Articles in Culture and Criticism
The pre-Nixon-era mental hospital is a preoccupying terror of U.S. popular culture to this day. This isn’t without basis; madness, and its attendant visions and rants, is a preoccupation of narratives throughout the world and …
On this episode of the Tomato Nation Read-Along: Inside Scientology: The Story of America’s Most Secretive Religion, by Janet Reitman. It’s available in print and Kindle formats, as well as on audio, which is how …
You know what song you don’t hear much anymore? “Good Vibrations” by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. You do hear it sometimes, like at the nail salon, but you don’t hear it much, because …
It’s that time again, boys and girls. We’ve got two books about religion from the last poll, plus a bunch of other goodies to choose from; celebrate Election Day by voting for our next book!
Survivor: Ozzy v. Coach. I didn’t care for Christine, so the success of Ozzy’s bold move pleased me, but of course we won’t hear the end of it until he’s taken out — which, obviously, …
Jersey Shore. It’s sort of interesting to see how the relationships and interactions in the house have evolved from typical Real World-y “who ate my pickles”/”fuck you”-type fare to, basically, office politics among co-workers at …
I got a promotional email about Margin Call from Lincoln Center, and incorrectly assumed I could only see it there, therefore braving a Saturday audience at the Elinor Bunin Monroe Theater — a lovely facility …
Fringe. Weird season so far. I went into last season thinking they’d have trouble making the two-universe storyline work, but they totally did. This season, I had no doubt that they’d make it work, and …
ANTM: All-Stars. I had tagged out of the show a few cycles ago because I couldn’t take Tyra’s unleavened self-aggrandizement. It’s still egregious, but because the girls have gone through the process before, she can’t …
Joe R and I walked into Alice Tully Hall last night and I spotted him right away, on a balcony entrance above us: Damien Echols, surveying the scene. Right there, in a sharp black shirt …
