Mel Campbell
@incrediblemelk.bsky.social
Film/TV critic, copyeditor, author and shadow academic on Wurundjeri Woiwurrung country
‘Ozempic face’ peaked last year according to Google Trends. It should have been considered a breakout term in 2024
November 17, 2025 at 3:47 PM
‘Ozempic face’ peaked last year according to Google Trends. It should have been considered a breakout term in 2024
A cool composite pic of this year’s first baby peregrine falcon to fledge from the Collins Street nest site (9:27am)
November 13, 2025 at 6:06 AM
A cool composite pic of this year’s first baby peregrine falcon to fledge from the Collins Street nest site (9:27am)
Via a random YouTube video I just learned the term ‘lagenlook’ for the clothing aesthetic of oversized shapeless layers. Looked it up on Google Images & died of cringe to see many of the sorts of garments I own, though I used to wear them much more c. 2015–20
November 12, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Via a random YouTube video I just learned the term ‘lagenlook’ for the clothing aesthetic of oversized shapeless layers. Looked it up on Google Images & died of cringe to see many of the sorts of garments I own, though I used to wear them much more c. 2015–20
Don’t even get me started about emergency prep: when I get anxious (eg a few months back, when my neighbour’s smoke alarm started going off repeatedly at 2am) it calms me to plan what to do
November 12, 2025 at 3:06 AM
Don’t even get me started about emergency prep: when I get anxious (eg a few months back, when my neighbour’s smoke alarm started going off repeatedly at 2am) it calms me to plan what to do
bloody hell, "consistently falling asleep within eight minutes is considered unusual, and consistently falling asleep within five minutes can be a sign of excessive daytime sleepiness."
My sleep tracker app says my average is 7–8 mins. Last night I was out before I could turn the tracker on
My sleep tracker app says my average is 7–8 mins. Last night I was out before I could turn the tracker on
October 22, 2025 at 1:45 AM
bloody hell, "consistently falling asleep within eight minutes is considered unusual, and consistently falling asleep within five minutes can be a sign of excessive daytime sleepiness."
My sleep tracker app says my average is 7–8 mins. Last night I was out before I could turn the tracker on
My sleep tracker app says my average is 7–8 mins. Last night I was out before I could turn the tracker on
One bit of internet enshittification I loathe: replacing clear fixed datelines with ambiguous relative datelines like "four days ago"
Hey BBC: when's fucken 4 days ago? You're making me get out a fucken calendar? It gets less accurate over time, like "4 months" ago could be any time in June 2025
Hey BBC: when's fucken 4 days ago? You're making me get out a fucken calendar? It gets less accurate over time, like "4 months" ago could be any time in June 2025
October 7, 2025 at 12:38 AM
One bit of internet enshittification I loathe: replacing clear fixed datelines with ambiguous relative datelines like "four days ago"
Hey BBC: when's fucken 4 days ago? You're making me get out a fucken calendar? It gets less accurate over time, like "4 months" ago could be any time in June 2025
Hey BBC: when's fucken 4 days ago? You're making me get out a fucken calendar? It gets less accurate over time, like "4 months" ago could be any time in June 2025
Editing something in the game studies field
October 2, 2025 at 8:14 AM
Editing something in the game studies field
I once took a photo of myself in the green t-shirt and purple capri-length PJ pants that I had just realised were Hulk pyjamas
September 25, 2025 at 4:28 PM
I once took a photo of myself in the green t-shirt and purple capri-length PJ pants that I had just realised were Hulk pyjamas
GPT! GPT! GPT! GPT!
“I hear those chats are awful loud…”
It’s hosted safely in the cloud!
“Is there a chance the bot could lie?”
Not on your life, and nor will I!
“I hear those chats are awful loud…”
It’s hosted safely in the cloud!
“Is there a chance the bot could lie?”
Not on your life, and nor will I!
September 22, 2025 at 12:38 AM
GPT! GPT! GPT! GPT!
“I hear those chats are awful loud…”
It’s hosted safely in the cloud!
“Is there a chance the bot could lie?”
Not on your life, and nor will I!
“I hear those chats are awful loud…”
It’s hosted safely in the cloud!
“Is there a chance the bot could lie?”
Not on your life, and nor will I!
LMAO this thread
September 20, 2025 at 6:43 AM
LMAO this thread
Looking at Boxell et al. (2024) on trends in affective political polarisation across 12 countries, I was struck that in AU it has remained pretty stable (-0.5) compared to Germany’s growing affective consensus (-0.37) & the growing polarisation in the US (+0.56)
direct.mit.edu/rest/article...
direct.mit.edu/rest/article...
September 17, 2025 at 2:28 AM
Looking at Boxell et al. (2024) on trends in affective political polarisation across 12 countries, I was struck that in AU it has remained pretty stable (-0.5) compared to Germany’s growing affective consensus (-0.37) & the growing polarisation in the US (+0.56)
direct.mit.edu/rest/article...
direct.mit.edu/rest/article...
One good thing about copycat band names is they enable me to make this Simpsons joke
September 4, 2025 at 2:16 AM
One good thing about copycat band names is they enable me to make this Simpsons joke
"We've been Wobbed" was the pic used in the article
Because everyone I asked was somehow "too busy" to join my protest, I pegged my signs to the fence to photograph them myself, but I got yelled at & chased off by an old man (the park owner?). These pics were taken later when I got back to the city
Because everyone I asked was somehow "too busy" to join my protest, I pegged my signs to the fence to photograph them myself, but I got yelled at & chased off by an old man (the park owner?). These pics were taken later when I got back to the city
September 3, 2025 at 3:59 AM
"We've been Wobbed" was the pic used in the article
Because everyone I asked was somehow "too busy" to join my protest, I pegged my signs to the fence to photograph them myself, but I got yelled at & chased off by an old man (the park owner?). These pics were taken later when I got back to the city
Because everyone I asked was somehow "too busy" to join my protest, I pegged my signs to the fence to photograph them myself, but I got yelled at & chased off by an old man (the park owner?). These pics were taken later when I got back to the city
Was kind of shocked by how odd Bryce Dallas Howard’s nose looks in these pics. She’s definitely had several nose jobs; her natural nose had a wide bridge from the front but looked nice in profile
August 29, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Was kind of shocked by how odd Bryce Dallas Howard’s nose looks in these pics. She’s definitely had several nose jobs; her natural nose had a wide bridge from the front but looked nice in profile
she's got a flavour of federal MP Dr Monique Ryan, a touch of Miriam Margolyes…
August 22, 2025 at 1:16 AM
she's got a flavour of federal MP Dr Monique Ryan, a touch of Miriam Margolyes…
Feminist theorist Rosi Braidotti really reminds me of someone but I can't put my finger on who – whether it's a celebrity or someone I know IRL
August 22, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Feminist theorist Rosi Braidotti really reminds me of someone but I can't put my finger on who – whether it's a celebrity or someone I know IRL
Is this digital cottagecore? Perhaps. It's worth reconsidering, in a UX context, what inhospitable social structures the cottagecore aesthetic responds to & compensates for, and how it mobilises dialectics of work/pleasure, past/present, nature/culture & belonging/encroaching
August 10, 2025 at 4:13 AM
Is this digital cottagecore? Perhaps. It's worth reconsidering, in a UX context, what inhospitable social structures the cottagecore aesthetic responds to & compensates for, and how it mobilises dialectics of work/pleasure, past/present, nature/culture & belonging/encroaching
Just saw two teen boys: one was dark-haired while the other one had a resplendent ginger mullet
You_Could_Be_Mine.mp3
You_Could_Be_Mine.mp3
August 9, 2025 at 5:38 AM
Just saw two teen boys: one was dark-haired while the other one had a resplendent ginger mullet
You_Could_Be_Mine.mp3
You_Could_Be_Mine.mp3
We can measure the power of Mehreen Faruqi's words by the swiftness & decisiveness of the action they prompted
not the kind Gaza needs, unfortunately. Against her. For making the statement
not the kind Gaza needs, unfortunately. Against her. For making the statement
August 8, 2025 at 2:29 AM
We can measure the power of Mehreen Faruqi's words by the swiftness & decisiveness of the action they prompted
not the kind Gaza needs, unfortunately. Against her. For making the statement
not the kind Gaza needs, unfortunately. Against her. For making the statement
Good news everyone: I saw peace on Rathdowne Street today
August 5, 2025 at 3:58 AM
Good news everyone: I saw peace on Rathdowne Street today
Which dinguses have been ignoring the spelling and deciding to pronounce it “Gwenyth”
August 3, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Which dinguses have been ignoring the spelling and deciding to pronounce it “Gwenyth”
Kudos to Ryan Kerlin of ABC News for this extremely funny visualisation of "Possible limestone cavities … beneath the Treasury building in Parkes"
August 1, 2025 at 4:16 AM
Kudos to Ryan Kerlin of ABC News for this extremely funny visualisation of "Possible limestone cavities … beneath the Treasury building in Parkes"
Most Substack publishers say they use AI for what I personally think are the things your human brain MOST needs to do: research, ideation and writing assistance
Personally I find AI most defensible for audio transcription, translation, text-to-speech & other accessibility use cases
Personally I find AI most defensible for audio transcription, translation, text-to-speech & other accessibility use cases
July 25, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Most Substack publishers say they use AI for what I personally think are the things your human brain MOST needs to do: research, ideation and writing assistance
Personally I find AI most defensible for audio transcription, translation, text-to-speech & other accessibility use cases
Personally I find AI most defensible for audio transcription, translation, text-to-speech & other accessibility use cases
AI use was fairly consistent across subscription revenue tiers, but not across genres. This chart reveals publishers who used it least were in art/illustration, music & literature (among the domains of production currently most stolen from by AI) + fashion/beauty & sports (based on 'authenticity')
July 25, 2025 at 1:07 AM
AI use was fairly consistent across subscription revenue tiers, but not across genres. This chart reveals publishers who used it least were in art/illustration, music & literature (among the domains of production currently most stolen from by AI) + fashion/beauty & sports (based on 'authenticity')