Pessimists Archive Newsletter | Substack

When Ozzy Osborne Survived Crucifixion

Ozzy Osborne died a saint - but was once considered a surrogate of Satan, if not the anti-christ himself.

Aug 7

Most Americans Opposed the Moon Landing

July 20th, 2025 marks the 56th anniversary of the moon landing.

Jul 20 •

The War on Artificial Ice

Before artificial meat was attacked as ‘unnatural’ by incumbents, artificial ice was also.

Jun 13 •

Thinking Different is Never Popular (at First)

“Think Different” is Apple’s iconic motto, capturing the essence of what made it one of the world’s most beloved brands—often overlooked is how much…

May 6 •

The War on Internet Phone Calls

When long distance telephone companies tried to thwart online telephony

Apr 1 •

Most Popular

The Forgotten War on Beepers

Apr 10, 2024 • Louis Anslow

Robots Have Been About to Take All the Jobs for 100 Years

Mar 22, 2023 • Louis Anslow and Pessimists Archive

The Forgotten War on the Walkman

Jul 1 • Louis Anslow

STUDENTS FLEE FIELD AS COMPUTER 'FAD FADES'

Aug 21, 2021 • Pessimists Archive

Recent posts

When Hollywood Union Members Embraced Artificial Music

In 1929, the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) railed against the growing trend of recorded music in movie theaters instead of live musicians - a…

Feb 5 •

The 1800s Had 'Brainrot' Too!

The Oxford Dictionary just added "brainrot" as its newest official word—a tongue in cheek term for consuming too much short-form social media content.

Dec 2, 2024 •

The 1774 Novel Blamed for Youth Suicide

The Sorrows of Young Werther was blamed for a supposed youth suicide epidemic

Nov 18, 2024 •

The 'War of the Worlds' Panic was Anti-Radio Propaganda

Radio was a new competing medium, so newspapers invented a panic to blame it for

Nov 1, 2024 •

Einstein Blamed Automation for the Great Depression

Not even Einstein was immune from the lump of labor fallacy...

Oct 10, 2024 •

The 1912 War on Fake Photos

Concern about deceptively edited photos feels like a very modern anxiety, yet a century ago similar worries were being litigated...

Sep 24, 2024 •

The Eiffel Tower was Called Techno-Dystopian

The Eiffel Tower is just as iconic of France as croissants and baguettes, and equally emblematic of Paris, standing alongside landmarks like Notre-Dame…

Aug 18, 2024 •

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