Cancel the cancellation discourse
I thought the term “cancelled” might be cancelled in my absence,
but as you all know, I thought very wrong. Sorry for the two weeks of dropped newsletters, friends. Life has gotten a bit hectic lately (lately?) and I’m trying-but-failing to keep up.
ANYWAY — what did I miss? (Cue the Hamilton GIF.) As far as I can tell, a whole lot of very nasty cakes and entirely too much debate re: … cancellations. Self-cancellations. Pop culture cancellations. Culinary cancellations and journalistic ones. We’ve spilled much ink on the rhetoric, politics, philosophy and economics of a “trend” that seems often to boil down to the grade-school adage that “all action have consequences.”
I am open to entertaining other interpretations, but 100 sizzling takes have not convinced me yet. If you only want to read one take, which is valid, then I enjoyed this rejoinder to the original Letter™ by a diverse group of journalists and academics.
As always, you can help Links by telling your friends — or enemies? I’m not picky! — to subscribe. I really, truly appreciate it. Everyone could use more links in their life.
If you read anything this weekend
This interview with Jia Tolentino, on anti-racism, the pandemic, and “hope as a discipline.” Confession: I didn’t like or finish Trick Mirror — but this is sharp and unflinching and I inhaled it. [Interview]
This thorough unpacking of Silicon Valley’s favored intellectual movement. Clarifies so many recent “controversies,” especially re: Slate Star Codex. [New Yorker]
This tour through the rise and fall of “the Chanel of coffee.” Featuring: lots of intriguing coffee culture trivia, a trail of disgruntled ex-employees, and, of course, George Clooney. [The Guardian]
This wild true story of a Qatari prince living and … not really learning! … on a U.S. college campus. To think I previously only knew Khalifa bin Hamad for his very glamorous Instagram. [LA Times]
This essay on the sinister undertones of those awful cake memes. “Cake was benevolent. Cake was kind … But cake became untrustworthy.” [Vogue]
Postscripts
On the fate of the salad bar and the college algorithm that decides kids’ fates. A very different kind of conspiracy theorist. Indian food and the white gaze. Are we on the verge of change or collapse? Did Spotify widgetize music? I recommend reading this piece on news bots through to its ironic correction…
A new wave of art mourns, and examines, “the futures that never came.” A new wave of New Yorkers are leaving the city, so here’s a handy chart for writing those essays. Two fun distractions for your weekend: a site that lets you look out other people’s windows and this ghost story you read and write on your phone. Finally, less distracting, but no less compulsive: this (surprisingly readable?) oral history of Austin’s infamous spring break covid cluster.
That’s all for this week. Take care. Until next week!
— Caitlin