In May, I wrote a post about the performative allyship I saw from my peers on social media. I wrote about how the flood of social media posts I saw from my classmates sometimes felt insincere because I had never seen them speaking up for black people in real life. In the weeks since, as I used the internet for article research, I’ve seen people try to justify activism that isn’t helpful in a variety of new ways.

The first example that comes to mind is social media users turning “arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor” into a meaningless statement by putting it into otherwise unrelated posts or tweets. Many nonblack people have claimed that it’s bringing attention to the movement and Breonna’s story, by making readers see Breonna’s name in places they wouldn’t expect. Another is teenagers on TikTok making Manny, a cartoon character from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, into a “symbol” of the Black Lives Matter movement. People argue that Manny is helpful because it’s getting more people to sign petitions and care about BLM.

breonna taylor's death being commodified into a meme is really enough to tell me that y'all do not actually value the personhood of black women

— whoretta scott king | abolish 🐷 (@daniellecanyell) June 24, 2020

At the end of the day, both of these represent the way that people only want to be activists when it is convenient for them. Tweeting “arrest the cops that killed Breonna Taylor” without following up with action steps for what people can do to help Breonna’s case turns a demand for justice into a meaningless tagline. She deserves much more than that. And, why would someone need to see a children’s cartoon character to encourage them to sign a petition?

This brand of internet activism is not only distracting but disrespectful as well. Black people’s lives are on the line, and now is not the time to create memes. There is undeniable power in numbers. If teenagers put the energy they put behind creating Manny content into genuinely educating others or themselves, more would be getting done to advance the Black lives matter movement.

The way that he’s right and non blacks have a very clear obsession with turning everything into a joke https://t.co/0DPAs4YZWa

— 🌑 (@Abalisah) June 27, 2020

However, I would say the most harmful examples of performative allyship are coming from those who have notable power already- politicians, universities, big businesses, and celebrities. While it is true that everyone has the power to help address systemic issues, the people and companies who already can impact thousands or millions of people are insisting on doing everything except what black people asked for. 

Throughout June and July, every day it felt like I was seeing a news story of companies and politicians announcing new things that would not enact any tangible help to Black people. I understand the importance of a symbolic gesture, but what makes city leaders think that renaming a street “Black Lives Matter” is the change that America needs? What makes real estate agents believe that changing the name of a master bedroom is more helpful than working towards ending housing discrimination? Just like the Manny flag and the “arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor” posts, this flood of news articles feels like it’s meant to be a distraction. Real work isn’t being done in a lot of places, only gestures that have no long term impact.

Black people don't care if u stop saying "master bedroom" or if u remove problematic shows from decades ago from hulu, Black people want an end to police brutality and institutionalized racism. everything else is useless pandering

— first-mate prance (@bocxtop) June 28, 2020

The best example of non-black people making changes without actually listening to black people when doing so is exemplified by the name change of the country music group Lady A, formerly called Lady Antebellum. The name “antebellum” does indeed symbolize and romanticize the Antebellum south, a time when the region’s economic growth was produced by slave labor. However, when “Lady A” changed their name, they stole that name from a black woman who had been using it for years.

They dropped “Antebellum” in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and now they’re suing a Black blues singer who’s been going by their new name for years😭 the perfect example of this performative shit missing the entire point. Woah. https://t.co/zEdqsepWbR

— Gennette Cordova (@GNCordova) July 9, 2020

What makes these changes feel even more empty, though, is the timing. Yes, better late than never, but it gives off the impression that these people in power only started advocating for Black lives when it was socially, or even financially, advantageous for them to do so. Black Lives didn’t begin to matter when the death of George Floyd became national news. Black people have been demanding for changes to police systems for years, and yet non-black people in power still aren’t listening.

There have been many changes due to the global protests, and those are what needs to be focused on. The news stories that are more outlandish and unnecessary seem to take up a significant amount of attention and talking space. From Confederate statues being taken down to millions of dollars being donated to organizations focused on helping black people, I know that these are the changes that will impact the black community the most. If there’s one takeaway from all of this it is to listen to black people. Creating action steps for issues of race is complicated, but it will always be best for allies to allow the people who are impacted to speak first.

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credits: art by @brandychieco on Instagram

Between the fight for racial justice, the upcoming election, and the worsening pandemic, the United States is incredibly politically divided right now. People on both sides are constantly accusing the other of spreading fake news, being uninformed, being heartless, etc. I am all for letting people share their political opinions, even if I do not agree with them. However, there’s a point when something stops being about differences in political opinion and starts being about not valuing the lives of other people.

An opinion should not invalidate another person’s existence. Opponents of LGBTQ+ rights provide a good example. When people claim that they “don’t believe in” LGBTQ+ rights, they are claiming that they don’t believe in the happiness and freedom of other people. I will never understand what keeps people from respecting the lives of others. Giving people in the LGBTQ+ community rights doesn’t take away the rights others already have. What happened to the freedom and equality America was based on? Was it only supposed to mean freedom and equality for people who are straight, white, and cisgender? 

 That goes for Black people who oppose the LGBTQ+ community as well. If your support of BLM isn’t intersectional and doesn’t include all Black people, you aren’t upholding that all Black lives matter. 

The Black Lives Matter movement is a human rights issue because Black people have been systemically targeted by this country since the moment the first African slaves were kidnapped and taken to this stolen land. America was never for everyone, seeing as the men who “discovered” this land started by slaughtering the Native Americans who had lived here for thousands of years. This country was built on the back of genocide and slave labor, and telling BIPOC to “get over it” only reflects privilege and a lack of empathy.

The remnants of slavery still exist for Black people today. All the negative stereotypes that cause police and Americans to view Black people as uneducated, inherently violent, and inferior were created during that time period. When slavery was ended, it wasn’t as if former enslaved people just packed up and left. Life didn’t suddenly get better for Black people, because all the biases established by the slave society in America had already been formed. 

Surely things have improved since then- it has been over 150 years, right? But the Civil Rights Movement was only a little over 50 years ago. Emmet Till was lynched for allegedly whistling at a white woman in 1955. If he was alive today, he would be 79 years old. Ruby Bridges, the one of the first Black children to integrate a white school in 1960 and was met with death threats, is only 65. How old are your grandparents? Now, Black communities have faced mass incarceration since the 1970s, tearing apart families and forcing children to grow up without their parents. The trauma from these eras won’t just disappear either- the impacts of racism in America are generational. 

Yesterday, a former student from my school decided to post an Instagram picture of her wearing a MAGA hat with the caption, “How triggered does this make you? #defendthepolice #backtheblue.” The comments were divided, with people praising her message and others condemning it. In a time where Black people are dying due to police violence, her statement came off as extremely insensitive. It’s not the police that need to be defended, it’s the Black lives that are endangered in America every day.

Ignoring the Black Lives Matter movement and what it stands for is ignoring the reality of institutional racism and white supremacy in this country. I keep hearing the argument “but the protesters are looting and damaging property!” What does it imply when people are ready to stand against the destruction of property but not the senseless killing of an innocent man? I’m not saying that looting is right, but while property can be replaced, lives cannot, and the President of the United States calling Black Lives Matter protesters “thugs” because of a few looters ignores that truth. Focusing on violence during the protests, which was often incited by the police, ignores every person that came out to protest unjust treatment peacefully.

And they assassinated him. https://t.co/9qzVEqkGRN

— the sun’s daughter🌞 (@ephrata) May 29, 2020

Being a police officer is a career choice. If a police officer is feeling threatened or targeted because they are a police officer, they can choose to take off that blue uniform. When I’m feeling targeted as a Black person, I can’t change my skin tone. The blue lives you’re “defending” only exists 40 hours a week, but my Black life exists 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

i really hope the lesson people take from elijah mcclain is not "its extra sad because he was so sweet"

but rather, "no amount of gentleness & respectability can protect a black person from the arbitrary wrath of police"

— Rebecca Harding ✨ (@itsSupercar) June 29, 2020

One comment on the post directed at me was interesting enough to me that I decided to dedicate a few paragraphs to it here. Someone said that I didn’t care about Black lives because I “[didn’t] even wanna hear the number killed by other Blacks or by abortions.” Firstly, I respond to that with this- your idea of “Black on Black crime” is not real. If only Black people live in your community or neighborhood, it would be Black people who are victims of your criminality. We don’t call a white child living in a white neighborhood shooting up a white school “white on white” crime. It’s just crime. Police brutality, however, is racially motivated, and that’s why we talk about it differently.

If you care so much about “Black on Black crime” why are you against giving Black neighborhoods better educational opportunities, more affordable housing, and adequate mental health resources to prevent crime? Why do you only care about “Black on Black crime” when police brutality is the focus of the conversation? Addressing the systemic racism that has impacted Black communities, and causing the “Black on Black crime” that you are supposedly so concerned about, is caring about Black lives. 

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Defund the police, defend Black communities! This #Juneteenth, it's more important than ever that we dismantle the racist and ineffective model of American policing. Learn more about how defunding the police works and why we so desperately need it. Link in bio!

A post shared by Ben & Jerry's (@benandjerrys) on Jun 19, 2020 at 6:59am PDT

What I think so many pro-life Americans misunderstand about the pro-choice mentality is that it is not automatically “pro-abortion.” I am pro-choice because I know that even if I would never get an abortion, I respect others’ right to do so. Caring about Black lives means protecting the rights of the Black person that will give birth to that child.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 1 in 5 Black women are survivors of rape. I know that I care about Black women because keeping laws in place that protect abortion rights allows rape survivors or other victims of sexual violence to have a choice on whether they want to keep their baby. Making abortion illegal will not eradicate abortion, it will only make it unsafe. Since you care so much about all the Black babies that won’t be born because of abortion laws, why can’t you can put that energy into supporting the Black children and adults who are already on this earth?  

Supporting the Black Lives Matter movement intersects with many other movements, such as women’s rights, gay rights, and transgender rights. Ultimately, Black Lives Matter has become about more than just police brutality, it is about addressing racism and anti-Blackness as a whole.

When Black people and their allies are advocating for their rights worldwide, it’s time to put your political beliefs aside and think about why this many people are telling you stories of how Black people aren’t treated fairly. Start listening to the experiences of people who are different from you. Racism was built into the foundations of this country and continues to determine the lives of Black people today. If people can’t acknowledge that, nothing will change.

 A true anti-racist fights for everyone who is marginalized in America. I recognize that I don’t know everything about injustice, and I am always working to educate myself on the issues faced by others. I spend time doing that because I believe in fairness and equity. When people– regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, or sexuality– feel protected and respected by this country, then I will believe I live in an America that is “great.” Until then, I will keep fighting.

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credits: Image from the @justiceforbreonnataylor instagram page

As much as I use the term “People of Color” (POC)  in conversation and my writing, I recognize its flaws. POC generally includes everyone who doesn’t consider themselves white– so Black, Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, Indigenous, and Latinx individuals. 

POC is an evolution of the word “colored”- an outdated term. It’s used to encourage solidarity amongst marginalized groups in America.

There are shared issues faced by all individuals who identify as POC, such as poor media representation and racial discrimination. However, said struggles are experienced so differently across marginalized communities, which experiences that aren’t always comparable. With the ongoing discussions on police brutality following George Floyd’s death, I see this often happening when an issue impacts the Black community.

Racists aren’t just white people. It’s your brown friend who says the n word. It’s your parents who have hatred for darker skin people & black individuals. I’ve been in groupchats with POC who have gotten extremely angry when i’ve asked them not to say the n word. Call them out.

— H E N N Y (@hennaahmedx) May 30, 2020

In conversation, the usage of the term POC makes an issue appear to impact all non-white people the same. Grouping everyone together erases the accountability for harm done to a particular community. If you claimed that “people of color” are facing increased racism because of the coronavirus pandemic instead of saying “Asian-Americans,” the context that would highlight Trump referring to COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus” as fuel for this increase is hidden. 

 At the beginning of the year, my high school had multiple incidents with non-black students using the N-word. When an all-school meeting was called to discuss the issue, I distinctly remember my teachers claiming that the N-word is harmful to “people of color.” The experience was angering because it felt like they couldn’t admit the harm being done to black students at our school. 

In October 2019, actress Gina Rodriguez was called out after saying the N-word on her Instagram story. After criticism, she delivered a disingenuous-sounding statement, where she apologized only to “communities of color.” These two situations, my school’s response to an incident involving the N-word and Gina Rodriguez’s apology, are incredibly similar. 

The N-word has historically been used against Black people and can be reclaimed only by Black people, not by all people of color. Calling out white people on their usage of the n-word is common, but anti-blackness in “POC” communities is just as prevalent. 

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i am tired of explaining to people why they should not say the N word. i am tired of people coming to me and asking me to explain to someone else why they should not say the N word. read this.

A post shared by Mengwe (@mengwe) on Jun 7, 2020 at 10:59am PDT

“Black” or “African-American” shouldn’t be words that people are too scared to say out loud. We shouldn’t have to be grouped in with other people for our issues to matter. POC is not always synonymous with black. The struggles of minorities in America are not interchangeable, and speaking as if they are does more harm than good. I interpret intersectionality to be about understanding how different identities are treated differently, rather than referring to many separate identities under broad umbrella terms.

Recently, I began to notice the word BIPOC on my timeline more frequently. I had never heard of the term before, and I had to do some research on what it meant. The acronym stands for “Black, Indigenous, People of Color.” It was popularized by the BIPOC Project, highlighting a positive step towards including communities that have been historically left out. 

In the future, I plan to start using the term BIPOC more often. I encourage others to do the same. It doesn’t completely eliminate the aspect of using one term to describe various people, but it certainly calls more attention to the anti-blackness in POC communities and the erasure of Indigenous people from conversations. If you mean Black, though, say Black. Language is constantly evolving, and adopting a new term that is inclusive of more people can only bring forth more important changes.

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If you want to read more about this topic, attached below is a great article.

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-widatalla-poc-intersectionality-race-20190428-story.html

credits; Art by @brandychieco on Instagram

As I swiped through my Instagram story these past few days, it’s all posts in support of protests for George Floyd. This is how it should be– no one should be silent about his murder. There is video evidence of a black man being killed by a police officer, evidence that is angering and upsetting. 

I’m grateful that I don’t have mutuals who are firing back by defending the police or saying “All Lives Matter.” The flood of Instagram story posts means that my non-black peers are listening, spreading awareness, declaring themselves as allies…right?

For me, it becomes more complicated because I know these people outside of their Instagram story activism. When I think of everyone who’s posted in support of Black Lives Matter but has never actively defended black students at my school in times of racial incidents, or genuinely engaged in conversations surrounding marginalized communities, it’s hard to see their posts as sincere.

oh bc i thought a non-black friend who hasn’t checked up on their black friends said something.

— READ THE ROOM. (@dylandavii) May 28, 2020

There shouldn’t have to be a murder for people to care about what’s happening to black people in America. There shouldn’t need to be a video for George Floyd’s story to feel real. It hurts to realize that many of the people posting about solidarity would never try to stand for me, or other black people, in real life.

RIP to every black person who has also died wrongly by the hands of police that wasn’t video recorded. They’re so many hashtags we aren’t aware of.

— Alexander.N (@nickalxndr) May 27, 2020

The situations we see and share across social media are not isolated or rare. While some people can watch the video of George Floyd’s death, recognize that what happened is terrible, and continue with their day, I believe that the experience is different for black people. We’ve grown up hearing about police brutality, this scenario is familiar. I can’t stop caring about police brutality once people start talking about “the next thing.” It’s just my life. 

As a black person, I shouldn’t feel the need to post for the sake of other people. Too often is the pressure of educating non-black people about black issues placed on black people. I feel a pressure to make my blog entirely about why things are wrong or racist, even when I initially created it for black women. It’s not to say I’m not grateful for the support of my non-black readers, but I want to stop filtering my voice so that it’s palatable for everyone.

black girls do whatever you want today. you are not a mule nor a political robot. do what you want. if you want to speak, then speak if you do not want to then don’t. pls do not feel like you have to fight. we been fighting all our lives. you gon be fine, baby. trust

— high priestess of atsushi sakurai (@yutalovescurt) May 29, 2020

Performative allyship is harmful because it’s only done for the social satisfaction of being seen as “woke.” Maintaining activist aesthetics seems to override actual action. There are so many times when different social movements become trends that are forgotten in a matter of weeks, or even in days. 

I’m not claiming that posting right now is wrong. I just wish people kept this same energy online and in real life. This goes even more so for celebrities and companies that profit off of black culture but never speak out about black issues. How can you build your career off a group of people you barely care about? Being an actual ally does not consist of Instagram story reposting #blacklivesmatter when your real-life voice has never been used to uplift black people. 

oh cause i thought the influencers who steal their personalities, looks and ideas from black people said something. my bad. must’ve been the wind.

— boo boo the fool 🖤 (@amandaoee_) May 28, 2020

I hope that George Floyd’s and Breonna Taylor‘s stories never stop being talked about. I need people to remember their activism now and carry it with them every day, instead of bringing it out just to follow the crowd. One Instagram post backed with no actions or words does not make a true ally.

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credits: Image sourced from @nytimes instagram, captioned as “Protesters in Foley Square in Manhattan.” taken by @kirstenluce⁣

If I had to think of one word to describe how I felt hearing the news of George Floyd’s death, my word would be “numb.” It was just a little over two weeks ago when the news of Ahmaud Aubery made its way across the internet, another case showing the lack of protection black people have in America. Black people face violence from civilians- as seen with Ahmaud Aubery- but we also face violence from those meant to help us.

Being black is having a good day and then seeing another black person was killed for no reason. then you have to think about/talk about that all day. or don't and numb yourself. It's a constant emotional war.

— quinta brunson (@quintabrunson) May 26, 2020

The officers involved in George Floyd’s murder were fired, but how often do we actually see police officers who killed black people sent to prison? It’s not enough to just fire those involved, not when there is a documented recording of someone being murdered by officers. If the police officers are convicted, will they even serve a long enough amount of time to even partially account for the atrocities they committed?

It was hard for me to read about George Floyd’s death because of how familiar this situation is– and that only makes it more disheartening. Floyd’s last words– “I can’t breathe“– mirror those of Eric Garner, another black man killed by police in 2014. Though the actions of the Black Lives Matter Movement have been widely publicized, it feels like nothing has changed from the deaths that sparked the movement seven years ago.

There is an inevitable moment in publicized cases of systemic racial violence, where people try to paint the victims as somehow deserving of what happened to them- as if violence at that level could ever be excusable. For Eric Garner, it was his “intimidating” appearance. Conservative media did their best to mark Trayvon Martin as a “thug.” Tamir Rice, who was a twelve-year-old child, was automatically deemed a threat because of his fake gun.

The pattern emphasized throughout all of these cases is that black Americans live under the assumption of guilt and danger. It’s this assumption, this conscious or unconscious bias, that leads police officers to claim that the “only way” to diffuse a situation with a black person resisting arrest is with a gun, regardless of actual criminal activity.

George Floyd was suspected of forgery. Whether he resisted arrest or not, the crime he was accused of was a nonviolent one, and the police still exerted maximum force. He was unarmed.

When I learned that, I immediately thought back to the arrest of Dylann Roof in 2015. Roof was arrested for shooting up an African-American church and killing nine people– clearly marking him as a dangerous individual. Yet, when he was arrested, the police bought him Burger King on the way to the station.

There are glaring differences in how black and white people are treated in this country. The justice system has been treating black people unfairly since the beginning– it’s yet another system that was only made to help white people. It’s white Americans that get to argue “self-defense” when they kill another human being because the assumption that a black person is dangerous is so ingrained into our society.

Saying “Black Lives Matter” shouldn’t be controversial or political, but it is still considered so. Black Lives Matter is simply about the fact that black people deserve to be treated fairly by others, and not like animals or less than. The statements “All Lives Matter,” “Blue Lives Matter” or “White Lives Matter” are directly racist, because they were formed to detract attention away from issues black people face in America. Police choose their jobs and the danger that comes with it, but we black Americans did not choose the color of our skin. They can take off their uniform, but we will always be black. These other movements act as a way of silencing our struggles and telling us that the lives of those who look like us aren’t valuable.

George Floyd’s death will not be forgotten amongst the hundreds of others unjustly killed by police. For some, this may have been a wake-up call to the racist injustices our country is still capable of. For black people, it was a reminder.

A reminder that this country still treats us as second class, despite all the work of abolition and civil rights movements. Black children grow up hearing “the talk“– the one to prepare us for police encounters. This should not be the case but it is our terrifying reality.

Dear Black girl…

It is okay to mourn.
It is okay to feel numb.
It is okay to feel angry.
It is okay to be sad.

These are not mere moments of injustice, these are lifetimes of pain. And whatever emotions come with pain for you are okay.

— Blk Girl Culture (@blkgirlculture) May 27, 2020

I’m feeling a lot of emotions after writing this, and I’m sure other black people are as well after hearing this news. For non-black people, take the time today to check on your black friends. For everyone: continue to say his name, share his story, and think about what the murder of George Floyd reveals about America.

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image credits: New York Times

About two weeks ago, Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj, Megan Thee Stallion, and Beyonce helped make Billboard history by being the first four black women to simultaneously occupy the top two spots on the Billboard Hot 100. It was Nicki Minaj and Doja Cat’s first #1, and Megan Thee Stallion’s highest-charting song yet. For black women everywhere this moment could have felt like a victory- I know it did for me. Seeing unapologetically black women topping charts and collaborating was a definite highlight during these monotonous times. How often have we been blessed with a feature from Beyonce herself?

I’m happy to be apart of the history that was made today 😭😭😭

— HOT GIRL MEG (@theestallion) May 11, 2020

However…yesterday, Lana Del Rey decided it was the time to bring to light her struggles as a woman in the music industry. She writes about how she’s constantly been accused of glamorizing abuse, claiming that she’s singing about the “realities of what we are all now seeing are the very prevalent emotionally abusive relationships all over the world.”

While she’s making a valid point about the level of criticism women face in the music industry, it comes off as tone-deaf and silencing of women of color- mainly because of all the women she named in her post- from Kehlani to Nicki Minaj.

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A post shared by Lana Del Rey (@lanadelrey) on May 21, 2020 at 12:26am PDT

Every woman she explicitly called out, excluding Ariana Grande, is a woman of color. Some people have argued that what she’s saying isn’t about race, but when Lana Del Rey claimed that she “paved the way for women to say whatever the hell they want with their music” she gave herself way too much credit for something black women already have been doing forever.

gathered. goodnight❤️ pic.twitter.com/7SjQJp0JvR

— N. (@theesudani) May 21, 2020

Women of all shades have always been harshly criticized for taking control of their image and being confident in their sexuality, but that criticism is often even harsher for women of color. Del Rey’s comment acts as if she’s the only one who has faced backlash for her type of music, which is purely false.

To be honest, her commentary represents what I like to call classic white women behavior: taking a positive moment for women of color and somehow finding a way to be offended or make it about their own oppression as women. 

she’s mentioning waaaay too many black women for my liking… https://t.co/8hI9V7dxhY

— 𝖆𝖗𝖈𝖍𝖎𝖊 (@arxhiiie) May 21, 2020

The timing of it all makes her message sound even more Karen-esque, it had to be 10 days after black women were at the top of the charts, and she just had to use the names of other female artists to prove her point. Her argument could have had the same central idea without Del Rey feeling the need to point out a “double standard” of how differently the woman she named are being treated- especially when the double standard barely exists.

In her post, she remarks that “there has to be a place in feminism for women who look and act like me,” as if she refuses to acknowledge the privilege she has as a conventionally attractive white woman in the industry, while many black artists have to work exceptionally hard to prove their worth. 

This is still so fucking coded. pic.twitter.com/5TDAATDGpX

— Nichole 🍞🍯 (@tnwhiskeywoman) May 21, 2020

For years, feminism hasn’t been a place for women of color, which is where the term “white feminism” initially comes from. I’ve always maintained that white feminism isn’t explicitly feminists that are white, they are feminists that only care about the issues and oppression faced by white women, ignoring the struggles of women of color. The duality of being a person of color and also a woman creates layers of identity within feminism, forcing women of color to start their own movements to advocate for themselves.

As expected, Lana del Rey responded to accusations of racism by saying in her post’s caption that it was “bullshit.” Now, do I genuinely think Lana del Rey is racist? No, not at all. But this moment does provide an example of a time when “female solidarity” doesn’t extend to women of color. The fact that Lana could have defended her music without implying that the women she named have it easier in the industry than her or recentering a conversation in a time when black women were on the top of the charts to focus on herself, shows ignorance and lack of sensitivity. Once again, women of color can’t depend on anyone to not throw them under the bus.

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credits: Image from the TheCut.com