Before we delve into the posts we’re reading and loving elsewhere on the internet, don’t miss E. Young’s discussion of Black Panther, beauty standards, and representation, our most popular read last week!
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‘To Catch a Predator‘ (Kathy Dobie for NY Mag)
Ready to get more furious about the Weinstein case and law enforcement’s failures to support and protect sexual assault survivors? Then you should definitely read this — and along the way, learn more about how the process of handling complaints and working with victims has changed over the years.
The deep-seated mistrust between the DA’s office and the SVD is bad news for the victims of sex crimes, who rely on public officials to bring their assailants to justice. In the wake of #MeToo, 14 women have filed sexual-assault complaints against Weinstein with the NYPD. This time around, to ensure that nothing goes wrong, Osgood has taken an extraordinary step: He personally conducted each of the investigations, along with two of his best investigators, Sergeant Keri Thompson and Detective Nicholas DiGaudio. The task force of three has worked on the case full-time since October, traveling to Paris, London, Toronto, Montreal, Florida, and California. Many of the cases had passed the statute of limitations, but five are now sitting with Vance, awaiting his decision on whether to issue an indictment. If Weinstein winds up in handcuffs, it will be in no small part because Osgood made sure the police covered every base.
‘Lena Waithe Is Changing the Game‘ (Jacqueline Woodson for Vanity Fair)
It’s been tremendously exciting to see Lena Waithe’s career take off. This incredibly talented actress and creator is working within a system that makes it very hard for people of colour to succeed, and this deft profile explores her work, her challenges, and what lies ahead in the future.
When she’s not producing, acting, writing, or creating, Lena is working hard to pull more people of color and queer artists into film and television both through her role as co-chair of the Committee of Black Writers at the Writers Guild and through her work with aspiring writers via Franklin Leonard’s the Black List—a platform by which people can pay to get feedback on their material from established professionals.
‘The Strange, Uplifting Tale of ‘Joy of Cooking’ Versus a Food Scientist‘ (Helen Rosner for the New Yorker)
Hate bad food science? Have a well-thumbed copy of Joy occupying pride of place in your kitchen? Then you will absolutely love this read on how a man targeted a venerable cookbook with bogus claims, and lost.
Lee’s report wasn’t the first time that doubt had been cast on Wansink’s work: in 2016, he published a blog post (which he later deleted) revealing that he had encouraged graduate students to do this sort of data fishing; the post resulted in a flurry of critical coverage toward his methods. But Lee’s was the most comprehensive and damning account. “Year after year,” she concluded, “Wansink and his collaborators at the Cornell Food and Brand Lab have turned shoddy data into headline-friendly eating lessons that they could feed to the masses.” Two days after Lee’s story was published, John Becker posted on the official “Joy of Cooking” Twitter account, “We have the dubious honor of being a victim of @BrianWansink and Collin R. Payne’s early work.”
‘On the Hunt for the Lost Wonders of Medieval Britain‘ (Sarah Laskow for Atlas Obscura)
Medieval manuscripts can be pretty wild. But what if some of the things in them were actually real?
The wonders list comes from a medieval text, Historia Brittonum, that was once treated as a reliable account of the history of Britain. It begins with the descendants of Trojan refugees settling on the island and includes one of the earliest known references to King Arthur, along with catalogs of battles between Britons and Saxons and genealogies of forgotten rulers. For centuries, historians and classicists relied on the Historia’s account of the years between the end of the 300s, when the Romans began to lose control of Britain, and the mid-800s, the earliest the Historia could have been written. Now, though, scholars consider these stories more legend than fact.
‘Porcelain That Looks Like Pastry‘ (Diana Hubbell for Eater)
Everybody loves cake decorating, and the line between function and art is getting blurry. Let’s talk about it!
In the 17 years since its publication, cake decorating has morphed into a national obsession. By their very nature, cakes have always been anti-utilitarian, a sweet excess associated either with celebrations or, at the far extreme end of the spectrum, cultural decadence. Perhaps that is why nearly a dozen reality shows over the last decade, including Cake Boss, Ace of Cakes, and Cupcake Wars, have trumpeted bombastic creations made of flour and fondant, along with less appetizing materials like styrofoam, plastic, and glue.
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Photo: Derek Gavey/Creative Commons