March 17, 2021

I had a dream that I was an intern in a weird high-stakes company meeting. The scientists were unionizing. I've been reading too much about Gimlet. 

In the autopsies of what went down at Reply All, the reliance on black and brown contractors, junior producers who worked way harder than senior producers and for less money, the lack of a formal structure to move up in the company, haha I was going to say I wonder what the root cause was. But that's a lot of cause right there. It seems to be getting placed at the feet of Alex Blumberg, his lack of leadership and a bias toward public radio people who have gone to Oberlin. Or maybe it was the power and pressure of being a fast-growing media company. Maybe it's capitalism, the pressure to make your job your whole life if you're going to survive, and then how your job becomes everything - money, friends, validation. 

There's something about the way the Bon Apetite story was unfolding, about how Gimlet is unfolding, that drives it closer to home. I could see this coming out in a lot more companies. It's like, of course - the structure tells you that you're not doing enough. It makes it really hard for some people to get in and move up, while others pass go no problem. All based on race, nepotism, education, some vague notion of coolness. Of not needing it. Of starting on the inside. 

Changing gears. 

A family friend is 18 months past when he was diagnosed with cancer. He had been given an estimated 18 months to live, and he's still here. He and his wife went snowshoeing yesterday. They gave him a cookie with candles in it, "18." My mom sent me pictures, and it's hard to recognize him. He didn't used to have white hair, for one, but also his face is different. I don't think I've seen him in the past 18 months, and the difference is shocking. 

I keep thinking about how my dad is 70 now. That's properly up there. Like you can kick it 70, and people are like, oh well, right. Old age. I don't know what to do about it. Call him more, I guess.