August 18, 2017
The various Jefferson Davis Highways around the US were part of a 1910s scheme to validate the “Lost Cause” myth. / Erin Blakemore
Most Confederate monuments were erected in the early 20th century, after “separate but equal” became law. / The Week
A tally of all the tech companies that are kicking white supremacists off their services. / Heather Merrick
“When we were on trial for our freedom, as children, trying desperately to clear our names, he took it upon himself to poison public opinion, demanding the harshest punishment possible, even though he didn’t know, and couldn’t have known, the facts.” The Central Park Five know better than most about Trump’s willingness to jump to conclusions. / The Washington Post
In honor of the news that Chuck E. Cheese is phasing out its animatronic bands—a move that will spark outrage only among those too old (or therapied) to remember the terror of being in the same room with a giant robot rat—here’s one of Showbiz Pizza’s Rock-afire Explosion bands, salvaged and reprogrammed to play Usher’s “Love in This Club.” / Pitchfork
“If You Can Read This Bumper Sticker, You Are Waaaaay Too Close!” / McSweeney’s Internet Tendency
Walking for exercise or leisure is the domain of the haves—who judge the have-nots for walking out of necessity. / The Outline
Arrested 14 times while performing, “showtime” dancer Michael Brundage made it into an Intel video. While he put himself through a year of Brooklyn College on tips, he says gentrification is quashing artistry and erasing a viable job market. / okayplayer.com
Trump’s statements match who he follows on Twitter—so the Post made a feed of what he sees. / The Washington Post
This tool shows where the closest Confederate monuments are to your location, and this tool shows you the closest Home Depot that offers rentals of mini-excavators and demolition equipment. / Quartz, homedepot.com
From “In the Air Tonight” to “Kiss” to, well, this week, the definitive sound of the ’80s were gated-reverb drums. From Vox’s Estelle Caswell, a history of the happy accident that begat the effect, all the wonderful ways it’s been employed ever since, and a playlist of some of its most memorable appearances: / Vox