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The entertainment and cultural moments that define our society.

Vox Book Club
How America’s ideal woman got jackedHow America’s ideal woman got jacked
Vox Book Club

Muscles are a symbol of strength. So who’s allowed to be strong?

By Constance Grady
Explain It to Me
Can pop music actually predict a recession?Can pop music actually predict a recession?
Podcast
Explain It to Me

Now that’s what I call economic downturn!

By Jonquilyn Hill
Culture
The Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni PR battle goes to courtThe Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni PR battle goes to court
Culture

With raw footage and late night audio, Baldoni’s team thinks they can absolve the actor-director in the court of public opinion.

By Alex Abad-Santos
Explain It to Me
Why is Gen Z getting more religious? We asked them.Why is Gen Z getting more religious? We asked them.
Podcast
Explain It to Me

Gen Z is reversing a major trend in religion.

By Jonquilyn Hill
Culture
There’s a name for what Diddy allegedly did to Cassie — but you won’t hear it at trialThere’s a name for what Diddy allegedly did to Cassie — but you won’t hear it at trial
Culture

What is “coercive control”?

By Aja Romano
Culture
Jeffrey Epstein’s friendship with Donald Trump, explainedJeffrey Epstein’s friendship with Donald Trump, explained
Culture

Was Jeffrey Epstein really Donald Trump’s “closest friend”?

By Aja Romano and Anna North
Culture
The “summer body” is over. Something worse is taking its place. The “summer body” is over. Something worse is taking its place. 
Culture

Getting hot for the summer isn’t cutting it anymore.

By Kyndall Cunningham
Culture
Why are men shaving off their eyelashes?Why are men shaving off their eyelashes?
Culture

Men’s beauty standards are getting increasingly bizarre.

By Constance Grady
Culture
The midlife crisis is coming for millennials lolThe midlife crisis is coming for millennials lol
Culture

How millennials are freaking out about being halfway to death, when everyone’s broke and already in therapy.

By Alex Abad-Santos
Culture
J.K. Rowling’s transphobia: A historyJ.K. Rowling’s transphobia: A history
Culture

An exhausting — if not exhaustive — timeline of J.K. Rowling’s transphobia.

By Aja Romano
Technology
Google as you know it is slowly dyingGoogle as you know it is slowly dying
Technology

The search giant’s midlife crisis is now your problem.

By Adam Clark Estes
Politics
There are two Gen ZsThere are two Gen Zs
Politics

The new political divide splitting young Americans in half.

By Christian Paz
Today, Explained podcast
What happened to the bestselling young white man?What happened to the bestselling young white man?
Podcast
Today, Explained podcast

How women took over literary fiction.

By Miles Bryan and Noel King
Culture
What’s behind the WAG renaissance?What’s behind the WAG renaissance?
Culture

From F1 influencers to Taylor Swift, WAGs are in a new golden age. So why do they feel so old-fashioned?

By Kyndall Cunningham
Culture
Christian nationalists decided empathy is a sin. Now it’s gone mainstream. Christian nationalists decided empathy is a sin. Now it’s gone mainstream. 
Culture

What wouldn’t Jesus do?

By Aja Romano
Even Better
Should I teach my kids to use AI?Should I teach my kids to use AI?
Even Better

Now is a good time to think about tech training wheels.

By Anna North and Adam Clark Estes
Vox Book Club
Why does Elon Musk love this socialist sci-fi series?Why does Elon Musk love this socialist sci-fi series?
Vox Book Club

The broligarchs share a favorite author, but they might be missing the point entirely.

By Constance Grady
Culture
The strange fascination with Jordon Hudson and Bill Belichick, explainedThe strange fascination with Jordon Hudson and Bill Belichick, explained
Culture

Why are we mad at the football coach’s girlfriend?

By Constance Grady
Music
Stadium concerts are the worst summer hangStadium concerts are the worst summer hang
Music

Your favorite artist — plus 80,000 other people.

By Kyndall Cunningham
Diddy was hiding in plain sight
Culture

How hip-hop’s Dionysus rose to power, decade after decade.

By Kyndall Cunningham
Today, Explained newsletter
What challenges are in store for Pope Leo XIV?What challenges are in store for Pope Leo XIV?
Today, Explained newsletter

Who is the new pope? What will the new pope do? And other questions, answered.

By Sean Collins
Supreme Court
An anti-trans lawmaker brings a Supreme Court case that she absolutely must winAn anti-trans lawmaker brings a Supreme Court case that she absolutely must win
Supreme Court

To defend democracy, the courts must rule in favor of a lawmaker who bullied a high school student.

By Ian Millhiser
Vox Book Club
“I don’t want romantasy, I want Heathcliff!”“I don’t want romantasy, I want Heathcliff!”
Vox Book Club

Books for midnight baby feedings, contemporary nonfiction masters, and novels as good as the classics.

By Constance Grady
Today, Explained podcast
Love on the Spectrum stars call on RFK Jr. to resignLove on the Spectrum stars call on RFK Jr. to resign
Podcast
Today, Explained podcast

Two cast members of the hit Netflix reality TV show on what the HHS secretary misunderstands about autism.

By Avishay Artsy
Relationships
What the worst first dates all have in common What the worst first dates all have in common 
Relationships

Here’s why your potentially romantic meetup actually sucks.

By Alex Abad-Santos
Culture
The culture warriors who say Harvey Weinstein is innocentThe culture warriors who say Harvey Weinstein is innocent
Culture

Candace Owens and Joe Rogan are the latest frontier of the Me Too backlash.

By Constance Grady
Culture
What happens when a Christian relationship expert’s marriage falls apart?What happens when a Christian relationship expert’s marriage falls apart?
Culture

Advice author Lysa TerKeurst has a devoted audience, a dozen bestselling books — and she’s divorced.

By Aja Romano
Culture
Can you do 11 push-ups? Should you?Can you do 11 push-ups? Should you?
Culture

Are we all just “wellness bros” now?

By Kyndall Cunningham
Today, Explained newsletter
MAGA glam isn’t about beauty — it’s about politicsMAGA glam isn’t about beauty — it’s about politics
Today, Explained newsletter

Examining what’s underneath the “Republican makeup” look.

By Sean Collins
The unspoken rules of MAGA womanhood
Culture

How Kristi Noem and Karoline Leavitt offer two visions of conservative femininity.

By Constance Grady
Culture
When did people stop dancing at the club?When did people stop dancing at the club?
Culture

DJs, club owners, and patrons alike say there’s way too much standing around.

By Alex Abad-Santos
Explain It to Me
Why are so many people into astrology?Why are so many people into astrology?
Explain It to Me

Astrology’s enormous appeal, explained for believers and skeptics.

By Alex Abad-Santos
The life of a dairy cow
Future Perfect

The surprising truth about milk is hiding in plain sight.

By Marina Bolotnikova
Culture
Why does Gen Z smell like sugar?Why does Gen Z smell like sugar?
Culture

From Dunkin’ deodorant to Sabrina Carpenter perfume, smelling good isn’t enough — it’s all about smelling edible.

By Kyndall Cunningham
Future Perfect
The false climate solution that just won’t dieThe false climate solution that just won’t die
Future Perfect

A star-studded film explains the hope and hype behind regenerative agriculture.

By Kenny Torrella
Politics
The hidden religious divide erupting into politicsThe hidden religious divide erupting into politics
Politics

The “cradle” vs. “convert” fight comes to Washington.

By Katherine Kelaidis
Today, Explained podcast
Why Florida’s public universities are collaborating with ICEWhy Florida’s public universities are collaborating with ICE
Podcast
Today, Explained podcast

As Trump wages war against Harvard, something unprecedented is happening on Florida’s college campuses.

By Devan Schwartz and Sean Rameswaram
Culture
Luigi Mangione and the long legacy of the Unabomber Manifesto Luigi Mangione and the long legacy of the Unabomber Manifesto 
Podcast
Culture

Ted Kaczynski’s apocalyptic vision still has a following, 30 years later.

By Hady Mawajdeh
Culture
No one’s happy about people filming themselves in gymsNo one’s happy about people filming themselves in gyms
Culture

The annoying new habit popping up in gyms across the country.

By Alex Abad-Santos
Culture
The strange link between Trump’s tariffs and incel ideologyThe strange link between Trump’s tariffs and incel ideology
Culture

Meet the lonely men who think the tariffs will get them girlfriends.

By Constance Grady