Top of the weekend to you all. If you’ve had a rough week, may I suggest some Confidence Man as a palate-cleanser? Or if you prefer your music a little more vintage, the end of this week’s selection of reads has a playlist from a music great.
1. The sex podcaster who interviewed Kamala Harris
Dubbed arguably the most successful woman in podcasting by Time, Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast is second only to Joe Rogan in the Spotify charts. Her audience is young women (sample episode title: I Made Out with My Boyfriend’s Mistress) rather than dude-bros, which is why US politicians have been clambering to get a seat in the interview chair.
Cooper finally relented last week, firing questions at Kamala Harris on reproductive health, women’s rights and family life. The interview drew backlash from all sides.
The reviews weren’t all bad: Says Rebeca Damico, a 21-year-old PR specialist and Call Her Daddy fan. “It was cool to see her not even as a politician, but as a woman.”
How long will it take to read: Four minutes.
2. ‘I knew I’d made the biggest mistake of my life’
Getting your teeth fitted with veneers has been commonplace in Hollywood since the 90s. The search for the perfect smile has now trickled down to the general population – like Catherine (not her real name), who took the cosmetic dentistry plunge to fix teeth she said were too “gappy” to smile with confidence.
The dentist ground too much of her teeth away, she couldn’t eat properly … and then the veneers began to fall off, revealing the “witchy” pegs that remained.
Price point: In the UK, an entry-level set of veneers will set you back about A$13,500. If you fancy top-end porcelain, it’s closer to $39k. And even a perfect fitting locks you into a lifetime of costly replacements.
How long will it take to read: Five minutes.
3. How Al Pacino saved his job on The Godfather
“Paramount didn’t want me to play Michael Corleone,” writes Al Pacino of the role that made him a star. Jack Nicholson was among their picks. Francis Ford Coppola eventually got his man, but after a week of filming scenes in which Michael was yet to show his true colours, Pacino was on the nose – with the director as well as the suits.
In this extract from his new memoir, Pacino reveals how Coppola (may or may not have) manipulated the shooting schedule to give him a chance to shine in the scene that saved his job.
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“So many people are abused in this life, but if you’ve got a Godfather, you’ve got someone you can go to, and they will take care of it.” – Al Pacino on why people responded to Marlon Brando’s Don Vito
How long will it take to read: Ten minutes.
4. Is nature’s carbon sink failing?
The planet’s oceans, forests, soils and other natural carbon sinks absorb about half of all human emissions – which means net-zero targets are impossible to reach without their help. Now only one major tropical rainforest – the Congo basin – remains a strong carbon sink that removes more than it releases into the atmosphere.
The sudden collapse of carbon sinks was not factored into climate models and could rapidly accelerate global heating. Warns the environmental scientist Johan Rockström: “We cannot really see the crisis.”
How long will it take to read: Four minutes.
Further reading: What happens to the world if forests stop absorbing carbon? Ask Finland.
5. In praise of unknown keyboard wizards
Before Steve Winwood was a bland 80s pop star being sampled by Eric Prydz, he was the teenage keyboard player for the Spencer Davis Group, blowing serious steam out of his Hammond organ’s Leslie speaker on that blazing intro to Gimme Some Lovin’.
But Alan Price, Gary Brooker, Georgie Fame? All but forgotten, writes Elton John. On the occasion of his hero Zoot Money’s death, Elton shines a light on the 60s keyboard wizards he thinks should be held in similar esteem to guitar gods like Page and Beck.
How long will it take to read: Four minutes.
Further listening: Elton’s Spotify playlist is missing Rick Wakeman, who he called when he needed some Hammond on Madman Across the Water. If you’re feeling adventurous, give Wakeman’s The Six Wives of Henry VIII a spin – and let me know how much you loved/loathed it.
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