Joshua Rivera
@jmrivera.bsky.social
writer for hire. bylines at Vulture, Slate, The Ringer, and Vanity Fair. movies and tv and games and books and
Pinned
Joshua Rivera
@jmrivera.bsky.social
· Nov 25
Oh I never did an intro post. So:
I’m a writer interested in pop culture and how we make meaning from it. I was entertainment writer at polygon, and before that had stints at EW, GQ, and freelanced everywhere. Stories saved my life and I want to help people understand them, and each other, better.
I’m a writer interested in pop culture and how we make meaning from it. I was entertainment writer at polygon, and before that had stints at EW, GQ, and freelanced everywhere. Stories saved my life and I want to help people understand them, and each other, better.
Reposted by Joshua Rivera
A month shy of our 6 month anniversary (!), we're opening up freelance at Rogue.
We're a small business, but we want to help build a place where new writers can flourish.
[email protected]
Instructions below!
www.rogue.site/news/were-op...
We're a small business, but we want to help build a place where new writers can flourish.
[email protected]
Instructions below!
www.rogue.site/news/were-op...
We're opening up freelance opportunities at Rogue
Help us and our readers find some hidden gems!
www.rogue.site
February 3, 2026 at 10:47 PM
A month shy of our 6 month anniversary (!), we're opening up freelance at Rogue.
We're a small business, but we want to help build a place where new writers can flourish.
[email protected]
Instructions below!
www.rogue.site/news/were-op...
We're a small business, but we want to help build a place where new writers can flourish.
[email protected]
Instructions below!
www.rogue.site/news/were-op...
me: I need to figure out this essay today
my brain: what if instead you figured out three other essays you weren’t even thinking about writing
my brain: what if instead you figured out three other essays you weren’t even thinking about writing
February 3, 2026 at 10:18 PM
me: I need to figure out this essay today
my brain: what if instead you figured out three other essays you weren’t even thinking about writing
my brain: what if instead you figured out three other essays you weren’t even thinking about writing
Reposted by Joshua Rivera
jeffrey epstein's apparent association with the likes of bobby kotick, steve bannon, and peter thiel – and his fascination with game design as a means of controlling others – paint an unsettling picture
![If you’re not already seeing the pattern, it’s clear that Epstein and his associates saw games as mechanisms for profit, coercion, and control, a throughline that persists in his association with two key figures in Gamergate and the surrounding bedlam: Peter Thiel and Steve Bannon.
Based on available files, Epstein expressed interest in Thiel and his surveillance company, Palantir, as early as 2012, but correspondence between the two began in 2014. Then, in May 2016, Epstein messaged Thiel saying that he "would have gladly share[d] your expenses for the gawker suit" and invited him to dinner with Noam Chomsky, of all people (it is unclear if this dinner ever took place). That suit, of course, led to the collapse of Gawker Media and the sale of its many sites – of which Kotaku, a major Gamergate target (and the former employer of all five members of Aftermath’s core staff), was one. This would send ripples through the worlds of media and journalism for years to come, leading to a press defanged by the threat of legal annihilation.
The next month, shortly after the June 2016 referendum that kicked off Brexit, Epstein emailed Thiel, saying "brexit, just the beginning" and then, in response to Thiel asking what he meant, "return to tribalism. counter to globalization. amazing new alliances. you and I both agreed zero interest rates were too high, and as i said in your office. finding things on their way to collapse, was much easier than finding the next bargain."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:5gdejlhcswjbzraadoltdpps/bafkreiao37med33tdxi7743wqz627lyzzfpfl2istut75g64cl763k6xea@jpeg)
February 3, 2026 at 9:28 PM
jeffrey epstein's apparent association with the likes of bobby kotick, steve bannon, and peter thiel – and his fascination with game design as a means of controlling others – paint an unsettling picture
Reposted by Joshua Rivera
'dear jeffrey, so sorry to hear about your little hiccup. I hope this can all be cleared up and you can continue to enliven the life of your friends with your wit, intelligence, and collection of beautiful women! in unrelated news, I have a new project that needs funding ...'
I'm worried that the broader public isn't really understanding the Epstein Files. The problem isn't that everyone in the files is a secret pedophile, it's that all the people are corresponding with him because they *don't care that he's a pedophile*. It's a story of elite impunity.
You can look at the Epstein files and conclude that only bad people have billions of dollars, but I think it’s also possible that having billions of dollars cauterizes your humanity
February 3, 2026 at 7:29 PM
'dear jeffrey, so sorry to hear about your little hiccup. I hope this can all be cleared up and you can continue to enliven the life of your friends with your wit, intelligence, and collection of beautiful women! in unrelated news, I have a new project that needs funding ...'
I don’t get too loud about this because I really do understand how hard it is out there but I think the lack of a stigma around critics selling out has been pretty terrible for the field
in 2026, let's bring back the concept of "selling out" and once again make it contemptible
February 3, 2026 at 7:15 PM
I don’t get too loud about this because I really do understand how hard it is out there but I think the lack of a stigma around critics selling out has been pretty terrible for the field
Reposted by Joshua Rivera
had a really lovely time chatting about TCW, star trek: enterprise and how a culture only does That if it's very, very sick
Video Interview: Mattie Lubchansky and Clayton Ashley on the STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE podcast TEMPORAL CULTURE WAR
Comics Beat Star Trek team members Avery Kaplan and Ollie Kaplan interview Mattie Lubchansky and Clayton Ashley on Temporal Culture War.
Comics Beat Star Trek team members Avery Kaplan and Ollie Kaplan interview Mattie Lubchansky and Clayton Ashley on Temporal Culture War.
Video Interview: Mattie Lubchansky and Clayton Ashley on the STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE podcast TEMPORAL CULTURE WAR
Comics Beat Star Trek team members Avery Kaplan and Ollie Kaplan interview Mattie Lubchansky and Clayton Ashley on Temporal Culture War.
www.comicsbeat.com
February 3, 2026 at 4:18 PM
had a really lovely time chatting about TCW, star trek: enterprise and how a culture only does That if it's very, very sick
Reposted by Joshua Rivera
A tough one to sit with--but we must--is that some people's ability to make good art in part derived from, or was protected by, the fact that they were enabling or doing terrible things. See also: We Need to Talk about Cosby doc. Even more troubling on this score: Read deep reporting on Alice Munro
"actually his stuff was very Derivative and not Original" like, you don't have to do this. it is good for us all to sit with the cognitive dissonance that a very bad person can make very good art. it is good for us to work through the moral ramifications of that.
February 3, 2026 at 5:55 PM
A tough one to sit with--but we must--is that some people's ability to make good art in part derived from, or was protected by, the fact that they were enabling or doing terrible things. See also: We Need to Talk about Cosby doc. Even more troubling on this score: Read deep reporting on Alice Munro
yeah this x100. I also think there’s a well-meaning desire to purge them from the record that is just as misguided. For example: You don’t have to canonize sandman anymore, but a huge swathe of comics history doesn’t make sense if you pretend it never held the position it did.
"actually his stuff was very Derivative and not Original" like, you don't have to do this. it is good for us all to sit with the cognitive dissonance that a very bad person can make very good art. it is good for us to work through the moral ramifications of that.
February 3, 2026 at 6:12 PM
yeah this x100. I also think there’s a well-meaning desire to purge them from the record that is just as misguided. For example: You don’t have to canonize sandman anymore, but a huge swathe of comics history doesn’t make sense if you pretend it never held the position it did.
wonder man the rare genre thing that gets funnier as it goes, the scene where Simon and Trevor pull over to read script pages in the middle of a chase killed me
February 3, 2026 at 5:52 PM
wonder man the rare genre thing that gets funnier as it goes, the scene where Simon and Trevor pull over to read script pages in the middle of a chase killed me
Reposted by Joshua Rivera
this is probably a losing battle but like, the articles you read are written by people, not the website.
people can write good things for websites you don’t like and bad things for websites you enjoy.
people can write good things for websites you don’t like and bad things for websites you enjoy.
February 3, 2026 at 5:48 PM
this is probably a losing battle but like, the articles you read are written by people, not the website.
people can write good things for websites you don’t like and bad things for websites you enjoy.
people can write good things for websites you don’t like and bad things for websites you enjoy.
I keep getting hiring notifications for freelance job listings and…if the position is freelance…are you really hiring
February 3, 2026 at 5:26 PM
I keep getting hiring notifications for freelance job listings and…if the position is freelance…are you really hiring
I don’t care for this new Kermit
February 3, 2026 at 4:41 PM
I don’t care for this new Kermit
Reposted by Joshua Rivera
people installing this at work is an inevitable consequence of checkbox based security and compliance over values and mindset
1Password not mincing words here:
"If you are experimenting with OpenClaw, do not do it on a company device. Full stop."
"If you have already run OpenClaw on a work device, treat it as a potential incident and engage your security team immediately."
1password.com/blog/from-ma...
"If you are experimenting with OpenClaw, do not do it on a company device. Full stop."
"If you have already run OpenClaw on a work device, treat it as a potential incident and engage your security team immediately."
1password.com/blog/from-ma...
From magic to malware: How OpenClaw's agent skills become an attack surface | 1Password
The same capabilities that make OpenClaw a groundbreaking tool also make it an urgent security risk. This blog contains confirmed examples of agent skills being used as malware vectors, and advice on ...
1password.com
February 3, 2026 at 4:22 PM
people installing this at work is an inevitable consequence of checkbox based security and compliance over values and mindset
Reposted by Joshua Rivera
Emerging from post-Sundance hibernation to declare: I'm on the lookout for a new full-time job. Seeking Chicago-based or remote editing and writing opportunities—don't have to be in the field; I'm extremely open to copywriting, technical writing, marketing stuff, etc. Email and portfolio in profile.
February 3, 2026 at 4:25 PM
Emerging from post-Sundance hibernation to declare: I'm on the lookout for a new full-time job. Seeking Chicago-based or remote editing and writing opportunities—don't have to be in the field; I'm extremely open to copywriting, technical writing, marketing stuff, etc. Email and portfolio in profile.
man….completely forgot the fight over his tax returns….feelin a hundred years old rn
Epstein to Peter Thiel - August 2016: "donalds new york supporters concerned, . we can talk if you like. he cannot release his tax returns so what are his options?"
February 3, 2026 at 4:03 PM
man….completely forgot the fight over his tax returns….feelin a hundred years old rn
Reposted by Joshua Rivera
PCMag is now hiring for TWO roles. The first is for a Writer to cover mobile, and the second is for a Senior Writer to cover mobile.
This is the Writer job:
www.ziffdavis.com/careers/jobs...
This is the Senior Writer job:
www.ziffdavis.com/careers/jobs...
This is the Writer job:
www.ziffdavis.com/careers/jobs...
This is the Senior Writer job:
www.ziffdavis.com/careers/jobs...
Search Jobs - Ziff Davis
We hire only the best and brightest because we know it takes great people to make a great company. We embrace the power of collaboration, have an entrepreneurial spirit and promote a work environment ...
www.ziffdavis.com
February 3, 2026 at 2:40 PM
PCMag is now hiring for TWO roles. The first is for a Writer to cover mobile, and the second is for a Senior Writer to cover mobile.
This is the Writer job:
www.ziffdavis.com/careers/jobs...
This is the Senior Writer job:
www.ziffdavis.com/careers/jobs...
This is the Writer job:
www.ziffdavis.com/careers/jobs...
This is the Senior Writer job:
www.ziffdavis.com/careers/jobs...
Reposted by Joshua Rivera
Dads love to make movies about the beautiful transcendence of parenthood. Moms prefer to tell the truth (it stinks)
February 3, 2026 at 4:01 AM
Dads love to make movies about the beautiful transcendence of parenthood. Moms prefer to tell the truth (it stinks)
Reposted by Joshua Rivera
furthermore, fuck Neil Gaiman
In Neil Gaiman’s “I did nothing wrong ever” statement he says there’s been no good journalism about him or his assaults. There has been, of course.
Thing is, he said the same thing in 2018 when @moryan.bsky.social reported on issues behind the scenes on American Gods www.moryan.com/a-burn-it-do...
Thing is, he said the same thing in 2018 when @moryan.bsky.social reported on issues behind the scenes on American Gods www.moryan.com/a-burn-it-do...
A Burn It Down video extravaganza, and thoughts on Neil Gaiman, creative gods, American Gods and rotten pedestals
Hello!
Chicago folks, on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at 7 p.m., I’ll be in conversation with my friend Steve Darnall at The Book Cellar in Chicago. The occasion is the reissue of Uncle Sam, a brilliant graph...
www.moryan.com
February 3, 2026 at 1:24 AM
furthermore, fuck Neil Gaiman
the substacker claiming to vindicate Neil Gaiman begins their report with a long diatribe against social media invective which is traditionally how all good investigative reporting starts
February 2, 2026 at 9:13 PM
the substacker claiming to vindicate Neil Gaiman begins their report with a long diatribe against social media invective which is traditionally how all good investigative reporting starts
an incredibly thorough consideration of Gaiman and Sandman, well worth reading
Hugo eligibility post!
“The Cuddled Little Vice,” my book-length essay on the poison legacy of Sandman, is eligible for Best Related Work.
“The Cuddled Little Vice,” my book-length essay on the poison legacy of Sandman, is eligible for Best Related Work.
The Cuddled Little Vice (Sandman)
Previously in The Last War in Albion: Alan Moore wrote Watchmen, which, for complicated reasons involving William S. Burroughs and the weak nuclear force, ended the Cold War and replaced it with a mag...
www.eruditorumpress.com
February 2, 2026 at 7:56 PM
an incredibly thorough consideration of Gaiman and Sandman, well worth reading
Reposted by Joshua Rivera
Bruno Mars, my favorite of the Bruno Scouts
February 2, 2026 at 2:51 AM
Bruno Mars, my favorite of the Bruno Scouts
gonna bring back dabbing but only for sad stuff. 21 dab salute for funerals
February 2, 2026 at 6:31 PM
gonna bring back dabbing but only for sad stuff. 21 dab salute for funerals
Remarkable work here
New Stop Caring article is live.
@aglhrm.bsky.social returns to the site, blessing us with an essay on Dragon Quest VII, gnosticism, and the secularization of game mechanics.
Really riveting read, was an absolute pleasure to read and edit.
@aglhrm.bsky.social returns to the site, blessing us with an essay on Dragon Quest VII, gnosticism, and the secularization of game mechanics.
Really riveting read, was an absolute pleasure to read and edit.
God Won't Forgive You For Following His Will
The secularization of Dragon Quest.
www.stopcar.ing
February 2, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Remarkable work here
This is measured and thoughtful and kind of articulates my concerns with this
While Dragon Quest VII Reimagined still encapsulates much of what makes Dragon Quest VII resonant, efforts to streamline the adventure succeed at the expense of player discovery. Our review: https://www.rpgsite.net/review/19437-dragon-quest-vii-reimagined-review
February 2, 2026 at 4:35 PM
This is measured and thoughtful and kind of articulates my concerns with this
was doing research for a project on the right-wing/manosphere overlap and I learned that there are guys who advocate for wearing a Rolex as a tactical bargaining chip in case they get mugged.
like they are literally doing the John Mulaney street smarts moneyclip thing
like they are literally doing the John Mulaney street smarts moneyclip thing
February 2, 2026 at 3:52 PM
was doing research for a project on the right-wing/manosphere overlap and I learned that there are guys who advocate for wearing a Rolex as a tactical bargaining chip in case they get mugged.
like they are literally doing the John Mulaney street smarts moneyclip thing
like they are literally doing the John Mulaney street smarts moneyclip thing