“Totally Normal”, “WTF is Jule”, “Sicko” and the Swift & Kelce film: Paula Irmschler provides gaudy material.
Here are still not the best 10, 20 or 1000 songs of 2024 for you because I just can’t do it. I listened to every best list, every album, every chart really true. I’m a sucker for rankings of any kind anyway, but the problem is: it’s too hard. There are too many cool things, I’ll probably fail at it. This year was an incredibly good year for music and there was generally too much exciting going on in terms of pop culture. I would also like to remind you of the SZA case of 2022. When you all had already finished your best lists, she came up with the best album of the year. SOS! So what I’m going to do first, before I maybe look back, is clean up. Namely my notes, in which I always collect ideas for the column. What’s left, what haven’t I discussed yet because it wasn’t urgent enough? I’ll just dump everything in here.
Of course, I’ve long wanted to write something about the alleged CEO murderer Luigi Mangione, or about the people who use this murder as an opportunity to stand up and speak out about the incredibly inhumane and murderous healthcare system, who tell their stories and demonstrate. And the musical accompaniment too. Not only are existing pop songs being reinterpreted (especially “Criminal” by Britney Spears), but some new songs are also being created, including this one.
There are also a lot of things on my list that I wanted to watch, like: “Swift Kelce Christmas Movie” – what was that again? Oh yes, there is a Christmas movie that is heavily inspired by the love story between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Just googled it, it’s called: “Christmas in the Spotlight” and I think the trailer is enough for now.
But what I really watched was the documentary about Hape Kerkeling, “Total Normal”, about one of the funniest and warmest people in this dreary country. So if your people annoy you around Christmas and blame you for generational hatred, take a look at this and be somewhat reconciled. By the way, Hape is now also on Instagram, so you can take a look there from time to time.
If you’re hanging out in the ARD media library, you can swipe directly over to ZDF and you too Watch the documentary series “WTF is Jule”.it’s about a popular blogger and Twitterer who never really existed: “Jule Stinkesocke”. There was probably a man behind her who wanted to use the account to get to other young women. It’s terrible, but it’s also somehow good that something like this is being dealt with so widely these days and those affected are given a platform on which they can express themselves. The fact that Maximilian Mundt leads through the documentary in his theater-like manner is a bit annoying, but somehow it fits.
What else is on my list?
Another documentary! I’m sorry. But you have time, right? A few days ago Michael Moore (I know, the guy is annoying) put his old film “Sicko” (2007) completely and for free on YouTube. This is about, and the timing is no coincidence, the health system in the USA – and when you look at it, you feel how long something has been simmering there and what a miracle it is that it hasn’t already degenerated.
There were a few musician documentaries that I haven’t written about yet – the one about Demi Lovato, the one about Bruce Springsteen and the one about Tegan and Sara. But I can’t forget to recommend the latter to you. It’s also about catfishing (generally a big topic in 2024) and how fans are exploited.
What I tried and abandoned is the Prime series Cruel Intentions, a remake of one of the most iconic 90s films. The series was so boring and I hope that in 2025 we won’t have to see any more elite students scheming and making out, thank you.
Also on my list is East-related stuff, for example Non-Seattle released a beautiful cover version by Gerhard Schöne.
Sigh! And speaking of music for young people from the East: There is of course a documentary about it, namely “Being Young in the GDR” (again in the ARD media library), which I haven’t written anything about yet. That’s enough now, you’ve got enough to watch – until next year, bye.
What happened so far? Here is an overview of all the pop column texts.