America’s Earliest Sports Stars Were … Professional Walkers?

Before Fitness Influencers Made Getting Your Steps in a Trend, Pedestrianism Took the Nation By Foot

Walking needs no publicist. The simplest, most accessible form of exercise has been around since humans first foraged and traveled on the ground.

But today, walking seems to have entered its influencer era.

It’s the subject of countless viral videos, of people doing it silently, collectively, for their mental health, for their physical health, for “hot girl” reasons (lawsuit pending), and yes, even for their gastro needs.

There’s something more to these micro trends than fitness personalities looking to make a quick buck off of brand-name water bottles or $30 socks. A new …

More In: Culture Class

Who You Calling ‘NPC’?

‘Non-Player Character’ Has Become an Insult. But Its D&D Origins Tell a Different Story

I tripped over the term NPC, quite literally, on my way to an event the other night. Rushing to get there, I fell right in front of the venue. Embarrassed …

What the Wonkapocalypse Can Teach Us

An Immersive Experience Gone Wrong Shows Us the Perennial Emptiness of Carefully Curated Escapes from Reality

Last month, an “immersive” Willy Wonka event took over my news feed.

Normally, I’d keep scrolling.

Promoters market these voguish multisensory experiences—which are supposed to literally immerse you in an environment through …

Cowboy Boots Were Made for Everyone

For Over a Century and Half, the Footwear Has Carried the Story of a Nation

“In these anxious days,” wrote Aaron Latham in the original Esquire article that inspired the movie Urban Cowboy, “some Americans have turned for salvation to God, others have turned to …

Why We Hunger for the Holiday Special

Every December, an Age-Old Format Warms the Winter Night

’Tis the season.

The season for television shows to chug too much eggnog, forget their earthly cares for an hour or so, and jump the proverbial yuletide shark.

The result, whether it’s …

Could True Crime Make the World a Better Place?

The Genre’s Sordid Reputation Goes Back to the 1800s—As Does Its Potential to Inspire Those Disillusioned with the Criminal Justice System

Recreating Mabel Mora’s look for Halloween this year was simple. All it took was a mini skirt, a sweater, some gold hoops, and knitting needles—items I already had lying around …