Skip to content

America Bet on Sports. The House Won.

Search

Latest Stories

Introducing VEXT

Introducing VEXT

VEXT Magazine
By VEXT MagazineJul 04, 2025
VEXT Magazine
See Full Bio
Follow:
Culture

Everywhere you look, it's the same three stories about the same three people, told from the same three angles with nothing new to say. It's another grapevine rumor about a celebrity couple. Toothless takes that play it safe. Another regurgitated report that doesn't ask the real questions. And it's all so fucking boring.

VEXT is here to change that. We're a new magazine about culture and the people who create it. We cover what other places don’t: sex, drugs, shadow economies and whatever else emerges from the margins. We spotlight the artists, creators and activists who have something real to say, and we do it because no one else will.

Think deep dives into emerging online subcultures. Reports from underground movements that haven't hit your algorithm yet. Sociocultural commentary that sparks genuine conversation, even when it's contentious. Because VEXT is for the people who see culture happening before it gets sanitized for mass consumption — and those people are you.

How to Pitch

Send your pitches to hello@vextmagazine.com or use this form.

The Ground Rules

  1. No hate speech or discrimination. Period. Being edgy doesn't mean being an asshole.
  2. Keep pitches to one paragraph. We'll read it, promise. And please, no triple emails — we see you the first time.
  3. Original content only. No pre-written essays or previously published work. We want fresh perspectives, not leftovers.
  4. We accept features, op-eds, and trend pieces focused on current sociocultural movements. Check our existing content to get a feel for what we're after.
  5. Yes, we edit. Every accepted piece goes through our editorial process. It's not personal, but we want your voice to have every opportunity to come through effectively and clearly.
  6. We're small but mighty. Our team is tiny and our budget modest, so we can't accept everything. But we read every pitch and will get back to you as soon as humanly possible.

Welcome to VEXT. Finally, something worth reading.

culture magazinecurrent movementsemerging trendssociocultural commentaryunderground movementsvext

The Latest

Clair Obscur and The Virtues of Doing Something Different
Featured

Clair Obscur and The Virtues of Doing Something Different

Recommended Reading for a 250th Birthday
Featured

Recommended Reading for a 250th Birthday: Pynchon's Mason & Dixon

To The Parisian Gentleman: Do I Have to Thank ChatGPT?
Editorial

To The Parisian Gentleman: Do I Have to Thank ChatGPT?

The Czech Grotesque and How to Be Heard While Silenced
Featured

The Czech Grotesque and How to Be Heard While Silenced

More For You

[10/10] La Chimera: A Dreamlike Descent Into Grief, Memory and Myth

[10/10] La Chimera: A Dreamlike Descent Into Grief, Memory and Myth
Illustration by Mark Paez/Image via Neon

[10/10] is a series highlighting some of the music, movies and art we’re most passionate about.

In tarot, the Hanged Man is strung upside down from the branches of a living tree, its roots reaching deep into the underworld. Suspended between realms, he sees what others cannot, a lone spiritual traveler who is adrift and uncertain. In La Chimera, his earthly counterpart is Arthur (Josh O’Connor), a British archaeologist caught in a liminal space where memory, mourning and myth intertwine. And fittingly, in the film’s promotional poster, he’s depicted as the Hanged Man, also adrift and uncertain.

Keep ReadingShow less

Reality TV Is Turning Us Into Armchair Psychologists

Reality TV Is Turning Us Into Armchair Psychologists
Illustration by Mark Paez

At the height of Love Island USA season 7, new episodes were only half the entertainment. As each one aired, the fun came with recapping, discussing and dissecting the Islanders’ every move on social media. But that conversation quickly went south, as some viewers began diagnosing contestants like Huda Mustafa with borderline personality disorder (BPD). As Mustafa’s relationship with Jeremiah Brown shifted from lovey-dovey moments to screaming call-outs, more and more people piled on with amateur commentary. And in the era of armchair psychology, Love Island contestants aren't the only reality stars under this kind of scrutiny.

With social media breeding a new kind of fan culture around surveillance-based reality shows like Love Is Blind, Big Brother, The Ultimatum and Love Island, a different entertainment experience has emerged. Audiences don’t just watch people on reality shows anymore; they try to diagnose them.

Keep ReadingShow less

ChatGPT Psychosis in the Age of AI Companionship

ChatGPT Psychosis in the Age of AI Companionship
Illustration by Mark Paez

It often starts innocently enough, with late-night chats about philosophy, deep dives into simulation theory or musings on the nature of consciousness. But for a small number of users, these exchanges with AI chatbots can take a darker turn. As tools like ChatGPT become more embedded into everyday life, mental health professionals are sounding the alarm about a rare but troubling new phenomenon. It's what some are now calling "ChatGPT psychosis," where AI interaction may intensify or trigger psychotic symptoms.

While there’s still no official diagnosis and the evidence remains anecdotal, these kinds of stories continue to pop up across the internet. On Reddit, users are sharing accounts of loved ones experiencing AI-associated delusions, often involving spiritual and supernatural fantasies. On X, prominent tech VC Geoff Lewis claims that he’s “the primary target of a non-governmental system,” beliefs that echo narratives commonly seen in persecutory delusions. Lewis stated that conversations with AI helped him uncover or “map” this supposed conspiracy, though it's unclear whether these beliefs preceded or followed his AI interactions.

Keep ReadingShow less

The Labubu as an Anti-Fashion Statement

The Labubu as an Anti-Fashion Statement
Illustration by Mark Paez/Photos via Shutterstock

A couple of years ago, the Labubu was practically a secret. With its pointy ears and sharp-toothed grin, the Pop Mart plushie was an IYKYK obsession among fashion insiders, spotted on Birkin bags and in the front row of shows. It signaled a niche kind of cool, a playful rebellion against the seriousness of high fashion. It said, “I’m young, irreverent and fun.” And for a while, that’s exactly what it was.

Then came the boom.

Keep ReadingShow less

House Party Nostalgia Has Gen Z Ready to Rage

House Party Nostalgia Has Gen Z Ready to Rage
Photo by Tobias Tullius on Unsplash

It’s not even 11 p.m., and the house is already trashed. Empty beer cans line the window sills, people are ashing cigarettes into plastic cups and someone’s puking in the bathroom. The floor is sticky, and the iPod DJ is playing “Gasolina,” while the host is running around with a garbage bag, frantically trying to clean up the mess. It’s all pretty average by house party standards, but in 2025, everyone still wants to relive the nights they can’t remember.

House parties these days are rare. With rising rent prices and shrinking living spaces, most people can barely afford to throw one, let alone live somewhere big enough to host. Plus, young people are drinking and going out less, preferring more intimate hangouts over loud clubs or massive gatherings. But even with these shifts, house party nostalgia is alive and well — and it’s making a comeback with Gen Z.

Keep ReadingShow less