The Toast-shaped hole in my life
August 27, 2016 9:34 PM Subscribe
I miss The Toast so, so, so much. What sites are you reading now that it's over that scratch the same itch?
What I miss:
- the style of humor
- the casual, inclusive queerness
-- but that it wasn't a "queer website" just a good website that happened to be queer
- similar taste to me in literature
- the unusual amount of content about religion
- really readable and interesting pieces about being lots of different kinds of minorities and having lots of different kinds of disabilities
- the community, oh god the community. I wasn't much of a commenter there really but I so miss there being a site other than Mefi where I could scroll down and read the damn comments
- OK also everything else just everything.
I just feel like The Toast was doing a really good job of helping me be a human in this world and I miss it so much. It's Saturday night and I found myself navigating to it as a habit and had a little moment of "Ooh what'd I miss on the Toast this week" and then realized oh noooo I didn't miss aaaaanything fml.
I will grant that Mallory Ortberg taking over as Dear Prudence is helping a little but honestly not as much as I was hoping it might. I miss all the other contributors a lot, and I miss the collegial feeling of the site as the group project of a bunch of people I'd love to be friends with.
If you miss it too, what's taking its place for you? Did the commenters move someplace else? Is there some fucking slack channel that everyone is on?
What I miss:
- the style of humor
- the casual, inclusive queerness
-- but that it wasn't a "queer website" just a good website that happened to be queer
- similar taste to me in literature
- the unusual amount of content about religion
- really readable and interesting pieces about being lots of different kinds of minorities and having lots of different kinds of disabilities
- the community, oh god the community. I wasn't much of a commenter there really but I so miss there being a site other than Mefi where I could scroll down and read the damn comments
- OK also everything else just everything.
I just feel like The Toast was doing a really good job of helping me be a human in this world and I miss it so much. It's Saturday night and I found myself navigating to it as a habit and had a little moment of "Ooh what'd I miss on the Toast this week" and then realized oh noooo I didn't miss aaaaanything fml.
I will grant that Mallory Ortberg taking over as Dear Prudence is helping a little but honestly not as much as I was hoping it might. I miss all the other contributors a lot, and I miss the collegial feeling of the site as the group project of a bunch of people I'd love to be friends with.
If you miss it too, what's taking its place for you? Did the commenters move someplace else? Is there some fucking slack channel that everyone is on?
Have you looked at The Hairpin? Less casual queerness, but I find the sense of humor to be similar.
I wouold also love an invite to the slack channel.
posted by Brittanie at 3:43 AM on August 28, 2016
I wouold also love an invite to the slack channel.
posted by Brittanie at 3:43 AM on August 28, 2016
I think I've filled some of that hole with an array of newsletters (which are apparently the new blog?), many from various Friends of The Toast. I'm sure you know about the Ann Friedman Weekly, the newsletter which launched a thousand ships. But in addition, I've really liked: Liz Galvao's Weird Personal Emails, Carrie Frye's newsletter (black cardigan editing), Mensah Demary (Between Parentheses), Bim Adewunmi, Leila Cohan Miccio's Uptalk, Meryl Williams's The Sleeper Hit, Jessa Crispin--formerly of Bookslut--'s tarot newsletter, Helena Fitzgerald's Grief Bacon, and Anna Pulley (author of the Lesbian Haiku book)'s Annagrams.
And, of course, Two Bossy Dames.
...I get a lot of newsletters.
posted by kickingthecrap at 6:49 AM on August 28, 2016 [10 favorites]
And, of course, Two Bossy Dames.
...I get a lot of newsletters.
posted by kickingthecrap at 6:49 AM on August 28, 2016 [10 favorites]
I never fully got into the Toast. But oh no! I would be devastated if Rookiemag were to be closed down. You've probably heard of many of these already but just in case you haven't:
- XoJane gives voice to minority communities
- AskPolly and Captain Awkward have helped shape me into a more accepting and communicative human being
- I love listening to Call Your Girlfriend on the way to work! It's just a 1-hour chat between two 'long-distance besties' about their experiences, and recent feminist and pop culture issues that are on their mind.
- I also like HelloGiggles. It's much sweeter than the Toast, but I like getting micro-updates on the feminist movement. The posts about love and friendship also help me to remember and empathize with other young women.
Heartfelt condolences!
posted by Crookshanks_Meow at 9:55 AM on August 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
- XoJane gives voice to minority communities
- AskPolly and Captain Awkward have helped shape me into a more accepting and communicative human being
- I love listening to Call Your Girlfriend on the way to work! It's just a 1-hour chat between two 'long-distance besties' about their experiences, and recent feminist and pop culture issues that are on their mind.
- I also like HelloGiggles. It's much sweeter than the Toast, but I like getting micro-updates on the feminist movement. The posts about love and friendship also help me to remember and empathize with other young women.
Heartfelt condolences!
posted by Crookshanks_Meow at 9:55 AM on August 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
For the advice column aspect, you'll want the above mentioned Captain Awkward, plus Carolyn Hax's column in the Washington Post, and Ask A Manager.
posted by MsMolly at 10:32 AM on August 28, 2016
posted by MsMolly at 10:32 AM on August 28, 2016
Toast Slack and #toastietwitter fill a lot of the gap for me. But if you're looking for less interactive and more reading, then Autostraddle.com might get you partway there.
posted by Stacey at 10:35 AM on August 28, 2016
posted by Stacey at 10:35 AM on August 28, 2016
Reductress is mostly OK but inconsistent. Read a lot of their articles and find the authors you like.
posted by bendy at 10:30 PM on August 28, 2016
posted by bendy at 10:30 PM on August 28, 2016
Autostraddle is definitely explicitly queer, but also has a great community and a lot of content both serious and funny.
posted by ITheCosmos at 4:47 AM on August 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by ITheCosmos at 4:47 AM on August 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
(I messaged you the email address of the person who handles slack invites just in case)
posted by acidic at 10:08 PM on August 27, 2016 [2 favorites]