What’s Behind the Corporate Pillaging of “60 Minutes” What’s Behind the Corporate Pillaging of “60 Minutes”
By firing veteran correspondent Scott Pelley, the leaders of CBS News have elevated toadying over truth-telling.
Jun 5, 2026 / Ben Schwartz
Why Losing Colbert Hurts So Much Why Losing Colbert Hurts So Much
Trump would have all his comedian critics fired if he could. But Colbert represents a particular loss.
May 22, 2026 / Ben Schwartz
How Netflix Cashes In on the Comedy Culture Wars How Netflix Cashes In on the Comedy Culture Wars
The streamer managed to make a celebrity roast for the innocuous comedian Kevin Hart into an ideological free-fire zone—another sign of the Trumpification of pop culture.
May 15, 2026 / Ben Schwartz
Waging a Culture War by Promoting Comedic Mediocrity Waging a Culture War by Promoting Comedic Mediocrity
The Ellison family, poised to continue dominating the media landscape with its Warner deal, signs on an infomercial-grade comic to replace Stephen Colbert.
Apr 8, 2026 / Ben Schwartz
What Happened to Tucker Carlson? What Happened to Tucker Carlson?
The transformation of a once promising, if conservative, magazine journalist into a conspiracy-minded talking head.
Apr 7, 2026 / Books & the Arts / Chris Lehmann
The Fictitious Capital of HBO’s Industry The Fictitious Capital of HBO’s "Industry"
In the show’s fourth season, everyone has a story to sell and very few are true.
Mar 12, 2026 / Books & the Arts / Jorge Cotte
How Jane Fonda Is Rethinking the Hollywood Resistance How Jane Fonda Is Rethinking the Hollywood Resistance
The actress’s revived Committee for the First Amendment is taking aim at industry mergers as well as threats to the freedom of expression.
Mar 11, 2026 / Ben Schwartz
“The Pitt” Shows Doctoring Uncensored “The Pitt” Shows Doctoring Uncensored
The second season tackles everything from the role of AI in medicine to Medicaid cuts. But above all, it is about burnout.
Feb 19, 2026 / Books & the Arts / Zoe Adams
How Big Gaming Is Swallowing Up the Big Game How Big Gaming Is Swallowing Up the Big Game
The Super Bowl will showcase the lords of legalized betting, even as they’ve already colonized every other reach of human experience.
Feb 6, 2026 / Matt Alston
“The Paper” and the Return of the Cubicle Comedy “The Paper” and the Return of the Cubicle Comedy
The new show from the creators of The Office reminds us that their comedic style does now work in every “workplace in the world.”
Jan 15, 2026 / Books & the Arts / Jorge Cotte