"I'm just playing devil's advocate." Please don't.
This is the Rubesletter from Matt Ruby. I’m a comedian, writer, and the creator of Vooza. This is a paywalled newsletter. If you’re on the free plan, you’ll still get to read plenty of good stuff, but if you’re a paid subscriber you’ll get exclusive content sent only to those who support financially. Sign up here. Thanks! "I'm just playing devil's advocate." Please don't.On Colonel Sanders chic, Taylor Swift vs. Beyoncé, jokes about Israel/Palestine, and lots more.🎯 I feel like emotional support dogs were a concept invented by someone who just really liked seeing dogs in vests. “I must bring Rufus into this restaurant. He is crucial to my mental health. Also, [sotto voce] doesn’t he look adorable?” 🎯 "I'm just playing devil's advocate." So you're cosplaying as a lawyer, the most hated profession, and your client is Satan. Cool move. 🎯 Me: "The Emperor has no clothes." 📺 I did a whole set of jokes about the conflict in Israel/Gaza. Yes, totally too soon. But look, I’m a comedian and a Jew so this is how I process. Admittedly, some of the jokes fell flat. But look, my dad’s Israeli and my mom’s Russian so obviously I LOVE TO BOMB. Some comments from YouTube so ya don’t think I’m a complete schmuck:
FYI the rest of this Rubesletter is free of any Israel/Gaza talk. I need a break (and perhaps you do too). Read last week’s edition for my thoughts. 🎯 Swifties decode numbers and symbols like some feminist Gen Z version of QAnon. 📺 Taylor Swift or Beyoncé? 🎯 The most human thing ever is capturing an animal, putting it in a crate, training it by withholding/giving it food, and then, when it obeys commands, referring to it as "man's best friend." 🎯 I always get the unripe avocados because they're a dollar cheaper. And then I forget about 'em and wind up with brown avocados. Basically, I constantly guacblock myself. 🗯 Kurt Vonnegut on reading and meditation:
🎯 No one hates the NY Times more than people who constantly read the NY Times. It is the Howard Stern Show of journalism. 🎯 Can't believe this is how I find out that women in neckwear is now en vogue… …I hereby dub this look "Colonel Sanders chic." 🎯 Apple split up with Jon Stewart over “creative disagreements” (i.e. episodes about China and AI). Feels like a canary in the coal mine about what happens when just a few multinational megacorps control all our information flow. It’ll likely be a world of subtle censorship and notes like “We’d prefer if you not mention that thing about China.” Also, the phrase "creative disagreements" was doing a LOT of work during all this…"I have an issue with that oppressive authoritarian regime and would like to go after it." "Well, this is where we disagree with you creatively." OK! 🗯 Writer Riva Tez on creativity and chaos:
🎯 Nothing is more beta than being obsessed with alphaness. 🎯 Awkward and uncomfortable is the new interesting and viral. 📺 On fake smiles in photos. Bonus footage from “Matt Ruby: Substance.” 🃏 I post clips of my standup (and more) at Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and YouTube. 🎯 The most amazing thing we've learned in the past decade is how much our entire democracy is built upon norms and customs as opposed to actual laws and rules. 🎯 Software didn't eat the world, the subscription model did. 🎯 5'3" women love to hang out with each other. Must be nice to see eye to eye on things. 🎧 Subscribe to my podcast. New ep being edited now out that’s all about the tragic events in Israel/Gaza. Should be up soon.
🎯 At some point, we're gonna have to realize the incentives of social media have created a race to the bottom of our collective psyche. We've facilitated a version of predatory capitalism where the most profitable outcome is tribal warfare. 🎯 The "too close" Hall of Fame:
🎯 As long as we’re mad about pronouns, go to hell with that “royal we” stuff. 🎯 A great example of the hubris of youth is people who include their year of birth in their email address (e.g. jordanl1998@gmail.com). Every time I see it I think, "Oh man, you're totally gonna regret that one day." 🃏 Sign up for my other newsletter that’s all about standup: Funny How: Letters to a Young Comedian. Upcoming posts there… 🎯 When you send a text and get a homework assignment in return… Up ahead: How indie rockers and conspiracy theorists are alike, health care in America, old homophobes, intimacy, Watson X AI, college admissions, women's fashion, X's UI, ChatGPT on South Park, and more... Keep reading with a 7-day free trialSubscribe to The Rubesletter • by Matt Ruby (Vooza) to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.A subscription gets you:
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The truth about the Jews
Thursday, October 19, 2023
Your Jewish friends are in a daze. And they can't believe you haven't reached out. This is what they're thinking.
Michael Lewis on SBF, Taylor Swift & the NFL, and more
Tuesday, October 10, 2023
Also: 1) More on U2 at Sphere. 2) Brief thoughts on Israel. 3) Quotes re: restaurant spiels, book blurbs, the word 'content,' Scorcese, and Jane Jacobs' lesson to schoolkids.
U2 at Sphere is the nightmare future of music
Tuesday, October 3, 2023
"Wow, that IMAX movie was amazing! What's that? U2 was there too? Huh, didn't notice."
Be authentic? I'd rather you pretend.
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Musings on Travis Kelce, tote bags, Leonard Cohen, camo, boomboxes, Lauren Boebert, Dave Portnoy, and more.
Why no one trusts the media anymore – and what to do about it
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
People are defending Russell Brand because they don't even understand how journalism works. Reporters should fight back. Here's how...
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