About this episode
In this week's episode, we discuss the legacy of Losercore, an aesthetic of the late 90s and early 2000s that celebrated the awkwardness of young adulthood and the sartorial idiosyncrasies of social outcasts, from orthodontia and ill-fitting gym uniforms to wire-frame glasses and dishwater-blond hair. We analyze the socioeconomic conditions that led to this period of loser glorification, identify key players (Todd Solondz, Paul Dano), cinematic touchstones (Napoleon Dynamite, Little Miss Sunshine), and generational anthems ("Teenage Dirtbag," "Buddy Holly"), and reflect on how the Internet has transformed today's young losers into threats to themselves and others.Links:Image board"The Birth—and Maybe Death—of Yuppiedom" by Walter Shapiro for Time"Loser: The Hero of the 1990s" by Grunge Included on SubstackThe Trap by Adam CurtisThe Nineties by Chuck Klosterman@yungkombucha420 on TikTok"Americans Need to Party More" by Ellen Cushing for The Atlantic"The Anti-Social Century" by Derek Thompson for The AtlanticLoser Generated Content: From Participation to Exploitation by Soren Mork PetersenBillie Eilish on having no friendsCelebrity with no friends blind item ("not Jessica Chastain")Emma Chamberlain closet video
