The Material Review

Issue 150: NYC Private School Kids in the 90's, Restaurant Merch, the Best Bathroom in the South, New Year New Totes and Spotlight On E Ink.

Michael Williams and The Material Review

Jan 03, 2026

Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.

The Cult of Costco

“In an age of broken institutions, insufferable politics, and billionaire businessmen auditioning to be Bond villains, most things feel like they’re getting worse. Costco seems to stay the same.” [The Atlantic]

The Shit-Kickers of Madison Avenue

“Whenever the tenth graders have a break in their school program, and daily at 12:35 P.M., they head for one of their hangouts. The second floor of Jackson Hole, at the southwest corner of Ninety-first and Madison, is in at the moment.” [The New Yorker]

What Your Restaurant Merch Says About You

“Restaurants are turning their brands into marketing juggernauts, monetizing every bit of likeness. Restaurant merch is being dangled like a carrot, and folks are biting.” [The Supersonic]

Slow Dopa

“Getting a dopa hit today and dealing with the consequences in the future has become the default mindset for millions of Americans.” [No Mercy / No Malice]