38 Comments
User's avatar
Rachel Karten's avatar

have been thinking about this a lot—and remember feeling very disturbed seeing a writer apologize for all of the “spam” in the chat with no other acknowledgment of what those messages were about. appreciate you putting words to it.

Expand full comment
lala thaddeus's avatar

This! And it’s been going on since day 1 — I can’t tell you the number of Americans I know who “prioritised their mental health” after October 2023 and got off Instagram because it was too much for them to see the images … like if it’s too much for you to see images of genocide, what do you think it feels like to live through one?

Expand full comment
Maya AlZaben's avatar

EVERY WORD

Expand full comment
Megan Ford's avatar

Thank you for this. I’ve been shocked at how apolitical this app is in general - very little mention of the real world & whats going on ever.

Expand full comment
N/'s avatar
May 14Edited

the IGF (yes, the genocide army) has an official substack! Block them btw.

And the fashion side of the app is absolutely crawling with zios though they're now being a bit lowkey since the western media narrative has started to shift away from 'boohoo poor settler state can do no wrong'. I remember even the few fashion substacks (other than this one) who have mentioned the genocide and appealed for aid in their posts, used to get scolded by Zio apologists who'd hop into their comments and berate them for having the audacity to say it's a genocide, going 'it's such a complicated issue' and basically 'you can't call it a genocide, we haven't killed enough of them'-ing it. Even substacks with 100 subscribers who had the gall to feel bad, weren't spared this treatment btw there's one who haunts fashion substacks in particular and the 'such a thoughtful post, such great style advice, such wisdom!' kind of comments she routinely leaves on shopping and 'personal style' posts make an interesting juxtaposition against the rabid 'hdu call it a genocide' entitlement her tone takes on when the fashion substacker bucks the zio talking points and says things like 'don't bomb civilians'.

Expand full comment
Danya Issawi's avatar

That’s a good point, much of this app happens in an echo chamber

Expand full comment
Cierra Black's avatar

all of this x100000000. the moral depravity is harrowing

Expand full comment
yuca's avatar

as someone who follows a mix of newsletters-i feel this so much. the studied and intentional turning away from those messages with the most acknowledgment being "im so sorry about all the spam lately!" from newsletters authors. let the real world "intrude" ur bubble.

Expand full comment
Kaitlin Phillips's avatar

Ok I did complain about it but this take is correct.

Expand full comment
Danya Issawi's avatar

I’m weak

Expand full comment
Kaitlin Phillips's avatar

Haha I was like STOP interrupting me & in a non believable fashion. 😞

Expand full comment
Maureen McLennon Welton's avatar

justice for learning new things, accepting when we messed up, and growing!!

Expand full comment
Ruth S's avatar

FREE PALESTINE AND F*CK THOSE BITCHES

so curious what chat this was lol

Expand full comment
Colette Keane's avatar

long live 🙈 honestly it was worse than described, the girl who said it “wasn’t the time and place” first described the statement “not visiting a country carrying out genocide” as “hate speech.” grateful for this essay because I honestly felt like i was losing my mind reading that chat and all the follow up “nuuly!l comments.

Expand full comment
Ruth S's avatar

lol resubscribing to gumshoe please hold

Expand full comment
Colette Keane's avatar

lol yes sorry initial misreport! knew I saw it and get those two chats confused.

Expand full comment
Ruth S's avatar

no you're good! but also kinda concerning that I was like "yep this tracks"

Expand full comment
Colette Keane's avatar

welllllllll if you’re in that chat you know why

Expand full comment
Ruth S's avatar

i avoid chats for this reason LOL

Expand full comment
TB van Pelt's avatar

Thank you for this post & the reminder to donate to PCRF (done and done!). How can one turn away from the worst thing most of us have ever witnessed?

You really nailed it here: "The genuinely coolest people I know care deeply about the real world and understand the way they move through it has a ripple effect — has real, tangible consequences, big and small."

Expand full comment
Maryah's avatar

Holy shit thank you so much for writing this I’ve felt INSANE!!!!

Expand full comment
J V's avatar

Reading this was cathartic

Expand full comment
Arabelle Sicardi's avatar

1000000000000%

Expand full comment
Caroline's avatar

Thank you so much

Expand full comment
kerstin's avatar

Every word of this!!!!

Expand full comment
Lutz's avatar

Such a brilliant text !.. what an absolute nightmare it must be to live without any sense of empathy or compassion.

Expand full comment
Samar Kaukab's avatar

Thank you, thank you, thank you for writing this. More of this please! Messy crying but so grateful to find this here.

Expand full comment