Ben Ellman
@heybellman.bsky.social
Radio Producer / Reporter for the likes of Engadget, NPR, Digiday, and maybe you!
Probably sent you an invite to NYC Radio Club.
I treat this site like a sassy LinkedIn™ for media people
Probably sent you an invite to NYC Radio Club.
I treat this site like a sassy LinkedIn™ for media people
This is what he looks like, btw
February 10, 2026 at 9:40 PM
This is what he looks like, btw
Reposted by Ben Ellman
What a moment to be a Bard alum... this letter also came just 10 days after a gala invite to celebrate Botstein's 50 years at Bard, and each ticket costs at minimum $1000...
February 10, 2026 at 6:55 PM
What a moment to be a Bard alum... this letter also came just 10 days after a gala invite to celebrate Botstein's 50 years at Bard, and each ticket costs at minimum $1000...
Reposted by Ben Ellman
appreciate that curlers all yell CURL while curling, helps you remember what you’re watching
February 10, 2026 at 6:24 PM
appreciate that curlers all yell CURL while curling, helps you remember what you’re watching
Reposted by Ben Ellman
I love to see this meme going around. I absolutely didn’t notice when I watched it on TV years ago that he’s holding two skateboards. Have to give credit to my producer Kevin, who I’m 80% sure gave this to me as a “I have an idea for one more thing” after we were done.
February 8, 2026 at 10:50 PM
I love to see this meme going around. I absolutely didn’t notice when I watched it on TV years ago that he’s holding two skateboards. Have to give credit to my producer Kevin, who I’m 80% sure gave this to me as a “I have an idea for one more thing” after we were done.
In 2014 PBS ran a documentary by Whitney Dow called The Whiteness Project that interviewed 1000 people from different ethnic and class backgrounds about about how they felt about being white in the American context.
People on the bird app *thoroughly* clowned on it
People on the bird app *thoroughly* clowned on it
Italians, your white card has been revoked. Stefani Germanotta is a perfidious latin
February 9, 2026 at 4:53 PM
In 2014 PBS ran a documentary by Whitney Dow called The Whiteness Project that interviewed 1000 people from different ethnic and class backgrounds about about how they felt about being white in the American context.
People on the bird app *thoroughly* clowned on it
People on the bird app *thoroughly* clowned on it
Reposted by Ben Ellman
“I’m mad I can’t understand Bad Bunny’s lyrics because they’re not in English”
my brother millions of metalheads around the world have been happily listening to incomprehensible Finnish shrieks and Japanese death grunts since we were teens, you’re just boring and racist
my brother millions of metalheads around the world have been happily listening to incomprehensible Finnish shrieks and Japanese death grunts since we were teens, you’re just boring and racist
February 9, 2026 at 5:46 AM
“I’m mad I can’t understand Bad Bunny’s lyrics because they’re not in English”
my brother millions of metalheads around the world have been happily listening to incomprehensible Finnish shrieks and Japanese death grunts since we were teens, you’re just boring and racist
my brother millions of metalheads around the world have been happily listening to incomprehensible Finnish shrieks and Japanese death grunts since we were teens, you’re just boring and racist
Reposted by Ben Ellman
on benito, and america
The Deeper Meaning of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show
The Puerto Rican rapper’s performance wasn’t a crossover event. It was something better.
slate.com
February 9, 2026 at 1:33 PM
on benito, and america
Reposted by Ben Ellman
It would be perfect karmic retribution if the Patriots suffered a loss from 1000 field goals
February 9, 2026 at 1:01 AM
It would be perfect karmic retribution if the Patriots suffered a loss from 1000 field goals
Reposted by Ben Ellman
me with 2 years of spanish study when I recognize a word during Benito's halftime performance
February 9, 2026 at 1:38 AM
me with 2 years of spanish study when I recognize a word during Benito's halftime performance
It would be perfect karmic retribution if the Patriots suffered a loss from 1000 field goals
February 9, 2026 at 1:01 AM
It would be perfect karmic retribution if the Patriots suffered a loss from 1000 field goals
Reposted by Ben Ellman
do you mind if a wh🧔🏻♂️te boy talks a little algospeak
February 6, 2026 at 7:11 PM
do you mind if a wh🧔🏻♂️te boy talks a little algospeak
Finally, some good news
"Cotillon, a Bay Area native who lives in Hayward, is the brains behind the Buck Fifty — a white plastic tray for both the hot dog and soda that fits neatly on the top rack of a Costco shopping cart."
www.sfgate.com/food/article...
www.sfgate.com/food/article...
'A silly idea': How a Bay Area man's hack is saving Costco customers
He already has more than 600 preorders.
www.sfgate.com
February 5, 2026 at 6:23 PM
Finally, some good news
Reposted by Ben Ellman
It continues to be a big problem that so many people think they don’t need outlets like the NY Times or Washington Post because they get their news from IG and TikTok but apparently don’t realize places like the Times and Post are the original source for much of that news.
February 4, 2026 at 4:49 PM
It continues to be a big problem that so many people think they don’t need outlets like the NY Times or Washington Post because they get their news from IG and TikTok but apparently don’t realize places like the Times and Post are the original source for much of that news.
That's...a lot of words. Pretty sure this is a brand new sentence
February 4, 2026 at 2:58 PM
That's...a lot of words. Pretty sure this is a brand new sentence
Reposted by Ben Ellman
This is what paleontology is really about
I wrote about an extremely strange fellow from 410 million years ago
defector.com/who-the-hell...
defector.com/who-the-hell...
Who The Hell Was This? | Defector
It was a bonnie morning 410 million years ago in what are now the Rhynie chert fossil beds in Scotland. The mists had begun to lift and swirl over the landscape, where hot springs burbled, lichen pape...
defector.com
February 3, 2026 at 5:14 PM
This is what paleontology is really about
I’m so happy Herrman has the space at NYMag to showcase his super sharp analysis of all things online during These Troubled Times™
once you start looking for it, you see evidence and consequences of online desocialization everywhere nymag.com/intelligence...
February 3, 2026 at 5:18 PM
I’m so happy Herrman has the space at NYMag to showcase his super sharp analysis of all things online during These Troubled Times™
Hey hey, an audiobook I worked on last year won an award!
MERCY by Joan Silber Read by LJ Ganser Nan McNamara Christina Moore Alyssa Bresnahan Helen Laser Nick Walther | Audiobook Review | AudioFile Magazine
AudioFile Audiobook Review: Together, six narrators create a captivating audiobook production, instilling humanity into a story where listeners might believe there is none left.
www.audiofilemagazine.com
February 3, 2026 at 4:02 PM
Hey hey, an audiobook I worked on last year won an award!
Reposted by Ben Ellman
Actually, Matt Levine had this great line today:
"Lots of very smart people have had high-minded ideas about intergalactic travel for centuries, but perhaps it will turn out that a critical step in getting there is building an app to generate short-form pornographic video on demand."
"Lots of very smart people have had high-minded ideas about intergalactic travel for centuries, but perhaps it will turn out that a critical step in getting there is building an app to generate short-form pornographic video on demand."
February 2, 2026 at 11:17 PM
Actually, Matt Levine had this great line today:
"Lots of very smart people have had high-minded ideas about intergalactic travel for centuries, but perhaps it will turn out that a critical step in getting there is building an app to generate short-form pornographic video on demand."
"Lots of very smart people have had high-minded ideas about intergalactic travel for centuries, but perhaps it will turn out that a critical step in getting there is building an app to generate short-form pornographic video on demand."
"President Donald Trump called on Republicans to seize control of election processes from individual states, signaling that he may push for drastic measures to change the dynamics of the midterm elections."
I feel like there's a much more direct way to say what you mean here, Bloomberg
I feel like there's a much more direct way to say what you mean here, Bloomberg
February 2, 2026 at 7:55 PM
"President Donald Trump called on Republicans to seize control of election processes from individual states, signaling that he may push for drastic measures to change the dynamics of the midterm elections."
I feel like there's a much more direct way to say what you mean here, Bloomberg
I feel like there's a much more direct way to say what you mean here, Bloomberg
Reposted by Ben Ellman
ten years ago today no one clapped
February 2, 2026 at 12:57 PM
ten years ago today no one clapped
Reposted by Ben Ellman
from: jeevacation@gmail.com
Dear Strngbda, how do yuo tpye wiht boxign glovs on
Dear Strngbda, how do yuo tpye wiht boxign glovs on
February 2, 2026 at 2:19 AM
from: jeevacation@gmail.com
Dear Strngbda, how do yuo tpye wiht boxign glovs on
Dear Strngbda, how do yuo tpye wiht boxign glovs on
Reposted by Ben Ellman
Thinking about whoever said that by accepting a meal from people and then arresting them ICE agents broke a cultural taboo that was invented by, like, the first humans to set up a tent
February 1, 2026 at 4:22 PM
Thinking about whoever said that by accepting a meal from people and then arresting them ICE agents broke a cultural taboo that was invented by, like, the first humans to set up a tent
Reposted by Ben Ellman
Shit is nuts. This week I spoke to a crim. defense attorney from mpls who mostly does federal work. He said a client got arrested with 19 pounds of meth & an indictment was coming. Then the feds had to forgo the indictment because they don’t have the resources. Walking away from 19 pounds of meth!
They are running out of lawyers.
DM me? We used to get hundreds of highly qualified applicants for a single job posting. Good prosecutors are increasingly hesitant to work for this DOJ.
January 31, 2026 at 6:49 PM
Shit is nuts. This week I spoke to a crim. defense attorney from mpls who mostly does federal work. He said a client got arrested with 19 pounds of meth & an indictment was coming. Then the feds had to forgo the indictment because they don’t have the resources. Walking away from 19 pounds of meth!
Reposted by Ben Ellman
New from 404 Media: here is the user guide for ELITE, the tool Palantir made for ICE. A map shows people on a map; ICE clicks them, brings up their dossier. ICE uses to find which neighborhoods to target. We obtained it, you can now read the document for yourself: www.404media.co/here-is-the-...
Here is the User Guide for ELITE, the Tool Palantir Made for ICE
404 Media is publishing a version of the user guide for ELITE, which lets ICE bring up dossiers on individual people and provides a “confidence score” of their address.
www.404media.co
January 30, 2026 at 2:51 PM
New from 404 Media: here is the user guide for ELITE, the tool Palantir made for ICE. A map shows people on a map; ICE clicks them, brings up their dossier. ICE uses to find which neighborhoods to target. We obtained it, you can now read the document for yourself: www.404media.co/here-is-the-...