The hottest Cultural critique Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Art & Illustration Topics

Zoomers, Video Games, and The New Culture

Trantor Publishing • 758 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Youth culture Cultural critique Social Interaction Counterculture
  1. Zoomers are facing challenges in various aspects of life like mental health and education due to factors from the past. The struggles of the youth reflect societal issues accumulated over time.
  2. The digital world, including video games, has become a significant part of Zoomers' lives, impacting how they engage with culture and consume media. Modern entertainment focuses more on prolonged engagement rather than quality.
  3. To address societal challenges and engage with younger generations effectively, there is a need to create shared cultural experiences and provide opportunities for meaningful connection and competition beyond digital distractions.

The radical left has lost its moral compass

Heterodox STEM • 384 implied HN points • 29 Oct 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Ideology Social Issues Ethics Cultural critique
  1. Postmodernism and nihilism have influenced academic institutions, leading to moral relativism and a shift away from open inquiry and tolerance.
  2. The push for 'anti-racism' has sometimes resulted in discriminatory practices, undermining merit-based systems and educational opportunities.
  3. A call to challenge and openly debate harmful ideologies that have infiltrated academic institutions and to reaffirm the importance of objective truth and moral clarity.

⬜ The artists' philosopher, Byung-Chul Han

One Thing • 178 implied HN points • 07 Dec 23
📖 Philosophy Cultural critique Spirituality Identity
  1. Byung-Chul Han is a Korean-German philosopher known for his critical engagement with contemporary culture, including the concept of burnout culture.
  2. Han's work focuses on critiquing inauthentic forms of selfhood and the loss of negation and conflict dynamics in culture.
  3. Han advocates for seeking authenticity through a genuine re-engagement with the multitudinous shape of existence, emphasizing the power of saying no and achieving pure negativity.
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What Ava DuVernay’s “Origin” Gets Wrong

Journal of Free Black Thought • 41 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Social Issues Cultural critique
  1. Ava DuVernay's film 'Origin' focuses on a single story, overlooking complexities and nuances, emphasizing the danger of presenting a singular narrative.
  2. The portrayal of present-day oppression in 'Origin' ignores nuances in countries like India, painting a one-sided picture that does not capture the full reality.
  3. The film 'Origin' and the book it is based on, 'Caste,' fail to consider societal progress and depict a skewed view of racial prejudice, emphasizing the importance of understanding the complete context.

Japanese aesthetics: A podcast(!) and Q&A

Kyle Chayka Industries • 55 implied HN points • 12 Mar 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Aesthetics Podcast Translation Cultural critique Literature
  1. Kyle Chayka published his first audio project discussing Tanizaki's 'In Praise of Shadows' with Nate Gallant, exploring Japanese aesthetics and its relation to modernity.
  2. Tanizaki's essay delves into personal taste, the impact of technology on art, and the cultural implications of aesthetics in Japan.
  3. The essay critiques Western ideals of perfection and light, praising the beauty of shadows and imperfections in Japanese aesthetics.

Throwing Soup on a Painting Wasn't As Nonsensical as People Claim

The 21st Century Proletarian • 19 implied HN points • 02 Nov 22
🎨 Art & Illustration Climate Crisis Cultural critique Symbolism
  1. Throwing soup on a painting was a symbolic act meant to attract attention to climate activism.
  2. The action was more about performance art and disturbing the status quo than about causing real damage.
  3. The use of soup as a symbol conveyed a message of impending loss and the need for radical change to save what we have.

Groomed to be a Weed Head

The Other Side of Fear • 0 implied HN points • 07 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Music Cultural critique Substance Use
  1. Marijuana culture can have a strong influence on individuals, leading to changes in behavior and priorities.
  2. Mass media, like music and movies, can play a significant role in promoting drug culture and influencing perceptions.
  3. Reconsidering the influence of music with lyrics and taking breaks from such music can help in breaking free from mass hypnosis.

On Timepass and Tutankhamun's Transcendent Tunes (Ch. 11)

Ink-uilab • 0 implied HN points • 04 May 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Music Poetry Literature Performance Cultural critique
  1. The newsletter delves into the concept of 'timepass' and discusses the speech given at the Yale College Henry James TenEyck Prize Competition on the topic.
  2. Philip Glass' opera Akhnaten is explored, highlighting its mystical and historical themes, including the use of ancient languages in the production.
  3. The newsletter also touches upon the work of Agha Shahid Ali and his contributions to New Formalism, particularly focusing on the 'English ghazal' poetry form.