It will become clear by the end of this sentence that I am not bragging about this, but there was a time when I felt like I ...

Have you noticed how I’ve been yammering on about the month of August? If it’s not abundantly clear, I think August is a top-three month for inducing existential malaise. Sure, I will wish for August ...

If there’s one thing I’ve historically been very good at, it’s playing it cool around those for whom I have developed a romantic interest. Ask any of my friends and they’ll confirm that I am skilled ...

Consider this a sister piece to the list of “The Worst Songs That We Love So Much” that ran yesterday, with a slightly different conceit. I asked some of my music and culture writer friends to confess ...

The moment I had long dreaded finally arrived: the day I’d have to dismantle my childhood. I suppose I should consider myself ...

Puja Patel is a writer, editor, and curator who has served as the Editor-in-Chief of Pitchfork and Spin, a culture editor for Deadspin, and a columnist for MTV and the Village Voice. Her work has ...

A few minutes into her Aug. 13 appearance on New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift said, “This is my first podcast.” I thought she was making a little joke—surely she’d talked to Marc ...

I’ve always struggled with the idea of a “guilty pleasure.” Truly innocent pleasure shouldn’t come with a side of shame. Most guilty pleasures are purposely private, indulged alone or among the ...

Some people are fans of the Seattle Seahawks. But many, many more people are NOT fans of the Seattle Seahawks. This 2025 Defector NFL team preview is for those in the latter group. Read all the ...

On a breezy spring night in 2023, the Georgia Room at the Freehand Hotel was humid with sweat. Queers of various genders wore cowboy hats and bedazzled denim, camouflage and American flag bikinis. The ...