“After luncheon the sun, conscious that it was Saturday, would blaze an hour longer in the zenith,…”
― Marcel Proust, Swann’s Way
Happy Sunday, poppets! Your first batch of links for the year is here, chock full of goodness. What good things have you been reading or listening to since last we gathered round the metaphoric table to share?
Hi kids!
An interesting piece at Buzzfeed on why we should view and understand soon-to-be-President Trump through the lens of celebrity rather than politician. How that’s lent him strength but also makes him weak through unique vulnerabilities.
The Atlantic’s rundown of their top picks in podcasting for 2016.
Thought provoking article in Elle about Invanka Trump, the ideal of the Exceptional Woman in patriarchy, and the narrow few their (said acceptable, Exceptional Women) image represent/benefit.
These feel like a very “presents for dads” sort of thing. In a fun way?
Dave Barry’s Year in Review.
And a good reminder from the Washington Post that 2016 had a lot going for it too.
Drafting this post, my well beloved xoVain website is in peril as part of the xoJane shutdown/potential sale. This place was that tremendous and rare thing on the internet: a uniformly positive, experimental, educational, casual, and useful community. I hope the comment community that grew up around this site either continues the good work or finds a new home, and in the meantime I will forever kick myself for not pitching them. In fact, I bargain with the universe that I WILL pitch their new incarnation if only they get one. In the meantime, one of their editors wrote a great piece that’s worth reading. Also, their writers’ rundown of their favorite pieces from the site is also worth a read through if you like inspirational young women writing unapologetically about beauty and sharing wisdom and advice.
Speaking of, an editor I worked under during my work experience at Red Magazine writes some pretty great stuff. This post, a couple months old, but one I’m going back to a lot recently and therefore thought worth sharing, is worth a look in.
One writer quitting Twitter because, “No one cared.” Genuinely wondering if this and adjacent disappointments or burnout might contribute the end of this or other social media eventually. Thoughts?
And finally, a moment of levity.
Album of the Week: Run the Jewels 3, by Run the Jewels
Small Dog Syndrome 
Nice links! Loved the xovain essay — didn’t know about that site.
The Red piece should be required reading for every perfectionist out there as “perfect” is such utter bullshit. Seriously. It’s subjective, unattainable, punitive, exclusive — awesome, let’s all be miserable trying to climb that greasy pole! 🙂 I’ve made my living as a writer since sophomore year of college and am not sure (for better or worse) I ever even wanted to be “perfect”. I wanted to be — still want to be (in that magic word publishers use in your contract) “publishable.” Which is, of course, also 100% subjective. It’s a fool’s errand to try for perfection, because what WE consider perfect might not at all meet someone else’s criteria. Then what? Who’s right?
I disagree with Lindy West, but millions will agree with her. Not every woman on Twitter is being doxxed and given death threats (not that this is in any way acceptable!) The women who choose to ride out, guns blazing, on social media are — de facto — tossing hopeful and idealistic pearls before many swine, That’s social media. You play or you don’t. I agree that Dorsey needs to clean it up — but I have also been the victim of tremendous cyber-bullying online by WOMEN in private Facebook groups, far worse than anything I’ve experienced on Twitter. West is a heroine to many. But not everyone agrees with her nor this decision. I see vicious and uncontrolled behavior in places people assume (bitter laugh) are “safe.”
xoVain is/was amazing. I’ve followed several of their writers for years (one is now working with Glossier) another is a senior beauty editor. A great spot for beauty writers to be nutured.
Re Ms West, what I think is interesting is how her piece ties into larger conversations about social media and how many people are choosing to get off it. I wonder how that’s going to trend over the long term.