My Internet: Marisa Kabas
The Handbasket writer is a Bluesky person.
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 Marisa Kabas, who writes the newsletter The Handbasket, where, per the AP, she “‘scooped’ the nation’s media” on one of the recent federal spending freezes implemented by Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Marisa has migrated to Bluesky and beehiiv, counts Margarat Atwood as a subscriber, and really, really loves Adam Sandler. —Nick
EMBEDDED: What’s a recent meme or post that made you laugh?
MARISA KABAS: The JD Vance face meme is so good. He’s such a despicable person who deserves every ounce of derision that comes his way. He told a reporter that he’s seen the memes and thinks they’re funny, but I imagine he hasn’t been this mad online since the couch situation.
EMBEDDED: Do you tweet? Why?
MARISA KABAS: I don’t. My original account was banned shortly after Elon Musk took over because I impersonated Gwyneth Paltrow after her ski trial. Twitter was taking away verification badges so I decided to go out with a bang. I had a backup account for a while, but now it’s locked and wiped. RIP.
EMBEDDED: Do you post on Bluesky, Threads, or Substack’s Notes? Why?
MARISA KABAS: I’m a Bluesky person. The other users are great (for the most part) and the community has been incredibly supportive of my work. I tried Threads for a while but it felt like the Banana Republic Outlet of social networks so I stopped.
EMBEDDED: What do you use Instagram for?
MARISA KABAS: I use IG mostly for personal pics, but occasionally to promote my work—especially recently. I try not to get too deep into politics there but it always creeps in. I can’t help myself.
EMBEDDED: Where do you tend to get your news?
MARISA KABAS: Usually I start on Bluesky and bop around from there.
EMBEDDED: How do you keep up with the online discourse? How important is it to you to do this?
MARISA KABAS: I keep up with the discourse on Bluesky because I’m afflicted with Poster’s Brain and I need to know what everyone’s talking about. There is currently no cure.
EMBEDDED: What’s the last strong opinion you had about a story, topic, or controversy online?
MARISA KABAS: When 10 Democrats voted to censure Rep. Al Green for disrupting Trump’s address to Congress, I was furious. Two of them, Rep. Tom Suozzi and Rep. Laura Gillen, are Dems from Long Island (where I grew up and where my family still lives) and I couldn’t believe the betrayal of their voters and their party. I posted that Democrats are going to lose a lot of members because of this (and general cowardice in the face of fascism) and that I might be one of them—and people got big mad. I’ve never muted a thread so fast, but also have zero regrets. People were going off in Suozzi’s IG comments, though he appears to be posting through it.
EMBEDDED: What are your favorite newsletters?
MARISA KABAS: 404 Media, Flaming Hydra, Today in Tabs, The City, Assigned Media, Notes on the Crises
EMBEDDED: How do you think Substack has changed media, if at all?
MARISA KABAS: Substack resurrected blogging and made journalists realize there was another avenue for publishing besides failing corporate brands. But it’s remained so focused on being a brand itself—like Kleenex is to tissues—that it’s swallowing many writers’ unique identities. For me, launching The Handbasket there helped me see what was possible—but it also allowed me to see what I wanted to do differently, which is why I moved to beehiiv.
EMBEDDED: Have you had posts go viral? What is that experience like?
MARISA KABAS: I’ve had a bunch of viral posts and it’s a very weird experience! I actually wrote this essay about it after I had a viral thread called “Selena Gomez as Trump’s stolen top secret documents.”
EMBEDDED: Who’s the coolest person who follows you?
MARISA KABAS: Margaret Atwood was an early subscriber to The Handbasket and remains one. I still have no idea why, but I’m grateful.
EMBEDDED: Which big celebrity has your favorite internet presence, and why?
MARISA KABAS: Adam Sandler’s Instagram is great because it’s how I find out famous people have died. I also love Michael Keaton’s Instagram because it’s mostly photos he takes of his TV along with a short exclamatory comment. I find it soothing.
EMBEDDED: Are you into any podcasts right now? How and when do you usually listen?
MARISA KABAS: Double Threat has been a constant in my life for years now. Every podcast Madeleine Baran produces is life-changing; the most recent season of In The Dark about the Haditha killings was no exception. And anything by Leah Sottile, most recently Hush. I usually listen on the subway or on one of my little mental health walks.
EMBEDDED: Are you in any groups on Reddit, Discord, Slack, or Facebook? What’s the most useful or entertaining one?
MARISA KABAS: I’ve had a Slack with a group of friends for years now and it’s so important to me. We have more general rooms for politics and memes, and hyper-specific rooms, like one devoted to Adam Sandler. I just really love Adam Sandler.
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?
MARISA KABAS: I’m in a group text called Ed Balls + Marisa. The chat existed before me but I was invited in for a story about how dudes got really into the Kate Middleton conspiracy theories last year and I just never left.
EMBEDDED: What’s your go-to emoji, and what does it mean to you?
MARISA KABAS: I love the star eyes emoji because I feel like the heart eyes emoji is overused and it gets across the same feeling, but perhaps with even more enthusiasm. I’ve also been using the face-melting emoji a lot recently, for obvious reasons.
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?
MARISA KABAS: Probably Apple TV. Slow Horses and Bad Sisters are both impeccable. Sharon Horgan, if you’re reading this, can we hang out at forty foot?
EMBEDDED: What’s your favorite non-social media app?
MARISA KABAS: I play this really stupid game called Wood Block Puzzle when I need to wind down.
EMBEDDED: What’s the last thing that brought you joy online?
MARISA KABAS: Moo-Deng, the baby pygmy hippo in Thailand. She really captured a moment of rage.
Thanks Marisa! Subscribe to her newsletter and follow her on Bluesky.
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