Weekend Read

The Information Weekend’s Last-Call 2021 Culture List

Amidst the deluge of year-end releases and top 10 lists, some worthy cultural phenomena undoubtedly slipped through the cracks. Here, we round out 2021’s best films, shows, albums, podcasts, board games, and TikTok chefs with 25 picks you might have missed.
Photograph: Sophia Amoruso.
Photograph: Sophia Amoruso.
The Big Read

‘The Only Way to Find Out If You’re a Pariah Is to Stick Around’: Sophia Amoruso Looks to the Future

The former Nasty Gal CEO became “wildly out of touch” during her 2010s rise and fall. Now she’s ready to test her staying power.
Decamped

A Startup Founder Moved to Las Vegas for the Weather, Then Developed Political Ambitions

In this week’s “Decamped,” we chat with Madison Campbell, co-founder and CEO of Leda Health, a startup that gives sexual assault survivors free self-administered examination kits. Campbell recently...
Illustration by Danielle Davis.
Guerilla Girl

How Silicon Valley’s Most Prolific Prankster Mirrors the Industry She Parodies

As the BART doors slid open, Danielle Baskin thought to herself, “Ohhh, shit.” The train car was packed with art connoisseurs wearing sparkly dresses, blue tuxedos and at least one chicken mask. It...
Animation by Mike Sullivan. All photographs courtesy Danielle Baskin.
Art by Haejin Park.
Art by Haejin Park.
The Big Read

Tech’s Most Powerful Stories Are Being Written by Women

Book publishers are giving a new generation of readers what they want: an end to machismo hero worship and an influx of more relatable—and female-centered—thought leadership.
Elon vs. Everyone

“Tesla Is Not as Cool as It Used to Be”

When Joseph Kwong decided to buy his first electric vehicle in 2014, the choice was a no-brainer. Kwong, chief executive of EVEN Recharge—a startup developing neighborhood EV charging...
Art by Mike Sullivan.
Hail Mary

How to Gift Someone a Last-Second NFT in Six (Somewhat) Simple Steps

It’s one week until Christmas, and time to face the music: The non-fungible token is undoubtedly the gift of the season. It’s endlessly customizable, doesn’t require shipping, and is completely...
Illustration by Jesus Escudero.
Parentverse

Can I Let One Kid Play Violent Video Games and Not the Other?

This is Parentverse, The Information Weekend’s advice column for tech-savvy parents raising kids in a tech-dependent world.Email us your parenting questions [email protected]. Or, if...
Art by Haejin Park
Art by Haejin Park.
Art by Haejin Park.
The Big Read

Scott Galloway Wants to Be “the Most Influential Thought Leader in the History of Business”

But first the podcaster-blogger-professor-marketing guru has to avoid getting cancelled on CNN+.
Scene and Heard

Minting Takes Manhattan: An NFT Gallery Sells Millions Even Before the Art Is Made

The art was worth at least $7 million, and it hadn’t even been created yet. It was the opening night of non-fungible token artist Tyler Hobbs’ show “Incomplete Control” at the Bright Moments...
Photo: Jonas Goldstein
Social Studies

For Twenty-Somethings, Parties Are Back. Now, How to Send That Invitation?

Caroline Leopold was bracing herself. Fingers at the ready, the 25-year-old was stationed at her MacBook, preparing to send roughly 200 individual iMessages. For the next tedious hour and a half,...
Art by Haejin Park.
Postcard From Florida

The NFTs That Ate Miami

The pent-up and ready-to-party crowd at The Cultivist x Nifty Gateway event on December 3 was an entangled mix of entertainers, designers, tech executives, influencers and non-influencers. The...
Illustration by Scotty Reifsynder