The Trend Report™: Oh My
Two trends return: Covid and workers rights.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: The Trend Report™ will be posted sporadically – if at all – through the new year, with a full return the week of January 10. Stay tuned for a trends-of-the-year post!
Elon Musk Spars With Elizabeth Warren
God, I hate this dumb person of the year.
Voters Are at Odds With Their Party on Abortion
An interesting story about how non-straightforward views on abortion are and how, despite politicians, the public has a more nuanced view of the subject.
The 25 Wealthiest Members of Congress
I don’t even know who all these people are! But I hate them all! Stay tuned to the end for the least wealthy representatives.
Young Moguls Insist Fracking Is Good
No <3
"When you park like this"
Keep this in mind when parking up against a sidewalk.
"closer to civil war"
“I live in the suburbs but fantasize”
There’s a symmetry between this story on our impending civil war and this desire by suburban right wingers to be “sent to camps.”
"Kyle Rittenhouse and Greta Thunberg"
Anyway. Let this fuck you up! It’s just as bad as “junior year of Covid.”
And, just like that, we’re back here again, in the thickness of Covid, just in time for the holidays. So what does this mean? Everything and nothing.
It means a fleet of stories about “Should you cancel your trip? Here’s what [INSERT PERSON] has to say.” which are both annoying and very important. As someone who is about to embark on big travel for the first time in years, I am very much in the limbo of “Should I cancel my trip?” I am of the opinion that, no, I will not cancel because I am vaccinated, boosted, getting tested before and after, and not going to do anything in large groups functions. Maybe I’m being stupid and stubborn! I don’t know. Time will tell, as we’ve recently hit the 800,000 death mark in the states and are starting to focus on things like children orphaned by Covid deaths.
It means people’s brains are running wild again. If social media is indicating anything, close friends are starting to signify that one is going through it. A sign of the times, along with the mania of overworking on a dying planet and jokes about how well one’s vaccine will hold up. The internet is turning oncoming tragedy into memes, as the “omarion variant” proved on Twitter this week, along with countless good jokes.
So! We shall continue on, in this normal, trying to figure out the smartest move possible in this unending Covid economy.
Beyoncé's Lemonade is capitalist money-making
We lost a great one with bell hooks this week. To celebrate her and her work – and humor – I was reminded of her “beef” with Beyoncé. It’s an interesting point! And funny to think “bell hooks hated Beyoncé.”
Marcel Duchamp Played Chess with Naked Eve Babitz
We lost another great one with the death of Eve Babitz. A sad week for literary folk! One of my favorite things about Eve Babitz was how she interacted with the art world, as evidenced by the photo of her playing chess naked with Marcel Duchamp.
Can We Trust What’s Happening to Money?
I don’t care about crypto but I do care about the trend of things going “cashless” and this story muses about the future of money, from the tactile to the hypothetical. What could go wrong?
Zach King Accused of Sexual Harassment
The internet’s Mr. Nice Guy is actually not nice and a sexual harasser! Bad!!
How to Pass on Your iPhone Data After You Die
Extremely my shit. You know I did this!
Keeping A Grocery Store Lobster As A Pet
This is one of the most fascinating – and very YouTube – videos I’ve seen in a long time.
'West Side Story' Is Not for Puerto Ricans
Who is surprised? I feel like the Puerto Rican experience – and the runoff cultures from Puerto Rico – are never going to be captured in a single film, particularly not one made by some old, non-Puerto Ricans (or Lin Manuel Miranda).
Very soon I’ll be writing a trends-of-the-year post and an easy one is the power of the worker. I wrote about this in March and May and July and September (Twice!) and, yes, we are finishing the year talking about it again.
What evolved from “No minimum wage for you!” turned into “Nobody wants to work.” turned into “Actually? Fuck this job.” – and things aren’t stopping! A few items from this week that capture the current state of the empowered worker, those fed up giving up their lives to capitalism as rich people stomp on us to death while politicians play dumb.
#BoycottingColorado: Have you heard about the Cuban truck driver sentenced to a 100+ years in prison for a fatal car accident? Yes. It’s awful and a huge story tied to workers rights, as so many are standing up, objecting to this treatment of both a worker and immigrant.
Amazon’s Tornado: As pieces are picked up after last weekends massive tornadoes, a big workers right story has emerged as Amazon employees were stuck in a collapsing warehouse and delivery drivers were forced to keep working. All this after peeing in bottles and warehouse Covid deaths!
Boycotts Are Back: Bringing people together are calls to stop supporting brands because of their treatments of employees. The latest culprits are Kellogg’s, because of their anti-union ways, and IHOP, who blamed lack of employees on Joe Biden.
Unions Rule: Unions continue to be cool. From Starbucks to Citizen, unions continue to sweep up wins. Why? Because they’re for-the-people – and easy to start.
Dawn of Judy: A viral Tweet has people jumping to support Judy of a Macy’s who stood up to her boss in front of customers. As someone so sagely pointed out, “theres Karen’s and then there’s Judys.”
Dash For Cash: Wannabe depressed? A viral video about teachers fighting for money in public has people depressed and sad. America’s working great!
No Vote: Distantly related, the review for Biden’s choosing to end student loan relief are in! And? The Democrats are going to lose the 2024 election.
Obviously, this will continue. Happy Honda Days! Pay workers more and give people time off and tax the rich. Let people have fucking lives!
Renay Mandel Corren Obituary
What an obituary.
"I had a moment today"
Oh Meghan McCain.
"Tucker Carlson asked Hunter Biden"
Yes, this story is real.
"here are my predictions"
I love this trend.
“who should have won Time Person of the Year”
A great list.
“GOD”
Y’all…don’t be having bathroom sex at the arcade!
“Trey Parker & Matt Stone taking acid”
I love how much these dudes hate Hollywood, and how they never make fun at queerness in this.
"children asleep at the airport"
This shouldn’t be this funny but I thought this was very funny.
"return to being in a space like this"
I ain’t going to no office for many reasons but I forgot about “this” and I hate “this” very much.
"man made horrors"
The way I kept searching for “tacussy.”
"talk to komodo dragons"
Obsessed with this TikTok account that interviews children.
"santa drinking his 1,358,536th glass"
oop
"a thousand miles"
who is she
“it’s Ralphie for me”
This holiday TikTok tickled me, even if no one should be at a stadium or concert right now.
"You’re at a birthday dinner"
Obsessed with this very childish reaction to getting a cake you don’t want.
"Megan Thee Stallion was an answer"
One of the greatest worst-answers on Jeopardy in a long time.
And, finally, me and my dog sharing one of the many reasons why I’m not having kids.
Give a tip & subscribe to The Fox Is Black.