Arts and Entertainment

Chris Licht, Chairman and CEO, CNN Worldwide, speaks onstage

How CNN Went From Bad to Worse How CNN Went From Bad to Worse

Chris Licht’s disastrous reign is governed by reactionary centrism.

Jun 5, 2023 / Jeet Heer

A visitor takes a picture with his mobile phone of an image designed with artificial intelligence inspired by Johannes Vermeer’s painting “Girl With a Pearl Earring.”

Truth in the Age of the Deepfake Truth in the Age of the Deepfake

Could our interest in true-crime podcasts and celebrity biopics be telling us something about our collective discomfort with faking it?

Jun 2, 2023 / Marianela D’Aprile

David Byrne

“This Ain’t No Disco,” Broadway Tells David Byrne “This Ain’t No Disco,” Broadway Tells David Byrne

The former Talking Heads front man is battling the local musicians' union over a production that relies on prerecorded music.

Jun 2, 2023 / Chris Lehmann

Jeremy Strong in the finale of “Succession.”

The Janus-Faced End of “Succession” The Janus-Faced End of “Succession”

At once cruel and compassionate, the finale of the much-loved HBO show revels in the space between tragedy and comedy.

May 31, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Vikram Murthi

Michelle Williams and Hong Chau in “Showing Up.”

Kelly Reichardt’s Cinema of Class Conflict Kelly Reichardt’s Cinema of Class Conflict

In her latest film, Showing Up, she continues a career-long project of examining the bitter resentments produced by inequality. 

May 31, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Alex Kong

The character Shiv Roy sitting at a conference table with a resigned and frustrated look on her face.

Soul-Crushing Misogyny Made “Succession” the Perfect Show for Our Time Soul-Crushing Misogyny Made “Succession” the Perfect Show for Our Time

It was clear from the start: Siobhan Roy could never win. But toxic masculinity made the men losers too.

May 30, 2023 / Joan Walsh

George Lucas looks at the Death Star.

What Makes Special Effects Work? What Makes Special Effects Work?

In Empire of Effects, Julie Turnock examines how George Lucas and Industrial Light & Magic transformed the way we make and view movies.

May 30, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Malcolm Harris

Tina Turner performing at the

When Tina Turner Rocked Out for George McGovern When Tina Turner Rocked Out for George McGovern

The “Queen of Rock and Roll” usually stayed out of politics. But in 1972, she headlined a remarkable rally for the anti-war senator’s presidential campaign.

May 26, 2023 / John Nichols

President Barack Obama visits a Solyandra manufacturing facility in Fremont, Calif., in 2010.

Why Barack Obama’s “Working” Isn’t Quite… Working Why Barack Obama’s “Working” Isn’t Quite… Working

The former president explores what we do all day in a Netflix series that says little about what is to be done. 

May 25, 2023 / Ben Schwartz

Members of the Bandcamp Union during a public campaign update on April 3, 2023.

Workers of the Music World Are Uniting—and Winning Workers of the Music World Are Uniting—and Winning

Last week, staffers at Bandcamp voted to form a union. It’s the latest sign that a real labor movement is starting to take shape in the music industry. ...

May 22, 2023 / Jael Goldfine

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