Forgive me dropping a few hot cultural reference points from the last few days into today’s intro, as I know we’ve long ceased having a shared experience of media consumption and social touchpoints.

It’s annoying (and wildly outdated) when people assume that you’ll know of the celebrity, TV show, trend or viral clip they think everybody is talking about, when the reality is now so algorithmically unlikely.

Even when we do have the kind of collective cultural moment that cuts through all filter bubbles - and the current news bombardment sure is vomiting up a few of those right now - we’re quick to split off into opposing camps: for/against, true/fake, jubilant/outraged.

Over recent years, the phenomenon of Open Iftar has added genuine, shared community moments to the lives of all kinds of Londoners. For Muslims, it’s a big, group centrepiece for breaking a day’s fast during the month of Ramadan, while for others it provides the kind of otherworldly global encounter that make this city so exciting, educational and forever unexpected.

A few years back, I covered the enthusiastically crowded walk behind the 12ft tall Little Amal puppet, through the streets of Somers Town towards an Open Iftar in King’s Cross’ Granary Square, a stop on her journey from Syria through 181 different cities and towns.

The atmosphere at sundown and the setting for the feast, with tables laid out along the length of the Victorian railway goods square with paper lanterns swaying in the breeze, was quite magical. It felt like the very best of Camden’s cultural melting pot; open to all ideas, experiences, peoples and traditions.

The organisers have continued to grow Open Iftar to take place in some huge locations up and down the UK, from football stadiums to art galleries, but the biggest annual bash is in Trafalgar Square.

I won’t give the Shadow Justice Secretary’s divisive comments any repeat here, or the racist pile-on that Farage, Robinson and others have relished joining in with since, but seeing something that promotes understanding, empathy and joyful community used as a culture war wedge to further political agendas is particularly sickening.

In amongst the occasionally prostrate crowd that so scared the Very Online Right was the Mayor of this city (voted in enthusiastically by the people 3 times in row, so far) and Little Amal herself, back on these shores to catch another Open Iftar.

I would say the simple ‘truth’ of this particular gathering was a gentle, intergenerational faith-based celebration in London’s main square; one of many such events that take place right there throughout the year, offering a rather special atmosphere of discovery for the casual bystander, to match the one I witnessed in KX in 2023, I’m sure. But for others, the ‘truth’ needs to have an agenda of provocation for engagement.

Another widely shared experience (at least I think?!) this week has been widespread disbelief at the kind of online lowlife ‘celebs’ featured in Netflix show, Louis Theroux: Inside The Manosphere.

Again, there’s no need to regurgitate any of their Late Stage Patriarchy bile here, but the same democratised and unregulated media forces that have coarsened our politics are laid bare here. Our content-addled attention is now only meaningfully commanded by the people shouting the most outrageous statements, while zeroing in on the most impressionable to help spread the word. It’s not about whether they even believe what they are saying, it’s simply what it takes to capture metrics and advance their political or monetisation goals.

By posting on any social platform, we’re all thrown into the very same cesspit - largely doomed to scroll-by irrelevance unless we too say or show something suitably polarising. As social media morphs into a one-channel, X-rated reincarnation of You’ve Been Framed, it seems most of the original ideas - like sharing your photos or chatting with friends - are happening on closed groups, and perhaps that’s the best place for them.

But with the devastating effects of the race to the lowest common denominator going on in their place, I’m really keen to imagine what the hell comes next. Can it get any worse than wealthy beefcakes livestreaming themselves beating up guys they’ve snared in content-driven honeytraps? Or members of His Majesty’s Opposition not being sacked (as yet) for pushing all the worst anti-Muslim tropes out to audiences that genuinely think London is some kind of religious battleground, complete with the horrors of, er, 12ft high woke puppets of refugee children?

Also this week, although I forgive those not on the local media frontline for perhaps overlooking this one, the Government announced an initial £12m fund to support publications like (I really hope) this one, in an attempt to improve the beleaguered state of local news provision and growth.

It’s cautiously encouraging, as the antidote to the fake posturing by the engagement chancers must surely be the trusted, (if often somewhat less dynamic), voices of good people who live in your own community simply talking about what’s really going on, how it is being felt on the ground and what it means to the people that actually count, rather than the global mob.

The horse has bolted on how these platforms have transformed politics and entertainment for the worse, but that’s no reason for the essential fightback not to be conducted in the same space, without the crushing pressure for viral hits, likes, follows and eyeballs dominating everything.

Government funding is one thing, but we can all make an effort not to be so seduced by outrage, and be more selective with our scroll. It’s certainly hard, especially when the USA seems to be running foreign policy almost exclusively on the very same manosphere shitposting model, (and the result is pretty much the full spectrum mess you’d most fear), but it does feel like we simply have to tire of how dysfunctional that is, then go seek something better.

I’d like to think that will be content that’s more local, more quality, more regulated. Surely, eventually, after more weeks like this, we’ll crave that, instead of the cheap outrage hits of the ugly polarisers.

In the meantime, Eid Mubarak!

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🦮 Lovely new grocery store concept STORRD, who we profiled in Camdenist upon their recent grand opening, are running a special promotion aimed at the Boroughs dog owning contingent. Drop in to their flagship on the way to/from your Regent’s Park walkies tomorrow, Sat 21st Mar, and get a free coffee and pastry while your pooch gets a free puppuchino (whatever is actually in that?) and picks from the tasty ‘barkcuterie’ board. Then the dog deli pup-up continues daily through to next Sat the 28th for more freebies.

🥞 Did you know that at neighbouring Turtle Bay, the first 10 guests to rock up at 10am each morning get their Caribbean-infused breakfast for free? That’s the whole menu of island-inspired eggs, toasts, wraps, rotis and muffins to choose from, all you need to do is purchase a drink to go with it.

If you love nightlife, your views are wanted on the Mayor’s proposals for how we improve what’s on offer after dark, create a more consistent approach to licencing and support London’s grassroots music venues, clubs, bars, restaurants and more. Have your say now before the closing date of 27th Mar. The GLA is particularly keen to hear from younger people for whom the resulting policy will shape their nights out for years to come, but to be honest, we should all have something of value to add to the framework.

MUSIC: 🎆 Italian cinematic melodic techno duo Mind Against are bringing their visually-driven HABITAT show to Chalk Farm’s Roundhouse tonight, Fri Mar 20th, for a proper spectacular in the round.

FOOD: 🍕 Bing Bong Pizza are the brand new kitchen residency opening today at The Imperial Palace of Big Red, and offering 50% off all food through to Sun 22nd Mar for the soft launch. Expect NYC-style nonna squares, great sides including tasty wings and top-tier puddings, too.

ART: 🎮 ARCADE is the new month-long exhibition of interactive artworks and experimental film at Hypha Studios Euston Tower. With work from 12 UK and European artists across sculptural simulations, speculative video games, browser-based open worlds and surreal tabletop role-play, everything in the show is playable. Look out for the special screening next Sat 28th Mar: Iranian Post-post-post-post revolutionary cinema, featuring short films from Iranian artists and their peers working under the pressures of circulation, censorship, translation, and networked visibility.

FOOD: 🐟 Swain’s Lane destination fishmonger and restaurant London Shell Co are celebrating their third birthday on Wed 25th Mar with the return of their famous free fish stew lunch. It’s for walk-ins only, so expect a queue, but a free lunch is always worth it.

ART: 🎨 London-based ceramic artist Bisila Noha’s Ile Ọkàn (House of the Soul) showcases her work rooted in ritual, memory, and a deep engagement with women-led pottery communities across Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Senegal. It opens tonight up at OmVed Gardens with a special immersive sound-led gathering to mark the Spring equinox. Free but booking essential. Exhibition runs to Sun 29th Mar.

STAGE: 🎭 Fittingly for the theme of this week’s edition of the newsletter, Animal Sense explores the impact of the acceleration of digital technology and artificial intelligence on daily life, and its personal and political implications via an immersive poetic performance in video and sound at Etcetera Theatre tonight, Fri 20th and Sun 22nd Mar.

MUSIC: 🎸 Catch Spanish bassist Vincen Garcia bring his distinctive and gritty modern jazz and funk sound to Dingwalls this Sat 21st Mar.

FREE: 🛥️All day Sat 28th Mar the London Canal Museum is eschewing their usual entrance fee for their annual Community Open Day, inviting everyone in to discover the truly fascinating stories behind our local waterway.