Our weekly recap highlighting the best feature stories from around the internet.
Justin Theroux plays Kevin Garvey in The Leftovers. Photo: Facebook
How The Leftovers became watchable: the show didn't change – the world did – by Sady Doyle, The Guardian
“We live in a world where what’s “not allowed to happen” happens constantly. There have been more mass shootings in 2015 than there have been days in the year – so many that a 17-year-old girl, who has survived two in a month, can be described as a “veteran”. You’d be a fool not to hear hysteria creeping into the conversation …The Leftovers doesn’t feel over the top or depressing any more. It feels like being alive in 2015.”
Bret Easton Ellis on Living in the Cult of Likability – by Bret Easton Ellis, The New York Times
“The idea that everybody thinks they’re specialists with voices that deserve to be heard has actually made everyone’s voice less meaningful. All we’re doing is setting ourselves up to be sold to — to be branded, targeted and data-mined.”
There Once Was a Girl – by Katy Waldman, Slate
“During my eating disorder years, I dreaded the chaos I might unleash at any moment, my secret flaws irrupting in plain sight. Anorexia told me I was gross but promised me safety as soon as I attained some enchanted state of skinniness. My perfect body would be my charm against interior disaster, sheltering me from the storms of the Underworld, enfolding me in eternal summer.”
Are New Zealand’s Quotes of the Year Really All By Men? – by Alex Casey, The Spinoff
“It’s a shame people in the future won’t see the reality that, in 2015 and ALWAYS, there are just as many women pinging out zany one-liners or making important, breathtaking statements. The only difference is that no one making our very important lists seems to be paying any attention.”
Bitcoin’s Creator Satoshi Nakamoto Is Probably This Unknown Australian Genius – by Andy Greenberg and Gwern Branwen, Wired
“And despite a massive trove of evidence, we still can’t say with absolute certainty that the mystery is solved. But two possibilities outweigh all others: Either Wright invented bitcoin, or he’s a brilliant hoaxer who very badly wants us to believe he did.”
How Comedy Soared in 2015 – by David Sims, The Atlantic
“It can be safely said that 2015 was the year of the comedy auteur. TV networks took chances on a wider range of shows, Netflix became a new booster of the venerable one-hour stand-up special, and the free-wheeling world of podcasts continued to grow. As a result, talents that might formerly have been squeezed into formulaic sitcom or late-night boxes were given more room than ever to indulge their specific tastes. In the past, “indulgent” might have been a scary word for television executives. But so often in 2015 it was the exact opposite, fueling some of the most adventurous, hilarious, smart, and relevant comedy in recent years.”
