alex
@alexschneidman.com
newsletter writer at https://arachne.ghost.io/
community, society, tech, culture, media, theatre
he/him
community, society, tech, culture, media, theatre
he/him
Pinned
alex
@alexschneidman.com
· Jul 9
There's Good News and Bad News, Part I
Hello reader! It's been quite some time since I have been able to pump out another Arachne banger. I felt like there wasn't enough out there for me to really put my spin on, and didn't want to sacrifi...
arachne.ghost.io
"There is an inherent imbalance between what gets attention and what deserves attention in our American media and news ecosystem."
It has been a few weeks since I've written for my newsletter, but I'm back.
It has been a few weeks since I've written for my newsletter, but I'm back.
Reposted by alex
one lesser awful thing about the Epstein files is that genuine crimes against a huge number of children are being morphed into fuel for the influencer industrial complex who don't care about truth or accuracy and just want grist for the content mills
December 23, 2025 at 8:43 PM
one lesser awful thing about the Epstein files is that genuine crimes against a huge number of children are being morphed into fuel for the influencer industrial complex who don't care about truth or accuracy and just want grist for the content mills
Reposted by alex
Personally, I think one of the enduring qualities of great art is that it resonates in different ways across time, geography, etc. For example—a lot of my favorite 19th century novels (James Wharton etc) wrestle with ideas that are applicable to the questions of today’s social media age.
Or it's an example of people forcing their interests and fixations on material that is deliberately not about that.
Sometimes the author misses the subtext they didn't perceive. Other times some in the audience bring their baggage with them, being so focused on it.
I'm leaning to the latter here.
Sometimes the author misses the subtext they didn't perceive. Other times some in the audience bring their baggage with them, being so focused on it.
I'm leaning to the latter here.
December 20, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Personally, I think one of the enduring qualities of great art is that it resonates in different ways across time, geography, etc. For example—a lot of my favorite 19th century novels (James Wharton etc) wrestle with ideas that are applicable to the questions of today’s social media age.
Reposted by alex
Interesting to consider that if you were to go and deface the Kennedy center by removing Trump’s name, you’d be arrested and charged with a crime, but your act would be no more unlawful than what they’re doing right now.
NEWS: They're adding Trump's name to the Kennedy Center building right now. www.washingtonpost.com/entertainmen...
Kennedy Center adds Trump’s name to building
The signage change follows a vote by the board of trustees to rename the performing arts complex the Trump Kennedy Center.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 19, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Interesting to consider that if you were to go and deface the Kennedy center by removing Trump’s name, you’d be arrested and charged with a crime, but your act would be no more unlawful than what they’re doing right now.
Reposted by alex
But if we say, "You know you can't trust big tech. Maybe you should use AI that isn't so bad for the planet, or your job, and doesn't tell kids to kill themselves, and isn't owned by the worst people in the world. And it's coming soon." *They will listen.* The proof? You're here. On an alternative.
December 18, 2025 at 9:13 PM
But if we say, "You know you can't trust big tech. Maybe you should use AI that isn't so bad for the planet, or your job, and doesn't tell kids to kill themselves, and isn't owned by the worst people in the world. And it's coming soon." *They will listen.* The proof? You're here. On an alternative.
the human desire for pals is so intense we literally turned another animal into existing to be our buds
December 19, 2025 at 4:22 AM
the human desire for pals is so intense we literally turned another animal into existing to be our buds
Reposted by alex
it's so funny to watch the far right White House press pool try to bait Trump to say something nasty about Mamdani and every time he's just like "nah this guy rocks"
November 21, 2025 at 9:08 PM
it's so funny to watch the far right White House press pool try to bait Trump to say something nasty about Mamdani and every time he's just like "nah this guy rocks"
Reposted by alex
really funny thinking comparatively about how little trump was successfully charmed by elon or jd vance
November 21, 2025 at 9:34 PM
really funny thinking comparatively about how little trump was successfully charmed by elon or jd vance
Reposted by alex
"This woke Me-Too bullshit has gone too far," said the former Harvard President and Secretary of the U.S. Treasury to the billionaire pedophile sex trafficker in a private email that the Justice Department under both parties kept secret for years
November 13, 2025 at 1:46 AM
"This woke Me-Too bullshit has gone too far," said the former Harvard President and Secretary of the U.S. Treasury to the billionaire pedophile sex trafficker in a private email that the Justice Department under both parties kept secret for years
bluesky has the juice
November 5, 2025 at 3:35 AM
bluesky has the juice
Reposted by alex
big question of the night: why didnt NYC like the billionaire backed groper who killed their grandparents
November 5, 2025 at 3:17 AM
big question of the night: why didnt NYC like the billionaire backed groper who killed their grandparents
Reposted by alex
i haven't seen a capital one commercial in a while. maybe they could sneak one in between pitches here
November 2, 2025 at 3:28 AM
i haven't seen a capital one commercial in a while. maybe they could sneak one in between pitches here
Reposted by alex
Feel like, as a society, we might consider moving Halloween to the last Friday in October (observed.) Vibes truly immaculate tonight.
October 31, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Feel like, as a society, we might consider moving Halloween to the last Friday in October (observed.) Vibes truly immaculate tonight.
Reposted by alex
Interesting paper! When you ask people about the most important issue "facing the country," they often say immigration. But when you ask them about issues facing them personally, it doesn't crack the top 10.
This indicates that voters are reacting to media narratives, not their own experience.
This indicates that voters are reacting to media narratives, not their own experience.
October 31, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Interesting paper! When you ask people about the most important issue "facing the country," they often say immigration. But when you ask them about issues facing them personally, it doesn't crack the top 10.
This indicates that voters are reacting to media narratives, not their own experience.
This indicates that voters are reacting to media narratives, not their own experience.
Reposted by alex
"When history is written as it ought to be written, it is the moderation and long patience of the masses at which men will wonder, not their ferocity." - CLR James, "The Black Jacobins"
Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana blames SNAP recipients for not stockpiling a month's worth of food.
He ends his tweet with "stop smoking crack."
He ends his tweet with "stop smoking crack."
October 30, 2025 at 11:27 PM
"When history is written as it ought to be written, it is the moderation and long patience of the masses at which men will wonder, not their ferocity." - CLR James, "The Black Jacobins"
are the school kids in oshu still watching?
October 28, 2025 at 6:13 AM
are the school kids in oshu still watching?
Reposted by alex
their ducks: not even in a row. in disarray. shambles
our ducks: slowly arranging themselves into uncountable phalanxes
our ducks: slowly arranging themselves into uncountable phalanxes
Austin PD's statement was even more explicitly pro-protest, they literally thanked everyone for coming out lol
October 19, 2025 at 1:10 PM
their ducks: not even in a row. in disarray. shambles
our ducks: slowly arranging themselves into uncountable phalanxes
our ducks: slowly arranging themselves into uncountable phalanxes
Reposted by alex
Bari Weiss going from firebrand individual contributor to directly-accountable manager of a huge bureaucratic organization facing secular decline… gosh has anyone ever seen this movie before
October 6, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Bari Weiss going from firebrand individual contributor to directly-accountable manager of a huge bureaucratic organization facing secular decline… gosh has anyone ever seen this movie before
Reposted by alex
the person who published this is about to run CBS
October 2, 2025 at 11:06 PM
the person who published this is about to run CBS
Reposted by alex
The broadcasters here will do what the social platforms never had the courage to do - loudly state that they can make whatever programming decisions they want and the gov should stay out of it. This is because they are not also defense contractors :(
Kimmel is back, but many Americans won’t be able to watch.
Two companies — Nexstar and Sinclair — control hundreds of local TV stations and have business deals pending Donald Trump’s approval.
They won’t air Kimmel tonight.
I’m pressing for answers on potential corruption.
Two companies — Nexstar and Sinclair — control hundreds of local TV stations and have business deals pending Donald Trump’s approval.
They won’t air Kimmel tonight.
I’m pressing for answers on potential corruption.
September 24, 2025 at 12:00 AM
The broadcasters here will do what the social platforms never had the courage to do - loudly state that they can make whatever programming decisions they want and the gov should stay out of it. This is because they are not also defense contractors :(
Reposted by alex
Just a tiny leap from “broadcasters have to use their spectrum in Trump’s interests” to “AT&T and Verizon have to manage content on their wireless networks in Trump’s interests because they operate on public spectrum”
September 18, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Just a tiny leap from “broadcasters have to use their spectrum in Trump’s interests” to “AT&T and Verizon have to manage content on their wireless networks in Trump’s interests because they operate on public spectrum”
Reposted by alex
it ought to be interesting to see how everything shakes out
September 18, 2025 at 1:59 AM
it ought to be interesting to see how everything shakes out
Reposted by alex
what ezra doesn't seem willing to accept is that charlie kirk was part of a political movement that does not think that "we are going to have to live here with each other" and is fact very interested in the elimination and/or subjugation of many, many people
"All I can say for me in the work I do is that I want to create a space that takes our disagreements seriously, that takes the stakes of them seriously, the consequences for people seriously, but does so without deepening our divisions irreparably. We are going to have to live here with each other"
September 17, 2025 at 7:37 PM
what ezra doesn't seem willing to accept is that charlie kirk was part of a political movement that does not think that "we are going to have to live here with each other" and is fact very interested in the elimination and/or subjugation of many, many people
Reposted by alex
a question I often find myself asking these days: "are these the moves of a movement that feels that it's winning or one desperately afraid that it's about to lose everything?"
what we’ve seen from the right is the most insane case of cancel culture i’ve ever witnessed. the left has never even done close to a fraction of a fraction of what they want to do now
September 13, 2025 at 11:07 PM
a question I often find myself asking these days: "are these the moves of a movement that feels that it's winning or one desperately afraid that it's about to lose everything?"
Reposted by alex
Just to be blunt, if you want Wired and 404 and The Verge to employ reporters who understand the memes on bullet casings and can connect them to gaming culture while having the legal and support resources to deal with waves of harassment when we do it… you have to subscribe and pay for the work
the entire media ecosystem is just not built or ready for events like this and far right billionaires like larry ellison buying news orgs will only make this worse
September 12, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Just to be blunt, if you want Wired and 404 and The Verge to employ reporters who understand the memes on bullet casings and can connect them to gaming culture while having the legal and support resources to deal with waves of harassment when we do it… you have to subscribe and pay for the work
fucking hell
September 11, 2025 at 8:31 PM
fucking hell