Category Essays

The Death of Skateboarding

For a good three years, skateboarding was practically the only thing I thought about. This was reflected in all aspects of my life: the clothes I wore, what I saw and posted on Instagram, and the gifts I’d receive on…

A Review of One Battle After Another

Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another is good, great even. The plot is succinct, the cinematography is awe-inspiring, and the acting is impeccable. It has every facet of a good picture. As someone not entirely familiar with Anderson’s body…

The Commodification of Loneliness

If you’ve been on the New York City subway in the past week, chances are you’ve seen advertisements for something called Friend. These ads don’t give you much to go on besides a few vague if not friendly statements, such…

The Riyadh Comedy Festival Discourse

A few days ago,  I saw various advertisements for the latest elaborate Saudi exhibition, the Riyadh Comedy Festival, presented by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and organized by state-owned entities, Sela, and the General Entertainment Authority. Given the eye-watering finances…

YouTube Journalists

If you’ve spent any time on YouTube recently, you’ve most likely come across a video titled something like, “I WENT TO THE MOST GHETTO PLACE IN AMERICA” with some pasty white guy on the thumbnail, mouth agape as he’s surrounded…

Schrödinger’s American

A few months ago, I accompanied my father to his U.S citizenship interview at 26 Federal Plaza. Had this happened a year ago, it probably would’ve been an afterthought to me, and I wouldn’t have gone to this; After all,…

In Defense of “Brainrot”

Something happened to “meme culture” in 2024. Sure, the genre of media had never landed a highbrow respect, but last year it felt like it was pushed down a peg. As Gen Z gazed queasily upon a world of increasing…