The Culture Desk
Culture
Books, movies, music, food — the stuff that makes life interesting.
The culture beat at AlphaMode is for the questions that come up after the game ends or the album finishes — what is the work doing, what is it for, who is it for, and what does it tell us about now. We cover books, film, television, music, food, and the broader cultural questions that men’s lifestyle media usually leaves on the table.
We are not a recap site. We are not chasing reviews on release day. We will run a piece on a book three months after publication if we have something specific to say about it, and we will skip the buzz title we do not.
Our taste is omnivorous. We will write about a 1970s war novel and a contemporary album in the same week. We assume our reader is curious.
Featured
Culture
The Dumbphone Comeback Isn't What You Think
Light Phone, Punkt, Nokia. I lived with all three for thirty days each. The pitch is "your attention back." The reality is more interesting, more compromised, and — for most people reading this — almost certainly not the answer to whatever they think it's the answer to.
By AlphaMode Editorial · 20 min read
Recent in Culture
20 stories total
Culture
How I Started Reading Again After Years of Doom-Scrolling
My attention span was cooked. I couldn't get through a menu without checking my phone. Here's how I tricked my broken brain into reading actual books again — and why it's been worth every painful page.
Culture
The Only Grilling Guide You'll Ever Need (From a Guy Who Burned a Lot of Chicken First)
I ruined a criminal amount of meat before I figured out how grilling actually works. Here's everything I learned so you can skip the learning curve and go straight to the compliments.
Culture
Why Every Man Should Learn to Cook at Least 5 Meals
You don't need to be Gordon Ramsay. You just need five solid meals that won't poison anyone or set off the smoke alarm. Here's your starter kit for actually feeding yourself like a grown-up.
Culture
How to Cook a Steak That Makes Steakhouses Jealous
I used to spend $65 on a steakhouse ribeye and wonder why I couldn't replicate it at home. Turns out I was making four fixable mistakes, and once I stopped, my kitchen steak started embarrassing restaurants.
Culture
The Beginner's Guide to Not Killing Your Houseplants
You've killed a cactus. You've killed a succulent that the label literally said was 'impossible to kill.' You're starting to think you have a curse. You don't -- you just need someone to explain plants like they're talking to a guy who has never successfully kept anything green alive.
Culture
Sports Bars vs. Watching at Home: The Definitive Guide
The age-old debate, settled once and for all (or at least argued convincingly). When should you hit the sports bar and when should you stay home? The answer is more nuanced than you think, and involves more math than you'd expect.
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