Deez 2016 MixLinkTape

We asked, you answered: here are your favorite / most life-changing / most thought-provoking / strangely resonant / just for funsies links that stuck with you this 2016, in no particular order:

Requisite NYT Pieces You May Have Missed:

Why Men Want to Marry Melanias and Raise Ivankas (July)

It’s a total fuckin shiv to the gut to go back and read Trump coverage, back when it was just a fun thought exercise into what if, but this op-ed is worth a read even now because we all need to rethink how America is going to relate to the women in our lives under a rule of a misogynist in the coming years.

Fractured Lands: How The Arab World Came Apart (August)

This 5-part mother of a report took up the entire issue of NYT Magazine in August, and it’s worth a good few hours to digest — but if you’ve ever wanted a definitive “explainer” that doesn’t dumb down the nuances of all things Middle East, here it is.

The Pieces of Zadie Smith (October)

Okay, even if you are a bit of a cultural caveman (like me) and didn’t even know who Zadie Smith was until she released her new novel this fall, read this profile (from NYT Mag) because not only is she a/maybe the voice of our generation, but also because it’s by Jeffrey Eugenides, of Virgin Suicides/Pulitzer-winning Middlesex fame. But I also can’t emphasize enough: our children will be studying Zadie in schools very soon, if not already.

More Election/Politics Coverage That Is Worth It, I Promise:

My Plan For Making Peace With President-Elect Donald Trump (November)

Still numb? Weirdly sick? Just kind of nauseated and scattered still? Taffy Brodesser-Akner for GQ’s account for “making peace with it” says it is okay, for a little bit, to still be in recovery mode.

This Is Who We Are (November)

An essay from The Atlantic looking at the Trump presidential win in the historical context of America’s long, complicated, overwhelmingly horrific relationship with race.

Now Is The Time to Talk About What We Are Talking About (December)

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s epic rallying cry for life and resistance in the Trump era, from The New Yorker. A complete and total must-read.

‘Parks and Recreation’: Leslie Knope Writes Letter to America Following Donald Trump’s Victory (November)
And one more dose of “This is not the end, we got this,” from our fave fictional political power lady.

The White Flight of Derek Black (October)

How does a young white nationalist just happen to change his worldview? A supremely fascinating read from WaPo, and perhaps one of the best cases for not discounting a little empathy, even if someone fucking sucks for a while.

Tech Things To Quote In Order To Sound Impressive At Holiday Party Gatherings

Speak, Memory: When Her Best Friend Died, She Rebuilt Him Using Artificial Intelligence

This incredible piece from The Verge will fill in the Westworld-sized hole in your heart. And then maybe rip it all apart.

Facebook is predicting the decline of text (June)

Someone please forward or write the follow-up “Maybe, but like probably not because letters are easy????” From Business Insider.

For Worksies (If you’re in the media / marketing scene, ofc)

Why are music and journalism going in opposite directions with micropayments? (April)

“Do we change the story, or change its delivery?” so asks this Forbes contributor, in breaking down the vision that Dutch iTunes-for-news startup Blendle has going on, and how it ties in with the history of the music business.

How marketing changes when shopping is automated (October)

“Tell your machine to talk to my machine,” is essentially the future that cometh. This Harvard Business Review article breaks down what that means, with lots of marketing jargon that will impress your boss when you bring it up casually at the Secret Santa this eyar.

Sportz, fashion and nature things

Chuck Klosterman Asks: Will Violence Save Football? (May)

Klosterman is typically an eternal hoot, but this GQ piece barely stops short of a vicious, full-on indictment on our somtimes-hella-unevolved culture. Also, it makes you feel bad for not watching “Concussion” all the way through last year…

Strong Suit (September)

This is a cool Racked piece looking at the work that Dress For Success does — outfitting disadvantaged women in professional attire. And also a good reminder that ~contributing to society~ does not necessarily have to only mean signing up for change.org petitions and liking Facebook posts.

A Community Garden Became an Alternative to Juvenile Detention (August)
This short lil’ CityLab piece is along the same lines — don’t you just always love these incredibly creative ways that use nature, art, music, and fashion to make things better?? Part of me is always a little jaded and worried that these stories will get co-opted into bad teen dance movies, but hey, we need some things to fuckin believe in in this day and age.

Many thanks to everyone who sent these in! Here’s to another year of great #content and even better links.

Deez is on holi-yay hiatus until the new year. Merry Christmas & happy holidays, ya filthy linksters.