All writers

Freddie deBoer

A writer and academic critiquing media narratives, education policy, and political culture.

freddiedeboer.substack.com
30
articles (90 days)

Recent articles

What Eileen Gu Has Done is Totally Ordinary, Usually Invites Zero Controversy, and Has Routinely Benefitted the United States
the heart of witless nationalism is "it's different when we do it"
freddiedeboer.substack.com
Cozy Girl Lifestyle is a Rational Response to a Winner-Take-All Culture
parleys don't hit and followers don't accumulate, but hot chocolate never fails
freddiedeboer.substack.com
No, That's Not What "the Research" Says About Exam Schools
pretty much the opposite, in fact
freddiedeboer.substack.com
The Luol Deng Law
it's better to win than lose, and it's better to have good players than bad players
freddiedeboer.substack.com
I'm Offering Scott Alexander a Wager About AI's Effects Over the Next Three Years
because that's the only way to get anybody to take skepticism seriously anymore
freddiedeboer.substack.com
Live with Freddie deBoer
A recording from Freddie deBoer's live video
freddiedeboer.substack.com
The Greatest Tension Within 21st Century Progressivism Remains Unresolved
you can't be both a carceral feminist movement and an anti-police state movement
freddiedeboer.substack.com
Please Join Me, Michael Angelakos, and Jaime Lowe as We Talk Being Bipolar Out Loud on Substack Live
Tuesday 2/10 at 7PM EST!
freddiedeboer.substack.com
Two Out of Two Pretentious Born-Rich Ivy League Doctors Agree: Psychiatry is Over!
the LA Review of Books would never pull this shit with any other group
freddiedeboer.substack.com
When Demand for Victims Outruns Supply
vibes come and go, but the great victim scavenger hunt of the 21st century continues
freddiedeboer.substack.com
Announcing My Next Book, All in Your Head: Illness as Identity, Trauma as Fashion, and the Desire to Be Disordered
coming from Simon & Schuster 10/27
freddiedeboer.substack.com
The Machine God's Existence Would Insist Upon Itself, Wouldn't It?
if AI forever changes human life, you won't have to persuade anyone it's happened
freddiedeboer.substack.com
Inherent Vice is PT Anderson's Best Film
as with Raising Arizona for the Coen Brothers, Anderson's funniest, most humane film is also his greatest achievement
freddiedeboer.substack.com
It's "Mental Illness Doesn't Do That" Season Once Again
wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen
freddiedeboer.substack.com
If You Want Different Outcomes, You Have to Do Different Things
I don't know what else to tell you
freddiedeboer.substack.com
The Buffalo Bills Are a Mess, But Sean McDermott's Firing Was Totally Justifiable
a defensive guru whose defense collapses every postseason lives on borrowed time
freddiedeboer.substack.com
Oversocialization, the Shackles of the Millennial Generation
Uncle Ted was right about this one
freddiedeboer.substack.com
Perhaps People Are Cynical About Success in the Creative Arts for a Reason
I am not unaware of the fact that this is a completely thankless, pointless thing to write, a piece which will do nothing for me and will not even effectively promote the perspective I’m sharing here.
freddiedeboer.substack.com
If You Want Freedom and Democracy For Iranian People and All Peoples, You Must Start By Admitting What America Is and Does
we do not liberate, we do not rescue, and we do not permit democracy to get in the way of getting what we want
freddiedeboer.substack.com
All Kidding Aside, I Find the Creative Arc of Stranger Things to Be Quite Sad
an object lesson in problems with modern storytelling
freddiedeboer.substack.com
"Defund the Police" Failed Because We Have No History
to do better next time, we have to learn from the past
freddiedeboer.substack.com
2026 Predictions
infinite wisdom, straight from the source
freddiedeboer.substack.com
LLM Hallucinations Are Still Absolutely Nuts
A couple months back, a grad student reached out to me to see if I could help with some research they were doing.
freddiedeboer.substack.com
you go first
Kareem Grant, 1980-2025
freddiedeboer.substack.com
Awards Season Rivals Sinners and One Battle Another Are Both Very Good, Very Fun, and Very Overrated
whether vampires or Vineland, two Oscar-season heavyweights are being assigned depth and meaning that they just don't possess
freddiedeboer.substack.com
God Bless Us, Everyone
Off for the holiday until next week.
freddiedeboer.substack.com
Editing is Only Good If the Editing is Good and a Lot of Editing is Not Good
the worship of editing as an inherent good is pious, disingenuous, and unhelpful
freddiedeboer.substack.com
The Argument That Lebron is the GOAT Is Running Out of Time
At 40 years old, LeBron James is in the Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar-in-goggles phase of his career.
freddiedeboer.substack.com
For Me, Postpartum Testosterone Decline Has Been Very Real
unlike most, I have the numbers to justify the feelings
freddiedeboer.substack.com
Subscriber Writing, December 2025
Hello folks!
freddiedeboer.substack.com