viva la izz

A lot of the talk around Formula 1 seems to treat the Horner allegations like another episode of Drive to Survive. But we should be asking questions about how the sport treats women and create stronger protections — regardless about whether this specific moment shakes out. Let me know what you think about the story!

I pitched this story back in February of this year, knowing that the logistics for a street race is out of the question for the middling bureaucracies of the US. I went to the Miami Grand Prix and asked workers behind the scenes to talk on background about the struggles they had with Formula 1's persistent pursuit of growth. I had a hunch that the Las Vegas Grand Prix wouldn't be a good experience for fans, but expectations were high given the exorbitant prices! Here's the thing: no one is mad about the new interest in F1. The problem is that Liberty Media — the company that owns Formula 1 — doesn't care about who its new fans are. Simply put, they rather sell the pastiche of what American sports are, and make bank. In chasing down high rollers, they've forgotten about why F1 became so big in the first place: newfound accessibility. If F1 really cares about its fans, it would put more energy into the sport: making sure drivers are safe, fans are having a good time no matter how deep their pockets are, and that locals aren't inconvenienced for racing.

Okay, I know a lot of you are going to be REALLY ANGRY at this. And that's fine. But let's talk about affordability of cheap clothes. Whenever activists and experts tend to critique the fashion industry, people who can afford to buy better (or buy less!) get caught up behind the argument of affordability. But poor people aren't the ones buy $300 hauls to parade around on social media. When folks are talking about buying better or buying less, we're talking to the people who have the ability of choice. It's not normal to buy several items of clothing a month, and clothing shouldn't be this cheap. (And what I mean by cheap is like your $1.91 shirts on Shein.) If you really care about poor people, think about the 60 million garment workers globally — the majority of whom make poverty wages and work in terrible conditions. Overconsumption has consequences for them and for our planet, as well. I'm not saying it's our job to fix fast fashion. Governments need to create better laws, and brands shouldn't wait for regulations to do the right thing. In the meantime, we don't need to continue putting our dollars behind the worst of the worst.

There's so much I wanted to fit in here, but couldn't. Mainly, my point here is that things like climate change, covid, and the speed of consumerism (aka haul buys and/or replacing something that could be repaired) has incentivized companies to cut corners. The result is just more and more and more stuff — but at the cost of quality.

I'm excited to see the next generation. I had a hunch earlier last year that Ash'd be leaving, but my assignment was around the Scarlet and Violet games. It was nice to pivot it a bit more towards what I feel is the core of the franchise: friendship and adventure. Ash and Pikachu will always be close to my heart though. Without those two, I don't think I would have written three theses in a pandemic. They kept me steady and full of hope. Let me know what y'all think!!!