Blockbuster of an issue this week! The first article excoriates “All Lives Matter,” the second explains Snapchat, the third uncovers “beta males,” and the fourth leaves you numb. Please enjoy, please share Extras with your friends, and please let me know which article moved you the most.
Blockbuster of an issue this week! The first article excoriates “All Lives Matter,” the second explains Snapchat, the third uncovers “beta males,” and the fourth leaves you numb. Please enjoy, please share Extras with your friends, and please let me know which article moved you the most.
The Real Reason White People Say “All Lives Matter”
All white people should read this. Using plain language, John Halstead explores the origins and problems of “All Lives Matter,” a product of fear, (un)conscious bias, and overt racism. More than anything else, white people seek comfort, which explains “colorblindness.” The piece ends with some common-sense strategies to combat white privilege. (Subscribers of color may say, “Um, yes, this is just a start.”)
Like. Flirt. Ghost: A Journey Into the Social Media Lives of Teens
This is a nice and easy profile of five teenagers and their lives on social media. This is the place to go if you need a primer on Snapchat. Also, as a member of the #olds, I was surprised that many teenagers heavily curate their Instagram profiles, keeping just 8-20 photographs, deleting those that don’t hit a high threshold of likes.
The Beta Rebellion: The New Man of 4chan
It’s not just straight middle-aged white men who feel marginalized in this Time of Trump. It’s also young, mostly white men who are socially and sexually awkward. They call themselves “beta males,” fighting against “macho men” and other “normies” who attract “beautiful women,” whom they despise — yet covet. (Many are “incel,” or “involuntarily celibate.”) With Pepe the Frog as their mascot, these beta males have formed a misogynistic online community that promotes racism and violence, which has spurred vengeful mass shootings.
This Is Meant To Hurt You
A sad and beautifully written memoir by a woman whose husband is dying from a disease that his doctors think isn’t real. (She thinks this sometimes, too.) “ ‘Of course it isn’t in your head, babe,’ I say, because I can’t tell him I’ve been wondering the same thing all along. When you love someone, there are certain things you just can’t say.”
Congratulations, you have completed another issue! Now comes a new, exciting feature to try. Do you see the bubbles next to each article headline? That’s your cue to add your thoughts and comments about the article. Take your pick, choose an article to write about, and leave a short message! Hey, maybe you’ll get a conversation going! See you next Thursday at 9:10 am!
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