Culture & Criticism

TikTok Users Are Trying M&M's As Eyeshadow After A Clip About Jail Makeup Went Viral
“Many on the outside looking in view make up as a luxury or privilege. It is a simple thing that makes us feel good.”

The Fantasy Of The Dream Job Is Gone
Layoffs at some of the country’s most prestigious companies are the latest sign that no one’s job is ever really safe.

“You’s” Lack Of Sex Scenes Actually Works This Season
(MAJOR SPOILERS) In the second half of You Season 4, Joe comes to terms with his true nature in a way that wouldn’t have been possible with so much sex.

The Untold Story Of Andrew Tate, The Internet’s Most Notorious Influencer
Tate, who stands accused of human trafficking, comes from a family of violent, competitive men and high-achieving women. Those who knew him in his younger years are asking, “What happened to Andrew?”

Three Gay Men Were Accused Of Killing A Friend. A New Documentary Explores What Happened.
Peacock’s new documentary frames an unsolved murder as a riveting mystery. It’s also a reminder of the pitfalls of true crime.

Influencer Brittany Dawn’s Trial Has Been Postponed While The State Tries To Find Out What Happened To Over $1 Million In Her PayPal Transactions
Court officials declined to provide a reason for the delay or a new trial date.

The Popular Dating App Hinge Was Down And For A Moment People Rejoiced
"Are we finally free? Is Nature healing?”

The Best Books Out This Week
From a literary thriller to a Great British Bake Off inspired murder mystery.

Chris Rock Jokes About Will Smith's Slap In His New Special, But It's Not Very Funny
The comedian's latest Netflix special would have been more interesting if he acknowledged his extremely specific circumstances instead of generalizing them into cultural critique.

Abdul Sharifu Was Buying Milk For A Neighbor’s Baby. A Snowstorm Killed Him.
How the tragic death of one man during Buffalo’s historic snowstorm in December highlights both the city’s close-knit immigrant community and its systemic failures.

Rihanna Responded To That Viral TikTok Showing Older Women Re-Creating Her Super Bowl Halftime Show
The residents of this Kentucky senior living center have drawn plaudits from Jay-Z and now Rihanna herself.

Tom Sandoval And Raquel Leviss Are Giving Us The Alleged Cheating Scandal We Needed
Vanderpump Rules stars Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss are allegedly in love. Finally, a scandal that's made specifically for my generation.

Karol G Just Made Pop Music History. Here’s How She Did It.
The Colombian singer-songwriter spent over a decade crafting her own vision. Now she’s breaking records.

The End Of The Hailey Bieber Icon Era
After losing nearly a million followers, the 26-year-old model needs a major rebrand after being labeled a “mean girl.”

Harry Styles Posted A Selfie In A 1D T-Shirt And Fans Are Absolutely Losing It
Harry Styles, confirmed 1D stan.

19 Great Books That Capture What It’s Like To Live With A Disability
Just in time for Disability Awareness Month!

A Woman Was Charged With A Hate Crime After Her Racist Rant About A Pizza Shop Playing Spanish-Language TV Went Viral On TikTok
In the video, the restaurant owner asks her what’s wrong with playing Spanish-language TV, and she replies that he’s “not American” and accuses him of being undocumented.

The Trial Over Fitness-Turned-Christianity Influencer Brittany Dawn’s Alleged Deceptive Business Practices Is Finally Starting. Here’s Everything You Need To Know.
Customers accused the creator of selling them bogus fitness plans that negatively impacted their health.

TikTok’s “Teenage Filter” Is Making Older People Reflect On Their Youth
“You want to hug her and tell her not to be so hard on herself.”

“Love Is Blind” Star Natalie Lee Said She Is Still Receiving Racist Messages
“[I] did not anticipate the amount I would receive,” the Korean American reality star said in an Instagram story.

Why Beige Is The Preferred Color For Rich Women
A Beige Baby becomes a Vanilla Girl becomes a Coastal Grandmother. It’s the modern way to convey privilege and wealth.

16 Books Out In Paperback This Month You Need To Preorder
From Michelle Zauner’s Crying in H Mart to Amor Towles’s The Lincoln Highway.

BuzzFeed News Is Looking To Speak With Wives Who Outearn Their Husbands
If you're a married woman who outearns your husband, we want to know how you discuss and manage your finances.

Hogwarts HBCU Is TikTok’s Most Magical Trend Of 2023
“Hogwarts as a whole was a world that was created where we were very much an afterthought. But here, we just Blacked it up.”

I Tried CleanTok's Much-Adored Product, The Pink Stuff
Is the Pink Stuff cleaning product I see all over TikTok worth the hype, or are creators overexaggerating?

"Daisy Jones & The Six" Is A TV Show Now And Unfortunately It's Boring
Amazon Prime’s adaptation of the 2019 Taylor Jenkins-Reid novel is a predictable melodrama that pales in comparison to the history it rips off. (Warning: contains spoilers.)

TikTok Mom Taylor Frankie Paul Allegedly Hit Her Boyfriend And Threw A Chair That Struck Her 5-Year-Old Daughter
Her boyfriend “reported feeling scared for his life,” a police officer said, according to court documents.

Keke Palmer Gave Birth To Her First Child Leodis And Graced Us With Adorable Family Photos
"Born during Black History Month, with a name to match!”

People Are Making Fun Of Jake Paul For Losing His First Fight With A Boxer But He's Handling It Surprisingly Well
“The Jake Paul curse is over.”

The Mormon Mom TikToker Who Went Viral For “Soft Swinging” Was Arrested On Suspicion Of Domestic Violence
“Ms. Paul’s status as a social media influencer has no bearing or impact on the investigation or outcome of this case,” police in Herriman, Utah, said in a statement.