Add Dinosaur Time to Your Lunch Break
+ Corporate Aesthetics, 2010s, and Pistachio Green
Hi, it’s Ilze! Writing from home because I’m a homeoffice girly through and through. My longest corporate stint? Nine months during which the moments of procrastination, sitting there, guarding a computer screen when I could’ve been out for a run, just felt so grim. (Also, ⚠️overshare ⚠️—but never in my life have I been so bloated. Sitting truly kills.)
But somehow, corporate life is trending.
Take Severance. The eerie aesthetics, the satire of office culture. As The New Yorker points out, the show taps into Gen Z’s craving for org charts, set hours, and structure. The innie/outie memes we reported on is just the latest in an endless stream of workplace content—work bestie memes, looking for a man in finance: 76% of Gen Zers have posted content romanticizing office life.
Then there’s fashion. The biggest takeaway from recent runways? Corpcore is in both mensware and women’s. Everyone’s an office siren and boardroom king.
Stats show that more and more employers are requiring employees to be on-site, cutting back on remote work days—and our own survey results back this up:
But do you actually enjoy working in the office? We asked, and the results are in:
➕Some of the pros you mentioned are socializing, adding structure to daily life, handling things more efficiently in person, free coffee and snacks, and the joy of dressing up.
➖Drawbacks? Plenty of complaints about the office environment being unfit for deep focus, with flex spaces feeling especially impersonal and noisy. Add in some annoying colleagues and the exhausting art of pretending to work when there’s nothing to do.
But what about the future workforce in the making?
I asked my students—does office work appeal to them:
Sitting still in front of a screen seems sad.
No, it looks boring.
The Gen Z version appeals to me—bringing more of your own personality into the workplace.
I love it. 9–5 is my dream. Plus, everyone looks good in a suit.
Not at all. It looks stressful for no reason. I can type into my computer in peace from home.
It depends on the colleagues.
Overall, they appreciate the stability but find it boring. Then again, these are art students—not exactly the crowd dreaming of corporate corridors in the first place.
🗞️Newsy
We have a name for the ones born this year. Gen Beta. Their parents aren’t fans as Beta is commonly used as slang for weak and passive.
This one Fred Again remix (that he made live on stream).
The new Thunderbolts trailer highlights Marvel’s collaboration with A24 alumni (cinematographer, editor, and even Son Lux for the score). Maybe the MCU finally took Scorsese’s comments to heart and wants a little more “cinema” in its formula.
Split Fiction - the spiritual successor to It Takes Two - is dominating the casual co-op gaming scene since its release.
RIP Skype. The company is shutting down in May.
Feel like your iPhone alarms want you unemployed by the way they’re not loud anymore? Sounds & Haptics → Turn "Change with Buttons" off & max out Ringtone & Alert Volume. Attention Awareness → Turn it off (it lowers volume when you’re looking at your phone)
🧂Trends
Macbook Photobooth app aesthetic
No seriously, there’s some 2010s nostalgia going on (maybe a stable economy, decent job market, and everything not being a subscription?) with the MacOS Photobooth app coming back in style.
Be it the birds or the hearts filter, we’ve seen them everywhere from Instagram stories to music videos.
Two Phones, One for the Plug, One for the….Camera?
Speaking of 2010s Apple nostalgia, people are grabbing older iPhones to use as digicams - either dusted off storage or bought secondhand.
We’ve mostly noticed iPhone 5s be applauded for their ‘phenomenal blurry aesthetic’ pictures.
Dinosaur Time
Raw spinach munching is in - no other ingredients, no dressing, just straight leaves. Fold them if you're feeling fancy, or just shove and chomp.
The trend taps into the broader push for whole, unprocessed foods, though some warn that too much raw spinach can interfere with nutrient absorption. Some people swap spinach - peas, broccoli, lettuce, or any other leaves.
Whatever you fancy, maybe during your next lunch break grab some greens and partake in dino-time.
Fugglers
Fugglers are ‘funny ugly’ monster plushies are the latest toy sensation - and not necessarily for the kids. They’ve got denture-like teeth and a button-butthole.
We know what many of you are thinking: what the fuck?
You’re not alone, many online joke that they would’ve paid to never have seen these. Others find them cute in a weird way (listen, maybe this is just a recession indicator).
Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals has had gamers in a chokehold for a while now.
The team-based shooter, often compared to Overwatch, lets players control iconic (and lesser known) Marvel characters in fast-paced battles. Its mix of superhero abilities, destructible environments, and team dynamics made it an instant hit, especially among Marvel fans.
While the initial buzz was huge, some are already debating its long-term staying power. But for now, plenty of players are still logging in to play their favorite heroes.
Lululemon Strategy
A guy on TikTok swears by his foolproof travel hack: find a Lululemon, and you’ve found the perfect neighborhood. Why? Because, in his words, “that’s where you’re gonna find the bars, restaurants, and a bakery dedicated to f–king brookies” and, of course, “$10 matcha.” If that’s your thing.
Commentators are skeptic - Wow, a dude discovered gentrification. Applying his theory to cities like Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, and Munich, it mostly just leads you to the busiest shopping streets—aka soulless zones packed with global chains. But hey, if that’s what you’re after - we listen, we don’t judge.
Butt cleavage
You might not like to hear this, but low-rise jeans are officially back. Really! Case in point: Milan Fashion Week, Diesel sent models down the runway with full on plumber’s crack. Time to let those tramp stamps breathe.
Pistachio green
Butter yellow has been replaced by pistachio green. Someone, please feed the one who decides the trending colors.
