This week on The Deep Dive: Drunk Elephant may not be in its flop era even if it feels like it is, what The Idol tells us about the assumed virtue of white female sexuality, Easy A is even better than you remember and now I need to watch it again, a two-year-old critique of Mean Girls: The Musical that was bizarrely ahead of its time, and why even imaginary alternate realities can’t think outside the capitalist propaganda box.

As always, don’t forget to catch up on The Deep Dive’s YouTube playlist and shop The Deep Dive merch here! 🐰

BUSINESS

The Rise and Potential Fall of Drunk Elephant by underskin, (18:23)

Talk about a brand that was in the right place at the right time. Long before the 10-year-olds at Sephora were even a glimmer in their parents’ eyes, Drunk Elephant was plugging away at a skincare category that it didn’t invent but was primed to dominate with a combination of its catchy name and colorful packaging: clean, non-toxic skincare. In this video, underskin, dives deep into the history of the once-teeny-tiny brand and how it exploded onto the scene, with a couple of missteps and controversies along the way. Given the semi-bad press it has received recently, Western audiences may be compelled to believe that Drunk Elephant and its colorful lids are on their way out. What Western consumers don’t know is that, in other parts of the world, it’s only just getting started.

CULTURE

The Pink Nipple Propaganda by Tee Noir (30:58)

If you watched The Idol or Euphoria, you’re probably already aware of what the title of this video is getting at. But in typical Tee Noir fashion, this video puts the assumed virtue of white female sexuality, especially in comparison to the assumed hypersexuality of black women, into better words than I could ever imagine. For example, the quote “Sexuality isn’t something that you choose and explore as a woman, sexuality chooses you because you are a woman” damn near knocked me out cold. But freedom from the male gaze must come when women become old enough to define their sexuality on their own terms, right? Too bad that’s when they start laughing at cougars instead of lusting after teenagers.

This issue of The Deep Dive is sponsored by:

Want to start making your own YouTube videos?

Taja AI is here to help! With Taja, you can craft engaging titles and descriptions to better promote your videos, automatically segment videos into chapters, and visualize how your video will appear on YouTube through a live preview.

Taja analyzes your videos, audience, and past performance to understand your unique style and brand. Need help with SEO research and transcription? Taja’s got that covered too.

Start your 7-day free trial with Taja AI today!