This week on The Deep Dive: Why we love Hello Kitty so much, 1950s dating culture will make you wonder how we ended up taking dating so seriously, Argylle may not have been written by Taylor Swift but that doesn’t make it any less bizarre, Bravo can excuse wire fraud but it draws the line at adultery (sometimes), and Godfather fans owe Sofia Coppola an apology. Also, check out this week’s poll for a chance to get a shoutout next week. 🐰

This week marks one whole year of The Deep Dive! I’ll spare you the sappiness but holy moly has this been quite the ride. Thank you all so much from the bottom of my little rabbit heart for being here and tolerating yet another email in your inbox to enjoy these videos with me. I wish I could give you all a big, real-life hug but until that day comes, please accept this virtual hug.

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ART

What They Don’t Tell You About Hello Kitty by Jordy McNeill (14:32)

Even as a lifelong Hello Kitty fan, there’s a good chunk of the lore I was never aware of and in this video, Jordy McNeill tells Hello Kitty’s origin story and explains why we can’t ever seem to get enough of her, even when she’s absolutely everywhere. Hello Kitty has parents and a twin sister. She’s also British (without the accent) and loves baking and making friends, who you also might be familiar with. But why doesn’t she have a mouth? As it turns out, that might have to do with the way faces are drawn in some traditional art styles to allow viewers to identify with the work. And yes, Hello Kitty may not be a cat, but is Mickey Mouse really a mouse?

CULTURE

A Deep Dive Into The 1950s Dating Culture by Karolina Żebrowska (32:35)

If you’ve ever wondered why your grandparents seem to have so many exes from their younger years despite getting married at age 20, here’s your answer. In this video, Karolina Żebrowska breaks down the norms of 1950s dating culture in the US through a series of dating guides, advice columns, and diary entries from the time – and they might not be what you’re expecting. Here’s a list of things that were pretty much A-OK according to young people in the 1950s: dating your friends’ exes/current crushes, going on a date while you were already “going steady” with someone else, and ending a years-long relationship with your steady partner without really telling them.

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