Six Must-Read Stories for Your Weekend
Looking for something brilliant to read this weekend? Here are six of our favorite pieces from the last seven days, covering topics from tech and politics to personal stories and cultural shifts.
1. What Was Doge? Elon Musk's Gamified Government Vision
Elon Musk's office featured a gaming setup with an oversized curved screen, and the Doge website included a leaderboard for tracking cuts in real time. Beyond the jokes and cosplay, however, lay a serious belief. If the state is merely a database, inefficiency stems from bad data: undocumented foreigners, ghost employees, and even "vampires" collecting social security. These were seen as bugs in the codebase—irregularities to be traced, quarantined, and eliminated. Musk had transformed Twitter into X, and to him, the U.S. state was just another system—a glitchy dataset to be scrubbed and optimized. In this gripping Long Read, Ben Tarnoff and Quinn Slobodian detail how Musk and his team of teenage coders, immersed in gaming and right-wing culture wars, aimed to defeat what they perceived as the enemy of the U.S.: its own people.
2. The Common Misconception About Feminism
Things change, often for the better when we drive that change, or for the worse when we fail to act. If we overlook the profound shifts of recent decades, we might mourn the right's attempts to roll back progress on issues from climate to women's rights without recognizing their goal: to revert to a past that, for many, was far from ideal. In this searing essay, Rebecca Solnit addresses those declaring the death of the women's movement, citing the "failure" of #MeToo or the Epstein files. She emphasizes that we must not ignore the vast advancements made over the past few decades.
3. How the Oscars Have Evolved for the Better
The diversified Academy and a changing industry have transformed the once-stuffy, rule-following Oscars, as noted by Benjamin Lee after big wins for hits like Sinners, KPop Demon Hunters, Frankenstein, and Paul Thomas Anderson's best picture winner, One Battle After Another. This shift reflects broader trends in entertainment and inclusivity.
4. Understanding 'Alpine Divorce' on Hiking Trails
On social media, women describe "alpine divorce" as being abandoned by male partners during hikes, climbs, or other outdoor adventures—whether due to them moving too fast without waiting or storming off after an argument, often leading to breakups. Alaina Demopoulos explores this curious phenomenon, shedding light on relationship dynamics in challenging environments.
5. The Secret Lives of Body Doubles in Hollywood
From Michael B. Jordan's dual role in Sinners to working with children in Harry Potter, body doubles are essential in filmmaking. Following Jordan's best actor Oscar win, Lucy Knight spoke to his "twin" Percy Bell and others, such as those who stood in for Julia Roberts's legs or Rachel Weisz's hair, revealing the behind-the-scenes world of these unsung heroes.
6. Sibling Relationships: Nature vs. Nurture
After Catherine Carr's parents split, she and her older sister lived with their dad while her youngest sister stayed with their mom. This created a natural experiment in nature versus nurture, profoundly affecting their relationships and offering insights into what truly defines sibling bonds.
These stories provide a rich tapestry of ideas and experiences to ponder over the weekend, from tech innovations and social issues to personal narratives and cultural critiques.
