The hottest Critique Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Literature Topics

Why Scholars Keep Writing Æsir and Vanir "Obituaries"

Norse Mythology & Germanic Lore • 79 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
📚 Literature Mythology Research Debate Critique Analysis
  1. Scholars are debating the meanings of the words \
  2. (guild/) and \
  3. \
  4. Scholars have different theories about the distinction between Æsir and Vanir, with discussions ranging from functional differences to poetic interpretations.
  5. Various scholars have delved into the debate, presenting arguments that challenge traditional views and propose new ways of understanding Norse mythology.

Decades later

Disaffected Newsletter • 539 implied HN points • 11 Sep 22
🎭️ Culture Identity Community Values Patriotism Critique
  1. Living in a different culture can be challenging, and it’s common to feel like an outsider. Understanding others takes effort and openness.
  2. We can often misjudge people's actions based on our own biases. Sometimes, it’s important to recognize the good in others, even if they seem different.
  3. Over the years, perspectives can change. What once seemed fake or shallow might reveal deeper values like patriotism and community support.

Outside's lazy, fragile editors embrace ignorance and irresponsibility while blaming the world for their self-imposed anxieties and mental disarray

Beck of the Pack • 78 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Media Mental health Fitness Social Issues Critique
  1. Outside editors are criticized for embracing ignorance and blaming others for their mental issues
  2. Corporate publications aim to shift blame for psychological distress onto external factors
  3. Critique is given on the quality and messaging of mental health articles published by Outside publications

Flaubert Perfects Literary Realism in Madame Bovary

Holodoxa • 139 implied HN points • 27 Aug 23
📚 Literature Realism Modernism Novel Critique Prose
  1. Gustave Flaubert's perfectionism in creating realistic characters and worlds in 'Madame Bovary' shows that literary fiction can be immersive without sacrificing depth.
  2. Flaubert's meticulous attention to detail, word choice, and irony in 'Madame Bovary' sets a standard for prose style that effortlessly transports readers to 19th-century France.
  3. 'Madame Bovary' not only exemplifies literary realism and modernism but also influenced future writers to explore themes like female sexuality and social alienation.

A Tale of Yachts and Yacht-Nots

Litverse • 139 implied HN points • 26 Aug 23
📚 Literature Authors Novels Themes Critique Historical context
  1. The writing in Hemingway's 'To Have and To Have Not' showcases a deep exploration of characters' actions over their feelings, with strong themes of desperation and survival.
  2. The novel delves into the moral ambiguity of characters like Harry Morgan, who navigates ethical dilemmas in a harsh and unforgiving world, where decisions are made in the moment without much thought for consequences.
  3. Hemingway's work from his pre-World War II era, like 'To Have and To Have Not,' highlights a shift towards vulnerability and social commentary, reflecting his evolving perspective on human nature and societal injustices.
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Capital Punishment's #1 Fan Wants You to Believe Lethal Injection Controversies Are "Resolved"

The Medicine & Justice Project • 19 implied HN points • 06 Jun 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Capital Punishment Lethal Injection Debate Critique Ethics
  1. One of the most vocal non-institutional proponents of capital punishment presents outdated and dishonest arguments in its defense.
  2. The bulk of Sharp's commentary on lethal injection is outdated, with his last major update in 2007, lacking current discussion on key issues like sodium thiopental and nitrogen hypoxia.
  3. Sharp's analysis is shallow, intellectually lazy, and lacks the depth necessary for discussing complex topics like lethal injections.

The Dimensions of Social Inequality in America

Holodoxa • 119 implied HN points • 10 Jul 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social Inequality Race Critique Debate Experts
  1. The review of 'Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents' by Isabel Wilkerson sparked intense debates on race and inequality in America, especially post SCOTUS decisions.
  2. Challenging simplistic narratives about social phenomena is crucial to having nuanced discussions on complex topics like social inequality and race in America.
  3. Engaging with diverse perspectives from experts in the field, like Glenn Loury and Coleman Hughes, can lead to more thoughtful conversations about race and inequality.

Monsieur Baudrillard and Mr. Beast

Castalia • 159 implied HN points • 14 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Philosophy Media Art Society Critique
  1. Baudrillard described three ways society operates: imitation, productivity, and simulation. The last one focuses on hyperreality where signs and realities start to blur.
  2. MrBeast's videos mix real charitable actions with a theatrical spectacle. They create a world where the lines between reality and fiction often disappear.
  3. The rise of simulation through platforms like YouTube can make audiences feel like commodities rather than active participants. This shift changes how we view our own realities.

The Hater - The TV Food Man

Vittles • 315 implied HN points • 22 May 23
🍲 Food & Drink Food Writing Critique
  1. The post discusses a biography of a TV Food Man from the perspective of someone who dislikes him.
  2. The Vittles website offers subscriptions for accessing their content.
  3. Consider subscribing to Vittles for full access to their back catalog and new columns.

The Integrity Objection to Utilitarianism

Going Awol • 119 implied HN points • 08 May 23
📖 Philosophy Ethics Morality Theory Critique Values
  1. Utilitarianism focuses on maximizing happiness and minimizing pain, even if it means compromising personal integrity.
  2. The Integrity Objection argues that utilitarianism undervalues personal values, aspirations, and moral integrity, leading to unreasonable demands.
  3. Critics point out that utilitarianism may push individuals to act against their core values, showing flaws in the theory's approach to balancing consequences and personal integrity.

Cultural Red Teaming

Cybernetic Forests • 99 implied HN points • 20 Aug 23
🎭️ Culture Art Technology Events Critique Community
  1. Red Teaming in cybersecurity involves trusted allies acting as enemies to identify weaknesses and strengthen defenses.
  2. The Generative Red Team event focused on testing AI models by tasking players with unique challenges like eliciting misinformation from language models.
  3. Engaging with AI systems and addressing biases requires a more nuanced and community-involved approach beyond Red Teaming events.

GMU's "Just Societies" + March Events: Nashua, Boston, and AMA

Bet On It • 95 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education Events Critique Policy
  1. GMU economist shared a first-hand account critiquing the 'Just Societies' course requirement at the university, highlighting issues with DEI promoters.
  2. Upcoming Bet On It events include a Premium Subscriber Ask Me Anything session, the Liberty Forum Experience in Nashua, along with a Boston Meet-Up.
  3. Bryan Caplan's events include discussions on localism, land-use regulation, and his famous 'Build, Baby, Build' keynote talk, showcasing his engagement with current socio-economic topics.

The Price is... Fixed!

Bit Personality • 11 implied HN points • 22 Oct 24
😂 Humor Television Culture Entertainment Society Critique
  1. The audition process for game shows can be fun and quirky, involving unique people and interesting conversations.
  2. There's a feeling that game shows, like life, can seem made up and that money and the economy aren’t as solid as they seem.
  3. People enjoy rebellion and controversy, which adds excitement to the entertainment they consume.

Not-Particularly-New Books

Castalia • 119 implied HN points • 29 May 23
📚 Literature Book Reviews Critique Media Culture Society
  1. Ronan Farrow's book 'Catch and Kill' shows how powerful people like Harvey Weinstein evade justice. It emphasizes how corporations like NBC prioritized profits over truth, making real journalism difficult.
  2. Andrew Bacevich's 'Washington Rules' critiques America's military spending and its ongoing wars. He believes that the public lacks awareness and debate about military actions, suggesting that we live under a hidden imperial power rather than a true democracy.
  3. Both authors highlight failures in institutional responses to abuse and military actions. They argue that current systems favor powerful individuals while neglecting the needs and voices of ordinary people.

Literary clickbait

The Leftovers • 79 implied HN points • 19 Sep 23
📚 Literature Analysis Critique Rhetoric
  1. Clickbait often targets specific demographics, like authors, to generate outrage and drive traffic.
  2. Be wary of overgeneralizations in clickbait articles and carefully consider the rhetorical strategies used to manipulate readers.
  3. Understanding how literary clickbait operates can help readers resist its allure and approach content more critically.

The Black Prince

Regress Studies • 78 implied HN points • 18 Jul 23
📚 Literature Reviews Authors Themes Critique Writing
  1. Iris Murdoch wrote the novel 'The Black Prince' which explores the relationship between love and art.
  2. Martha Nussbaum and Clare Coffey discuss animal welfare and the philosophical approach of 'capabilities'.
  3. Isaac Wilks examines the sociological effects of distinctively Zoomer ills in his work 'The Zoomer Question'.

Your Dreams Should Stay There

Everything's Broken • 78 implied HN points • 13 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture TV shows Nostalgia Sci-fi Critique Fandom
  1. The latest episode of Star Trek Picard disappoints Star Trek fans by resorting to ham-fisted nostalgia and clumsy writing.
  2. The show takes a disappointing turn by disregarding its own canon and insulting the intelligence of the viewers.
  3. Star Trek Picard fails to maintain consistency with its past seasons and insults the core concepts of the Star Trek universe.

The Conspiracy of NFTs

Banana Peel Pirouette • 59 implied HN points • 18 Nov 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Contemporary Art NFTs Art market Art history Critique
  1. NFTs were a hype but have lost their appeal, leading to exhaustion and disinterest among many people.
  2. The debate on whether NFTs qualify as 'Art' highlights the evolving definition and role of contemporary art in today's society.
  3. The embrace of NFTs reveals the commercialization and elitism inherent in the art world, blurring the lines between art, investment, and spectacle.

Is Literature Donna Tartt's Little Friend?

Holodoxa • 79 implied HN points • 03 Jun 23
📚 Literature Novels Authors Critique Characterization
  1. Donna Tartt's novels blur the line between literature and commercial fiction, drawing attention to questions of value and literary merit.
  2. Tartt's work, including "The Little Friend," showcases elements of nostalgia, blending different styles and genres in a somewhat predictable manner.
  3. While praised for prose and aesthetic content, Tartt's novels, such as "The Goldfinch," may rely on derivative characters and trite tropes, potentially diminishing their literary contribution.

“The Algorithm” is the only critique of “The Algorithm” that “The Algorithm” can produce

Never Met a Science • 77 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Critique Social media Technology Communication Media theory
  1. The concept of 'The Algorithm' serves to mask larger systems at play, pushing us to believe in a singular cause for societal issues.
  2. Anxieties about algorithms reflect a broader issue of how technology governs our lives in ways we don't fully understand.
  3. The influence of social media and quantified audience feedback has transformed communication, shaping our interactions and content consumption.

Dystopian Visions: Computers Don't Argue

Eclecticism: Reflections on literature, writing and life • 6 implied HN points • 17 Oct 24
📚 Literature Fiction Storytelling Critique AI Dystopia
  1. Computers and AI can be clever, but they aren't truly intelligent. They often follow set rules without understanding the human side of things.
  2. AI can't be reasoned with, especially when its decisions are based on flawed programming or biased training data. This can lead to serious issues, like unfair legal judgments.
  3. It's important to have human input when using technology. Combining AI's efficiency with human judgment could lead to better outcomes.

Communication in the Presence of Noise

Cybernetic Forests • 39 implied HN points • 19 Oct 23
🎶 Music Experimental AI Critique Resistance
  1. The new album "Communication in the Presence of Noise" by The Organizing Committee is a blend of AI experimentation and antifascist critique in music.
  2. The project aims to start conversations about AI early, challenging the perception of music created by machines as opposed to humans.
  3. The Organizing Committee's music serves as a form of resistance against unregulated technological optimism, applying critical data studies to subvert computational ideologies.

On Emotion Versus Sentimentality

Critic at Large • 39 implied HN points • 01 Jul 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Film Critique Emotion Comparison
  1. Emotion can be a powerful persuasive tool that reinforces arguments or character perception when felt genuinely, while sentimentality can come across as forced or manipulative.
  2. Critics noted a distinction between emotion and sentimentality in Steven Spielberg's films, where emotion moves the audience while sentimentality feels unearned.
  3. The endings of 'Saving Private Ryan' and 'Schindler's List' illustrate the difference between genuine emotion and sentimentality in storytelling, impacting how they are received by critics and viewers.

Curator

Castalia • 139 implied HN points • 08 Aug 22
🎭️ Culture Art Literature Philosophy Social Issues Critique
  1. Art has shifted from being a personal expression to being seen as a tool for social justice. This change can often make it feel like art is less valuable on its own.
  2. The idea of mental health and crime might need a new perspective. Instead of seeing criminals as purely bad or insane, we should consider how their behavior is shaped by their circumstances.
  3. People are increasingly viewing life through a 'gaming' lens, where winning is the main goal. This approach can lead to a lack of compassion and fulfillment, showing that there might be a need to seek a deeper meaning beyond games and stories.

The Oft Forgotten Final Melville Novel

Holodoxa • 59 implied HN points • 07 Mar 23
📚 Literature Classic Analysis Critique Themes
  1. The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade by Herman Melville is his final and complex novel, exploring themes of human nature, deception, and faith in America.
  2. The novel is experimental and ambiguous, lacking a clear plot, presenting dialogues that challenge perception and reliability of language.
  3. Melville's exploration of social trust in the novel highlights how trust is fragile, influenced by emotions and authority figures, reflecting social and cultural norms.

On not reading (in English)

The Leftovers • 79 implied HN points • 11 Aug 22
📚 Literature Fiction Non-fiction Translation Critique Language
  1. Taking a break from Anglophone literature and exploring works in different languages can introduce fresh themes and perspectives.
  2. Reading works by authors from various backgrounds, like Alberto Prunetti's, can provide unique and endearing storytelling experiences.
  3. Exploring literature in original languages, like Italian in the case of Prunetti's book, can offer a deeper understanding of the language nuances and cultural diversity.