Published intartmag·Sep 8, 2021Member-onlyShang-Chi and Marvel’s most violent sceneSPOILERS FOR SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS LIKE, IMMEDIATELY. The death of Shang-Chi’s mother, Ying Li, is the most violent scene in MCU history. The MCU’s violence is frequently absurd. When Captain America launches a vibranium shield at freeway speeds at someone’s chest, we’re meant to assume…Marvel4 min readMarvel4 min read
Published intartmag·Jul 16, 2021Member-onlyBritney, Whitney, Lindsay, and the rest: the tragedy of the Broken StarletThis piece is a part of our series, Women We Watch, which examines celebrity women as archetypal models of American femininity. …Celebrity8 min readCelebrity8 min read
Published intartmag·Apr 21, 2021Member-onlyThis is not justiceTo those of you who pray: did you pray for justice? I don’t have a God, but I know I hoped for it. To have to hope so hard made me sad. Did you ever think, “what a weird thing to have to pray for?” Justice 1a: the maintenance or…Race3 min readRace3 min read
Published intartmag·Mar 5, 2021Member-onlyWhy little kids can touch my hair but you absolutely can notDespite children’s books, essay collections, and a Solange song, somehow folks have still not learned that they can not just touch Black people’s hair. My hair is a topic of conversation almost daily, and I have written before about how unwelcome much of the commentary and attention is. But earlier…Hair4 min readHair4 min read
Published intartmag·Feb 4, 2021Member-onlyOf course White celebrities keep saying the N wordYesterday, video of new country music dynamo Morgan Wallen saying the N word flooded the internet. The idea that non-Black people shouldn’t publicly say the N word has permeated our society, but that’s done nothing to eradicate non-Black people saying the N word. …Race3 min readRace3 min read
Published intartmag·Jan 21, 2021Member-onlyOn “Unity”In this morning’s inaugural address, President Joe Biden asked us to strive for unity by “open[ing] our souls instead of hardening our hearts” and “stand[ing] in each other’s shoes”. I listened to the news for hours, hearing folks laud this new era of rebuilding and togetherness Joe Biden and his…Politics5 min readPolitics5 min read
Published intartmag·Jan 21, 2021Member-onlyWhiteness threatens to destroy us allLike all races, Whiteness was socially constructed. It was invented alongside colonialism as a foundation for and rationalization of the assertion of superiority as Europeans extended their violent reach across the world. It has changed its shape and boundaries over the centuries, expanding to maintain control, but never so much…Trump4 min readTrump4 min read
Published intartmag·Jan 7, 2021Member-onlyToday they tried to destroy AmericaHours ago, as I watched video of Trump supporters pushing past armed police and their barricades to break into the United States Capitol Building, the only thought I had was of protesting in Oakland this summer: flashbangs going off around me, riot gear, guns pointed at crowds. …Politics4 min readPolitics4 min read
Published intartmag·Nov 30, 2020Member-onlyWhat This Is Us gets right about Black Lives Matterby Lena Potts I know I’m a little late, but today I binged the opening episodes of This Is Us’s fifth and penultimate season. The show, which as been holding down the “really good network TV” corner for a few years, deserves credit for a few things, including, integrating COVID…Television4 min readTelevision4 min read
Published intartmag·Nov 9, 2020Member-onlyDon’t let your post-election relief make you complacentNote: This article is filled with links. The most important action you can take to move forward is to stay informed! I encourage you to click through and learn more! I know many people who voted for the first time in this election. Some had been previously unable to vote…Election 20204 min readElection 20204 min read
