Category Essays

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…

Original Movies Aren’t Dead

In 2016, The Nice Guys was released to praise from both critics and audiences. Starring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, this noir-inspired mystery seemed to offer everything moviegoers claim to want: originality, sharp writing, and a story that doesn’t feel…

A Concert I Tried to Enjoy

Three nights ago, my family and I saw The Lumineers play at Citi Field, where I found myself wretchedly alone in a crowd of 30,000. My father loves bands like this because he’s old. Their music makes him feel hip…

Cameron Winter and The Art of Trying

Album cover for Heavy Metal by Cameron Winter. A young man with shaggy brown hair stares blankly ahead, with two silver chains crossing over his eyes. The background is composed of dark horizontal slats, and the lighting gives the image a surreal, almost synthetic glow.

My mom has requested that I write an article that is ‘positive’. Here it is. I first heard about Heavy Metal, the debut solo album by Geese frontman Cameron Winter, in December 2024. Unfortunately, my introduction came through the form…

Old People

I visited home last week for the first time in a while. It was nice to get out of Philly. I was eating pizza with Mom that first night back. Between bites, she said, “By the way, Grandma fell yesterday.…

Job Scams

Today I got a notification on my phone from LinkedIn News saying that the second biggest scam in the world right now is “fake job opportunities,” which is hilarious coming from LinkedIn. This is the same app where people write…

Can we just get a beer?

You’ve just arrived at the bar and you’re sliding into the booth. Your friend leans over and says, “Oh, this is my buddy, you’ll love him. ” You’ve learned that this can mean many things. In this case, it means…