Influx

A content catch-up between two second-gen kids. Join Kyle and I as we talk and
tackle our way through identity, feeling seen, and how it relates to what’s onscreen.

I work the protools magic, Kyle designs our stuff, and we co-run our insta.
Our music is by Boy Garçon and our cover art is by Andrew O’Brien.

here are our latest

We’ve seen them all on Instagram. To the tune of a classic looking serif font, overtop a stunning gradient background. Or something in tan.

Over the course of the past year and amidst racial reckonings around #BlackLivesMatter and #StopAsianHate, have come the rise of social justice slideshows increasingly present in our casual browses on Instagram. There is so much good that comes from them, but the good is contained by the Internet. A space governed by trends, performative perfection, and the commodification of anything that will make money.

What do you do with your guilt about social issues? Turn that guilt into growth and act. On the internet and beyond.

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Jimmy Butler is the player mentioned. We also reference Perfectionism and White Supremacy. Nearby that is The Bias of ‘Professionalism’ Standards. We recommend @thenapministry for some good anti-grind culture content.

We also reference an article by Terry Nguyen and pull a quote from Jia Tolentino’s Trick Mirror.

Kim’s Convenience is closing down for good. And listen, it’s Toronto and we’re like really worried that in its place all that will pop up is a condo. Or worse… another dispensary! If you’re unfamiliar with the show, it’s a beloved CBC sitcom that’s centred around the Kim’s, a South-Korean immigrant family running a convenience store in the Toronto neighbourhood, Regent Park. Upon the release of the fifth season, it was chaotically revealed that it would be the last. In wake of its cancellation, there's been a ton of public outcry to keep it going. Short answer, it won’t.

In our return episode, Amreen and Kyle mourn the loss of their fave character, Janet (typical lol!), explore what this kind of representation of Canada means, and chirp on what the loss of the show means not only for its fans, but for the creatives behind it. It’s been a minute folks, time to catch up!

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We based much of our foundational understanding about the show’s cancellation through an article by Sam Weaver.

Fracking jokes aside, we’re taking a moment to talk Rupaul’s Drag Race. The VH1 reality show featuring drag queen competitors vying for the title of “Next Drag Superstar” is often pointed to as the quintessential queer show. But is it?

We sat down with gender performer, artist, and singer Sky-Ravinn Ffrench to chat about the space that RuPaul’s Drag Race takes up in mainstream culture. And the space it at times takes away from the world of drag performance at large that includes Drag Kings, AFAB (Assigned Female at Birth) Queens, and Gender Performers.

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Sebastian Yourmum aka Sky-Ravinn Ffrench (she/they/he) is an up and coming queer Jamican-Canadian musician, and the lead singer and bass player in Pigeon the Band. Building on their roots in slam poetry, photography, and zine making their art is motivated by uplifting the queer voice and journey. Find them online @skyravinn. Support Pigeon by the Band by streaming their music and following @pigeonbandofficial.