Rohit Bhargava's Blog, page 12

The Non-Obvious Book of the Week: The Endless Refrain by David Rowell

What would a world without any new music sound like? Perhaps we are already there, a reality music writer and journalist David Rowell explores in this deep exploration of the current and potential future of music and those who create it. From considering what it means for holographic versions of dead musicians to be going back on tour, to the impact of digital listening platforms like Spotify on music discovery—this is an wide-reaching but also deeply personal look at the forces subverting music...

How a Pharma Ad Ban Could Shift the Landscape of Television Advertising

The advertising industry is anxiously awaiting potential news that newly appointed HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who started his term by single-handedly bringing the deadly measles disease backfrom near extinction, may turn his attention toward the pharma industry by banning all drug advertising on television. Unlike his widely criticized stance on vaccines, this is a move that most Americans support. It’s also one causing significant discussion among those in the advertising and media ind...

The Inside Story of Elon Musk’s Takeover of the US Government and Why It Matters

Here’s the TLDR version of this story: Elon Musk is a visionary who believes he alone knows what humanity needs to thrive in the future and he wants the freedom to execute his vision without any oversight from anybody. Dismantling the Federal government is the fastest way to execute this goal.

This past weekend the New York Times published a meticulously reported exposé of all the moves the Elon Musk and the DOGE group has made to take over the Federal Bureaucracy, as well as offered some...

Inside the Blind Box Phenomenon Fueling the Resurgence of the Art Toy Industry

Outside a Pop Mart store in Vietnam there is a line around the block at 2am. The cause for all this excitement is the latest blind box release of a limited edition figurine … otherwise known as an art toy. In case you’re not familiar, these figurines are collectibles that allow customers to “express creativity, find joy and connect with others.” That’s a quote from an executive at Pop Mart (obviously) but he’s not exaggerating that there are plenty of customers who devote hours to building their...

The Subtle Master Plan Behind De Beers New DiamondProof In-Store Verification Device

A little over six months ago, De Beers Group announced the DiamondProof “diamond verification instrument” at a jewelry trade show in Las Vegas. The idea was that this device could sit inside a retail jewelry location and immediately distinguish between a natural diamond versus a lab-grown diamond. The official announcement for the device included this telling line: “with research showing that almost half of consumers are unaware that every LGD can be readily detected, the device … help[s] underp...

The Non-Obvious Book of the Week: Community Data by Rahul Bhargava

For my book selection this week I’ll start by sharing that I have known this author for literally his entire life—because it’s my younger brother, Rahul! His first book, Community Data was just released this week by Oxford University Press. The book delves into the work he has been doing for the past few decades around data storytelling first as a research scientist at MIT’s Media Lab and currently as a professor teaching about data and journalism at Northeastern University in Boston.

How can...

Unemployment Is Low, But No One Is Hiring. Experts Are Calling It The Big Freeze.

What do you call it when unemployment is at record lows at the same time that hiring is similarly stalled? Actually, there’s no word for that because it’s never really happened—so experts came up with one: the big freeze. Usually if unemployment is low, that’s a good sign for job seekers. Unfortunately, the circumstances bringing about this current situation seem to be partially based on widespread uncertainty among workers … which means they will rarely leave a job to seek something else. Indee...

The Truth About the Penny

No one wants one. People will walk past a penny lying on the street, a real-life demonstration of just how worthless it is for most of us. For many, it’s also a perfect example of governmental inefficiency since it’s widely known that the cost to produce each one is higher than the actual value of the penny itself. It is estimated that the U.S. government loses 2.7 cents on every penny it mints. If they stopped making them, it would save about $85 million a year. Sounds great.

Unfortunately, ...

Why Directors Are Only Casting Actors with Lots of Instagram Followers

A big presence on social media may have seemed like a nice-to-have for creators but in the case of Hollywood films, there’s growing evidence that it may already be a necessity. In a recent interview with Variety, actor Ethan Hawke shared some observations about the growing role a social media platform is taking in casting decisions for projects and even if those projects get the green light from studios and funders in the first place:

“Sometimes I’ll be setting a movie up and someone will say...

The Manufactured Controversy Around Michael Jackson’s 12 Unreleased Songs

Michael Jackson recorded 12 songs with his longtime producer Bryan Loren that were never released to the public. According to multiple sources, the songs have been collecting dust in the archives of the estate run by MJ’s family. Recently cassette recordings of these songs were found in the bottom of a box somewhere and now an auction house wants to sell the recordings to the highest bidder. The estate wants to block the sale, noting that the original copyright belongs to them so even if someone...