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Melissa Em

@meowwwls.bsky.social
1.9K followers 608 following 338 posts

she/her 🖌 part-time #illustrator 👩🏻‍💻 part-time front-end developer 🧘🏻‍♀️ full-time worrier Art Fellow @theflytrapmedia.com 💖 📍 Chicago

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Reposted by Melissa Em
Dr. Elizabeth Sawin @bethsawin.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Honestly instead of learning new techniques to hack my nervous system I'd like to live in a equitable life-affirming society that didn't push me into fight or flight hour after hour. You?
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Katelyn Burns @katelynburns.com · 14h
Apparently some people need to hear this, but if a public figure gets outed as a rapist, the public has no obligation to continue supporting that public figure.
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Niko Stratis @nikostratis.com · 02/10/2026
talked about this before and again, i'm speaking as a third generation journeyman trades worker, but working in trades is not something that any of the people who write these pieces, or honestly most of you, respect at all. It's perceived as something you do when all the "good" options are gone.
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illumi @yallchemist.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
lol one of our website designers used our organization's entire monthly claude credits yesterday and now half the company doesn't know how to do their jobs. it's october 2nd.
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Melissa Em @meowwwls.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
@theflytrapmedia.com is definitely not cursed 👀
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s. e. smith @sesmith.lol · 01/10/2026
While I hate relentless self-promotion, I also like being able to eat, so a reminder that my book came out this summer and you might want to pick it up if you like thinking about attitudes around grief in a culture where people are scared of things they don't understand and can't fix.
bookshop.org
All My Dead Cats and Other Losses: Practicing Good Grief in a Culture That Fears Mourning
"Both a grief book that doesn't read like a clinician's notes and a memoir wrapped around a bigger subject, All My Dead Cats takes grief from the taboo to the universal." — BooklistHave you suffered a...
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Andrea Grimes @andreagrimes.com · 01/10/2026
Read it here! Where you can also appreciate the art @meowwwls.bsky.social made for it!
theflytrapmedia.com
The 'MAGA Makeover' is Over, and Its Replacement is (Even More) Terrifying
Fascists are using fashion to normalize radical perspectives and groups into normie society.
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The Flytrap @theflytrapmedia.com · 25/09/2026
WE MADE IT, WE REACHED OUR GOAL OF 200 NEW SUBSCRIBERS!! Thank you, everyone <3
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The Flytrap @theflytrapmedia.com · 25/09/2026
I wrote a little thread earlier about how important The Flytrap is to me, and specifically, what it means to be part of a collective of people working with shared values on a project you are joyful about. You are supporting SO MANY cool creative people with a Flytrap membership.
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Andrea Grimes @andreagrimes.com · 25/09/2026
this is high-key my favorite thing i've ever designed
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s. e. smith @sesmith.lol · 24/09/2026
We can do it! Final stretch! Reminder that The Flytrap is member-supported. No ads, no secret private equity, no hidden personal wealth, just you and us on this ride together. Keep feminist cultural criticism sustainable!
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Katelyn Burns @katelynburns.com · 24/09/2026
If we hit this goal I will go to the Western Mass lesbian bar this weekend and live post about it.
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Madisyn Parisi (they/them) @madisyn-writes.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Y’all should be getting your feminist pop culture coverage from The Flytrap. They’re cool as hell. I usually refrain from talking about my experiences working with outlets until I’m through pub, but I’ll make an exception here: Their contract is super freelance friendly, esp for an indie outlet.
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The Flytrap @theflytrapmedia.com · 24/09/2026
I guess we need a viral story to get 1k subscribers. Well, we can settle for reaching our goal of 200--we still need 68 people to sign up! www.theflytrapmedia.com/no-slop
theflytrapmedia.com
The Flytrap
Feminist cultural criticism against the algorithm
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KJ Charles @kjcharleswriter.com · 23/09/2026
This is a non trivial risk. I'm not knowingly paying for, reading, or promoting slop, and that includes slop that replaces art and voice work.
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Melissa Em @meowwwls.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
"Sometimes we hang on to hurt and trauma and discomfort because feeling a familiar, predictable pain is less terrifying than the possibility of feeling unfamiliar pleasure." I don't have the same experience as the reader, but damn if the advice doesn't hit close to home.
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Brian Goldstone @brian-goldstone.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Imagine accepting these first two sentences from the NYT piece as a normal feature of American life: "What can a laid-off worker over 50 do to get health insurance? Besides staying healthy until Medicare kicks in at age 65, the answer is: Not a lot."
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Brian Goldstone @brian-goldstone.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
There is something so unbelievably bleak about an article that calmly walks readers through how to navigate being laid off after 50, losing your health insurance, and somehow surviving the years until Medicare. What a broken country.
nytimes.com
Laid Off After 50, and No Health Insurance? Here’s What to Consider. (Gift Article)
At best, older workers will struggle to find health insurance that bridges the years before they qualify for Medicare at age 65.
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Melissa Em @meowwwls.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I love seeing the shirt I designed for @theflytrapmedia.com in the wild! 💖 Pick up a shirt for yourself to give the finger to the algorithm and AI theflytrapmedia-shop.fourthwall.com/collections/...
theflytrapmedia-shop.fourthwall.com
F*CK AI | The Flytrap Media
The official F*CK AI collection for The Flytrap Media. Shop products like: F*CK The Algorithm and F*CK AI unisex comfy tee - Pride on dark, F*CK The Algorithm and F*CK AI unisex comfy tee - Pride on l...
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Melissa Em @meowwwls.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Evergreen
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s. e. smith @sesmith.lol · 22/09/2026
P.S. Get a year of The Flytrap for $39 if you want to read this piece AND SO MUCH MORE. www.theflytrapmedia.com/no-slop
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nicole froio @nicolefroio.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
If you are looking for someone to cover the Brazilian elections, I have several pitches that are just dying in several inboxes so pls reach out!
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Andrea Grimes @andreagrimes.com · 22/09/2026
The midterms are six weeks away. What can you do NOW to get your people to the polls? Plan your party, your rideshare, your potluck ASAP. Don't wait for November 3.
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Katelyn Burns @katelynburns.com · 22/09/2026
Bruh we really launched @theflytrapmedia.com on Election Day 2024 LMFAO
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Katelyn Burns @katelynburns.com · 21/09/2026
For my newsletter, I wrote about Democrats coming out against "trans surgery for kids" (which do not happen) and how the myth took over our politics. www.burnsnotice.com/the-trans-ki...
burnsnotice.com
The "Trans Kid Surgery" Myth
The big lie worked because it played on your protective instincts
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The Flytrap @theflytrapmedia.com · 21/09/2026
When The Flytrap first launched our partnership with Bitch Media to reprint key pieces from the much-missed publication, we were delighted to see everyone's enthusiasm! We are now a year into this project and are thrilled to share some of our fave reprints.
A bright pink graphic that says FUND FEMINIST MEDIA, with a  drawing of a venus flytrap in the middle, wearing sunglasses and roaring in the middle of a yellow heart.
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Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
The tragic irony is that the newspaper used the photo of a memorial of someone who actually died while biking with a letter to the editor that argues against bike lanes. wtf?
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The Flytrap @theflytrapmedia.com · 20/09/2026
It might not look like it, but publishing a newsletter takes a lot of work from several humans. We want to be as transparent as possible about our process, especially during a time where AI is being added to many newsrooms' workflow.
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nicole froio @nicolefroio.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
every Sunday I wake up with the sunday scaries because i don't know what to do for money anymore. cold pitching doesn't work anymore, job applications go to die in a HR inbox, and I'm just sitting here not making money while being the most qualified I've ever been. soul-destroying.
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Anna Holmes @annabookwriter.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Not only is illustration art, WSJ has artfully illustrated that no matter how rich you get, you’ll never be accepted in old money circles. They think they make culture. We all do, for better and worse.
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Sara Sanchez @bcbsara.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
I remember listening to Chris Hayes' podcast at the start of Trump II and his guest talking about how the Brazilian movement that defeated Bolsonaro had a saying "We're not letting go of anyone's hands." Way too many people think it's okay to let go of some peoples' hands.
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s. e. smith @sesmith.lol · 19/09/2026
I just keep coming back to this fundamental mismatch: Some people think the point is Content, just more Content, endless Content to be mindlessly swiped through and consumed on 2x speed. Rather than art, creation, emotion, and shared humanity.
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s. e. smith @sesmith.lol · 19/09/2026
Someone was telling me the other day that if you ‘can’t tell the difference’ between AI-generated visuals and human art then ‘why does it matter’ and do people not understand that the point isn’t the end product but the creative process? I look at art to feel things, to connect with others.
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s. e. smith @sesmith.lol · 19/09/2026
Paying freelance writers and artists fair rates from the jump was never a question in a collective of current and former freelancers. No 'we can only pay $250 because we're new and anyway it's ~ exposure ~' at The Flytrap. We pay a minimum of $600 for art and $.50 a word for writers.
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nicole froio @nicolefroio.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Hey, im telling the story of how I adopted my dog over at @theflytrapmedia.com in exchange for the purchasing of subscriptions. Check it out:
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Andy Bell @bell.bz · 18/09/2026
New on the blog
bell.bz
You’ll miss publishers when they’re gone
Ever since Piccalilli started to get traction, I’ve always seen CSS-Tricks, Smashing Magazine and A List Apart (among others) as peers. We all help each other behind the scenes and importantly, back each other. When CSS-Tricks was initially acquired by DigitalOcean, I was really happy for Chris. The work that he’d put into that publication…
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Andrea Grimes @andreagrimes.com · 18/09/2026
ok so let me just legit have a holler for a minute about co-running/co-founding an indie media collective in an era when slop is dominant, technofacists have unprecedented access to policy-makers, and we're all so goddamned tired making real shit is hard and costs money
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tru @thetrudz.photo · 18/09/2026
🩵 Hi. I really could use some immediate support as I’m dealing with major income loss + ongoing health issues. A lot has changed for artists + finding other work has been tough thus far. tysm. • thetrudz.com/shop • patreon.com/thetrudz • cash.me/$thetrudz • paypal.me/thetrudz • venmo.com/u/thetrudz
Photography-themed and music-themed t-shirts. White one with film cameras on it. Black audiophile one with white text. And two white ones that mention vinyl, blue and pink text. Shirts and images of shirts by thetrudz.Vinyl collector-themed poster prints, music-themed stickers and my book, Insights: Film & Television (Reflections, Reviews & Resources) which is ten years (2013-2023) of indie writing on film, television, music and more. Includes essays and also film reviews. All work by thetrudz.
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The Flytrap @theflytrapmedia.com · 17/09/2026
TIPSY 'N FRIENDS NO THOUGHTS ONLY VIBES POWER HOUR HAS BEGUN If we can get 20 new subs over the hour, I'll let Tipsy play with her forbidden ~ emotional support cherry tomato ~ don't deny Tipsy her termater!!
Andrea, a white lady wearing a pink Flytrap tee, poses with Tipsy the tortoiseshell kitten, who is lolling on a green furry cactus-shaped cat tree
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The Flytrap @theflytrapmedia.com · 17/09/2026
🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨 this is @andreagrimes.com i have secured control of the Flytrap's account beginning at 5 p.m. CT, i'm launching a TIPSY 'N FRIENDS NO THOUGHTS ONLY VIBES POWER HOUR supporting our sub drive gather round, as these furry fuckos have done
Andrea's pets gather in a small tv room: Stella the bicolor tabby on a tv console, Fizzy the big-eared beagle/german shepherd mix on a green rug with Panda the black-and-white chihuahua mix, and Tipsy the tortoiseshell kitten on a wooden side table
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Melissa Em @meowwwls.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
It's been almost a year exactly since I drew my first illustration for @theflytrapmedia.com to accompany a wonderfully spooky article by @sesmith.lol I wouldn't have had the opportunity without the support of paid members, an opportunity that has changed my life in so many ways.
theflytrapmedia.com
Housing Haunts Me
If only getting a mortgage was as easy as opening a book.
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Patrick Brosset @patrickbrosset.com · 15/09/2026
I'm worried about the web. I don't want to live in a world where most users of internet-connected devices consume their information and accomplish their tasks via a chatbot interface.
patrickbrosset.com
Patrick - I'm worried about the web
I'm worried about the web. I don't want to live in a world where most users of internet-connected devices consume their information and accomplish their tasks via a chat bot interface.
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The Flytrap @theflytrapmedia.com · 16/09/2026
Sometimes we receive complaints from people who want to read Flytrap content for free. We understand the frustration around paywalls in an increasingly dire financial landscape for many folks, so we also want to be honest about our financials. Let's talk about what it costs to run the Flytrap.
A graphic with a bright yellow background and a pink hand pointing at the messaging that says "FUND FEMINIST MEDIA: Get 40% off a Flytrap annual subscription today!"
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Radiant G🌈 @radiantg.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Sometimes my feed is just: [amazing art] looking for work [goated resume] looking for work [great writing] looking for work [banger music] looking for work Dave Slutbutt, CEO of Game Dev, has laid off 9000 people to buy a 4th house in Bora Bora. [industry veteran] looking for work
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The Flytrap @theflytrapmedia.com · 15/09/2026
Of course Ed Sheeran's Irish band, Beoga, quit on him after he dropped Macklemore for saying "Free Palestine"! Irish musicians are at the forefront of speaking out against the genocide of Palestine. We covered this here: www.theflytrapmedia.com/censorship-o...
theflytrapmedia.com
Censorship of Pro-Palestine Speech in the Music Industry Shows the Power of Demands for Decolonization
The liberation of Palestine is a threat to how we live today—that’s precisely why we should keep calling for it.
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s. e. smith @sesmith.lol · 15/09/2026
Okay rich friends employed with companies that do employer matching: Please help me raise $7k to support @scarleteen.com's fall fundraiser. We're expecting 7 million visitors this year (up from 5 million!) in a climate where access to good sex ed, esp. for LGBTQIA+ young people, is dwindling.
pro.gofundme.com
Scarleteen's Raising $7,000 to Celebrate 7 Million Visitors in 2026!
{{MetaTags.description}}
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Andrea Grimes @andreagrimes.com · 15/09/2026
The Flytrap will match someone with the ability to pay for our 2-for-1 subscription offer with someone who can't afford a sub! Ding-dang I'm proud to be part of this bunch
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Andrea Grimes @andreagrimes.com · 14/09/2026
We've set a truly ridiculous goal for The Flytrap's annual sub drive and I don't know if we'll hit it but I do know that people who fund feminist media keep feminist media alive and 40% off is a real the fuck sweet deal
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Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Mitch McConnell disappeared for three months & kept his full salary. Disabled people are forced to prove they’re “still disabled” just to remain in legislated poverty. Folks on SNAP must re-apply and prove they’re “still poor”. Republican Senators don’t even have to prove they’re alive.
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Martha Smith @mostlymartha.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Here's my pitch: The Flytrap crew is doing precisely the work we say we all want -- independent, smart, challenging, and ethically produced by people you can respect. In this life, the plants we water are the ones that grow. For $3.25/month, you can make it rain on The Flytrap.
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