Welcome To The Shitshow Room!
Join us!
I woke up one morning and “shitshow” was all over the news thanks to the presidential debate the night before. Then the president and a parade of others connected to the administration were diagnosed with Covid-19. And then, my friend James reminded me of this...
I guess that’s as close to a peg as I will get. Never ignore a peg.
So … Welcome to The Shitshow Room!
What is The Shitshow Room? I imagine it as a once-glamorous, now falling-apart lounge and restaurant. I use it as a shorthand for the relentless disaster of This Time. It's sometimes a metaphor for America. Or the world. Or my aging self. (I know, I was never glamorous, but you get the idea!) The news and the people who make it, and the struggles of everyday life are the terrible customers (who probably refuse to wear masks or come up with some lie about their doctor saying that it doesn’t really need to cover their nose). I, like you, am scrambling to try to move everything along, keep as calm as possible and try to turn the tables (in restaurant parlance, to get one table out so you can get another one in.) But these days, all the bad people keep asking for another round of drinks or extra dessert. We can never drop the check on them or get them to leave.
Why a Newsletter? I have gone back and forth on this for a few months now. I have missed writing and wanted to wade back into it, but I would start to inch my way into the pool and then scramble out again. I doubted myself. Imposter syndrome and whatnot. I felt shy and inadequate and worried that there is such a glut of newsletters right now. There are so many great ones, many that I subscribe to and love, written by people far more talented and well-known than I am! I also — in a very “me” kind of way — worried that I might be burdening people by introducing one more newsletter into the mix. But, heck, it isn’t getting any less gluttier or less shitshowy! Why not give it a whirl?
So, what will you get here? There will be a mix of things: Small stories, occasional interviews with the raccoons who visit every night, reading or viewing recommendations, photos of my dog Quincy—and probably of the raccoons. Maybe Jacob, the teen running the world simulation program, will drop by for a chat? We’ll just have to see!
Who am I? I’m a journalist who has worked at The New York Times, BuzzFeed, and The Markup, among other places. My father owned restaurants when I was growing up and my first job was as a coat-check girl when I was 10. I am one with The Shitshow Room and The Shitshow Room is with me. I’m currently doing a bit of freelancing and volunteering and job hunting and mask buying and social distancing and worrying about the future of humanity. You know, normal 2020 stuff. I am extraordinarily lucky to have a very patient husband named Craig and an extra cuddly dog named Quincy. (I’m sure Craig wants me to tell you he is also cuddly.)
Oh, and here’s another thing about me: I am pretty terrible about asking for money. If I actually did own a bar or restaurant, it would go under in about a week because I would be comp-ing drinks and food all the time. But, if you do decide to become a paying subscriber, $5 a month (or $50 a year), I will be donating half the proceeds each month to a few charities that help struggling food-service workers and Americans experiencing food insecurity. I will let you know when we make a donation, how much it is, and who we are helping. Our first donations will go to World Central Kitchen, Jose Andres’ nonprofit which provides food and assistance to people in need around the US and around the world. They have been doing really impressive work partnering with restaurants during the pandemic and they recently announced #ChefsForThePolls project to provide meals to people waiting to cast their ballots during early voting and on Election Day. (Also they have a delightful mascot named Masky.)
So come on by The Shitshow Room. The circus music is blaring and we are always at max capacity, but we’ll try to make the best of it!
-Lisa Tozzi
You can also follow me on Twitter: @lisatozzi
Never thought I'd actually want to be in a shitshow, until now!