The Rise of CliffsNotes Cinema
Oversimplified literary remakes miss the point of the works they are adapting.
Culture
Why Justin Bieber Played YouTube Onstage for Thousands of People
The pop star transformed the normal act of browsing your laptop into something interesting—and unsettling.
The New Age of Performance Anxiety
With the rise of screen culture, all the world has stage fright.
Where Did ‘Let Them’ Come From?
Years before Mel Robbins published her best-selling self-help book, a struggling writer posted a poem with a similar message.
The 20 Best Podcasts of 2024
The shows that kept listeners refreshing their apps this year
Six Books to Read by the Fire
Each of these titles is a perfect companion while the days grow imperceptibly longer.
Two Different Ways of Understanding Fatherhood
Recent entries into the literature of parenting offer disparate visions of dadhood as part of a man’s private, or public, life.
Martin Short Deserved Better
The host of the SNL Christmas episode brought his irrepressible dynamism to the set, but other guest celebrities stole the spotlight.
Every Woman on This Show Is Loathsome. That’s By Design.
Dune: Prophecy allows its female leads to play both hero and villain.
Even Barry Jenkins Can Only Do So Much
Mufasa: The Lion King, from the Moonlight director, doesn’t transcend its cynical origins as a Disney product.
A Biting Satire of the Art World’s Monstrousness
Ella Baxter’s new novel explores why creative genius so often seems to be at odds with being a good person.
The Luxury Makeover of the Worst Pastry on Earth
How panettone, the once-reviled Italian Christmas treat, became a high-end commodity
You Are Cordially Invited to an Event That Could Ruin Your Life
How could any woman resist Senator Lindsey Graham’s generous summons to speak publicly about her claim of sexual assault?