Yes, fine, but it’s been done.
So: let’s talk about Steak-umms.
I’ve never had one, to my knowledge. Chicken patties and hot dogs were the preferred processed meats of my adolescence. But now Steak-umms are cool again. More than that: They’re “wise”! “Woke”! “Delicious and informative”! All because … a 28-year-old marketer from eastern Pennsylvania uses the brand’s Twitter account to publish his personal pandemic missives.
Don’t get me wrong: This is good marketing. Hell, give that guy a Webby. But no one will convince me these tweets — much like Steak-umms themselves! — are anything more than reheated scraps molded for maximum palatability. 🙃
For one thing, the “millennial angst” schtick. (Yes, fine, but it’s been done.) For another: So much of the appeal relies, I suspect, on the notion that Steak-umms are “working-class” or low-brow. On a related note, does it magically become profound to tweet definitions of 101-level psychology terms when the tweeter is a brand … ?
ANYWAY, I know this is a not a popular opinion. Sorry, I’m a cynic!! But here’s a bat-facts account one-upping the Pope, and we all agree that’s terrific.
Links you can use
Recommended: This NYT guided meditation really hits the spot right now. And the New Yorker crossword now has a fun and *equally* vexing partner option, for those of you who have exhausted every board game in the house.
For those seeking more serious distractions, here’s a one-click way to tell your governor you support social distancing. Also, I don’t have kids, BUT if I did I’d hook them up with these Michelle Obama story readings.
+ David from Utah sent this weekly charity Zoom bingo night. I genuinely think it looks fun!
+ In London, Tom is seeking submissions for a pandemic Instagram project.
Reminder: I love getting your links. This is a two-way street! Feel free to hit “reply” and send me the stuff you’re loving/hyping.
If you read anything this weekend
The “dangerous, weird” information dynamics of the anti-distancing protests. They’re a small minority pushing unpopular ideas. But online, any/all coverage fuels them. [Wired]
This essay so perfectly captures the sadness and vulnerability in our new socially distanced, digital relations. But also: the joy! The absurdity! And, not least of all, the randomness! [The Paris Review]
Why is Reddit’s AITA so … compulsively readable? Could be drama, could be schadenfreude. Or it could be that we have so few chances, in our current climate, to conclusively shut down deserving assholes. [Fast Company]
At home with Jeff Bezos’ public enemy number one. As Amazon has profited in the pandemic, so has its opposition. [New York Times]
This is a historic time. But will history remember it? Inside the race to save all the archival information we’re currently dumping on the internet. [MIT Technology Review]
Postscripts
“A fitness tracker for your sourdough starter.” A website that will self-destruct. Meet the bros astroturfing those “reopen” groups and the botmakers stealing delivery slots. How Facebook ad tech has fueled Donald Trump. How Bon Appétit cooks now. File under things enjoying unexpected moments: Rick Steves, tuna melts, Lo-fi YouTube channels.
This is the only good Instagram challenge. Mother of gigantic baby: “He is what he is.” All the things Covid will change forever and all the ways it has shifted our Google searches. The meme-ification of Dr. Fauci. The problem with Zoom court. Animal Crossing as “political hypothesis about how a different kind of world might work” (!!!). Last but not least: My *number-one* coronavirus silver lining is Ikea’s newly released meatball recipe. (This should help all the people who inadvertently bought 20 pounds of breadcrumbs last week.)
Thanks again for subscribing to Links. Sincerely: I appreciate it!! This takes me rather a long time to put together each week, so if you liked this edition please consider sharing with your friends.
You can also send tips, submissions and hedgehog GIFs by hitting “reply.” Stay safe and sane out there!!
— Caitlin