Vox Quick Hits

Books can feel like a plane ticket to a new part of the world you’ve never seen, a glimpse into a lifestyle or new way of being in the world. A caller from Chicago requests sprawling nonfiction books about a city and the characters in them.

Constance recommends:

Watch all of Constace’s conversation with author N.K. Jemisin and The Great Cities trilogy at the vox book club here: https://www.vox.com/culture/2020/5/1/21242844/nk-jemisin-interview-the-city-we-became-vox-book-club

If you’re looking for a book recommendation, you can email Constance Dot Grady at Vox dot com. Be sure to use the subject line “Ask A Book Critic.” 

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You may have noticed that shorts are getting shorter, legs are the new abs, and it’s now socially acceptable to thirst over men with huge thighs on the internet. Vox senior culture reporter, Alex Abad-Santos (@alex_abads) explains why this summer is all about men’s thighs and why we should care.

Read Alex’s story here.

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We’ve all got one: a go-to comfort watch — that show or movie you can always turn to for a pick-me-up. This week on What to Watch, we share ours. 

Vox’s film critic Alissa Wilkinson is hooked on HBO’s Selena + Chef, critic at large Emily VanDerWerff can always count on Star Trek (especially Deep Space Nine), and senior producer Taylor Maycan explains her longtime love of CBS’s Survivor. 

What to Watch is a Vox Quick Hits exclusive series. New episodes every Friday. 

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Crypto philanthropy is a burgeoning field, and one with lots of unique complications. Take the case of Vitalik Buterin, the programmer who co-founded the cryptocurrency ethereum, and his recent donation to a charity in India to help respond to the Covid-19 crisis there. He gave $1.5 billion in cryptocurrency, including $1 billion in a memecoin called Shiba Inu coin. And, well, that gift didn’t work out as planned. Former Recode senior reporter Teddy Schleifer discusses what happened with Buterin’s donation and what it might mean for other crypto donations like it.

Learn more:

Read Teddy’s story here. 

Emily has a story on the current crypto craze here.

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Tell Me More is hosted by Emily Stewart and produced by Sofi LaLonde.

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Language and identity are tightly intertwined. Which is why for Latina writer Maria Theresa Hart, conquering the Spanish language was something she’s tried to achieve since childhood. When Trump was elected in 2016, she decided to double down on her commitment.

Read Maria’s essay here: https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/8/4/21348704/spanish-classes-latina-trump-america-english 

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The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo are getting a second chance in 2021 after being postponed due to the pandemic. But whether they should is an open question. Japan is in the midst of a Covid-19 surge, and polls show a majority of its citizens don’t want the games to happen. If there is an outbreak at the Olympics, it’s not just that athletes and coaches could be sickened; they also risk taking the virus home. Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has a lot riding on the event, and Japan and the International Olympic Committee are forging ahead. They insist the Olympics can still be safe. Vox reporter Jen Kirby explains the Olympic Games in flux.

Learn More: 

Read Jen’s story here. 

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Tell Me More is hosted by Emily Stewart and produced by Sofi LaLonde.

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There’s an ongoing reckoning happening in the book publishing industry. Younger staff at publishing houses like Simon & Schuster and Hachette are starting to organize a protest their company’s decisions to publish books by controversial figures, from Mike Pence to Woody Allen. And it’s forcing the industry to ask itself some really tough questions about it’s role as a huge platform and financial resource for authors. Vox book critic Constance Grady joins the show to shed some light on book deals and discuss her take on the industry’s existential woes.

Read the full story: 

https://www.vox.com/culture/22423485/publishing-book-deal-simon-schuster-mike-pence-kellyanne-conway-dutton-linda-fairstein

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Jean Smart (the living legend and multiple Emmy winner) plays Deborah Vance, a famous comedian whose glory days are behind her. Deborah’s agent has a suggestion for her: Hire a younger comedy writer named Ava (Hannah Einbinder) to help spice up her material. 

Smart and Einbinder’s chemistry and performances take “Hacks” from a showbiz comedy to something with broader appeal. It’s a show that’s interested in the ways women in male-dominated industries are constantly one mistake away from having their careers seriously undermined, the ways that women across different generations view the world differently, and the ways those different points of view can make for varied types of comedy.

“Hacks” will release two new episodes on HBO Max every Thursday until June 10. The first four are streaming now.

Read Emily’s review of Hacks here.

Looking for a new show or movie? Let us help! No request is too vague or too specific. We’ll pair you with something perfect. Contact [email protected]. We read every email! 

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You probably think you know what cancel culture is, but do you really? The term “cancel culture” has become a trope on Twitter and Fox News, with people constantly decrying someone or something is unfairly being canceled — Dr. Suess, Ellen DeGeneres, July Fourth. But a lot of people misunderstand what cancel culture is, or at least what it was supposed to be: a way to hold powerful people accountable. Vox internet culture reporter Aja Romano joins to discuss what cancel culture means in theory and in practice, whether it’s as much of a problem as the right claims, and whether we need to have a broader conversation about having empathy for one’s past mistakes.

Learn more: 

Read Aja’s excellent piece here: https://bit.ly/3yoCIsW 

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Tell Me More is hosted by Emily Stewart and produced by Sofi LaLonde.

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A caller writes “I love a good plot twist. Bonus if the plot isn’t a murder or cfrime.” Vox book critic, Constance Grady gives some recs and shares an excerpt of her conversation with Susan Choi, author of Trust Exercise, from the Vox Book Club. 

Constance recommends:

Watch Susan Choi’s full conversation with Constance here: 

https://www.vox.com/culture/22163906/susan-choi-trust-exercise-interview-vox-book-club

If you are looking for a book recommendation, you can email Constance Dot Grady at Vox dot com. Be sure to use the subject line “Ask A Book Critic.” 

Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Quick Hits ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

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