In a culture obsessed with comeback arcs and self‑improvement, we’ve turned failure into something it was never meant to be: productive, meaningful, and always redeemable. But real life is messier. Some flops teach us, some flops just hurt, and some flops become lore… (if you were in the audience at Bongo’s Bingo, pls come forward).
This week, Alice Griffin and Jannah Anderson dissect ‘the flop’ in the age of AI, hyper‑curation, and personal branding – from Lizzo and her new album BITCH all the way to Grand Designs (trust us), we explore why some people choose to reclaim their failures and others own them as lessons.
☆ Are you a creative looking for support? Visit the Support Act Creative Industries Hub or call the Support Act Wellbeing Helpline on 1800 959 500 for a free and confidential chat (and remember, you don't have to be in crisis to call). Sometimes you just need to talk to someone who actually gets it and can hear you out.☆
Lizzo’s New Album Didn’t Even Chart. What Happened? by Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone
Lizzo In The Age Of Backlash, by Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker
When Rebecca Was 13 She Was Mocked Over Her Viral Video. Now The Joke’s On The Haters, by John Bailey, The Age
Hilary Duff Does Viral ‘With Love’ Dance at First Concert in 10 Years, Entertainment Tonight
Not Learning From Failure – The Biggest Failure Of All study by Lauren Eskreis-Winkler and Ayelet Fishbach, Psychological Science
How To Fail with Elizabeth Day podcast
Grand Designs’ Most Infamous Lighthouse Disaster, Channel 4
How Olivia Rodrigo’s Love Songs Became a Breakup Album, Popcast from The New York Times
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