Here's how to test if this “Anxious Generation” stuff is true
This is the Rubesletter from Matt Ruby. I’m a comedian, writer, and the creator of Vooza. Every Tuesday, I send essays, jokes, and videos to your inbox. You’re on the free plan, for the full experience, sign up for a paid subscription. Here's how to test if this “Anxious Generation” stuff is trueAlso: My rocker past, Bill Burr’s take on the WNBA, the words of campus protests, how tech obliterated media, and Bourdain on travel.
Comedy: Colorado! This weekend, I’m telling iokes in Denver and Boulder. I'm getting oxygen right now to prepare. Jun 14-15 at Denver Comedy Lounge and Jun 16 at Boulder Comedy Show. Ticket info here. (Arlington, VA on June 21 too.) Quickies🎯 A good way to test if this “Anxious Generation” stuff is true: Check in on Amish teens. How they doing with their mental health? They helping Harrison Ford put up a barn or what? 🎯 I drink English Breakfast tea in America at 3pm because I’m a goddamn rebel. 🎯 Rhythm gymnastics is just a prank, right? Like, you just run around with a ribbon and then they score ya and someone "wins"!? C'mon. 🎯 Kinda crazy how many New Yorkers perceive Connecticut as “classy.” Hang out at the New Haven train station at midnight. I didn’t even know meth heads could use oxygen tanks. 🎯 Shrooms were more fun when they were “dangerous” and illegal. Now, nothing is wild and every shroom biz feels like it was hatched by a guy who used to work at McKinsey and sees “a market opportunity.” 🎯 I assume every woman in a blazer is very smart and every man in a crewneck is extremely sensitive. #fashiongullible 🎯 This is the golden age of folks selling out 3,000 seat theaters and me going, "Who the hell is that?" Most recently: “Parcels is at Red Rocks.” Huh? Is that a band or did my Amazon shipment wind up at the wrong address? Politics 🎯 Can't believe rednecks are mad about Hunter Biden getting high and trying to buy a gun. Are they like, "Hey, that's our IP!" 🎯 Politics in America: Republicans are a comedy club crowd and Democrats are the HR department. And the party of “Party!” will always have a big electoral advantage over the party of “You really shouldn’t say that.” (Excerpt from my new book Amusing Ourselves to Fascism.) 🎯 Old people run the country. Young people run social media. That’s why the former is so ineffective and the latter is so immature. Israel/Gaza 🎯 How the watermelon emoji is used nowadays is making organizing this Sabbath picnic very difficult. 🎯 Being Jewish means CONSTANTLY having it drilled into your head – via every holiday, every trip to a synagogue, and every reading of the Torah – that we are victims of oppression and Israel is our ancestral homeland. So when others scream that we are oppressors who have colonized Israel, the result is a massive disconnect. Jewish brains react like this: "404 Page Not Found Error." 🎯 Did you know a lot of crowdwork is really just written material in disguise? Slipped this one in through the back door… Social 🎯 Social media is the answer to “What would happen if we gave the most power to teenagers, morons, and shut-ins?” 🎯 Whatever you post online doesn’t make you a good person. You have to accomplish that elsewhere. 🎯 The problem right now is sane people rarely post on social media so we wind up thinking insanity is mainstream. AI 🎯 "AI will revolutionize everything: ChatGPT novels. Bot therapy. Fake vocal tracks. Wow!" 🎯 AI is the redux of what iPads were back in the day: Tech execs making stuff for OUR kids they would never let THEIR kids use. Generations 🎯 Boomers timed it all perfectly. Sexual prime AFTER the invention of the pill and BEFORE the onset of AIDS. And abortion was legal the whole time. And now they’re trying to take it all away from us. So cruel. They’re pulling up the ladder right after they came inside it. 🎯 Each generation has its own weird kink.... My rock pastIn the late ‘90s and early 00’s, I was a different human being. I lived in Chicago and played guitar/sang in a rock ‘n roll band called Plastics Hi-Fi.
Got a pleasant/weird reminder of those days recently: A big profile of the band came out in the Reader (Chicago’s alt-weekly) as part of Steve Krakow’s Secret History of Chicago Music series that spotlights "pivotal Chicago musicians that somehow have not gotten their just dues." Right on. We’re pivotal! We are due dues! It wasn’t all just a fever dream! Krakow was a fan of the band back in the day:
It’s nice to be remembered, but…oof, that headline: This makes it sound like we were crass commercialists just out to make a buck. Nah, we just wanted to be able to sell records, tour, and make a living. Our drummer, Rich, put it well in this response to the piece:
Now that I think about it, I’m not sure anyone even knows what radio is anymore. Actually, here’s a message for the kids… Radio is this thing that used to play random music and could break bands. An alt-weekly was a newspaper that told hipsters about cool stuff before social media. A band was a group of people who played instruments together in a room. Instruments make music by moving air and/or strings around (they are what GarageBand tries to emulate). Actually, just ask ChatGPT about the rest. The Reader piece discusses my approach to songwriting (and quotes extensively from this essay of mine about the band days):
Is it a bummer we never sold more records? Sure, but as I wrote in my piece:
More:
Comedy🃏 We use the word "comedy" to describe things like The Bear, Fleabag, Atlanta, & Louie (all incredibly sad shows at times) because there is no category for "human." 🃏 Get jokes, info, and clips of my standup via social media: Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and YouTube. 🃏 3 million views on IG for this one! Crazy. 🃏 My other newsletter is Funny How: Letters to a Young Comedian. It’s about comedy craft. 🃏 Listen to my podcast: Kind of a Lot with Matt Ruby. 🃏 Road dates coming up: Denver, Boulder, Arlington (VA), Boston, and Victoria (BC). Ticket info. 5-spotted🗯️ Q: Why do men get so many more sizing options than women, especially when it comes to pants? A:
🗯️ Bill Burr’s take on the WNBA and entertainment has “more uncomfortable truths than not.”
🗯️ The Role of Words in the Campus Protests by Zadie Smith. [New Yorker]
🗯️ Over Three Decades, Tech Obliterated Media by Kara Swisher:
🗯️ Anthony Bourdain's Most Poignant Reflections On Life And Travel:
Thanks for reading. If you dig it, share it. -Matt You’re on the free list for The Rubesletter by Matt Ruby. For bonus content, become a paying subscriber. Check out Matt’s other newsletter: Funny How: Letters to a Young Comedian. Follow Matt elsewhere: Instagram • YouTube • Threads • Twitter • TikTok • Facebook |
Older messages
Seinfeld haters have lost their minds
Wednesday, June 5, 2024
The worst aspect of dunk culture: the whole “Actually, I never never thought he was [funny, interesting, talented]” thing. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Back to black at the Rothko Chapel
Monday, June 3, 2024
On paying attention and what I've learned from a lifetime of looking at Mark Rothko's art. | Also: Airbnb, civil war, NBA, dating apps, men's rights activists, velcro, Bo Burnham,
Who's really to blame for conspiracy theories...
Tuesday, May 21, 2024
Also, ten new-to-me terms, including shame closets, missing stairs, and the dating app paradox. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Who is the Gen Z version of Steve Albini?
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
Also: My European standup tour wraps up, AI dating concierges, loving the Knicks, Seinfeld's commencement speech, and more. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
What it's like doing standup in Europe
Thursday, May 9, 2024
We are probably having very similar experiences. Also: Seinfeld's PR blitz, more on the student protests, AI vs. human art, Aaron Sorkin on Facebook, and more. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
You Might Also Like
'Despicable Me 4' Firing Off To $28M Wednesday, $120M 5-Day Opening Over July 4th Stretch - Box Office
Wednesday, July 3, 2024
View on web New reader? Subscribe July 03, 2024 'Despicable Me 4' Firing Off To $28M Wednesday, $120M 5-Day Opening Over July 4th Stretch - Box Office By Anthony D'Alessandro This email was
Richard Bacon and Dermot O'Leary Join Forces For 'Silence Is Golden' Gameshow
Wednesday, July 3, 2024
View on web New reader? Subscribe July 03, 2024 Richard Bacon & Dermot O'Leary Join Forces For 'Silence Is Golden' Gameshow By Max Goldbart This email was sent to newsletterest1@gmail.
Why Are the Emmys Categories So Damn Confusing?
Wednesday, July 3, 2024
View on web New reader? Subscribe July 03, 2024 Why Are the Emmys Categories So Damn Confusing? Think The Bear is a laugh riot? Yeah, neither do we. Unpacking the contradictory, confounding, and just
Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore Talks All Those 'Goo' Memes
Wednesday, July 3, 2024
View on web New reader? Subscribe July 03, 2024 Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore on All Those 'Goo' Memes: 'Nothing Is Sacred' More than 30 years later, the cover of a 1990 alt-rock
French MeToo: Prosecutors Request Rape Charges Against Director Benoît Jacquot
Wednesday, July 3, 2024
View on web New reader? Subscribe July 03, 2024 French MeToo: Prosecutors Request Rape Charges Against Director Benoît Jacquot By Melanie Goodfellow This email was sent to newsletterest1@gmail.com by
SoundCloud Teams with Fadr to Get Fans Remixing Tinashe; Training AI Music Models is About to Get Very Expensive
Wednesday, July 3, 2024
1960 | Your Daily Dose of Music Streaming News ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
(Long) Weekend Recs #54: Real-Life Travel Tips from Two Busy Moms
Wednesday, July 3, 2024
Are you also in the carry-on-only club? ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Kevin Spacey To Be Feted In Italy With Nations Award for Lifetime Achievement
Wednesday, July 3, 2024
View on web New reader? Subscribe July 03, 2024 Kevin Spacey To Be Feted In Italy With Nations Award for Lifetime Achievement By Melanie Goodfellow This email was sent to newsletterest1@gmail.com by
Nico Hofmann and Beta Film Unveil First Slate: Quartet Of Projects Includes Drama Series About Marlene Dietrich
Wednesday, July 3, 2024
View on web New reader? Subscribe July 03, 2024 Nico Hofmann & Beta Film Unveil First Slate: Quartet Of Projects Includes Drama Series About Marlene Dietrich By Stewart Clarke This email was sent
'Countdown' Icon Carol Vorderman To Deliver Alternative MacTaggart At Edinburgh: "Beware The Post-Menopausal Woman Who Doesn’t Give A Damn"
Wednesday, July 3, 2024
View on web New reader? Subscribe July 03, 2024 'Countdown' Icon Carol Vorderman To Deliver Alternative MacTaggart At Edinburgh: "Beware The Post-Menopausal Woman Who Doesn't Give A