Recent Stories

MCJ

Protected: Taylor Swift Runs The World

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Taylor Swift Runs The World by Chuck Klosterman

My first (and only) exposure to Chuck Klosterman was over the summer when he was a guest on The Daily Show. I did a little bit of research on him, and all I remembered was that he apparently hates soccer. I also do not really have any particular positive feelings toward Taylor Swift, so why did I decide to read this article? Well, while I’m a bit offended by his stance on soccer, I did remember Klosterman being an intelligent guy, so I figured I would give this article a read. And I’m glad I did…

The organization of this article was pretty strange, but I thought it worked.

MCJ

Protected: BATTLEGROUND AMERICA

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BATTLEGROUND AMERICA by Jill Lepore

A bunch of my friends back home own guns. Over Spring break, one of my friends told me we would go to the shooting range by the end of the break. It never happened, although I did attempt to shoot a bow in his backyard (at which I failed miserably, unable to even pull it back). I’ve also seen one of my friends’ dad leave guns lying around in interesting places. These are just a few of my friends, not to mention a large portion of people from my high school that own guns.

MCJ

Protected: THE CARELESS LANGUAGE OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE

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THE CARELESS LANGUAGE OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE by Roxane Gay

Before I delve into the content of this well-written article, I would like to briefly explain why I chose to write about this piece. A few weeks ago (at least a month ago at this point), I was getting on the Market-Frankford Line in Philly after catching a show at Ortlieb's. While waiting for the train to arrive, a man sat next to me, and I started a conversation with him (yes, I-Kirby Sibiski-actually initiated a conversation with a stranger!). We talked from the time he sat next to me until I got off at Jefferson Station. While conversing, I asked him what brought him to the train station.

MCJ

Protected: Keep the Things You Forgot: An Elliott Smith Oral History

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Keep the Things You Forgot: An Elliott Smith Oral History by Jayson Greene

While I have been exposed to this article before (in Writing and Communications if I’m not mistaken), this was the first proper read through I’ve done, start to finish, of this piece. I’ll start by saying that my first exposure to Elliot Smith came in high school. The teacher of my creative writing class would sometimes play a song as we walked in the room for the start of class. After complimenting a track or two he played, he told me I should check out Elliott Smith. A few weeks later I listened to “Between the Bars” and I thought it was a really good song.

MCJ

Protected: A CLOSED LETTER TO MYSELF ABOUT THIEVERY, HECKLING AND RAPE JOKES

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A CLOSED LETTER TO MYSELF ABOUT THIEVERY, HECKLING AND RAPE JOKES by Patton Oswalt

To be completely honest, I have not listened to nearly enough of Patton Oswalt’s stand-up. I’ve seen bits and pieces here and there, and I’ve seen him make appearances on television, but I have just never gotten around to listening to much of his stand-up. With that being said, plan to change this, as I find the man very funny. So, despite my limited experience with Oswalt, I thought I would read his writing (only the second piece I’ve read by him, the other being the piece he wrote after the death of his wife) and see what the legendary comedian had to say about joke thievery, heckling, and rape jokes. Firstly, I would like to talk about Oswalt’s writing style.

MCJ

Protected: Going Way Too Deep Down the Rabbit Hole With Nicki Minaj’s Recent Bar Mitzvah Appearance – Rembert Browne

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I just need to take a second and put it out there that this might be my favorite analytical article that has ever been written… ever. I have so much to say about this but I need to do some Googling first. This article is based on Nicki Minaj’s attendance of some eighth graders Bar Mitzvah and the only thing I can think of right now is, like, why? I did some digging. Turns out Bar Mitzvah boy’s name is Matt Murstein who, according to Business Insider, is the son of Andrew Murstein.

Protected: The Depth of Friendship

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on Bad Friends, by Carlin Flora

Friendship, relationship, fellowship, community. These are all words I think about constantly. Friendship, of some sort, is an integral part of our daily lives. I would even argue it is a vital part of our lives. Carlin Flora, author of “Bad Friends,” would probably agree with me.

MCJ

Protected: He’s Just Not That Into You; or, Caitlin Deserves Better

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Even In Real Life, There Were Screens Between Us by Caitlin Dewey

The story in this essay made me really sad, but I wasn’t particularly surprised by the outcome in the end - she wasn’t that into the guy in person when she met him, and it’s easy to see only some parts of someone and to romanticize them by filling in the missing details with stuff you do like. Will seems like a nice guy and I don’t judge Caitlin’s life choices at all - I really don’t - but it seems to me that this is less of a commentary on the general failures of online relationships (and maybe more broadly, communication in general) and more of a personal story. I know that Modern Love isn’t supposed to comment on general stuff, but the college essay contest is supposed to be an essay about something you’ve noticed about love today (maybe it was different in 2011). I think that stories like Caitlin and Will’s are probably fairly common these days, especially since it’s a lot easier to flirt over the internet than it is in real life (for a lot of people, I assume. Okay it’s easier for me anyway.).

MCJ

Protected: Shirtless Trump Saves Drowning Kitten

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Shirtless Trump Saves Drowning Kitten by Brian Phillips

Well, there’s a lot to unpack in this relatively short article. Where else can we start but with the title…

This article, as the subheading indicates, is about “Facebook’s Fake-News Problem And the Rise of the Postmodern Right.” Believe it or not, this article has nothing to do with a shirtless Trump or drowning kittens (although, if we stick with the theme of postmodernism, how can we know for sure?) Instead, the title functions as a comment on the sensational fake news headlines so prevalent on Facebook. I found the title very clever, and it certainly grabbed my attention. Perhaps even more surprising than the title of this piece was the publication it was published in: MTV.com. I typically associate modern MTV with popular garbage, but this article really opened my eyes and broadened my perspective on the publication.

special guests

Protected: Class 4/5: Guest discussion with Bri Wink (’15), MA Student in Multimedia Journalism

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Bri Wink graduated from Arcadia University in 2015 as a Global Media. She is currently in the MA Program in Multimedia Journalism at the University of Westminster in London, where she contributes to Westminster World. In addition to her studies, she is the Web Content Manager for The Postbox Podcast and keeps a travel blog called The Unlatched Suitcase. As an undergraduate she was editor in chief of Loco Mag and worked in student radio. Thanks for taking the time out of your glamorous London life, Bri!

MCJ

Protected: A CLOSED LETTER TO MYSELF ABOUT THIEVERY, HECKLING AND RAPE JOKES

By |

 

A CLOSED LETTER TO MYSELF ABOUT THIEVERY, HECKLING AND RAPE JOKES by Patton Oswalt

To be completely honest, I have not listened to nearly enough of Patton Oswalt’s stand-up. I’ve seen bits and pieces here and there, and I’ve seen him make appearances on television, but I have just never gotten around to listening to much of his stand-up. With that being said, plan to change this, as I find the man very funny. So, despite my limited experience with Oswalt, I thought I would read his writing (only the second piece I’ve read by him, the other being the piece he wrote after the death of his wife) and see what the legendary comedian had to say about joke thievery, heckling, and rape jokes. Firstly, I would like to talk about Oswalt’s writing style.

MCJ

Protected: Going Way Too Deep Down the Rabbit Hole With Nicki Minaj’s Recent Bar Mitzvah Appearance – Rembert Browne

By |

I just need to take a second and put it out there that this might be my favorite analytical article that has ever been written… ever. I have so much to say about this but I need to do some Googling first. This article is based on Nicki Minaj’s attendance of some eighth graders Bar Mitzvah and the only thing I can think of right now is, like, why? I did some digging. Turns out Bar Mitzvah boy’s name is Matt Murstein who, according to Business Insider, is the son of Andrew Murstein.

Protected: The Depth of Friendship

By |

on Bad Friends, by Carlin Flora

Friendship, relationship, fellowship, community. These are all words I think about constantly. Friendship, of some sort, is an integral part of our daily lives. I would even argue it is a vital part of our lives. Carlin Flora, author of “Bad Friends,” would probably agree with me.

MCJ

Protected: He’s Just Not That Into You; or, Caitlin Deserves Better

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Even In Real Life, There Were Screens Between Us by Caitlin Dewey

The story in this essay made me really sad, but I wasn’t particularly surprised by the outcome in the end - she wasn’t that into the guy in person when she met him, and it’s easy to see only some parts of someone and to romanticize them by filling in the missing details with stuff you do like. Will seems like a nice guy and I don’t judge Caitlin’s life choices at all - I really don’t - but it seems to me that this is less of a commentary on the general failures of online relationships (and maybe more broadly, communication in general) and more of a personal story. I know that Modern Love isn’t supposed to comment on general stuff, but the college essay contest is supposed to be an essay about something you’ve noticed about love today (maybe it was different in 2011). I think that stories like Caitlin and Will’s are probably fairly common these days, especially since it’s a lot easier to flirt over the internet than it is in real life (for a lot of people, I assume. Okay it’s easier for me anyway.).

MCJ

Protected: Shirtless Trump Saves Drowning Kitten

By |

Shirtless Trump Saves Drowning Kitten by Brian Phillips

Well, there’s a lot to unpack in this relatively short article. Where else can we start but with the title…

This article, as the subheading indicates, is about “Facebook’s Fake-News Problem And the Rise of the Postmodern Right.” Believe it or not, this article has nothing to do with a shirtless Trump or drowning kittens (although, if we stick with the theme of postmodernism, how can we know for sure?) Instead, the title functions as a comment on the sensational fake news headlines so prevalent on Facebook. I found the title very clever, and it certainly grabbed my attention. Perhaps even more surprising than the title of this piece was the publication it was published in: MTV.com. I typically associate modern MTV with popular garbage, but this article really opened my eyes and broadened my perspective on the publication.

special guests

Protected: Class 4/5: Guest discussion with Bri Wink (’15), MA Student in Multimedia Journalism

By |

Bri Wink graduated from Arcadia University in 2015 as a Global Media. She is currently in the MA Program in Multimedia Journalism at the University of Westminster in London, where she contributes to Westminster World. In addition to her studies, she is the Web Content Manager for The Postbox Podcast and keeps a travel blog called The Unlatched Suitcase. As an undergraduate she was editor in chief of Loco Mag and worked in student radio. Thanks for taking the time out of your glamorous London life, Bri!

special guests

Protected: Class 3/31: Guest Appearance from Tracey Berg-Fulton (Community Manager, AuthenticJobs) and Pat Fulton (Front-End Developer, Sparkbox).

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Pat Fulton and Tracey Berg met in Pittsburgh in the early 2000's. Pat was finishing a degree in journalism from Point Park College (now Point Park University). Tracey was a photographer. We all met going to punk/DIY shows in pgh, and helped to build a short-lived online publication/community/record label/event promoter in Western PA called Pittpunk. Then they fell in love and got married and bought a house and got a dog and everything.

MCJ

Protected: The Reckoning

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Pamela Colloff's, The Reckoning, is a fascinating piece of literature that stirs emotions from beginning to end. It follows the life of Claire Wilson and shares her incredible story after her near fatal encounter with Charles Whitman, or the man who killed 16 and wounded 31 in the University of Texas shooting of 1966. Throughout the narrative, Claire's life was shown in a perspective that one could almost call nightmarish. From her rough childhood to her eventual closure, Claire was overcome with some of the most unthinkable tragedies a person can endure. In a person's life, tragedies are usually rare.

MCJ

Protected: 25 Songs That Tell Us Where Music is Going

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25 Songs That Tell Us Where Music is Going by a whole bunch of people

I don’t think I have ever read anything on the internet that was as long as this interactive feature I just read was. I sat on my bedroom floor for a good three hours reading every single line in this piece and I just now moved to my bed. My eyes hurt. They are tired from looking at this computer screen. By number sixteen, every time a word started with a “b,” my mind automatically read it as Beyoncé.