SCÈNE 15. Nicole Tremaglio, Writer & Host, Nicstalgia

When setting boundaries becomes an act of becoming: Teen angst and revelation, in warm tones.

Welcome back to Mise-En-Scène. We’re back in just under the wire; who knows what the mood will be following tomorrow’s Election Day in the U.S.? Perhaps not one conducive to ruminating about Angela Chase…

To provide a bit of nostalgic distraction, I’m elated to welcome guest curator

Nicole Tremaglio

of

Nicstalgia

, whose poppy, nuanced analysis of '90s and early ‘00s media, pop culture, and technology—and its Butterfly Effects (emphasis on the “Butterfly”)—has made her Substack a week-over-week delight. Its video podcast companion also commits to Nicstalgia’s credo of “deep conversations about superficial things”; it will speak to you if you’re also the type of person who sees parallels between Lacan and Laguna Beach.

Today, we're cracking open "Pressure," the thirteenth episode of My So-Called Life—a series that re-imagined how teenage life is rendered on television, written by Winnie Holzman (the same storyteller-scribe who adapted Wicked for both the stage and the screen). Through Nicole's lens, we'll sample a moment from this pivotal episode where decisions about sex, intimacy, and personal consent take center stage.

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"PEOPLE ALWAYS SAY HOW YOU SHOULD BE YOURSELF, LIKE 'YOURSELF’ IS THIS DEFINITE THING, LIKE A TOASTER OR SOMETHING”: NICSTALGIA WRITER AND HOST NICOLE TREMAGLIO ON MY SO-CALLED LIFE EPISODE “PRESSURE,” 1994

I'm a huge fan of Gen X ensemble casts—it's so comforting watching something where you vaguely know all of the actors from somewhere else, playing the recognition guessing game before looking everyone up on IMDB and Wikipedia.

The ending scene of this episode [“Pressure”] with Angela Chase (Claire Danes) has always stuck with me because despite facing peer pressure and uncertainty, she stayed true to herself, recognized the mutable nature of identity, and enjoyed a pure moment of contentment.

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NICOLE TREMAGLIO RECOMMENDS

In true cultural archaeologist fashion, Nicole's current delights span from the nostalgic glow of DVD menus to sweet nothings whispered by Italian chocolate love notes. Read on for Nicole’s recs—where retail playlists become time capsules, academic books spark wonderment, and the perfect dress awaits its Dua Lipa-esque vacanza debut.

1. DVD menus.
   
   Nicole says: I started my Physical Media Renaissance™ project back in 2022, where I thrift and collect various analog & digital media and pop culture ephemera. I have a collection of DVDs and love watching the DVD menus. This is a lost art from a bygone era!
   
   

2. Making playlists.
   
   Nicole says: I just started teaching fitness and dance classes again and realized it's truly my calling in life to bop around and constantly listen to music. My most popular Spotify playlist is 2008 Gilly Hicks actual playlist. It's the exact soundtrack played in the Abercrombie & Fitch-owned underwear store when I worked there as my first retail job.
   
   

3. Every single book I own.
   
   Nicole says: I'm so happy I will never run out of books to read, things to learn, knowledge to acquire, and curiosities to be piqued. The Psychology of the Internet, The Sociology of Culture, The Theory of the Leisure Class, Emotional Branding, The Cult of the Amateur, The Shopping Center Versus Downtown, Critical Meme Reader, et al, are staring at me from my shelf, and I can't wait to dive in.
   
   

4. Italian chocolates.
   
   Nicole says: They're so innocuous yet romantic at the same time. I love Pistachio Cuadro, which is Sicilian pistachio cream between two layers of Gianduja chocolate, and Baci, which is like a hazelnut Hershey Kiss (except way better) with a little love letter inside.
   
   

5. GANNI x Ester Manas Printed Mesh Halterneck Gather Dress.
   
   Nicole says: Someone invite me to Ischia or something so I can wear this, please!!!

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That’s it for this edition. I hope it inspired you to embark on a rewatch of My So-Called Life (or lay fresh eyes on it, if you’ve never done so). Speaking of teenage perspectives on screen, check out SCÈNES 09 and 14, on Sofia Coppola's Somewhere (2010) and Trey Edward Schutz’s Waves (2019), respectively; all together, they’d make a fascinating triple feature.

I'd like to thank the brilliant Nicole Tremaglio for her brilliant curation and heartfelt words. Go subscribe to her newsletter, follow her on Instagram, and maybe send her an invitation to Ischia while you're at it (that GANNI dress is ready for its close-up).

"Pressure," and the entirety of My So-Called Life, is available to stream on Hulu—or you can embrace Nicole's devotion to analog media and track down the DVD. The bonus content is worth it.

Thanks, as always, for reading. For extra credit, follow this project on Instagram at @yourmiseenscene. My comments and DMs are always open for feedback or just general geeking… Is there anyone, or anything, you'd like to see featured here? Write me.

In the words of Angela Chase, “I guess this is it, so… goodbye.” (See you next time.)