The Girls Are Not Bumping That
Questions for the Culture no. 1
Welcome to Questions for the Culture, a new feature in which I ask questions that are plaguing people on the internet, then answer them as honestly as possible. I love lists and enjoy weighing in on whatever so this is just the logical conclusion of that. Enjoy!
Why are we as a generation (mostly millennials and older gen z) so obsessed with brat, but aren’t in the clubs? So much so that in the UK at least 5 clubs have closed every week this year (https://mixmag.net/read/nightclubs-closures-ntia-report-2024-statistics-venues-news)?
The cause is multi-pronged but I think it can be summed up with a phrase commonly uttered in my apartment, “now, who can afford that?”. Simply put, before you have the money to buy an outfit, take an uber to the club, and buy drinks, you have to pay your rent which is now like 70% of your paycheck. Not to mention paying back your relief-proof private loans, followed by just buying food so you can live, and you’re left with virtually nothing. You MIGHT be able to get yourself a boba at the end of the week but that’s it. It’s just not in the budget unless you’re prepared to be broke down for what will probably be a mid ass night. With a male DJ. That is currently on his third replay of “where dem girls at” and he’s about to do a hard (read: rough) transition into “don’t you worry child”. Like do you know anyone sensible that wants to go hungry for that? No, so everyone under 30 is at a sad apartment party on a Friday night because we don’t have homes.
Is Mr. Beast finally going to jail for terrorizing employees, coercing unsuspecting people into solitary confinement for YouTube videos, covering up assaults, covering up grooming of minors, and hooking a generation of children on gambling?
Chile… no but I vote Mr. Beast for prison because the spate of accusations that have emerged are truly enormous. It’s chilling and this is only the beginning. If you want to know more about the accusations in depth, former Mr. Beast employee, “DogPack404” is sharing his story and conducting interviews with other former employees on YouTube. If I’m being honest, I’m not surprised at the truth behind Mr. Beast. This is a man that built his platform filming himself “giving back” to unsuspecting homeless people. This is also a man whose smile doesn’t even go up to his nose, let alone his eyes. Truly haunting stuff but I don’t judge those he’s affected. Children especially don’t know how to spot the signs. Ultimately parents, keep the family away and put controls on those kid’s YouTube pleaseee.
Why are there so many women on TikTok making a name for themselves by posting their awful marriages and thoughtless partners?
Realistically, a lot of people are in horrible relationships it’s actually really sad but the reason you keep seeing it on TikTok is that this is engagement gold. The rage it inspires translates to millions of views and thousands of dollars. These creators know that the madder we get, the fatter their check so they are going to go to extremes to show off how horrible their marriages can be. They will also be looking for ways to shock you into hate-watching until the end. Scroll accordingly.
Are people getting meaner?
It absolutely feels like it right? Just bad vibes all around. The perfect example has been this olympics. Every day is a new scandal that all stems from people just being mean-spirited. From Simone Biles’ husband wearing her medal to a woman proposing to her boyfriend after winning her race. These are all so inconsequential but the urge to be cruel (mostly to women) supersedes all logic I guess. And don’t get me wrong I’m not immune. I feel meaner everyday but I think it helps to prioritize what you’re mean about or at least don’t broadcast every awful thought you’ve ever had to the internet.
What do you think of this pretty privilege conversation?
The “effects of pretty privilege” these wayward creators are describing is really just bog standard misogyny. You aren’t special for getting harassed like everyone else. All women experience it especially if you’ve been outside in an East coast city for more than a few hours. I’m not America’s next top model but I have dozens of stories, each as horrible as the last and it isn’t indicative of my beauty it’s indicative of my womanhood. And that I dare to walk around outside.
Thank you so much for reading! I really do appreciate all the love and patience. You opened this, saw it was a bunch of rants, and kept reading anyway and that’s actually so incredible.
Stay golden and have a good week!
-whit
the "effects of pretty privilege" conversation is soooooOOOO deeply annoying every single time it comes around because it's like what do you want from me? to feel bad that the world writ large finds you conventionally attractive? shut up! men are awful to everyone!