Feb
28
The perils of “ape-brain” overreach
“The Elephant in the Brain” asserts that primates are the best way to understand humans, but why exactly are we
6 min read
Latest
Feb
21
Three Ways of Enjoying Music (and the Reverse Snobbery of Ultra-Poptimism)
The “let people enjoy things” ethos isn’t true egalitarianism because it implicitly denies the fact experts take the most
5 min read
Jan
31
Links on Culture - January 2023
Floppy Birkins, luxury in Korea, literal corporate rock and fashion, and waiting for the post-internet culture to drop
Each month
4 min read
Jan
24
Is Cultural Change a Darwinian Process? No.
There is no need to shoehorn the complex process of cultural change into pre-existing biological theories, especially as Darwinism doesn&
5 min read
Jan
17
Why do we provide status to others?
We are logical to seek status to improve our lives. But our reason for granting higher status to others requires
3 min read
Dec
14
Rap Capital: Trap as 21st Century Culture
Joe Coscarelli's new book is essential reading on Atlanta's emergence as a major force in contemporary
6 min read
Nov
22
Links on Culture - November 2022
Drake's daft Daft Punk, Moneyball culture, Third Eye Blind as cool, the other Gallagher brothers, and natural wine
6 min read
Oct
18
Links on Culture - October 2022
Restaurant reservations, preteen painters, cultural appropriation, and the end of the internet
Once a month I analyze the latest culture-related
6 min read
Oct
05
The X of Generation X
Douglas Coupland's book Generation X ended up giving his demographic cohort a permanent name, but we shouldn'
4 min read
Sep
27
Aesthetics are Everywhere... and They're Social Constructs
Virginia Postrel’s excellent The Substance of Style charts how aesthetics took over consumer society — but aesthetic conventions themselves always
4 min read