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.
Why So Many Writers Are Athletes
Exercise acts as an extra twist to open the tap of creativity.
Trump’s Golden Age of Culture Seems Pretty Sad So Far
The president’s party has total control of government—but not what Americans care about.
Minnesota Had Its Birmingham Moment
In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. outlined a strategy to expose official brutality. Anti-ICE protesters are following it—and it’s working.
SNL Aces the Heated Rivalry Meme
The show’s Harry Potter spoof was the ultimate mash-up for a fan culture that can’t let go.
Take a Close Look at Trump’s Portrait
The National Portrait Gallery removed key details from the caption beside the president’s photograph. It still has a story to tell.
The Unspeakable, Enabled
This year will decide whether the hatred of women becomes the norm.
The Silence of the Left on Iran
As the Islamic Republic massacres protesters, exiles are dismayed by the lack of sympathy from the American left.
The Question That the Lawyers Representing Trans Athletes Didn’t Answer
The oral arguments for Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J. were meandering and unsatisfying.
An Apocalypse Film That Will Prompt Wild Cheering
The sequel to 28 Years Later offers an optimistic twist on a nihilistic genre.