigh-on-disturbingly each episode reads: “This is not a work of fiction. Any long takes and dream (?) sequences. similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is intentional.” But despite Swarm’s surre- There is, admittedly, a lot to like here, alism being more subdued than the at times other- at least at face value. worldly Atlanta, it somehow feels less real.

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VO L . 2 – T H E S H EEP ED I T I O N

Zach Edwards We’ve all been witness to Taylor Swift’s meteoric rise over the last two decades to become the biggest and most successful pop star in the world.

In the eyes of Swifties, she can do no wrong. She is perfect. Every song she writes is the best thing they’ve ever heard.

But Glover has created a character that is so furiously one-dimensional that I found the show borderline unwatchable. If the intention was to make the audience feel as insane as Dre, then job done.

Her incessant consumption of content from the Swarm. Her insistence that she and her idol are ‘connected’ or ‘friends.’ Her seeing other people living their lives normally as a failure to appreciate Ni’jah.

These things made me truly despise this character. And I’m sorry to say, but they made me despise Donald Glover too.

I despised him for serving up such a onetrick pony of a character. I despised him for stealing seven hours of my time, and seven more rewatching the show for this review.

And perhaps most of all, I despised him for disappointing me.

But I learnt a valuable lesson. They say ‘never meet your heroes’ (advice I’m sure Dre would summarily reject), but in light of Swarm my suggestion is this: ‘never follow them blindly’.

After all, our idols are those most likely to let us down.

FU

N FACT

Malia Obama (yes, that Obama) was part of the writers’ room for Swarm.

Some critics, however, disagree. Despite having the equal-most #1 albums of any solo artist in history, many of those works received poor reviews and were repeatedly snubbed at award nights. Her latest double-album gathered a slew of negative reviews for being ‘bland, uninspired, cheesy’ and ‘too similar to her previous work’.

But the joke’s on them, because Tay-Tay doesn’t need to release innovative or ground-breaking music. She’s building something much bigger – The New Yorker likened it to her own MCU, and argued we should compare her to Disney.

Taylor Swift has created, grown and fed an entire universe. Almost every line of her songs can be dissected and analysed, drawing connections and subtle commentary to past songs, videos, cultural moments, and music that her enemies and ex-lovers have written. Taylor is the queen of Easter eggs, in a far more involved way than Marvel’s post-credit scenes can claim.

Her followers will devour everything she births (and many won’t hesitate to argue and defend her every move). Taylor Swift will continually sell out stadiums across the globe. She’ll keep releasing songs and albums that reference her past work, and there’s nothing critics can do to stop her.

And why should they? She’s beyond successful, she’s on top of the world. Wolves don’t lose sleep over the opinions of sheep.

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The top 5 REcOrds Ruminations on life, love and the musicverse

by Executive Creative Director Blair Kimber.

SCENE AND HEARD I’ve always been a sponge for music, open to new sounds and always following threads leading to the discovery of my next favourite band. In my formative years my ears were plied with sounds as varied as German prog rock and The Beatles to the latest Bruce Springsteen or Dire Straights record. Thanks Dad. In a way I have always felt like I was living in multiple eras at the same time. The musical influence of the past was something I always felt driven to discover, but at the same time living in the now and experiencing a music scene unfolding in front of my eyes was a very real and present joy in my life.

In my uni days my closest friend and I were obsessed by the music of the early 70s – Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and the Allman Brothers. We longed to be part of a scene that has long since died, to the point we were adamant we had been born in the wrong decade.

We became the biggest fanboys for a local blues rock band called Spoonful. Great young musicians playing songs from two decades prior in the seediest bars around Melbourne. It was the closest we got to hearing the originals and if you closest your eyes tight enough you could kinda trick yourself into believing you were at the Fillmore West...

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And at the very same time I was obsessed with the music scene kicking off around me. The explosion of alternative music. Even if I wasn’t in the epicentre of Seattle as the likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Hole took over the world, Melbourne had its own unique spin on the sub-culture. Bands like You Am I, Def FX, and Magic Dirt forging their own musical paths and influencing the freaks, geeks and weirdos longing for a scene to call their own. Unbeknownst to me I was part of a scene that was as big as the music heroes I loved from the past.

We often think of influence as being something happening in the here and now, but really influence can come from anywhere or any time if you have the curiosity to discover it.

Seeing kids walking around today with Nirvana or Sonic Youth knock-off vintage tees makes me wonder... do they wish they were in the nineties getting sweaty in the mosh pit at the Big Day Out as much as they love seeing Tay Tay take over the world? I hope so, because curiosity can be the biggest influence on your world if you open your ears to something new.

VO L . 2 – T H E S H EEP ED I T I O N

MY TOP 5 FANBOY FAVS

3.

HOREHOUND

The Dead Weather Jack White’s third incarnation blends the past with his own DIY aesthetic to create his thrilling version of dark and brooding blues. He’s the king of taking something old and making it new again.

1.

LED ZEPPELIN

4.

LIFE WAS BETTER

Led Zeppelin

After living off mix tapes of Led Zeppelin from my guitar teacher, this was my first proper album purchase. Opened doors to so many musical loves.

Magic Dirt

The next best thing to living in the same city as Sonic Youth.

2.

Sonic Youth

5.

Grateful Dead

DIRTY

Influenced by the art rock of the 60s they reinvented what a rock guitar could sound like.

Dissonant loud and glorious.

LIVE DEAD

They were a movement in themselves defining 60s counterculture and experimentation in the 60s and 70s. Being a deadhead is the very definition of a sub-culture.

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VO L . 2 – T H E S H EEP ED I T I O N

A L e f t i e Pe rs p e c t iv e

DECISIONS, DECISIONS Our Lefties unpack how they arrived at some big choices, and what influenced them along the way.

MY WEDDING DRESS (LARISSA)

MY ENTIRE LIFE (JAY)

After searching a thousand websites (and receiving an onslaught of social media retargeting), I impulse bought four wildly different dresses. This is how I make most of my fashion choices. Try on a thousand things. Agonise over them. Then impulse buy something random and completely unrelated to the things I tried on. I eventually arrived at my final decision through weight gain making two options untenable, and one option proving better for giving my boobs a big day out, as advised by my mum (“It’d be such a shame to wear something that covers them up!”). Pretty much everything else from the wedding was decided 100% on impulse or by me telling people I don’t care, and they made the decision themselves.

They say moving house is one of the most stressful times in life. So what compelled my husband and I, in the midst of moving from Sydney to Melbourne, to also try for a baby? It was just days before my husband started a new job – and all our belongings were in the back of a truck travelling down the Hume – that we found out we were expecting our first child.

And it sort of feels like we’ve been in transit ever since. Six months on, our lives have mostly stayed packed up in boxes as we attempt to buy a new home for our next chapter. We’ve had some agonising looks from family as we talk through ‘the plan’ to get settled. Why the hell did we do this all at once? I can see them wondering as they mask their concern behind reassuring smiles. And while I’ve asked myself the same question at times, often late at night, I don’t think we would do anything differently. Sometimes life just happens all at once – I truly believe it’s part of what keeps it interesting. If you don’t embrace change, how much longer does it take to arrive at where you want to be? At some point way off in the future, I have no doubt we’ll come up for air again – and I do look forward to eventually going slow. But for now, I’m not overthinking it. I’m embracing the ticking timebomb in utero that’s keeping us on our toes, believing that in a matter of months we’ll find ourselves exactly where we need to be.

Key point: Sometimes, Mum’s influence trumps all others.

TATTOO TACTICS (TY) My parents have always, and I mean ALWAYS, hated tattoos. They cried a lot when I got my first, and my second, and my third (you get the point). So I like to really take my time before I get a new one. Whenever I get the craving, I kick off with an impulsive idea or a cool design I’ve found on Are.na, Pinterest or IG. Then I reverse-engineer the meaning (of course).

Mull it over for months. Sit on the thoughts until I have multiple tattoos I want (it’s far cheaper to get a few done in one sitting than one at a time). Make sure I love them and have no second thoughts or doubts.

For consistency, go to the same artist who will design up the tattoo/s based on some screenshots I’ve sent.

Check her designs (they’re usually quite different to what I’ve sent as she doesn’t like to copy). And finally, throw caution to the wind.

Key point: Not all influence is immediate. Sometimes it takes time for a thought to settle, or to build the confidence to act.

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Key point: Decision making doesn’t have to be timed to perfection – it doesn’t have to make sense to anybody, including yourself. As long as you deeply believe in the decisions you’re taking, they’ll probably work out as they should.

QUESTIONS FOR THE FLOCK We asked our own Lefties to reflect on their relationship with influence.

HANDSOME Ruby Gill, Copywriter, reviews Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster and Mae Martin’s cult podcast.

A very attractive podcast.

Has there ever been a time in your life where you have truly gone against the grain?

All of my friends were in the emo scene in high school, but I’d always wear bright red dresses and gumboots when going to ‘the club’. Stuck out like a sore thumb.

Quitting uni even when I was a star student. Or being gay.

I ran my own club on King Street despite many people telling me not to.

Totally unheard of for a 20-year-old female, haha!

Do you have a trailblazer in your life?

Both of my grandparents, who were Italian immigrants. Non-English speaking. Immigrated at age 18 and 20, built successful businesses, bought properties, thrived.

My stepdad, who lived in Antarctica for 18 months to immerse himself in extreme nature and bring back new understanding of it all for people back home.

My partner, who built his first business at age 14 and sold it to UNSW. Now he works for himself on his own tech startup at age 23.

What herd are you a part of?

Runners. Climbers.

Footy fans.

The music industry.

Birdwatchers.

I’m a part of some subreddits, but I don’t actively engage with those communities.

I read the posts/ threads and consider their views/perspectives and move on.

What does the rest of society agree on that you just can’t understand?

That sex is a mandatory part of a relationship. My partner and I are both asexual and we’re doing just fine.

That Alan Joyce is completely evil. I’m sure he didn’t start out evil at least.

That anyone can become a parent. I think people should have to apply for a ‘Fit to Parent’ license.

I pride myself in being predominantly unswayed by fandom – people are people and celebrities are too. So, you can image my surprise when I experienced what many would call ‘fangirl-ing’ upon listening to the first few episodes of HANDSOME, a podcast by comedians Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster and Mae Martin.

The premise of the show is essentially ‘three funny lesbians spend an hour answering questions from friends’ – ranging from what stops them from putting themselves first, to childhood crushes (with some surprising answers...) or whether they’ve ever used their handsomeness ‘for bad’. The questions come from pretty fan-worthy people, like Margaret Cho, Jennifer Aniston or Jimmy Fallon. But the name of the guest often doesn’t even register for me...

I’m there for the hosts.

In trying to understand my rare obsession, I’ve explored many theories. Are they funnier than other people? Tig is, arguably. I’ve had to pull over after laughing so hard I cry about her emails to her wife, or her short stint as a ‘pretty little lady’. But why this over any other cult comedy podcast? Maybe it’s their friendship. The love between the hosts is so palpable that often I tear up for more earnest reasons. Maybe I just love learning! They talk about real life, and share fun facts that I actually use in my daily life. (Can’t promise they’re correct.)

Ultimately, I think the only clear answer I’ve landed on is that as a queer person who’s spent years trying to accept my sexuality and gender, it is not lost on me that a large part of my interest in the trio has to do with representation. I feel like I’m being welcomed into a family group chat that I got added to by mistake. Where I get to learn true pride. Or get teased about things everyone else is too PC to laugh about. Or finally breathe out about the shit that’s really heard.

To which I say, 5 stars. And I want to stay.

Highly recommend.