Cultural Commentary

The far right’s love of deepfakes and distortions came back to haunt them as their assassinated hero became a brain-rot meme

Dopey podcast host David Manheim reflects on his friend’s struggles with addiction and the burden of legacy

The robots are here — and they’re not even cool

After the far-right pundit went on Tucker Carlson’s podcast, his star has been rising at my conservative college. I wanted to know why

Last week NBA stars were accused of faking injuries and insider trading. This type of thing has been going on forever — the difference is, now athletes are getting caught

People are using others’ dating fails to gain clout — and it’s having a chilling effect on young mens’ love lives

The conservative activist has shaped political opinions within Gen Z. I fear his assassination may push us past the brink

The outrage comes after years of right-wingers complaining that the league should stay away from politics altogether

Invented more than a decade ago as a parody of cryptocurrency, these speculative tokens have become an alternative economy in their own right

Ralph Lauren garnered both praise and criticism for its latest collection honoring a Black community on Martha’s Vineyard

Josh Hawley apparently wasn’t loyal enough for the president, who called him a Democratic “pawn”

I started using it for help with cover letters — but the AI chatbot soon took over my emotional life

The Daily Show co-creator Lizz Winstead on why this particular late-night host losing his job could be a terrifying bellwether

A popular new meme perfectly captures the chaos and consequences of 2025

“It’s not just Mexican people they are looking for,” one TikToker told her audience, “it’s all immigrants that are obviously not white” 

TikTok’s newest buzzword is trying to be about feminism, dating culture, gender roles, and empowerment all at the same time. It’s a mess

The TSA is ending the screening requirement. The agency did not report finding a single shoe bomb in more than two decades

Immigration authorities had to deny reports that a tourist was sent home for having an edited image of the vice president on his phone

Student-athletes appeared to win a significant victory in court, but the author of Hot Dog Money: Inside the Biggest Scandal in the History of College Sports warns that the business of college sports is still completely corrupt — and now it seems Donald Trump wants a piece of the action

For its 30th anniversary return in Washington, D.C., the festival captured its early nostalgia while still feeling fresh

They have fantasies of going to Mars, transhumanism, and superhuman AI. How the heck does someone get this way? And what does it mean for the rest of us?

“Denying trans people access to medically necessary care goes against the most basic values that this country was founded on,” says Ash Lazarus Orr of Advocates for Trans Equality

Looking for the week’s best new music? Check out our Songs You Need to Know playlist

Lisa Murkowski spoke about the chilling effect of the president’s actions while speaking at a summit in Alaska this week

The president’s attacks on college campuses are positioned as ways to protect Jewish Americans, but the actions should terrify everyone

The assassination records are just the latest in Trump’s efforts to shift public focus from the ways Kennedy’s presidency transformed American society

As Mexican Americans, we’ve been harassed by La Migra — immigration enforcement — since the United States took our land

During his confirmation hearings, the nominee for HHS secretary said he’d focus on chronic conditions like Long Covid — but if confirmed, would he really follow through?

They say they need deregulation to help deal with disasters like the wildfires. It won’t help homeowners

A clip of OnlyFans performer Lily Phillips breaking down is getting attention — but from this sex worker’s perspective, the full documentary is much more revealing

“They basically [said] like, ‘We thought it was awesome. Thanks so much,'” Chalamet’s team told Anthony Po

It wasn’t long ago that my generation took the blame for every shifting social norm. Now zoomers are having their turn

The Deadpool director discusses the celebration of gaming — even Concord — in a first-look interview

After the second election of Donald Trump, this righteous pettiness is just what we need

No matter who wins the election, our phones will stop buzzing constantly, right? RIGHT!?

“Ooh, these bitches rip off,” sings Kesha. “Wish they could be OG, they not”

Disney built an empire on childhood nostalgia and intangible magic. But in its relentless quest for IP, did it leave its true fans behind?

Following an SNL sketch comparing the singer‘s popularity to the viral pygmy hippo Moo Deng, even Chappell Roan supporters can’t seem to be normal about the pop star

It’s just the latest turn for the convicted fraudster, who’s managed to parlay a fake German accent into a career

The fitness guru taught us to love ourselves — and understood fame in a way that later generations could only dream of

The multitalented musician is putting his heart on his sleeve and what he’s learned from Kendrick, SZA, and more to work

And why he’ll never try to write a Jason Isbell or Zach Bryan song: “It’s just not who I am”

A public service announcement: it’s fine to mind your own business

Trans creators are often the target, but the problem is widespread

The revenue-sharing agreement still fails to address the most essential function of an organization tasked with regulating college sports: Protecting student athletes

The legendary entertainer has partnered with the innovative agency to expand his hit podcast.

There are countless instances of abuse by law enforcement, and we need the federal government to get involved — now

The physics grad was sentenced to two life terms plus 40 years, but there’s no reason he should die in prison

Thirty years ago, millions of people tuned in to watch the football superstar’s arrest and subsequent murder trial. Now, ‘infotainment’ is the norm

On the 20th anniversary of Shrek 2, we reflect on the parts of the franchise that didn’t age well — and the underappreciated ones that did

The author of the upcoming book Hot Dog Money: Inside the Biggest Scandal in the History of College Sports says big-time college sports are in bigger trouble than anybody realizes

The memes and conspiracy theories about Kate Middleton’s whereabouts might seem silly, but the royal family’s authority has taken a major hit

The 25-year-old member of the Air Force lit himself on fire while shouting ‘Free Palestine’ — and it became my responsibility to make sure his message was heard

Online hate can lead to real-world violence — and it’s taking a toll on all of us

From war zones to TikTok hobbyists, we’ve developed a curious fear of what lies under the surface

Steps must be taken to prevent vulnerable women from becoming the target of racist prosecution, writes Maggie Freleng, the Pulitzer Prize-winning host of the Wrongful Conviction podcast

Some theories as to why a gifted QB became a weird troll who says things like “woke mob” and baselessly accuses late-night hosts of being pedophiles

She killed her abusive mom. Now that she’s been released from prison, she’s the internet’s latest girlboss

The new year offers many of the promises of an online moment we haven’t seen in a quarter-century

As more and more weight loss medications enter the market, there’s got to be a kinder way to talk about the people who use them

More than 2 million of the cars are being recalled — because Tesla’s “self-driving” systems have always been anything but

Klay doesn’t have it anymore. Draymond is spiraling. Steph is frustrated. After four NBA titles, the league’s most expensive team is going out sad

The latest right-wing ideologue to have a ban lifted by X (formerly Twitter) spent months alternately flattering and needling its mercurial owner

A viral tweet about a woman protecting her dog from an errant three-year-old has prompted a war between dog people and parents of small children. Guess who’s losing?

Science and astronomy are more and more pointing to the fact that there is other life out there. Here’s why we haven’t seen it yet

Mike Bickle, a founding father of anti-porn org Exodus Cry, has stepped away from his ministry after sexual misconduct allegations

From Draymond Green versus ex-teammate/punching bag Jordan Poole to Nikola Jokíc and his love of horses, we break down the upcoming NBA season’s beefs

Black musicians have been battling white gatekeepers for decades — the Black Rock Coalition has the receipts

The pop star is attracting controversy online — but the newest meme seems to ignore that shitposting has long been part of her brand

Since the tech tycoon took over the platform last October, he’s done everything he can to run it into the ground

New allegations of antisemitism from former collaborators further undercut the Pink Floyd bassist’s advocacy for Palestine

Trail Blazers superstar just forced his way off a team — and a city that loves him — and onto a Bucks squad where he’ll play second fiddle to Giannis

In an excerpt from ‘When the Game Was War,’ author Rich Cohen makes the case for Detroit bad boy — and Michael Jordan’s nemesis — as the grittiest, toughest point guard to ever lace them up

Mea culpa videos are becoming more and more embarrassing. Maybe we were too harsh on the notes app? 

Two members of the Sunrise Movement team that got New York University to finally drop oil and gas investments on how they won the fight, and why their work is far from over

Outraged fans attacking Kylie Jenner for her romance with Timothée Chalamet prove we need to acknowledge fan culture misogyny

Joe Jonas appears to be weaponizing the press against his soon-to-be-ex, and it’s working

Apparently, we have moved on from transphobia-for-clicks to shrieking at women for not giving birth

With Swift’s star power only getting bigger, her recent forays into the public are becoming a lesson on how fandoms should — and should not — behave

Tiffany Gomas’s viral plane meltdown made her a hero of the far right. She came forward — but why did she need to?

To many Black social media users, it’s more than just a viral video

In an excerpt from Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifesto, Zachary Zane unpacks what exploration without judgment (and cocaine) taught him about his sexuality

“The idea of teenage boys watching my porn makes me want to vomit, and I know my colleagues share my sentiment,” writes porn superstar Cherie DeVille

Before we carried TVs in our pockets to update our rage at strangers who dress weird or talk funny, we saved it all up for that hour with Jerry every afternoon

Since assaulting Rihanna in 2009, the singer has been accused of more than 20 acts of aggression, violence, or crime — and has remained incredibly popular. Many demand better. This is what that could look like, according to experts

Adult actress Alana Evans was invited to join Stormy Daniels and Trump in his extramarital tryst back in 2006. Her life was never the same

History has shown us that those in power are obsessed with turning any form of accountability into a phenomenon that is intended to bring us into sudden doom. Following is an excerpt from the upcoming book, The Case for Cancel Culture: How This Democratic Tool Works to Liberate Us All

Prince Harry might be losing his accumulated goodwill with the release of his new memoir, but Spare proves that’s the least of his worries

Prisons were not built for women, writes podcaster Maggie Freleng — and nowhere is that clearer than the shameful treatment of pregnant people who are incarcerated

Lionel Messi and friends will be hopped up on the natural stimulant yerba mate tomorrow — but why is another South American plant, coca, banned?

Sorry, didn’t we do this back in 2016? Or am I going crazy?

What makes West and Irving so dangerous and malignant is that there are thousands of young Black boys who see them, see their success and wealth, and believe them

The rapper continues to peddle antisemitism on Twitter. It could cost the new CEO — who happens to be his friend — a sizable fortune

Some Republicans have supported the move — and even the right-wing outrage machine to know it’s not worth fighting the trend toward decriminalization

The conservative uproar over playing James Madison’s flute is yet another unfair non-controversy thrown her way

The following feature is from Fan Mail—an editorial series produced in partnership with Vivid Seats that explores the relationship between superstar artists and their most passionate supporters. This next installment is a personal letter from a real fan to one of their favorite bands. When LOONA came into my life, a butterfly effect was created […]

Eight years later after ‘Serial’ revealed major flaws in Syed’s 2000 conviction, he’s out of prison, but the question of who murdered Hae Min Lee remains

The government agency tasked with ensuring our safety isn’t up to the job — and they’re going to need a full overhaul to tackle three disease outbreaks at once

If it seems like infectious diseases are coming at us faster, spreading more widely and persisting longer than they have in generations, it’s because they are, health experts say.

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is bringing back dark memories of the nuclear age — for the MTV generation, it’s a nightmare that never went away