The Present Age

Share this post
The Present Age Weekly Recap: June 24, 2022
www.readtpa.com
TPA Weekly Recap

The Present Age Weekly Recap: June 24, 2022

Anonymity, Tucker Carlson, and Chris Geidner

Parker Molloy
Jun 24, 2022
11
Share this post
The Present Age Weekly Recap: June 24, 2022
www.readtpa.com

Welcome to the weekly recap. In this post, I’ll be linking to my work from the week, sharing some stories from others I thought were interesting, and providing a few casual thoughts on [gestures at everything]. If you’d like to receive this weekly email ONLY, please go to your account page and under “Email notifications” uncheck every box except “TPA Weekly Recap.” If you don’t want to receive the weekly recap, leave all boxes except “TPA Weekly Recap” checked.


The Present Age is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a subscriber.


On Monday, I wrote about anonymity on the internet, and why you should be skeptical about who people say they are. 

The Present Age
On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog
Back in 2014, right-wing trolls on 4chan came up with an idea: #EndFathersDay To be clear, they didn’t actually want to “end” Father’s Day. Rather, they wanted people to think that feminists wanted to “end” Father’s Day. Their plan was simple: create a bunch of fake, feminist-looking Twitter accounts, flood the internet with tweets calling for the aboli…
Read more
7 months ago · 40 likes · 6 comments · Parker Molloy

On Thursday, I wrote about what happens when someone like Tucker Carlson puts a target on your back.

The Present Age
Tucker Carlson: king of cancel culture
I’d like to open today’s newsletter with something I saw yesterday on Twitter. Journalist Hunter Walker, who runs the currently-on-hiatus newsletter The Uprising and has recently done a lot of important reporting about the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol for New York Magazine and Rolling Stone, returned from a Twitter break to find a whole bunch of angry messages…
Read more
7 months ago · 15 likes · Parker Molloy

Also on Thursday, I was on a CBC podcast talking about the rising anti-LGBTQ sentiment that's sweeping the US.

Twitter avatar for @FrontBurnerCBC
Front Burner @FrontBurnerCBC
“It's about their overriding sense that LGBTQ people should not exist in society as we currently do.” As violent threats loom over Pride month, @ParkerMolloy breaks down the recent anti-LGBTQ messages from right-wing politicians and media in the U.S.: cbc.ca/1.6498417
Image
12:00 PM ∙ Jun 23, 2022
42Likes14Retweets


New semi-regular Friday feature: the launchpad

As people launch new newsletters, I want to try to feature some of my favorites. This week, instead of a list of things I’m reading, I’ve got the first installment of what will hopefully become a semi-regular feature in these weekly recaps.

Today’s guest is legal expert Chris Geidner, who launched a Substack just a few days ago. With today’s Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, you’ll certainly want to subscribe, which you can do here:

Chris Geidner's Newsletter

The Supreme Court, law, politics, and more. Law Dork, for a different time.

PARKER MOLLOY, THE PRESENT AGE: Chris! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer some questions about your new newsletter. I've been a reader of your work dating back to your "Law Dork" blog, and after that, your work at BuzzFeed covering LGBTQ issues. But for those of us who aren't long-time Chris Geidner superfans, can you tell me a little bit about your background and what people can expect from your newsletter?

CHRIS GEIDNER, CHRIS GEIDNER’S NEWSLETTER: Thanks, Parker, for reaching out! Yes, people should definitely check out my About page for the long version, but the short version is pretty simple and comes back to Law Dork. Nineteen years ago, I started my blog while in law school. Since then, I've gone on a wild journalism journey, from covering the national legal fight for marriage equality and LGBTQ employment protections to breaking news on actions (or inaction) from all branches of our government, and learned so much from so many great mentors and colleagues. Now, in what is a really important time for the country, it felt like it was also a good, full-circle time for me to return to independent writing — this time as a career.

TPA: Do you have a strategy in mind as far as post frequency is concerned? And how much do you plan on making available for free vs. paid?

GEIDNER: Good question! The news cycle will determine some of the frequency questions — and my Junes are always busy because of end-of-the-term Supreme Court decisions — but, once we are done with decisions, I'm planning to get into a practice of three posts a week on average. And, I am planning for most of my content to be free, because I think it's important that my most important writing be available to everyone. That said, I have talked with some other newsletter folks about what they do, and I'm planning to have a recurring feature — something that might not be top-of-the-news but that definitely would be of interest to the type of people who, say, eagerly want Law Dork back and even want Law Dork merch — that goes only to paid subscribers. 

TPA: What makes this the right moment for you to make this jump?

GEIDNER: It's an important time. As I've discussed at the newsletter already, an end to Roe v. Wade would upend people's lives — and make a lot of government very complicated in the coming months. Other moves from the court — on guns, religion, criminal law, and elswhere — could similarly upend our country. I know how to cover such fast-moving, multi-state, multi-governmental developments, and I decided that, if there would ever be a time for me to give myself freedom to tell those stories as I see fit, it would be now. 

Chris Geidner's Newsletter
A lot is happening
There will be news. As we enter Summer 2022, that seems to be one of the few things that I’d be willing to bet on. As the 6-3 conservative — and ever-more-reactionary five-justice majority — Supreme Court nears the end of its term and the January 6 Committee…
Read more
7 months ago · 13 likes · 2 comments · Chris Geidner

TPA: As you note on your newsletter's About page, you've interviewed some big names, including Obama. Who is one person you'd like to interview for your newsletter, and what would you ask them?

GEIDNER: I'll give you two sets of answers here. First, I've not interviewed any justices yet, so, if any are reading, I'm available. Second, and less specific but just as important, I want to be interviewing and talking with the people who have to live with the justices' decisions. Some of my favorite — oh, I see the next question. 

TPA: What are 3 of your favorite stories you've written?

GEIDNER: Some of my favorite stories have been the chances I've had to profile plaintiffs in cases. Spending time with Jim Obergefell in Cincinnati and Edie Windsor in Manhattan to tell their stories have been humbling highlights of my career. I also love opportunities to dive into history to tell a story that people might not know that, nonetheless, is important for them to know. I think my best example of that was my story about how Nancy Reagan turned down the request for help from Rock Hudson, who had AIDS, when he was seeking experimental treatment in France. I also had big stories in a similar vein about the 25th Amendment and the Defense of Marriage Act.

Chris Geidner's Newsletter
Clarence Thomas's time machine
It’s been a Supreme Court-heavy day, with the court having released four decisions on Thursday — see my Twitter thread here — and releasing one or more decisions of the nine cases remaining on Friday. It is not, however, expected to be the last day of opinions, so we will almost certainly be getting some of those nine opinions next week as well…
Read more
7 months ago · 1 like · Chris Geidner

TPA: Do you read a lot of newsletters? Any personal favorites you'd like me to link here?

GEIDNER: I dabble! I subscribe to several newsletters, but I'll just highlight these two very different newsletters: I love Hunter Harris's newsletter! It's smart and fun, and I'm always eager to open it! Luppe Luppen's Pawprints — in a more Law Dork vein — is also great. I love when he dives deep into something interesting that others have missed or didn't find. 

TPA: Why'd you go with Substack instead of Revue, Bulletin, Patreon, or something else?

GEIDNER: Honestly, that's where I see most people — and the people at Substack were helpful in getting me set up.

TPA: Anything you'd like to add? Anything you'd like to plug? Anything you wanted me to ask that I didn't? 

GEIDNER: I don't think so! This — like most things in life — is a bit of an experiment for me, so I just encourage people to join me by subscribing and let's figure this out together! Thanks again for reaching out, Parker!


That’s it for this week. I know that with the Roe decision, a lot of people are feeling justifiably angry, frustrated, sad, helpless, etc. It’s a scary time right now, and I’d be lying if I said that I was confident that things would work out okay. The Supreme Court has taken an extreme turn, and I don’t see that getting much better. I don’t know what to do.

The Supreme Court majority has made clear that it is a right-wing tool to advance a Christian Nationalist agenda in this country, and it will not stop with abortion. In the coming years, they will chip away at the rights of anyone who does not fit into their little box. That is why it’s more important than ever that we support each other right now. I wish I had happier words to add here.

Share this post
The Present Age Weekly Recap: June 24, 2022
www.readtpa.com
Comments
TopNewCommunity

No posts

Ready for more?

© 2023 Parker Molloy
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great writing