Category: Culture
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Copyright law has been hijacked by Disney and we keep extending it
Every time Mickey Mouse approaches public domain, Congress extends copyright. The 1998 extension distorted creative culture for generations, and the next push is coming.
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Meet the Crews: Los Socios, Cleteros, and the Brotherhoods Behind the Boots
Inside the matching-outfit dance crews of northern Mexico who turned absurdly pointy boots into team uniforms — a profile of the brotherhoods behind the trend.
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The latte factor is classist nonsense that survives because it’s flattering to rich people
The latte factor blames the wrong people for the wrong problem. Here’s why it persists and what actually moves the needle on personal wealth.
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Toxic positivity is a strawman that hurts real coping
The toxic positivity discourse has flipped from useful warning to lazy excuse. Here’s how the term went off the rails and what it costs real coping.
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NIL ruined college sports and we should say it
Name, Image, and Likeness rules promised fairness for athletes. What arrived was a chaotic auction that hollowed out the programs it was supposed to help.
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Pu Pu Platter: the Polynesian-Chinese appetizer tower born in tiki-era America
The Pu Pu Platter wasn’t invented in Polynesia or China. It’s a mid-century American mashup that nearly vanished before its retro comeback.
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People who believe birds aren’t real and are government drones
The Birds Aren’t Real movement looks unhinged at first glance, but the story is stranger and more deliberate than the headlines suggest.
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Tribal Guarachero: The Music That Made the Boots Move
Tribal guarachero gave Mexico’s pointy-boot dance scene its soundtrack. Here’s how Erick Rincón, 3BallMTY, and Monterrey DJs built a global subgenre.
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How a former sex worker built a legit skateboarding career
Reinvention stories rarely cross between sex work and pro skateboarding. Here’s how one woman navigated stigma, sponsors, and a sport learning to grow up.
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Botas picudas today: the underground scene still keeping the tradition alive
Botas picudas had their viral moment over a decade ago. The dancers, cobblers, and fans who never stopped wearing them are quietly keeping the tradition alive.