The Outline

Can you ever forgive me for being a member of society?

We all need recognition. But we also deserve a world that is worthy of our recognition.

The magical thinking of guys who love logic

Roger Stone is only guilty of having fake friends

What we loved this week: Catching up on ‘Final Fantasy VII,’ an early novel of Roberto Bolaño, Grouper’s Liz Harris debuts a new work

The Rock has made a new sport. Thank you, The Rock

They didn’t have to make Will Smith blue

I can’t tweet for one week and it’s killing me

Culture

How ‘Russian Doll’ flirts with psychedelic therapy

The show's nod to ketamine is subtle, but the drug underscores the cycle of life, death, and life-changing revelations.

Must

Damn, it feels good to be a white-collar worker

The worst possible 2020 candidates

Way too horny

Bad news

In Japan, a debate about swastikas takes on new urgency

Reads

Power

I’ve gone full Apocalypse Dad

My instinct is to prepare for the worst, but maybe the real threat is everything staying precisely the same.

Card

The biggest conspiracies in American history (that also happen to be true)

Seven truly disturbing moments in which the tin-foil hat was actually a good idea.

By Eoin Higgins

All hail the monumental-horror image

How striking scenes from ‘The Shining,’ ‘The Wicker Man,’ ‘The Exorcist,’ and other iconic horror movies make an indelible mark on us.

Chess styles of the rich and despotic

As crazy as it sounds, the way a strong chess player approaches the game can reveal a lot about who they are as a person.

By JJ Lang

Stories

Culture

All the sad young literary fakes

Want to sell a book? Start lying.

Listen up

Tomorrow 151: The cult of AI

Tomorrow 150: TikTok and the total creeps

Tomorrow 149: President Evil

Tomorrow 148: We welcome your input

Tomorrow 147: CES is not for alive girls

Tomorrow 146: A lack of innovations or apologies

Tomorrow 145: Mary Poppins plays on god mode

Tomorrow 144: The year of the dunk

Tomorrow 143: Pewdiepie has red-pilled Sonic the Hedgehog

Tomorrow 142: Tumblr has snapped

Tomorrow 141: Be thankful (but also scared)

Tomorrow 140: There’s a time travel scammer in the White House

Tomorrow 139: Blue Midterm Redemption 2

Tomorrow 138: You better vote

Tomorrow 137: A third way

Tomorrow 136: Child's play

Tomorrow 135: Leah Finnegan, the mother of fear

Power

house of jealous lurkers

Crowdfunding for idiots

By the time a natural disaster happens it’s too late to help

Red states will suffer the most from climate change

How male privilege produces such hapless men

“I knew they were using them during class because I saw them swiping... It drove me crazy.”

Power

The best product recommendation websites, according to a guy who loves product recommendations

It seems like every media company is cashing in on their reputation by telling you what to buy. But whose brand can you trust to tell you about brands?

Culture

The myth of Ted Bundy as a charming guy

Here are the political alignments of every ‘Super Smash Bros.’ character

Memphis Bleek is the greatest professional sidekick in hip-hop history

YOUR MOVE, TREBEK

How Hollywood stole ‘The Grinch’

Realistic Pokémon are an affront to God

The Future

Facebook shouldn’t be the only 15-year-old allowed to do whatever it wants

Mark Zuckerberg broke the world and tried to cover it up. Then, he killed a goat.

Future

We need a happy cry emoji

Et Tu, Instagram?

My iPhone is trying to make me a better person. It won’t work.

Price fix?

I created this sculpture in which bacteria can live, and then I would plate it with different parts of my body, literally from my mouth, or inside my nostril, between my toes, or my vagina.

Culture

In Baltimore, the future of film culture is an old-school video store

Beyond Video, a new nonprofit video store, seeks to replicate and revive a model devastated by streaming.

Power

Is it hopepunk to have a baby?

Culture

You are not above ‘The Masked Singer’

The Future

If we want to stave off climate change we’re going to need nuclear reactors

Power

Do what you love and you will never stop working

The Future

Navigating U.S. immigration sucks — here’s where everyone goes for help

Culture

Before there were internet rappers, there was Canibus

Power

What exactly do we want from the author of ‘Cat Person’?

The Future

For the love of all that is holy, please wear sunscreen

The Future

Google will conquer the world one charitable donation at a time

Culture

AAFU: I’ve been lying to my friend

Culture

So... can anyone tell me what a creative director does

The Future

Why is my Gmail suddenly full?

Power

Who gentrifies the gentrifiers?

Good advice

Dear Fuck-Up: How do I tell someone I love them?

AAFU: I’m ashamed of being so broke

Dear Fuck-Up: How do you tell a stranger their partner is cheating?

AAFU: I don’t have any friends

Dear Fuck-Up: Should I apologize to the women I hurt?

AAFU: I’m not as smart as everyone said I was

Culture

Actually, ‘True Detective’ is good

The show always gives us something to think about, and the new season’s early returns are compelling.