“Hello, hello, hello …”
Did you enjoy Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter channeling Ted “Theodore” Logan and Bill S. Preston, Esquire in “Waiting for Godot” on Broadway as much as you did watching Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure in 1989? Do you feel inspired seeing Olivia Colman, Idris Elba, Angela Bassett, Jennifer Lopez, Lucy Liu, Colman Domingo, Keri Russell, Ethan Hawke, and [insert your Gen X fave] just get better and better every year? And how conflicted do you feel over the enduring resurgence of the mullet, ‘80s bubble skirts, and big ‘90s pants?
If you answered yes to any of the above, you’ll feel right at home with Whatever Nevermind — a weekly deep dive into pop culture, fashion, and beauty through a Gen X perspective. It’s not about wallowing in nostalgia (though there will be deep-cut ’80s and ’90s references); it’s about celebrating what our not-so-forgotten generation is shaping right now.
Who Am I?
I’m Fawnia Soo Hoo, a freelance fashion and entertainment journalist with a niche in film and TV costume design. My bylines include The Hollywood Reporter, Vanity Fair, W Magazine, Elle, and more. I also contributed to the 2022 New York Times bestseller, “Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now.”
I’m a Gen X-er who made a career switch in my mid-30s to what I thought was my dream job. I had a great 15-year run, until the media apocalypse hit. So I’m here writing and reporting on what I love, and I plan to keep doing it as long as you’ll have me.
Wait, What’s the Etymology of the Name?
Obviously, Whatever Nevermind speaks to the Gen X anthem, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana. The phrase really jumped out because it perfectly encapsulates the Gen X mindset and labels slapped on us. “Whatever” speaks to our supposed trademark apathy, but it also represents the wide breadth of our capabilities, understanding, and experiences. After all, Gen X survived the transition from beta tapes to TikTok, three-way calling on landlines to Apple Watches, Alan Ruck as Cameron Frye in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off to Connor Roy in “Succession.” “Nevermind” speaks to how Gen X has often been ignored in the discourse, which is generally fine, because I want no part in any beefs! But it also reminds all of us to never mind the naysayers who doubt Gen X’s ability to independently navigate new wrenches continuously thrown at us. As Gwyneth Paltrow said, nonchalantly explaining the ’90s to Timothée Chalamet: “Very Gen X — we’re too cool to try that hard.”
So welcome! And if this sounds like your scene, subscribe to the newsletter, share it with fellow Gen X-ers who’d love it, and join the referral program for extra perks!
Follow WNVM on Instagram @heywhatevernevermind.
Logos by Ben Kim at benkim.info.
