Culture

illustration of two hands holding a copy of the book The Let Them Theory
Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Stefanie Keenan / Getty.

Where Did ‘Let Them’ Come From?

Years before Mel Robbins published her best-selling self-help book, a struggling writer posted a poem with a similar message.

Photo-illustration of black-and-white closeup image of moon with craters next to black-and-white image of a leaf's veins.
Photo-illustration by Liz Hart / The Atlantic. Sources: Futuras Fotos / Alamy; Ironrodart / Getty.
Sarah Jessica Parker in And Just Like That surrounded by characters from The White Lotus, Selling Sunset and Real Housewives of Atlanta
Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Everett Collection.

Money Is Ruining Television

Depictions of extreme wealth are everywhere on the small screen and, well, it’s all quite boring.

Graphic-illustration with cut-out photos of teen-movie characters collaged on notebook paper.
Photo-Illustration by Colin Hunter. Sources: Getty; Steve Schapiro / Getty; Paramount / Everett Collection; Universal / Everett Collection; Lionsgate Entertainment; CBS Photo Archive / Getty; Silver Screen Collection / Getty.

Fast Times and Mean Girls

What the great teen movies tell us about American adolescence