The moment I had long dreaded finally arrived: the day I’d have to dismantle my childhood. I suppose I should consider myself ...

I’ve always struggled with the idea of a “guilty pleasure.” Truly innocent pleasure shouldn’t come with a side of shame. Most guilty pleasures are purposely private, indulged alone or among the ...

A few minutes into her Aug. 13 appearance on New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift said, “This is my first podcast.” I thought she was making a little joke—surely she’d talked to Marc ...

Some people are fans of the Seattle Seahawks. But many, many more people are NOT fans of the Seattle Seahawks. This 2025 Defector NFL team preview is for those in the latter group. Read all the ...

On a breezy spring night in 2023, the Georgia Room at the Freehand Hotel was humid with sweat. Queers of various genders wore cowboy hats and bedazzled denim, camouflage and American flag bikinis. The ...

It is easy enough to read about the climate crisis through the dozens of devastating stories that run each week, warning us ...

Some people are fans of the Cincinnati Bengals. But many, many more people are NOT fans of the Cincinnati Bengals. This 2025 ...

There’s a scene in the new Superman movie that illustrates the precarious nature of music compatibility and how touchy it can ...

Some people are fans of the Arizona Cardinals. But many, many more people are NOT fans of the Arizona Cardinals. This 2025 ...

That’s right. It’s Puja Week and I’m Puja—everyone has to do what I say, or else. Don’t worry, this isn’t my first rodeo. A ...

Welcome to Margin of Error, a politics column from Tom Scocca, editor of the Indignity newsletter. One of the things that a ...

For most of my 20s, I did not believe that I had clinical depression. No, what I had was clinical depression’s cuter, more ...