TASTEFUL RUDE

…a magazine that is typically tasteful. And a little bit rude.

The Latest

About Tasteful Rude

Tasteful Rude’s editorial voice eschews politeness in favor of truth-seeking and fun. It is Tasteful Rude’s mission to abide by Edward’s Said’s commandment: "Criticism must think of itself as life-enhancing and constitutively opposed to every form of tyranny, domination, and abuse."

Beautifully Ruined: A Case for Re-visiting Kate Braverman’s Lithium for Medea

by | March 14, 2023

Punk! Real estate! Venice Beach! Myriam Gurba re-introduces readers to Kate Braverman’s cult classic Lithium for Medea.

Photo of a man holding a surfboard at Venice Beach.

Treasure Box

by | March 7, 2023

In Treasure Box, Jamilla VanDyke-Bailey reflects on an important conversation that came too late.

A Black mother comforting her teenage daughter

Community

by | March 1, 2023

In his column, Alejandro Heredia meditates on the concept and practice of community: is it a group of people who beyond identity might have no personal and interpersonal bonds, or a commodity for corporations, non-profits, egotistical activists, and social media spiritual gurus looking to make profit off of an increasingly conscious society, or is it shared visions of the future as building blocks of collective living?

African American girl and her father planting a seedling.

The Musical Prison: How Song Drives Night of The Kings

by | February 21, 2023

Michael Kolawole writes about the spectacular use of music in Philippe Lâcote’s prison drama Night of the Kings.

An African man in profile

Secret CVs: The Slow Violence of Casual Sexism in Academia

by | February 9, 2023

An anonymous whistleblower describes the cumulative effect of sexual harassment in academia.

Photo of sexual assault perpetrator John Seale speaking at google.

A Biography’s Tale: On Anthony Burgess by Roger Lewis

by | February 7, 2023

Columnist Jonathan Russell Clark proves that sometimes, the best biographers can’t stand their subjects.

Clockwork Orange painting hanging on a pub wall in Arizona.

Perreo

by | January 19, 2023

Columnist Alejandro Herredia meditates on the democratic power of perreo.

villano antillano, la sustancia x cd cover

Black Candles for Bad Men

by | January 12, 2023

A supermarket worker turns to her ancestors for help stopping sexual harassment.

Black candle against a black backdrop

Infidelity for Beginners

by | January 10, 2023

A publicist engages in an activity she can tell no one about: an affair with her boss.

Serious blond woman deep in thought

Priest of Snark: Why One Young Man Heeded the Call

by | December 27, 2022

Isabel Tehan profiles a young man who followed his vocation into a dying profession: the Catholic priesthood.

Photo of Nathaniel Sanders, a Priest.

Homes and Haunts: Colson Whitehead’s The Colossus of New York

by | December 15, 2022

In Jonathan Russell Clark’s latest column, he writes about Colson Whitehead's The Colossus of New York and tries to summon some love for Colombus, Ohio.

Colossus of New York book cover

So You’ve Decided to “Live Your Life” Now That You Think COVID is Over…

by | December 13, 2022

As the pandemic rages on, Anna Hamilton urges the continued use of Covid precautions: "On some level, I understand being 'tired' of the pandemic. I understand missing 'normalcy.' But for people who have debilitating chronic illness, chronic pain/fatigue, and/or long Covid, our normal sucks."

Empty hospital bed by a window

MOVED: On Speaking Spanish

by | December 8, 2022

Maria Bustillos and Myriam Gurba discuss growing up bilingual in a monolingual world.

Image of a young Mexican American girl, the same girl as a woman, and her mother.

Tamales Are For Eating, Not Walking

by | December 1, 2022

Of all the sounds you can wake up to in Mexico City, my favorite by far is the distant shout of the local vendor slowly approaching your street, yelling “tamales.” My partner was usually up before me and would let me know the vendor was getting close as he handed me my hot cup of […]

Three Fillo's Walking Tamales pouches

Ethiopian Food as Divine Blessing

by | November 22, 2022

Some people self-care with a massage or a spa day. Me? I find the nearest Ethiopian restaurant, even if it means traveling hours by car, bus, train, airplane, or all of the above. It may seem like extreme lengths to go for a family serving plate of injera, doro wot, lamb tibs, and shiro, but […]

Ethiopian cuisine: kitfo with herbs and cheese on a plate and injera

Of Tacos y Heartbreak

by | November 10, 2022

Isabel Quintero and her ex-husband find the perfect tacos to eat at the end of their marriage.

street tacos

We Watch the Galaxy from Our Porch: Dating While Trans

by | October 28, 2022

With sadness, humor, and wit, trans writer féi hernandez pens a love letter to herself.

image of saturn, uranus, and neptune

No Princesses: Reflections on the Passing of Sacheen Littlefeather

by | October 24, 2022

Critic Myriam Gurba reflects on the passing of Sacheen Littlefeather and her attempted takedown by a notorious “pretendian” researcher.

sacheen littlefeather against an indigenous Mexican tapestry

Wonder Bread Visions and the Future of Western Civilization

by | October 21, 2022

Donald Earl Collins critiques Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, calling on producers and writers to deepen their apocalyptic imaginations by thinking racially.

poster for star trek: strange new worlds

Noncompliant Heart

by | October 18, 2022

Writer Wendy C. Ortiz traces the development of her rebellious spirit and schools us in fascism’s ties to the Pledge of Allegiance.

Ronald Reagan