Ins/Outs of 2025

It’s that time again! Enjoy the Ins & Outs of 2024, as predicted by LARB social media savant Maya Chen.

By Maya ChenJanuary 1, 2025

• Cultural Studies

• LARB Lit

In

Austin Butler

Older Mediterranean pervert directors

Folk heroes 

Polenta or grits

Physical media

Medieval Times

Anchovies

BTS, kind of

Being normal

Political pardons

Instagram magazines

Jellycat keychains 

Pop Mart 

IMAX

MGMT

Ariana!!!

Patti LuPone

Black sesame

Hot water (drinking)

Amazing pregnancies against all odds 

A Southeast Asian country’s cuisine, possibly Northern Thai

Hulu

Regular coffee

Caleb Hearon

Derp

Horror genre

Ethics-of-circumcision discourse

Estate sales

Large rectangular sunglasses

Sitcoms 

Chuck and Hailee

Coastal towns (not beach towns) 

Bogotá or Lima or Santiago

Timothée

Mod haircut

Male eyeliner

Cookbook clubs 

Braises 

White pepper

Pinch pots

Pupusas

Chipotle (the chain)

Long walks

NEON (the company)

Butter and radishes

Video game discourse (are they art, cozy games = fascism, etc.)

Hairpins 

Romance

Iced Americanos 

Fish sauce

Broadway revivals 

Savory cocktails

Premier league

Ginger beer

Bubbles

¤

Out

Readings 

A24

K-pop

The Oscars 

Twitter leftist boy speak (“this shit is so ass dog”)

The Democratic Party 

Fandom

Blythe dolls

The Dare

Gaga, but not for forever

Sriracha mayo 

Calling sandwiches “sandos”*

Jade rollers

Jukebox musicals

Reddit snark forums

Essays in The Cut

Bachelor Nation

Brain Dead Studios

Gracie Abrams

Grad school

Football

Taylor

New vinyls

Being a “plant dad”

“I’m just a girl”

Up-priced vintage thrift stores

Self-driving cars

Apple 

Grandpa glasses

Internet novels

Warby Parker 

Benny Blanco

Wishbone Kitchen

White Bushwick

Substack

Jacob Elordi 

Face ID 

Candles

Ggiata 

Hobby scenes (LTTT, Chess Club, Stud Country, etc)

Microplastics 

Grass

Instant ramen hacks 

Run clubs

Heirloom tomatoes hype

Miffy

Arena tours 

Gochujang 

Espresso martinis

Letterboxd discourse

Canned flavored sparkling water

Podcasts

Indoor bouldering

Skaters 

Casetify

*Not applicable to the real Japanese

¤

Featured portrait by Tiger Stepmom.