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 Marathon Moby-Dick Reading Is a Radical Act
It’s an all-analog mass redreaming of a flawed American gospel: superbly countercultural.
Time Comes for Colin Jost—And for All of Us
Last night’s “Weekend Update” segment explained how SNL benefits from making pop culture a little bit cringe.
Forbearance
A poem
Minneapolis Is a Second Amendment Wake-Up Call
The federal killing of a Minnesota ICU nurse should worry every American.
The Oscars Are Rewarding Hollywood’s Big Bets
Major studios took risks last year that seem to have paid off with Academy voters.
The Upside of Professional Rejection
There’s a better way to approach no’s in your work life.
The Sciencewashing of Everyday Life
Fashion, beauty, and food companies are using nonsensical jargon to make a sale.
The Real Fight for the Smithsonian
Its museums, more than any others, shape the nation’s narrative. No wonder the country argues about it.
A Novel About the Costs of Family Secrets
In Quiara Alegría Hudes’s The White Hot, they hurt the people they’re meant to protect.
The Secret to One of Hollywood’s Most Enduring Friendships
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s latest movie doesn’t quite understand their brotherly appeal.