My Internet: Emma Specter
The Vogue writer says the dopamine from someone gay liking her tweet is worth enduring the occasional coordinated harassment campaign.
Embedded is your essential guide to what’s good on the internet, written by Kate Lindsay and edited by Nick Catucci.
Every other week we quiz a “very online” person for their essential guide to what’s good on the internet.
Today we welcome Emma Specter, a journalist and author who writes about culture for Vogue.com and published her first book, More, Please: On Food, Fat, Bingeing, Longing, and the Lust for ‘Enough’ (HarperCollins), last year. Emma listens to Ruth Reichl books on Audible while she drives and thinks non-gay-guy Heated Rivalry fans have lost the plot when it comes to being normal about gay guys. —Nick
EMBEDDED: What’s a recent meme or post that made you laugh?
EMMA SPECTER: This astute piece of Mad Men culinary crit:
EMBEDDED: Do you tweet? Why?
EMMA SPECTER: Yes, because I need the small but potent hit of dopamine I get when someone gay likes my tweet and I have inexplicably decided this is worth enduring the occasional coordinated harassment campaign.
EMBEDDED: Do you post on Bluesky, Threads, or Substack’s Notes? Why?
EMMA SPECTER: I do not; Bluesky is too libbed-out for me, Threads is always, like, a long story about someone’s issue with their ex-husband’s new girlfriend, and Substack Notes … IDK, I just do posts.
EMBEDDED: What do you use Instagram for?
EMMA SPECTER: Sharing political/community organizing posts, disseminating pictures of my tiny little white dog, and DMing the gay people I’m not already in touch with via Twitter.
EMBEDDED: What types of videos do you watch on YouTube?
EMMA SPECTER: Italo disco supercuts, old Oh, Hello clips that didn’t make it into the Broadway show, and videos of Claire Saffitz braiding challah, almost exclusively. Oh, and I’m also pretty big on the calming-music-to-soothe-your-dog-while-you’re-out YouTube scene, not to brag.
EMBEDDED: What do you like about TikTok? What do you dislike?
EMMA SPECTER: I like lesbians doing home reno and I dislike literally everything else.
EMBEDDED: Were you concerned by TikTok remaining under Chinese control? Are you concerned about it coming under the control of President Trump’s allies?
EMMA SPECTER: I’m not quite hubristic enough to suggest TikTok is anything less than a potential radicalizing force for America’s youth just because I feel too old to properly understand it or fuck with it, but … yeah, I’m unc, as (I think) the kids say.
EMBEDDED: Where do you tend to get your news?
EMMA SPECTER: In terms of actual ‘hard’ world news: Democracy Now!, CNN’s website, occasionally the Guardian. In terms of local news presented intelligently and non-repugnantly: HellGate, L.A. Taco, LAist, Defector, MondoWeiss. In terms of culture news I might be able to spin into something for work: Page Six, I fear (barf, I know). They’re a right-wing trash rag and I hope they fold imminently, but mama’s got to make the doughnuts, a.k.a. keep up on what the various Housewives are doing.
EMBEDDED: How do you keep up with the online discourse? How important is it to you to do this?
EMMA SPECTER: Like (I would wager) most people, I feel infinitely better when I am not toxically logged on, but my work does require some amount of knowing what people are saying online about various cultural and political phenomena, so I try to follow as many smart and thoughtful people as I can and stick to seeing what they have to say about What’s Going On in The World rather than going down every inexplicably-viral rabbit hole sparked by a tweet from someone who goes by “penispatriot69” on X.
EMBEDDED: What’s the last strong opinion you had about a story, topic, or controversy online?
EMMA SPECTER: I feel so incredibly strongly that many (if not most) non-gay-guy Heated Rivalry fans have lost the plot when it comes to being normal about gay guys.
EMBEDDED: What’s a popular misconception that you see repeated online?
EMMA SPECTER: The whole hormonal birth control debate that keeps going viral with crunchy MAHA types. I am begging literally everyone to talk to one single, solitary OB-GYN (not that it’s easy in This Economy! It took me six years to find one I like who takes my insurance!).
EMBEDDED: What are your favorite newsletters?
EMMA SPECTER: Sarah Thankam Mathews’s thot pudding, Delia Cai’s Deez Links, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson’s Brain Matter, Emily Sundberg’s Feed Me, Jett Allen’s Jett Draws, Emma Copley Eisenberg’s Frump Feelings, tasbeeh herwees’s No Bad Days, Mikala Jamison’s Body Type, malavika kannan’s Quarter Life Crisis and Arabelle Sicardi’s You’ve Got Lipstick on Your Chin.
EMBEDDED: How do you think Substack has changed media, if at all?
EMMA SPECTER: I wholeheartedly support the democratization of digital media and strongly believe you should be able to write original work and let it reach readers without traditional media gatekeepers (and all their biases) standing in your way, so I’m very pro-Substack in that regard, but I also…think everyone could benefit from an editor, and the erosion of the writer-editor relationship is bad for all involved. That said, there are fewer media jobs than there ever have been, and I think that would unfortunately be the case whether or not Substack was Substack-ing.
EMBEDDED: What’s one positive media trend? What’s one negative trend?
EMMA SPECTER: I love the media trend of people bullying J.D. Vance. I don’t love the media trend of pathetic incels using Grok to dress women they disagree with in bikinis (or worse), and no carceral-state-mentality, but I think we should treat it like the sex crime it is.
EMBEDDED: Do you have a take on the “manosphere”? Do you think personalities like Joe Rogan, Lex Fridman, and Theo Von have shaped young men’s political leanings?
EMMA SPECTER: Here’s my take on the manosphere: Grow up and suck each other off if you’re so lonely! The rest of us (women and nonbinary people) are busy!
EMBEDDED: Do you have any advice for people who use sports betting apps or prediction markets?
EMMA SPECTER: They should make a prediction/betting app about when the WNBA’s Napheesa Collier will kiss me.
EMBEDDED: Is the AI bubble about to burst?
EMMA SPECTER: Well, I hope so, because it’s either the AI bubble or the me-having-a-line-of-work bubble.
EMBEDDED: Do you believe that the “artificial general intelligence” and “superintelligence” that many AI boosters have warned of actually pose a risk to humanity?
EMMA SPECTER: Yes. Think for yourself or your stupid fucking brain will atrophy, bitch! Also, do you want Elon Musk to consolidate more power than he currently has?
EMBEDDED: Are smartphones bad for us? Where do you fall on the Jonathan Haidt-Taylor Lorenz divide?
EMMA SPECTER: Well, they’re definitely bad for the people who make them, but I use mine all damn day, so I’m not trying to preach what I don’t practice. I’m hearing about more people switching back to vintage flip phones, Razrs and the like, which does intrigue me.
EMBEDDED: Do you try to limit your phone use? If so, what methods have been helpful for this?
EMMA SPECTER: The only thing I’m limiting right now is my dating-app use, because I’m freshly out of a relationship and at risk of developing what I like to call “swiper’s thumb” (a condition borne out of compulsively checking the apps instead of looking through them with intention). I paid for the $5 version of Jomo to put my apps in jail for multiple-hour chunks the first week or so that I had the dating apps downloaded, but now it’s getting easier to just … not, and instead tell myself a little story about how the beautiful woman in line behind me at Ralph’s is my next wife.
EMBEDDED: What’s something that you have observed about the online behavior of Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and/or Boomers?
EMMA SPECTER: Boomers treat everything like Facebook, Gen X treat everything like old Twitter, Millennials treat everything like a YouTube comments section, and Gen Z are on some other shit that I can’t possibly even distill because I am, once again, unc.
EMBEDDED: How do you find recommendations for what to watch, read, and listen to?
EMMA SPECTER: Book-wise, I swear by The Millions and Debutiful’s roundup lists; film-wise, I try to stay up to date on what’s screening at indie cinemas in L.A., especially Vidiots; TV-wise, I listen to my Vogue colleagues about what’s currently fascinating (The Pitt, Industry, etc.); and music-wise, I listen to nobody and allow my inherently terrible taste in pop to guide my preferences.
EMBEDDED: Have you had posts go viral? What is that experience like?
EMMA SPECTER: I’ve gone viral on X a few times in my day (mostly back when it was Twitter), and really, any more than 500 likes and you’re just asking the internet to send you a hundred DMs inviting you to kill yourself. It’s not the best.
EMBEDDED: Who’s the coolest person who follows you?
EMMA SPECTER: Romy Mars, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson and/or my former weed dealer I worked with at a restaurant in Austin, Texas who had a very beautiful girlfriend and carried a copy of The Communist Manifesto in the back pocket of his jeans.
EMBEDDED: Who’s someone more people should follow?
EMMA SPECTER: The Conde Nast Union, baby! When we fight, we win!
EMBEDDED: Which big celebrity has your favorite internet presence, and why?
EMMA SPECTER: Hannah Einbinder is doing things anti-Zionistly on Instagram that can and should happen a lot more. Right-wingers and conserva-libs love to dismiss her posts because she’s (gasp!) privileged and still manages to care about other people, but maybe that’s … good? Just a thought!
EMBEDDED: Are you into any podcasts right now? How and when do you usually listen?
EMMA SPECTER: I am not remotely a podcast bitch, but the closest thing I do enjoy is listening to Ruth Reichl books on Audible while I drive. She’s so comforting.
EMBEDDED: Have you ever been heavily into Snapchat? Do you miss it?
EMMA SPECTER: I was really into Snapchat at the tail end of college, and I still remember taking an “artsy” pic of myself perched on a swing set and superimposing the text “YOUTH IS OVER” on it on graduation eve. [Narrator: Youth was far from over.]
EMBEDDED: When was the last time you browsed Pinterest? What for?
EMMA SPECTER: I have never browsed Pinterest. I don’t get Pinterest, to this day. Is it just for wedding shit? It’s giving ankle boots to me, somehow.
EMBEDDED: How would you describe Tumblr’s legacy?
EMMA SPECTER: Chaotic, ruinous, and perfect. I miss you, Tumblr!
EMBEDDED: Are you in any groups on Reddit, Discord, Slack, or Facebook? What’s the most useful or entertaining one?
EMMA SPECTER: I am in several Christmas-ornament-collector groups on Facebook that I forgot to leave after using them to research a story, and now I just like their gentle array of sparkly seasonal items that I cannot have but can lust after on the computer.
EMBEDDED: Do you use Slack or Teams for work? What’s the best thing about Slacking with your co-workers? What’s the worst thing?
EMMA SPECTER: We’re a Slack family at Vogue, and the best thing about Slack is getting to bother my New York colleagues to talk to me from across the country (some of them don’t text back as quickly as I require). The worst thing? There’s no worst thing. Slack is good, actually. Slack is dead, long live Slack.
EMBEDDED: What is your Wordle starting word?
EMMA SPECTER: I do not play Wordle; I am a Text Twist purist.
EMBEDDED: Do any of your group chats have a name that you’re willing to share? What’s something that recently inspired debate in the chat?
EMMA SPECTER: One of my most treasured group chats is called “HAGS & FAG”; I’m obviously one of the self-described hags in said chat, and we recently got in a three-person argument about whether or not to go to a gay afters called Sorbet that runs until 5 a.m. (we should, right?).
EMBEDDED: What’s your go-to emoji, and what does it mean to you?
EMMA SPECTER: Either the salute emoji (I’m everywhere, I’m so Cadet Kelly), a special little sticker I made of my dog Frank, or another special little sticker I made of my friends Margaux and José in adjoining hot tubs.
EMBEDDED: Do you text people voice notes? If not, how do you feel about getting them?
EMMA SPECTER: I am a classic example of bad voice note etiquette; I love to leave them, but when I get a really long one, I’m like, “Okay, podcast.” That said, I live across the country from many of my best friends, so after my initial disgust at being handed a monologue, I’m always happy to receive a voice note from them.
EMBEDDED: Do you pay for a music streaming service, and if so, which one? What’s a playlist, song, album, or style of music you’ve listened to a lot lately?
EMMA SPECTER: I pay for Spotify again now that they’ve stopped running ICE recruitment ads, but honestly, I still need to cancel it for good, because they habitually fuck over artists I love. I can get my French pop and wistful lesbian playlists elsewhere.
EMBEDDED: If you could only keep one streaming service for TV and/or movies, which would it be, and why? What’s a show that you’re really into right now?
EMMA SPECTER: Disney+, for The Simpsons. I work from home at least one day a week, so I like to keep up a steady stream of The Simpsons all day while I drink coffee and switch to Mad Men with a glass of red wine at night.
EMBEDDED: What’s your favorite non-social media app?
EMMA SPECTER: Grounded, the app that tells me how long it’s been since I quit weed (currently: four months, six days and five hours) and how much money I’ve saved by not smoking (a disturbing amount).
EMBEDDED: What’s the most basic internet thing that you love?
EMMA SPECTER: IsitChristmas.com. It is, quite famously, not Christmas today, but when December 25 hits and that NO shifts to YES … man, there’s nothing else quite like it.
EMBEDDED: Is there any content you want but can’t seem to find anywhere online?
EMMA SPECTER: I want the aughts teen magazine YM to be a website. No, I will not expand on this, except to say that I would also accept Elle Girl.
EMBEDDED: Do you regularly use eBay, Depop, or other shopping platforms? What’s a recent thing you’ve bought or sold?
EMMA SPECTER: I recently received an eBay credit from work and used it to buy a vintage pink Formica dinette set for my new studio apartment, and I genuinely don’t think a purchase has ever brought me more joy; I cried when I won the bid, and managing to get the thing in my car and drive it home from La Mirada (I took the legs off using my car key! Extra-soft butch pride moment!) was a personal high point. That said, I haven’t been shopping nearly as much as I used to, partly because of ~the economy~ and partly because I want to hang onto—and, when possible, mend/dye/upcycle—the things I already own. I did sell plus-size clothes and accessories on Instagram for a while under the shop name Fat Betty Draper Couture, though, and if even one person sees this and asks me to do another sale, then fine, I will.
EMBEDDED: Is there a site you like for product recommendations? How do you decide, for example, which air filter to buy?
EMMA SPECTER: I used to go to Wirecutter for product recs, but I’m not rocking with the New York Times right now for a plethora of reasons (find a major one outlined here!), so I either check the Strategist or text my mom. The Strategist will tell me to buy everything and my mom will tell me to buy nothing, and somewhere in between lies the correct answer.
EMBEDDED: Have you recently read an article, book, or social media post about the internet that you’ve found particularly insightful?
EMMA SPECTER: I thought this WIRED article about how to protect your phone from searches at the US border was a stunning example of service journalism that met the (rotten, festering) cultural moment.
EMBEDDED: What’s the last thing that brought you joy online?
EMMA SPECTER: This tweet. A classic for a reason, and applicable in so many situations (especially when your aforementioned little white dog is throwing up foam. His foam!!!)
Thanks Emma! Buy her book and read her writing.
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To be named as a fave newsletter among these others ... what did i do to deserve this??? Also that Mad Men tweet, I'm crying
thank u diva!!