Input/Output

Prominent black designer Virgil Abloh, the artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear and founder of Off-White, has come under fire recently. First, for his reaction to looting amid the Black Lives Matter protests, then for what was perceived as a stingy donation to a bail fund. Input senior editor Edgar Alvarez joins us to talk about the controversy. And later: Dyson, the company best known for its vacuum cleaners, earlier this year pulled the plug on its $635 million effort to build an electric vehicle. Nevertheless, the manufacturer recently offered a detailed look at the car, which seems like it would have been a pretty sweet ride. Input news editor Craig Wilson joins us to discuss.

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Mark Zuckerberg is not the leader billions of people need right now, showing time and again he is unfit and unequipped to navigate the complex issues he’s created. So argues Input editor in chief Joshua Topolsky in his fiery essay “Mark Zuckerberg, resign from your role as CEO of Facebook.” Joshua joins us to discuss. And later: The Japanese video game company Sega, creator of the popular Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, recently marked its 60th anniversary. But not everyone was feeling celebratory. One naysayer was Input senior reviews editor Ray Wong, who wrote a piece called “Sorry, but Sonic games suck.” Ray and fellow Input editor Ryan Houlihan, a huge Sega fan, join us to debate Sonic’s merits.

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The world-famous electronic musician Steve Aoki hasn’t had this much time off the road in a decade and a half. But the DJ, who’s sheltering in place with his “quarantine crew” at his home in Las Vegas, is as busy as ever – doing all manner of online programming, including a Neon Future Dinner Party series, Mindfulness Marathon talks, and DJ sets. Over the course of one week, Input checked in with Aoki  to see how he’s dealing with life in quarantine. Here’s how it went.

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Tips for being productive during the coronavirus pandemic reveal our society’s obsession with commodifying every single aspect of our lives, argues Input news writer Mehreen Kasana in a provocative essay. She joins us to discuss her piece. And later: There are some Twitter accounts that bring a smile to our faces, even in these bleak times. Take, for instance, Can You Pet the Dog? and Is Something Behind the Waterfall? – two popular video-game themed Twitter accounts. Input news editor Cheyenne MacDonald joins us to discuss.

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New Balance sneakers have long had the reputation of being dad shoes. But more recently, New Balance has actually become cool. Input news writer Ian Servantes wrote about how the company turned things around. He joins us to discuss. And later: Recently, the usership of avatar-based social network IMVU has surged because so many people are looking for social interaction during lockdown. Input news editor Cheyenne MacDonald joins us to talk about her experiences in this strange virtual world.

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The critically acclaimed film Uncut Gems recently hit Netflix. In the movie, star Adam Sandler is always on the move — and always in focus, thanks to a piece of camera tech called the Light Ranger 2. Writer Charles Bramesco wrote about the Light Ranger 2 and its fascinating backstory for Input. He joins us to discuss. And later: Professional wrestling is one of the few sports that’s still happening, global pandemic be damned. And, even though all the matches are scripted, you can still bet on the winners and losers courtesy of online sports books. Writer Jack Needham joins us to discuss his recent Input piece about how this wagering works.

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Now that most of us are sheltering in place, our priorities are changing. Input news writer Ian Servantes is no exception. He recently wrote an essay for Input called “I used to care how I looked. Now I only care about furniture and plants.” Ian joins us to discuss. And later: The 2005 handheld gaming console the Gizmondo was an ambitious failure, one that involved the Swedish mafia and a spectacular Ferrari crash. Input editor Ryan Houlihan, a proud Gizmondo owner, joins us to recount the device’s wild history.

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Every night of the week, people from all over log on to the queer online dance party Club Quarantine, which has attracted celebrity guests like Charli XCX. Input news writer Matt Wille joins us to discuss why the party is such a good time – and why it’s so important to the queer community right now. And later: For a price, YouTube influencers like Adam22, Cameron Haller, and Patrick Cc will listen to your hip hop track and evaluate it on their livestreams. But is this a valuable service for up-and-coming rappers or just another music biz hustle? Writer Seth King joins us to discuss.

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Skateboarder and actress Rachelle Vinberg stars as Camille in the new HBO series Betty, which centers on a diverse group of young women making their way in the male-dominated New York City skate scene. Over the course of one week, Input checked in daily with Vinberg to see how she’s coping with life in quarantine. Hear how it went. And later: Input editor Ryan Houlihan loves Fran Drescher, the star of the ’90s sitcom The Nanny. What he doesn’t like is that Fran has been spreading conspiracy theories linking 5G to cancer and coronavirus. Ryan joins us to discuss the open letter he wrote to the actress.

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Almost two years ago, Input editor in chief Joshua Topolsky thought that virtual reality was on its deathbed. Then something amazing happened. Joshua recently wrote about VR’s revival in an essay called “Virtual reality is about to have its iPhone moment.” He joins us to discuss his piece. And later: Given the coronavirus outbreak, online dating is now more difficult than ever. In an effort to help out users, Tinder changed its rules in April, but those tweaks turned the dating app into a spam-filled nightmare. Input news writer Ian Servantes joins us to talk about his frontline experiences.

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