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 Rich Tourists Who Want More, and More, and More
Can anything satisfy the guests of The White Lotus?
What the Biggest Saturday Night Live Fans Know
The 50-year-old sketch-comedy show isn’t just about the jokes.
The House Where 28,000 Records Burned
Charlie Springer spent a lifetime building his music collection. The Los Angeles fires incinerated it.
A Revelatory Way of Understanding the Black Experience
Imani Perry’s latest book examines the intersections between the color blue and the history of her people.
America in 2025
A poem
The Game That Shows We’re Thinking About History All Wrong
A radical tweak makes Civilization more realistic—and more depressing.
Should I Leave My American Partner?
I love him, but I don’t know if I can live in the U.S. forever.
Shipwrecked in the Amazon
Photographs of the worst drought in the river basin’s recorded history
The Paradox of Music Discovery, the Spotify Way
A new book explores the company’s commitment to shaping what its users hear.
The Unfunny Man Who Believes in Humor
How Lorne Michaels became the arbiter of funny