Canal Street Dreams

Episode: Hunter Harris on Great TV, Film, and Political Optimism

Hosts: Eddie Huang & Natashia Perrotti
Guest: Hunter Harris
Date: November 18, 2025

Overview

In this vibrant, freewheeling episode, Eddie Huang and Natashia Perrotti sit down with acclaimed culture writer and screenwriter Hunter Harris (author of the Substack "Hung Up") to dissect the current landscape of TV and film, the evolution of digital and creative communities, Hollywood’s idiosyncrasies, political optimism in 2025, and the subtle art of authenticity in creative and public life. Laced with candid anecdotes, sharp laughs, and pointed pop culture references, the conversation mines the fertile ground where internet culture, personal growth, and creative hustle collide.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Building Voice & Community in the Era of Substack

[00:00–04:10]

• The Appeal of Hunter’s Substack “Hung Up”:
  Eddie raves about Hunter’s chat during awards shows, likening it to “the good days of Twitter,” but more curated and like “watching the show through someone’s brain.”

  “The prism of someone who is, like, mentally unwell.” – Hunter [00:58]

• Voice vs. Aggregation:
  The trio critique the prevalence of “industry gossip” and shopping-list newsletters, voicing a preference for original, essayistic work.

  “I’m really getting a sense of someone’s taste and not just, like, how they can monetize in another way.” – Hunter [02:17]

• Digital Scrapbooking & Tangible Creativity:
  Discussion of custom family calendars, scrapbooking, and the joys of analog creation away from screens.

  “You, like, aren’t on your phone for a couple hours… I didn’t doom scroll tonight. I actually, like, did something with my life.” – Guest 2 [03:59]

Working in Hollywood: Creative Practice, Online Culture & Generation Representation

[04:10–09:45]

• Hunter’s Dual Life:
  She’s both an essayist and a screenwriter, using different creative muscles and balancing online hyperactivity with narrative work and film-watching:

  “It’s nice to be very online… and then to take a step back and be like, what am I thinking about? Dreaming about?” – Hunter [04:17]

• The “Chronically Online” TV Show Fallacy:
  Shows engineered to represent “the internet generation” tend to miss the mark when consciously aiming for that audience.

  “When you set out to do that, you’re not going to.” – Eddie [06:41]
  Cites “Enlightened,” “Insecure,” and “White Lotus” versus more engineered fare like “Eddington” (which Hunter roasts as “absolute poo poo”).
  “Eddington, to me, was like, trying to mimic the Internet… whereas ‘One Battle After Another’ had a real center.” – Hunter [05:25]

The Importance of Specificity and Place in Storytelling

[07:20–09:29]

• Shows like “Sex and the City,” “Sopranos,” and “Girls” became generational icons not by aiming to do so, but by drilling into specific voices and places.
• Eddie recounts behind-the-scenes challenges making the Vice documentary, highlighting generational disconnects and how time capsules (like “Meet Me in the Bathroom”) reach audiences even if they weren’t there.

Media Ecosystems & Writerly Influence

[09:45–14:16]

• Transition to Vulture/Cut from Vice:
  Eddie and Hunter discuss how the editorially-voicey spaces like The Cut, Vulture, Grantland, Jezebel, Gawker, and others have shaped their sensibilities.

  “You have this idea that… you have such a sense of purpose every single day. And it’s like, oh, it’s just a job.” – Hunter [10:21]

• Magazine Dating Venn Diagrams (and Their Modern Equivalents):
  Hilariously mapping old media cultures (“Vice boy / Jezebel girl” pairings) to today’s combos (“Substack writer / line cook”).

  “How are you all line cooks in Brooklyn? And how are you all, like, hot and well-groomed?” – Guest 2 [13:13]

Food vs. Film: Which Community is Wilder?

[14:23–15:18]

• Food people are crowned the “craziest” thanks to their erratic hours, low pay, and vice-filled environments, as opposed to movie people, who operate with more distance and affectation.

The Studio System, Hollywood’s Frustrating Notes, and the Art of Directness

[15:18–19:47]

• “The Studio” on HBO gets praise for realism (but jabs for Seth Rogen’s fashion choices) [15:23–16:36].
• The Pain of Vague Executive Notes:
  Both Hunter and Eddie vent about Hollywood development’s wishy-washiness and the exhausting “note under the note” process.

  “Just tell me… what am I doing wrong? …Trying to, like, read the smoke signal tea leaves… is maddening.” – Hunter [17:28]
  “They do it because they don’t want to be called out as a whack producer.” – Eddie [18:07]

• Anecdotes from the Writers’ Room:
  Executives struggle to express what they want, needing writers to “soften” characters without being direct.

Gossip Girl, Working in TV vs. Film, and the Artistic Lie

[19:47–23:50]

• Hunter’s Path to “Gossip Girl”:
  She fell in love with the show as a kid (and got in trouble for it), eventually writing for the reboot after connecting with showrunner Josh Saffron.
• Preferring Film to TV:
  Hunter and Eddie agree film allows for greater control and artistic argument; TV’s endless group project energy and requisite “lying to sell it” no longer appeal as much.

Books and the Novella, Infinite Jest Bros & The Bro Literary Uniform

[23:50–28:22]

• No Book of Essays For Now:
  Hunter is resisting the idea of “book of essays” projects, not feeling it’s the right moment for her. Eddie proposes she’d excel at a novella.
• The New Wave “Bro Lit” Trend:
  Gentle teasing of New York literary guys reading “Dostoevsky,” “Ulysses,” and public displays of “Moby Dick.”

  “Every guy has a cat… every guy is reading the classics. Why are you reading Dostoevsky right now?” – Hunter [26:35]

• The Gingham Shirt / Uniform Theory:
  The “boyfriend shirt” era is replaced by classic lit as male wardrobe, with musings on timeless style.

Shopping in New York: Modern Retail Doldrums

[28:22–31:08]

• Shopping Fatigue & Boutique Joys:
  Both Hunter and Eddie bemoan New York’s retail scene but find comfort in select stores and “the experience of getting a catalog” reminiscent of childhood.

Tulsa Roots, Midwest Politics, and “Woke 2.0” Optimism

[31:08–35:31]

• Hunter, an Oklahoma native, reflects on changing attitudes and coalitions in Tulsa, and the democratizing effect of heightened social consciousness in the U.S.
• Woke 2.0:
  Despite backlash and fatigue, both hosts and Hunter agree that “things are unequivocally better” for marginalized communities post-activism.

  “Even if [people] do do it… they know what’s wrong about it.” – Eddie [32:30] “Political optimism… this is the first time I felt… optimistic after Zoran’s win. Honestly, since maybe Obama.” – Hunter [33:34]

The Dangers of Glazing Politicians & The Parasocial Stan Age

[35:31–37:14]

• Importance of holding politicians accountable after the win—“no stanning.” Obama’s era as an example of support inadvertently muting real pressure and demands.

TV & Film Lightning Rounds—Favorite One-Hour Dramas & Mood Boards

[38:13–44:49]

• Hunter’s Ordered Preferences (with timestamps):
  • Yellowjackets or Homeland? – Homeland [38:25]
  • Homeland or The Wire? – The Wire [39:04]
  • The Wire or Sopranos? – Sopranos [39:08]
  • Sopranos or Succession? – Succession (“You’re gonna get me murdered… I’m gonna say it. Sorry, sorry.”) [39:13]
  • Succession or Big Little Lies (Season 1)? – Succession, but struggles, “Big Little Lies Season 1 is so good.” [39:47]
• Hunter’s Mood Board for a Debut Film:
  • King of Comedy
  • I Hate Suzie (HBO)
  • Insecure
  • Chewing Gum
  • Whitney Houston music videos (“We have the same birthday, so it feels ordained.” – Hunter [41:21])
  • Rachel Getting Married
  • Passages ("…locked in, I understand every moment… so chaotic." – Hunter [42:44])
  • Clockwatchers

Recent & Upcoming Films—Materialists, Odessa Aion, & SZA Mania

[44:35–52:54]

• Hunter’s Critical Take on "Materialists":
  Finds the ideas compelling, but the film “felt centerless”—great premise, “words in mouths,” but lacking lived-in reality.
• Praise for Actress Odessa Aion:
  Eddie and Hunter both rave about Odessa’s performance in “Marty Supreme”—"she can really f---ing act." [52:47]
• Favorite Recent Pop Culture Fixation:
  SZA’s GQ Men of the Year cover and her cryptic/languid interview style.

  “Bob Dylan is the SZA of his day. Not a vocalist. Lies a lot. Does weird shit… they are so aligned in my head.” – Hunter [48:00]
  Memorable SZA quote:
  “That's how everybody felt, with the exception of people who didn't feel that way.” [48:45]
  “It is always unfortunate when the unfortunate happens.” [49:34]

• SZA’s “finsta” is described as “so funny… just vibing.” [49:58]

Lightning Final Round: Food, Film, and Julia Roberts

[50:43–51:42]

• Celebrity to Order for the Table: Tony Shalhoub (for “Big Night” cred and general vibe) or Julia Roberts (“could order anything for me”).
• Best Movie of 2025: “Mar Supreme” or “Sentimental Value” (“really blew me away”).
• Podcast ends with high spirits, mutual gratitude, and shared excitement for film and pop culture.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Substack Community:
  “It doesn’t feel like work, but it really doesn’t feel like work.” – Hunter [01:03]
• On The Evolution of Cool:
  “By the end, we became corny and a parody of ourselves.” – Eddie [09:30]
• On Direct Feedback in Hollywood:
  “Just truly tell me, what am I doing wrong?” – Hunter [17:28]
• On Literary Bros:
  “Every guy has a cat… every guy is reading the classics.” – Hunter [26:35]
• On Political Optimism:
  “This is the first time I felt, like, politically optimistic… since Obama.” – Hunter [33:34]
• On SZA:
  “It's always unfortunate when the unfortunate occurs. That's a SZA bar!” – Hunter [49:34]
• On Choosing Succession Over Sopranos:
  “You’re gonna get me murdered… Okay, Succession. I’m gonna say it. Sorry, sorry.” – Hunter [39:13]
• On Julia Roberts:
  “She could order anything for me anytime. I’d absolutely do it.” – Hunter [51:21]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:00] – Introductions, Substack chat, voice in newsletters
• [04:10] – Balancing writing, movies, and online presence
• [05:25] – TV shows representing online culture
• [07:51] – The importance of specificity & generational storytelling
• [09:45] – Vulture, Grantland, Jezebel, and magazine dating Venn diagrams
• [14:23] – Food people vs. movie people
• [15:18] – Hollywood realism, “The Studio,” and executive notes
• [19:49] – Gossip Girl reboot, writing for TV vs. film
• [23:50] – Books, novellas, Infinite Jest bros
• [28:22] – Retail woes, shopping in NYC, boutique culture
• [31:00] – Tulsa roots and political coalitions
• [32:01] – Woke 2.0, post-activism world
• [38:25] – TV debate lightning round
• [41:21] – Hunter’s film/creative mood board
• [44:35] – Recent films: Materialists, Odessa Aion, Marty Supreme
• [48:00] – SZA: pop culture obsession, GQ interview
• [50:43] – Lightning round: celebrity to order food, movie of the year

Tone & Style

Casual, irreverent, thoughtful, and insightful with deep affection for culture and a sharp eye for industry BS. The episode flows like a smart dinner party among friends who love film, TV, food, and arguing about big (and petty) things.

For Listeners/Newcomers

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in how online communities shape pop culture, what it’s really like being a writer or screenwriter now, and why loving film/TV means respecting specificity over trend-chasing. Featuring “mentally unwell girls” humor, an erudite but warm touch, and memorable pop culture hot takes.