Antipasto

Olives In The Podcast Studio

Not even two minutes into watching Amy Poehler’s new podcast, Good Hang with Amy Poehler, on YouTube I was distracted by two novelty olives sitting on a bookshelf of all places. The olives themselves look plush but don’t seem to be cushions, although perhaps they can be, but in this situation are simply being used as decoration.

The other items in the shot, though just as useless, make more sense in the fact that they’re items you would imagine typically decorate a space; candles, cannisters, a plant and some vase looking things. The olives however, whilst in the same colour scheme as the other accoutrements, are standing out with their thick velvet seams and bright red stuffing which mimics a capsicum. The light seems to be both absorbed and reflected off the olives differently to everything else.

Bumbumz Picnicbumz - Olsen Olive

A quick google of plush stuffed olive and later, giant plush stuffed olive results in a variety of plush olives. Some have faces, some take a more lifelike approach to the stuffed pepper. In fact, even those with faces range from something more serious to the silly, such as crocheted emotional support olives that state ‘olive you’.

A haunting pair of olives by Jellycat

If tomatoes were having a moment in fashion thanks to Loewe, olives seem to be taking the turn on the antipasto board of popular culture. Recently, I have seen olives on t-shirts and featured on jewellery. Interestingly, many of the olives in this context are stuffed and look ready to be in a martini glass – perhaps a nod to the olive’s relationship with alcohol gives them an edge?

Loewe’s Tomato Leaves range

And tomatoes ala Sportsgirl

Olive Girl 4EVA by Maku The Label

Over the past few years or so, I have seen many stores on the high street decorating clothes and wares with Mediterranean inspired imagery.

A lemon for your hair from Sportsgirl.

Lemons, references to the sea, and patterns reminiscent of old Italian tiles seem to feature prominently. Sometimes all in the one garment. This was, no doubt, helped by season 2 of The White Lotus which took place in Italy.

Sheike’s Isla Dress which could be used as a map.

I’m not suggesting this some European movement akin to the Korean Wave or Hallyu of the late ‘90s, to be honest I’m not even sure what I’m suggesting. I feel like we could talk about culture and food and consumerism and capitalism and elitism but I haven’t made any connections worth discussing, and I don’t currently trust my judgement in that space. Anyway, I love olives, but those that you eat, not those that sit in the background of podcast studios.