CULTURE

Footer Column 2

Footer Legal

Footer Main

Nav Bar

OTHER

SPORTS

Subscribe, at any level, to play

Thanks for your interest in Defector Crosswords!

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

Plans start at $8/month.

Subscribers enjoy unlimited, ad-free browsing.

Register to continue

Or click here to subscribe for unlimited, ad-free access!

Our gift to you: This year's post is unlocked. Register your email to get even more free articles.

Welcome to the 2025 Hater's Guide!

Just register your email:

This blog is free to read.

This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

Defector

Alex Sujong Laughlin

Collage: An old drawing of people in a lifeboat struggling against rough seas; in front of them a modern woman is popping out of the water, taking a photo of herself.

Under The Influence

What Are You Banning When You Ban Influencers?

Jae Towle Vieira [they/them] works as a producer for Normal Gossip. Their fiction has been published in The Normal School, New England Review, Carve Magazine, Passages North, Fairy Tale Review, and elsewhere.

Jae Towle Vieira

A young couple sitting at the Fontana della Barcaccia in Italy, the woman is attempting to take a selfie and the man is looking down at his phone

Podcasts

Live, Laugh, Like And Subscribe

ingrid nilsen sits behind a mic in a brown and white striped shirt. there is a flag and a plant behind her .

Why Star YouTube Influencer Ingrid Nilsen Quit Her Job

Close-up face shot of smooth trunkfish. Lactophrys triqueter.

They Don’t Have Lip Filler, They Just Have Lip Filler Accent

TikTok Users Learn The Internet Isn’t Forever

Fashionable women's bags hang along the sidewalk storefronts on Canal Street in New York City.

What’s In A Knockoff?

Emma Chamberlain stands in her closet, which has recently been emptied of most of its items.

A Capsule Wardrobe Won’t Save You

Supporters hold "Women for Trump" signs as they watch Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speak at a campaign rally at the Santander Arena on November 04, 2024 in Reading, Pennsylvania

It’s Safe For Lifestyle Influencers To Be MAGA Now

Patrick Redford

Running

Influencer Guy Disqualified And Banned From NYC Marathon For Bringing Bikes Onto Course

Screenprinted black and white image of a woman looking at an older version of herself in fear.

My Favorite Influencer Is In Her 60s

Students observe a classroom demonstration in an old black-and-white photograph from the 1930s.

I Took A TikTok Class. What Happened Next Blew My Mind

Is It Possible To Create Anticapitalist Work On Social Media? 

Giri Nathan

A view of the crowd milling around the U.S. Open

Tennis

The U.S. Open Crowd Has Become Too Much Of A Good Thing

An old black and white photo of women looking around suspiciously

In Snark Forums, Fans Are Haters And Haters Are Friends

A woman sticks her thumb down next to a skincare product and records the scene with an iPhone (posed scene). Product tips on Instagram or Tiktok are often paid advertising. "Deinfluencers" actively advise against buying if they are not convinced of the quality.

Local Girlbosses Lose Pyramid-Shaped Business Model

A trio of TikTok screenshots: "5 ways your FACE indicates Cortisol is High"; "4 SSIGNS YOUR BELLY FAT IS CAUSED BY A HORMONE IMBALANCE From a hormone nutritionist"; 6 SIGNS you may have HORMONAL IMBALANCE"