Unexpected Pairings We Are Surprised We Love
From listening to Madonna in the Tate to a mix of high- and low-brow television, here are the things we didn’t think would go together–but somehow fit our current mood perfectly.
We all have our comfort zones: Our own personal style, a genre of music or films that we always gravitate to, habits we can’t break. But discovery happens when we challenge ourselves to look beyond what we know we’ll like and try something unexpected.
For this week’s You Might Like, we asked The Persistent contributors for their unlikely pairs, dueling recommendations, or something they didn’t think they’d ever like.
From listening to Madonna in the Tate to a mix of high- and low-brow television, here are the things we didn’t think would go together–but somehow fit our current mood perfectly.
I never thought I’d like cold water swimming. I used to despise getting in the cold British sea and would not do it no matter how much persuading. Something changed in me after going to London’s Parliament Hill Lido outdoor swimming pool in the winter. All of a sudden I was dreaming of a cold dip. Now you’ll find me in the sea, lakes and rivers whenever I get the chance.
– Natalie Newsome, illustrator
A perfect odd pairing for right now? “Drop Dead City” a surprisingly funny documentary about the fiscal crisis in New York City in the 1970s, and Taylor Swift's “The End of an Era,” a surprisingly moving look behind the scenes of her groundbreaking, earth-quaking tour. Add in a side of Ken Burns' “The American Revolution”, and you can't go wrong.
— Deborah Copaken, contributing writer
Earlier this week Madonna revealed her unlikely friendship with Dame Tracey Emin, the Turner Prize-winning artist whose best-known work is an unmade bed. Madonna even revealed that she frequently visits Margate, a tiny seaside town near where I live in Kent, England, which Emin has helped to revitalize in recent years. Emin has a retrospective opening at London's Tate Modern at the end of next month – should you visit it? Of course. Should you listen to Madonna's 2000 album Music while you're there? Abso bloody lutely.
-- Emma Haslett, managing editor
This an odd pairing has become a near daily routine: Listening to the audio book of Limitarianism: "The Case Against Extreme Wealth" by the Dutch economist Ingrid Robeyns while shoveling snow. We've had a very snowy winter in the midwest and clearing the driveway and sidewalk gives me an excuse for some productive exercise and some focused alone time to absorb Robeyns' detailed explanations of global inequality.
-- Kathleen Davis, executive editor
On the one hand, I love Bravo. If you're not watching Real Housewives of Salt Lake City for the #drama, you're seriously missing out. On the other hand, I'm big into docuseries, and I've been slowly making my way through Surviving Mormonism, hosted by RHOSLC's Heather Gay.
— Han Goldstein, social media editor
When it comes to movies, I tend to be slightly highbrow and snobbish in my tastes: I lean towards foreign films with subtitles. Except, that is, when I am on a flight. That’s when I’ve select the lowest brow movies I can. On one recent flight I watched the ‘classic’ "Dumb and Dumber." I found myself laughing so hard that other passengers were giving me the side eye. There is something about being 37,000 feet up in the air that changes my taste.
— Paula Derrow, features editor
What unexpected pairings are you into right now? Send your recommendations to hello@thepersistent.com. We’ll be back with more recommendations next Friday!
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