Enough with take-down culture

November 10, 2025

Fun To Be Around is written by me, Stephanie Weaver, MPH an author and TED talk coach. No aspect of this post is created using any type of AI. I post for the delight of writing and connecting, hoping to add a bright spot to your week regardless of what’s happening in the world. No paywalls, ever. Support my work as a disabled writer with a $5 monthly subscription, or a one-time donation via Venmo.

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Image credit: Pablo Rebolledo, Unsplash

THINKING ABOUT:
I pledge that I will not read another post starting with the words owned, destroyed, blasted, or annihilated. I can’t pinpoint precisely when this era of online fighting began—the clap backs and the put-downs and the mocking—all I know is that I am beyond sick of it. I won’t read another article slamming a groundbreaking heartfelt memoir because “questions arose.” I will ignore any headline describing a life-saving therapeutic modality as “the therapy that can break you.” I am sick of click-bait titles and rage-inducing TikToks.

I want to see puppies and kittens and people being sweet to each other. Send me your adorable memes, your babies, your lovely holiday decorations, your tasty pies, your beautiful handcrafts. Bring on the cozy and the kind. I need an infusion of love.

WATCHING:
Too Much (Netflix) Megan Stalter shines in Lena Dunham’s fizzy but realistic comedy about a young woman who’s lost her sparkle after she gets dumped and is sent to London to get her mojo back. She’s expecting Notting Hill but gets Blue Lights instead. Every episode is an homage to the British rom-coms she’s allowed to influence her life. Filled with insane guest stars that don’t pull you out of the story, like Will Sharpe, Rita Wilson, and Richard E. Grant for starters.

READING: If You’re Seeing This It’s Meant for You by Leigh Stein
Stein, a sharp observer of social media culture, answers this question with her book: What would a gothic novel set in present day look like? Think Jane Eyre but the location is a crumbling Hollywood mansion filled with social media influencers, a dysfunctional family legacy, and a stressed out creative who can no longer find a job or a place to live for herself and her highly photogenic rabbit. A highly entertaining read, especially if you’re fairly online and understand how social media works.

You'll find all of my book recommendations at my Bookshop. If you buy from this link the author makes more, an indie bookstore gets the sale, and I make a small commission. Win/Win/Win!

Here’s the Amazon link if you prefer.

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Thanks for reading this week. Let’s hold each other close in this darkness, hold onto our empathy, and not give up working toward healing and justice.