Just a few words for the fellas — I once smoked a cocaine-laced joint with an ex-con whose arms were decorated with white supremacist tattoos because, like a beggar, addicts can’t be choosers, so I puffed away as he gave me the only concrete advice I’ve ever been given about masculinity: “You’re not a real man unless you’ve…

9 weeks in 2020. 12 essays. Covid-19. — Hi. My name is John. This collection is possible because of the support of Medium subscribers. Thanks to them, I’m able to write weekly essays about pop culture, politics, and feelings. If you’d like to learn more, click here. Prologue: December 19th, 2021 When I first heard this joke, it was about a Jewish…

It is best to just surrender — I used the dating app Tinder once, a long time ago. People who write about dating apps are either proud about never using them or are addicted to swiping past photo after photo of available singles who are DTF, which is an acronym that means “down to fuck.” I’m assuming…

A two-step guide — I imagine Heaven as a place without fear, populated by angels who love without condition. They’re like celestial Labrador Retrievers that way. Angels are also not afraid. They are never in any real danger. They just spread their wings and fly. Angels never have to worry about paying bills, having…

Always ask yourself: what would Coach Taylor do? — A recent study from the UK suggests that boys should be urged to share their emotions and resist strict gender stereotypes. The research pushes back on the popular myth that men and boys are under attack from feminists and the culture at large and quite clearly states that boys benefit…

Rest in peace, your majesty — Director Ryan Coogler’s Wakanda Forever is about a family grieving — on-screen and off. His long-awaited sequel to the megahit Black Panther is at its best when it focuses on those King T’Challa left behind after dying from an unnamed disease. The late actor Chadwick Boseman, who exuded warmth and…

Viewer beware — This has been a good year for smart, surprising horror movies. A few of my favorites include the sophisticated monster in the basement shocker Barbarian, Jordan Peele’s slick sci-fi western Nope, and the 70s-inspired Texas porn star slaughter X. There was a successful reboot of my favorite 80s horror franchise…

Every no gets you closer to a yes — Everything I ever learned about capitalism, I learned selling comedy tickets to strangers on the streets of New York City. The first lesson is to never, under any circumstance, sell the product because the product is crap. Sell yourself. Humans trust other humans. People make promises, not things. And the…

It puts the Viola in violence — It is 1823, and the African kingdom of Dahomey is protected by an army of highly-trained female warriors called the Agojie. We first meet them as they silently emerge from the shadows to rescue kidnapped Dahomean women from African rivals. These elite soldiers easily slaughter these slavers. The action in…