Articles in Entertainment
The Dystopias of Yesterday
Looking back on the disaster scenarios of vintage sci-fi.
What is Civilization?
The ‘Civilization’ game series inadvertently defines the exclusive club of ‘civilized’ people in the world as Western, European, and settler colonialist.
Why You Should be Watching Soviet Cinema
Introducing the wonderful world of Soviet films, which deserve revisiting and appreciating.
Finding Los Angeles with Anthony Bourdain
How Bourdain’s work reoriented one writer’s engagement with people and places around him.
How Anti-Homeless Sentiment Made Its Way Into Popular Cartoons
Cartoon depictions of the homeless increasingly reflect the hostility of today’s political leaders toward people on the streets. We’ve gone from images of charming hobos with bindles to zombies taking over cities.
The Labor Politics of “Air”
Revisiting a seemingly pro-corporate “brandopic.”
Why Media Conglomerates are Spoon-Feeding Us Anti-Capitalism
Media companies are happy to sell us anti-capitalist messages in our TV shows, as long as they don’t have to give up power or wealth to the people making those shows.
‘Seinfeld’ and ‘Friends’ Reflected the Atomized US of the ’90s—and Today
What an era’s most popular sitcoms can tell us about their time and our own.
Living on the ‘Planet of the Apes’
The 1968 classic has been endlessly parodied, but it has a haunting and timeless message.
‘Dr. Phil’ Will Not Be Missed
As the 20-year run of ‘Dr. Phil’ comes to an end, reflecting on how the show combined pop psychology, the sleaziness of ’90s talk shows, and misleading culture war debates.
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