As Lady Bird once famously declared, “I want to go where culture is”, and I’m sure that as high school seniors, a lot—if not all—of us have adopted a similar sentiment. Yet, regardless of where we end up after graduation, I’m a firm believer that culture can flourish anywhere; with that being said, I’ve decided to gift you all with a free 15-item preview to my very own Culture Starter Kit™, which consists of a complete list of media that you absolutely have to be versed in to be considered cultured, no matter where you are in the world. 

**Yes, many of these are basic but sometimes, that’s precisely what culture is. And yes, this is a pretty accurate depiction of the debris that is floating around in my brain at any given time. 

5 films—aka a sophisticated way of saying movies—to watch on Netflix or illegally stream from undisclosed websites:

• Mean Girls: Need I say more? If you haven’t yet watched it, I’m not sure if you even deserve a redemption arc in becoming cultured. 

• 10 Things I Hate About You: In all honesty, I kind of despise the enemies-to-lovers trope, but this movie makes for such a good comfort movie that I graciously let it slide for the 97 minutes worth of cinematic masterpiece.

• The Queen’s Gambit: SO GOOD. The plot, the cinematography, the 50’s and 60’s-inspired style … It’ll make you want to pick up chess as a hobby, I promise.

• The Half of It: I loved that this movie didn’t baby the viewers with the perfect happily-ever-after ending; instead, it disguises layers upon layers of complexity with a seemingly simple plot. Also the cinematography? 10/10.

• Lady Bird (duh): This is one of my favorite movies of all time, and it’s eerily relatable for us high school seniors: the eager anticipation of ceremonially turning your tassel to the left, the ever-growing looming threat of college, and inevitable growing tension in the relationship with your parents. Step away from my blog and watch it. Right now. 

4 pieces of literature to add to your TBR on Goodreads:

• Little Fires Everywhere: This book leaves you with so many subtle but nuanced lessons to consider, while still managing to be entertaining. Celeste Ng does a fantastic job of portraying her characters in a three-dimensional and realistic (though perhaps not likable) manner. Once you’ve finished reading this, check out its corresponding show on Hulu – it’s one of the most accurate book adaptations I’ve seen.

• Six of Crows: My pea-sized brain is too small to comprehend the elaborate world-building in most fantasy books—particularly when they start extending past trilogies into a capitalism-driven 10-part series—but this one is only a duology and I can make out at least some semblance of its universe. Kind of. 

• Any rom-com type book: You know the type—Canva-inspired graphic characters, bright colors, and cute font parading across the cover. Pick your poison, I won’t judge.

• Also, the non-boring classics: Gone With The Wind, The Book Thief, and dare I say, The Great Gatsby.

3 more mindless media to commit to memory:

• Keeping Up With The Kardashian: Just know the general gist of their dynamic – be able to name all 5 sisters & girlboss entrepreneur Kris Jenner.

• Mike’s Mic Pretty Little Liars recaps: Never in your life will there be another six hours better spent.

• This hyperlinked video: A treat for musical prodigies and washed-up band kids alike.

2 memes that were an absolute cultural reset:

• “Are you new here?” *stank face* (via TikTok!!)

• Jimmy Neutron, high-waisted jeans: I think it might actually have been my test post if you scroll back far enough on my blog.

1 item to add to (and cross off) your bucket list:

• Trying school lunch: I will die on this hill. The nachos are always a safe bet, but I’ve heard the pre-packaged burgers receive glowing reviews as well. 

You’ve reached the end of your free trial! If you’re looking for more tips on becoming cultured, I’m offering the full premium subscription for the low low price of your sanity – Venmo me <33