Vox Quick Hits

In 2020, the conversation around giving people money changed — namely, the federal government got much more on board with the idea. At the outset of the pandemic, the government sent out $1,200 checks, and then in December, Congress passed another round of $600 checks. Now, $1,400 checks are on the horizon. Vox senior correspondent Dylan Matthews explains the evolving politics around the government sending people money, how we got here, and whether these policies are likely to stick around.

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The pandemic hasn’t stopped Americans from dating, hooking up, or tying the knot. In fact, lockdown has been helping people get down.

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The movement to liberate Britney Spears from her conservatorship may not succeed, but it’s revealing a lot about how we treat young women. Vox’s Constance Grady explains.

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Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the huge farmers’ protests in India. They explain the very real policy debate over new agricultural reform laws that sparked the protests, and how that debate has now been obscured by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist politics, international celebrity activism, and online trolls. Oh, and they talk about Rihanna. Yes, that Rihanna.

References:

Vox’s Jariel Arvin explains the Indian farmers’ protest.

And he also writes about why India’s government is mad at Rihanna.

The New Yorker in 2019 had an excellent feature on Modi’s Hindu nationalism.

The Times of India looks into the rise of internet trolls.

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A few weeks ago, Vox critic-at-large Emily VanDerWerff and film critic Alissa Wilkinson shared their favorite movies. This week they're back with their favorite shows:

The Simpsons on Disney Plus (Emily)

This classic has been on the air since 1989. Not all the jokes will fly today, but looking back on the comedy of the 1990s, The Simpsons seems to have aged the best. Since it's animated and the characters never age, it can continually comment on American life. And it will only take 258 days to watch all 695 episodes!

The Comeback on HBO Max (Alissa)

There are so many good reasons to watch this meta-comedy co-created by Lisa Kudrow (who also stars in it) and Michael Patrick King, the executive producer of Sex and the City. It's funny and binge-able. It cleverly skewers the kind of sexism that was present on the set of sitcoms in the 1990s. And although it's not necessarily cheerful, it has a lot of heart. You'll see new jokes and funny bits with each re-watch. There are 21 episodes in all, each lasting between 25 and 55 minutes.

Deadwood on HBO Max (Emily)

Set in the town of Deadwood, South Dakota, this series follows the town's new sheriff Seth Bullock, played by Timothy Olyphant. He's not trying to be law enforcement. He just wants to have a quiet life opening a hardware store. Deadwood is a Western, yes, but it explores the ways in which we construct civilization and societies are born — the ways America was born. There's tension between the need for individuality and the need for community. And this is one of best shows at believably tracing a really terrible person's movement toward getting involved with his community. There are three seasons and a wrap-up movie. You can watch all in around 35 hours.

High Maintenance on HBO Max (Alissa)

At face value, this is a show about buying weed. But it's really about all the different characters that the weed dealer — the connecting thread of each episode — comes into contact with. We meet people from all walks of life who have weird jobs, weird problems, weird fetishes, weird predicaments. You won't get long, drawn-out character arcs with this show, just little snippets of people's lives. Every episode is delightful. There are 34 in all, and there's even one that's entirely from the perspective of a (very good) dog.

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Sen. Mitt Romney wants to throw money at parents, Andrew Yang-style. President Biden is into it, too. Vox’s Dylan Matthews explains.

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NPR journalist, memoirist, and host of the upcoming WBEZ podcast The Art of Power Aarti Shahani talks with Cecilia Muñoz, a former aide to Obama and part of Biden's transition team. It's a conversation about immigration policy reform and the challenges ahead for President Biden — and for a country wrestling with changing demographics, racism, and its history.

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Picking up skating in your 30s and beyond, the trend stories tell us, signals some sort of desperation. You’re either going through a midlife crisis or trying to hide one if you think that awkwardly rolling around on a wooden toy, risking a hospital visit the entire time, is a good idea. 

Steve Rousseau considered all of this, and then decided not to worry about it. He bought a skateboard at the very start of the pandemic, and it’s the best money he’s ever spent. 

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Poorer countries have received less than 1 percent of the Covid-19 vaccines distributed around the world. Vox’s Julia Belluz explains what the WHO is calling a “catastrophic moral failure.”

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Vox culture writer Constance Grady explains why TV shows like Dragnet, Law & Order, Hawaii Five-0, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine always seem to feature police as heroes. She explains how police consultants became the go-to for procedurals, the police archetypes that saturate pop culture, and how cop shows are pivoting for 2021.

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