My Internet: J Wortham
The writer and author treats Slack like a P.O. Box.
Embedded is your essential guide to what’s good on the internet, written by Kate Lindsay and edited by Nick Catucci.
Some weeks, we quiz a “very online” person for their essential guide to what’s good on the internet.
Today we welcome J Wortham, a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine and author of the newsletter • channeling • and a forthcoming book, Work of Body. J is glad that we can finally talk openly about how terrible Drake is, really admires Issa Rae’s boundaries on social media, and is not letting the pace of the world hijack their cortisol levels. —Nick
EMBEDDED: What’s a recent meme or post that made you laugh?
J WORTHAM: The Marvel multiverse of Onijah Andrew Robinson, the American woman who apparently used a Nicki Minaj filter to catfish a young man and take up residency in Pakistan (and is now in Dubai??) is my queen. I just hope she’s okay, whatever that means for her. All the meme permutations of her journey—the cat, the baby, Doechii—are golden. Also, all the innie/outie Severance memes.
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EMBEDDED: Do you tweet? Why?
J WORTHAM: If you’d asked me a week ago, the answer would have been a very loud and confident “no” but I was recently hacked and thought I’d lost access to my account forever. I clicked a VERY cleverly designed link (happens to the best of us) and tried to get help, but X couldn’t verify my account for whatever reason. X aso has zero customer support these days, so I thought it was a lost cause. I mourned for like a day and felt fine. But I just woke up to an email saying they’d miraculously restored it and I fired a few off, just to see what it was like. (It didn’t give as much as it took, per usual.) But I got LoveandLightTV-pilled so I did do a deep dive into Twitter porn and I was …. not disappointed. So there is that!
EMBEDDED: Do you post on Bluesky, Threads, or Substack’s Notes? Why?
J WORTHAM: I post on Notes because I find it to be low-lift and Tumblr-esque, but I’m struggling to get on Bluesky and Threads. I know that’s where people are gathering, but I’m really skeptical of it all! And I’m having a hard time getting it up to rebuild my social map or trying to amass influence as a public thinker/commenter. It doesn’t feel like the right place to focus my energy right now. Maybe that will change, but that’s how it feels for now.
EMBEDDED: What do you use Instagram for?
J WORTHAM: Finding out about protest movements, talks, social organizing. Cooking, exercise routines. Pop culture recaps/commentary. I don’t know how to use it personally—I’m torn between being incredibly private and wanting to put everything out there. I never share about grief, loss, anxiety, insomnia or mental health struggles on Instagram—I have many, many outlets that feel healthier for my personality and needs—so people always think my life is great, which is far from reality, and I don’t want to stoke that. So I go back and forth.
EMBEDDED: Will you miss TikTok if it is banned, and if so, what will you miss most about it?
J WORTHAM: The pre-inauguration circus of the ban and resurrection turned me off from TikTok. It used to be my favorite channel, and I still think some of the most innovative comedy and satire happens there, but the chokehold has been loosened.
EMBEDDED: Is TikTok a national security threat if it remains under Chinese ownership?
J WORTHAM: All social media platforms are national security threats because people can use them to self-organize, share information and parse news together. I’ve seen incredible moments of cross-cultural solidarity and recognition happen that are stunning. Of course, sometimes the consciousness there is not always raised, but dimmed, but two things can be true at the same time.
EMBEDDED: Where do you tend to get your news?
J WORTHAM: This is a really big question because there are SO MANY TYPES OF NEWS. But all of the typical sources. Since I’m working on books and doing more longform narrative work, I don’t let the pace of the world hijack my cortisol levels. When its warmer, I like going for early walks and listening to The 7 and UpFirst back to back, just to get the headlines.
EMBEDDED: How do you keep up with the online discourse? How important is it to you to do this?
J WORTHAM: Less important than it used to be—I recently had to turn all news notifications off. I have a lot of robust group chats—a lot of folks are gravitating towards creative collectives, and I’m in quite a few of them—so that’s where most of the conversation is happening in my life. There are some great news Discords around world politics, especially in Palestine, Sudan, Haiti and other social justice movements as well as some helpful IG channels around fashion and pop culture that keep me up to date. I really do love it when some piece of arcane and obscure gossip makes its way into my life though.
EMBEDDED: What’s the last strong opinion you had about a story, topic, or controversy online?
J WORTHAM: Drake has been terrible for a long, long time and I’m finally glad we can all talk about it openly.
EMBEDDED: What are your favorite newsletters?
J WORTHAM: I have so many, I can’t choose a favorite! What I’ll say is—I like people have their own voice and do their own thing, vs trying to replicate what’s trending or popular already.
EMBEDDED: How do you think Substack has changed media, if at all?
J WORTHAM: It’s definitely invigorated writing for me a way I didn’t think was possible. It’s kind of amazing. I was just reading a post about Unrivaled—the incredible off-season new FUBU women’s basketball league—and noticed it was started by someone who seems to be early in their career. They couldn’t find an appropriate foothold and started this great dispatch on a vastly undercovered sport. I mentor a lot of young journalists and so many of them are already jaded and dispassionate about the field, which, understandable! But it’s exciting to see people excited to write. Even if writer is now synonymous with influencer. I’m grateful that people are trying to write because it means they’re also trying to read and engage more deeply, which is what we need. Praying that more critical thinking and media/social media analysis and criticism is next. I’m also curious about acquisitions and consolidations—you can already start to see who is highly favored within the Substack ecosystem, so I wonder how equitable the inevitable next wave of payouts will be. There’s still a lot to get resolved, especially around free speech platitudes, but for now, it’s a fresh breath of air.
EMBEDDED: What’s one positive media trend?
J WORTHAM: UNIONIZING. Everyone should read Hamilton Nolan on labor and organizing. And I’m really into the emergence of new co-op/indie publications like Hell Gate, Hearing Things, Flaming Hydra.
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?
J WORTHAM: I know I should be paying attention to it, but I just don’t care.
EMBEDDED: Do you believe that the “artificial general intelligence” and “superintelligence” that many AI boosters have warned of actually pose a risk to humanity?
J WORTHAM: Yes.
EMBEDDED: What’s something that you have observed about the online behavior of Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and/or Boomers?
J WORTHAM: I’m a bit embarrassed to say I don’t really think about these categories. I have a lot of lesbian friends in their 60s and spend a ton of time with their 20-something kids in my life so it all blurs together.
EMBEDDED: How do you find recommendations for what to watch, read, and listen to?
J WORTHAM: People (usually Wesley) give me suggestions all the time. I go to a lot of screenings and readings, and I keep an eye out for new releases and gravitate towards whatever sounds interesting (not just what’s popular), especially in art, dance and theater.
EMBEDDED: Which big celebrity has your favorite internet presence, and why?
J WORTHAM: I really admire Issa Rae’s boundaries. Rihanna, always and forever.
EMBEDDED: Are you into any podcasts right now? How and when do you usually listen?
J WORTHAM: I listen to some recovery podcasts when I’m moving about the city. They’re very soothing.
EMBEDDED: Are you in any groups on Reddit, Discord, Slack, or Facebook? What’s the most useful or entertaining one?
J WORTHAM: I spend a ton of time Reddit. It feels so much more reliable than whatever Google is serving these days. The Survivor sub is a fave. I spend a lot of time reading about people with similar health conditions, also. AskNYC is great for local, breaking news, which I’m really missing.
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?
J WORTHAM: Technically we are supposed to be on Slack, but I do not use it. I check it every few months when I remember. It’s like having a P.O. Box. I never know what’s going to be in there. What’s Teams?
EMBEDDED: What is your Wordle starting word?
J WORTHAM: I prefer Connections, or this low-fit little guy called FoodGuessr.
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?
J WORTHAM: I have one called “Can I Taste It” with two of my besties where we share sexy selfies and really sumptuous recipes.
EMBEDDED: What’s your go-to emoji, and what does it mean to you?
J WORTHAM: Lately it’s been the hug!
EMBEDDED: Do you text people voice notes? If not, how do you feel about getting them?
J WORTHAM: I am the voice note king. Texts are easily misunderstood; sometimes you need to hear someone’s tone/texture/mood to avoid conflict and feel connected. And sometimes its just easier to say something in 30 seconds vs typing it out. But I only send them to people who like to get them, and I keep them short. I do have a few very special friends who enjoy a 5-7 minute long note and that’s where the real action happens. I tend to divide them into chapters for easy digesting though. It’s replaced podcasting for me (for now).
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?
J WORTHAM: I’m into live sets, like Lovie’s summer school radio hosted on the Lot Radio on Tuesday mornings. Also, Black House Radio.
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?
J WORTHAM: I just finished a full watch through of The Sopranos, which I’d never seen before, so that’s lingering. Shrinking is absolutely brilliant—great cast and the humor reminds me of manic shows like Happy Endings and Friends from College which I used to watch hungover because I could turn my brain off and just giggle.
EMBEDDED: What’s your favorite non-social media app?
J WORTHAM: Notes—I do all of my heavy lifting there. Everything from grocery lists to gathering tidbits for my newsletters and jotting down interview questions.
EMBEDDED: What’s the most basic internet thing that you love?
J WORTHAM: A poster’s holiday. Just a bunch of people congregating around some dumb thing online and going off. It will never not hit!!
EMBEDDED: Do you regularly use eBay, Depop, or other shopping platforms? What’s a recent thing you’ve bought or sold?
J WORTHAM: My niece has turned me onto live auction sites where you can buy anything from plants to vintage clothing from Delias. I bought a vintage YSL shirt and a cool new iPhone case from Bailey Hikawa.
EMBEDDED: Is there a site you like for product recommendations? How do you decide, for example, which air filter to buy?
J WORTHAM: Strategist and Wirecutter are my go-tos.
EMBEDDED: Have you recently read an article, book, or social media post about the internet that you’ve found particularly insightful?
J WORTHAM: There are some interesting ideas about social media compulsions beyond the rhetoric of addiction in Sad by Design. Black Quantum Futurism has a lot of compelling theories about disrupting our relationship to space and time as a reclamation.
EMBEDDED: What’s the last thing that brought you joy online?
J WORTHAM: SATC from Mr. Big’s perspective. All the Jennifer Hudson soul train lines that her guests do before shows. Esp when they had Lee Jung-jae and sang to him in Korean. And when Aaron Pierre came on and stressed the girlies out so much they had to turn comments off. It’s really pure. Also, there’s this TikTok trend of people showing themselves before and after hormones, and one featured a trans woman who was in the US Army before she started taking estrogen. Her after is truly flawless. I cried myself to sleep after reading one of the comments said “okay so you served twice??? Pretty girls never get a break”
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forgot to mention that choire's dinner party newsletter is ESSENTIAL reading as is brittney luse's 'its been a minute' on NPR for keeping up with the culture/discourse <3
love these!