HELLO and welcome to the 245th installment of Things I Read That I Love, wherein I share with you some of the longer-form journalism/essays I’ve read recently so that you can read them too and we can all know more about Taylor Swift! This “column” is less feminist/queer focused than the rest of the site because when something is feminist/queer focused, I put it on the rest of the site. Here is where the other things are.
The title of this feature is inspired by the title of Emily Gould’s tumblr, Things I Ate That I Love.
How Taylor Swift Played the Victim For a Decade and Made Her Entire Career, by Ellie Woodward for Buzzfeed, August 2017
The start of this history is familiar to me (’cause AHEM I wrote on this topic in 2010), but it’s the more recent analysis that I really enjoyed feasting upon.
As US president Donald Trump’s administration threatens to strip women of their fundamental rights, sending a profoundly misogynistic message to women everywhere – and especially to minorities – we need feminism more than ever before. But slumber parties, girl-power platitudes, and personal victimhood is not enough. We need feminism founded on defiance, strength, and unity and driven by angerat broader injustice and inequality.
Kathy Griffin Isn’t Apologizing Anymore, by Yashar Ali for The Cut, August 2017
“President Trump just pardoned Joe Arpaio, who was essentially running a concentration camp in the Arizona desert. He said there are some good Nazis, and he’s kicking out young adults who were brought here as kids by their parents, and I’m the one who has to continue to apologize?”
Sheriff Joe, by William Finnegan for The New Yorker, July 2009
You guys, Joe Arpaio is just Donald Trump with a different job and a little bit less to lose. He is an evil terrible man. Did Trump read his book and base his campaign off it? Like, what the holy fuck. Everybody should read this if you’re not already familiar with what a giant asshat Joe Arpaio is.
Plus-Size Fashion Can’t Be Ignored Anymore, by Ashley C Ford for New York Magazine, August 2017
Plus-size fashion is getting REAL COOL, and that’s real great, just like Ashley C Ford who is also real cool and real great!
The Premium Mediocre Life of Maya Millennial, by Venkatesh Rao for Ribbon Farm, August 2017
This is an interesting concept that is apparently making the rounds so roundly that it was discussed on my favorite local morning show “Live in the D,” by hosts who were insulted by The Olive Garden’s inclusion in this piece.
Behind the Scenes of the Michelle Carter Verdict – Conrad Roy Suicide Trial, By Jesse Barron for Esquire, August 2017
What a weird and disturbing case.
The Sisterhood of the Exact Same Pants, by Stephanie Talmadge for Racked, August 2017
I didn’t expect this article to be the k-hole I ended up lowering myself into this week, but life is full of surprises. My first year at U of M, I went to one night of rush and was like “what is this fresh hell” but all my friends kept it up and joined sororities so I still ended up learning a lot about sorority life. The Racked piece comes at it from a fashion merchandising angle which is way more interesting than it may sound! I subsequently ended up watching some uh intriguing videos and then reading “Win the Sorority Girl, Win the American Wardrobe” and “The Jewelry Queen of Texas.”
On Mic.com and Minority Life in Startup Media, by Meredith Talusan for Medium, August 2017
Inspired by The Outline’s piece on Mic from last week, Talusan’s Medium essay is a incredibly even-handed look at her own experience as a freelancer for the publication. Also if y’all haven’t looked at Unerased, the specific project she’s discussing in this — YOU MUST. It is an extraordinary work of journalism and their ongoing database (which tracks all reported murders of transgender women) is such a valuable resource.
Growing Up Emo, by Kristen Martin for Hazlitt, August 2017
In the decade-plus since my parents died, my loss has become less raw; I no longer need listen to music at the highest decibels in order for me to hear my own heartache. But I still value those old albums because they keep me in touch with the times when everything was unprocessed. Part of me fears that if I forget the intensity of my initial mourning, I will forget my parents—if I allow myself to keep moving forward, going through the day-to-day of life without feeling that grief, I will forget the two defining moments of my life, when my parents left this Earth.
