Jess Calarco
@jessicacalarco.com
Sociologist. Author. Professor. Roosevelt Institute Fellow. Expert on families, schools, kids, privilege, and power. Bylines in NYT, WaPo, MSNBC, Atlantic, etc.
"Other countries have social safety nets. The US has women."
www.jessicacalarco.com
"Other countries have social safety nets. The US has women."
www.jessicacalarco.com
Pinned
Jess Calarco
@jessicacalarco.com
· Jun 4
Other countries have safety nets. The US has women.
Their labor creates the illusion of a DIY society, making it seem like we don't need a net.
Writing HOLDING IT TOGETHER was a labor of love and fury and I'm so grateful to share it with you all #PubDay
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/697130...
Their labor creates the illusion of a DIY society, making it seem like we don't need a net.
Writing HOLDING IT TOGETHER was a labor of love and fury and I'm so grateful to share it with you all #PubDay
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/697130...
Reposted by Jess Calarco
will also add - yes, this is my personal crusade - that turning podcasts into videos implicitly asks women to once again make more effort than men, as the bar for "camera-ready" for one gender is obviously higher than for the other
‘Painful to hear!’ How podcasts’ rush to video is turning them into dreadful listens
‘Painful to hear!’ How podcasts’ rush to video is turning them into dreadful listens
From Joe Marler’s visual-only stunts to the incomprehensible shuffling sounds Steven Bartlett recently subjected headphone users to, dodgy audio experiences are on the rise
www.theguardian.com
December 27, 2025 at 10:20 AM
will also add - yes, this is my personal crusade - that turning podcasts into videos implicitly asks women to once again make more effort than men, as the bar for "camera-ready" for one gender is obviously higher than for the other
Reposted by Jess Calarco
ICE is not allowed to use deadly force unless someone is poses an immediate danger to themselves or others. So, I will take the claim that the people who were shot tried to run over the ICE agents with a large grain of salt.
December 27, 2025 at 6:36 PM
ICE is not allowed to use deadly force unless someone is poses an immediate danger to themselves or others. So, I will take the claim that the people who were shot tried to run over the ICE agents with a large grain of salt.
Reposted by Jess Calarco
Insane NY Post column suggesting that the new First Lady who is sad about leaving her longtime neighbors in a not fancy NYC neighborhood is an ungrateful brown woman
December 28, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Insane NY Post column suggesting that the new First Lady who is sad about leaving her longtime neighbors in a not fancy NYC neighborhood is an ungrateful brown woman
2025 in a nutshell: we're kicking ourselves in the [redacted] with robot AI, and rather than show us care or even sympathy, the AI robot is claiming that it's the one in pain
another robot highlight for 2025: man wearing humanoid mocap suit kicks himself in the balls
December 28, 2025 at 3:42 AM
2025 in a nutshell: we're kicking ourselves in the [redacted] with robot AI, and rather than show us care or even sympathy, the AI robot is claiming that it's the one in pain
How I'm walking out of 2025
December 27, 2025 at 10:28 PM
How I'm walking out of 2025
I love this. My husband surprised our daughter with tickets to the Eras Tour. The two of them went to the show together, and she still describes it as her best day ever.
December 27, 2025 at 4:08 PM
I love this. My husband surprised our daughter with tickets to the Eras Tour. The two of them went to the show together, and she still describes it as her best day ever.
Of course they won't leave--these dudes love to gripe about how oppressed they are.
Billionaires are considering cutting or reducing their ties to California by the end of the year because of a proposed ballot measure that could tax the state’s wealthiest residents.
A Wealth Tax Floated in California Has Billionaires Thinking of Leaving
It’s uncertain whether the proposal will reach the statewide ballot in November, but some billionaires like Peter Thiel and Larry Page may be unwilling to take the risk.
nyti.ms
December 27, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Of course they won't leave--these dudes love to gripe about how oppressed they are.
Reposted by Jess Calarco
Make a Bond movie academic:
You Only Review Twice
You Only Review Twice
Make a Bond movie academic:
The Grant Is Not Enough
The Grant Is Not Enough
make a Bond movie academic
The Spy Who Loved Me: Birthright Citizenship and the Law of Alien Enemies
The Spy Who Loved Me: Birthright Citizenship and the Law of Alien Enemies
December 26, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Make a Bond movie academic:
You Only Review Twice
You Only Review Twice
Reposted by Jess Calarco
Wait until the New York Times learns about the Electoral College.
They Wanted a Conservative State. They Might Get a Democratic Representative Instead.
The passage of Proposition 50, which redrew California’s congressional map, means that all of the state’s conservative north is likely to be represented by Democrats.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/26/u...
The passage of Proposition 50, which redrew California’s congressional map, means that all of the state’s conservative north is likely to be represented by Democrats.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/26/u...
They Wanted a Conservative State. They Might Get a Democratic Representative Instead.
www.nytimes.com
December 27, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Wait until the New York Times learns about the Electoral College.
Reposted by Jess Calarco
I had missed this. Perverse even by the standards of the Trump White House. They’re threatening to pull student aid from Brown over the shooting www.nbcboston.com/news/local/t...
Trump administration investigates Brown's security after shooting
The Department of Education said its Office of Federal Student Aid would investigate if Brown University violated the Higher Education Act in connection with the deadly shooting on Dec. 13.
www.nbcboston.com
December 27, 2025 at 3:27 PM
I had missed this. Perverse even by the standards of the Trump White House. They’re threatening to pull student aid from Brown over the shooting www.nbcboston.com/news/local/t...
Reposted by Jess Calarco
It’s time :)
11-year-old: I think we need a new house rule.
Me: Oh yeah? What's that?
11: Dad isn't allowed to quote Coming to America until he lets us watch it.
Me: Oh yeah? What's that?
11: Dad isn't allowed to quote Coming to America until he lets us watch it.
two men sitting in a crowd with the words i 'm very happy to be here
ALT: two men sitting in a crowd with the words i 'm very happy to be here
media.tenor.com
December 26, 2025 at 11:50 PM
It’s time :)
Reposted by Jess Calarco
Good article, but I think we could add that many of the current government officials & influencers spreading political point-scoring falsehoods during crisis events HAVE BECOME gov officials & influencers BECAUSE of their bullshit-spreading talents. System effects of rotten attention dynamics.
Government Officials Once Stopped False Accusations After Violence. Now, Some Join In.
www.nytimes.com
December 27, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Good article, but I think we could add that many of the current government officials & influencers spreading political point-scoring falsehoods during crisis events HAVE BECOME gov officials & influencers BECAUSE of their bullshit-spreading talents. System effects of rotten attention dynamics.
Reposted by Jess Calarco
Well said (and absolutely terrifying)👇
As Hannah Arendt put it: "The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists." Undermining that distinction will be a lasting legacy of generative AI.
December 27, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Well said (and absolutely terrifying)👇
Reposted by Jess Calarco
Going over the past year of education-policy initiatives under the Trump admin, this notion of filial obligation actually stood out to me. From the draft of the policy review I just submitted:
December 27, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Going over the past year of education-policy initiatives under the Trump admin, this notion of filial obligation actually stood out to me. From the draft of the policy review I just submitted:
Reposted by Jess Calarco
I'm sharing this because sharing an NYT story about this outweighs my dislike of the publication.
We have known for months because of data outside of Japan that this year's flu season was going to be bad but we have an HHS secretary that hates vaccination and so voila.
We have known for months because of data outside of Japan that this year's flu season was going to be bad but we have an HHS secretary that hates vaccination and so voila.
“New York City’s syndromic surveillance system, which collects information about every patient who visits an emergency room, reported 9,857 visits for “influenza-like illness” last week. That was higher than in the worst weeks of the 2017-18 or 2024-25 flu seasons, both ranked as “high severity”
Flu Cases Climb to Highest Levels in New York City in a Decade
www.nytimes.com
December 27, 2025 at 5:24 AM
I'm sharing this because sharing an NYT story about this outweighs my dislike of the publication.
We have known for months because of data outside of Japan that this year's flu season was going to be bad but we have an HHS secretary that hates vaccination and so voila.
We have known for months because of data outside of Japan that this year's flu season was going to be bad but we have an HHS secretary that hates vaccination and so voila.
And meanwhile, tech has gotten so finicky, so expensive, and so riddled with click-to-buy content that parents often won't let their kids poke around under the hood.
I remember people saying Gen Alpha would grow up as digital natives and be so much more tech savvy than anybody else, except we’ve made computers so glossy and functional that they don’t need to poke around under the hood because for the most part it just works.
December 26, 2025 at 11:49 PM
And meanwhile, tech has gotten so finicky, so expensive, and so riddled with click-to-buy content that parents often won't let their kids poke around under the hood.
Reposted by Jess Calarco
That’s right — and to make the metaphor explicit, like, we’ve all grown up as “automobile natives,” yet I think our average capacity to do basic car repair is probably lower than it was 70 years ago.
I remember people saying Gen Alpha would grow up as digital natives and be so much more tech savvy than anybody else, except we’ve made computers so glossy and functional that they don’t need to poke around under the hood because for the most part it just works.
December 26, 2025 at 12:05 PM
That’s right — and to make the metaphor explicit, like, we’ve all grown up as “automobile natives,” yet I think our average capacity to do basic car repair is probably lower than it was 70 years ago.
Reposted by Jess Calarco
Remember how all summer I had the chorus of white centrist pundits quoting my posts claiming I was fear mongering and a “doomer” for clearly stating my analysis that this kind of thing was going to become normalized and that rule of law wouldn’t matter in this situation as law is a construct.
"Her family has now been told she has been deported, despite US District Judge Brendan Hurson ruling Thursday that she could not be deported pending a hearing...attorneys said Monday that they have...confirm[ed] with the hospital she was born in Maryland." https://bit.ly/3MMdJvz
ICE detains woman whose lawyer insists is US citizen. DHS says she isn't
Federal agents arrested Dulce Consuelo Diaz Morales on her way home in Baltimore, Maryland.
bit.ly
December 26, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Remember how all summer I had the chorus of white centrist pundits quoting my posts claiming I was fear mongering and a “doomer” for clearly stating my analysis that this kind of thing was going to become normalized and that rule of law wouldn’t matter in this situation as law is a construct.
Reposted by Jess Calarco
🧐🤔🤷♂️
Don’t. Print. Lies. In. The. Newspapers (Or. Magazines).
Don’t. Print. Lies. In. The. Newspapers (Or. Magazines).
Why America’s fastest-growing churches don’t get political
The economics of megachurches
Why America’s fastest-growing churches don’t get political
econ.st
December 26, 2025 at 6:53 PM
🧐🤔🤷♂️
Don’t. Print. Lies. In. The. Newspapers (Or. Magazines).
Don’t. Print. Lies. In. The. Newspapers (Or. Magazines).
This shirt has received more compliments than any item of clothing I own.
I think the rule is fair, but then the question becomes: Is he allowed to wear his McDowell's shirt? Or no?
December 26, 2025 at 11:01 PM
This shirt has received more compliments than any item of clothing I own.
Reposted by Jess Calarco
Can someone please respond to Stephen Miller with this message from Frank Sinatra?
December 26, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Can someone please respond to Stephen Miller with this message from Frank Sinatra?
11-year-old: I think we need a new house rule.
Me: Oh yeah? What's that?
11: Dad isn't allowed to quote Coming to America until he lets us watch it.
Me: Oh yeah? What's that?
11: Dad isn't allowed to quote Coming to America until he lets us watch it.
two men sitting in a crowd with the words i 'm very happy to be here
ALT: two men sitting in a crowd with the words i 'm very happy to be here
media.tenor.com
December 26, 2025 at 10:19 PM
11-year-old: I think we need a new house rule.
Me: Oh yeah? What's that?
11: Dad isn't allowed to quote Coming to America until he lets us watch it.
Me: Oh yeah? What's that?
11: Dad isn't allowed to quote Coming to America until he lets us watch it.
Reposted by Jess Calarco
Make a Bond movie academic:
Skyfall: Everyday Life and Coping Mechanisms in Humanities Departments
Skyfall: Everyday Life and Coping Mechanisms in Humanities Departments
Make a Bond movie academic:
The Grant Is Not Enough
The Grant Is Not Enough
make a Bond movie academic
The Spy Who Loved Me: Birthright Citizenship and the Law of Alien Enemies
The Spy Who Loved Me: Birthright Citizenship and the Law of Alien Enemies
December 26, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Make a Bond movie academic:
Skyfall: Everyday Life and Coping Mechanisms in Humanities Departments
Skyfall: Everyday Life and Coping Mechanisms in Humanities Departments
The kid sock market is a total racket.
The "cute" kind only comes in mixed multi-packs. And so, when your kids inevitably lose one, it will inevitably be one of their favorites, and you will inevitable be required to buy a whole new pack to restore the pair.
The "cute" kind only comes in mixed multi-packs. And so, when your kids inevitably lose one, it will inevitably be one of their favorites, and you will inevitable be required to buy a whole new pack to restore the pair.
December 26, 2025 at 8:27 PM
The kid sock market is a total racket.
The "cute" kind only comes in mixed multi-packs. And so, when your kids inevitably lose one, it will inevitably be one of their favorites, and you will inevitable be required to buy a whole new pack to restore the pair.
The "cute" kind only comes in mixed multi-packs. And so, when your kids inevitably lose one, it will inevitably be one of their favorites, and you will inevitable be required to buy a whole new pack to restore the pair.
Reposted by Jess Calarco
Make a Bond movie academic:
The Researcher with the Golden Identification Strategy
The Researcher with the Golden Identification Strategy
Make a Bond movie academic:
The Grant Is Not Enough
The Grant Is Not Enough
make a Bond movie academic
The Spy Who Loved Me: Birthright Citizenship and the Law of Alien Enemies
The Spy Who Loved Me: Birthright Citizenship and the Law of Alien Enemies
December 26, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Make a Bond movie academic:
The Researcher with the Golden Identification Strategy
The Researcher with the Golden Identification Strategy