Could Longtermism Cause Short-Term Damage?
William MacAskill’s What We Owe the Future is an audacious plea to help our future humans with longtermism thinking, but it is blind to what we need now.
Culture
Why Do Voters Want Women Candidates to Be Like Parks and Recreation’s Leslie Knope?
Ten years after Parks and Recreation’s campaign-focused season 4, real-world female political candidates still liken themselves to Leslie Knope. Is that the kind of candidate 2022 needs?
‘Bad Gays’ Radically Subverts Queer History
To ignore the “bad gays” past and present risks romanticizing an idealized version of history and stunts the forward momentum of queer liberation.
‘The New Female Antihero’ (excerpt)
The New Female Antihero explores how misogyny undermines television’s strong female antiheroes and how that, in turn, stunts our culture’s ability to embrace feminism.
Manifesto ‘Rest Is Resistance’ Will Make You Crave a Nap
If a manifesto isn’t angry, it must rely on humor. The Nap Minister Tricia Hersey’s manifesto, Rest Is Resistance, struggles to compel one to inaction.
You Better Be Quick When It’s Time to BeReal
Although most social media sites are marked by abundance and expansiveness, BeReal operates on scarcity. Its gamification lies in the almighty two-minute window.
‘The Big Chill’ Still Hits a Nerve 40 Years Later
The Big Chill‘s blunt suggestion that one may not have lived up to their younger self’s dreams or morals hits a universal nerve to this day.
Why Tribalism Matters in Reality Show ‘Big Brother’
Reality television show Big Brother has a traceable racial bias, but its contestants and fans often mistake their tribalism for racism.
Indie Game ‘Best Month Ever!’ Navigates Single Motherhood
Indie game Best Month Ever! challenges players to navigate single motherhood – including illness and low wages – in a ruthless capitalistic and patriarchal society.
Glee and Melancholy in Drnaso’s Graphic Fiction ‘Acting Class’
In our age of constant performance, Nick Drnaso’s work of graphic fiction, Acting Class, is not an escape, it’s hyperreality.
Walden Pond Punk: Henry Thoreau and the Punk Rock Aesthetic
Henry David Thoreau was the original punk. A punk of individual liberty, authenticity, and the rejection of conformity amidst a mindless society.
Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Severance’ Paints Sublime and Subversive Art
More than just corporate propaganda, the subversive artworks in Severance hold a strange place in Lumon Industries’ ideological fabric.
