Dylan

Image via AwesomelyLuvvie.

Image by AwesomelyLuvvie.

Outrage. Distress. Confusion. These are the feelings I’ve been navigating in regards to Hello Not-Actually-a-Kitty-Gate, in which Sanrio alleged that our favorite cartoon feline isn’t a cat, but a “girl.” UH, NO. What can I believe in the wake of this mayhem? Well, to add to the mix of despair and LIES, this list of cartoon-character revelations shows us that we’ve just been fooled all along. By everyone.

The artist and one-of-a-kind-woman Miranda July launched a new app with Miu Miu called Somebody, and in the spirit of her participatory art experiments, all can download it for free! But it’s a different kind of internet-phone thingamajig, in that the app facilitates face-to-face interactions—check out how it works above.

Photo by Richard E. Aaron via Rolling Stone.

Photo by Richard E. Aaron via Rolling Stone.

Martin Scorsese is set to direct a Ramones biopic in 2016 to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Ramones’ self-titled debut. GIMME GIMME FILM TREATMENT.
Lucy

The video for “Go,” Grimes’ new single, is finally here! Go bask in its aesthetic wondersssss.

Mo'Ne Davis photographed by Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press via the New York Times.

Mo’Ne Davis photographed by Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press via the New York Times.

The amazing Little League baseball star Mo’ne Davis has rocked everyone’s worlds, but it’s frustrating that she is seen as “exceptional” by many people because she’s a girl. I liked this article on how people are expected to occupy certain spaces depending on their gender—especially sports. It underscores the idea that “throwing like a girl” is a meaningless insult, so ENOUGH WITH THIS ALREADY.
Julianne

Tinashe, a 21-year-old from Los Angeles and one of my favorite new voices in R&B, is dropping her first album in October. For the better part of this year, her amazing single “2 On,” with Schoolboy Q, has been my jam, and now she’s released the follow-up. “Pretend” is a plaintive, wrenching break-up track about longing for an ex-boyfriend. Who can’t relate to that?

Photo by Pierre Debusschere for CR Fashion Book via Miss Info.

Photo by Pierre Debusschere for CR Fashion Book via Miss Info.

One of the best stylists in the world, Carine Roitfeld, and Beyoncé teamed up on an editorial for CR Fashion Book and YOW, it’s so good! So many stylists want to put Bey in the most boring, basic clothing, which makes no sense for a pop star of her caliber, who can literally wear anything she wants. Props to Carine for getting that—and props to Beyoncé for popping a squat in Comme des Garçons!

Photo of Edward Crawford by Robert Cohen for the St. Louis

Photo of Edward Crawford by Robert Cohen for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

If you’ve followed the story of Michael Brown and the protests in Ferguson, you’ve likely seen the above photo. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch published this profile of the man shown lobbing a tear gas canister thrown by police away from himself and others. The photo’s subject, Edward Crawford is 25, described as “a waiter, a roller skater, and a father of three.” It’s an interesting piece about how a perfectly ordinary citizen can become emblematic of an iconic American moment simply through an image.

Photo by David Carson/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/MCT/ZUMA Press via Mother Jones.

Photo by David Carson/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/MCT/ZUMA Press via Mother Jones.

As the media projected violent images of smoked-out protesters and cops in tanks in Ferguson after Michael Brown’s death, we thought we knew why tensions were so high: a murdered teenager, a missing perpetrator, a militarized police force, and a community of black people that is tired of being harassed and targeted by a mostly-white police force. This week, we learned that there’s even more to the story, and it’s even more infuriating than we thought. The title of this Mother Jones article says it all: “Michael Brown’s Mom Laid Flowers Where He Was Shot—And Police Crushed Them.”

The details: On the day “Mike Mike” was killed, mourners set up makeshift memorials around the site of his death with candles, flowers, and stuffed animals. The cops drove over the candles, let a police dog pee on the flowers, and trampled the rosebuds mourners had placed over Michael Brown’s blood staining the street. The cops essentially drove home the message that, to them, Mike Brown’s life (and the community’s mourning) ain’t shit. In the story, Missouri State Rep. Tommie Pierson says, “It’s bad when you don’t have any respect for anybody. Even now, that’s still going on: ‘You do what I tell you, or I’ll mace you, I’ll shoot you, no questions asked.” The outrage is justified.
Amy Rose

Photo via the Toast.

Photo via The Toast.

This piece by Ezekiel Kweku is the most striking and emotional analysis of the recent killing in Ferguson, and how that extends to the past and future of racism in America, that I’ve read thus far. (A warning: It uses strong racialized language, but the strength of that language is wielded to VERY impactful ends here.) I started crying when I read the line, “You will never leave a body pure enough to not be judged complicit in its own destruction,” which refers to how respectability politics don’t keep black people safe from violence. I was full-on sobbing by the end, and I really urge you to read it.

I was delighted that OpenCulture posted some thoughts on the original broadcast of the director Orson Welles’ radio dramatization of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, which the filmmaker had long envisioned as a film project, but was never developed. Many consider it one of the most interesting “what could’ve been?” films that were dreamed up by great directors, and, listening to Welles’ radio adaptation of the novel, I can totally get why.

AHAHAHAHA, I’m so stoked on this tweet from Harry Styles. Gabby and I dissected it for—no joke—a full half an hour on Gchat the other day. WHAT IS THE MOTIVATION BEHIND THIS? Is he trying to convey, like, “I’m tough and street, but also I want you to worry about me a little?” by tweeting this without any other context? WELL, IT WORKED. I want to go live in the Shady Warehouse. with Hairstyles.
Arabelle

Photo by Karim Sadli for i-D.

Photo by Karim Sadli for i-D.

This piece on Rei Kawakubo’s new creations for Comme des Garçons latest show, “Monsters,” is a perfect depiction of how great she is—how revolutionary, difficult, and utterly beyond every other designer, in my opinion.

Walter Benjamin is one of my favorite theorists—I love the way he links architecture, fashion, and gender. This essay on Sigmund Freud, the death drive, and identity politics connects Benjamin, Freud, gender, and death in a way that I found very resonant in terms of how I approach my gender and other identities.
Jessica

Photo of a Liberian quilting guild by Stephanie Beck Cohen via

Photo of a Liberian quilting guild by Stephanie Beck Cohen via U.S. History Scene.

The virulent outbreak of Ebola has been in the news a lot this month—there have been a surplus of sad and horrifying stories about the suffering there. This piece, “Beyond Ebola,” covers the last 200 years of Liberia’s relationship with the colonizing interests of America, and how cadres of women have helped stabilize communities after civil war and strife. The long, historically-minded piece asks that when we are viewing images of or reading news about Africa, specifically in reference to Liberia and this crisis, that we be more critical:

While images of Ebola cloud the representation of Liberia today, just as images of child soldiers did a decade ago, they belong alongside a broader perspective of the nation. New growth, creative problem-solving, and energy characterize the Liberian historical landscape alongside the stories that dominate recent press. The historical exchange between the US and Liberia—commercial, political, and cultural—demands that Americans consider our deeply intermingled histories as we engage Liberia and the Liberian people during times of crisis, because we have written our stories together.

Caitlin D.

Illustration by Jenny Chang for BuzzFeed.

Illustration by Jenny Chang for BuzzFeed.

This loving, clear-headed personal essay about the writer Saeed Jones’ relationship with his grandmother was a great reminder this week that it is possible to evolve one’s relationship with difficult family members who may have hurt you in the past.
Meagan

Photo by Ken McKay/REX via the Guardian.

Photo by Ken McKay/REX via the Guardian.

KATE BUSH PERFORMED HER FIRST SHOW IN 35 YEARS. The show seems like a spectacle complete with a flying machine, complicated sets, costumed actors, DANCING KATE, and confetti. Let’s all hold hands together while we look at the photos and imagine what being at the show must have been like. If you are one of the lucky humans who got to see her show, PLEASE comment below and TELL US EVERYTHING!

The ’90s shoegaze band Slowdive reunited this year and performed at the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago last month. These videos of Slowdive live at Pitchfork will give you an idea of just how beautiful their music is.

Photo by General Foods Kitchens via Cracked.

Photo by General Foods Kitchens via Cracked.

I’m fascinated by vintage American cuisine from the ’50s and ’60s, mostly because it boggles my mind how AWFUL it looks. Why the heck was everything encased in Jell-O? What was the appeal of mixing tuna with mayonnaise? WHO ACTUALLY ATE THESE THINGS? This week, a writer cooked up and taste-tested retro recipes for science. You may not want to read this if you have a particularly weak stomach.

The most recent episode of StyleLikeU’s ongoing “What’s Underneath” series features Melanie Gaydos and it’s achingly beautiful. Gaydos is a model who speaks openly about suffering from medical conditions, surviving child abuse, and attempting suicide. What’s most incredible is how she talks about coming to a place in her life where she’s able to be happy and revel in her beauty. Her strength will move you to tears. ♦