This Week's Discussion: when anti-racism becomes an ✨aesthetic✨
What's been blowing up the group chat this week.
social media activism.
Instagram used to be the place I went to get away from the 24 hour news cycle when I was a journalist. After work (who am I kidding, during work), I would scroll my timeline mindlessly looking at memes and makeup tutorials and for a brief moment, be able to put the day’s more than likely distressing news at the back of my mind. Instagram used to be where I’d go to escape reality.
Now, I can’t open Instagram without seeing a depressing statistic like the percentage of Black people incarcerated in the U.S. on a cute, pastel background or, even worse, an autoplaying video of a Black person being killed by a police officer.
Since June of 2020, Instagram has been the place for anti-racist activism or more realistically, performative anti-racist activism. There’s no doubt that our collective awareness of systemic racism and police brutality has been raised, though some of us never had the luxury of being so blissfully unaware. I’m sure millions of dollars have been raised, thousands of petitions signed thanks to people sharing infographics on their stories and on their grid.
But this also means that Black people’s trauma has become a trendy aesthetic. Instagram has become a competition of who can prove they’re not racist the hardest. I have no statistical evidence of this, obviously, but I have a huge suspicion that a lot of the white people who make a show on social media of how anti-racist they are have never had a tough conversation with their racist family member, gone to a community board meeting, or written to their senator. Most probably haven’t really used their privilege to advocate for a colleague at work.
But it sure does make their grid look pretty, right?
I myself am guilty of this. But, after the past few weeks, from Daunte Wright, Adam Toledo, to the murder of six Asian women by a racist incel, I’m opting out. I will no longer be trying to prove my humanity to people who posted a black square once and called themselves an ally. My instagram will go back to sharing memes, pictures of my dog, videos of me pranking my fiancé, and my cooking.
Because Black people deserve joy, too.
campbell’s or progresso?
Tiger Worku, who was protesting in Brooklyn Center, Minneapolis, stopped to talk to CNN about the demonstration for Daunte Wright, and also mentioned how he was carrying a bag of soup for his family. It looked like a chilly night in Minnesota, how kind of him!
“I'm a family man,” Tiger wrote on Instagram after his interview went viral. “I appreciate the love and support. Let's keep showing up for Daunte Wright and all of those we've lost.”
You can read more about Tiger and his soup at Jezebel.
playing soy
Playing Soy is my new weekly column about plant-based foods and going vegetarian. Each week, I’ll be writing about a new vegetarian food or recipe I’ve tried, and sharing tips on how to eat less meat.
I’ve been following Nuggs on Instagram for a long time. Their marketing for their meat-free “chicken” nuggets is all memes and doesn’t take itself too seriously. But ordering a case of 100 nuggets online for $44.99 was a little much for me, so I watched their feed longingly, hoping to one day find a replacement for Wendy’s spicy chicken nuggets.
But, while grocery shopping this week, I spotted a stack of Nuggs in the freezer aisle. I got the spicy version. The box comes with about 20 nuggets inside and I paid *I think* $8.99 for them, which is pretty pricey.
I made them for dinner the other night along with some fries because I was feeling extremely lazy. I baked them for 13 minutes at 420 degrees in the oven but will try the air fryer next time.
I was pleasantly surprised. Nuggs have a great crunch to them and I liked the level of spice, too. I think these mimic the taste and consistency of real chicken nuggets pretty well; I’m going to do a blind taste with my family soon.
As with real chicken nuggets, these are highly processed, so I personally won’t be eating these all the time, but they do have more protein and zero cholesterol than the real thing.
Overall, I’d rate these a 4 out of 5 on my very unofficial, unscientific scale. You can read more about Nuggs at The Verge.
unwinding.
📖 Things to read
Who Is the Racism Horror Anthology Them Really For?
She’s 94 Now, but at 17 Her Voice Was Magical. Have a Listen.
🎧 Things to listen to
🍳 Things to cook
Thank you so much for joining the group chat. If you liked what you read, please share and subscribe. Leave a comment to let me know what you’d like me to discuss next week or products and services you’d like me to try.