Welcome Back, Social-Media Fall

A generation’s currency is measured in trends, the moments that make an era mouthwateringly memorable. Only these fads are no longer dictated by a handful of tastemakers. Instead, what gets crowned as cool is often determined by how well a trend appeals to the rhythms of a specific platform. An idea’s artistic or cultural cachet depends on how easi... See more

Perhaps the backlash isn’t coming because there’s so clearly nothing of substance to get up in arms about. Who but the dourest prudes are left to trash the bad-taste aesthetic, when we’re all busy trying to shock the pandemic into submission by living—vicariously, if not physically—as if we’re immortal?

Timeliness matters. Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Tax Day, Arbor Day, they’re all valid pegs. If your subject spikes in search, conversation, or even just vibes during a particular month, say so. Evergreen stories are great, but evergreen-with-a-calendar-hook helps get pieces greenlit.

There is a ton of nostalgic longing for these previous eras and scenes like “Indie Sleaze” without any of the desire to create the environment to make new versions of them possible . [...'] This forced synthesizing of the past for the sake of our generational feeling of missing out is the ultimate sign of the times. It’s preferable to try and crawl... See more