Our weekly recap highlighting the best feature stories from around the internet.
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The Gamer Who Didn't Leave His House For Over a Year - by Joe Donnelly, Kotaku
“Troy, a video game streamer from Pennsylvania who goes by the pseudonym Beef Erikson, suffers from agoraphobia - an extreme and irrational fear of open areas and/or public places. Before this jaunt some sixty-odd days ago to his local video game store, he hadn’t left his house for over a year.”
An audience with Noel Gallagher - by Alex Bilmes, Esquire
“The fame thing, some people it hits them hard. I flourished. I love it. I’ve never gone out of my way to be famous and I don’t go to the opening of a fucking envelope but if somebody wants to lend me their superyacht just because I’m famous, “Thanks very much, man.” I do enjoy that side of it and you should fucking enjoy it.”
Aziz Ansari on Acting, Race and Hollywood - by Aziz Ansari, The NY Times
“One day in college, I decided to go on the television and film website IMDB to see what happened to the Indian actor from “Short Circuit 2.” Turns out, the Indian guy was a white guy. The character was played by Mr. Stevens, a Caucasian actor in brownface. Rather than cast an Indian actor, the filmmakers had Mr. Stevens sit every morning in a makeup chair and get painted an “Indian color” before going on set and doing his “Indian voice.””
A Disgraceful Day in Parliament - by Jess McAllen, Newsworthy
“Just acknowledging these women's offence would have been a start; an example of how to act in a country where victim-blaming ("how short was your skirt?", “had you been drinking?”, "bet you were asking for it") is a common response to rape. It could have been a powerful moment. In its place, we got a summary of rape culture so succinct that each shutdown could be circulated in schools as a ‘what not to do’ pointer.”
For Taylor Swift and Drake, Friends Serve the Brand - by Jon Caramanica, The NY Times
“Drake and Ms. Swift are pop’s reigning titans, scrutinized heavily; their habits, repeated over time, can begin to appear premeditated. And friendship, as strategies go, might have peaked. The approach has been perfectly suited to the social media age, where online worth is measured in likes and favorites, where narratives are curated via envy-inducing Instagram posts and where collaboration is just a direct message away. But too much positivity can begin to chafe.”
Lani Writes: The origins of Poly-slang - by Lani Momoisea, Metro
“It’s hard for me personally to tell how mainstream, or middle New Zealand, these words have gone. I hear them all the time, but I’m not sure if they’re at the “being ruined by white people” stage yet. As long as Miley Cyrus doesn’t try to bots it and start using skux or dox as her own, I think we’re good.”