America’s Most Iconic Reflecting Pool Now Just a Giant Mirror for Bad Selfies, Tourists Blame the Economy
The National Mall’s historic reflecting pool has officially transitioned from a site of solemn contemplation to the country’s largest Instagram vanity station, with visitors now using it exclusively to capture their best angles while complaining about the price of avocado toast. Historians are reportedly weeping into their notebooks, but the internet is having a field day as viral clips show one man attempting to walk on water for a TikTok transition—and promptly face-planting into the shallow end. Critics say the pool has become a symbol of our modern condition: deeply reflective on the surface, but ultimately just a shallow basin for narcissistic performance.