Cultural Commentary

Twitter went wild after former President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social that he expected to be arrested on Tuesday. (Surprise: It turned out to be false.) The potential indictment against Trump stemmed from a hush-money payoff to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. From the moment news of the alleged …

For many years, cancel culture has been despised or misconstrued as a new phenomenon that’s caused havoc on free expression and speech. We’re supposed to now assume that we can’t say or do anything without an angry mob instantly judging us and preparing to end our careers before they start. …

Spare is not an easy read. It’s not even a particularly fun one. But Prince Harry’s new memoir doesn’t seem to want to make an articulate, nuanced point about fame in the age of a monarchy that might have outlived its usefulness. Instead, Prince Harry wants to tell his story, …

Pamela Winn was once inmate number 54458-019. Today she is the founder of RestoreHER, a reentry advocacy organization led by and for women of color based in Georgia. That’s because when she was incarcerated, Winn experienced a trauma no living being should ever have to. In 2008, Winn was facing …

If you’ve always thought of FIFA, the international body responsible for the integrity of the world’s most popular sport, as a bundle of contradictions and double standards, this is a story for you. Oddly enough, it involves two South American plants, yerba mate and coca, each with a deep history, …

Merriam-Webster, the most online of the well-known dictionaries, has selected a term popularized by the internet as its word of 2022: “Gaslighting.” The verb once described a process of psychological manipulation that causes the victim to doubt their own thoughts and perceptions, but, through general overuse, has come to mean …

Ronnie Lee refused to eat pork. “Swine,” he said, “was unclean.” My oldest cousin was never particularly religious. In fact, the only time I ever recall Ronnie Lee in the pews of a church was for various family funerals and weddings, where he often came dressed to the nines with …

Elon Musk has owned Twitter for just one week — though in all the turmoil, it has felt like a lifetime. From the firing of top executives “for cause,” to the restriction of employee access to content moderation tools, to right-wingers turning on the man they once believed to be …

Republicans have a certain obligation to act as if everything President Biden does is an assault on American values. His sweeping pardons this week of thousands who were jailed for marijuana possession — and announcement that the drug’s federal classification will be reevaluated — are no exception. But, perhaps because …

Lizzo must be exhausted. Each week she’s the subject of a new uproar, and last week’s was truly one for the books. After years of establishing her flute skills, playing the instrument is one of her big party tricks. So of course the Library of Congress took the opportunity to …