Alex Mell-Taylor
Bio
I write long-form pieces on timely themes inside entertainment, pop culture, video games, gender, sexuality, race and politics. My writing currently reaches a growing audience of over 10,000 people every month across various publications.
Stories (58/0)
Chapter One: Mateo In The Woods
Mateo made his way through the unmarked forest. Even after all this time, he still loved exploring the ever-shifting topography of the woods. Life be praised, he loved his job. There was no better thrill as a scout than experiencing a place for the first time, untouched by the many hands of his herd. He basked in the divine experience of being immersed in this sea of green, surrounded by the scraggly pitch pines and black and white oaks that protected the Cod Archipelago from further erosion.
By Alex Mell-Taylor8 months ago in Fiction
Cancel Culture Isn't About Winning An Argument
I have recently done a 180 on "Cancel Culture," or what I call "the politics of shame." I was once an avid supporter of the idea that you shouldn't shame others as a tenant of political organizing (see Unpacking the Deadly Politics of Shame), but recently I have changed my mind. Shame can sometimes have excellent results in the realm of politics (see Historically, Shame Has (Sometimes) Been A Good Thing), and we do ourselves a disserve in disavowing it.
By Alex Mell-Taylor8 months ago in The Swamp
The Problem With ‘Moon Knight’ & Mental Health
Moon Knight is a show about a person (Oscar Isaac) given superpowers by the Egyptian God of the Moon Khonshu. This vigilante's goal is to fight wrongdoers. He is pitted against Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke), the servant of Ammit, who wants to judge wrongdoers before they commit their crimes. Along the way, we get a story about magical powers, kooky hijinks, and most surprisingly of all, a perspective on mental illness that although mixed, is not as harmful as the works that came before it.
By Alex Mell-Taylor9 months ago in Geeks
Horizon Forbidden West Rightfully Depicts The Rich As Villains
The Horizon series is a fun romp set in the distant future. It's ultimately about a lot of things: a post-apocalyptic adventure where you slay robot dinosaurs with bows and arrows, a narrative about the nature of humanity and AI; a feminist tale about a kickass warrior named Aloy (voiced by Ashly Burch) that goes against over a half a century of misogynistic video game tropes.
By Alex Mell-Taylor9 months ago in Gamers
The Startling Reasons Why Job Hunting Can Be Sociopathic
The majority of people have had to apply for a job, yet it's probably not the most enjoyable thing you've done. Most people routinely cite dissatisfaction, not just with their jobs, but in the job application process, especially for online applications where it is seen as very opaque. To quote a rant on Reddit: "Applying for jobs is actual hell. I hate this. [I'm] sick of the constant anxiety, nearly being successful and getting excited - but then turned down at the last minute, being ghosted... it's just horrific isn't it?"
By Alex Mell-Taylor9 months ago in Journal
Hadestown Is Thee Musical To Listen To For Climate Anxiety
Climate Change is terrifying. Even following the news around it is exhausting. Every day reveals new horrors about rising seas, vanishing resources, and diminishing crop yields. Our political leaders have not responded to this threat appropriately, and this negligence has left a lot of us with anxiety about the future.
By Alex Mell-Taylor9 months ago in Geeks
You Don’t Need To See The Documentary “What is a Woman?”
Recently the trailer for the film “What is a Woman?” has been going around. The “documentary” (a word I use loosely) is from the mind of conservative transphobe Matt Welsh (I think that’s his name, I can’t be bothered to look it up), a man who has made a history of trolling LGBTQ+ people. The documentary is not very good, and its points have been debunked thoroughly. It was also made in a very duplicitous manner, where a fake trans organization was set up to lure activists and medical professionals into interviews.
By Alex Mell-Taylor9 months ago in Pride
Historically, Shame Has (Sometimes) Been A Good Thing
In the past, the argument that "shaming people is always wrong" was one I identified with strongly. I wrote an entire piece arguing in length how shame was not a good principle to organize around (see Unpacking the Deadly Politics of Shame). In that piece, I concluded: "…shame seems to be a pretty destructive foundation for political organization. It is an emotion that demands self-flagellation and punishment over accountability and understanding."
By Alex Mell-Taylor9 months ago in The Swamp
The Chemical Plant That Is To Die For (ft. The LyondellBasell Channelview Complex)
Why hello there, traveler, and welcome to the "Apocalypse Tour." This is thee place to observe all the locations that had a significant impact on species 947's collapse (947 were also known as humanity [hyoo·ma·nuh·tee]). We discuss the physical locations that contributed to humanity's untimely end on a tiny planet called Earth in the year 90,423 XE (what humans may know as 2XXX AD).
By Alex Mell-Taylor9 months ago in Fiction
Breaking Down Disney’s “Woke” Advertising
Listen, I love Disney. I am up to date on both the MCU and Star Wars. I have also watched every Disney animated movie from Hercules to Turning Red. I have not stopped loving Disney cartoons as an adult, and, now that this company has problematically acquired every popular media property this side of the Outer Rim, I don’t think I'm going to stop now.
By Alex Mell-Taylor9 months ago in Geeks
