The hottest Culture Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Culture Topics

This Year's Best Bits: The Tipping Point?

What's Important? • 19 implied HN points • 19 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Entertainment Media Books Television Film Music Podcasts Spirituality
  1. 2025 felt like a tipping point where mystical or “woo” ideas and new models of consciousness moved from fringe curiosity into mainstream acceptance.
  2. Popular podcasts, books, and articles this year mixed scientific research with personal accounts of nonordinary experiences, highlighting renewed interest in healing and expanded models of mind.
  3. Mainstream entertainment—TV, film, and music—increasingly explored themes like collective consciousness and disclosure, signaling these ideas are spreading into broader culture and institutions.

Vol. 2, Issue 20 - Interview with Joey & Jolty's Home

Johto Times • 39 implied HN points • 16 May 24
🎭️ Culture Fan Communities Pop culture Interviews Media Coverage Online Culture
  1. Joey & Jolty's Home was a fun Pokémon fan website created in 2003, where people shared art and stories about their favorite Pokémon. It had a friendly vibe that appealed to kids and fans alike.
  2. The site featured various content like games, quizzes, and fan creations. It built a small community of friends who still keep in touch today, showing how special these web projects can be.
  3. While the website hasn't been updated in years, its creator cherishes the memories and friendships made through it. He believes that even if projects change, the joy they bring can last a lifetime.

The Retail Piggybacking Edition

Why is this interesting? • 723 implied HN points • 28 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Fashion Retail Brand Design Art
  1. Sir Paul Smith discovered Aesop deodorant during his travels and appreciates the brand's growth near his stores, showing a positive outlook on retail piggybacking.
  2. Collaboration between stores serving the same customer base can create a positive synergy benefiting all, contrary to a strategy of spiteful competition.
  3. Over-association with another brand can potentially impact the image and story of an independent brand negatively, as seen in Aesop's evolution and potential risks for Sir Paul Smith's brand.
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Falling Asleep with the TV On

Kneeling Bus • 264 implied HN points • 24 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Television Media Entertainment Streaming Comedy
  1. TV often has small moments that stick with us but might never be found again. These moments can shape our memories even if they seem unimportant.
  2. Norm Macdonald showed how viewers might not actually be watching shows, making their success numbers look inflated. This makes it hard to trust viewer ratings.
  3. Platforms like Netflix gain more from having lots of content rather than focusing on individual shows or movies. This means many films just get lost in the shuffle and are easy to forget.

The bard of small things

Soaring Twenties • 108 implied HN points • 09 Jul 25
🎭️ Culture Lifestyle Social media Travel Parenting Identity
  1. People often get caught up in social media, trying to please others instead of enjoying their lives. It's important to remember that life isn't just about likes and attention.
  2. The idea of 'living simply' and appreciating the little things is valuable. Finding joy in everyday moments can lead to a more fulfilling life.
  3. Summer should be more than just a few weeks of fun. We can carry that positive, lively feeling throughout the year and enjoy the beauty around us.

Five Links for July 2025

Five Links (and three graphs) by Auren Hoffman • 105 implied HN points • 06 Jul 25
🎭️ Culture Media Entertainment Technology Society Health
  1. MrBeast is a huge success on YouTube and knows how to grab people's attention. His strategies show how the attention economy works.
  2. Barry Diller has had a long and impactful career in entertainment, making important decisions that shaped popular culture. His memoir shares lessons from his many successes and failures.
  3. Japan changed the way ships are built and became a leader in shipbuilding by using innovative techniques. This helped them produce ships more efficiently than others.

Luxuries Making Us Miserable

Inland Nobody • 80 implied HN points • 07 Aug 25
🎭️ Culture Consumerism Lifestyle Psychology Sociology Economics
  1. We have a lot of choices and luxuries today, which can be overwhelming. Sometimes, having too many options makes it hard to decide what to spend on.
  2. It's important to think about how much joy each purchase brings us. Not everything we buy will make us happy, so we should focus on what truly matters.
  3. Learning to limit our spending and find balance is a helpful skill. We should spend less on things we don't care about to enjoy the things we love more.

Only the questions

Austin Kleon • 1039 implied HN points • 04 Mar 22
🎭️ Culture Music Literature Art Television Writing
  1. There's a cool online tool that shows you only the questions in a piece of writing. It's a fun way to focus on what really matters in the text.
  2. You can make music right in your browser using a tool called Roland50 Studio. It's a great way to have fun and be creative without needing special software.
  3. A new TV show called 'Somebody Somewhere' mixes comedy and heartwarming moments. It’s set in a unique location and deals with topics like grief in a relatable way.

Notes & Links

Kvetch • 24 implied HN points • 29 Nov 25
🎭️ Culture Books Podcasts Politics History Journalism Foreign Policy
  1. AI is already reshaping the real economy and offers a huge chance to redesign business models, though current service incentives are often broken and need fixing.
  2. Countries can choose their demographic and strategic paths, so national identity and immigration policy are political choices rather than inevitable fates.
  3. Institutions and leaders are fallible: journalists, bureaucrats, and officials often act from self‑interest or inertia, which breeds mistrust and can let important failures happen; history shows small groups or individuals can make outsized decisions.

Ground Beef Ashtray

Opaque Hourglass • 199 implied HN points • 23 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Art & Illustration Humor Literature
  1. Sculpting an ashtray from ground beef fulfilled a need for unsanctioned belief through a unique and drastic act.
  2. The ground beef ashtray, though initially disgusting, became a feature to be protected as a symbol of creative power and cultural uniqueness.
  3. The final act of giving the meat ashtray an elaborate pagan burial in the grease bin symbolized letting go but also respecting the unique creation.

The Litverse Saturday Stat: Gen Z Phone Use

Litverse • 199 implied HN points • 01 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Youth Technology Literature Generation Trends
  1. Gen Z individuals spend a significant amount of time on their phones, with some averaging up to 12 hours a day.
  2. The rise in phone use could impact traditional academic interests, potentially contributing to declines in humanities enrollments.
  3. There is a discussion and anticipation of a shift towards a post-literate generation, influenced by high phone usage and changing preferences.

Thanatos sent you a friend request

The Leftovers • 199 implied HN points • 15 Aug 23
🎭️ Culture Social media Human Interaction Death Literature Art
  1. Consider unfriending or unfollowing deceased individuals on social media as a healthy way to cope with death and keep a distance from it.
  2. When writing about someone's death online, it often turns into an opportunity for self-centered displays, termed as 'mebituaries,' especially common among authors.
  3. In today's digital age, the concept of being forgotten after death has transformed drastically, with the algorithm immortalizing individuals and sometimes hindering the right to be truly forgotten.

Miami meetup with Rob Henderson

Rob Henderson's Newsletter • 303 implied HN points • 20 Dec 24
🎭️ Culture Social Events Community Networking Meetups Holidays
  1. There will be a meetup in Miami on December 28 from 8pm to 11:30pm. It's a good chance to relax and enjoy some new company after the holiday rush.
  2. Previous meetups have been fun and successful, helping people connect and make new friends. Even if you're shy, it's a great way to meet approachable people.
  3. The event will feature interesting guests, including a venture capitalist and the founders of a healthy snack brand. It's a nice opportunity to chat with different people and expand your network.

The Black Island

Becoming Noble • 199 implied HN points • 31 Mar 23
🎭️ Culture Personal Development Philosophy Community Art
  1. The Black Island project is focused on building power, resources, family, and security as society declines.
  2. The goal is to create a stable foundation like an island citadel in the face of societal instability.
  3. Premium subscription for The Black Island offers exclusive, advanced, and esoteric content for subscribers, with plans for supporting art and research.

Netflix's Witcher Controversy: When Creative Meets Committee

Litverse • 279 implied HN points • 06 Jan 23
🎭️ Culture Entertainment Movies TV shows Literature Creativity
  1. Decisions in the entertainment industry are often made in committee rooms, limiting creative freedom for actors and creators.
  2. The involvement and loyalty of creators to the source material can clash with the commercial interests and decisions made by studios and committees.
  3. The entertainment industry operates on a complex system of finances, survival instincts, and audience metrics, often prioritizing completion rates and profitability over creative vision.

Soul Bits

Tessa Fights Robots • 21 implied HN points • 03 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture History Identity Society Art Literature
  1. The author reflects on their birthplace, highlighting that it no longer exists. It's a strange feeling to acknowledge a place that has disappeared.
  2. They describe a significant change from ordinary Soviet life to a chaotic, free era filled with colorful commerce. This transformation felt like liberation from past burdens.
  3. The piece captures a mix of nostalgia and complexity about change and memory, blending personal experience with larger historical events.

Reflections on Y2K and a Crappy Year on Substack

Textual Variations • 265 implied HN points • 14 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Media Film History Personal Reflection Humor
  1. Y2K was a big deal back in 1999, with many people fearing that computers would fail and cause chaos. Thankfully, it turned out to be mostly nothing, and it was a weird moment in history.
  2. 2024 was a tough year for many, especially for writers trying to grow their audience on platforms like Substack. It can be hard when things don't go as planned.
  3. Albert Pyun, a low-budget filmmaker, has a director's cut of his 1990 'Captain America' movie that many fans are excited to see. It's a chance to understand his vision better.

Anxieties about kids and screen time, train vs. submarine movies, crime-novel recommendations, and other questions

Read Max • 1080 implied HN points • 25 Aug 23
🎭️ Culture Literature Film Tech Parenting
  1. The writer discusses concerns about raising kids with technology, highlighting the importance of setting boundaries and modeling healthy behaviors.
  2. Submarine movies and train movies are compared, with a humorous take on cinematic transportation in films.
  3. The intersection of AI, writing, and labor is explored, emphasizing the social aspect of writing and the potential impacts of AI on the craft.

How Jim Gaffigan won over a crowd of hipsters

Funny How: Letters to a Young Comedian • 98 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Comedy Stand-up Entertainment
  1. Jim Gaffigan won over a young, hipster crowd by anticipating their criticisms and using them in his act.
  2. Gaffigan shows that clean comedy can still be edgy by using meanness and hostility in his jokes.
  3. To replace the transgressive power of profanity, Gaffigan uses hostility and sarcastic humor to keep his audience engaged and entertained.

The Monthly Salon: November

The Abbey of Misrule • 309 implied HN points • 30 Nov 24
🎭️ Culture Social media Mental health Relationships Youth culture
  1. Social media can be harmful, especially to young girls. It often preys on their insecurities and can lead to feelings of anxiety and shame.
  2. Many people feel a sense of disconnection in modern life, creating a desire to find deeper meaning and connections. This could lead to a spiritual revival among younger generations.
  3. There's a push for community and personal limits in response to the pressures of technology. People are looking to reclaim love and meaningful relationships in a world dominated by social media.

Nectar Card

Vittles • 241 implied HN points • 03 Feb 25
🎭️ Culture Migration Identity Emotions Community Food
  1. Supermarkets can feel different depending on where you are. In Belfast, they felt warm and friendly, while in London, they sometimes feel cold and uninviting.
  2. Running into familiar accents can remind you of home and bring up emotions you didn’t expect. This can happen anywhere, even in a supermarket.
  3. Feeling disconnected from friends and home can lead to moments of vulnerability. Sometimes, small encounters can make you reflect on your experiences and relationships.

Some Notes on Hate-Watching

Banana Peel Pirouette • 197 implied HN points • 22 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Media Literature Society Entertainment Criticism
  1. The practice of hate-watching involves watching shows or movies that are disliked, without enjoying them but still keeping up with the content.
  2. Hate-watching can stem from strong emotional responses like umbrage or aversion, leading viewers to engage with content they dislike on a sub-rational level.
  3. Hate-watching has evolved with modern media, offering a safe way for audiences to consume and critique content remotely, often leading to online discussions and shared sentiments.

Bernie & G.: a life in photos, before Stonewall

well, actually • 196 implied HN points • 22 Feb 23
🎭️ Culture LGBTQ+ Photography History Documentation
  1. The photo album documents a gay couple's life before Stonewall, showcasing rich moments of love and connection.
  2. Queer life in mid-20th century US was marked by oppression, but also contained joy, community, and individuality in private spaces.
  3. The album sheds light on Bernie and G.'s world, showing their private celebrations, travels, and relationships with friends and family.

Out Here On Our Own

Ladyparts • 439 implied HN points • 30 Nov 22
🎭️ Culture Gender Media Art
  1. The erasure and vilification of talented older women in the media, especially when they speak out against corruption, is a recurring and troubling pattern.
  2. It's important to look beyond sensationalized headlines and incomplete obituaries to uncover the true stories of noteworthy individuals.
  3. Society often treats aging male artists more reverently and with more opportunities compared to aging female artists, highlighting a gender disparity in the industry.

Many Such Cases: a formal relaunch

Many Such Cases • 559 implied HN points • 01 Dec 22
🎭️ Culture Sexuality Social Issues Personal essays Online Communities Relationship Dynamics
  1. The newsletter focuses on exploring desire and how it affects our lives. It's about understanding our feelings and how they influence our interactions.
  2. There is a growing concern about the decline of sexual relationships and social connections in society. This change reflects a bigger problem with loneliness and isolation.
  3. The writer plans to share personal stories and thoughts regularly, and will also offer paid content with a community element. They want to engage with readers and help with their questions.

Monday reading #1

well, actually • 196 implied HN points • 26 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Reading Writing Nonfiction Internet Art
  1. The articles discussed in the post are about Amish witches, deep sea dives, and EMDR therapy.
  2. The writers in the articles shared personal experiences and sought deeper understanding in their work.
  3. The structure of a braided essay, blending personal narrative with research and reporting, is a common format in contemporary nonfiction writing.

He So Horny

Mister Slang • 196 implied HN points • 31 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Language History Literature Anatomy Slang
  1. Cuckoldry in history is related to natural history and terms like 'horny' stem from old German farming practices.
  2. The concept of 'wearing horns' generated a vocabulary around cuckoldry and male infidelity.
  3. Slang terms for male reproductive organs and impotence reveal societal attitudes about virility and masculinity.

Working for the 'King of Clubs’: My time at Stringfellow’s

London in Bits • 196 implied HN points • 22 May 23
🎭️ Culture Nightlife Gender Dynamics Work Environment Ethics Entertainment industry
  1. The working environment at Stringfellow's strip club was filled with intense competition and unethical practices among staff.
  2. The job entailed exploiting clients for money through various means like charging high prices for private dances and manipulating drink orders.
  3. Despite the allure of easy money, the work at the strip club led to a loss of self-identity and trust, highlighting the damaging effects of such environments.