‘Nobody Is Going to Believe You’
Director Bryan Singer has been accused of sexual misconduct multiple times throughout the course of his career. A few of his alleged victims have come forward to share their stories. This story was originally set to be published in Esquire, but was killed by Hearst executives for unknown reasons.
How a Stroke Turned a 63-Year-Old Into a Rap Legend
For stroke survivor Sherman Hershfield, rapping and rhyming kept his seizures under control.
The Weight I Carry
In a piece adapted from his forthcoming book, The Elephant in the Room: One Fat Man’s Quest to Get Smaller in a Growing America, Tommy Tomlinson shares the physical and emotional costs of weighing 460 lbs, the emotions that drive him to eat, and the uplifting litany of activities he looks forward to doing as he loses weight.
How to Lose Tens of Thousands of Dollars on Amazon
Some people, like self-proclaimed experts Matt Behdjou and Mike Gazzola, claim to make thousands of dollars selling cheap products from China on Amazon. But not everyone is successful.
The Bootleg Video Vans of the Soviet Union
Before the U.S.S.R. disbanded, Soviet-made propaganda led many Russian kids to fetishize the authentic American films that the government censored. Pushed into the underground, resourceful Soviets played overdubbed, bootlegged copies of these films on VCRs inside mini-vans they turned into mobile theaters. This is how many Soviets learned English.
How ‘Creed’ Forever Changed the ‘Rocky’ Series
It’s come a long way since Apollo Creed died so Rocky Balboa could engage in character development.
American Exorcism
“Why, in our modern age, are so many people turning to the Church for help in banishing incorporeal fiends from their body? And what does this resurgent interest tell us about the figurative demons tormenting contemporary society?”
The Real Origins of Birthright Citizenship
Scholar Martha S. Jones offers a deep dive on pre- and post-Civil War origins of the birthright citizenship provision of the US Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment.
Facebook Groups as Therapy
“People are sharing their deepest secrets on Facebook. Does the social network understand what it’s gotten into?” (And more importantly, what its responsibilities are?)
The Dad-Joke Doctrine
“What did the farmer say when he lost his tractor? ‘Where’s my tractor?’”