A piece of culture, a piece of politics #1
Song titles are getting shorter and protests are just all around.
A piece of culture: It’s the end of the world as we know it. And song titles are getting shorter.
Among 2025’s hit songs, you’ve got Espresso, Not Like Us, Texas Hold’em, 360, Fortnight, Brat...
Noticed how song titles don’t go beyond three words anymore?
Makes me think about Marshall McLuhan’s “The medium is the message.”
The way we consume music has shifted—mobile screens, vertical and narrow, probably have a lot to do with it. Add in our tech-induced ADHD and short attention spans, we just can’t handle more than three words.
Are you old enough to remember MTV?
One of my favorite underrated R.E.M. songs dropped in 1987, back when MTV was taking off: It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine).
No way a title like that would fly today.
A piece of politics: Is there a protest in your country right now?
I remember joining the protests against the rising cost of living in Israel back in 2011. There was something electric about them—thousands of people marching together, front-line drummers setting the rhythm, strangers from different walks of life connecting over a shared cause. The signs were witty, thought-provoking, or just funny, and despite the hardships that brought us there, hope was in the air.
Since then, prices have skyrocketed—up 300%—and the Israeli government has only become more corrupt, to the point where I’d even call it outright evil. I left the country long ago.
I’m not sure if protests work anymore. They feel more like extreme weather catastrophes—showing up with increasing frequency but dismissed by the submissive media as isolated events rather than part of a larger global trend.
In a nutshell, these are the political protests, oposing governments and corruption, that has been going on since beginning of 2025:
Istanbul, Turkey – Protests against the detention of Istanbul’s mayor and government repression.
Belgrade, Serbia – Anti-corruption protests demanding government transparency.
Maputo, Mozambique – Protests against alleged electoral fraud in the 2024 elections.
Seul, South Korea - Protesters gathered to urge the Constitutional Court to dismiss South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Kathmandu, Nepal – Pro-monarchy rallies clashing with police over government corruption.
Tel Aviv, Israel – Protests demanding hostage negotiations and opposing judicial reforms.
Gaza, Palestine – Rare demonstrations against Hamas, calling for an end to the war.
Tbilisi, Georgia – Protests erupted over parliamentary hearings on alleged crimes by the previous government, leading to clashes and arrests of opposition leaders and demonstrators.
Athens, Greece – Violent protests marked the anniversary of a deadly train crash, with youths clashing with police over the government's handling of the incident.
Jakarta, Indonesia - the 'Dark Indonesia' movement continues to mobilize demonstrations opposing contentious amendments in military law, expanding the military’s power over.
