Very Online

Very Online: You Can’t Escape Death on TikTok

The TikTok logo and the words, “death becomes inescapable.”
by Rachel Charlene Lewis
October 22, 2020 at 1:00am
We’re still learning what to do with death, both online and off.
Three hands hold up blue makeup sponges.

Very Online: Biden Beauty and the Presidential Merch Wars

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
October 2, 2020 at 10:44am
Biden Beauty feels to me like less of an investment in Biden himself than the result of a nagging uncertainty. Read more »
Ruth Bader Ginsburg wears glasses. A crown is pasted on her head. The text reads “unfortunately symbolic.”

Very Online: Distilling RBG into a Meme Warps Her Legacy

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
September 25, 2020 at 9:04am
In death, the memeification of Ginsburg fails her. Read more »
A black box that reads, “Yes, it’s performative.”

Very Online: Inside the Endless Post-Police Brutality Loop

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
September 11, 2020 at 1:15pm
We continue treading the same digital footsteps, hoping that, maybe, this time, it’ll make a difference. Read more »
Three women wear the same bucket hat.

Very Online: Quarantine Is Changing Influencer Culture. Will It Last?

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
August 27, 2020 at 9:18am
In quarantine, influencer marketing is being tossed into harsher light. Read more »
An apple with the text, “what I eat in a day.”

Very Online: TikTok Has Embraced Pro-Eating Disorder Content in Quarantine

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
August 7, 2020 at 12:28pm
TikTok itself is also encouraging this behavior by promoting ads that encourage weight loss. Read more »
Three Black people use their phones. The words “Twitter is ant-Black” are overlaid.

Very Online: Twitter is a Salve for Black People. It’s Also Anti-Black.

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
July 29, 2020 at 11:47am
What does Twitter’s commitment to Black people actually look like, and what is the impact when Twitter fails Black users? Read more »
Hunter Schafer, a white trans teen girl with blond hair and sparkly makeup, as Jules.

Very Online: Why Are “Euphoria” Viewers So Desperate to Paint Jules as the Villain?

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
July 10, 2020 at 12:30pm
The desperate desire to paint Jules as a villain is thinily veiled transphobia. Read more »
A white woman reads a book. The text next to her reads, “I’m tired of white people ‘trying.’”

Very Online: Anti-Racist Readers Are Plaguing the DMs of Black People

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
June 26, 2020 at 10:53am
We’re in the time of the online anti-racism book club. Read more »
A Black woman holds a book. The text overlay reads: They paid you how much?

Very Online: The Literary World May Never Recover from #PublishingPaidMe

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
June 12, 2020 at 12:45pm
For Black writers, Twitter acts as a guiding force. Read more »
A margarita with the words “urge to escape.”

Very Online: Wine Memes Are Taking over during Quarantine, and They’re Targeting Women

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
May 22, 2020 at 11:03am
It’s not cute and relatable for a brand to keep pushing women toward alcohol during a pandemic. Read more »

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