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Gawker

Hipstercrite Life, Pop Culture

Bullying: Why Trend Causes Are Important

Vinnie says you’ve been hiding the goods on us, Paulie.

Over the past two years, bullying has been a trendy act to rally against. Causes that catch fire where people discuss like it never existed before then (Kony 2012 anyone?) are kind of cringe-worthy, but the silver lining is that people have finally become aware of/woken up to a cause and care about it. When I find myself rolling my eyes over a tweet, Facebook status or blog post addressing this trendy cause, I just remind myself that it is a good thing that people give a crap (but like most trends, will they forget about the cause next week?)

Bullying seems to be a cause who’s trend has lasted for awhile now. I think bullying was not something people talked about before because they felt it was a “rite of passage” and just a part of human nature. Teens have been killing themselves (or others) for years, but with the current strength of social media and information sharing, their deaths are becoming more widely reported and empathized.

Though (more…)

Pop Culture

The Little White Lies of Humor Writing

I’m a reader of nonfiction. For some reason I have terrible trouble engaging in fiction. I’ll read two pages of a fiction book and then promptly turn it into this: (ha)

This is similar to my love for documentary film these days.

I’m not sure why I enjoy learning more about reality than fantasy. It could be the reason why I’m in a perpetual state of panic all of the time. I remember distinctly curling up into a ball on the corner of the couch after watching the documentary “Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price” and crying for the future of the planet (this is actually true). If I read more fiction, I would maybe be a less anxious person. I’d believe in kid magicians and benevolent vampires instead of serial killers and tyrannical dictators.

When I read nonfiction, I do sometimes like reading light subject matters as well. Recently I finished Warren Zevon’s biography written by his ex-wife, Crystal, called, “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon“. (more…)