4 new york | march 16–29, 2020
LSend^ correspondence^ to^ [email protected].^
Or go to nymag.com to respond to individual stories.Comments1 Days^ before^ Mike^ Bloomberg^ aban-
doned his $6 million-a-day presiden-
tial bid and endorsed Joe Biden, Vanessa
Grigoriadis wrote an in-depth examination
of his quixotic campaign (“Nevertheless,
He Persists,” March 2– 15 ). In an interview
with Bloomberg spokesperson Sabrina
Singh, CNN’s Brian Stelter asked, “Look at
the New York Magazine cover that’s coming
out tomorrow: It says, ‘He’s Buying.’ Do you
think this message that he’s the one spend-
ing all this money, is it damaging, is it bad
for your candidate?” Singh replied, “Mike is
his only donor. He doesn’t take money from
anyone. And so the money he is spending is
the money he has earned and the money we
are putting out on-air. We also got into this
race late ... We have a lot of time to catch up
to all the other candidates who have been
running for a year, a year and a half plus.”
Others saw the big spending as a bad sign
for democracy. Amy Siskind tweeted,
“Seems like this money and desire could be
better harnessed behind other candidates at
all levels.” Commenter Newcavendish
agreed: “I see lots of ego and no altruism
in Bloomberg’s disillusionary billionaire
fantasy campaign.”2 Malcolm Harris went inside^ a^ private^
meeting held by Shell, unveiling how
fossil-fuel companies are planning on prof-
iting from climate change (“Shell Is Look-
ing Forward,” March 2–15). @marinaylou
wrote, “This story left me on the edge of my
seat—a blockbuster of scenario geeks.”
@schererforever saw a parallel to Silicon
Valley: “This is similar to the tech bros
claiming they themselves will fix the prob-
lems their products and companies have
unleashed on society.” Climate-changeactivists read the piece as a confirmation
of their suspicions about the fossil-fuel
industry. Melanie Mattauch of the
climate- justice organization 350.org
wrote, “Despite all the rhetoric in public,
on the inside Shell’s chief economist leaves
no room for interpretation when he says,
‘We’re going to get as much out of [oil and
gas] for as long as we can.’ Shell and other
fossil-fuel majors like BP and Exxon have
no intention whatsoever to stop pushing
the world into climate breakdown as long
as there is money to be made.”3 In^ “The^ Congresswoman^ From^ Cali-
fornia,” Caitlin Moscatello charted
Katie Hill’s dramatic rise and fall (March
2–15). When it was first published online,
many right-wing outlets picked up the arti-
cle, using it as an opportunity to scold the
left for protecting one of its own—a substan-
tial number of online readers came from the
Drudge Report. But readers of the story also
praised the nuance of Moscatello’s report-
ing. Medium’s Andrea González-Ramírez
wrote, “Women’s media often falls to
empty rah-rah empowerment (I’ve been
there!) but this ... profile on Katie Hill
swiftly avoids that trap. Here Hill is shown
as complicated subject, who is offered
a healthy mix of skepticism and empa-
thy.” Nick Baumann added, “I was really
impressed with how this piece shows real
compassion without letting anyone off the
hook for their actions.”4 Fran Drescher appeared on the^ cover^ of^
the Cut’s “Spring Fashion” issue (“The
Joy of Fran,” March 2–15). Of Matthew
Schneier’s profile, Elaine Lui of Lainey Gos-
sip wrote, “What I stan the most is that eventhough The Nanny was an undeniable tele-
vision hit, Fran^ Drescher’s^ greatest export
isn’t the show, it was in refusing to be any-
one other than Fran Drescher. And, as Mat-
thew Schneier writes, there were a lot of
people who told her not to be Fr an Drescher.”
@literElly said, “Growing up watching Fran
I was like ‘oh wow, that’s COOL, there’s a
loud obnoxious Jewish woman on my
screen and people LIKE her and she’s a
hit’ it was very good for my self esteem
and hopes and dreams.” HuffPost’s Matt
Jacobs added, “It’s increasingly rare to
read a celebrity profile in which the
celebrity doesn’t feel burdened by fame,
which makes this ... story all the more
enchanting.”5 Elsewhere in the fashion^ issue, Molly
Fischer investigated the ubiquity of the
“millennial aesthetic” and asked when it will
come to an end (“The Tyranny of Terrazzo,”
March 2–15). Visual designer Taylor Jane
Roy added, “I will be rereading this once a
week until the millennial aesthetic anti-
quates (if ever).” @ian_eck elaborated:
“I think the success of clean & simple digital
UIs in the early 2000s led to a fetishization
of that aesthetic (both online and IRL) in
the 2010s. Every product/lifestyle brand
mimicked Apple as a ploy for legitimacy.”
Others saw their own surroundings impli-
cated by the essay: The New York Times’
Amanda Hess joked, “Molly, get out of my
house,” and NPR’s Serena McMahon tweet-
ed, “So uh, when were you in my apart-
ment?” The Atlantic’s Amanda Mull was
already prepping for the end of the era:
“I can’t wait until clutter comes back.”YOUawhite (^) A WbaskeALK roomtlike BENEA. lampTHhangs a white overhead;molded (^) other archwalamps, y. Youglobes’veentered of brass (^)
designsandboxy^ ,^ glass,padded. Circles^ glow^ w^ inearby ofth fadedan^. assorBe terratmentfore-cot^ you^ ofta^ isand^ pillows^ a^ couch, pale^ yellow;in^ neamutedtly mintgeometrictuf^ ted-green^ and^
anddotsnougatmustard (^) —aha of. theThose (^) cof confe (^) feearetti; tab boobs white,le,a. g (^) Youlwithass blacklook (^) tray trimmedhalf (^) down-circles. Upon in brass andthe (^). terrtwoIt azzolittleholds (^)
apink(spinessucculent (^) label organized. in (^) Afiddle a lumpy (^) byleaf- color), cer figamic somea poster pot,where aadvises scented loomsyou cand (^). Above tole work witha bookshelf a mahardtte & -
bejunglearched nice l (^) eaf,alcove, to tilting people atop from (^) a. Inmarble a (^) pinkthefar (^) plinthcer corneramic: tubeone, within. lonelyYou thesense , giant shrine—car (^) in (^) a oftoon wa any (^)
youordercould (^) foam neither mattress artic someulatewhere nor (^) close explain at— handthe presence. ofa mail-
THE CUT | MARCH 2 – 15 , 2020 52
Theof TER TYRRAZZOANNY
BY Molly Fischer
Will the
MILLENNIAL
AESTHETIC
EVER END?
ILLUSTRATION BY Fala Atelier
March 2 – 15 , 2020
®
He’s Buying.
InsideMike Bloomberg’s
$6spoiler million-a-day campaign.
By Vanessa Grigoriadis
By CaMoscatielloitln HaBy Malcorisrlm Also:The Congresswoman, the Throuple, the Aftermath flip over for the cut special issue / Spying on Shell’s Climate Rebrand
MARCH 2–15, 2020
Fran!PLUS:
Power SoufflésMiracle Lights
Melting Gowns Tired Bras
Trophy BooksBanana Heels
The Beveling of the Millennial Brainand^
TRANSMITTED
____ COPY DD AD PD EIC
0620FOB_Comments_lay [Print]_36887516.indd 4 3/13/20 3:48 PM
4 newyork| march16–29, 2020
[email protected].
Orgo tonymag.comtorespondtoindividualstories.
Comments
1 DaysbeforeMikeBloombergaban-
donedhis$6million-a-daypresiden-
tialbidandendorsedJoeBiden,Vanessa
Grigoriadiswroteanin-depthexamination
ofhisquixoticcampaign(“Nevertheless,
HePersists,”March2– 15 ). Inaninterview
withBloombergspokespersonSabrina
Singh,CNN’s BrianStelterasked,“Lookat
theNewYorkMagazinecoverthat’scoming
outtomorrow:It says,‘He’sBuying.’ Doyou
thinkthismessagethat he’s theonespend-
ingallthismoney, is it damaging,is it bad
foryourcandidate?”Singhreplied,“Mikeis
hisonlydonor.He doesn’t take money from
anyone.Andsothemoney heis spendingis
themoneyhehasearnedandthemoney we
areputtingouton-air. We alsogotintothis
racelate ...We havea lotoftimetocatchup
toalltheothercandidateswhohavebeen
runningfora year,a yearanda halfplus.”
Otherssawthebigspendingasa badsign
for democracy. Amy Siskind tweeted,
“Seemslikethismoney anddesirecouldbe
betterharnessedbehindothercandidatesat
all levels.” Commenter Newcavendish
agreed:“Iseelotsofegoandnoaltruism
inBloomberg’sdisillusionary billionaire
fantasycampaign.”
2 Malcolm Harris went insidea private
meeting held by Shell, unveilinghow
fossil-fuel companies are planningonprof-
iting from climate change (“ShellIsLook-
ing Forward,” March 2–15). @marinaylou
wrote, “This story left me on the edgeofmy
seat—a blockbuster of scenariogeeks.”
@ icon
Va bros
cla rob-
lems their products and companieshave
unleashed on society.” Climate-change
activistsreadthepieceasa confirmation
oftheirsuspicionsaboutthefossil-fuel
industry. Melanie Mattauch of the
climate-justice organization 350.org
wrote,“Despitealltherhetoricin public,
ontheinsideShell’s chief economist leaves
noroomforinterpretationwhenhesays,
‘We’regoingtogetasmuchoutof[oiland
gas]foraslongaswecan.’Shellandother
fossil-fuelmajorslike BPandExxonhave
nointentionwhatsoevertostoppushing
theworldintoclimatebreakdownaslong
asthereismoneytobemade.”
3 In“TheCongresswomanFromCali-
fornia,”CaitlinMoscatellocharted
KatieHill’sdramaticriseandfall(March
2–15).Whenit wasfirstpublishedonline,
manyright-wingoutlets pickedupthearti-
cle,usingit asanopportunity toscoldthe
left forprotectingoneof itsown—asubstan-
tialnumberof onlinereaderscamefromthe
DrudgeReport. Butreadersof thestoryalso
praisedthenuanceofMoscatello’sreport-
ing.Medium’s AndreaGonzález-Ramírez
wrote,“Women’smediaoftenfallsto
emptyrah-rahempowerment(I’ve been
there!)butthis...profileonKatieHill
swiftlyavoidsthattrap.HereHillisshown
ascomplicatedsubject,whoisoffered
a healthymixofskepticismandempa-
thy.”NickBaumannadded,“Iwasreally
impressedwithhowthispieceshowsreal
compassionwithoutlettinganyoneoff the
hookfortheiractions.”
4 Fran r appeared on thecoverof
the C ring Fashion” issue(“The
Joy of Fr arch 2–15). OfMatthew
Schneier’s profile, Elaine Lui of LaineyGos-
sip wrote, “What I stan the most isthat even
thoughTheNannywasanundeniable tele-
visionhit,FranDrescher’sgreatest export
isn’ttheshow, itwasinrefusing to be any-
oneotherthanFranDrescher.And, as Mat-
thewSchneierwrites,therewerea lot of
peoplewhotoldhernotto beFr an Drescher.”
@literEllysaid,“Growing up watching Fran
I waslike‘ohwow, that’s COOL, there’s a
loudobnoxiousJewish womanon my
screenandpeopleLIKE her and she’s a
hit’ it was very good for my selfesteem
and hopes and dreams.” HuffPost’s Matt
Jacobs added, “It’s increasinglyrare to
read a celebrity profile in which the
celebrity doesn’t feel burdened by fame,
which makes this ... story all the more
enchanting.”
5 Elsewhere in the fashion^ issue, Molly
Fischer investigated the ubiquity of the
“millennial aesthetic” and asked when it will
come to an end (“The Tyranny of Terrazzo,”
March 2–15). Visual designer Taylor Jane
Roy added, “I will be rereading this once a
week until the millennial aesthetic anti-
quates (if ever).” @ian_eck elaborated:
“I think the success of clean & simple digital
UIs in the early 2000s led to a fetishization
of that aesthetic (both online andIRL) in
the 2010s. Every product/lifestyle brand
mimicked Apple as a ploy for legitimacy.”
Others saw their own surroundings impli-
cated by the essay: The New York Times’
Amanda Hess joked, “Molly, get out of my
house,” and NPR’s Serena McMahon tweet-
ed, “So uh, when were you in my apart-
ment?” The Atlantic’s Amanda Mull was
already prepping for the end of the era:
“I can’t wait until clutter comes back.”
a whiteYOUA baskeWroomALKtlikeBENEAlampTHhangsa whiteoverhead;moldedotherarchwalamps,y Youglobesveenteredofbrass
designsandboxy, paddedglass,CirclesglowwofnearbythfadedanassorBeterraforetmentcotyoutaofisandpillowsa couch,paleinyellow;mutedneatlyminttufgeometrictedgreenand
dotsandnougatmustardahaoftheThoseconfecoffeetti;aretabboobswhite,e, a g asswithYoutrayblacklookdowntrimmedhalfcirclesUponn brassandthetwoIt hoterrazzolittleds
(spinesa succulentpinklabelorganizedA fiddleina lumpybyleafcolor),cerfigamicsomea posterpot,wherea scentedadvisesloomscandyouAbovetoe withworka bookshelfa mahardtte&
archedbejungleniceeaf,alcove,totiltingpeopleatopfroma marbleIna pinkthefarplinthcercorneramictubeone, withinlonelyYouthe, giantsenseshrinecarina waoftoonany
youordercouldfoamneithermattressarticsomeulatewherenorexplaincloseat handthepresenceofa mal
52
TheofTERTYRRAZZOANNY
BYMolly F scher
Will the
MILLENNIAL
AESTHETIC
EVER END?
ILLUSTRATION BY Fala Atelier
March 2152020
®
He’sBuying.
InsideMikeBloomberg’s
$6spoilermillion-a-daycampaign.
ByVanessaGrigoriadis
Also: The Congresswoman, the Throuple, the Aftermathflip over for the cut special issue / Spying on Shell’s Climate Rebrand
MARCH 2–15, 2020
Fran!PLUS
Power SoufflésMiracle Lights
Melting Gowns Tired Bras
Trophy BooksBanana Heels
The Beveling of the Millennial Brainand^