Reading List: Reflections On The Role Of The Media, Reality Star Unforced Errors, A ‘60s Cult Leader Vs. A Beloved Actor, History Of Racism In The Fashion Industry… You Know, Friday.
My brain is sluggish this morning so this intro shall be decidedly short and attempt-at-joke-free, but at least my Instapaper is filled to the brim with that sweet, sweet longform content we all crave.
Margaret Sullivan, If Trump Runs Again, Do Not Cover Him the Same Way: A Journalist’s Manifesto (The Washington Post) - I hope and pray on all things holy that this time around is different - but I’m not holding my breath.
Jonathan Chait, How to Make a Semi-Fascist Party: The hostile, paranoid, and increasingly authoritarian path ahead for American conservatism (Intelligencer) - Haven’t read yet because the headline alone raised my blood pressure, but it’s very much related to the above.
Jacob Gallagher, A Pair of 1880s Jeans Just Sold for $76,000. Their Pocket Reveals a Complicated Piece of Levi’s History. (WSJ) - I know I’m prone to hyperbole but this piece is hands down one of the coolest I’ve read in a very long time. In the first ten paragraphs alone, it covers the history of fashion alongside the history of institutionalized American racism embodied by 1880s capitalism. Read the danged thing!
Erin Blakemore, How ballroom dancing went from elite pastime to dance hall craze (National Geographic) - Look, sometimes Fridays are for overviews of the history of dance styles accompanied by gorgeous historic imagery, I don’t make the rules.
Molly McPherson, What can happen when sunshine reveals allegedly shady legal moves (TikTok) - If you’re on TikTok and you are anywhere near my geography or demographic, you’ve possibly heard of the recent Bethanny Frankel drama. Now, I am not a Housewives devotee—I don’t think I’ve ever seen an episode—but I am a crisis comms practitioner and I like McPherson’s break down of why Frankel’s legal reaction to a critical response on the platform only served to throw jet fuel on the fire.
Zack Scharf, Angela Lansbury Once Saved Her Daughter From Charles Manson’s Cult: ‘He Was Charismatic in So Many Ways’ (Variety) - And finally, this piece, while not technically a long read, is as bonkers as it sounds and you should click.
You’re swell. Drink some water, get outside, be kind to yourself.
xoxo Amy