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Culture

The entertainment and cultural moments that define our society.

The internet hates Botox and filler — but only when it looks bad
Culture

Why does unsuccessful cosmetic work make people so angry?

By Kyndall Cunningham
The internet hates Botox and filler — but only when it looks bad
Culture

Why does unsuccessful cosmetic work make people so angry?

By Kyndall Cunningham
Technology
Little videos are cooking our brainsLittle videos are cooking our brains
Technology

The future of the internet is a slop-filled infinite scroll. How do we reclaim our attention?

By Adam Clark Estes
Culture
The truth behind the endless “kids can’t read” discourseThe truth behind the endless “kids can’t read” discourse
Culture

Is there a literacy crisis? Or am I just old?

By Constance Grady
Sports
The real scandal in Formula 1 is its attitude toward womenThe real scandal in Formula 1 is its attitude toward women
Sports

Christian Horner was fired after a year of bad performance, following allegations of sexual harassment.

By Izzie Ramirez

The latest in Culture

Politics
The right’s meltdown over Jeffrey Epstein, explainedThe right’s meltdown over Jeffrey Epstein, explained
Politics

Trump officials say there’s no deeper Epstein conspiracy they can reveal. The right has reacted with fury.

By Andrew Prokop
Culture
How Christianity conquered the Hot 100How Christianity conquered the Hot 100
Culture

From Alex Warren to Jelly Roll, a new wave of faith-adjacent pop is finding God in laundromats and dive bars.

By Aja Romano
Technology
Don’t let AI steal your jobDon’t let AI steal your job
Technology

It’s okay to hate AI’s encroachment into work. Learn to use it anyway.

By Adam Clark Estes
Health
Happy ultra-processed foods day!Happy ultra-processed foods day!
Health

July Fourth is a cacophony of dietary chaos.

By Dylan Scott
Culture
The Diddy verdict shows us what a post-Me Too trial looks likeThe Diddy verdict shows us what a post-Me Too trial looks like
Culture

The Diddy trial ended in (mostly) a win for the music mogul. How did that happen?

By Aja Romano and Constance Grady
Culture
The horrifying revelations of the Idaho student murdersThe horrifying revelations of the Idaho student murders
Culture

What the Idaho student murder investigation tells us about how criminal justice should work.

By Aja Romano
Culture
Why is everyone crashing out?Why is everyone crashing out?
Culture

Gen Z is embracing emotional distress — with a new name.

By Kyndall Cunningham
Explain It to Me
How summer camp became an American obsessionHow summer camp became an American obsession
Podcast
Explain It to Me

The invention of sleepaway camp, explained.

By Jonquilyn Hill
Politics
Is the decline of reading poisoning our politics?Is the decline of reading poisoning our politics?
Politics

Your brain isn’t what it used to be.

By Eric Levitz
Culture
The internet’s favorite way to hate women — and still sound feministThe internet’s favorite way to hate women — and still sound feminist
Culture

How the internet came to hate “male-centered women.”

By Kyndall Cunningham
Culture
The baffling case of Karen ReadThe baffling case of Karen Read
Culture

How the mysterious death of a Boston cop led to an intense trial, a media circus, and a referendum on policing.

By Aja Romano
True crime
Why the Karen Read retrial ended differently this timeWhy the Karen Read retrial ended differently this time
True crime

Read was found not guilty of second-degree murder, but guilty of drunk driving. New legal counsel and evidence might explain why.

By Aja Romano
Even Better
Why are so many straight guys so bad at gossiping? Why are so many straight guys so bad at gossiping? 
Even Better

Learning to yap could solve the male loneliness epidemic

By Alex Abad-Santos
Culture
How America’s ideal woman got jackedHow America’s ideal woman got jacked
Culture

Muscles are a symbol of strength. So who’s allowed to be strong?

By Constance Grady
Explain It to Me
Can pop music actually predict a recession?Can pop music actually predict a recession?
Podcast
Explain It to Me

Now that’s what I call economic downturn!

By Jonquilyn Hill
Culture
The Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni PR battle goes to courtThe Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni PR battle goes to court
Culture

With raw footage and late night audio, Baldoni’s team thinks they can absolve the actor-director in the court of public opinion.

By Alex Abad-Santos
Explain It to Me
Why is Gen Z getting more religious? We asked them.Why is Gen Z getting more religious? We asked them.
Podcast
Explain It to Me

Gen Z is reversing a major trend in religion.

By Jonquilyn Hill
Culture
There’s a name for what Diddy allegedly did to Cassie — but you won’t hear it at trialThere’s a name for what Diddy allegedly did to Cassie — but you won’t hear it at trial
Culture
Jeffrey Epstein’s friendship with Donald Trump, explainedJeffrey Epstein’s friendship with Donald Trump, explained
Culture

Was Jeffrey Epstein really Donald Trump’s “closest friend”?

By Aja Romano and Anna North
Culture
The “summer body” is over. Something worse is taking its place. The “summer body” is over. Something worse is taking its place. 
Culture

Getting hot for the summer isn’t cutting it anymore.

By Kyndall Cunningham
Culture
Why are men shaving off their eyelashes?Why are men shaving off their eyelashes?
Culture

Men’s beauty standards are getting increasingly bizarre.

By Constance Grady
Culture
The midlife crisis is coming for millennials lolThe midlife crisis is coming for millennials lol
Culture

How millennials are freaking out about being halfway to death, when everyone’s broke and already in therapy.

By Alex Abad-Santos
Culture
J.K. Rowling’s transphobia: A historyJ.K. Rowling’s transphobia: A history
Culture

An exhausting — if not exhaustive — timeline of J.K. Rowling’s transphobia.

By Aja Romano
Technology
Google as you know it is slowly dyingGoogle as you know it is slowly dying
Technology

The search giant’s midlife crisis is now your problem.

By Adam Clark Estes
Politics
There are two Gen ZsThere are two Gen Zs
Politics

The new political divide splitting young Americans in half.

By Christian Paz
Today, Explained podcast
What happened to the bestselling young white man?What happened to the bestselling young white man?
Podcast
Today, Explained podcast

How women took over literary fiction.

By Miles Bryan and Noel King
Culture
What’s behind the WAG renaissance?What’s behind the WAG renaissance?
Culture

From F1 influencers to Taylor Swift, WAGs are in a new golden age. So why do they feel so old-fashioned?

By Kyndall Cunningham
Culture
Christian nationalists decided empathy is a sin. Now it’s gone mainstream. Christian nationalists decided empathy is a sin. Now it’s gone mainstream. 
Culture

What wouldn’t Jesus do?

By Aja Romano
Even Better
Should I teach my kids to use AI?Should I teach my kids to use AI?
Even Better

Now is a good time to think about tech training wheels.

By Anna North and Adam Clark Estes
Culture
Why does Elon Musk love this socialist sci-fi series?Why does Elon Musk love this socialist sci-fi series?
Culture

The broligarchs share a favorite author, but they might be missing the point entirely.

By Constance Grady
Culture
The strange fascination with Jordon Hudson and Bill Belichick, explainedThe strange fascination with Jordon Hudson and Bill Belichick, explained
Culture

Why are we mad at the football coach’s girlfriend?

By Constance Grady
Music
Stadium concerts are the worst summer hangStadium concerts are the worst summer hang
Music

Your favorite artist — plus 80,000 other people.

By Kyndall Cunningham
Diddy was hiding in plain sight
Culture

How hip-hop’s Dionysus rose to power, decade after decade.

By Kyndall Cunningham
Today, Explained newsletter
What challenges are in store for Pope Leo XIV?What challenges are in store for Pope Leo XIV?
Today, Explained newsletter

Who is the new pope? What will the new pope do? And other questions, answered.

By Sean Collins
Supreme Court
An anti-trans lawmaker brings a Supreme Court case that she absolutely must winAn anti-trans lawmaker brings a Supreme Court case that she absolutely must win
Supreme Court

To defend democracy, the courts must rule in favor of a lawmaker who bullied a high school student.

By Ian Millhiser
CultureThe Highlight
“I don’t want romantasy, I want Heathcliff!”“I don’t want romantasy, I want Heathcliff!”
CultureThe Highlight

Books for midnight baby feedings, contemporary nonfiction masters, and novels as good as the classics.

By Constance Grady
Today, Explained podcast
Love on the Spectrum stars call on RFK Jr. to resignLove on the Spectrum stars call on RFK Jr. to resign
Podcast
Today, Explained podcast

Two cast members of the hit Netflix reality TV show on what the HHS secretary misunderstands about autism.

By Avishay Artsy
Relationships
What the worst first dates all have in common What the worst first dates all have in common 
Relationships

Here’s why your potentially romantic meetup actually sucks.

By Alex Abad-Santos
Culture
The culture warriors who say Harvey Weinstein is innocentThe culture warriors who say Harvey Weinstein is innocent
Culture

Candace Owens and Joe Rogan are the latest frontier of the Me Too backlash.

By Constance Grady
Culture
What happens when a Christian relationship expert’s marriage falls apart?What happens when a Christian relationship expert’s marriage falls apart?
Culture

Advice author Lysa TerKeurst has a devoted audience, a dozen bestselling books — and she’s divorced.

By Aja Romano