Self AffirmationReclaiming Cringe: Selfies The essayist Teju Cole called selfies a “visual soliloquy." In the theater of our lives, selfies are an archive to affirm our existence -- and stories. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Talk Trauma to MeWords Mean Things: ‘Trauma’ The problem, it would seem, is the lack of sufficient vocabulary to simply encapsulate the struggles of living in a difficult world. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
A Good Morning to CringeReclaiming Cringe: Good Morning Messages Why are good morning messages cringe, when affirmations, pop astrology, and manifestation culture are not? By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Intersecting MeaningsWords Mean Things: ‘Intersectionality’ Intersectionality was a powerful concept to describe oppressive systems. Eventually, it became too encompassing to meaningfully critique anything. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
High CostsDecoding the Budget Through a Feminist Lens "The work women do, the care economy, is the backbone on which the mainstream economy rests." By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Historical BaggageVadivel Gopal and Masi Sadaiyan From the Irula Tribe Won the Padma Shri. Only Calling Them ‘Snake Catchers’ Reinforces Caste Stereotypes. Many media headlines refer to the awardees solely as "snake-catchers" -- a practice that reinforces stereotypes about caste and labor. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Appreciate the ConcernWords Mean Things: ‘Appropriation’ The conversation about appropriation has been confined to individual white celebrities -- but this ignores the workings of power closer home. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Reality RoyaltyThe Royals Were Always a Soap Opera. ‘Spare’ Only Brings It to Light Bizarre revelations from Prince Harry's upcoming memoir show the mechanisms of the royals' celebrity. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Man Down Manosphere to GoAndrew Tate Was Detained, But the Manosphere Persists Individual accountability for its figureheads doesn't de-radicalize the manosphere or its dangerous influence. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Reparation RunBarbados Task Force Seeks Reparations From Families Who Owned Slave Plantations A task force from Barbados is considering demanding reparations from Benedict Cumberbatch’s family, among others -- marking a turning point in the global campaign for reparations. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Code Strings Over Our HeartsHow the Internet Ruined Our Passion for Politics — And How We Can Get It Back If we blame each other, we’re looking the wrong way. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Nepo-lean ComplexThe Buzz Cut: Nepo Babies Advocate for Themselves Amid Marginalization by Magazine This week in The Buzz Cut: nepo babies fight back, the internet holds a man to beauty standards, and Indians selectively celebrate one movie over others. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Tempers FlyingA Passenger Called a Flight Attendant a ‘Servant’ — But the Service Industry Is Complicit Too The incident shows how the service industry’s approach of prioritizing customer satisfaction is rooted in exploitation. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Petty No Longer PrettyPettiness Had Its Moment. Why Did It Fade? Women reclaimed being petty as a form of releasing anger, frustration. Then, the men of 2022 ruined it by having their pettiness cause real harm. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Money Won't Pay These BillsWhy Bill Gates’ Climate Philanthropy Doesn’t Fix the Problem Bill Gates has been a key figure of sustainable innovation. But his strategy for a better world stops short of addressing the root causes of climate injustice. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Playing It CoolAdults Are Driving Growth in the Toy Industry, Report Says The trend speaks to a growing awareness that play isn't just for children's development -- it's essential to survive and live well. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Trigger UnhappyWords Mean Things: ‘Trigger’ In all the debate around the utility of trigger warnings, we've rarely paused to examine what we name as triggers. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Another One Bites the LustWomen View Men Who Don’t Share Housework as ‘Dependents,’ Ruining Their Sex Drive: Study A new study looks at the systemic factors behind low sex drives in women -- and identifies heteronormativity as one of them. By Rohitha Naraharisetty