An ASMR term becomes the latest Gen Alpha catchphrase, Forrest Frank gets flamed, and the world gears up for Grand Theft Auto VI’s long-awaited debut. But first:
Song of the Week
“Housewife” by Tate McRae
Strutting across a yacht and posing before a mansion with a stroller full of dollar bills, Tate McRae declares, “I just wanna make a lot of money, be my own housewife” in the music video for her latest single, “Housewife.” Most modern homemakers rely on their husbands for financial support (and don’t call themselves “housewives”). McRae appears to be using the phrase to suggest she can be both a breadwinner and a kept woman, broadcasting her independence and lavish lifestyle as a pop star. “I am most definitely not a housewife… the farthest thing from a housewife,” McRae said in an interview with W Magazine. The song is currently #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. For the lyrics, click here; for a lyric video, click here.
And now for our three conversations..
1. Satisfied
What it is: “Satisfying” has become a Gen Alpha catchphrase, used to refer to a moment of sensory pleasure derived from a sound, sensation, or image, with online searches for the term up 30% from last year.
Why it’s a dopamine definition: Gallup data from October found that only 23% of American adults say they are satisfied with how things are going in their country. Maybe they just need more NeeDoh? Gen Alpha uses the term “satisfying” to refer to how it feels stretching slime, or shaping kinetic sand, or to any number of physical reactions to material with gooey or squishy properties. For example: viral videos of a butter squishy toy contracting, then returning to its cuboid shape. Interestingly, “satisfying” always describes a passing moment of gratification—never a state of satiety. Not exactly what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 5:6.
Continue the conversation: Why do you think squishy toys are so satisfying?
2. Let’s Be Frank
What it is: Christian music artist Forrest Frank responded to some trolling comments about last week’s election by extolling the importance of family.
Why it’s got people talking: Frank begins his post by repeating a cliché refrain of Christian influencers, “I’m gonna lose so many followers for this…” It gives the video a bit of a “I’m not like other Christian influencers” that was quickly criticized (sometimes humorously). Even if the people he was responding to were just being satirical, it’s not a bad thing to reiterate some important Christian values.
Continue the conversation: What do you think it looks like to stand up for your beliefs?
3. Vice City
What it is: This week, Rockstar allowed players to start “pre-downloading” the long-awaited Grand Theft Auto VI game, which is set to release at midnight on November 19.
Why it’s already everywhere: Gaming experts are predicting that it will be the “biggest entertainment launch in history.” The Miami Heat plans to officially rebrand their home court to “Vice City” (in reference to GTA’s fictionalized version of Miami) on November 18, complete with special uniforms, and the city is set to host a Grand Theft Auto-themed music festival on November 21, featuring performances from Cardi B, Travis Scott, and Justice. The game is expected to be the most violent and sexually explicit entry in a series already known for pushing boundaries. So when so much of our media culture is now aimed in its direction, how should parents respond?
Let’s translate this one further…
Grand Theft Auto VI is infusing itself into our culture in a way that is making aspects of the game feel unavoidable. For parents who aren’t comfortable with their teens playing it, this means there may be a significant amount of FOMO and frustration to work through in conversation.
My personal goal is to avoid Grand Theft Auto VI entirely. I do not say this from a place of moral haughtiness or superiority. I also don’t say it because I’m unable to handle the “gritty reality” that the game will want to usher its players into.
I say it, simply, because I’m not convinced it will be good for me.
A few weeks after I joined Axis in 2014 as one of its interns, our CEO David Eaton brought us all into a room, and asked us how we would define the concept of “absolute freedom.” It was the sort of casual philosophical discussion that was common at HQ at that time. And without thinking, I answered, “It’s the ability to do anything you want without consequences.”
It was an answer shaped more by the sort of open-world free-for-all that previous Grand Theft Auto games enabled than by any sort of New Testament conception of human flourishing. It was an answer shaped entirely around what I might be able to get away with. And it was the wrong answer.
Our CEO pulled a quote from the theologian G.K. Chesterton onto the screen in front of us. It said, “The more I considered Christianity, the more I found that while it had established a rule and order, the chief aim of that order was to give room for good things to run wild.” In other words, he explained, true freedom was not to be found in maximal self-indulgence, but in learning to love the boundaries and restrictions that God put into place for our own well-being.
All of this becomes more nuanced when we are talking about simulating a life of crime in a game, as opposed to actually entering one. But there can be no doubt that a game as big and hotly anticipated as GTA VI will shape the general worldview and preoccupations of those who play it. And while I suppose I could be wrong, my own prediction is that its influence will not be toward greater and greater acts of charity and self-sacrifice.
Here are three questions to help you keep the conversation going:
- Do you think that Grand Theft Auto VI will change the people who play it? How so?
- Why do you think our culture is so excited about this game?
- Is committing a crime in a game 100% different from doing it in real life? Is there any psychological overlap at all?
Parenting together,
Evan Barber and the Axis Team
In Other News…
- Druski, the often-controversial content creator, hosted SNL this week, resulting in this season’s highest views.
- Almost 20 years after its debut, the film Amazing Grace, detailing William Wilberforce’s fight for the abolition of slavery, continues to be relevant.
- This Sunday, a crowd of Chicagoans attempted to push the iconic Chicago Bean six inches. They failed.
- Kim Kardashian’s shapewear company SKIMS has gone viral for the wrong reason: an advent calendar full of junk. (Speaking of Advent, you can now sign up for our Advent Light resource; we promise less junk.)
- The DC Comics movie universe might be dead, with James Gunn being removed as co-CEO after just four years.
A note on how we use AI: At Axis, we are working hard to stay human. Every week, a small team of writers based in California, Colorado, and New York writes this newsletter. We continue to do all the writing, fact-checking, and hands-on developmental editing. We sometimes use Claude or Perplexity for preliminary research, grammar checks, and titling suggestions. All em-dashes are our own—because we love them.