This “I Voted” nail art will outlast a sticker
Plus: What Kanye's "White Lives Matter" shirts tell us
Hello, in this issue we’ll look at…
This “I Voted” nail art will outlast a sticker
What Kanye's "White Lives Matter" shirts tell us
This Virgil Abloh collab with Jenny Holzer is getting rereleased
A tattoo artist just won a case against WWE video game makers who recreated her tattoos
Hey, I’m hosting a Twitter Space Wednesday morning on the @yellopolitics account about my story on how a campaign ad actually *reduced* partisan animosity. Join me and some special guests as we talk about the story Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. ET/7:30 a.m. PT. I hope you can join us!
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This “I Voted” nail art will outlast a sticker

“I Voted” stickers last a day, but “I Voted” nail wraps could last up to two weeks.
The progressive group MoveOn launched “Nail The Vote” nail wraps this week to encourage people to vote and extend the window voters have to promote their civic engagement beyond just one day.
The $15 nail wraps were designed by Ariel Wilson, art director at the cultural agency TaskForce, and they come in two limited-edition sets: one that reads “Your Vote Is PWR” and another that spells out “VOTE.”
“We do see it as a way for people to be loud and proud about their voting,” said Mona Yeh, culture director at MoveOn. “It’s not going to peel off at the end of the day like a sticker.”

MoveOn has been working to convert fingernails into mini GOTV billboards since 2020 when the group partnered with celebrities to promote their own voting-themed nail art. Last year, they extended the campaign for Pride and against AAPI hate. This year’s “Nail The Vote” campaign seeks to expand beyond celebrities to everyday voters.
“When you get your nails done, you are essentially affirming that you want people to notice them,” said Liz Cattaneo, communications director at MoveOn. “Getting your nails done is a way of expressing yourself. It’s a conversation starter.”
Using nails as social proof of voting is a way to reach people who aren’t as engaged in politics, particularly during a midterm election year, she said.
Peer pressure can play a big role in voting. One study conducted during the 2010 midterms showed 61 million Facebook users political mobilization messages and found it had an impact on political self-expression and voting behavior.
What Kanye's "White Lives Matter" shirts tell us

It’s provocative? It gets the people going?
Kanye West and some of the models at his Yeezy Season 9 show in Paris this week wore “White Lives Matter” shirts. The rapper, now known as Ye, posted on Instagram “BLACK LIVES MATTER WAS A SCAM/NOW ITS OVER/YOU’RE WELCOME.”
The Anti-Defamation League classifies the phrase as a white supremacist phrase, but reaction from many Kanye fans and much of the fashion press has been to roll their eyes. The statement isn’t viewed as a sincere political belief, but an attention-seeking stunt.
“This is shock value, plain and simple,” Highsnobiety wrote. A user on the r/Kanye subreddit called it “insensitive on purpose” and reminiscent of the confederate flag merch West sold on his Yeezus Tour.
But not everyone sees the shirts as harmless. “Kanye West’s decision to wear a ‘White Lives Matter’ shirt is disgusting, dangerous, and irresponsible,” Marc Lamont Hill tweeted. “I Don’t Care Who’s It Is If I Don’t Feel The Message I’m Out,” wrote Jaden Smith.
The smartest take I’ve read about what Kanye’s doing didn’t even mention the shirt. In Trapital, a music and business newsletter, Dan Runcie wrote about the challenges West faces after leaving partnerships with Adidas and Gap. His channels to promote his products include social media, interviews, and gossip sites, but without support from companies like Adidas, Def Jam, and Live Nation, he loses access to their audiences.
“Kanye never built a strong distribution list that doesn’t rely on algorithms or other partners,” Runcie wrote. “He can’t reach his audience without them. Instead, he relies on head-scratching, disappointing, TMZ-worthy actions to capture attention.”
In other words, he’s no Kim Kardashian, who boasts a larger social media following and stars in an infomercial about her and her family members’ products called “The Kardashians” on Hulu. West does, however, know how to command a news cycle.
This Virgil Abloh collab with Jenny Holzer is getting rereleased
The late Virgil Abloh partnered with artist Jenny Holzer in 2017 for a shirt to raise money for Planned Parenthood, and it’s now getting a rerelease.
The shirts are a play on Holzer’s “Abuse of Power Comes as No Surprise” (1986), but replaces “power” with “flower,” and the back features Planned Parenthood’s mission statement. The shirts were $100 when they were first released, and if you think they wouldn’t be affected by inflation, think again. The rereleased shirts will now go for $205, and 100% of the proceeds go to Planned Parenthood.
“Virgil always left the door open for others to follow behind him and he taught us to look out for one other,” Off-White said in a statement. “In honor of our founder and his values, we celebrate freedom, being human and the fundamental right to choose. We believe in the power of individuality and the freedom to determine the course of their life and future.”
A tattoo artist just won a case against WWE video game makers who recreated her tattoos

So this could have some interesting ramifications for sports video games…