Ah, the art of letter writing: not lost so much as strangely distorted and reframed by the times. Today, there’s an open letter to GOT‘s White Walker Army (which unveiled some of its strength this past Sunday during the C.G.I. massacre at Hardhome) in The New Yorker. “We dread your appearance not just because you threaten Jon Snow and his cohorts,” writes Sarah Larson, “but because you threaten to drag the show we love further into a realm that we find tedious.” The White Walker Army has yet to tweet a response. Meanwhile, a real-life letter from Frank Sinatra to Mia Farrow is on the auction block for an estimated $3,000-$4,000. Pulling the old White Walker Army, Mia Farrow has also not commented on Twitter about the impending sale.
Speaking of social media, Laverne Cox has posted a picture of herself on Instagram dressed as the Statue of Liberty—on the cover of the new Entertainment Weekly. In the interview in the issue, she discusses — in light of media coverage of Catlyn Jenner’s public transition — the luxury of having been able to go through the process in public. “Because,” she says, “when you transition in the public eye, the transition becomes the story. I’m always disturbed when I see conversations about trans people that focus on surgery. But I believe Caitlyn will transcend this moment.” Indeed, her presence itself has already been transcendent insomuch as it’s shed light on less famous trans peoples’ lives, and schooled the formerly-ignorant on trans issues (perhaps even eventually opening the minds of social conservatives).
While the rapidness of the way things spread on the internet can be helpful for social causes, it can also serve for inane fulfillment: witness, for example, The Best GIF ever (I actually can’t stop watching it)? Also, where would we be without listsicles of movie deaths that bring tears to our eyes (Noooo, Bambi’s mom, noooo)? Or listsicles about airport secrets like strategically placed art or the real reason TSA agents get chatty? Maybe with all the time I spend reading listsicles, I could have discovered a new planet 1,000 light years away like this then-15 year old kid. But, oh, here’s an article about the strange, seedy world of sex worker review forums. What? Must…not…click…