Music during wartime
David Byrne reminds me that however bleak things seem, singing and dancing together are morally serious acts.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s pursuit of freedom in relationship
One Battle After Another makes no argument for the “right” sort of revolutionary action. It’s more concerned with the relationships between parents and children.
Bad Bunny and us
What we witnessed at the Super Bowl was less a performance than an invitation.
Entertainment in an Easter Egg Economy
From Taylor Swift to Stranger Things, pop culture fandom now includes sleuthing—for better or worse.
The fear of being filmed
Tyler, the Creator’s album Don’t Tap the Glass suggests that our phone cameras pose a threat to our embodied human freedom.
When Superman deconstructs
Many have criticized the new film’s twist on its hero’s origin story. I found it powerfully resonant.
Embracing mystery with David Lynch
The filmmaker knew that our desire to comprehend is intimately tied to our desire to control.
Kendrick Lamar is playing a different game
The “great American game” is played to win and to exclude. Lamar’s halftime show made the case for turning our attention to something better.