Do as I Say, Not as I Do Do as I Say, Not as I Do
The comforting lessons in good will and friendship Apple, Netflix, and Disney flaunt are benign distractions that deflect attention from their two-fisted business behavior.
Jan 8, 2024 / Peter Biskind
Whose “It’s a Wonderful Life” Is It Anyway? Whose “It’s a Wonderful Life” Is It Anyway?
How everybody’s favorite Christmas movie about the perils of monopoly capitalism became a victim of monopoly capitalism.
Dec 25, 2023 / Ray Nowosielski and David Cassidy
How 2 Companies Came to Dominate the Media Business How 2 Companies Came to Dominate the Media Business
Once upon a time, six companies controlled the media in this country. That, it turns out, was the good old days…
Dec 13, 2023 / Feature / Thomas Schatz
My Last Conversation With Norman Lear My Last Conversation With Norman Lear
He invented modern television. And he still found time to nurture his political causes, from People for the American Way to The Nation.
Dec 7, 2023 / Obituary / Joan Walsh
History According to Ridley Scott History According to Ridley Scott
Ultimately what we learn in Napoleon says far more about the director than it does about Napoleon.
Dec 4, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Mike Duncan
How “Reservation Dogs” Changed the TV Landscape How “Reservation Dogs” Changed the TV Landscape
The pioneering FX show offered a window into contemporary Native life in all its joys and vicissitudes.
Nov 21, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Vikram Murthi
Influence and the Rise of Digital Celebrity Influence and the Rise of Digital Celebrity
A history of social media from the perspective of the poster, Taylor Lorenz’s Extremely Online examines the roots and rise of our sponsorship-saturated ecosystem.
Nov 11, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Tarpley Hitt
The Misunderstood History of American Wrestling The Misunderstood History of American Wrestling
A recent biography of WWE executive Vince McMahon presents him as an entertainment tycoon who changed culture and politics. The real story of his rise is as banal as it is brutal....
Nov 10, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Nadine Smith
The Long, Wild, Bloody History of the Hollywood Strike The Long, Wild, Bloody History of the Hollywood Strike
Today’s strikes are part of a nearly century-long tradition within the entertainment industry.
Nov 8, 2023 / Chris Randle
The Fight Over MSNBC’s Cave-in to Islamophobia The Fight Over MSNBC’s Cave-in to Islamophobia
Amid war fever and bigoted violence, we have to combat media cowardice.
Oct 16, 2023 / Jeet Heer