Punk Rock, Pop Art, and Eleanor Roosevelt Mystery Novels

Punk rock, 101

Punk rock is a music genre that came to prominence in the 1970s, particularly in New York, London, and Los Angeles. The music was inspired by scrappy, countercultural 1960s rock bands, such as the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, and was popularized by acts like Patti Smith, the Ramones, and the Clash.
 

By the early 1980s, punk rock had splintered into several subgenres, including post-punk, hardcore, second-wave ska, and new wave. It had also evolved into a vibrant subculture that valued anticommercialism, radical self-expression, and a do-it-yourself ethos. The music became particularly popular in the 1990s with Nirvana’s "Nevermind," an album indebted to punk that improbably topped Billboard’s album chart and realigned popular culture.
 

Although contemporary punk rock might sound different from its 1970s figureheads, the music (and its aesthetics and ethics) is still thriving, inspiring countless artists along the way.

Also, check out ... 

> Despite inspiring the genre with the Stooges, Iggy Pop distanced himself from the music in the late '70s. (Watch)

> Gary Panter developed punk's early style before designing the world of Pee-wee Herman. (Read)

> Fugazi refused to print T-shirts, so bootleggers decided to make their own. (Read)

> Before the Velvet Underground, Lou Reed was a workaday songwriter. (Listen)

Explore everything else we've found on punk rock. 

An introduction to pop art

Pop Art is an influential artistic movement with roots in advertising, mass production, and American pop culture iconography, which peaked in popularity in the 1960s. One of the movement’s most recognizable artists is Andy Warhol.
 

Born from separate American and British subgroups, pop artists have sought to counter ingrained perceptions of art as solely refined or sophisticated, instead incorporating informal, popular, everyday subjects. Pop art often centers on celebrities, consumer products, and cartoon characters, embracing kitschy, banal, and impersonal compositional elements to comment on the effects of media and culture on everyday life. (See some of the movement's most famous works.)
 

Works by living and dead pop artists continue to appear in fashion, design, advertising, and media for brands as diverse as Louis Vuitton, Lady Gaga, and "The Simpsons." Through its iconography and playful aesthetic, it remains one of the most recognizable art movements in the world.

Also, check out ... 

> The movement was sparked by a 1956 collage. (Read)

> Jasper Johns transformed familiar symbols into abstract images. (Read)

> David Hockney's "Splash" paintings admired California life. (Watch)

> Some criticize the way Keith Haring appropriated Indigenous aesthetics. (Read)

Explore everything else we've found on pop art. 

How memes work

In his 1976 book “The Selfish Gene,” biologist Richard Dawkins proposed that units of culture could be replicated, passed on, and evolve as they were transmitted, similar to human genes. He called this unit a "meme," to be pronounced like "cream."
 

Since it was first proposed nearly half a century ago, the idea of the meme itself has already mutated, its changes hurried along by the arrival of the internet in 1983. Shifting from a proposed cultural evolutionary concept, the meme is now largely considered content spread between and intentionally iterated upon by internet users.
 

Memes can be validating and cathartic, contributing to the development of social groups and identity formation. They have also developed a unique language, transcending translation troubles and, sometimes, censorship to establish a shared online consciousness. This level of influence naturally means memes can also be used as vehicles of misinformation and propaganda, influencing politics and public opinion. (See a list of the most famous memes.)

Also, check out ... 

> Norman Rockwell's "Freedom of Speech" has become a way for internet users to frame an unpopular opinion. (Read)

> Memes can be traced back to chain letters. (Read)

> Dawkins was not the first biologist to propose that ideas mutated. (Read)

> Memes have become powerful tools for political persuasion. (Listen)

Explore everything else we've found on memes. 

Cultural Context

Beyond our weekly deep dives, we love finding great takes on the culture currently shaping our lives. Here are some of the best reactions, profiles, and think pieces we encountered this week.

> Accommodation Nation

The Atlantic | Rose Horowitch. More young people are being afforded testing accommodations, like extra time, than ever before. Horowitch notes that these aides are disproportionately helping students at the country's most elite universities, wondering whether that's a sign of progress or inequity. (Read)

> Emotional Labor

Punch | Karen Fischer. Increasingly, bartenders are finding themselves on the front lines of the opioid epidemic, forced to respond to overdoses within their establishments. Fischer speaks with those in the service industry, unpacking how they're responding to the new reality. (Read)

> An Architectural Icon

Artnet | Vittoria Benzine. Frank Gehry—the mind behind Spain's Guggenheim Bilbao and Los Angeles' Walt Disney Concert Hall—died last week. This in-depth obituary analyzes his innovative design and details how he became one of the architectural world's most important names. (Read)

> The Year's Best Movies

NY Times | Staff. These lists from the Times' film critics sift through the hundreds of movies released in 2025 to highlight the best of the best. Even if you've already seen the much-hyped "Sinners" or "One Battle After Another," these lists offer plenty of under-the-radar recommendations. (Read)

> The Year's Best Albums

Pitchfork | Staff. Streaming has made nearly all recorded music available in seconds, though most people resort to songs from the past. This list, voted on by the well-respected Pitchfork staff, surfaces some of the most exciting new music, with selections from Cameron Winter, Addison Rae, and more. (Read)

Best of the Week

We curate hundreds of resources into 1440 Topics each week. Here are some of our favorites from the world of society and culture.

> Eleanor Roosevelt's son wrote mystery novels. His protagonist? Eleanor Roosevelt.

> Surrealists like Salvador Dalí were fascinated by psychoanalysis.

> Childhood trends like "67" existed long before the internet.

> Countercultural icon William S. Burroughs once appeared in a Nike ad.

> "The Mozart Effect" posited that listening to the composer's music could enhance intelligence, but the study's modest claims were blown out of proportion.

> Bluegrass, a country music subgenre, makes space for instrumentalists to take solos.

> More elite athletes are warming up with equipment from other sports.

> Despite their appearance, Pringles are not legally considered potato chips.

> The birthplace of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" constructed its own Oz Sculpture Garden.

> Craig Claiborne invented the modern food critic.

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