Petting dog meme

There is no person-of-the-year discussion without bringing up Lizzo. advertisement advertisement The flute-playing, twerking singer has had an interesting year, to say the least, and Monday, she spent the day as a trending topic on Twitter—once again. The “Tempo” singer showed up to a Lakers versus Timberwolves NBA game wearing a black T-shirt with a massive hole cut out of the back, so that her butt in a thong was on full display. When her hit song “Juice” played in the arena, she got up and twerked—an act that caused her to trend in conjunction with Rikishi, the wrestler who is known for smashing his ginormous derriere in people’s faces. The originator of the Rikishi tweet—and the people who find it funny—are obviously mocking the pop star, but they’re also missing the point: Lizzo’s brand of authenticity has cancel-proofed her 2019. Lizzo has mentioned in interviews that her mission is to “emote, … [Read more...] about Lizzo’s twerking ‘controversy’ proves that she’s cancel-proof—and critics are missing the point

The taco emoji is nigh. In an update on its blog, the Unicode Consortium, the nonprofit in charge of standardizing coding, announced 37 new emoji candidates that could–not definitely, but maybe!–be added to Unicode 8.0, which is due out in the middle of next year. The consortium hedged in its post: “There are many possible emoji that could be added,” it notes, “but releases need to be restricted to a manageable number.” Among the possibilities are new faces and zodiac signs (a crab, a “nerd face”) and “symbols of religious significance” (a mosque, a synagogue). The consortium then lists its “most popularly requested emoji,” which include, in no specified order: Hot Dog Taco Burrito Bottle with popping cork Popcorn Turkey Unicorn face Cheese wedge Separate campaigns have been underway to make the hot dog and taco part of emoji parlance, yet the taco illustration was the only one included in the post, which … [Read more...] about Behold: The Taco Emoji

What do trans women gamers, Jewish journalists, academics of color, and feminist writers have in common? All of them could find themselves targets of coordinated harassment campaigns simply because they have a presence online. advertisement advertisement Take the story of Trista (all names have been changed to protect privacy), a trans woman gamer. When she began streaming her games on Twitch, bands of harassers arrived en masse to jam up her channel with what she called “low effort, hateful memes.” Another woman gamer was called an “eBeggar,” the misogynistic gaming equivalent of “gold diggers.” On 4Chan, where harassers organized their attacks, posters organized “raids” of “SJWs” (or “social justice warriors”) against gamers like Trista, planning to “post many swasticas” [sic] and hurl ableist insults to threaten and belittle them. Or take the story of Keith, a white Jewish man, comedian, … [Read more...] about The trolls are teaming up—and tech platforms aren’t doing enough to stop them

Designer Katie Deedy vividly remembers the moment her parents took her to pick out her own wallpaper design. Flipping through traditional polka dot and floral patterns, she settled on a graphic Mickey Mouse print in black and white. advertisement advertisement “I thought it was the coolest wallpaper ever,” she says. “Everything else looked the same … the most exciting thing was Mickey.” It was a distinct purchase, but one that would foreshadow her career two decades later. Today, Deedy runs a successful independent wallpaper brand called Grow House Grow. The Brooklyn-based company caters to tastes resembling that of the young Deedy: modern, unexpected, with a touch of whimsy. Among their many options, you’ll find monkeys in red vintage bathing suits, colorful Japanese paper lanterns, or strong narrative-inspired designs—like their collection honoring forgotten female scientists in history. That one is a bestseller. “I try to … [Read more...] about Wallpapers Gone Wild: Innovative Startups Have Made The ’70s Decor Staple Cool Again

On a corner in downtown El Paso, a sleek steel structure stands out on an avenue of warehouse complexes. The newly refurbished 50-year-old building rises above the dramatic red mountain skyline and a busy highway intersection that leads to Juarez, Mexico. advertisement advertisement It’s home to the Hotel Indigo, a new boutique inn whose industrial chic decor captures the region’s past and future: Cement floors and walls contrast with Southwestern-flavored cacti, adobe vases, and tapestries. The hotel opened last year as part of a larger experiment. If you plant a cool place in a deserted downtown, will the area bloom? The answer appears to be yes. The Indigo has helped usher in a new era for the strip, which was once a vibrant commercial hub. In the last two years, the neighborhood has become flush with art galleries, restaurants, cocktail bars, and a new baseball stadium. Three other hotels … [Read more...] about The Hunt For The Next Portland: Hoteliers Bet Big On Small City America