In The Buzz Cut, we bring you a round-up of all the weird, controversial, and wonderful stories we’ve been reading all week.
The Jennifer Lopez- and Constance Wu-led Hustlers made waves this week as one of the first movies about female power and friendships to live up to its potential. It’s a real-life adaptation of a group of strippers in New York who, well, hustled their rich clients in ways illegal, but nonetheless impressive.
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Algorithms are not to be trusted — tech giants like Facebook and Twitter have taught us that. Now, algorithms are screwing with people’s dating experiences: queer women and non-binary people have increasingly reported sighting straight men, who have somehow managed to slip through gender-preference settings, on lesbian Tinder.
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A toxic friendship saga has brought back bad memories for most of us — that between Instagram influencer Carolina Calloway and her ghostwriter and side-kick friend Natalie Beach. The latter bares all in a deeply personal essay that takes the reader through the trials and tribulations of early-20s friendships, the cost of fame, and the resentment left when everything else goes to shit. (Afterwards, read our take on the relationship.)
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Women aren’t allowed inside football stadiums in Iran. When the “blue girl” — as she came to be famously called around the world — attempted to enter, she was harassed and detained by the police. After her trial, she set herself on fire. On Tuesday, she died.
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Turns out, Apple thinks the word ‘feminism’ is controversial. In a series of leaked papers obtained by The Guardian, it’s apparent Apple programmed Siri to deflect or ignore possibly controversial words or questions. If a user were to ask Siri if she’s a feminist, Siri won’t answer with a yes or no, but provide a response such as, “It seems to me that all humans should be treated equally.”
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Turkish shows are everywhere — on streaming platforms and on cable TV — with a global viewership only second to U.S. television. Part of their appeal is due to a new genre they embody, called ‘dizi,’ or “genre in progress.”
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As self-representation of male artists in hip hop evolves and diversifies — with style-icon/artists such as Tyler the Creator and A$AP Rocky — the musical art form is increasingly marrying its aesthetic, expressive counterpart: fashion, particularly men’s fashion.
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Confidence has long existed in our vernaculars as a definite compliment to give to others. It’s been considered a virtue, even. But … what if it’s not? What if it’s just a pretentious way in which shitty, not-so-great people get by in life, even command reverence, without having accomplished anything?
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Our bananas are in danger. A fungus has destroyed scores of banana plantations in India and the Philippines, and now, it has spread to Latin America. Our bananas, as they are, cannot survive the deadly sweep. Can scientists re-engineer the banana in time?
