Tech bros, incels, dating apps: is this the literary equivalent of doomscrolling?
Rejection
Tony Tulathimutte
Fourth Estate, $36.99
At some point during her reclusive life, Emily Dickinson began a poem on a scrap of notepaper: 'I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?'
The poet herself would remain a literary nobody until years after her death. Perhaps now, as the internet teems with anonymous accounts and inconsequential text, her words will be recognised for what they are: the credo of our over-engaged and under-loved age, the inner song of YouTube comments and unopened Snapchats.
Otherwise, if the world still isn't ready, the American writer Tony Tulathimutte is here to take on that mantel on behalf of all the lonely souls online. His new book, Rejection, is set mostly on the internet – on message boards, dating apps, timelines, where the author realises his characters with such artful and painful exactness that his reader will want to trade their iPhone for a Nokia brick.
The first story, The Feminist, which went viral when it was published in literary magazine n+1 in 2019, chronicles the decline and fall of a man who imbibes all the tenets of 2010s online progressivism, only to find that, while he has done 'the intellectual labor to empathise with the broadest spectrum of female perspectives', he is still left '[d]ragging his virginity like a body bag into his mid-twenties'.
With a cool irony, Tulathimutte shows a man's mind shift from gender positivity and resentment of the patriarchy to the warped victimisation of men's rights accounts and incel forums, like a miniature dramatisation of the transformation of Twitter into X.
Other scenarios in the collection revolve around similar young men whose lives do not extend far from their screens. Our Dope Future is narrated by a tech bro whose startups include a 'sexual consent on the blockchain' app and a 'meal-replacement shake called Döpesauce'. The story takes the form of an extended blog post written by this Elon Musk-ite, in which he describes wooing a woman with his 'algorizzim' and subsequently imprisoning and surveilling her to help her achieve her 'life goals'.
In another story, a man comes out as gay but is unable to reconcile the openness and liberality of contemporary society – including queer and kink-friendly dating apps – with his own sadistic fetishes. Another is simply a series of metaphors for the humiliating state of being a rejected man: 'Passing your neighbor's house, you catch a glimpse of someone through his living room window, lit up by the television he's watching alone in the dark, and think, What a loser ... on your way home to do the exact same thing.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
5 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
The hero of your winter wardrobe is the garment you might least expect
The turtleneck has escaped its style sentence as the trusty uniform for women of a certain age who imagine that they're Diane Keaton in a romantic comedy and computer nerds following in the white sneaker steps of Apple founder Steve Jobs. Also known as the skivvy or polo neck, the turtleneck received a get-out-of-fashion-jail-free card at the Celine runway presentation in Paris during the most recent haute couture season. Extravagant gowns encrusted with pearls or diamonds usually steal the haute couture show, but the debut of American designer Michael Rider at the French fashion house placed humble white turtlenecks front and centre. Rider may have been inspired by former Celine designer and turtleneck devotee Phoebe Philo but his runway masterclass restored the wardrobe staple of Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe to its former free-spirited glory. Here's how to style a turtleneck and keep your cool while staying warm. For beginners: On its own The easiest way to embrace the turtleneck is to wear it with jeans or trousers as an alternative to bulky jumpers. Remember to balance out the snug fit of a thin turtleneck with straight-leg or wide pants or jeans. Marilyn Monroe wore her black turtleneck with checked capri pants and Audrey Hepburn with black tights, playing a beatnik in the classic musical Funny Face. Most of us are neither bombshells nor beatniks and more than 60 years have passed, so let's loosen up. One trend from the last millennium worth holding on to is feminist Gloria Steinem's turtlenecks paired with long, statement silver necklaces from the 1970s. It's not just groovy, it's liberating. Intermediate: Beneath a jacket A turtleneck is a streamlined alternative to wearing a blouse beneath a blazer or jacket. When it comes to layering, the thinner the turtleneck the better. A white turtleneck breaking up double denim looks better than Jake Gyllenhaal breaking up fights in Road House. If you're self-conscious about your curves, try wearing the turtleneck untucked to lengthen your silhouette. Otherwise, tuck it in and break out your best belt. If you're after a monochrome approach, pairing a white turtleneck with a white jacket, or a black turtleneck with a black jacket, be prepared to play with textures. The cotton, wool or cashmere (if you're fancy) of a turtleneck provides a delightful on-trend contrast with a crackly leather jacket or the sleek satin lapel of a dinner jacket. Sharon Stone's black turtleneck worn beneath a black velvet jacket at the 1996 Academy Awards remains an inspiration to many stylists for a very good reason. Expert: Beneath a shirt The Parisian staple of a white turtleneck beneath a white collared shirt, worn with jeans and leather boots, is the height of trans-seasonal chic. Once again, make sure the turtleneck is fitted but let the shirt billow. Look for a shirt with a classic rather than tailored fit and remember, you can undo as many buttons as you like without having to worry about stiff breezes. A black turtleneck with a white shirt and jeans also works but be careful of straying into the coastal grandma trend, exemplified by Diane Keaton, of white, on white, on white. If you take this path, be prepared for stares and stains. For the office, match your trousers with your turtleneck before layering with a white shirt. Grey and black work brilliantly, with white acting as a crisp contrast. Break out the starch because stiff cotton shirts work best with relaxed knits.
The Age
5 hours ago
- The Age
The hero of your winter wardrobe is the garment you might least expect
The turtleneck has escaped its style sentence as the trusty uniform for women of a certain age who imagine that they're Diane Keaton in a romantic comedy and computer nerds following in the white sneaker steps of Apple founder Steve Jobs. Also known as the skivvy or polo neck, the turtleneck received a get-out-of-fashion-jail-free card at the Celine runway presentation in Paris during the most recent haute couture season. Extravagant gowns encrusted with pearls or diamonds usually steal the haute couture show, but the debut of American designer Michael Rider at the French fashion house placed humble white turtlenecks front and centre. Rider may have been inspired by former Celine designer and turtleneck devotee Phoebe Philo but his runway masterclass restored the wardrobe staple of Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe to its former free-spirited glory. Here's how to style a turtleneck and keep your cool while staying warm. For beginners: On its own The easiest way to embrace the turtleneck is to wear it with jeans or trousers as an alternative to bulky jumpers. Remember to balance out the snug fit of a thin turtleneck with straight-leg or wide pants or jeans. Marilyn Monroe wore her black turtleneck with checked capri pants and Audrey Hepburn with black tights, playing a beatnik in the classic musical Funny Face. Most of us are neither bombshells nor beatniks and more than 60 years have passed, so let's loosen up. One trend from the last millennium worth holding on to is feminist Gloria Steinem's turtlenecks paired with long, statement silver necklaces from the 1970s. It's not just groovy, it's liberating. Intermediate: Beneath a jacket A turtleneck is a streamlined alternative to wearing a blouse beneath a blazer or jacket. When it comes to layering, the thinner the turtleneck the better. A white turtleneck breaking up double denim looks better than Jake Gyllenhaal breaking up fights in Road House. If you're self-conscious about your curves, try wearing the turtleneck untucked to lengthen your silhouette. Otherwise, tuck it in and break out your best belt. If you're after a monochrome approach, pairing a white turtleneck with a white jacket, or a black turtleneck with a black jacket, be prepared to play with textures. The cotton, wool or cashmere (if you're fancy) of a turtleneck provides a delightful on-trend contrast with a crackly leather jacket or the sleek satin lapel of a dinner jacket. Sharon Stone's black turtleneck worn beneath a black velvet jacket at the 1996 Academy Awards remains an inspiration to many stylists for a very good reason. Expert: Beneath a shirt The Parisian staple of a white turtleneck beneath a white collared shirt, worn with jeans and leather boots, is the height of trans-seasonal chic. Once again, make sure the turtleneck is fitted but let the shirt billow. Look for a shirt with a classic rather than tailored fit and remember, you can undo as many buttons as you like without having to worry about stiff breezes. A black turtleneck with a white shirt and jeans also works but be careful of straying into the coastal grandma trend, exemplified by Diane Keaton, of white, on white, on white. If you take this path, be prepared for stares and stains. For the office, match your trousers with your turtleneck before layering with a white shirt. Grey and black work brilliantly, with white acting as a crisp contrast. Break out the starch because stiff cotton shirts work best with relaxed knits.
The Age
a day ago
- The Age
Google cancels parliamentary lobbying concert at last minute after YouTube ban
Global tech giant Google has cancelled a parliamentary concert featuring rock band The Rubens at the last minute after federal Labor announced YouTube would be added to Australia's social media ban for under 16s. Google, which owns YouTube, said it had decided to cancel the event hours before it was scheduled to start out of respect for the parents of children who died after being exposed to harmful material online. The parents had appeared with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday morning to support his government's decision to ban YouTube logins for children, though the site will still be accessible to people who access its website without signing in. In an email seen by this masthead, Google confirmed the event would be cancelled. 'Out of respect for grieving families who have gathered in Parliament House today, we have decided to postpone the annual Google at Parliament House event,' the email said. 'We apologise for the late notice, and appreciate your understanding. We will be in touch with a new date as soon as possible.' One source confirmed The Rubens, whose song Hoops topped the Triple J Hottest 100 in 2015, had to pack up their set halfway through getting ready for the concert. Google's event was scheduled to take place in the Great Hall of Parliament House in Canberra, the hiring of which typically requires months of notice and significant cost. It is the public centrepiece in Australia of the $US2.37 trillion ($3.6 trillion) the tech giant spends globally on lobbying each year.
