CATCHING FIRE: Fake memoirs, dot cakes and the demonisation of fun
Do keep up!
Hello from The Great British Heat Wave. I can confidently say that the UK - which famously has very little air conditioning - has been brought to its knees as the mercury hit the 30°Cs and 90°Fs. Great excuse to eat ice cream though. Gelateria Romeo & Giulietta is the spot if you’re ever in my north London hood.
Talking of heat, in today’s letter we’re taking the temperature of:
The 20-year-old YouTuber conquering Hollywood
The disappearing job market for Gen Zers
Whether three glasses of wine can ruin your life
The rapacious readers who skip prose
Belle Burden’s messy finances
The “embarrassing” dessert that New Yorkers are queuing up for
The demise of tokenmaxxing
Paid subscribers get the full portion, free subscribers get a taste. Let’s jump in…
Going viral
Dot cakes… are the latest divisive food trend to take over social media.
The sprinkle-topped mini cakes have created chaos at branches of Butterfield Market in Manhattan as thousands queue up for them every Wednesday and Saturday when they get new deliveries from The Dotcakes bakery in Long Island. The frenzy, and limited supply, has even forced home bakers to start making their own.
And while influencers like Danielle Pheloung and Katie Feeney adore them…
Commentators are wondering what the big deal is…
It seems that what’s captivated fans is the layer of sprinkles on the top that sounds satisfying when scraped with a spoon. Others rave about the crunch of the topping mixed with the sponge and generous layers of frosting.
As a frosting fan, I’m intrigued, but not enough to wait in line. If you’ve tried one please let me know whether they are worth the wait.
Everyone’s talking about
Whether Belle Burden's Strangers was a fake memoir… When you write a blockbuster book about divorce, betrayal and financial insecurity then I think its fair to expect a bit of scrutiny over ‘your truth’. But many didn’t want to hear The New Yorker’s findings from their investigation into Belle Burden’s trust funds.
